Have intense faith in God and have proper understanding of the scriptures. Take refuge in
Vairagya. Do not waste time in idle gossiping. Time is fleeting. Utilise every moment in His
worship and service. Develop humility, Kshama, patience and the spirit of service. Be sincere and
true. The Lord is quiet close to you in your heart. Cling to His Name with leech-like tenacity. You
will enjoy Supreme Joy.
Pray to God for purity, devotion, light and knowledge. Pray in any way you like. Become as
simple as a child. Open freely the chambers of your heart. You will attain everything.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

If this is so, then who goes to hell or heaven?
The real experiencer of anything, in an individualistic way, is neither the Self nor the
physical body. It is the mind that is the centre of individuality, that individualizes and imprisons
a ray of the Atman in what is called the individual soul. And it is this mind, as embodied in the
subtle body, that undergoes the pleasure of heaven or the pains of hell, or for that matter, any
experience through a gross or a subtle body.
The mind appears to have consciousness on account of there being a ray of the Atman in
it, in the form of a reflection, very much limited by its own constitution. Hence it will be clear
that the individuality of a person is as much real or unreal as a reflection of a real object.
Though everything happens according to the Supreme Will, the Karma of the individual
determines the form or shape of the experience that is to be had under the dispensation of this
Will. It is not the Atman or the body that has any type of relative experience, though the body is
a gross means of experience; it is the mind that has all this.

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

promising to guide them in their rapid march to the Goal of life, viz., Self-realization, why do you encourage dance, drama and music?

The question betrays an ignorance of the fundamental principles of music and dance.
They are divine. I should request you to remember that Lord Krishna with His inseparable flute
and Mother Sarasvati with Her Veena remind you that music is divine. Lord Nataraja reminds
you that dance had its origin in Him. The wickedness of man would misuse anything. Because
pickpockets are found in abundance in a temple on a festival day, should we deny ourselves the
blessings of His Darshan?
It is a pity that these two divine arts - music and dance - have been brought down to the
level of sensuous entertainment. It is the sacred duty of every lover of God and of the fine arts to
raise them to their original standards of purity and divinity.
Music is Nada Yoga. It at once enables you to attain union with Nada Brahman, the
sacred Pranava. Nritya or dance enables you to enter into Bhava Samadhi.
Drama is a very powerful instrument for the dissemination of spiritual knowledge. What
you cannot teach through hundreds of books and hours of lecture, you can bring home to the
audience easily and effectively through a single play. Drama is an art-form that touches the
heart.
The very fact that the worldly man has taken such an interest in these three and misused
them to fulfil his nefarious purposes, shows what a tremendous power they have over the heart
and soul of man. What a blessing they will be if they are used for spiritual ends!
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

Lust is but a natural tendency of the mind. The best method to check the impulse is the
way of intense and deep Vairagya by a study of religious books, by constant Satsang with
Mahatmas (noble souls), by self-enquiry or “Who am I?” enquiry, by close observance of the
ways of the world, and by an understanding of the diseases and the spiritual degradation that
result from over-indulgence. Remember the saying of the Lord in the Gita:
Trividham Narakasyedam Dvaram Nasanmatmanah
Kamah Krodastata Lobhas Tasmat Etat Trayam Tyajet
(Ch. XVI-21)
Practice the chief Asans and Pranayam as detailed in my books “Yoga Asanas” and
“Science of Pranayama”. Do intense Japa to the point of self-forgetfulness. Treat womankind as
the manifestation of the Devi, the adorable Mother Divine. Maintain Matru Bhav in your
dealings with the other sex. Give up looking at the face of a woman, but look at her feet to avoid
room for evil thoughts to crop up or indiscriminate deeds to arise. Take cold water bath always.
Contro1 the tongue. To give leniency to the tongue means to allow free access to lust to trouble
the being. Always engage yourself in pure and noble thoughts. Realize the glory of
Brahmacharya by studying the lives of Hanuman, Ramdas, etc. Check yourself as per the details
given in my book, “How to Get Vairagya”. Reduce wants and desires. In proportion to the
reduction of the egoistic self, all negative tendencies will disappear.
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

