Daily Meditations

Daily Meditations
A Guide to Better Living

And Spiritual Progress
DAILY
MEDITATIONS
Sri Swami Sivananda
Published by
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Himalayas, India
www.sivanandaonline.org
First Edition: 1952
Second Edition: 2007
Third Edition: 2009
Fourth Edition: 2011
[ 1,000 Copies ]
©The Divine Life Trust Society
ISBN 81-7052-232-3
ES104
PRICE: Rs. 75/-
Published by Swami Padmanabhananda for

The Divine Life Society, Shivanandanagar, and printed by him
at the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy Press,
P.O. Shivanandanagar, Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand,
Himalayas, India
www.sivanandaonline.org
OM Sri Satguru Paramatwiane Namafo
OM
Dedicated to
All those who strive for
A better living, spiritual
Enlightenment, for a life
Dedicated to virtue and
Goodness.
OM
A page of sublime teachings and morals
for the day
“A great thought is a great boon, for which

God is to be first thanked; then, he who is the
first to utter it, then the man who is first to
quote it to us be thanked. ”
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Bom on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family
of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other renowned saints
and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life
devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was
an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity
with all mankind.
His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and
soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most
needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a
health journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He
discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dis
semination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.
It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon
mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career
and took to a life of renunciation to qualify for ministering to the
soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practised in
tense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and
Jivanmukta.
In 1932 Swami Sivananda started the Sivanandashram. In
1936 was bom The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the
Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organised. Dissemination
of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and
Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 Swamiji undertook a
lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 Swamiji convened a
‘World Parliament of Religions’. Swamiji is the author of over
300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to
all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read Swamiji’s works
is to drink at the Fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July,
1963 Swamiji entered Mahasamadhi.
CONTENTS
JANUARY............................................................................... H-25
FEBRUARY........................................................................... 26-38
MARCH.................................................................................. 39-51
APRIL..................................................................................... 52-62
MAY....................................................................................... 63-75
JUNE....................................................................................... 76-87
JULY....................................................................................... 88-98
AUGUST.............................................................................. 99-109
SEPTEMBER..................................................................... 110-120
OCTOBER........................................................................ 121-131
NOVEMBER...................................................................... 132-143
DECEMBER....................................................................... 144-156
DAILY MEDITATIONS
JANUARY
1. HEALTH CULTURE
Body-building is the foundation of nation building. Build
the body through nature’s aids. Avail yourself of healing agen
cies of nature—the sun, water, air, earth, steam, fasting, herbs,
etc. Observe the laws of eating, drinking, sleeping, thinking and
conducting yourself as laid down by the ancient Rishis and
sages. Live in tune with nature. Use the herbs and greens.
He who observes the rules of health and hygiene, who is
moderate in eating, drinking, and other things, regular in his
prayer, Japa, meditation who is free from jealousy, pride, ha
tred, who observes Brahmacharya, is free from diseases. He is
healthy and attains longevity.
2. NATURE CURE
Nature Cure is as old as the Vedas and this world. It is the
oldest of all systems of health and healing. The ancient Rishis of
India took recourse to this system. They used water-cure,
air-cure, herbal-cure, fast-cure, the sun-cure and the diet-cure.
They suggested drinking cold water in the morning, Ushapan
treatment, for the removal of constipation and other diseases.
They taught Asana and Pranayama for the removal of various
diseases.
They prescribed sunbath, gazing at the sun,
Suryanamaskars, chanting of Surya Mantra for regaining en
ergy, Tejas and Ojas. Sunbath increases the haemoglobin (iron)
of the blood and replenishes Vitamin D. Fasting is nature’s
greatest curative agent. It is the one sure method of bringing
(H)
12 DAILY MEDITATIONS
health back to you and renovating and overhauling your whole

system.
3. NATURE’S REMEDIES
Simple, bland, non-irritating, wholesome food, occasional
fasting, pure water, fresh air, sound sleep, sun-bath, regular ex
ercises stopping short of fatigue, are highly potent nature’s rem
edies. Utilise them to your best advantage and enjoy beautiful
health.
Lead a life in tune with nature. Observe the laws of health
and hygiene. Keep your unique body-machinery in perfect
working order. Maintain vigorous health and strength. It will
help you to discharge your duties in a satisfactory manner and
secure a speedy spiritual evolution, to develop divine qualities
and to do Yoga Sadhana efficiently for the attainment of the fi
nal beatitude or Moksha.
4. BACK TO THE NATURE

Most diseases are due to the so-called modem civilisation
and artificial way of living. Go back to nature; you need not pay
any fee to the doctors.
Diseases are due to violation of the laws of health and hy
giene—due to ignorance. Do not identify with the body; iden
tify yourself with the diseasaless, bodiless and sexless Atman.
Attain Knowledge of the Self and enjoy eternal bliss.
5. FOOD FOR HEALTH

The man who does not care for his health, who leads a
happy-go-lucky life, who is a glutton, is a sinner and a criminal.
He must be rigorously punished. He has no business to be sickly
when he can have abundant life, vitality, energy and health
JANUARY 13
within his easy reach by natural ways of living and by observing

the simple rules and laws of health and hygiene.
The juice of a small lemon, spinach, one or two tomatoes, a
little fresh coconut, bananas, grams soaked in water, green gram
sprouts, half a seer of raw milk, two teaspoonfuls of honey, can
give you wonderful health, vigour, vitality and longevity.
6. THE HUMAN BODY

This mysterious human body, the temple of God, the
nine-gate city or Navadvara-puri of Brahman, is a marvellous
place for the Immortal Soul, Antaryamin or the Indweller. It is a
product of the Prarabdha Karma of the Jiva or the individual
soul. It belongs to the Jiva and to Virat also. The sum total of all
physical bodies is Virat Purusha. It is the most marvellous and
delicate machine in the world. Its mechanism is highly com
plex. Even the most eminent doctors of this world have not yet
completely understood its structure and working. Still they are
making research on it.
A single virulent microbe can destroy it in a minute. It is
surrounded on all sides by various enemies, and yet man lives!
This is a great mystery. This is due to the grace of the Lord.
7. HEALTH AND KARMA

Health depends upon Karma. A virtuous man enjoys long
life and good health. A wicked man is unhealthy. Maharshi
Patanjali says in his Yoga Sutras'. “Span of life, caste, enjoy
ment—all depend upon one’s own Karma.” Therefore, perform
virtuous actions. Shun evil deeds. Body, mind and spirit must be
healthy. Then alone can you enjoy perfect health.
Body, mind and spirit constitute the whole man. There is
intimate relation between body and mind. Body is the mould
prepared by the mind for its enjoyment. Spirit is the basis or
substratum or source for the body and mind. Mental health is

more vital than physical health. All diseases originate from
mind first and then affect the body.
Sunshine, pure water, pure air, exercise, wholesome and
healthy diet and sound sleep or rest are the six fundamentals of
life. Bask in the sunshine; drink pure water; breathe pure air;
take regular exercise in the morning; take wholesome food;
have proper rest. You will be a centenarian.
8. CAUSE OF DISEASE
Dr. Hahnemann says, “The root-cause for all diseases is
sin or passion. Flesh is simply a servant under the absolute con
trol of the Vital Force. This vital force is first affected by the dis
eases and not the flesh. Flesh is affected later on when the vital
force is neglected. Negligence of this vital force brings about
pathological changes in the body. The pathological change
which becomes apparent to the physicians by means of instru
ments or clinical observation are not the diseases themselves
but the result of the disease of the vital force.”
Dr. Hahnemann has discovered that the real diseases of
man are pride, arrogance, jealousy, hatred, revenge, obstinacy,
lust, lasciviousness, sorrow, greed, avarice, despondency, anxi
ety, worry, cowardice, irritability, anger. They cause diabetes,
tuberculosis, cancer, etc. Unless and until the vital force is prop
erly treated, the disease can never disappear.
9. SPIRITUAL THERAPEUTICS
Anger generates poison in the blood and heat in the blood,
brain, liver and the whole body; it produces fever, depression,
etc. Hatred causes nervous weakness, uneasiness, restlessness,
cough, fever, loss of blood, indigestion, etc. Fear causes low
blood pressure, and weakness, destroys red blood cells; makes
JANUARY 15
the face pale, affects the heart, liver and stomach and produces
indigestion, diarrhoea or constipation and impotency.
Renunciation removes a host of ailments, such as dyspep
sia, rheumatism, diabetes, diseases of the liver and intestines
and blood pressure, strengthens the heart, brain and nerves.
Pure love produces joy, peace of mind, harmonious functioning
of the bodily organs, increases the blood qualitatively and quan
titatively, and turns the mind towards God. Truth strengthens
the heart and mind, brings peace of mind, happiness, inner
calmness, spiritual strength and fearlessness. Meditation is a
wonderful tonic which tones all systems and organs, renovates
the cells, removes diseases and checks the development of dis
eases.
10. FAST CURE

The whole system is renovated and energised by fasting.
New tissues and new cells are formed. The body is charged with
vigour and vitality. Fasting purifies the nerves and nerve cen
tres; the tissues and organs are supplied with abundant life-en
ergy; mind is clarified and strengthened. Will-power is
augmented.
During the fast, do not think of food. Keep the mind fully
occupied. You can do your usual daily routine and other routine
and other works. You can walk, study and meditate. Practise
more Japa and meditation. Be doing something. Do not lie
down idly in bed. This will induce false hunger and evil
thoughts. After the course of fasting is over, adjust your diet.
Give up your old habits of eating. Live on a new, healthy regi
men.
11. YOUR NATURAL HERITAGE

Health, and not disease, is your natural heritage. You are
the children of that Anamaya or diseaseless Purusha, the Eternal
Brahman or the Absolute. Claim your birthright now this very

second, and become healthy, strong, robust and sinewy, with
abundant vigour, energy and a high standard of vitality.
Disease is due to ignorance and lack of knowledge of natu
ral laws. You violate the laws of health through your egoism,
passion and self-assertive nature. You behave like a playful ur
chin, and yet Mother Nature, who is all merciful and kind, who
is ever bountiful, puts up patiently with all your misbehaviour
and wrong-doing and helps you in a variety of ways, bestowing
on you Her choicest blessings.
12. VALUE OF EXERCISE

Just as food, air and water are necessary for the mainte
nance of good health, so also exercise is very essential for keep
ing up good health and attaining longevity. The person who eats
a large quantity of food must take plenty of exercise.
You should take certain exercises for developing the chest.
You should do some abdominal and spinal exercises. You
should do some exercises to develop the neck, hands, legs and
thighs. You should do some exercises which bend the body for
ward, backward and laterally. Spend at least ten minutes daily in
exercise. Regularity is of paramount importance, if you want to
realise the maximum benefits of exercise.
13. NOT THIS PERISHABLE BODY

ART THOU
Do not have any Moha for this perishable body. Treat this
body as your servant and instrument. You are entirely distinct
from this physical body, which is made up of the five elements,
and which is subject to decay and destruction.
You are in essence and reality the all-pervading, imperish
able Atman. Just as the house in which you live re separate from
JANUARY 17
you, so also this body in which you are temporarily encased, on

account of ignorance, is entirely different from you. Identifica
tion with this body is the root-cause for bondage and human
miseries and sufferings Do not become a slave to this body. It
must obey your orders at all times and under all conditions and
not you its orders. You must be prepared to give up this body or
dedicate it to a just and noble cause. Practise self-denial,
self-abnegation and self-sacrifice.
14. SCIENCE CANNOT SOLVE THE

PROBLEM
One scientist believes that the secret of death is in the
blood-stream. He treats the body with a chemical preparation.
Another scientist believes that the seat of life is the thyroid
gland. Another scientist holds that senility is due to dissipation
affecting some major glands of the human body. Many weak,
prematurely decrepit people are transformed into healthy men
and women by the administration of these glands by hypoder
mic injection or by mouth.
These modem miracles happen everyday, but they only re
store diseased people to health. They do not prolong life beyond
the normal span or solve the riddle of eternal youth. They will
not even enable a healthy man of eighty to attain the age of one
hundred. That man will still die from the mysterious process of
degeneration of the cells which is called “old age.”
15. THE CURATIVE TRIUNE

Remember the important triune—Resting, Flushing, Fast
ing. Next, the toning up of the vital power of the system is
achieved through three natural agents. They are Nature-made
tonics, i.e., fruit and vegetable juices, the life-giving sunrays
and the pure, invigorating fresh air. All the above-mentioned
measures form the general structure of treatment. Their com
mon basis is a right, cheerful and optimistic mental attitude.

