A full-fledged Yogi can never have the idea either to test himself or his powers. If suchbe the case, he should in no way be considered full-fledged or well-baked. It is only the raw, theill-expanded and half-baked Sadhaks or Yogins that will have the inclination to test their ownselves, i.e., their progress, by virtue of the powers they might have acquired.Yogic powers cannot but manifest in proportion to the amount of progress one makes inYoga as per the injunctions laid down in the Yoga Sastras; and they are surely a detriment toone’s further progress if even the slightest attention is paid towards them either to advertiseoneself or to test oneself. Every day, every minute, nay, every second, will see some blissfulexperience or the other even without the wish of the Yogic aspirant. As these experiencesmanifest of their own accord, the aspirant is to remain indifferent and unconcerned and wonder atthe glory of glorious God; and he should not care to have even a knowledge of the experiences.Only then, and then alone, can he be expected to have onward progress. A full-fledged Yogi ishe who has attained Self-realization through the medium of Yoga and so there can never be anytemptation in him to know who he is or how far he has progressed by dint of the powersaFrom "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda cquired.
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By now the first disciples had gathered around Lord Jesus. The Pharisees on one occasion found Jesus’s disciples plucking corn on Sabbath Day and eating it. When this was brought to the notice of the Lord, He said: “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath; so that the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” This greatly displeased the Pharisees who waited for another opportunity.While Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on a Sabbath Day the Pharisees brought to him a sick man, wishing to find out if he would heal him on the Sabbath Day. Jesus turned upon them and asked: “Is it right to do good, or evil, on Sabbath Day?” They were unable to answer. Jesus turned to the sick man and healed him. This had conclusively set the Pharisees against Him.Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of the Passover and Nicodemus, one of the chief Pharisees, met the Lord at night. Though Nicodemus acknowledged Jesus to be a teacher who had come from God, he said: “I am not able to understand and appreciate all that you teach.” To this the Lord replied in words pregnant with deep spiritual import: “A man must be born again if he is to see the Kingdom of God—reborn not of the body, but in the spiritual sense.” Lord Jesus proclaimed that a true change of heart constituted this rebirth.On his way back to Galilee from Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria. At Sychar He took rest near a well, while His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. A Samaritan woman came to the well to fetch water; and the Lord asked her to give Him some water to drink. She hesitated as no Jew could have anything to do with Samaritans. The Lord then told her of her past life. At once she understood that Lord Jesus was a Prophet; and He, too, admitted that He was the Messiah. The surprised woman at once spread the news to all the people of the city and they gathered around him, proclaiming: “This is truly the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”When Lord Jesus had returned to Cana, a nobleman approached Him and prayed to Him for His Healing Grace upon his boy who was lying dangerously ill at Capernaum. The Lord replied: “Go your way, for your son will live.” At the very moment the Lord uttered these words, the boy had regained his health. Even as the nobleman returned to Capernaum, his servants greeted him with this happy news.From: Lord Jesus - His Life and Teachings, by Swami SivanandaRead more…
Isvara is not ordaining things all the time; else He wouldbe too busy. This means determinism which leaves very little scope for individual effort.The notion that Isvara ordains things only sometimes and not always and that He wouldbe too busy if He ordains things all the time is a puerile one. Isvara can look to everything at onestroke of His Being. There is no such thing as His ‘being too busy’, for He is not like man, usinghis senses for the purpose of acting. Isvara does not act with a changing mind as man does, forIsvara’s action is inseparable from an undivided, ever-vigilant, all-powerful, all-pervadingConsciousness which neither sleeps nor takes rest. Isvara is essentially this sovereignConsciousness itself. The whole universe is determined by Isvara’s creative Will. But this is nodeterminism in the sense of a denial of free will to man. Man has a comparatively clearconsciousness of himself and of others related to him outside, and he is possessed of the power ofdiscrimination and willing. Isvara is the basis of cosmic activity as well as individual action, andyet, He is not involved in the actions of the individual. To Isvara, everything is determined. Thepast, the present and the future are all Isvara’s Being alone. But from the individual’s ownlimited standpoint, there is, in spite of the fact of a changeless universal law, a sort of apparentfreedom of action imposed upon himself by his own individuality. Though the individual’sfreedom of thought and action is not the final truth about it, it assumes a relative importance andbegins to affect the individual with its reactions, as a result of the individual’s notion of thereality of a limited personality and its thoughts and actions. On account of this self-createdbondage the Jiva suffers and this suffering comes to an end the moment the Jiva realizes itsidentity with Isvara in consciousness, in activity and in its very existence itself.From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda Read more…
