Aum Amriteswaryai Namah
An Introduction to IAM – Integrated Meditation Technique®
Meditation is the ancient art of mental mastery. The way we perceive the world around us completely depends on our mind. In our search for happiness, we essentially have two options—modify the entire world so that everything turns out exactly the way we want it to or modify our mind so that we are able to be happy, content and peaceful, regardless of what happens in the external world. The former is obviously impossible. We have very little control over our external world. The only hope for happiness lies in controlling the inner world. Meditation is a key element in this process.
Amma, the Spiritual Master who synthesized IAM – Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique®, says, “Remote control of the mind should rest firmly in the palm of one’s hand.” Imagine one with such mental control. For him, emotions, ideas and memories are at his beck and call. If anger comes, he can change the channel. The same with jealousy and greed. He can recall any past event, like hitting rewind on the DVD player. If he wants ideas, he only need turn to the “idea channel” and a flow of creative ideas will come forth. No more staring at the blank screen of writer’s block. Total and complete mental control—this is what we are after.
The mind is a machine. But it is completely up to us to maintain that machine properly—treat it properly, get it serviced when necessary, keep it in general good working order. Only then will we be able to get the maximum potential out of it. We should also know how to turn the machine off! This sadly has become a lost art and the very reason we see so many people around us blowing fuses. Meditation is our daily mental maintenance system.
Through focusing on objects, sounds and sensation during meditation, our power of concentration will increase. Practicing observing our mental and vital functions, we will gain in awareness. Relaxing the mind, will create a stress free mind. Expanding our concept of our self in meditation will similarly expand our thinking in general.
Improved power of concentration, relaxation, expansive thinking and awareness are the basic benefits of IAM Tech®. These constitute a general refinement of the mind. How one uses that refined mind is completely up to each individual. A painter may use his refined mind to open up the well of ideas within him and apply them on a canvas. A CEO may use them to manage his company better, make shrewder business moves and relax more deeply on holidays. A soldier may use his refined mind to maintain mental equipoise in battle. A monk may use his refined mind to contemplate on the nature of his soul. The possibilities are endless and completely up to the practitioner.
Om Lokah Samasthah Sukhino Bhavantu
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
SAMPOOJYA SWAMIJI'S KUWAIT PROGRAM
Om Amriteswaryai Namaha !!!
AMMA KUWAIT
Humbly announce the visit of
“Poojya Swamiji Amritaswarupananda Puri”
Senior Disciple of Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and
Vice-Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math and Charitable Trust
to Kuwait
AMMA KUWAIT
Humbly announce the visit of
“Poojya Swamiji Amritaswarupananda Puri”
Senior Disciple of Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and
Vice-Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math and Charitable Trust
to Kuwait
Program
Wednesday 7th May 2008, 7 to 9-30 PM
Venue Indian Community Girls School Auditorium, Salmiya
Prize Distribution for the winners of Pratibha 2008 Talent Hunt
Cultural Program by Amrita Balakendram Children
Talk and Bhajan by Poojya Swamiji .
Wednesday 7th May 2008, 7 to 9-30 PM
Venue Indian Community Girls School Auditorium, Salmiya
Prize Distribution for the winners of Pratibha 2008 Talent Hunt
Cultural Program by Amrita Balakendram Children
Talk and Bhajan by Poojya Swamiji .
His Excellency, The Ambassador of India will be the Guest of Honour
Thursday, 8th May 2008, 6-30 to 10-00 PM
Venue Indian Educational School (Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan) Abbassiya
Cultural Programs by Amrita Balakendram Children
Talk and Bhajan by Poojya Swamiji
Poojya Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri is a senior disciple of Shri. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, popularly known as AMMA, world renowned social reformer and philanthropist.
Swamiji came under AMMA’s tutelage in 1979 and under AMMA’s guidance, Swamiji obtained his Masters Degree in Philosophy.
Swamiji has had the unique opportunity to be with AMMA and travel all over the world with her ever since.
For over 2 decades Swamiji have been accompanying AMMA on all world tours and witness her boundless love and compassion conquer the whole world.