Your mind heals you more than any other medicine. Mental
health acts powerfully in overcoming all illnesses.
Mind can cure the physical diseases of the body by its har
monious and healthy divine thoughts, because all physical dis
eases have their origin in mental ill-health. Lack of cheerfulness
contributes to physical ill-health. If one is always cheerful and
entertains good divine thoughts, one will not suffer from any
disease and will have perfect health at all times. It is in your
power to continue well and young as long as you like.
16. THE BACKGROUND OF TREATMENT

Firm faith in God and reliance upon your eternal, immortal
Atman will keep the mind in a vigorous positive state. Know
that He is manifest as the pure air, the energising sun, the vitalis
ing elixir in the mellow fruits. Feel His healing power working
through every pore of your body, every cell, blood corpuscle
and nerve fibre. Try actually to feel how your entire system is
responding to the recuperative action of the various methods of
treatment employed.
Allow the body to respond freely to the action of the natu
ral agents. Put yourself in tune with the source of all health,
power and strength. The Cosmic Force for well-being will then
infill you. This is the ultimate factor behind all therapeutics, the
secret to bear in mind. The doctor cannot impart this vital secret
to you. Now you know it. Use it as the background for the treat
ment of your ills, bodily and mental.
17. DEVELOP CONCENTRATION

Those who practise concentration evolve quickly. They
can do any work with scientific accuracy. What others take six
hours to do can be done within half an hour by one who has con
JANUARY 19
centration. What others can study within six hours can be done
within half-an-hour by one who practises concentration.
Concentration purifies and calms the surging emotions,
strengthens the current of thought and clarifies the ideas. Con
centration helps a man in his material progress also. The man
who practises concentration will have a very good outturn of
work in his office or business house. What was cloudy and hazy
before becomes easy now; and what was complex, bewildering
and confusing before comes easily within the mental grasp. You
can achieve anything through concentration. He who practises
concentration will possess very good health and a very clear
mental vision.
18. PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA

The practice of Pranayama has a wonderful influence over
the body, mind, intellect and the senses. It removes the diseases
of the body and thoroughly renovates the cells and nerves. It
supplies an abundance of fresh energy and steadies the mind. It
removes the impurities of the mind also.
The lungs can be developed through the practice of
deep-breathing exercises. By the practice of Pranayama, the
apices of the lungs will get the proper supply of oxygen, so that
they cannot harbour the germs of tuberculosis. The blood will
be pure. All the tissues and cells will be nourished with plenty
of pure blood and lymph. The process of metabolism will be
carried out in an efficient manner.
19. PRACTICE OF ASANAS

The practice of Asanas develops the body and makes it ag
ile, nimble. The practitioner has a very elastic and supple body.
He has a keen, vigorous appetite. Any trouble is removed from
its starting point by the practice of Asanas. The three important
organs, viz., heart, lungs, and brain and the cerebro-spinal sys-
tern are kept in a healthy condition. The vital forces are also pre
served and increased. The circulation of blood in the arteries
and veins is kept in proper order. There is no stagnation of blood
in any part of the body. The spinal cord is toned up.
The practice of Asanas prevents the development of arte
riosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. The practice of Asanas,
in fact, lubricates the whole bodily system.
20. CULTIVATE CLEANLINESS

Cleanliness is next to godliness. A bath daily in cold water
in the early morning before sunrise is really invigorating,
energising and refreshing. The best time for a bath is early
morning, before sunrise, because the water that gets cooled dur
ing the night also possesses much oxygen at this time.
Rub the body vigorously with a rough towel. This will
open all the pores of the skin and cleanse the latter properly. Re
sort always to easy natural methods that cost nothing. A plunge
bath in the running water of a river is very exhilarating and
strengthening. A shower bath is also very enjoyable. Do not
take a cold bath immediately after performing Asanas or any
kind of exercises.
21. IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

Sleep is nature’s tonic for a healthy life. The more sound
sleep one has, the more healthy he would be. The hours of sleep
necessarily depend upon your physical and mental capacity for
resisting fatigue. Without a sufficiency of sleep, you will have
no efficiency. The amount of sleep required varies with age,
temperament and the amount of work done.
According to an old adage, there should be six hours of
sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool. As age
advances, people require less sleep. In old men above 60 years,
JANUARY 21
five hours of sleep may be sufficient. Adults who do hard physi

cal labour may sleep for eight hours. Go to bed at 10 p.m. and
get up at 4 a.m. Too much sleep makes a man dull and lethargic.
22. PRACTISE CELIBACY

Practice of Brahmacharya gives good health, inner
strength, peace of mind and a long life. It invigorates the mind
and nerves and helps to conserve physical and mental energy. It
augments strength, vigor and vitality. It gives one power to face
the difficulties of daily life. A perfect Brahmachari can move
the world and can even command the five elements like Jnana
Deva.
The senses are very turbulent. They must be controlled by
various methods such as fasting, restriction in diet, Pranayama,
Japa, Kirtan, meditation, Pratyahara or abstraction of mind
from objects, Dama or self-restraint, Asanas, Bandhas, Mudras,
control of thought and destruction of Vasanas, etc. The tongue
must be controlled first. Then it will be easy to control passion.
Delicious Rajasic foods excite the organ of generation.
23. HOW TO BEGIN YOUR DAY

Get up at 4 a.m. Answer the calls of nature. Wash your
face. Then practise meditation, Asanas, Pranayama and other
exercises. This order is beneficial. If you are not in the habit of
answering calls of nature in the early morning, you should prac
tise Asanas before evacuating the bowels. Drink some cold or
lukewarm water at night and also in the early morning as soon
as you get up from the bed. Regulate and adjust your diet.
Wear a langotee or kowpeen (trunk) when you practise
Asanas; you can have a baniyan (vest) on the body. Those who
practise Sirshasana and other exercises for a long time should
take a little light food or a cup of milk after finishing the course.
Be regular in the practice of Asanas. Those who practise by fits

and starts will not derive much benefit from them.
24. THE VITAL FORCE

Prana is expended by thinking, willing, acting, talking,
writing, etc. A healthy, strong man has abundance of Prana or
nerve force or vitality. The Prana is supplied by food, air, solar
energy, etc. The supply of Prana is taken up by the nervous sys
tem. The Prana is absorbed by breathing. The excess of Prana is
stored in the brain and nerve centres. When the seminal energy
sublimates, or transforms, it supplies abundance of Prana to the
system. It is stored up in the brain in the form of Ojas.
The Yogi stores abundance of Prana by a regular practice
of Pranayama, just as a storage battery can be made to store
electricity. That Yogi who has stored up a large supply of Prana
radiates strength and vitality all around.
25. THE SCIENCE OF RELAXATION

Action produces movements; movements cause habits.
Man has acquired many artificial habits. He has allowed Na
ture’s original habits to lapse. He has brought tension in many
muscles and nerves through incorrect habits in posture. He has
forgotten the first principles of relaxation. He will have to leam
lessons (on relaxation) from the cat, the dog and the infant.
The science of relaxation is an exact science. It can be
learnt very easily. Relaxation of the muscles is as important as
contraction of the muscles. I lay great emphasis on the relax
ation of the mind, the nerves and the muscles. Relaxation is of
two kinds, viz., mental relaxation and physical relaxation.
There is another classification. If you relax certain muscles of
certain parts only, it is partial relaxation. If you relax all the
muscles of the whole body, it is complete relaxation.
JANUARY 23
26. HOW TO RELAX

Just as you relax your muscles after having finished your
Asanas and physical exercises, so also you will have to relax the
mind and rest it after concentration and meditation, after prac
tice of memory-training and will-culture. Relaxation of the
muscles brings repose to the mind; relaxation of the mind brings
rest to the body as well. The body and mind are intimately con
nected. The body is a mould prepared by the mind for its enjoy
ment.
By relaxation, you give rest to the mind, tired nerves, and
overworked muscles. Once in the morning and once in the eve
ning relax completely for ten minutes at least. No matter how
urgent the task, stick to this rule. Sit in the most comfortable
chair or lie flat on a beach mattress, prop the legs about eighteen
inches from the ground with a stiff cushion under the knees and
let every muscle go “flop”. A cushion under the head, if lying on
the mattress, will relax the neck muscles. Close the eyes. Make
the mind blank.
27. COOPERATE WITH NATURE

Most of the diseases are the result of wrong habits and
faulty modes of living. Mother Nature, who has fashioned this
wonderful human mechanism, attempts to promptly correct the
errors committed by you, and her well-intentioned visits are an
nounced in the shape of various symptoms of sickness.
You must, therefore, wisely take the hint at once and start
actively cooperating with her. Thus the prevention and cure of
diseases to a large extent are in your own hands. You should ex
ercise self-restraint. Curb the habitual tendency to indulge in
that which is harmful to your system.
28. YOUR SYSTEM NEEDS REST

Certain particular details of treatment vary in different dis
eases, but the fundamental measures to be adopted are the same
in all cases, They are:
Ample rest to the patient, through elimination of the toxic
products that burden the system. This is done through both
bowels and skin by means of harmless purgatives and baths and
massage. Complete rest to the internal organ is given by ab
staining from food. Fasting is the most potent and extremely ef
fective weapon in the armoury of the wise patient. Therefore,
remember the most important triplet—Resting, Flushing and
Fasting.
29. BE CHEERFUL ALWAYS

Mind can cure all the physical diseases of-the body by its
harmonious and healthy divine thoughts, because all physical
diseases have taken their origin in mental ill-health.
Lack of cheerfulness contributes to physical ill-health. If
one is always cheerful and entertains good, divine thoughts, he
will have perfect health at all times. It is in your power to con
tinue well and young as long as you like.
30. SHARE WITH ALL

