spirituality at cbrunning.net

Link: http://www.dlshq.org/religions/gita_siva.htm

"THE HOLY Gita Jayanti, or the birthday of the Bhagavad Gita, is celebrated throughout India by all the admirers and lovers of this most sacred scripture on the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the bright half of the month of Margaseersha (December-January), according to the Hindu almanac. It was on this day that Sanjaya narrated to King Dhritarashtra the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, and thus made the glorious teachings of the Lord available to us, and to people of the world, for all time."

- Sri Swami Sivananda

"The teachings of the Gita are broad, universal and sublime. Its teachings do not belong to any cult, sect, creed, particular age, place or country. They are meant for the people of the whole world at large. The teachings are based on the Upanishads, the ancient wisdom of the seers (Rishis) and sages. It teaches a method which is within the reach of all. It has a message for the solace, peace, freedom, salvation and perfection of all human beings."

Om - I bow down to Her who is unattainable through imagination or thought

- Lalita Sahasranama verse 113

"Before creation existed there was Cosmic Consciousness: Spirit or God, the Absolute, ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss beyond form and manifestation. When creation came into being, Cosmic Consciousness "descended" into the physical universe where it manifests as Christ Consciousness:⁺ the omnipresent pure reflection of God's intelligence and consciousness inherent and hidden within all creation. When the Christ Consciousness descends into the physical body of man it becomes soul, or superconsciousness: the ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new bliss of God individualized by encasement in the body. When the soul becomes identified with the body, it manifests as ego, mortal consciousness. Yoga teaches that the soul must climb back up the ladder of consciousness to Spirit.⁺⁺

+ The Hindu scriptures refer to Christ Consciousness as Kutastha Chaitanya, universal consciousness or omnipresent intelligence.

++ Yoga teaches that the abode of the soul -- of man's life and divine consciousness -- is in the subtle spiritual centers in the brain: Sahasrara, the thousand-petaled lotus at the top of the cerebrum, seat of cosmic consciousness; Kutastha, at the point between the eyebrows, seat of Christ consciousness; and the medullary center (connected by polarity to the Kutastha), seat of superconsciousness. Descending into the body (and body-consciousness) from these centers of highest spiritual perception, life and consciousness flow down the spine, passing through five astral spinal centers (see chakras in glossary) and branching outward into physical organs of life, sensory perception, and action.

To regain the blissful realization of its oneness with God, the soul of man must retrace its downward course, ascending by the sacred spinal route to its home in the higher cerebral centers of divine awareness. This is accomplished by the practice of guru-given scientific techniques of yogic meditation, such as may be learned from the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons. (See glossary)"

Paramahansa Yogananda. Man's Eternal Quest: Collected Talks and Essays On Realizing God In Daily Life, Volume I. Second ed. Page 17.

"Children, Mother knows that it is difficult for you who live in the midst of material pleasures and with family ties, to remember God constantly. But when you become aware that you are not remembering Him, immediately repent, 'O Lord, I have forgotten you for this much time. I have forgotten to chant your name for this length of time. O Lord, please forgive me. Please bestow upon me the mental strength to cherish Your form within and Your name on my lips constantly and incessantly. O Lord, please do not let me waste time like this. Let the desire to behold Thy form burn within me.' Having repented and prayed thus, immediately start repeating the mantra. Again you might forget it. Don't worry, go on applying the same technique of repentance and prayer whenever you realise that you have not been chanting the mantra for a long time. Slowly in due course, you will develop the power to remember Him incessantly."

-Amma

It is only through understanding spiritual principles and performing spiritual practices that we will gain the right understanding and the right mental attitude in order to persevere in performing good actions no matter what kind of response we get in return.

Once Saint Eknath saw a scorpion floundering in a pool of water. He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the scorpion stung him. Eknath briefly withdrew his hand, wincing in pain. After a few moments Eknath again tried to rescue the scorpion from the water, but the scorpion stung him again. This went on for some time.

Finally an onlooker asked Eknath, "Why do you keep trying to rescue a scorpion knowing it will only sting you in return?"

Eknath explained, "It is the nature of the scorpion to sting; it is my nature to love. Why should I give up my nature to love just because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting?" Finally the scorpion, held in thrall by the power of Eknath's compassion, refrained from stinging him anymore, and Eknath happily retrieved the scorpion and placed it safely on the ground.