Jesus, after the period of His seclusion and austerities, came back to his native village, eager to impart His wisdom to his fellow-men. John the Baptist had already declared to the people that the Kingdom of God was at hand and called upon people to repent with a contrite heart and effect a change of heart in themselves in order to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus, too, began with a repetition of this Message. But, whereas John had painted God as a stern Judge, Lord Jesus spoke of Him as the All-Merciful Father Who loved to save the sinner. To Lord Jesus, faith in God, earnestness in prayer, and ethical discipline ranked far above religious observances and ceremonies. This made Him the friend of the oppressed and repressed sections of the people and those whom the orthodox church had excommunicated. Jesus welcomed them all, forgave their sins, and blessed them. “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest,” said He; and thousands sought Him and found peace and solace at His feet. One of His chosen—Twelve—disciples was a publican, rejected and despised by the orthodox Jews. And, one of the greatest and closest of his followers was Mary Magdalene who was so sinful that it is said, Lord Jesus cast out seven devils from her.One day as Lord Jesus was passing by, a crowd had collected around a woman who had been charged with adultery and had been sentenced “to be stoned to death.” As the crowd was about to carry out this execution Lord Jesus came upon the scene. Such was the magnetic and divine personality that he possessed that the people instinctively obeyed His command to desist from the cruel act. When he had heard their story of the woman’s “unpardonable” sin, He quietly said: “Let him that is without sin among you, cast the first stone on her.” This powerful utterance of the Lord at once turned the gaze of each one there within himself. Who could be without sin? Introspection revealed their own defects. One by one, the people hung their heads down and left the place. “Where are they,” Lord Jesus asked the woman, “did no man condemn thee?” “No, my Lord,” said she. “Neither do I condemn thee; go thy way and sin no more,” said the Lord summing up in this beautiful incident the very essence of His Divine Message.On another occasion, when a devotee, bathed Lord Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiping them with her hairs and applying precious ointment over them, the Lord blessed her and granted her forgiveness for all her sins. This enraged some of the people, who questioned His right to grant forgiveness for sins.From: Lord Jesus - His Life and Teachings, by Swami SivanandaRead more…
Pleasure and pain in life are respectively the rewards of the good and the bad actions ofan individual. If a man suffers, it is a reminder to him to ennoble his life and make his futurehappy through the performance of good deeds, self-discipline and right effort.When a person, convicted to a term of imprisonment by the court of law for havingcommitted an offence, escapes from the prison, the law demands that he should be rearrestedand given added punishment, because he had not only committed an offence but tried to avoidthe punishment therefor. So is the case with trying to escape from one’s suffering by inflictingdeath on oneself, rather than attempting through self-effort to improve one’s future or acceptingphilosophically what is beyond all help.One has, besides, no right to take a life, even though it may be his own, since it is a crimenot only in the eyes of God but also in the eyes of social law. The person who commits suicidewill suffer more in a spirit-body for a period of time, and then take a lower form of birth, to workout his Karma. So, one will not be benefited in any way by committing suicide.From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda Read more…
