Patanjali Centre for Classical Yoga » Something to Think About

I ASKED GOD – Hilary Monk

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:10:52 +0000

The following was provided by Hilary Monk, a friend of Supriyā’s.

I ASKED GOD

I asked God to take away my pride –
God said “NO”.
He said it was not for Him to take it away
But for me to give it up.
I asked God to grant me patience,
God said “NO”.
He said patience is a bi-product of tribulations
It isn’t granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness,
God said “NO”.
He said he gives me blessings.
Happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain,
God said “NO”.
He said suffering draws me apart from worldly cares
and brings me closer to Him.
I asked God to make my spirits to grow,
God said “NO”.
He said I must grow on my own
but he would make me fruitful.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,
God said “NO”.
He gave me life that I might enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me love others as much as He loved me.
God said –
“Ah, finally you have the idea!”

The following was provided by Hari Dāsa.

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:39:41 +0000

The great teachers belong to all mankind. To accept one of them as one’s own and discard the rest as belonging to others is a sign of pettiness. Rama, Krishna, Christ, Mohammed, Nanak ….. they are for all people everywhere.

Love all religions and all nations. Recognise and accept all religions as paths leading humanity to the same destination. All of them teach love and compassion, humility and tolerance.

I bless all of you and ask you to promote love, sympathy and compassion towards all beings. God is present in every one of them and it is your duty to revere God in each of them.

There is only one caste, the caste of humanity.
There is only one religion, the religion of love.
There is only one language, the language of the heart.
There is only one God and He is omnipresent.

- Sai Baba

Sri Chinmoy Aphorisms

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:23:17 +0000

Sri Chinmoy was a remarkable being who served in the West for 43 yrs and was loved and respected by many luminaries, visionaries and Heads of State. Sri Indar, whom I admire and respect, knew of and was also fond of him. Sri Chinmoy read from his writings one of the aphorisms on the evening before he died.
You have not asked me all this but I feel the need to share with you lovingly: I am enclosing a few short aphorisms of his thousands for your use:

“To serve and never be tired, is love”

“Wherever you go, carry happiness with you”

“To brighten your life, you must widen your heart”

“Simplicity is an advanced course”

“Be kind, be all sympathy, for each and every human being, is forced to fight against himself”

“Love grows in the Soul, glows in the Heart, and finally flows through the body”

“Victory means temporary peace, but Peace is eternity’s victory”

Keep on Walking

admin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:02:07 +0000

The following was provided by Jenny Newman.

Mahamandleshwar Ma Yogashakti Saraswati

Life is an incessant stream of consciousness, which never ceases to exist, never shrinks. Life is all-embracing. To become aware of the consciousness, abide by the age-old wisdom:
Keep on walking!

Listen carefully, O dear, one who toils tirelessly is crowned with wealth. One who sits idle is overtaken by sins. One who toils ceaselessly, Indra the King of Gods, seeks his friendship.
Therefore, O dear
Keep on walking!
Keep on walking!

One who is always active physically and mentally and keeps himself moving, flowers adorn his soul. Sins of such a man lie buried deep, inactive and wounded.
Therefore, O dear
Keep on walking!
Keep on walking!

One who sits idle, his luck is also sitting idle. One who stands up, his luck also stands by him. One who begins to walk, his luck also walks with him. But one who sleeps, his luck also sleeps with him.
Therefore, O dear disciples,
Keep on walking!
Keep on walking!

One who passes his time sleeping is in Kaliyuga; he who stretches himself to mild action is in Dwaparayuga; he who stands up ready for action is in Tretayuga and one who begins to walk and run with full vigour is like a man living in Satayuga, the age of Real Action (Kritayuga).
O dear, knowing this,
Keep on walking!
Keep on walking!

One who walks gets the nectar. One who walks gets delicious fruits of the life-tree. Look at the Sun, O dear, which shines ceaselessly without yielding to inaction and darkness.
Therefore O dear,
Walk on Solemnly,
Walk on religiously!

Something to Think About

admin — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:58:20 +0000

Items under this heading have been sent in by readers to share with others. If you have any quotations, poems or anything else which you would like to contribute, please send to Supriyā. We will be grateful to receive any item, large or small.

The following was taken from a card published by the Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Hyderabad, India.

Swami Vivekananda Ji on Divinity of Man”

Teach yourselves, teach everyone, his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activityIf the fisherman thinks that he is the Spirit, he will be a better fisherman; if the student thinks he is the Spirit, he will be a better student. If the lawyer thinks he is the Spirit, he will be a better lawyer.

My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and that is; to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.

Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it.

Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man.

The more our bliss is within, the more spiritual we are. Let us not depend upon the world for pleasure.