Share with others what you have: physical, mental, moral
and spiritual. Do not hoard wealth. Do not covet the wealth of
others. In sharing there is joy and peace. Sharing generates cos
mic love, and destroys greed. Sharing removes selfishness and
creates selflessness. Sharing purifies your heart. Sharing devel
ops oneness.
31. KNOW THYSELF
Be simple, be humble, be gentle. Be straightforward, be
honest, be sincere. Be truthful, be bold, be cheerful. Be tolerant,
JANUARY 25
be generous, be virtuous. Be serene, be self-controlled, be

self-delighted. Love all, embrace all, be kind to all. Discrimi
nate and be dispassionate. Reflect and meditate. Know Thy Self
and be free. This is Vedanta in daily life.
FEBRUARY
1. THE POWER OF WILL

Will is Atmabal. Will is dynamic soul-force. Will, if it is
rendered pure and irresistible, can work wonders, There is noth
ing impossible for a man of strong will to achieve in the three
worlds. The vast majority of persons have no consciousness of
will or mind or intellect, though they talk much on “will and
mind”. Will becomes impure and weak through Vasanas (de
sires). When desire is controlled, it becomes changed into will.
The sexual energy, the muscular energy, anger, etc., are all
transmuted into the will-force when they are controlled. Fewer
the desires, stronger the will.
Napoleon had a strong will, and so, he won sanguine suc
cess in wars. Viswamitra had a strong will and therefore he cre
ated a third world for King Trishanku. Dattatreya had a strong
will and so he created a woman by mere willing. All Jnanis and
Yogis have very strong will.
2. HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR WILL

Get up at 4 a.m., and sit on Virasana and meditate on these
formulae. Repeat them mentally with feeling.
My will is pure, strong and irresistible. Om, Om, Om.
I can do everything through my will now. Om, Om, Om.
I have an invincible will. Om, Om, Om.
Meditate on the immortal Atman and develop the will. It is
the best method. Do not use will in the wrong directions. You
will have a hopeless fall. Do not test the strength of your will in
the beginning. Wait till it becomes strong and pure. Will is the
King of mental powers. When will operates, all the mental pow
(26)
FEBRUARY 27
ers, such as the power of judgment, power of memory, power of

grasping, power of conversation, reasoning power, discriminat
ing power, power of inference, power of reflection—all these
come into play within the twinkling of an eye.
3. ADAPT AND ADJUST

One should patiently hear the words of others even though
they are not interesting and charming. He should not fret and
fume. Patient hearing develops will and wins the hearts of oth
ers. One should also do actions or tasks that are uninteresting.
This also develops the will power.
Never complain against bad environments. Create your
own mental world wherever you remain and wherever you go.
There are some difficulties and disadvantages wherever you go.
If the mind deludes you, at every moment and at every step, try
to overcome the obstacles and difficulties by suitable means.
Do not try to run away from bad, unfavourable environments.
God has placed you there to make you grow quickly.
4. NEVER COMPLAIN
If you get all sorts of comforts in a place you will not grow
strong. You will be puzzled in a new place when you cannot get
these comforts. Therefore, make the best use of all places.
Never complain against surroundings and environments. Live
in your own mental world.
This world is a relative plane of good and evil. Remember
this point at all times. Try to live happily in any place, under any
condition. You will become a strong and dynamic personality.
This is a great secret. Keep this in your pocket and unlock the
Elysian regions, the spiritual realms and the immortal abode.
You can get sanguine success in any undertaking. This habit of
concentration is of great help to strengthen the will.
5. HAVE MASTERY OVER THE MIND

You must have an intelligent understanding of the habits of
the mind—how it wanders and how it operates. You most know
easy and effective methods to control the wandering of the
mind. The practice of thought culture, the practice of concentra
tion, the practice of memory culture, are all allied subjects. All
these are of immense help in the practice of will culture.
Gladstone and Napoleon could go to deep sleep the mo
ment they went to bed through mere willing. Mahatma Gandhi
had this practice. They could get up in the morning at any time
they wanted—to the very minute. They had so trained their
subconscious mind. Everyone of you should develop this habit
through will and become a Gandhi, a Gladstone, or a Napoleon.
6. CONSERVE ENERGY
The practice of keeping the mind fully occupied is the best
of all practices for keeping up physical and mental
Brahmacharya. Those who want to become magnetic and dy
namic personalities or prodigies should utilise every second to
the best possible advantage and should try to grow mentally,
morally and spiritually every second.
Idle gossiping should be given up entirely. Every one of us
should realise the value of time. Will is bound to become dy
namic if one utilises his time very profitably. Application and
tenacity, interest and attention, patience and perseverance, faith
and self-reliance can make a man a wonderful world-figure.
You will have to apply your will according to capacity; other
wise your will would deteriorate.
7. PROGRAMME OF LIFE
Make a programme of work or daily routine, according to
your capacity, and see that it is carried out daily. Keep only a
FEBRUARY 29
few items. If you keep several items which cannot be executed

in a day, which are beyond your capacity, your interest will
gradually decline. Your energy will be dissipated and scattered.
You will get brain-fag. Whatever you wish to do daily must be
carried out to the very letter.
Thinking too much is a hindrance in the execution by the
will. It brings confusion, diffidence and procrastination. There
is slackening of the force of the will. The opportunity will slip
away. Think for sometime correctly and decide. As soon as you
have resolved, you must “will” immediately. There must not be
any unnecessary delay.
8. BALANCE OF MIND
He who is attempting to develop his will should always try
to keep a cool head. He should keep a balanced mind under all
conditions. He will have to train or discipline the mind. It is
worth practising.
Balance of mind is one of the vital characteristics of a de
veloped Jnani or Yogi. That Yogi who can keep a balanced mind
at all times is really a strong and happy man. He will get san
guine success in all his undertakings. You may fail to maintain
the balance in fifty attempts; but from the fifty-first endeavour,
you will get strength of will. You will slowly manifest balance
of mind. You should not be discouraged in the beginning. Re
member the story of “Bruce and the Spider”. Bruce learnt from
the spider. He failed seven times but succeeded in the war in his
eighth attempt.
9. NEED FOR A DEFINITE AIM

The vast majority of persons, even the so-called educated
people, have no definite aim in life. They waste their time and
finish their life’s career in gloom, despair and sorrow. The intel
lect is there, but they have no definite aim or purpose. They
have no ideal, no clear-cut programme of life. Hence their life

becomes a failure.
Everyone of you should clearly understand the aim of your
life. Then you should chalk out the line of work that is congenial
to your aim. You should work hard to realise the aim. You
should try every second to live up to that ideal. You can realise
the ideal right now in this very second or after ten years by
walking with faltering steps.
10. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

AFTER RETIREMENT
When one has successfully finished his duties as a house
holder, when his sons are all fixed up in life, when the daughters
are given in marriage, he should devote the remaining years of
his life in spiritual pursuits, study of religious literature and di
vine contemplation.
Many people have no definite ideas as to what they are go
ing to do (after retirement). After retirement from active ser
vice, they take to some other avocation. They are still greedy.
Till the end of life they count money and entertain thoughts of
grandchildren and great grandchildren. Pitiable is the lot of
these men indeed! Blessed is he, who spends the whole time in
study and meditation in a solitary place after retirement from
service.
11. BE NOT DIFFIDENT

I want to place before you another important point. I have
no such words as “cannot”, “difficult”, “impossible”, “weak
ness”, etc., in my dictionary. Those who are attempting to de
velop their will-force should remove these words from their
dictionary also. These are the expressions of a weakling or an
effeminate person. These are the expressions of a timid woman.
FEBRUARY 31
Become a lion. Become a spiritual Lord. Become a cham

pion in the Adhyatmic field. By mere willing or chanting “OM”
mountains can be crushed to powder. By mere willing moun
tains should move. By mere willing oceans should recede. By
mere willing, all the waves of the ocean should subside. Lord
Jesus did this and you, too, can do that.
12. THAT THOU ART

Understand the glory, splendour and power of the Self
which is at the back of your mind, thought, will and memory.
Understand the magnanimity and immortal nature of that hid
den interpenetrating, indwelling Essence. Know that this Self is
the storehouse for all knowledge, bliss, power, beauty, peace
and joy.
Feel that the sun, the moon and stars do their respective
functions at your command. Feel that the air moves, rain show
ers, fire bums, rivers flow, sun shines, stars glitter, and Indra,
Agni and Yama do their respective functions at your bidding.
Thou art the Glory of glories, Sun of suns, Light of lights, Holy
of holies, Divinity of divinities, God of gods, Emperor of em
perors. Thou art Truth. Thou art Brahman.
13. IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS

An ethical man is more powerful than an intellectual. Ethi
cal culture brings in various sorts of occult powers. If you study
Yoga Sutras, you will find a clear description of the powers that
manifest by observance of the practice of Ahimsa, Satyam,
Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. The nine Riddhis roll
under the feet of an ethically developed man. They are ready to
serve him.
The philosopher need not necessarily be a moral or ethical
man; but a spiritual man must of necessity be moral. Morality
goes hand in hand with spirituality.
14. TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS

You should always try your level best to speak the truth at
all costs. You may lose your income in the beginning but in the
long run, you are bound to be victorious. You will realise the
truth of the Upanishads—“Truth alone shines, but not false
hood.”
Even a lawyer who speaks the truth in law courts, who
does not coach up false witnesses may lose his practice in the
beginning but later on, will be honoured by the judge as well as
the client. Be truthful. You will have a peaceful death. Do not
kill your conscience in order to have comfortable living and to
please your wife. Life here is evanescent and like a bubble. As
pire to become divine. The various formulae—Ahimsa is the
highest of all virtues; speak the truth and do virtuous actions; do
unto others in the same way as you wish others to do unto you;
Love thy neighbour as thyself—are all best calculated to de
velop the moral aspect of a human being.
15. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE

The attitude of friendliness or enmity is a mental creation.
The enemy or friend is not outside. It is the feeling or imagina
tion from within. An intimate friend of long standing becomes a
deadly enemy within a second. One hot or harsh word changes
the situation completely within the twinkling of an eye.
A human being erroneously identifies himself with his
body and wrongly imagines that he is a little Jiva with little
power and little knowledge. This is his human Bhava (attitude).
This should be changed into Brahma Bhava by changing the an
gle of vision and mode of thinking. Think you are Brahman.
Think you are pure and all-pervading intelligence, light and
consciousness. Think you are immortal, omnipotent, omni
scient and omnipresent.
FEBRUARY 33
16. MEMORY CULTURE

Memory culture is very important. It brings success in
God-realisation as well. A man with strong and retentive mem
ory gets sanguine success in all his ventures and undertakings.
He who has memory can conduct his business affairs very suc
cessfully, remember credits and debits and keep account in a
satisfactory manner. Intelligence is only nine-tenths of memory.
A knowledge of the working of the subconscious mind is
very necessary for those who want to develop their memory.
Most of the mental operations take place in the subconscious
mind. The conscious mind takes some rest, but the subcon
scious mind works throughout the twenty-four hours. It is the
subconscious mind that brings the answer like a flash of lighten
ing in the early morning when you fail to get a solution at night.
17. PRACTISE INTROSPECTION

Practise self-examination for ten minutes before you go to
bed. Sit comfortably on a chair. Close your eyes. Think of all ac
tions—good and bad, that you did during the course of the day.
Think of all the mistakes that you committed consciously or un
consciously.
On the first day you may not be able to find out even two or
three mistakes in your actions because you are not in the habit of
doing so; but by daily regular, and systematic practice, you will
be able to visualise clearly the actions and mistakes of the day.
Even an hour will not be sufficient to review the actions. The
mind becomes subtle and sharp by the practice of introspection.
18. CALM THE RIPPLES IN THE MIND-LAKE

Ignorant people identify themselves with the body, mind
and the Vrittis of the mind. The mind and body are mere instru
ments. The real man is, of course, behind the mind.
If you become one with the mind and Vrittis, you get vari
ous sorts of misery and sufferings. The whole universe is cre
ated by the Vrittis of the mind alone. If these mental waves
subside, you can attain the Absolute state, the state of highest
bliss and peace. Just as you can clearly see the bottom of a lake
when the ripples and waves on the surface subside, even so, you
can cognise your real self when the Vrittis that agitate the mind
subside.
19. NOW OR NEVER!