After the baptism, Lord Jesus resorted to seclusion in the wilderness and practised extreme austerities and fasted. At the end of 40 days of such fasting He was hungry. Austerities and meditation had, no doubt, earned for Him divine powers to work miracles. And, the Lord did perform miracles to save people and to heal them. “Why not use those powers now, convert stones into bread, and appease your hunger,” tempted Satan, the Evil One. But, Lord Jesus resolutely refused to yield to this temptation, saying: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God.” Then, again, the temptation arose to test the miraculous powers; “Why not throw yourself from a high tower of the temple; if you are God’s Son, angels shall bear Thee up,” whispered Satan, the Evil One. But once again Lord Jesus brushed the tempter aside, saying: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” A third temptation was placed before Him, when the Evil One took Him to the top of a high mountain, showed Him the world, and said: “All these will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.” But, will Lord Jesus agree? No. He grew stern and rebuked: “Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve’.” The Evil One disappeared and the angels ministered to the Lord.In this great incident of His Life, the Lord had not only given us three most inspiring pieces of instruction, but had also warned by his own example that psychic powers are to be considered as obstacles on his path by the true spiritual aspirant, and that even if, by His Grace, these powers do come to him, he should never even think of utilising them for his selfish ends. Even when his life was at stake, Lord Jesus would not use His miraculous powers to prevent His being crucified. All the miracles He performed during His travels were prompted by the supreme compassion of His heart which overflowed with love and mercy towards all beings. He healed the sick and even raised the dead. But what he really did was to cast out the devils from the persons whom he healed. Their past evil deeds and their hidden evil tendencies had taken the form of their physical and mental ailments. Jesus reclaimed the lost souls and restored to them their pristine purity: He obtained for them, the Lord’s Mercy and Pardon. In his radiant Presence, they not only had great faith in God, but they felt a real eagerness to follow Lord Jesus and lead a new, divine life in accordance with His instructions. It was this faith and this true repentance—repentance that was at once translated into a complete self-reformation—that drew forth from Lord Jesus, His compassionate Healing Grace.From: Lord Jesus - His Life and Teachings, by Swami SivanandaRead more…
Christmas is named after Christ. This is the birthday of Lord Jesus, the Saviour Christ, the Yogi of the East. He was born in a stable at Bethlehem, of Mary and Joseph, the obscure village carpenter. Mary and Joseph made the stable a home for Christ, the King, the Prince of Peace. The birth of Jesus is celebrated all over the world as the sacred Christmas.Lord Jesus was an embodiment of mercy, love and humility. He was an apostle of non-violence and peace. His body was crucified, but his voice has been speaking through the centuries.The message of Christmas is the message of universal love. It is the message of ineffable divine glory and splendour. The message of Christmas is the message of peace and goodwill among all nations.Christmas is more than a day of rejoicing and festivity. It is a day for realizing the Christ-consciousness or cosmic consciousness. It is a day for remembering the noble deeds of Lord Jesus and his sacred life of pristine purity. Christmas comes and Christmas goes, but let the spirit of Christmas be ever with you all.Merry-making is not Christmas at all. Christmas does not consist in ringing bells and singing songs, exchanging mutual gifts and sending Christmas cards, and in enjoying rich repasts and heavy dinners and eating cakes.Christmas is a state of spiritual awakening. To realize the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself, to hold communion with the Lord in the chambers of your heart, to regain your lost divinity, to attain Christ-consciousness or cosmic consciousness, to love all, to include all in the warm embrace of your love is real Christmas.Realize the spirit of Christ. Walk in the footprints of Christ. Dive deep into the heart of Jesus. Ever seek to express, in your daily life, love, joy and peace. Imbibe Christ's message of love and sacrifice. Manifest the latent Christ within you. Follow the Sermon on the Mount. Attain God-consciousness. Live in the spirit of Christ's teachings. Annihilate this little self-arrogating personality and melt yourself in Christ or the Universal Soul. This is real Christmas.All wish to enter the Kingdom of God. But how many of you possess the real spirit of Christ ? How many of you are real Christians ? How many of you follow the teachings, precepts and doctrines of Christ ? How many of you love your neighbours as your own self ? Those who are endowed with purity of heart, humility, universal love, generosity and nobility - they only can attain the Kingdom of God or supreme peace and immortality.The spirit or heart of Christ is seriously lacking in the vast majority of persons. The love of Christ is badly wanted. What is Christmas without love, mercy and purity ? Everybody wants to exploit his neighbour. One nation wants to destroy another nation. Is this Christmas ? Is this the teaching of Christ ?Real Christmas never comes and goes. It is eternal. Feel the spirit of Christmas not only on one day, but throughout the year. Every day is a Christmas day for a real follower of Christ, for a thirsting aspirant. May you all walk the path that Jesus laid out! May you all be living embodiments of the Sermon on the Mount! May you realize the Kingdom of God within you here and now!
