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CARELESSNESS IS DANGEROUS

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on May 6, 2012 at 7:00pm

Just as rile sedge, even if removed, again covers file water of a pond, so also ignorance enshrouds even a wise man if he is careless and stops his meditation.
Therefore, the aspirant should be ever careful. Carelessness is practical death itself. There is no greater danger for an aspirant than carelessness in his spiritual practices. The man who is careless falls front the ladder of virtue.

From "Daily Sayings" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website o

What are the methods to develop unruffled serenity and mental composure under all conditions of life ? Is absolute serenity possible of attainment?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 6, 2012 at 6:00pm

Yes. By all means. Consider yourself as dead to the world or the world as dead to you.
Develop Atma Vichar Sakti. Identify not with the mind, senses and intellect or with any of the
other modifications of the mind. Always be engaging yourself in the thought of the Divine.
Have no thought of yourself or the surrounding world. Be absolutely indifferent to yourself, as
you ought to be towards the surroundings, the various daily happenings and the worldly
repercussions. Knowledge of the Self, when once a

If escape from this world be the goal, where is the incentive for social work?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 5, 2012 at 6:00pm

Escape from the world is not the goal, but freedom from worldliness is what is desired.
Social work has got its own valuable part in life until a certain stage, though after a time it is
transcended by a higher consciousness. The value of social work, however, is purely subjective.
It is not that one makes himself a great reformer or a saviour of mankind, but that he offers his
ego as a sacrifice at the altar of universal love and so obtains purity of mind, which is the basis of
all spiritual progres

Is suicide the logical conclusion for a man who has come to believe that life has no meaning for him?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 4, 2012 at 6:00pm

Suicide is not the logical conclusion of a meaningless life, but the illogical conclusion
arrived at by the thoughtless and non-discriminating mind which has failed to perceive the
meaning that is in life. Suicide does not remove misery or correct defects, but leads to violent
reactions later on. And the reactions will be more painful than the present condition of
dissatisfactory life. Suicide is pure defeatism.

From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivan

Observance of Brahmacharya would appear to be meaningless, because scientists, through laboratory tests,...

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 3, 2012 at 6:00pm

have proved that semen cannot be reabsorbed into the system and that the brain has nothing to do with semen.

Semen is a mysterious secretion that is able to create a living body. Semen itself is living
substance. It is life itself. Therefore, when it leaves man, it takes a portion of his own life. A
living thing cannot be put to laboratory tests, without first killing it. The scientist has no
apparatus to test it. God has provided the only test to prove its precious nature, viz., the womb.
The very f

Is not a realized soul selfish as he has sought his emancipation only? Also, if all renounce, what will be the result?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 2, 2012 at 6:00pm

The question is based on a wrong hypothesis. If all the women are barren, if all turn out
to be doctors or lawyers or dacoits, what would become of the world? Only a few with an
accumulated wealth of spiritual Samskaras can have Vairagya and renunciation.
The saint purifies the whole world. He is not selfish. Sankara, Ramanuja and others
worked for the entire mankind. Even he who lives in seclusion or leads an ‘Incognito’ life,
influences the world with his thought-currents. Even a novice in the spir

I have been reading the Upanishads and other scriptures and I find one and the same thing in all of them. ...

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on February 1, 2012 at 6:00pm

They say that everything we come across is unreal, only God
is real and that we have to think and understand the Truth by ourselves. How are we to do
it, Swamiji?

Reading will help you only to a certain extent. Too much reading will land you in
confusion. You should meditate and concentrate on one particular idea. That particular idea
should serve as the eye-opener. Then alone will you get Vairagya; you will be able to understand
the false nature of things. Take, for instance, the life of Sri Swami Sa

Shall I do Japa of “Om Narayana” instead of “Om” in order to make it both Nirguna and Saguna?...

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 31, 2012 at 6:00pm

Japa of the Narayana Mantra keeps the Chaturbhuj Murti of the
Lord before my mental eyes. I, however, have been accustomed to meditate on the Murti of
Lord Krishna and am in search of a Chaturbhuj Murti of Lord Krishna with Arjun at His
feet. Please let me know how I should go on in future.