Stick to the spiritual path at all cost. Apply yourself dili
gently. Waste not even a single precious minute as life is short
and time is fleeting. That tomorrow will never come.
Now or never. Stand up with the firm resolve: “I will be
come a Yogi in this very birth, this very moment. Gird up your
loins. Do rigid constant Yoga Sadhana. Walk along the path of
Yoga in the footsteps of Jnanadeva, Gorakhnath, Sadasiva
Brahman and Tailanga Swami.
20. THE COSMIC WIRE-PULLER

My silent adorations and prostrations to the cosmic Propri
etor, the inner ruler, the superintendent, the supreme head, the
President-founder, the silent Sakshi and the Governor of this
wonderful mental factory! Brahman (Absolute) is the silent
Sakshi of this factory. Hiranyagarbha is the supreme Director of
this factory. Every man has his own mental factory. The Abso
lute has to manage and supervise the whole cosmic factory.
He who dwells within the mind, who is within the mind,
whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is, and
who rules the mind from within, is the Self, Inner Ruler, Immor
tal. Salutations to this Inner Ruler who illumines the minds and
the mental factory.
FEBRUARY 35
21. WHAT IS VASANA?

The summum bonum of existence is the attainment of the
knowledge of the Self or the realisation of the one homoge
neous Self. The knowledge of the Self can only dawn when
there is extinction of all Vasanas. This Self-realisation cannot
be obtained without completely giving up all Vasanas. Extinc
tion of all Vasanas alone is Moksha.
The subtle state of desire is called Vasana. Desire is gross
in its nature. A hidden Vasana is termed Kashaya. Some philos
ophers define Vasana as a tendency or inclination. Others say,
“the blind clinging to sensual objects, through intense longing
or craving without deliberation or thinking is known as
Vasana.”
22. WHAT IS MIND?

Mind is the cause for bondage and freedom of man. A mind
that is filled with impure Vasanas tends to bondage; whereas a
mind that is destitute of Vasanas tends to freedom. Mind is no
mind when the Vasanas are destroyed. You become mindless.
When you become mindless, intuition dawns and you are en
dowed with the eye of wisdom. You enjoy indescribable peace.
Mind is Vasanamaya. This world is Vasanamaya Jagat.
Mind clings to sensual objects through Vasanas and constantly
thinks of the objects. If the Vasanas perish, the mind ceases
thinking of objects and we attain the state of thoughtlessness.
23. POSITIVE OVERCOMES NEGATIVE

You will have to transmute the impure Vasanas into pure
ones through constant efforts. You will have to change the cur
rent of impure Vasanas and allow them to run in the channel or
river of pure Vasanas.
There is no harm if you have abundance of pure Vasanas.

Pure Vasana is also a fetter. Just as you remove a thorn with the
help of another thorn and throw both of them when the thorn is
removed; so also, you will have to destroy the impure Vasanas
through the help of pure Vasanas and then abandon these pure
ones also. To desire for liberation or Moksha Vasana also must
die eventually. Then only will you become That.
24. CONTROL OF MIND

One of the most common habits of the mind is the wander
ing habit. It cannot stick to one point as it is of the nature of air.
Sri Krishna says, “O mighty armed (Arjuna)! The mind is hard
to curb and is restless, but it may be curbed by constant practice
and by dispassion.”
Destruction of desires and control of Indriyas are the es
sential steps for the control of mind. It is the desire that makes
the mind restless. The Indriyas run after objects and the mind
also follows the Indriyas just as a dog follows the master. There
fore if you want to check this wandering mind you will have to
renounce all sorts of desires and control the Indriyas first. Then
alone will you be successful in the practice of concentration,
meditation, will-culture, memory-culture and thought-culture.
25. HOW TO CONCENTRATE

The vital point in concentration is to bring the mind to the
same point, i.e., to object again and again by limiting its move
ment in a small circle in the beginning. That is the main aim. A
time will come when the mind will stick to one point alone. This
is the fruit of your constant and protracted Sadhana.
There should be one line of thought. There should be one
continuity of thought like the steady flow of oil from one vessel
to another vessel, like the continuous sound of a church bell.
FEBRUARY 37
26. BE REGULAR IN MEDITATION

You must be regular in your practice of meditation. You
must sit daily both morning and night and at the same hour. The
meditative mood or Sattvic Bhava will manifest by itself with
out exertion. You must sit in the same place, in the same room.
Regularity in meditation is a great desideratum and a sine qua
non.
Even if you do not realise any tangible result in the prac
tice, you must plod on in the practice with sincerity, earnest
ness, patience and perseverance. Your effort will be crowned
with sanguine success after some time. Do not stop this practice
even for a day, under any circumstance, even if you are ailing.
Meditation is a first class tonic. The wave of meditation will re
move all sorts of disease. It will infuse spiritual strength, give
new vigour and vitality.
27. PRAY FERVENTLY

O All-merciful Lord! Through Thy Grace, may I realise
the Truth. May I always entertain sublime thoughts. May I real
ise myself as the Light Divine. May I serve humanity with
Atmabhav. May I be free from greed, lust, egoism jealousy and
hatred. May I behold the one sweet immortal Self in all beings.
May I realise Brahman with pure understanding.
May that Light of lights ever guide me. May He cleanse
my mind of all impurities. May He inspire me. May He bestow
on me power, courage, and strength. May He remove the veil in
the mind. May He remove all obstacles in the spiritual path..
May He make my life happy and fruitful. I bow to Thee, O God
of gods, O Brahman of the Upanishads, Support for Maya and
Isvara, the Bridge to Immortality.
28. WITHOUT SELF ALL IS VOID

It is a well-known fact that any number of zeroes has no in
trinsic value unless a number is placed before them. Even so,
the wealth of all the three worlds is nothing, if you do not lead a
spiritual life, if you do not try to acquire the spiritual wealth, if
you do not strive for Self-realisation. You will have to live in the
Soul or the Self within. You will have to add Atman to the life
here.
That is the reason why Lord Jesus says: “Seek ye first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you.” Everyone of you is a power in your
self. You can influence others, radiate joy and peace to millions
upon millions of people, far and near, and elevate others, even
from a long distance.
29. WAY TO BEATITUDE

You cannot attain final beatitude by mastering a million
scriptures, by practising rigorous austerities. Brahman can be
realised when all Vasanas and Trishnas perish, when word
ceases and thought dies, when the veil of ignorance is rent asun
der, when the mind is absorbed in its Source, when the senses
are curbed in toto, when the Brahmakara Vritti rises, through
constant Nididhyasana and through the Grace of the Guru.
MARCH
1. MOULD YOUR DESTINY

You are the author of your own fate. You yourself have cre
ated your world. You yourself are entirely responsible for your
destiny. You are the architect of your joys and sorrows. Just as
the spider or the silkworm creates a web or cocoon for its own
destruction, so also you have created this cage of flesh by your
own actions, attractions, repulsions, and false egoism. You be
come the slave of the flesh, slave of your body and mind, slave
of countless desires. You are sunk in the quagmire of deepest ig
norance.
Weep not, my child! Sorrow not! A glorious brilliant future
is awaiting you! Strive to come out of this false cage of illusion
right now this very second. If your attempt is true and sincere, if
you endeavour with all your might to achieve this end, by the
ready grace of the Lord you shall drive away these dark clouds
of ignorance and shine in your true divine colours, in your na
tive, pristine glory!
2. IDENTIFY YOURSELF WITH ALL

There is no such thing as inanimate matter. There is life in
everything. Life is involved in a piece of stone. Matter is vibrant
with life. This has been conclusively proved by modem science.
Smile with the flowers of the green grass. Play with the
butterflies and the cobras. Shake hands with the shrubs, fems
and twigs. Talk to the rainbow, wind, stars, and the sun. Con
verse with the running brooks and the turbulent waves of the
sea. Keep company with your walking stick, and enjoy its sweet
company. Develop friendship with all your neighbours, dogs,
(39)
cats, cows, human beings, trees, in fact, with all the creations of
nature. Then you will have a wide, perfect, rich, full life.
3. THE THREE THINGS

Practise three things: Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya.
Remember three things: death, afflictions of the world and God.
Renounce three things: egoism, desire and attachment. Culti
vate three things: humility, fearlessness and love. Eradicate
three things: lust, anger and greed.
Friends! Here are some triads for your daily spiritual prac
tices. Three things to love: desire for liberation, company of the
wise and selfless service; three things to despise: miserliness,
cruelty and petty-mindedness; three things to admire: generos
ity, courage and nobility; three things to respect: Guru, renunci
ation and discrimination. Three things to control: tongue,
temper and tossing of mind.
4. STEPS TO GOD-REALISATION
Shake the bonds of Karma through discrimination, rules of
conduct, Tapas, Dharma and discipline of mind. Know the
secret of true bliss through concentration and meditation. Root
out passion; embrace peace; enjoy the glory of Self-bliss;
delight in the Self within.
Serve the sick; console the distressed; live in God; preach
the gospel of love; lead a life of self-sacrifice and service. Be pi
ous and pure. This will lead to the attainment of God-conscious
ness.
5. SIMPLE SADHANA
If you study one chapter of Gita and do two Maalas of Japa
daily, if you observe two fasts in a month, and spend the time in
MARCH 41
prayer, within a single year you can cover a long distance in the
path of Yoga. The spiritual Samskaras are present in the subcon
scious mind. They are indestructible. They will coalesce and
form a spiritual bridge through which you can cross to the other
shore of fearlessness and immortality in a short time.
Keep company with evolved souls, who tread the path of
Truth. Always mark carefully what is going on in the inner men
tal factory.
6. KEEP THE BODY HEALTHY