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By Satsang, by repeating the Lord’s Name, doing Kirtan, hearing Kathas, reading theRamayana, Bhagavata and the lives of Bhaktas - Bhakta Vijayam and Bhakta Lilamrita - VishnuSahasranama, Narada Bhakti Sutras and Sandilya Sutras. You must develop Vairagya. This isimportant. Live amidst Bhaktas. Live in Ayodhya. Respect Rama Nama. You will developRama Bhakti. Live in Brindavan. Study Bhagavata. Do Japa of the Dvadasakshara Mantra,“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”. You will develop Krishna Bhakti.From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda Read more…
John the Baptist, son of the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, had, in accordance with angel Gabriel’s prophecy begun to baptize people and to prepare them to receive the Light of the Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus was now about thirty years of age, and sought John to be baptized by him on the banks of the river Jordan. John recognised Jesus’s Divinity and asked: “Dost Thou come to me, when I have need to be baptized by Thee?” But the Lord had determined to set an example to mankind: spiritual illumination can be had through a Guru (Preceptor). The moment the baptism was complete, Lord Jesus saw a vision of God’s spirit descending like a dove and alighting upon Him, and He heard a heavenly voice say: “Thou art my beloved son, I am well pleased with thee.”Even John the Baptist had often declared that Lord Jesus was greater than he. But look at the Lord’s devotion to His Preceptor! He said: “Of those born of women there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.” Devotion to the Guru (Preceptor) is the key that unlocks the realms divine: and even the Supreme Being, the Mass of supreme Consciousness, when He descends upon this earth, sets a great example in Guru-Bhakti.From: Lord Jesus - His Life and Teachings, by Swami SivanandaRead more…
The law of Karma is inexorable. Every one reaps the fruits of his previous births. Agood man only will suffer a lot, because he is hurrying up in the spiritual march. Many of hisevil Karmas have to be worked out and purged out quickly to hasten his salvation in this verybirth. But, God gives him extraordinary power of endurance through His grace. An aspirant or agood man gets many difficulties and sufferings. But he rejoices even in sufferings anddestitution on account of the descent of the Lord’s grace. He voluntarily welcomes thesesufferings. The only best thing in this world is pain or suffering, because it is the eye-openertowards God.From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda Read more…
When the Lord was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Jesus was very much interested in the Temple and the discourses of the priests there. In fact, He was so much engrossed in the thoughts of God and His Divine Law, that when His parents had left the temple and were returning to Nazareth, He returned to the temple and joined a group of religious teachers who were discussing religious questions. Even to these masters of philosophy, His words were astounding.Soon Joseph and Mary discovered that Jesus was not following them. In great consternation they returned to the temple and found Him there. Mary gently chided Him for thus slipping away from them to which the Lord replied in those wonderful mystic words: “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” The fond parents were only even more puzzled.For about fourteen years thereafter, Jesus spent His life in India and lived like a Hindu or a Buddhist monk. He had burning dispassion and the spirit of renunciation. In India he assimilated Hindu ideals and principles. Some Christians do not believe in this account of the Lord’s “missing period.” They argue it is not specifically mentioned in the Bible.In matters connected with persons who lived as far back as nearly twenty centuries ago, there is bound to be slight divergences of view. The Old Testament naturally cannot contain any reference. The New Testament consists of Gospels, etc., written by His Disciples, after He was enlightened. It is obviously futile to search for a reference about the period preceding this,—which was the period during which he travelled in India where He got initiation from sages and seers—in accounts of His actions written by people who could never have had any knowledge of His earlier days. It has been the belief of many historians that at some time during the missing period Jesus travelled in India. Anyway there is nothing untenable in this view, and its acceptance would only strengthen the bonds of love between the East and the West, and promote good will between the two hemispheres, which is the Mission of the Lord.From: Lord Jesus - His Life and Teachings, by Swami SivanandaRead more…
