Parmartha Prasanga - Prayer and Spirituality

30.    Prayer does not consist in reciting a set formula. That bears no fruit whatever. You must feel a real want within for what you pray, suffer intense pain and agony so long as your prayer is unfulfilled. You have to be restless to find out the way and the means of gaining the object of your prayer, in spite of insuperable difficulties in your path, and to strive heart and soul to achieve it, as if life itself depended upon it. Only then will your prayer be answered and your heart's desire be fulfilled. Only such prayers reach the throne of the Most High.

31.    Highest knowledge, devotion, spirituality—these can only be acquired through great self-effort. One has to struggle hard to win them. Then only do they become one's own, and enduring, filling the mind with joy unspeakable. None can make a gift of these to another. Spiritual practice has to be diligently performed. Then only can Realisation be attained. The degree varies with the intensity of spiritual effort. What is gained without discipline or hard labour loses its gravity, is not highly valued and does not bring happiness earned by hard struggle. Moreover, it goes away as easily as it comes, and it is of little use when we are buffeted by the angry billows of life. In dangers and difficulties, in trials and tribulations, it is swept away altogether. To make spirituality one's very own, means saturating oneself thoroughly in the idea of the realisation of the Self, so that one's nature is wholly changed and an entirely new personality is developed. It is like being reborn again in this very body. Is it child's play? Such a thing is possible only if one is wide awake and strives for it to the utmost, as if one's whole life is at stake. Thus one must continue spiritual practices without interruption and with single-minded devotion as long as the Goal is not achieved.

Source: Paramartha (Parmatha) Prasanga - —Towards The Goal Supreme— Swami Virajanandaji Of Ramakrishna Ashram

Parmartha Prasanga - God or World

25. We want to enjoy all the pleasures of the world to the full and to have the realisation of God at one and the same time. Vain dream! It cannot be done, my friend.

26. If God comes and says: "What do you want? Do you want me—or do you want to live a happy life full of name, fame, health and wealth for a hundred years with wife, children and grand-children?"— ' you will find that, except, perhaps, for one in ten million, all will eagerly pray for the latter.

27. To realise God one must devote oneself to the task heart and soul—a hundred per cent. Not even less by a millionth part of one per cent, or the minutest fraction thereof, will do. What almost all of us seek is to realise Him easily, without much toil and trouble, and without sacrificing anything. We want to compromise between God and the world. We think that if the Guru out of his infinite mercy can get Him for us, and give us salvation, nothing could be better than that. Alas, how can this be? "The Lord must have His entire due, settled and squared to the last farthing."

Source: Paramartha (Parmatha) Prasanga - —Towards The Goal Supreme— Swami Virajanandaji Of Ramakrishna Ashram

Parmarth Prasanga - Faith and Love for God

19. Faith works wonders—makes the impossible possible. Faith plies its boat, setting sail over dry land. The doubting self is drowned even in ankle-deep water.


20. Hope is life. Hope is the source of all strength and effort. If hope is given up, one suffers agonies of death, becomes dead though living. Cling to hope till the last breath. Never, till death comes, give up the hope of realising God. If He so wills, He may shower His grace upon you at any time. Have this faith that He may perchance reveal Himself to you even at
the last moment.


21. When God in His boundless mercy has, through the Guru, imparted the Siddha-mantra (mystic formula of the partic­ular name of the Deity) which is the key to the portal of His sanctuary—know that He has given Himself away freely. But it is necessary for you to have that firm conviction. If you lose that invalu­able jewel through carelessness and negli­gence, know that you are unfit for His grace. The right appreciation of this gift is the practice of the Mantra and the instructions imparted by the Guru with your whole heart and soul until the Goal is reached. Only by so doing will you be able to repay a part of the debt to him. The more you realise that God is nearer and dearer to you than your near and dear ones, the more you will be the recipient of His grace. Through His grace you will be free and ever blissful even in this life.


22. Until Love and Devotion to God grow, one cannot be aware of the transitory and insubstantial nature of the world. The mind is but one; and it cannot be parti­tioned into compartments, one part given to God and other parts filled with desires for name, fame and sense objects. God cannot be realised unless the whole mind be given to Him. Unless one can do that, one has to be born again and again in the world and suffer endless misery.