Swamiji has shared his experiences with AMMA through his very popular work titled “Awaken Children” in 9 volumes. As the Vice Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math & Charitable Trust, Swamiji shoulders the responsibility of running Amma's various charitable projects, health and educational institutions including Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center and Amrita Viswa Vidya Peetham; a Deemed University.
Swamiji is an excellent orator and his talks are rich with his experiences with Amma. Swamiji is also well known for his soul-stirring Bhajans.
The immensely successful international event "Amritavarsham 50" AMMA's 50th birthday celebrations, held at Cochin in 2003 brought together participants from 191 UN member countries was conceived by Poojya Swamiji and executed under his able leadership.
Swamiji also played a central role in Amma's historic visit to Dubai and Kuwait at the start of the new Millennium.
Since 1995 Swamiji has been visiting Middle East every year to spread Amma's Message of Universal Love and Compassion.
Mata Amritanandamayi Math & Charitable Trust, has its head office at Amritapuri located in Kollam district of Kerala State has branches all around the world. Under the guidance of AMMA, her holiness Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, these branches have become centers of selfless service to mankind throughout the world cutting across barriers of nationality, race, caste, creed or religion.
To know more about AMMA and her mission, please visit http://www.amritapuri.org/ and http://www.amma.org/
Thursday, 8th May 2008, 6-30 to 10-00 PM
Venue Indian Educational School (Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan) Abbassiya
Cultural Programs by Amrita Balakendram Children
Talk and Bhajan by Poojya Swamiji
Poojya Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri is a senior disciple of Shri. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, popularly known as AMMA, world renowned social reformer and philanthropist.
Swamiji came under AMMA’s tutelage in 1979 and under AMMA’s guidance, Swamiji obtained his Masters Degree in Philosophy.
Swamiji has had the unique opportunity to be with AMMA and travel all over the world with her ever since.
For over 2 decades Swamiji have been accompanying AMMA on all world tours and witness her boundless love and compassion conquer the whole world.
Swamiji has shared his experiences with AMMA through his very popular work titled “Awaken Children” in 9 volumes. As the Vice Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math & Charitable Trust, Swamiji shoulders the responsibility of running Amma's various charitable projects, health and educational institutions including Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center and Amrita Viswa Vidya Peetham; a Deemed University.
Swamiji is an excellent orator and his talks are rich with his experiences with Amma. Swamiji is also well known for his soul-stirring Bhajans.
The immensely successful international event "Amritavarsham 50" AMMA's 50th birthday celebrations, held at Cochin in 2003 brought together participants from 191 UN member countries was conceived by Poojya Swamiji and executed under his able leadership.
Swamiji also played a central role in Amma's historic visit to Dubai and Kuwait at the start of the new Millennium.
Since 1995 Swamiji has been visiting Middle East every year to spread Amma's Message of Universal Love and Compassion.
Mata Amritanandamayi Math & Charitable Trust, has its head office at Amritapuri located in Kollam district of Kerala State has branches all around the world. Under the guidance of AMMA, her holiness Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, these branches have become centers of selfless service to mankind throughout the world cutting across barriers of nationality, race, caste, creed or religion.
To know more about AMMA and her mission, please visit http://www.amritapuri.org/ and http://www.amma.org/
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BRAHMAN AND ISHWARA
Someone said:
QUOTE
"I would certainly agree with "Everything is the Self alone" but I would clarify this as: "everything is brahman" (sarvaM khalvidaM brahma). I have not come across a statement in the shruti which says 'sarvaM khalvidaM Ishvara'. My understanding of tattvamasi is 'I amThat', where That is Brahman; not Ishwara.”.
UNQUOTE
Hello there. Then what about 'IsAvAsyamidaM sarvaM' the first line and running theme of Isopanishad?