This physical body is the holy shrine of God. It is the tem
ple of the Lord. It is the fort of Isvara, Keep it strong and
healthy. Then only will you meet Him. Do not be carried away
by false understanding of Maya Vada. Take care of the body, but
have no attachment for it. Be prepared to give it up for a noble
cause. This body is an instrument for attaining Self-realisation.
You cannot meditate, if you have a weak, sickly body.
You will have to do Sandhya three times, if you are a Brah
min and a householder. Do Gayatri Japa one hundred and eight
times daily. Give Arghya to the sun. Repeat other Mantras also.
Sannyasins only can abandon Sandhya.
7. WHERE IS GOD?
Where is God? Can we find Him only in the temples,
churches, or mosques? No. Is He to be sought only in the four
Vedas or Upavedas, the six Vedangas or in the six schools of
philosophy? No. Does He dwell in the place of pilgrimage or
Tirthas alone? No. No. No. Where is He then?
He is seated in the hearts of all. He is not very far. He is
quite close to you. Subtler than the subtlest, greater than the
greatest, He is located in the cavity of your heart, in the inner
most recesses or chambers, the Hridaya Kamala. You can reach

Him by sincere Sadhana or spiritual practices.
8. POWER OF JAP A
Japa is an easy way for God-realisation. There is Mantra
Sakti and Mantra Chaitanya in every Mantra. It changes the
mental substance from passion to purity, from Rajas into Sattva.
It calms, strengthens the mind. It makes the mind Antarmukhi,
introspective. It checks the outgoing tendencies of the mind. It
eradicates all kinds of evil thoughts and inclinations. It destroys
Vasanas and reduces the force of thought. Eventually it leads to
direct Darshan of God or Istadevata. Japa purifies the mind, in
duces Vairagya, destroys Vasanas and brings you face to face
with God.
9. FEEL THE INDWELLING PRESENCE

The secular knowledge that you get from the universities is
mere husk only. It serves the purpose of earning the bread, and
no other use of it is made by the majority of persons. It cannot
give you peace of mind and salvation. It thickens the veil of ig
norance through fattening egoism.
One Mantra, one Sloka of the Upanishads will blow up the
knowledge that you derive from colleges. Study the first Mantra
of the Upanishads: “The whole world is indwelt by the Lord.
Rejoice in Atman by removing the name and form.” Do not be
covetous. Imbibe the ideas of this Mantra. Practise. Feel the in
dwelling Presence.
10. THE TWO PATHS

Yoga is communication with Lord. The goal of life is
Self-realisation. There are two ways of attaining God-con
sciousness. They are the Pravritti Marga and the Nivritti Marga.
MARCH 43
Pravntti Marga is the path of activity with detachment as the ba

sis that leads to the attainment of the Cosmic Vision in and
through the diverse experiences of normal life. Nivritti Marga is
the path of absolute renunciation or Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is
only Jnana Sadhana, i.e., a means for attaining Self-knowledge.
Three things are indispensable requisite for attaining
Self-realisation. They are Guru Bhakti or devotion towards the
spiritual preceptor; Jijnasa or seeking for liberation; and taste
for Satsanga or company of the wise. He alone, who is endowed
with these three attributes, can cross this ocean of Samsara.
11. DIETETIC HINTS

Highly seasoned dishes, hot curries and chutneys, meat,
fish, etc., are forbidden for Sadhakas. Meat can make you a sci
entist, but rarely a philosopher and a Tattva Jnani. chillies, sour
articles, tamarind, mustard, all kinds of oil, asafoetida, salt, on
ions, garlic, etc., should be avoided. Onions are worse for the
student of Yoga.
For spiritual practices, Sattvic food is absolutely neces
sary. Wheat, paddy, barley, sugar, butter, candy, milk, ghee,
green daal, Panch-sakha vegetables, cabbages, potatoes are
Sattvic articles of diet.
12. SPIRITUALISE YOUR NATURE

Remove lust by entertaining pure thoughts; anger by love,
Kshama, etc., greed by charity, honesty, disinterestedness;
Moha by Viveka, pride by humility, jealousy by magnanimity,
nobility and unconditioned, unreserved and ungrudging
self-surrender to the Lord.
Combine the love you cherish towards all worldly objects,
wife, son, wealth, property, relatives and friends, and turn this
concentrated love towards God. Repeat the formula, “I am
Thine. All is Thine. Thy will be done.” Have perfect self-sur

render. Then only can you have Darshan of God.
13. QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEVOTEE

God is the Inner Ruler of your heart and mind. He is the si
lent Witness of your thoughts. You cannot hide anything from
Him. Become guileless and straightforward.
A devotee should become an embodiment of goodness. He
must be ever ready to do good to living beings. That devotee
who is intent upon the welfare of all beings obtains the peace of
the eternal. He who rejoices in the welfare of all, gets the
Darshan of the Lord. He develops Advaitic consciousness even
tually.
14. EVILS OF LUST AND ANGER

Anger and lust are the two inner enemies that stand in the
way of developing Bhakti. From lust follow the ten vices that
are mentioned in Manusamhita: “Love of hunting, gambling,
sleeping by day, slandering, company with bad women, drink
ing, singing love-songs, dancing, delighting in vulgar music,
and aimlessly wandering.”
Anger begets eight kinds of vices. All evil qualities pro
ceed from anger. If you can eradicate anger, all bad qualities
will die of themselves. The eight vices are: “Injustice, rashness,
persecution, jealousy, taking possession of other’s property,
harsh words and cruelty.”
15. HOUSEHOLDER’S SADHANA

“May we hear with our ears or see with our eyes nothing
but what is pure, so that with our senses unperturbed, remem
bering God, meditating on Him, singing His praise, and repeat
ing His Name we may attain life as that of gods. Om Santi!”
MARCH 45
This is an easy way for attaining God-consciousness. At

night all the members of the household should sit in a circle and
do Kirtan for one hour before the picture of the Lord.
Endeavour to forget the body and the world and enter into ec
static state. At night you will be free from bad dreams. All dis
eases will be cured.
16. WHICH IS AN IDEAL HOME?

Start that pure life of a Yogi the very day on which you read
these lines: no leniency for the mind. Self-reliance is an indis
pensable requisite. You can get suggestions from outside. But
you will have to tread the path yourself, to place each step your
self in the spiritual ladder.
That house is a miserable place, veritable hell on earth
wherein the husband moves up in spirituality and the wife pulls
him down in sensual grooves and vice versa. They should be
harmoniously blended or joined by the thread of the knowledge
of the Self, each aspiring eagerly for attaining God-conscious
ness. That house is really a Vaikuntha where the husband and
wife lead an ideal divine life, singing Hari’s Name, repeating
His Mantras, studying Ramayana and Bhagavata, controlling
the Indriyas and serving Bhaktas and Sannyasins.
17. RELY ON YOUR OWN SELF

How can you please the world? There are so many
tongues, so many talks, so many opinions, so many remarks.
This world is a strange mixture of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
Tamasic people are in abundance. Their nature is to find fault al
ways and pronounce unnecessary criticism. Therefore, follow
the dictates of your own conscience and the prompting of your
soul. If you are satisfied, the whole world must be satisfied.
Even if the whole world opposes you, fear not. Never
move a fraction of an inch from your firm resolve and determi
nation. Stand up and proclaim the Truth. Even if the whole

world leaves you, fear not. The Inner Ruler stands by your side
in your heart.
18. MAINTAIN SPIRITUAL DIARY

very student should maintain a spiritual dairy. Then only
can defects by rectified and the mind controlled. The spirit of
serving the humanity must be ingrained in the heart of every as
pirant. Sattvic virtues such as mercy, generosity, tolerance, for
giveness, nobility must be developed.
Keep a daily spiritual diary. Note down in the diary when
you become angry towards others and when you hurt the feel
ings of others. This is very important. If you exhibit anger or
hurt others, impose some self-punishment on yourself. Give up
your meals at night. Do fifty more Maaias of Japa. Write in the
diary, I have forgotten God twice this day. If you proceed like
this for one or two years you will attain remarkable Shanti,
progress and will power.
19. CONQUER SIN BY RIGHT RESOLVE

Sin is a mistake committed by the ignorant Jiva during his
journey towards Sat-Chit-Ananda. Once you make up your
mind to tread the path of Truth, all sins will be destroyed.
Lord Krishna gives His word of promise: “Even if the most
sinful worships me with undivided heart, he too must be ac
counted righteous, for he hath rightly resolved. Speedily he
becometh dutiful and attaineth eternal peace. Know thou for
certain that my devotee perisheth never.” Grieve not, my dear
friend. Fear not, stand up, gird up your loins and fight with the
Indriyas and Vasanas. A glorious brilliant future is awaiting
you.
MARCH 47
20. FORGET NOT THE GOAL

Forget not the goal of life amidst selfish activities. The
goal of life is to know your own Self. Are you attempting to
reach the end and aim of life? Are you doing Japa, Pranayama
and meditation? Have you kept up the ideal before the mind’s
eye?
That day when you do not practise any spiritual Sadhana is
entirely wasted. Give the mind to God and the hands to work.
You will have to analyse and scrutinise your motives. It is the
selfish motive and not the work itself, that binds a man to
Samsara. Prepare the mind for Karma Yoga.
21. WORK IS WORSHIP

Live in the spirit of the Gita’s teachings and work without
expectation of fruits and egoism. Think you are Nimitta in the
hands of Lord Narayana.
Work never degrades the man. Unselfish work is Pooja of
Narayana. There is no menial work from the highest viewpoint,
from the view-point of the Absolute, from the viewpoint of
Karma Yoga. Even scavenging when done with the right spirit
and proper mental attitude is Yogic action. Even a scavenger
can realise God in his own station of life by service. You have
got within all materials of wisdom. There is a vast magazine of
power and knowledge within you. It wants kindling. Now, wake
up!
22. DESTROY SELFISHNESS

It is selfishness that has deplorably contracted your heart.
Selfishness is the bane of the society. It clouds understanding
and may be called petty-mindedness. Bhoga increases selfish
ness and selfish Pravritti. It is the root-cause of human suffer

ings.
Real spiritual progress starts in selfless service. Serve the
Sadhus, Sannyasins, Bhaktas, the sick and the poor persons
with Bhava, Prem and Bhakti. The Lord is seated in the hearts of
all. The spirit of service must enter into your very bones, cells,
tissues and nerves. The reward is invaluable. Practise and feel
the cosmic expansion of infinite Ananda. Tall talk and idle gos
siping will not do. Evince intense zeal and enthusiasm in work.
23. NO WORK IS MENIAL

He who has understood the right significance of Karma
Yoga will take every work as Yogic activity. There is no menial
work in his vision. Every work is Pooja of Narayana. In the light
of Karma Yoga, all actions are sacred. That aspirant who always
takes immense delight in doing works, which are considered by
the worldly men as menial services, only will become a dy
namic Yogi. He will have no downfall. The canker of pride can
not touch him.
24. BE DETACHED AND BALANCED

Just as the tongue is not affected by taking ghee, so also
you should remain unaffected even amidst worldly activities
and troubles. You must keep up the Nirlipta state. This is Jnana.
This is the balanced state (Samata).
You may fail to keep the balance and Nirlipta state for a
thousand and one times but in the long run you are bound to suc
ceed if you persist in your practice and if you discipline the
mind properly. Every failure is a pillar for future success. A
Karma Yogi should not expect even a return of love, apprecia
tion, gratitude and admiration from the people whom he is serv
ing.
MARCH 49
25. HOW TO JUDGE RIGHT OR WRONG