Eat when you are hungry. Do not eat anything between meals. Eat slowly in a calm
mood. Chew properly. Eat moderately. Avoid many combinations of food. Drink a glass of
water one hour before or after food, never with a meal. Fast on Ekadasi. Eat nothing before 9
a.m. or after 7 p.m. Take care of your teeth. Just before or after a meal, avoid all exertion, mental
or physical. Relax at least for half an hour. A long brisk walk is beneficial. Paschimottanasan,
Halasan, Bhujangasan, Salabhasan, Dhanurasan, Mayurasan - these Yogasans will remove
indigestion. Depression of mind, cares, worries and anxieties also affect the stomach. Be
cheerful. Be regular in your Japa.
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

Lust is but a natural tendency of the mind. The best method to check the impulse is the
way of intense and deep Vairagya by a study of religious books, by constant Satsang with
Mahatmas (noble souls), by self-enquiry or “Who am I?” enquiry, by close observance of the
ways of the world, and by an understanding of the diseases and the spiritual degradation that
result from over-indulgence. Remember the saying of the Lord in the Gita:
Trividham Narakasyedam Dvaram Nasanmatmanah
Kamah Krodastata Lobhas Tasmat Etat Trayam Tyajet
(Ch. XVI-21)
Practice the chief Asans and Pranayam as detailed in my books “Yoga Asanas” and
“Science of Pranayama”. Do intense Japa to the point of self-forgetfulness. Treat womankind as
the manifestation of the Devi, the adorable Mother Divine. Maintain Matru Bhav in your
dealings with the other sex. Give up looking at the face of a woman, but look at her feet to avoid
room for evil thoughts to crop up or indiscriminate deeds to arise. Take cold water bath always.
Contro1 the tongue. To give leniency to the tongue means to allow free access to lust to trouble
the being. Always engage yourself in pure and noble thoughts. Realize the glory of
Brahmacharya by studying the lives of Hanuman, Ramdas, etc. Check yourself as per the details
given in my book, “How to Get Vairagya”. Reduce wants and desires. In proportion to the
reduction of the egoistic self, all negative tendencies will disappear.

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

Eat when you are hungry. Do not eat anything between meals. Eat slowly in a calm
mood. Chew properly. Eat moderately. Avoid many combinations of food. Drink a glass of
water one hour before or after food, never with a meal. Fast on Ekadasi. Eat nothing before 9
a.m. or after 7 p.m. Take care of your teeth. Just before or after a meal, avoid all exertion, mental
or physical. Relax at least for half an hour. A long brisk walk is beneficial. Paschimottanasan,
Halasan, Bhujangasan, Salabhasan, Dhanurasan, Mayurasan¾these Yogasans will remove
indigestion. Depression of mind, cares, worries and anxieties also affect the stomach. Be
cheerful. Be regular in your Japa.

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

It is the Great Time personified. It is the destroyer of name and form. In the Hindu
pantheon, there are various gods and goddesses who are members of the divine hierarchy. Just as
we have our government here composed of various ministers and officers, the celestials who rule
the world, too, have their own deities who control the various aspects of creation, preservation
and destruction of this world. Some are in charge of the various elements like air, fire and water;
some are in charge of birth, death, preservation of life and disease. Kala or Yama or Dharmaraja
is the Lord of Death. The entire universe is under his control in a way; for, when the time comes,
he brings about the end of the earthly sojourn of all beings. It is only the man of Self-realization
who transcends this Kala and realizes his own Self. All Sadhana is meant to help us transcend
this Kala, to conquer death, to go beyond time.

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

Nirguna is not nothingness. It is the fullness of everything that is good. Nirguna is
plenitude. In it you find all auspiciousness, all goodness, all beauty, all joy, all health, all
sweetness, all purity, all peace, everything developed to perfection. From a distance this fullness
becomes inconceivable and so the sages called it Nirguna. Once they reach there, they get
merged in that inexpressible experience. It is not nothingness, but it is everythingness, and
beyond this too, for it is inexpressible. Only know that all that exists in Maya or false perception,
viz., evil, ugliness, misery, change, birth, decay, death, etc., are not in It. For, It is beyond Maya.
In Nirguna Brahman, there are no Gunas of Maya, viz.. blue colour, etc. That is what is meant by
Nirguna.