You have already created a clear mental image, momentum and force by meditating on
Lord Krishna. It is not good to change the form now. Even if you change it, the old form will
come before the mind through force of

Is married life not an obstruction to God-realization? How can a married man please both his wife and God simultaneously?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 30, 2012 at 6:00pm

Married life can never be an obstruction to those who are endowed with dispassion and
detachment to worldly objects and who consider that life is intended to mould one’s own self by
drawing lessons from the university of Nature. Study the lives of saints like Thyagaraja,
Ekanath, Narsi Mehta, Bhadrachalam Ramdas, Tukaram, Namdev, Jayadeva, Chaitanya and
Kabir. Probe deep into the world and the way in which the above-mentioned saints and a host of
others actually led their lives.
It is disgraceful on t

Is married life not an obstruction to God-realization? How can a married man please both his wife and God simultaneously?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on May 21, 2013 at 7:00am

Married life can never be an obstruction to those who are endowed with dispassion and
detachment to worldly objects and who consider that life is intended to mould one’s own self by
drawing lessons from the university of Nature. Study the lives of saints like Thyagaraja,
Ekanath, Narsi Mehta, Bhadrachalam Ramdas, Tukaram, Namdev, Jayadeva, Chaitanya and
Kabir. Probe deep into the world and the way in which the above-mentioned saints and a host of
others actually led their lives.
It is disgraceful on

God is all-pervading formless Being. How can He be confined to an idol? What is the use of idol worship?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 28, 2012 at 6:00pm

The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of creation. There is not a
speck of space where He is not. Why do you then say that He is not the idols?
The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual childhood. A form or
image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the
Absolute or the Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing
concentration.
Idols are not the idle fancies of sculpt

Your Holiness advises a man to treat his wife as “World Mother” as soon as a son is born to him....

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 27, 2012 at 6:00pm

In case the son dies after a few months, there will be no heir left to look
after his estate. Under such circumstances, what should he do? Kindly let me have your
advice.

Why should you bother about heir for the estate? Did you bring the estate with you?
Would you take it also when you die? What is estate? Is it not a lump of earth only? Can this
estate and heir give you happiness and peace? Are they not sources of misery and worry? The
desires for property and children will bind a man to the wheel of

I have no desire to leave Grihastha life at this moment and yet I am very, very keen to awaken the Kundalini Sakti. Is this possible? Will Your Holiness help me?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 25, 2012 at 6:00pm

Yes, you can stick to Grihastha Ashrama. But live as an ideal householder. Support the
other three Ashramas. If the duties of a householder are strictly followed, there is no necessity
for Sannyas.
Become a true Brahmachari and give up sexual intercourse completely. You have enough
children. The practice of Yoga strictly demands this from you if you desire to make real,
substantial, rapid spiritual progress. Train your wife also in the spiritual path. Let her also repeat
the same Mantra you are repeat

When I know that this world is not real and I am bound to leave it one day or the other, why should I not renounce it now?...

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 24, 2012 at 6:00pm

Taking Pati Seva as my duty, I am doing it very sincerely and faithfully. But I know that neither Pati nor son nor father nor mothercan help me in achieving the real goal. Did not Mira meet Bhagavan by leaving her husband?

For a lady, her husband is the image of God. She will have to realize God in and through
him alone. She need not go to temples even for worship. Your Vairagya is a momentary
bubbling. It cannot help you in any way in your spiritual progress. You may say, “This world is
unreal”; bu

I am disgusted with the false world. I know fully well that it is no use living in such a world. Everywhere I find misery alone....

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 23, 2012 at 6:00pm

I intend to enter into the life of a
Sannyasin, but I do not know where to find out a Guru. Kindly let me know what I have to
do to become a Sannyasin.

You should not hate the world, but you should hate the worldly life. The world is a
manifestation of the Lord. The world is the best teacher for you. The world cannot stand in the
way of your attainment of Kaivalya. You must change the way of your living and viewing
things. You will have to build a new mind and a new vision. Then the world will appear

Why does God not speak to me? What is the obstacle?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 22, 2012 at 6:00pm

The self-surrender is not complete. There are still subtle Moha, subtle desires and
egoism. The Indriyas are still powerful and outgoing. These are the obstacles. When these are
removed, you can hear the shrill, sweet, inner voice of God. Impure souls mistake the voice of
the impure mind for the voice of 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 Sivan

Should it not be considered as Himsa when we cut vegetables and fruits?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 21, 2012 at 6:00pm

Cutting vegetables is not Himsa. There is no real consciousness in plants and trees,
although there is life in them. There is life in plants, sensation in animals, mentality in human
beings and spirituality in sages. There is no Visesha Ahankara and reflection of Chaitanya in
plants and trees. Hence they cannot experience pain. The tree will not say, “I am experiencing
pain”. The mind in plants and trees is not developed. It is quite rudimentary. It is Jada and
insentient. Life on earth will be impos

The mistakes and sins in my life are countless and the limit of my ignorance is infinite. I have not learnt Sanskrit. Kindly let me know if I can tread the path of spirituality.