Have right-thinking and use your reason and common
sense. Follow the injunctions of the Sastras. Consult the code of
Manu or Yajnavalkya Smriti whenever you have doubts, You
will be able to find whether you are doing right or wrong ac
tions.
The third way of distinguishing right or wrong action is to
have fear in God. Consult your conscience. The subtle inner
voice will guide you. As soon as you hear the voice, do not de
lay even a moment. Start the action diligently without consult
ing anybody. Practise to hear the inner voice in the morning at 4
a.m. If there is fear, shame, doubting or pricking of conscience,
know that you are doing wrong action.
26. BE NOT DELUDED

You have a whole menagerie within you—the lion, the ti
ger, the serpent, the elephant, the ape, the peacock. Bring them
under your control. The beauty of the flesh is really due to the
life-giving principle, Prana. The beauty is attributable to the
light that emanates from Atman.
The nasty body with oozing discharges from nine
gutterlets is composed of five elements. It is a Jada Vastu and
unholy. Always entertain this idea. Have a clear-cut, well-de
fined, image-picture as this. You will conquer lust by such a
mental drill.
27. UNLOCK THE DOORS WITHIN

The ever-restless mind becomes quiescent when all desires
vanish. Desire raises Sankalpas (thoughts). Man performs ac
tions for acquiring the desired objects. Thus he is caught up in
the wheel of Samsara.
Just as there are doors in a bungalow between the outer and

the inner rooms, so also, there are many doors between the
lower and the higher mind. When the mind is purified by the
practice of Karma Yoga, Tapas, right conduct or the practice of
Yama, Niyama, Japa, meditation, etc., the doors between the
lower and the higher mind are opened. Discrimination between
the real and the unreal dawns. The eye of intuition is opened.
The practitioner gets inspiration, revelation and higher Divine
Knowledge.
28. MOULD YOUR NATURE

With the help of the subconscious mind you can change
your vicious nature by cultivating healthy, virtuous qualities
that are opposed to the undesirable ones. If you want to over
come fear mentally, deny that you have fear and concentrate
your attention upon the opposite quality, the ideal of courage.
When this is developed fear vanishes away by itself. The
positive always overpowers the negative. This is an infallible
law of nature. This is the Pratipaksha Bhavana of the Raja
Yogins. You can acquire a liking for distasteful tasks and duties
by cultivating a desire and taste for them. You can establish new
habits, new ideals, new ideas and new tastes.
29. TAP THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

If an idea is planted in the mind, it grows at night through
the operation of the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind
never takes rest. It works vigorously throughout the twenty-four
hours.
Those who know how to manipulate this subconscious
mind can turn out tremendous mental work. All geniuses have
control over the subconscious mind. You must understand the
ways of extracting work from the subconscious mind. Subcon
scious mind is a wonderful underground mental factory.
MARCH 51
30. HARNESS THE MIND

Many philosophers and seers are unanimously agreed that
the mind cannot usually attend to more than one thing at a time.
But through proper training you can harness the powers of mind
for doing various mental actions simultaneously and make it
shift with prodigious rapidity backward and forward from one
end to the other, carrying out your behests.
Change of thought, relaxation of mind by dwelling on
thoughts of pleasant object, cheerfulness, Sattvic food, are nec
essary for mental health.
31. YOGA IN DAILY LIFE

Ponder over the sufferings of human life. Take a little nu
tritious food. Withdraw the senses from their favourite objects
of enjoyment. Sit quietly in your room. Look within. Meditate.
You will soon attain mortality and regain your lost divinity.
You are not the slave of the senses and desires. You are the
mighty Emperor of emperors. Pain is a passing cloud. Sorrow is
a fleeting shadow. Sorrow is false. It cannot live. Bliss is true. It
cannot die. Rise above desires. Renounce selfishness and ego
ism. Awake. Arise. Become a dynamic Yogi. Enjoy the Eternal
Bliss of the Soul. Thou art immortal, all-blissful Atman. Thou
art beyond the reach of pain, grief, sorrow, decay and death.
Think carefully. Decide correctly. Act faithfully. Speak
truthfully. Live honestly. Work diligently. Talk gently. Behave
properly. You are bound to succeed in any walk of life. You will
have peace of mind. You will have a pure conscience. You will
get spiritual wealth of an inexhaustible nature.
APRIL
1. PRACTICE BEFORE THEORY

Spiritual practice, regular and systematic, sincere and te
nacious, is more necessary than theoretical spiritual knowledge.
Even a grain of practice is better than tons of theory. Regu
larly study the scriptures and other religious books. Whatever
you find applicable and benevolent, put them into actual prac
tice immediately. Develop the feeling that you must become an
ideal Karma Yogin to serve the needy and the unhappy. Main
tain a spiritual diary. It will quicken your progress.
2. RENOUNCE MENTALLY
Practise detachment. The greatest Sadhana for the house
holder is to remain in the world as a lotus leaf in the lake.
Insure yourself against the worldly ties by first becoming
firmly grounded on mental renunciation and detachment. Rig
orously train the mind to remain unshaken by worldly troubles
and afflictions. Use your discrimination. Work efficiently,
wholeheartedly, but be not affected by the results of your ac
tions, by success and failure. Keep your mind always steady.
Exert and persevere; plod on steadily; aspire zealously.
3. BEHOLD HIM IN ALL

It is necessary to practise the positive virtue of probing into
the hearts of the silent sufferers and offering aid to them inof
fensively with the fullest conviction that they are God Himself
who in His infinite mercy has given you an opportunity to pu
(52)
APRIL 53
rify your heart. With such conviction, you should dedicate the
whole of your life in the service of others.
To be conscious of the Divine, to feel always the Divine
Presence everywhere is verily to live a life of fullness and Di
vine Perfection, even while on earth.
4. CHECK YOUR TENDENCIES

It is the natural tendency of the mind to run towards
worldly objects, because the mind is directly or indirectly at
tached to some of its pleasing or favourite objects. It is because
of the negative Samskaras.
When the Sattvic Samskaras become powerful, the mind is
no more affected by the negative Samskaras. They become
powerless.
5. MANIPULATE AND POSITIVISE

Always entertain sublime, divine thoughts. Introspect
carefully the workings of the mind. Find out your defects and
mould them by cultivating their opposite Sattvic virtues.
Never allow the mind to dissipate its energy on vain wor
ries, vain imaginations and vain fears. Practise concentration.
Fix the mind on one object or idea. Withdraw the mind again
and again from external objects. Thus by manipulating the
mind, you will be able to bring it under your control.
6. WAY TO HAPPINESS
A knowledge of the ways and habits of the mind and its op
erations, the laws of the mind and the method of mental control
and discipline, is very necessary if you want to enjoy real happi
ness and peace of an unruffled and abiding nature.
You cannot expect everlasting happiness and perennial joy
in the world of the senses around. Mischievous monkey mind
plays havoc in a variety of ways and causes cares, worries and

anxieties. Money, property, women and children do not give
permanent satisfaction. This is the experience of all people.
7. UNFOLD THE DIVINITY

If you really aspire to unfold the lurking Divinity within, if
you really want to get rid of the miseries of this Samsara, you
must know the principles and the technique of thought-control.
You must know the ways of right living, right thinking,
right speaking. You should practise the five rules of Yama or
right conduct. You should know how to withdraw the mind from
external objects and fix it on one point. You must know the right
method of concentration and meditation. Then alone can you be
happy.
8. DISCRIMINATE AND BE WISE

Pleasure that is derived from sensual objects gives pain to
one who discriminates. Worldly-minded persons who have lost
the faculty of discrimination, rejoice in sensual objects on ac
count of lack of discrimination.
Such persons weep in old age. You weep when you are
bom. You weep when you die. You weep in the interval also.
Wherein then, is pleasure in the world. Learn to discriminate.
Become a Yogi, for Yoga will put an end to all sorts of pain.
Yoga will destroy all your afflictions.
9. FRUITS OF REALISATION
Place before the mind the fruits of Self-realisation or life in
the Soul or Brahman or the Eternal: such as immortality, eternal
bliss, supreme peace and infinite knowledge.
If you remember these points always, the mind will be
weaned from the cravings of sensual pleasure. Vairagya, Viveka
APRIL 55
and dispassion will dawn. You should seriously look into the
defects of the sensual life and into the unreal nature of worldly
life.
10. THE INTERNAL WARFARE

By increasing the Sattvic modifications of the mind such
as Kshama, love, mercy, magnanimity, generosity, truthfulness,
celibacy, you can destroy the Rajasic and Tamasic mental
Vrittis.
Internal fight is ever going on between the Gunas—Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas—between good Vrittis and evil Vrittis. This is
the internal warfare between Suras and Asuras. You will have to
squeeze out all Rajas from this bodily tube and fill it with
Sattva.
11. THOU ART SAT

This self-effulgent Atman which is distinct from the five
sheaths, the silent witness of the three states, which is unchang
ing, pure, eternal, indivisible, all-full, self-contained, an em
bodiment of peace, bliss and knowledge, is to be realised as
one’s own Self.
That which is of the same nature and is not affected by any
thing during the three periods of time, is Sat. Sat only was prior
to the creation of this universe. When darkness was rolling over
darkness during the Cosmic Pralaya, Sat alone was. Chit is that
which knows itself and knows others. Ananda is Pure Bliss.
12. SHARPEN THE MIND

The Self is hidden in all beings like butter in milk. It is seen
by advanced seers who are endowed with a pure, sharp and sub
tle intellect and who practise constant, deep meditation.
The mind of worldly persons is gross. It is unfit for con

centration and introspection. Sattvic mind is clam, sharp and
subtle. Rajasic mind is restless and turbulent. You will have to
sharpen the mind by the practice of daily meditation.
13. THE FOUR OBSTACLES

Laya, Vikshepa, Kashaya, and Rasasvada, are the four im
portant obstacles that stand in the way of attaining Self-realisa
tion.
Laya is sleep. The aspirant should try to fix the mind on the
Self by not allowing it to pass into the state of sleep. Vikshepa is
tossing of mind. You should withdraw the mind again and again
from objects through discrimination and enquiry. Kashaya is
building castles in the air. This is due to external attachment.
You can remove Kashaya by adopting the same methods which
you have used for eradicating Vikshepa. As soon as Vikshepa is
removed, the bliss of Savikalpa Samadhi manifests. This is
Rasasvada or enjoyment of conditioned bliss. It is an obstacle in
the attainment of Supreme Bliss.
14. WHAT IS MOKSHA

Moksha means nothing but the destruction of the impuri
ties of the mind. The mind becomes pure when all the desires
and fears are annihilated.
Moksha is freedom, independence or perfection. Desire is
an enemy of Moksha. It binds the man to the Samsaric wheel of
birth and death. It is the rootcause of human sufferings. You
must annihilate all desires and reach that incomparable seat
where all illusions of pleasure and pain vanish.
15. ATMAN IS EVER UNTAINTED

The ether in the jar is not in any way affected by the smell
of garlic merely through its connection with the jar. Even so the
APRIL 57
pure Atman is not affected through its connection with the lim
iting adjuncts, by the properties thereof.
Pleasure and pain are the two kinds of modifications of the
mind. They are mental creations. They are relative terms. That
which gives pleasure to one man gives pain to another. That
sage who identifies himself with the Imperishable Self and
stands as a spectator of the mental modifications enjoys su
preme peace and infinite bliss.
16. ELIMINATE THE FIVE SHEATHS