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

Watch your mind and thoughts. Introspect and practise self-analysis. Avoid evil company.
Understand the way of Maya. Be on the alert. Be very humble and simple, remember God at every
moment.
Remove arrogance, self-conceit and laziness. Develop humility to a maximum degree. Be
sincere. Serve all with love. Respect your elders and parents. Lead a simple, laborious life.
Cheer up your spirit. Have Perfect trust in God. Keep the mind fully occupied. Practise daily
meditation. Develop virtuous qualities. Sing the name of the Lord. Thirst for His vision. The Divine
Grace will descend upon you. You will enjoy supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Hold fast the lamp of Dharma. Entertain thoughts of Divine Love. Preserve equanimity in
success and failure. Restrain the senses. Calm the mind. Fix it on God. Soar high in the realm of
bliss. Behold unity. You will have cosmic vision.
Give up all sorts of fears, anger, care, worries and anxieties. Do not be disheartened by
failures. Pain is the best thing in the world. It is an eye-opener. Never forget this.
Dear friend, can economical sufficiency and a few more comforts with electric lights, fans
and sofas give you real peace and freedom, Shanti and Mukti? Certainly not. Search, understand
and realise. Thy guide has come.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Develop patience, tolerance, mercy and love. Practise Vichara. Enquire, “Who am I?”
Serve others With Atma Bhava.
Have firm faith in Srutis and Sastras. Regulate your conduct when you deal with others.
Prostrate before everybody mentally. Possess a keen longing for liberation and intense Vairagya.
Be sincere and earnest. Develop your will-power. Conserve all leaking energy. Draw up a daily
routine and stick to it tenaciously. Grow. Expand. Get success in life. Realise God.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Work with a heart within and God overhead. Have a profound faith in the will of
Providence. Meditate on the divine attributes of the Lord viz., mercy, cosmic love, beauty of
beauties and All-pervasiveness. You will get success in life and God-realisation.
Keep open the portals of your heart by removing selfishness, greed, lust, so that the
Almighty Lord may come and dwell therein. Give up all useless discussions and proceed
straightaway in the quest of the Self or God. You will possess immense inner spiritual strength.
Abandon all superstitions and doubts. Cultivate an indomitable will. Strive ceaselessly for
Self-realisation. You will attain Supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

God is the inner Ruler. He goads the body, mind and senses to work. Become an instrument
in the hands of the Lord. Do not expect thanks or appreciation for your work. Do actions as your
duty and offer them and their fruits to the Lord. You will be freed from the bonds of Karma. Your
heart will be purified soon.
Repeat the Mantra, “I am Thine, All is Thine, My Lord. Thy will be done.” Throw all burden
on Him and be at ease. Do not keep any desire for you. Destroy egoism completely, by
unconditional, unreserved and ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord. If your surrender is total and
sincere, there is free flow of Divine Grace.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

The Supreme Light descended into this mortal world of gloom and darkness, two thousand years ago.

The Law governing the Lord’s descent upon earth is the same at all times, everywhere. When unrighteousness grows and righteousness is waning, when the forces undivine seem to be stronger than the divine forces, when the Word of God or commandments of His Messengers are forgotten or disobeyed, when religious fanaticism follows the letter of the scriptures killing the spirit, it is then that the Lord incarnates Himself on earth, to save Man, to save righteousness. That is why we find so much in common between the birth of Lord Jesus and the Avatara of Lord Sri Krishna.

Even at birth, the Lord had silently begun to deliver His Message. He chose, not a palace but a stable to be his first earthly home. He chose, not royal parents, but humble, poor, but faithful and pious people to own Him the Lord of the Universe, as their offspring. His scale of values is different from mortal. In His eyes, earthly pomp and splendour, as also pride of piety and vanity of intellect, are not receptacles worthy of His descent: for, “blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.”

Mary, the Divine Mother of Lord Jesus, had already been informed by His Angels that the Son of God would be born of her. She married a good man named Joseph, the carpenter. They lived in Nazareth. The ruler of the country in which they lived passed an order that all the people should register their names in their native town or village and then pay tax. Joseph had, therefore, to go to Bethlehem, their native place. However, when they did arrive there, they found that they had virtually no decent house or inn to live in, and had to spend the night in a stable. It was here that the Lord was born.

The blessed, pure and pious shepherds were the next to see the Lord. They were keeping watch over their sheep in the country; and an angel appeared before them and informed them of the Divine Birth. Then the angels sang a beautiful song in praise of the Lord and in so doing, revealed the Purpose of His Descent:

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men.