What about this statement by Shankara in Dakshinamurthi Stotram:
"He, whose eight-fold forms are the "Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Sun, Moon and Jeeva", and who manifests Himself as this universe of the movable and immovable objects - and besides which, the Supreme All-Pervading Lord, there exists nothing to those who reflect well upon ..... to Him, the Divine Teacher Sri Dakshinamoorthy, is this Prostration." (Translation by Sw. Chinamayanandaji)
Earth, Water and Air are representative of all that is solid, liquid and gas in creation; Fire is all that burns, Ether is space (time goes with it), Sun and Moon for all the galaxies, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies and interstellar matter, and Jeeva for all his internalizations and also all that is living which include all life forms in this universe that we know of and that we will infuture (I am including the possibility of extra-terrestrials!). That is sarvaM khalvidaM brahma or sarvaM khalvidaM Ishwara!
We need to understand the frequency at which our Vedanta teachers are communicating. Once, during a discussion on "pUrNamadaH...", Sw. Dayanandaji laughingly concluded: "What is mithyA? MithyA is satyaM". That statement shocked some of the traditionalists who stick to the very letter of the shruti.
We know that Swamiji was not going against the tenets of "pure Advaita". In fact, he was only expressing the all-encompassing message and nature of Advaita in his inimitable style. Advaita cannot be an an alienation. His views on Ishwara are therefore to be understood in that context.
If sarvamidaM (all this or this entire universe or all that is there in this universe) is brahman, then the rose is brahman, the diamond is brahman, the roach is brahman and wife is also brahman! There is nothing other than Brahman. BrahmaivedaM vishwaM.. (Mundaka Upanishad).
How can I relate to this, if I adamantly insist that Brahman is immutable, indefinable, ineffable, etc. etc.? The only way I can relate is to accept this multiplicity that confronts me as ONE AND THE SAME and operate in a manner that there is nothing other than that ONE.
Mundaka Upanishad effectively uses the spider-cobweb analogy to help us here. The material of the web is not different from the spider. The spider releases the web matter from itself and withdraws it into itself. This is the way the universe manifests from brahman and later goes into dissolution in the same brahman.
The immutable brahman of the shruti seen as manifesting as this universe is our Ishwara who pervades each and every atom of its multiplicity as Himself. This is what Isopanishad thunders!
So, when I do suryanamaskar in the morning, I am not saluting just a yellow star - an insignificant entity when compared to the other gigantic asterisms that glitter our skies. I am prostrating before Ishwara, the Lord of the Universe, who is none other than the Brahman of vedanta. When an ant or roach passes by, then that again is the Lord. Why each and every atom of my body and the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit it are verily the Lord himself. What remains other than Him? Nothing. He alone remains. Brahman alone remains. Ishwara alone remains. There is nothing other than Ishwara. That is Advaita - the way it is lived - not the way it is intellectually understood. Such living is a thrill, the pleasure of all pleasures.
Om Parashaktyai Namaha
Madathil Nair
QUOTE
"I would certainly agree with "Everything is the Self alone" but I would clarify this as: "everything is brahman" (sarvaM khalvidaM brahma). I have not come across a statement in the shruti which says 'sarvaM khalvidaM Ishvara'. My understanding of tattvamasi is 'I amThat', where That is Brahman; not Ishwara.”.
UNQUOTE
Hello there. Then what about 'IsAvAsyamidaM sarvaM' the first line and running theme of Isopanishad?
What about this statement by Shankara in Dakshinamurthi Stotram:
"He, whose eight-fold forms are the "Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Sun, Moon and Jeeva", and who manifests Himself as this universe of the movable and immovable objects - and besides which, the Supreme All-Pervading Lord, there exists nothing to those who reflect well upon ..... to Him, the Divine Teacher Sri Dakshinamoorthy, is this Prostration." (Translation by Sw. Chinamayanandaji)
Earth, Water and Air are representative of all that is solid, liquid and gas in creation; Fire is all that burns, Ether is space (time goes with it), Sun and Moon for all the galaxies, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies and interstellar matter, and Jeeva for all his internalizations and also all that is living which include all life forms in this universe that we know of and that we will infuture (I am including the possibility of extra-terrestrials!). That is sarvaM khalvidaM brahma or sarvaM khalvidaM Ishwara!