Discriminate between the Self and non-Self. Eliminate the
five sheaths. Just as you separate a stalk of grass from its envel
oping sheath, so also separate the Atman from the five sheaths.
Identify yourself with this self-effulgent Atman. Rest now in
your own glory and peace.
The body is superimposed upon the Self. This superimpo
sition is the root-cause for transmigration and all miseries.
17. ONE ALONE EXISTS

There is neither far nor near, neither inside nor outside,
neither gross nor subtle for the sage who rests in his own
Sat-Chit-Ananda Svaroopa or his own glory.
Know also that Jnana is that principle which is known by
the Vak (Speech) of Brahma and others. This Chaitanya, which
alone is all, manifests itself as the dual visibles.
18. WHO IS A JIVANMUKTA

The Jivanmukta is neither elated by worship nor depressed
by abuse. He is neither agitated at the thought of death nor wel
comes the prospect of a long life. He is not perturbed under any
condition. He is undistracted amidst distractions.
For the Jivanmukta, who is free from “I-ness” and

“mine-ness” and desires, where is delusion? Where is sorrow?
What to renourfce? What to gain? He is always satisfied in the
Self.
19. PLAY OF SUPERIMPOSITION

This world of names and forms is a mere appearance. It is
not independent existence apart from Brahman. Just as a snake
is superimposed on the rope, this world and body are superim
posed on Brahman.
This world is a relative plane. It is projected through the il
lusory Power (Maya-Sakti) of Brahman. It is a mere superimpo
sition. It is a mere imagination or mental creation.
20. MANTRAS FOR AHAMGRAHA UP ASANA

OM. Aham Brahma Asmi: I am Brahman. Soham: I am
He. Sivoham: I am Siva. Satchidananda Svaroopoham: I am
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.
21. YOGA ASANAS AND SPIRITUALITY

A Vedantin is afraid to do Asana and Pranayama on the
ground that the practice will intensify ‘body attachment’ and
militate against his practice of Vairagya. Though the two paths,
Hatha Yoga and Vedanta, are different, yet a Vedantin should
have a broad vision and practise Asana and Pranayama in order
to keep the body in a sound state to achieve the goal of life.
There are Vedantins in a sickly condition with very poor phy
sique and dilapidated constitution. They can hardly do any
Sadhana.
The body is closely related to the mind. In other words, a
weak, sickly body means a weak mind also. Therefore keep
APRIL 59
your body strong by the practice of Hatha Yoga and gallantly

reach the other shore of Peace and Plenty.
22. WISDOM LIGHT

Have holy aspiration. Grow in purity. Discipline the senses
and the mind. Meditate seriously. You will soon become one
with the Infinite.
To speak the truth at all costs, to speak sweetly with love,
to practise non-violence and celibacy, to behold the Lord in all
forms, is Divine Life.
Come out of this cage of flesh! Rent asunder this little veil
of ignorance. Wake up from the slumber of nescience.
Fight bravely in this battle of life. Arm yourself with the
shield of discrimination and the sword of dispassion. March for
ward courageously. Yield not to temptations.
23. THE SYMBOL OF BRAHMAN

OM is the symbol of Brahman. It is the word of power.
From OM the world is projected; in OM it exists; and in OM it
dissolves during Cosmic Pralaya. OM is the essence of the four
Vedas.
Those who do Japa of OM daily will get tremendous
power. They will have a lustre in the eyes and the face. All
sounds and languages have emanated from Omkara.
24. ATTAIN THE BHUMA

The impurities of the mind are lust, anger, greed, delusion,
pride and egoism. One should remove these impurities of the
mind by protracted and constant selfless service, Upasana, Japa,
Trataka and Pranayama.
By careful, diligent, protracted and unceasing practice of

meditation, gradually ascend the steps (Bhumikas). Do not re
lax the effort till you attain the Bhuma.
25. BE CHEERFUL
A cheerful man is a public benefactor. He gladdens the
hearts of all.
There is no friend like cheer.
The contagion of cheer has a wonderful effect. It trans
forms depression into brightness, sickness into health. A cheery
word spontaneously gives cheer to others.
Cheerfulness is a habit of mind. Gaiety is an occasional ex
citement of mundane spirit. Mirth or merriment is loud gaiety.
A cheerful man smiles; a merry man laughs; a sprightly
man dances; a gay man takes his pleasure.
26. THERE IS NO DEATH

You are verily beyond death;
You are ever alive.
Changing of form is not death.
Death is but another phase of life.
Death is cessation of bodily activity,
Organic function and physical consciousness.
Death is a transition to another aspect of life,
A change of the form of consciousness
To another plane, astral or subtle.
Ice becomes water;
Water becomes steam, vapour or invisible gas—
According to the degree ol vibration.
So is life in physical, astral and mental planes.
Birth and death are jugglery of Maya.
There is neither birth nor death in truth.
APRIL 61
Tat Tvam Asi (Thou art That).

Realise this and be free for ever.
27. DO NOT SPARE THE ROD

You must not give leniency to the mind. If yon allow the
mind to take one luxury today, it will demand two tomorrow.
Luxuries will increase daily. It will become an over-fondled
child. “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” This applies to the
mind also. It is worse than a child. You will have to punish it by
fasting for every serious mistake it does. Mahatma Gandhi did
so and became pure, strong and irresistible for the good of the
country.
Have a careful eye over your defects, and they are sure to
vanish sooner or later. Destroy the impurities one by one, little
by little and completely.
28. BE AMIABLE ALWAYS

Amiability is the quality of being amiable or of enchanting
love.
A man of amiability is of sweet disposition. He radiates so
much of mental sunshine, love and joy that he is reflected in all
appreciative hearts.
Amiability is the constant desire to please and love others.
Amiability is kindness or sweetness of disposition. It is
lovableness.
A man of amiability possesses the agreeable mood or so
cial qualities that please and make friends. He is friendly or
pleasing in disposition. He is kind-hearted, gracious, genial. He
has good nature. He is free from irritation. He possesses sweet
ness of temper, kindheartedness, excellent, lovable disposition.
Kindly smiles and courteousness pay high dividends.
29. THE OMNIPOTENT JNANI

A Jnani gets anything he likes through the power of his
Sat-sankalpa. A Jnani wills and everything comes into being. A
real Jnani has tremendous power.
In the lower form it is Iccha or desire. In the higher form it
is Will. What Yogic Samyama is to a Raja Yogi, so is
Sat-sankalpa to a Jnani. A Jnani may or may not exhibit his
Siddhis. That is a different question, but he has immense pow
ers.
30. MARKS OF A JIVANMUKTA

The chief marks of a Jivanmukta are knowledge of the
past, present and future, absolute fearlessness, absolute
desirelessness, absolute painlessness, equal vision and balance
of mind.
He has perfect contentment, unruffled peace of mind,
deep, abiding joy and bliss, possession of super-sensual spiri
tual knowledge and ability to clear any kind of doubts of aspi
rants. His heart is always full of bliss.
MAY
1. CRAVING IS YOUR ENEMY

Love of sensual objects is bondage; distaste for objects of
sense is release. Destroy the craving-seed and attain non-dual
Brahmic seat.
Know that craving is man’s foe here in Samsara. An igno
rant passionate man regards craving as a friend at the time he
thirsts for objects. He welcomes all sorts of cravings; he thinks
constantly of sensual objects. In the end he does not get any last
ing satisfaction.
2. DESIRE CANNOT BE SATISFIED

This Samsara is dreadful; there is no limit to the consum
ing power of desires or cravings. They are never satisfied. They
grow day by day, just as the flame increases by the pouring of
oil or ghee.
Viveka and Vairagya are the master-weapons to kill this
dire enemy of peace. Cravings take to their heels whenever they
hear of Viveka and Vairagya. Just as darkness cannot exist in the
presence of the sun, so also desires cannot show their faces be
fore Viveka and Vairagya.
3. THE SHIELD OF AN ASPIRANT

You should cultivate Viveka or Vairagya to a maximum
degree. If one is established in Viveka or discrimination be
tween the Real and the unreal, Vairagya or dispassion will come
by itself.
(63)
Viveka is your real intimate friend. Whenever the craving

hisses, hammer it with the rod of Viveka. Keep this short rod of
Viveka always in your pocket. You are quite safe now. The
blissful, non-dual Paramdhama is quite close to you now. Enter
it silently.
4. HOW TO BANISH SANKALPA

With the growth of Sankalpa, this world will arise. If this
Sankalpa is destroyed, this universe will disappear. Extinction
of the Sankalpas alone is Moksha.
The central basis of all Sankalpas is this false illusory “I”
(ego). With the contemplation of the infinite “I” (Self), the train
of ideas of the universe will disappear as darkness before the
sun. If the desires increase, Sankalpas also increase. If the fire
of desire is withdrawn, the fire of Sankalpas will be extin
guished.
5. CULTIVATE GOOD MANNERS

Manners are minor morals. They are the shadows of virtue.
They are a passport to regard. They are the blossom of good
sense and good feeling.
Pride, ill-nature, want of sense, arrogance, impatience are
the great sources of ill-manners.
Good manners are a part of good morals. They are a rare
gift. They easily and rapidly ripen into morals.
Be silent as to yourself. Say little or nothing about your
self.
6. THE SAGE IS EVER HAPPY

A wise man having understood that the body, senses, mind
and intellect are entirely distinct from the imperishable Brah
man roams about happily.
MAY 65
The sage who rests in the Self, eliminating all these illu
sory vehicles, is ever happy. He knows the illusory nature of
these products of Avidya. He also knows that the Atman, which
is pure and eternal, is entirely distinct from these false superim
positions, and he knows that he is none other than the Atman.
7. START YOUR PILGRIMAGE NOW

Be honest. Be sincere. Be truthful. Be alert. Be diligent. Be
vigilant. Be bold. Be of good character. Success and glory will
be yours.
Develop a correct value of life here. It is not full. It is not
perfect. There is always a sense of want.
Soak your life with remembrance of Lord. Dedicate your
all to Him. See Him in everyone.
Sing Lord’s Names. Be an instrument in His hands. You
are sure to attain eternal bliss even here in life.
O Traveller in this earth-plane! Start the pilgrimage right
today. Pray fervently. Remember the Lord constantly. You will
surely reach the eternal abode.
8. PRAY AND MEDITATE

May He, the Lord of all, pre-eminent among the Vedas and
superior to the nectar that gods partake, bless me with wisdom!
May I be adorned with knowledge of Brahman that leads to Im
mortality!
May my body become strong and vigorous! May my
tongue always utter delightful words! May I hear a lot of good
with ears! Thou art the scabbard of Brahman hidden by worldly
taints. May I never forget that which I have learnt! OM Peace!
Peace!! Peace!!!
9. WHO IS A REAL POTENTATE