Lord Jesus had come into this world of men in order to re-establish the true and the highest glory of God, peace on earth, and goodwill in the hearts of men towards all fellow-beings. These blessed shepherds were the very first blessed souls on earth to literally worship the Saviour.

Eight days after His Birth, His parents took Him to the temple at Jerusalem for being presented to God, as was the then Jewish custom. A good old man of Jerusalem, named Simeon, was the next to recognise the Divinity of Lord Jesus. When he saw the Lord in the temple, he knew that Jesus was the Saviour, the Divine Light that had descended on earth to dispel the darkness of ignorance and sin, to redeem the people and to lead them along the path of love and goodness, to the realisation of the Kingdom of God within. In the temple that day Anna, a prophetess also saw Lord Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God, who would shine as the Light of the World.

Soon after, the Wise men of the East arrived at Bethlehem to pay their homage to the Lord. When the Lord was born, an exceptionally brilliant star shone upon the sky; and this these wise men knew to be the sure sign that the Messiah promised by earlier Prophets had come. They set out to worship the Messiah. They followed the direction of the star and came to the kingdom of Herod. They explained their mission to King Herod whom their tale frightened, more than it pleased; and Herod requested them to let him, too, know of the whereabouts of the Divine Child, to enable him, as he said, to worship Him, though in his heart of hearts he desired to do away with the child. The wise men continued to pursue the Star which shone above the house of the Lord. They recognised the Divine Babe, fell on their knees and worshipped Him and offered Him costly presents, as a humble token of their devotion and reverence.

Understand clearly the aim of your life. Chalk out the line of work that is congenial to your
aim. Work hard to realise the ideal. Have your ideal before you and try every second to live up to it.
Develop a strong desire to remove carelessness and forgetfulness. Have confidence in your
own powers and faculties.
Keep up your mental poise amidst the changes of the world without consideration of
success or failure, gain or loss, pleasure or pain. Have the mind always rooted in God amidst
activities. Use the blowpipe of “Teevra Vairagya” and intense concentration to kindle the fire of
devotion.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Cultivate right understanding and right thinking. Develop cosmic love. Eradicate
selfishness. Practise Yama and Niyama. Develop virtuous qualities. Have faith in the existence of
God. Pray to the Almighty daily. The Divine Grace will descend upon you.
Kill unholy desires through holy desires. Do not become lazy. Be ever up and doing. Break
the evil of ignorance. Know thyself and be free.
Worship God in the poor and sick. Serve every one with intense love. Give your hands to
work and mind to God. You will attain Supreme Peace, Bliss and Immortality.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Nitya Sukha (eternal happiness) and Paramasanti (Supreme Peace) can be had only in God.
Therefore pray to the Almighty Lord: “O My Lord! By entertaining various useless
thoughts, by vain and wild imaginations by entertaining myriads of Sankalpas my heart and mind
are afflicted with severe sores. Enough! protect me. O Lord, do protect me. Turn my mind towards
Thy lotus feet. Make it rest in Thee for ever. This is my fervent prayer. This is all I want. Thou
knowest my heart.” He. will guide you in all your activities.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" 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

Angels warned them not to reveal Jesus’s whereabouts to Herod and so the wise men went their way without meeting Herod once again. Herod, thus, frustrated in his nefarious ambition, ordered that all children in Bethlehem below the age two should be mercilessly killed. The King’s officers readily carried out his orders; and thousands of little babes were quickly despatched to the Lotus-Feet of the Lord, in Heaven.

But Joseph and Mary, along with Lord Jesus, had been forewarned by angels of the coming danger, and they had escaped into Egypt over which Herod had no authority. The Lord remained in Egypt for some time, till the angels once again appeared before them and announced the death of King Herod. Though Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to their native country, they chose to proceed to Nazareth, as Joseph felt life was not safe near King Herod’s son who ruled in Judea.

At Nazareth, Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the Incarnation of His Light, the Saviour, grew up as a dutiful son of the pious parents and learnt carpentry from Joseph. The Divine Master who later in life was to shape the twelve great apostles, and whose flaming words were to shape for all time to come the destinies of countless human beings and even nations upon earth,—He busied Himself in learning carpentry, shaping tools and furniture from raw wood.

From: LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF LORD JESUS by Swami Sivananda