Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Adversity

Adversity is a divine blessing in disguise. Adversity develops the power of endurance and will force, fortitude, and forbearance. All the prophets, saints, fakirs, bhaktas and yogins of yore had to struggle hard against adverse circumstances. The Almighty Lord puts His devotees under severe tests and rigorous trials.

Every soul on earth is being tested by God for his or her sincerity and patience. He puts the aspirants into various kinds of trouble. He will make man utterly hopeless and helpless and watch and see whether one has a real devotion to Him or not in such straitened circumstances. We cannot say exactly what form these trials will take. But the sincere devotee is never afraid of such kinds of tests. Swami Sivananda Saraswati

God

God is the only Reality. God is the only Truth. God alone exists. Know this. Realise this.

God is love. He dwells in your heart. Recite His name always. Sing His glories. Do Kirtan.

Conquer the whole world by truth and love.

In Silence alone you can hold communion with God. When there is a conflict of duty, sit and meditate.

Hear the inner Voice and act immediately.

Swami Sivananda

The Divine Mother
Sakti may be termed as that by which we live and have our being in this universe. In this world, all the wants of the child are provided by the mother. The child's growth, development, and sustenance are looked after by the mother. Even so, all the necessities of life and its activities in this world, and the energy needed for it, depend upon Sakti or the Universal Mother. The human mother is a manifestation of the Universal Mother. All women are forms of the Divine Mother. - Swami Sivananda "BLISS DIVINE"

Sattva is equilibrium. When Sattva prevails, there is peace or tranquillity. Rajas is activity which is expressed as Raga-Dvesha, likes or dislikes, love or hatred, attraction or repulsion. Tamas is that binding force with a tendency to lethargy, sloth and foolish actions. It causes delusion or non-discrimination. When Sattva is predominant, it overpowers Rajas and Tamas. When Rajas is dominant, it overpowers Sattva and Tamas. When Tamas is predominant, it overpowers Rajas and Sattva.

If the body is allowed to relapse into softness and luxury, it will be found that it is well-nigh impossible to discipline it again. The mind immediately takes advantage of even the least sign of weakness in the most sincere aspirants. It is like a tiger crouching on its haunches about to spring. One has to keep a very close watch over his own self and should be ever alert with a vigilance against the sudden onslaught of Samskaras.

A grim endurance of all vicissitudes and a dogged resolution to persevere to the end are essential if one has to realise his ideal. The aspirant has ever to be alive to the stealthy power of unconscious habits creeping into him. Man is a sybarite by nature. One may be really very zealous in his austerities and vows in the beginning. But if one is not on the very proper guard, slowly the vigour will be relaxed, comforts will creep in the mind and man will be caught very miserably.

Philosophy will take you to the gates of the realm of eternal bliss, but it cannot allow you to enter that realm. Intuition or realisation is necessary for entering into that holy land of everlasting joy and ineffable glory. Hindu philosophy is not mere speculation or guesswork. It is lofty, sublime, unique and systematic. It is based on mystic spiritual experience, or Aparoksha Anubhuti. The seers, sages and Rishis who had direct, intuitive perception of the Truth are the founders of the different philosophical systems in India. The different schools of philosophy are all based on the Srutis or the Vedas, directly or indirectly. Those who have studied carefully the Upanishads will find that the revelations of the Srutis are in harmony with the conclusions of philosophy.

The idea of death has ever been the strongest motive-power of religion and religious life. Man is afraid of death. Man does not want to die. He wants to live forever. This is the starting point of philosophy. Philosophy enquires and investigates. It boldly proclaims: "O man! Do not be afraid of death. There is an immortal abode. That is Brahman. That is your own Atman which dwells in the chamber of your heart. Purify your heart and meditate on this pure, immortal, changeless Self. You will attain immortality." Death is the ultimate pointer to the transiency of all things and the existence of an ultimate Reality.