23. In order to renounce the world, one need not take to holy orders or retire to the forest. Real renunciation is of the mind. If you give up the world mentally, it is the same whether you remain in the world or the forest. If you run away to the forest, without completely renouncing from your mind attachment for worldly objects, the world will follow you there also and trouble you just the same; there will be no escape from it.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Aum

Indiaspirituality

Guru alone can direct you to the right path.

18. The sensible man does not try to diagnose his own disease and prescribe medicine for himself by reading medical books. In case of disease, a doctor's advice should be sought. In the same way, if after reading many books and scriptures one proceeds to choose for himself a partic�ular spiritual discipline, his mind may become confused and troubled by doubts and misgivings, progress may be inter�rupted, and waste of effort and even harm may result. The reason is, that the various scriptures contain divergent or even con�tradictory directions and methods, suited to aspirants of different temperaments and capacities, and different stages of life. It is, therefore, dangerous in many cases to decide for yourself what is exactly suitable for you. The Guru alone can direct you to the right path. That is why spiritual knowledge has to be acquired direct from the Guru. Know that the initiation and instructions given by him are the only path for you to follow. If you do the spiritual practices as enjoined by him unswervingly and with full faith in them and in him, you are sure to achieve success in course of time. In any event, never give up these practices and take to other methods under anybody else's advice. If you jump from one thing to another, the only result will be that you will lose your way and drift about, without gaining anything.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Meditation and Japa

17. Japa, meditation, ritualistic worship, prayer, remembrance, reading sacred books, association with holy men, godly conver�sation, retiring into solitude and thinking-spiritual thoughts-whichever of these at�tracts you, according to mood and oppor�tunity, and gives you joy, take advantage of that and do that. But meditation and Japa are the main things. Never miss them for a single day, however occupied you may be, or even in times of sickness or infirmity, in misfortune or calamity. In such circumstances, if you cannot or do not find convenient to carry on your practice in full measure, make salutation, pray and do Japa for at least ten or fifteen minutes.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Meditation

16. Your mind will inevitably be restless at the time of meditation so long as the idea has not taken firm root in you that the world is insubstantial and transi�tory, and that He alone is the only Real�ity. Love of God will grow and at the same time the mind will become calm to the extent that one is- freed from the thirst for sense pleasures. All the pleasures of the world will become trivial and distaste�ful if even a particle of His Love is ex�perienced.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Asana

15. Asana is that posture in which one can sit for meditation steadily and with ease for a long time. But the spine has to be kept straight, and the chest, neck and head should be held erect, so that the entire weight of the upper part of the body may not be on the ribs and the chest may not sag. A stooping posture, in any case, is not healthy.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Tags: spirituality,asana, yoga

Parmarth Prasanga - 14 Be Strong, Have Faith

14. Never think you to be weak. Have firm faith in yourself. Think, "There is nothing that I cannot do; I can do every�thing if I will." Why should you acknow�ledge defeat to your mind? Know that if you can subdue it, the whole world will be under your feet. One who has no self-confidence does not have real faith in God. Swami Vivekananda has said that the real atheist is he who has no faith in himself. Nobody listens to the words of one who has no self-confidence; and God also does not listen to his prayers.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Tags: spirituality,self effort

Parmarth Prasanga 11 - 13 (Japa)

11. When by continued practice of Japa and meditation, the mind will have become calm and purified, then mind itself will be your Guru, or guide, and you will have proper understanding of everything, and find the solutions of your spiritual doubts and questions within yourself. The mind will tell you what you should do, one thing after another, and how you should conduct yourself.

12. When doing Japa, meditate on the form of your Chosen Ideal also; otherwise Japa never becomes deep. Even if the whole form of the Deity does not appear in meditation, begin with whatever part of the form comes. Try again and again, even if you fail. Why should you give up, if you do not succeed? You have got to carry on with tenacity. Does meditation come easily by the mere wish? Repeated efforts should be made to collect the mind from other objects and fix it upon the object of medi�tation. Success in this will come as one goes on practising.