We need to understand the frequency at which our Vedanta teachers are communicating. Once, during a discussion on "pUrNamadaH...", Sw. Dayanandaji laughingly concluded: "What is mithyA? MithyA is satyaM". That statement shocked some of the traditionalists who stick to the very letter of the shruti.
We know that Swamiji was not going against the tenets of "pure Advaita". In fact, he was only expressing the all-encompassing message and nature of Advaita in his inimitable style. Advaita cannot be an an alienation. His views on Ishwara are therefore to be understood in that context.
If sarvamidaM (all this or this entire universe or all that is there in this universe) is brahman, then the rose is brahman, the diamond is brahman, the roach is brahman and wife is also brahman! There is nothing other than Brahman. BrahmaivedaM vishwaM.. (Mundaka Upanishad).
How can I relate to this, if I adamantly insist that Brahman is immutable, indefinable, ineffable, etc. etc.? The only way I can relate is to accept this multiplicity that confronts me as ONE AND THE SAME and operate in a manner that there is nothing other than that ONE.
Mundaka Upanishad effectively uses the spider-cobweb analogy to help us here. The material of the web is not different from the spider. The spider releases the web matter from itself and withdraws it into itself. This is the way the universe manifests from brahman and later goes into dissolution in the same brahman.
The immutable brahman of the shruti seen as manifesting as this universe is our Ishwara who pervades each and every atom of its multiplicity as Himself. This is what Isopanishad thunders!
So, when I do suryanamaskar in the morning, I am not saluting just a yellow star - an insignificant entity when compared to the other gigantic asterisms that glitter our skies. I am prostrating before Ishwara, the Lord of the Universe, who is none other than the Brahman of vedanta. When an ant or roach passes by, then that again is the Lord. Why each and every atom of my body and the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit it are verily the Lord himself. What remains other than Him? Nothing. He alone remains. Brahman alone remains. Ishwara alone remains. There is nothing other than Ishwara. That is Advaita - the way it is lived - not the way it is intellectually understood. Such living is a thrill, the pleasure of all pleasures.
Om Parashaktyai Namaha
Madathil Nair
Sunday, April 20, 2008
To Ma!
Sat and Ananda never are twain,
Chit and Ma are one and the same.
Ma, The Sweet, is sat-chinmayI,
The Truth that in Ananda shines.
Lullabying sleepy stars,
Walks She on the Milky Way,
Descends She on blossom-hearts,
As scent and nectar all the way.
Smiling as the moon-lit night,
Pouring mirth in sleeping buds,
Who then know when the morn does dawn
To smile back at the rising Sun.
She hides in musical notes
To render soul to song and dance
On the stage of creation, where
Star and dust play written parts.
In the beginning that never began,
In the end that never will end,
Dwells She, the Mother – The Majestic
Mistress of the Universe!
Mixing countless diverse hues,
Raising rainbows in the skies,
Singing in the rustling leaves,
Dwells She in our ears and eyes.
As ear of ear and eye of eye,
Kanaiya She is to seeing eyes!
Pranava She to those blessed
Hearing only Her anklet bells!
To forlorn windows in lonely nights
The soothing star She is!
The secret smile that always shines
Without change in changing scenes!
Vibrant pulse of waking life,
Silver light of dreamy plane,
Slumber's silent unknown heart,
Witness She in all the three.
Watching always all my acts,
Batting not an eyelash once,
Guard me, hold me, guide me Ma,
Through birth and death and brittle life.
Playing on my being's strings,
Seated on the pollen bed
Of my heart, Ma, You remain,
Smiling like a dawn of Spring.
Shining like the golden wick,
Inside me the silver lamp,
Light the world up that I see
Only You and nothing else.
Om Parasaktyai Namaha
PS: Approximate translation of a Malayalam poem which I had penned and offered toMata Amritanandamayi Devi when I had Her darshan in September 1992. I don't know what happened to the original. I saw Mother kissing it and then passing it on to one of Her ashramites.
Madathil Nair
Chit and Ma are one and the same.
Ma, The Sweet, is sat-chinmayI,
The Truth that in Ananda shines.
Lullabying sleepy stars,
Walks She on the Milky Way,
Descends She on blossom-hearts,
As scent and nectar all the way.