Only spirituality can give us the strength to go on loving and serving others, even when they only sting us in return. As the Buddha said, "Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love -- this is the eternal law."

from The Blessed Life, by Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri

Link: http://www.dlshq.org/saints/siva.htm

"You must be very correct, very punctual, very regular. You should discipline yourself rigidly. Otherwise, you cannot attain the highest, the Realisation. It is not an easy task. Happy-go-lucky type easy temperament is no good in spiritual pursuits. Have you noticed how correct, how strict, how disciplined are the soldiers in the army? They have to stand in the parade according to the unit or battalion they belong to. They have to be absolutely spick and span. They do polishing of the shoes and brass by themselves. Even if a single button is dull, the inspecting officer spots the soldier and puts him into quarter-guard, and he will have to do fettling duty. They are always fighting fit, trim and clean, neat and tidy, because they have been drilled into this sort of correctness, precision and training. When an ordinary soldier is required to be so disciplined, so correct, so punctual, so regular, then what to say about you, O aspirant! A spiritual aspirant has to be even ten times more strict, regular, punctual, correct, well-disciplined. A soldier fights to win a battle, whereas an aspirant has to win the kingdom of heaven, win Kaivalya Moksha. Therefore, never give leniency to your mind." ~Sivananda

from "Practised Before Preaching", a chapter of Sri Swami Chidananda's book Swami Sivananda: Saint, Sage and Godman

Link: http://www.dlshq.org/religions/ganesh.htm

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namaha!

Om Gung Ganapathaye Namah!

Today is the festival celebration of the birthday of Lord Ganesha.

He is the Lord of power and wisdom.

Link: http://www.amritapuri.org/amma/life/ananda/

"Oh Man, merge in your Self!" ~Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

Link: http://bhagavad-gita.gita-society.com/bhagavad-gita.htm#4

We have a capacity to remember God throughout every action.

One who has abandoned selfish attachment to the fruits of work and remains ever content and dependent on no one but God, such a person - though engaged in activity - does nothing at all and incurs no Karmic reaction.

~ Bhagavad Gita chapter 4

Link: http://www.neemkarolibaba.com

"Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one." ~Albert Einstein
"Only one who is awake can awaken others." ~Amma