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 20, 2012 at 6:00pm

Ignorance is a mental Kalpana, imagination. Thou art an embodiment of wisdom. When
the veil drops, you will shine in your own Svarupa. Allow the Vasanas and egoism to pass.
Break the clouds. Behind the clouds, there is the luminous sun. Behind the mind, there is the
self-radiant Atman. Purify yourself. Destroy the evil Vrittis. Plod on in the spiritual path. You
have taken this life for this purpose only. For Self-realization and the spiritual path, Sanskrit is
not at all necessary. You will have to

Is it absolutely necessary to do Nishkama Karma Yoga for Self-realization? If so, how should it be done?

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 19, 2012 at 6:00pm

Yes. You cannot understand and realize the spirit and object of Vedanta if you neglect to
practice Nishkama Karma Yoga for the eradication of the impurities in the mind. Nishkama
Karma Yoga gives you Chitta Suddhi and eventually culminates in the realization of the unity of
the Self.
Serve everyone with intense love, without the idea of agency, without expectation of
fruits, reward or appreciation. Feel that you are only a Nimitta or an instrument in the hands of
God. Worship God in the poor and the s

In your book “Easy Steps to Yoga”, you speak about the importance of Brahmacharya. I get tired after the day’s hard labour; is it a sin to look at my wife who gives me pleasure?...

Posted by Teachings of Swami Sivananda on January 18, 2012 at 6:00pm

Does Brahmacharya help one escape old age? The sexual act is
necessary for renewing life. All man’s mental powers give him no chance of escaping the
time-linked process of birth, life, aging and death. For the propagation of the species, man
and woman have been provided with this creative power; and the sex act is a necessity.

You have viewed the topic from a thoroughly wrong angle. The very premise for your
theory is wrong. Immortality does not pertain to the physical body. Once born, a man has to d

daily (516)

CARELESSNESS IS DANGEROUS

What are the methods to develop unruffled serenity and mental composure under all conditions of life ? Is absolute serenity possible of attainment?

If escape from this world be the goal, where is the incentive for social work?

Is suicide the logical conclusion for a man who has come to believe that life has no meaning for him?

Observance of Brahmacharya would appear to be meaningless, because scientists, through laboratory tests,...

Is not a realized soul selfish as he has sought his emancipation only? Also, if all renounce, what will be the result?

I have been reading the Upanishads and other scriptures and I find one and the same thing in all of them. ...

Shall I do Japa of “Om Narayana” instead of “Om” in order to make it both Nirguna and Saguna?...

Is married life not an obstruction to God-realization? How can a married man please both his wife and God simultaneously?

Is married life not an obstruction to God-realization? How can a married man please both his wife and God simultaneously?

God is all-pervading formless Being. How can He be confined to an idol? What is the use of idol worship?

Your Holiness advises a man to treat his wife as “World Mother” as soon as a son is born to him....

I have no desire to leave Grihastha life at this moment and yet I am very, very keen to awaken the Kundalini Sakti. Is this possible? Will Your Holiness help me?

When I know that this world is not real and I am bound to leave it one day or the other, why should I not renounce it now?...

I am disgusted with the false world. I know fully well that it is no use living in such a world. Everywhere I find misery alone....

Why does God not speak to me? What is the obstacle?

Should it not be considered as Himsa when we cut vegetables and fruits?

The mistakes and sins in my life are countless and the limit of my ignorance is infinite. I have not learnt Sanskrit. Kindly let me know if I can tread the path of spirituality.

Is it absolutely necessary to do Nishkama Karma Yoga for Self-realization? If so, how should it be done?

In your book “Easy Steps to Yoga”, you speak about the importance of Brahmacharya. I get tired after the day’s hard labour; is it a sin to look at my wife who gives me pleasure?...

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