Smiling as the moon-lit night,
Pouring mirth in sleeping buds,
Who then know when the morn does dawn
To smile back at the rising Sun.
She hides in musical notes
To render soul to song and dance
On the stage of creation, where
Star and dust play written parts.
In the beginning that never began,
In the end that never will end,
Dwells She, the Mother – The Majestic
Mistress of the Universe!
Mixing countless diverse hues,
Raising rainbows in the skies,
Singing in the rustling leaves,
Dwells She in our ears and eyes.
As ear of ear and eye of eye,
Kanaiya She is to seeing eyes!
Pranava She to those blessed
Hearing only Her anklet bells!
To forlorn windows in lonely nights
The soothing star She is!
The secret smile that always shines
Without change in changing scenes!
Vibrant pulse of waking life,
Silver light of dreamy plane,
Slumber's silent unknown heart,
Witness She in all the three.
Watching always all my acts,
Batting not an eyelash once,
Guard me, hold me, guide me Ma,
Through birth and death and brittle life.
Playing on my being's strings,
Seated on the pollen bed
Of my heart, Ma, You remain,
Smiling like a dawn of Spring.
Shining like the golden wick,
Inside me the silver lamp,
Light the world up that I see
Only You and nothing else.
Om Parasaktyai Namaha
PS: Approximate translation of a Malayalam poem which I had penned and offered toMata Amritanandamayi Devi when I had Her darshan in September 1992. I don't know what happened to the original. I saw Mother kissing it and then passing it on to one of Her ashramites.
Madathil Nair
FREE WILL
FREE WILL
Oh Teacher, you taught me
This phenomenal of mine
Is the result of ignorance,
Primal and beginningless.
Then you taught
I could, I needn’t
And I could differently.
Isn’t what you taught
Ignorance again,
Beloved Sage,
For it all is in the phenomenal?
Then, tell me, Sir,
Why all these intelligent brains,
Gray as well as green,
In our midst, do overtime,
To substantiate or refute,
A fallacy born of darkness absolute?
They do so every year,
Like pollen fever every spring.
No topic ever has attracted
So many colourful writings
So differently distracted.
Phenomenal is an appearance
You did thunder
In our yearning ears.
Isn’t free will seeming, Sir,
May I add a rejoinder?
Don’t take me a pretender.
A world seems to erupt
In all its myriad colours
Before my eyes
As I move as the Lord
Pulls the unseen strings.
A moppet show
Where I am nothing
Yet I think I have something!
Ignorance of the sublimest kind!
Oh Teacher, you taught me
This phenomenal of mine
Is the result of ignorance,
Primal and beginningless.
Then you taught
I could, I needn’t
And I could differently.
Isn’t what you taught
Ignorance again,
Beloved Sage,
For it all is in the phenomenal?
Then, tell me, Sir,
Why all these intelligent brains,
Gray as well as green,
In our midst, do overtime,
To substantiate or refute,
A fallacy born of darkness absolute?
They do so every year,
Like pollen fever every spring.
No topic ever has attracted
So many colourful writings
So differently distracted.
Phenomenal is an appearance
You did thunder
In our yearning ears.
Isn’t free will seeming, Sir,
May I add a rejoinder?
Don’t take me a pretender.
A world seems to erupt
In all its myriad colours
Before my eyes
As I move as the Lord
Pulls the unseen strings.
A moppet show
Where I am nothing
Yet I think I have something!
Ignorance of the sublimest kind!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Spiritual Discourse
Renowned Scholar and Scientist
Dr.Gopalakrishnan
(Indian Institute of Scietific Heritage)
will conduct a lucture
In ENGLISH
for Amma's Makkal in kuwait
on Friday 18th April 2008
3.30 P.M
At Vigy Auditorium, Abbassiya.