Question: Mother, just see how much this world has degenerated!
Amma: Son, do not look at the world. Look within your own self and remove the impurities from your mind. Practice seeing only the good in others. When all the impurities are removed from your mind, then you will be able to help make others good. Whereas, if you go on blaming the world and finding fault with others, your own mind will become degenerated and you will also become like them. If we try to make the world good before becoming good ourselves, that will do harm both to us and the world. Only one who has studied can teach others; only one who is rich can help others financially; only one who has accumulated can give and only one who is completely freed from sorrow and impurities can free others from sorrow and make them pure. If you know your own Self, the world will become your wealth, but to know the Self needs constant practice. Mother sees only the Pure Essence in you. One can become like that through practice. When a blacksmith sees a piece of iron, he will not care about the rust covering it. He will think of the object he can make out of the iron after removing the rust. A sculptor, when he sees a rock, thinks of the form he can carve out of it. He does not pay any attention to the moss on the rock. In a similar manner, we should see only the good in others.
Question: Mother, can householders attain Liberation?
Amma: Yes, but they must be real grahasthashramis. Living in the house, they must live like Ashramites. That is real grahasthashrama. While remaining in the house, they should live for God. It is possible to carry on a spiritual life while living in the world. The one condition is that one must perform actions selflessly without any attachment. One should not worry about the past or the future. Live in the present, surrendering your actions and their fruit at the Feet of the Lord. Perform your duties as sincerely as possible, keeping in mind that all is entrusted by God. Be satisfied with whatever is provided by the Supreme. Anyhow, when we act with an attitude of surrender and devotion, it will bear the best fruit. But do not confuse your mind thinking of the fruit. If you perform your duties in the present, sincerely and wholeheartedly, considering it as your duty entrusted by God, then the future will become your friend. Live today with dedication, then tomorrow will be your friend. Get rid of "I" and "mine" and consider everything as God's.
Question: Mother, who is a real Guru?
Amma: A real Guru is one who kindles and sustains the Light of Knowledge or spirituality in the disciple, destroying ignorance. A genuine Master always works with the vasanas of the disciples. He makes the disciple realize his negativities and helps him to eliminate them. A true Master never gives importance to siddhis. He has all the powers needed under his sway. Even then, he will always remain simple and humble. A true Master is a Self-Realized Soul. One can see and experience all the eternal virtues like universal love, renunciation, patience, forbearance, endurance, etc., in him. He will have equal vision and perfect balance of mind in all circumstances. There will not be even an iota of selfishness in him. He will have no desires except the good and well-being of the entire creation. He will neither find fault with others nor will he criticize anyone. Peace and tranquility are his nature. Anger can never overpower him. If you see him get angry, that will only be for correcting and guiding others. His anger is another expression of his love. Such a Master's anger is like a burnt shell. The burnt shell will have the shape of a shell but will disappear if tapped with a little force. The real Master will appear to be angry but that is only an external show. His mind will not be affected by it.
Question: Mother, what are the signs of a true Guru-sishya (Master-disciple) relationship?
Amma: In a genuine Guru-sishya relationship, it will be difficult to recognize who is who because the Guru will have more of a servant-like attitude than the disciple. The Guru will have the attitude to transform the disciple by every possible means. The Guru will watch each and every action of the disciple, but the disciple will not understand this. In a true Guru-sishya relationship, the Guru will have tremendous patience. Even if the disciple commits serious errors, the Guru will patiently forbear and will give opportunity after opportunity for the sishya to correct himself and become flawless. A real Guru will be like a true mother and a true father to the disciple. That means not only will he love the disciple selflessly and wholeheartedly, but at the same time, he will also be a good disciplinarian.
     On the other hand, the disciple will serve the Guru with an attitude that the Guru should not even know that he is serving him. That is the duty of a true disciple. Seva or service means obedience. Obedience means self-surrender. Self-surrender means giving up one's own ego, the feeling that "I am doing and I must get the fruit of it." A true disciple will be ready to sacrifice all of his comforts and even his body to serve the Guru. A true disciple's love towards his Master will be like the love of the Gopis towards Krishna. The disciple will have no secrets. He will be like an open book in front of the Master. He will always have the awareness that his Guru knows everything. Therefore, he will not commit any mistakes. In such a Guru-sishya relationship, the Guru will be in the disciple and the disciple will be in the Guru.
     A real disciple wil eat and sleep only after the Guru eats and sleeps. He will get up before the Guru gets up, and having finished with his nature calls, bath and other morning necessities, he will do whatever is needed for the Guru. He will never show impatience or impertinence. Humility will be his trademark. Just as water flows automatically to where the field is low, the Guru's grace will automatically flow into the disciple when he sees the disciple's movements endowed with sraddha (faith) and bhakti (devotion). But today it is very difficult to find such a Guru-sishya relationship.
Question: Nowadays we hear about many Avatars (Incarnations), but the Srimad Bhagavatam says that there are only ten Avatars.
Amma: Son, nowhere is it stated that God will incarnate only during a certain time, place and in a certain form. Nobody can predict where, how or when the glory of God will assume form. All that takes place according to His Will. He can incarnate in any place at any time. He is not bound by time or place. To protect dharma, the unlimited and formless Supreme Being accepts different limited forms according to His own sankalpa and again makes them merge in His Infinite Self. This is like the waters of the ocean rising up as vapor and returning again to the ocean as rain.

Mata Amritanandamayi. Awaken Children! Volume II. Pages 87-90.

Link: http://www.amritapuri.org/2514/nyrmsg/

"We should develop a mind devoid of egoism—a mind that doesn't fall apart in failure, a mind that finds joy in giving and accepts adversity with love. Such a mind will never experience sorrow." -Amma

Excerpts from Amma's New Year message at amritapuri.org

Link: http://www.amritapuri.org/2472/christbirth/

I hope everyone's been in some Love this holiday.

Christopher

"We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character -- that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

We have this book "How Ganesh got his elephant head" that has been a good read for bedtime with the kids

Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha

Om

"When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it, always."

- Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi

Link: http://sivananda.org/publications/quotes/daily_quote.html

The greatest weakness is doubt. Doubt is thy enemy. Doubt is the greatest sin. Slay this doubt. Slay the slayer mind.

- Sri Swami Sivananda

guru. Spiritual teacher. Though the word guru is often misused to refer simply to any teacher or instructor, a true God-illumined guru is one who, in his attainment of self-mastery, has realized his identity with the omnipresent Spirit. Such a one is uniquely qualified to lead the seeker on his or her inward journey toward divine realization.

When a devotee is ready to seek God in earnest, the Lord sends him a guru. Through the wisdom, intelligence, Self-realization, and teachings of such a master, God guides the disciple. By following the master's teachings and discipline, the disciple is able to fulfill his soul's desire for the manna of God-perception. A true guru, ordained by God to help sincere seekers in response to their deep soul craving, is not an ordinary teacher: he is a human vehicle whose body, speech, mind, and spirituality God uses as a channel to attract and guide lost souls back to their home of immortality. A guru is a living embodiment of scriptural truth. He is an agent of salvation appointed by God in response to a devotee's demand for release from the bondage of matter. "To keep company with the Guru," wrote Swami Sri Yukteswar in The Holy Science, "is not only to be in his physical presence (as this is sometimes impossible), but mainly means to keep him in our hearts and to be one with him in principle and to attune ourselves with him." See master.

Paramahansa Yogananda. Man's Eternal Quest: Collected Talks and Essays On Realizing God In Daily Life, Volume I. Glossary, page 472

The greatest tragedy in life is not death; the greatest tragedy takes place when our talents and capabilities are underutilized and allowed to rust while we are living.

-Mata Amritanandamayi

I don't know that he was saying good or bad...

"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt."

A couple others:

• "The remark which I read somewhere, that science is all right as long as it doesn't attack religion, was the clue I needed to understand the problem. As long as it doesn't attack religion it need not be paid attention to and nobody has to learn anything. So it can be cut off from society except for its applications, and thus be isolated. And then we have this terrible struggle to try to explain things to people who have no reason to want to know. But if they want to defend their own point of view, they will have to learn what yours is a little bit. So I suggest, maybe correctly and perhaps wrongly, that we are too polite."
• "What does it mean, to understand? ... I don't know."

The main purpose of education should be to impart a culture of the heart - a culture based on spiritual values.

- Amma

"Whereas in the past in both East and West there have been precise models these have been built around a culture and tradition which was supportive of this practice. In Western culture the support system has been destroyed by the industrial revolution and the money economy compelling at least one and often both principal members to become money earners. This necessitates daily absence from the home and reliance on day-care centers, nursery schools or regular schools to provide a spiritual foundation which one cannot expect them to provide as they essentially are educating and directing children to become 'good members' of the same society which is in essence profane and in extension looking only to continue its existence at the present level of consciousness. Consequently the family is dispersed,its members isolated from each other and effectively only together as an economic and sleeping unit. The family thus has no center to radiate from and no spiritual-psychic support system. It is dead. The outlook is bleak from this vantage point."

- from "Be Here Now"

"When one beholds the entire universe as a play of Consciousness, what else can one do but smile?"

-Amma

Link: http://www.dlshq.org/religions/shivaratri.htm

Some relevant info on Shivaratri courtesy of the Divine Life Society website. Shivaratri is celebrated tomorrow I think.

Shivaratri:
http://www.dlshq.org/religions/shivaratri.htm

See also http://www.dlshq.org/religions/siva.htm

Om Shiva

There is this vision of being on something like Jupiter, experiencing so much gravity. I am crushed with the weight. I still live on though, trapped in this world that is smashing the body. Through this thing, I still find the strength to turn toward the Source and live joyfully, gratefully.

Children, all the love which the world offers will ultimately lead us to sorrow. There is no selfless love in this world. .... Happiness is not in any object. It is from within us. Happiness is experienced when the sense organs are concentrated.

-Amma

May every thought I think be a meditation on Thee,
May every word I utter be Thy praise,
May every action I do be Thy worship,
May every step I take be a step towards Thee,
May my eating and drinking be an offering to Thee,
Each time I lie down, may it be a prostration to Thee,
May my every breath be the remembrance of Thee,
And may every will of mine be Thy will.