13. Japa, or mental repetition of the Mantra, counting it on the fingers, using a rosary, or keeping the number of the repetitions-all these are only preliminary means to help withdraw the mind from other objects and fix it on the object of worship. Otherwise, you will not know when the mind may have run away in another direction; or you may even have dozed off. So, though these processes may appear to some to cause a little distraction at the outset, they will enable one to keep watch over the mind's vagaries, detect them easily, and draw the mind back and keep it fixed on the object of medita�tion.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Tags: spirituality,self effort,japa

Parmarth Prasanga 9 - 10 (Self Effort and Moderation)

9. Self-effort (Purusharth) is necessary for spiritual attainment. Resolve firmly, "I will realise God through my own efforts by doing spiritual practices," and go on steadfastly practising Japa and meditation, seated in proper posture, for at least two hours every morning and evening, for three or four years-and see if you succeed or not.

10. It is not good for householders to do much Pranayama or Yoga. Those who are bent upon doing it, should strictly observe regularity and moderation in all walks of life. They should have nutri�tious and Sattvic (pure) food at the prop�er time, well-ordered activities, a life without worry, a healthy and secluded spot with pure air and temperate climate, clean bowels, moderation in speech. Above all, it is imperative to observe Brahmacharya, or perfect continence. Violation of these restrictions is liable to cause heart or brain disease.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Technorati Tags: spirituality,self effort,moderation

Parmarth Prasanga 7 - 8 (Japa and Meditation)

7. Whatever be the time you devote to Japa and meditation-even if it be only ten or fifteen minutes-do it with all your heart and soul. The Lord is the Indweller, the Inner Guide. He sees your heart; His measure is not how long you meditate on neither Him nor how many times you do Japa, but by your inner longing.

8. In the beginning, Japa and meditation taste rather dry. Yet you must go on practis�ing them, even if it be like swallowing medicine. You will find joy after you have practised steadfastly for three or four years. Then, if you miss your meditation even for; one day, you will feel miserable-out of joint, as it were.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

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Technorati Tags: spirituality,meditation,bhakti,japa

Parmarth Prasanga - 2 (Breathing Pattern)

4. Ordinarily one breathes through the left nostril at the time of rest, through the right at the time of work, and through both at the time of meditation. The state most favorable to meditation is when the body and mind have become calm and there is even flow of breath through both nostrils. But do not pay too much atten�tion to watching your breath, nor make this a guide by which to regulate your activities.

5. When the mind is absolutely calm, breathing becomes steady and Kumbhaka (retention of breath) follows. When breath�ing is steady, the mind becomes one-pointed. Bhakti (love of God) also brings about Kumbhaka without effort, and breathing becomes steady. Even without practicing Yoga, Pranayama (control of breath) is attained automatically if one remembers and thinks of the Lord and does Japa with a yearning heart.

6. There is no other easy or convenient method to achieve one-pointed ness of mind except by Abhyasa, or repeated and sustained efforts, and by Vairagya, or non-attach�ment to worldly objects.

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Technorati Tags: spirituality,meditation,bhakti,breathing

Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme 1 - 3

 

1. To realise God an aspirant must have: Patience, Perseverance, Purity of body and mind, Intense desire or yearning, the aggregate of the Six Attributes, namely, Shama (tranquility of mind), Dama (restraint of the senses), Uparati (giving up of attach�ment: to objects), Titiksha (remaining un� affected amidst all kinds of afflictions), Shraddha (faith in the words of the spiritual teacher and the scriptures), and Samadhana (concentration of mind on the Chosen Ideal, or God).
2. Do not tell anybody else, except the Guru, the realisations, the visions, or similar experiences, that spiritual practices may bring to you. Always keep your spiritual treasure-your inmost thoughts-hidden within you. These are not for vulgar gaze. These are your sacred possessions to be shared only between you and the Lord in secret. Likewise, do not talk of your defects and blemishes to others. You lose thereby your self-respect and the respect of others for you. They are for you to confess to the Lord. Pray to Him for strength to overcome them.
3. When you begin meditation, first sit steadily for a while and watch the mind; let it wander wherever it pleases. Think that you are the witness, the seer. Sit watch�ing how the mind floats and sinks runs and skips. Keep thinking, "I am not the body, nor the senses, nor the mind; I am altogether separate from the mind. The mind, too, is material; it is only a finer form of matter. I am the Atman (Self), the master; the mind is my servant." Whenever any idle thought arises in the mind, try at once to put it down.

 

Source: Parmarth Prasanga -Towards The Goal Supreme- Swami Virajanandaji of Ramakrishna Math

Technorati Tags: spirituality. self realization