You are welcome with your friends and relatives
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Amma's Advice..For Householders
Overcome Anger
------------
“Suppose you have a weakness of getting angry easily. Now, what you should do is this: Once you become normal again, go and sit in the family shrine room if you have one, or sit in solitude; then regret and repent your own anger and sincerely pray to your beloved deity or to Mother Nature, seeking help to get rid of it. Try to make your own mind aware of the bad outcome of anger. When you are angry with someone, you lose all your mental balance. Your discriminative power completely stops functioning. You say whatever comes into your mind and you act accordingly. You may even utter crude words at your own wife or children, or your own father or mother. Once you lose your discrimination you may even kill someone. By acting and thinking with anger you lose a lot of good energy. Become aware of this great truth, that these negative feelings will only pave the way for your own destruction, and sincerely try to put forth effort to overcome them.”
~
“When you are in the midst of an upsetting situation, can you simply observe what is happening? Can you stop thinking that someone is insulting and abusing you? Can you forget that you are being treated unfairly and let go of the wish to do something about it? Don't be abusive. Don't react. Try to realise that the real problem is not what is happening, but how you are reacting to it. When you see that you are going to react negatively, at this point, pause. Stop talking. Say to your mind, 'No, don't say anything now. You will get a better opportunity to present the whole matter in a more effective way. But now you keep quiet for the time being.' During this pause, try to think of something positive, something elevating, something sweet, something that you consider unforgettable. Try to recall a pleasant event or memory. Focus all your energies, all your thoughts on that. If you can do this, you won't be bothered or angered by the ridiculous words and unbearable face of the other person.”
~
“In due course, when you have learned to overcome these mildly provoking situations, you can slowly begin to test your experiment in more trying and serious situations. As you continue to practice, you will see that you are changing. And eventually, you will see that you cannot react anymore, that you can only respond. You will experience much more peace and joy in your marriage and in your family life in general. The change in your attitude and the patience that you show will also create a positive change in others.”
~
“When your husband sees that you are not reacting anymore, when he realises that his anger and insults are no longer being accepted, that they are no longer affecting you, he will feel embarrassed. What happens when a warrior finds that his weapons are not powerful or effective anymore? He throws them away. Similarly, when your husband finds that his weapons, the words that he uses against you, are not hurting you anymore, he will give up and keep quiet. In addition, you will now be treating him with more love and care. This is a great gift.”
~
Chant Your Mantra
“When your mind is restless, try to chant your mantra. If you seek solace in anything else, all will be lost. If you don't get peace of mind from one thing, you will look for something else. Failing that, you will again look for something else. You won't experience any peace at all. No peace will be experienced in anything. Whereas, if you remember God and chant your mantra, you will quickly become very calm and peaceful. Your mind will have the power to face any situation.”
~
“Firmly fix the idea in your mind that only God is true and eternal. Chant your mantra while engaged in your work. Then there won't be any need for a special time to remember God. Your mind will always be focused on Him.”
~
“The mind which is flying about in all directions should be gathered together. Then only will it become spiritually strong. The mind cannot be fixed on a single point in the beginning. It should be tuned by doing mantra japa continuously. All your attention should be only on that. Do you know what mantra japa can be compared to? In kindergarten we learn to write using a slate and to count using pearls. In this way the lessons will easily sink into the intellect. Similarly, we can get concentration through mantra japa. There are people who attained the goal merely by chanting a mantra. It is not always possible to meditate but mantra japa can be done irrespective of time or place.”
~
Vasanas (Negative Tendencies)
“Family life allows us to conquer our vasanas. Don't drown in the vasanas; understand what they are and go beyond them. We will reach our goal only if we become completely detached from the vasanas. We feel satisfied after enjoying our fill of payasam, but a little later, we want twice as much. Once we understand the true nature of this yearning, the mind will not go after it. Would anyone touch the payasam if a lizard fell into it?”
~
“When the vasanas pull us towards them, the mind will resist if it knows that they are not the source of real joy, and that they will only bring us sorrow. But this knowledge has to be firmly planted in the mind and intellect. Don't let your lives go to waste, children, by being slaves to your minds! Don't barter away a priceless jewel for a piece of candy. Our minds will quiet down if we stop giving as much importance to sensory pleasures as we do now.”
“Suppose you have a weakness of getting angry easily. Now, what you should do is this: Once you become normal again, go and sit in the family shrine room if you have one, or sit in solitude; then regret and repent your own anger and sincerely pray to your beloved deity or to Mother Nature, seeking help to get rid of it. Try to make your own mind aware of the bad outcome of anger. When you are angry with someone, you lose all your mental balance. Your discriminative power completely stops functioning. You say whatever comes into your mind and you act accordingly. You may even utter crude words at your own wife or children, or your own father or mother. Once you lose your discrimination you may even kill someone. By acting and thinking with anger you lose a lot of good energy. Become aware of this great truth, that these negative feelings will only pave the way for your own destruction, and sincerely try to put forth effort to overcome them.”
~
“When you are in the midst of an upsetting situation, can you simply observe what is happening? Can you stop thinking that someone is insulting and abusing you? Can you forget that you are being treated unfairly and let go of the wish to do something about it? Don't be abusive. Don't react. Try to realise that the real problem is not what is happening, but how you are reacting to it. When you see that you are going to react negatively, at this point, pause. Stop talking. Say to your mind, 'No, don't say anything now. You will get a better opportunity to present the whole matter in a more effective way. But now you keep quiet for the time being.' During this pause, try to think of something positive, something elevating, something sweet, something that you consider unforgettable. Try to recall a pleasant event or memory. Focus all your energies, all your thoughts on that. If you can do this, you won't be bothered or angered by the ridiculous words and unbearable face of the other person.”
~
“In due course, when you have learned to overcome these mildly provoking situations, you can slowly begin to test your experiment in more trying and serious situations. As you continue to practice, you will see that you are changing. And eventually, you will see that you cannot react anymore, that you can only respond. You will experience much more peace and joy in your marriage and in your family life in general. The change in your attitude and the patience that you show will also create a positive change in others.”
~
“When your husband sees that you are not reacting anymore, when he realises that his anger and insults are no longer being accepted, that they are no longer affecting you, he will feel embarrassed. What happens when a warrior finds that his weapons are not powerful or effective anymore? He throws them away. Similarly, when your husband finds that his weapons, the words that he uses against you, are not hurting you anymore, he will give up and keep quiet. In addition, you will now be treating him with more love and care. This is a great gift.”
~
Chant Your Mantra
“When your mind is restless, try to chant your mantra. If you seek solace in anything else, all will be lost. If you don't get peace of mind from one thing, you will look for something else. Failing that, you will again look for something else. You won't experience any peace at all. No peace will be experienced in anything. Whereas, if you remember God and chant your mantra, you will quickly become very calm and peaceful. Your mind will have the power to face any situation.”
~
“Firmly fix the idea in your mind that only God is true and eternal. Chant your mantra while engaged in your work. Then there won't be any need for a special time to remember God. Your mind will always be focused on Him.”
~
“The mind which is flying about in all directions should be gathered together. Then only will it become spiritually strong. The mind cannot be fixed on a single point in the beginning. It should be tuned by doing mantra japa continuously. All your attention should be only on that. Do you know what mantra japa can be compared to? In kindergarten we learn to write using a slate and to count using pearls. In this way the lessons will easily sink into the intellect. Similarly, we can get concentration through mantra japa. There are people who attained the goal merely by chanting a mantra. It is not always possible to meditate but mantra japa can be done irrespective of time or place.”
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Vasanas (Negative Tendencies)
“Family life allows us to conquer our vasanas. Don't drown in the vasanas; understand what they are and go beyond them. We will reach our goal only if we become completely detached from the vasanas. We feel satisfied after enjoying our fill of payasam, but a little later, we want twice as much. Once we understand the true nature of this yearning, the mind will not go after it. Would anyone touch the payasam if a lizard fell into it?”
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“When the vasanas pull us towards them, the mind will resist if it knows that they are not the source of real joy, and that they will only bring us sorrow. But this knowledge has to be firmly planted in the mind and intellect. Don't let your lives go to waste, children, by being slaves to your minds! Don't barter away a priceless jewel for a piece of candy. Our minds will quiet down if we stop giving as much importance to sensory pleasures as we do now.”
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