The sage in whom the clinging to sensual life and thirst for
sensual enjoyments have vanished through knowledge of its
real nature is a mighty potentate of this whole world. His joy
knows no bounds. He must be adored as visible Brahman on
earth.
One should, through right enquiry, differentiate himself as
separate from the objects, with the thought that “I” does not be
long to the objects or the objets do not belong to “I”. His mind
should give up all Vasanas and should perform all actions as if
in sport. Then you will become the real potentate of this uni
verse.
10. THE PLIGHT OF JIVAS

The bull of Jiva sleeps its long sleep under the large shad
ows of Moha in the forest of Samsara, weltering in the mire of
sinful actions, goaded by the goad of Ajnana and lashed by the
whip of sensual enjoyments; while it is bound by the strong
cords of desire and is ever and anon needled by the flea-bites of
rare diseases.
A Sage’s power lies in lifting through unintermittent ef
forts this bull which is groaning under the heavy load of pains
and, being quite lacerated through ceaseless motions backward
and forward, has fallen into the deep pool of numberless births
and deaths.
11. LIVE THE LIFE DIVINE

Lead the divine life of truth, love and purity. Repeat the
Lord’s Name with every breath. Take every thing as His Will.
Surrender yourself unto His protecting hands. You will enjoy
perennial peace and bliss.
MAY 67
Devotion to Lord’s feet alone will enable you to obtain His

Grace.
Do Japa. Sing Kirtan. Do charity. Practise meditation.
Realise Atmic bliss. May God bless you.
Think correctly. Decide carefully. Work diligently.
The senses and the mind are your real enemies. Conquer
them.
Have inner spiritual life. Fight against the dark evil forces.
12. TIME IS PRECIOUS

Know the value of time. You cannot salvage a second spent
in worthless ways. Time is most precious. Utilise every second
in spiritual pursuits and service.
The moment yon turn your mind Godward, you will gain
immense strength and peace.
If you are truthful and pure in your daily life, you inherit
the Kingdom of God.
As soon as you get up from your bed in the early morning,
do Japa and meditation. Then practise Asanas and Pranayama.
13. OVERCOME SORROW

Long hast thou been bound by the noose of “I am the
body.” Feel now: “I am the Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman”, and thus
cut the noose (by this sword of wisdom) and roam about
happily.
There should not exist the idea of separateness in the heart.
The moment the conceptions of “Mine”, “I”, “you” or “I did it”
arise in one, the nail of sorrow is hammered in him. Get yourself
established in the idea of “Soham” or “I am He”. Through the
identification with the Atman, you will be able to land safely on
the other beautiful shore of fearlessness and immortality.
14. GOD IS LOVE

God is love, love is God.
Love melts into bliss.
Love sustains all beings here.
Love earns for us the Great Seat of Brahmanhood.
From love the world has come.
In love it exits.
To love it returns.
Love is the master-key to the Palace (of Self-knowledge).
Love in its dynamic aspect is service and charity.
Absolute Love is Existence-Knowledge Bliss.
15. THE FIVE SHEATHS

When all the five sheaths have been eliminated by
“Neti-Neti” doctrine, through reasoning, what remains is the
Witness, the Knowledge Absolute, the All-full, the Indivisible,
Eternal Atman.
The five sheaths are Annamaya (physical), Pranamaya (vi
tal), Manomaya (mental), Vijnanamaya (intellectual) and
Anandamaya (blissful) Koshas. These are all products of
Prakriti. They are like layers of an onion. Just as the onion
dwindles into an airy nothing when all the layers are peeled off,
so also the body idea vanishes when the sheaths are eliminated.
16. CARELESSNESS IS DANGEROUS

Just as the sedge, even if removed, covers the water of a
tank again and again, so also Avidya enshrouds even a wise man
if he is careless and if he stops his meditation.
Therefore, the aspirant should ever be very careful. Care
lessness is practical death itself. There is no greater danger for
an aspirant than carelessness about his own real nature. The
man who is careless falls from the ladder of virtue.
MAY 69
17. DO NOT BE SUSPICIOUS

Suspicion clouds the mind. It creates rupture among
friends. It loses friends. It is a defect not in the heart, but in the
brain.
Suspicion is the mark of a mean spirit and a base soul. A
noble man suspects none.
Suspicion checks business, disposes kings or head of states
to tyranny and irresolution, husbands to jealousy and hatred.
Freedom from suspicion promotes happiness in man. Sus
picion is an enemy to happiness.
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion. Attain knowledge.
Suspicion will vanish.
Suspicion is the poison of true friendship.
If suspicion enters your mind, love and confidence will go
out.
Suspicion among thoughts is like a bat among birds; They
ever fly by twilight.
18. THE TWO AIDS

The Rajas and Tamas try their level best to re-enter the
mental factory and take possession of their lost seats. They
should be driven out by Viveka, Vichara and Vairagya.
When meditation is practised, obstacles such as absence of
right enquiry, impatience, laziness, inclination for enjoyment,
absorption in sensual and impure thoughts appear. Remove
them through right enquiry and discrimination.
19. ATMAN IS UNBORN

How can there be death for the Soul, when it has no birth?
Srutis emphatically declare: “Atman is unborn, without

old age, immortal and imperishable.” It is absolutely change
less, and is the witness of six changes that take place in the body
on account of the influence of time. The Atman is attached like
water on the lotus-leaf, like the all-pervading ether. As Atman is
birthless and un-attached there is neither agency nor enjoyment
in Atman.
20. ATTAIN ATMA SWARAJ

Brahma Jnana causes release from the trammels of one’s
own mind. Such a release alone leads to the attainment of
Moksha or real Swarajya.
If the mind-thief is punished severely, one can attain Nir
vana. Self-realisation can be had within the twinkling of an eye,
if you apply yourself diligently to meditation and if you equip
yourself with the four means. Then and then alone can you have
real Swarajya, in the Soul.
21. THE SUBSTRATUM: ‘I’

I am the destroyer of the tree of Samsara. My reputation is
as high as the summit of the hill. I am, in essence, as pure as the
sun. I am the highest treasure. I am All-wise, Immortal and In
destructible.
I am the Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman. I am Nirakara, Para
Brahman. I am Advaita Para Brahman. I am Akhanda
Paripooma Brahman. I am Nitya Suddha, Siddha, Buddha and
Mukta Brahman.
Meditate thus, and realise your real nature.
22. REFLECT AND PRACTISE
Purity is the keynote of the Divine Life. He who gets mas
tery over the mind and the senses is invincible. He cannot be
overcome by anyone.
MAY 71
Love, kindness, compassion, charitable acts soften and

change the heart.
Rudeness, cruelty, revenge, harden the heart.
A worldling cannot understand a saintly man as he has an
impure mind, as he is veiled by passion and selfishness.
A thirsty aspirant has entered into a new birth. He has a
new heart and a new mind. He has an awakened vision.
It is Brahmamuhurta now! Rejoice! Climb up to the peak
of eternal bliss now. Do not delay even a second.
23. YOU ARE NEVER HELPLESS

The spiritual aspirant is never helpless. The entire exis
tence is supporting him in his arduous struggle, for he is search
ing for something which is true to all. One may dislike a certain
thing of the world, but Truth can be hated by none!
If all the fourteen worlds were to face him in battle, the
spiritual aspirant would count them for a straw! For he is the Im
mortal Spirit, the ruler of the heaven and earth, and the universe
at large!
The road to excellent Bliss is clothed with piercing thorns.
The road passes through a lonely, dense forest haunted by ter
rific beasts. It is protected by impregnable fortresses, and
guarded by multihooded, diabolic cobras. The road is hard to
tread; the bliss is difficult to attain.
The sincere spiritual aspirant is one who has become im
mune from all afflictions and terrors. No weapon that is cast
against him shall prosper. No thought directed against him shall
ever fare well.
24. THOUGHT DECIDES THE FUTURE

Just as you think, so you become. Think “I am body”: you
will become the body. Think “I am Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman.”
Brahman you will become.
Thought alone shapes and moulds a man. Every man has

his own thought-world. Imagination works wonders. Your pres
ent is the result of your past thoughts and your future will be ac
cording to your present thoughts. Speech and action simply
follow thought.
25. AN WITNESS ART THOU

Virtue and vice, pleasure and pain are of the mind, not
thine. Neither the doer nor the enjoyer art thou. Indeed thou art
ever free.
In the Gita you will find, “All actions are wrought by the
qualities of nature only. The self-deluded, through the power of
egoism, thinketh ‘I am the doer’. But he who knoweth the es
sence of the divisions of the qualities and functions, holding
that the qualities move amidst the qualities, is not attached.”
26. THIS IS YOUR DUTY

If anyone proves to be faithless to you, be faithful to him. If
anyone injures you, forgive him and forget the injury done by
him. Serve him with all your heart. You will gain immense spiri
tual strength and peace. The pride of youth might ridicule your
action, but it will soon be a dream of the past. Forgiveness will
embolden you. The divinity will shine on its pristine purity,
splendour and glory.
Study the nature of the mind. Analyse the mind carefully.
Get rid of the three defects of the mind, namely, impurity, toss
ing and veil that hides right understanding. Purify and steady
the mind. Fix it on the goal. Rise above the deceptions and
temptations of the mind. Change the angle of your mind from
unreal to Real. Change the vision from illusion to disillusion. It
is your duty.
MAY 73
28. WHAT IS VAIRAGYA

Vairagya is the opposite of Raga. It is dispassion or non-at-
tachment. It is indifference to sensual enjoyments herein and
hereafter. Vairagya thins out the fatty, sensual mind. It turns the
mind inward.
Vairagya bom of Viveka is lasting and steady. If any one
seriously thinks on the various kinds of pains of the Samsara
such as birth, death, worries, sufferings, diseases, loss, hostility,
disappointment, fear, Vairagya will dawn immediately.
28. NO PLEASURE IN OBJECTS

When there is a desire in the mind,
The mind is filled with Rajas.
It is in an agitated condition.
It is restless and unpeaceful.
It will be restless till the desired object is attained.
When the object is attained and enjoyed,
The mind becomes thoughtless.
The functions of the mind cease temporarily.
It is filled with Sattva.
The mind moves towards Atman.
It becomes introvert.
The bliss of Atman is reflected in the mind.
Really there is no pleasure in the objects.
It is only bliss of the Soul inside.
Ignorant people attribute the pleasure to the objects.
This is a serious mistake.
29. WEEP NO MORE

A life of perfect peace and absolute tranquility cannot be
found in the world of senses around us. If you want to rise above
the cares and troubles of ordinary life, aspire for a life in the At
man.
In the Avadhoota Gita you will find: “Birth and death,
bondage and freedom, Dharma and Adharma, names and forms,
are not in thee. Why then do you weep, O child? Thou art imper
ishable, infinite, pure consciousness.”
30. ANASAKTI YOGA

Do not hope for anything. Control the mind and the senses.
Give up greed and desire. You do not commit any sin although
you perform actions. This is Anasakti Yoga.
Free yourself from the pairs of opposites. Be balanced in
success and failure. Destroy envy. Though you perform actions
you are not bound. This is Anasakti Yoga.
Destroy attachment. Be harmonious. Fix the mind on the
Innermost Atman. Now all your actions will melt away. You
will not be bound. You will attain salvation.
This is Anasakti Yoga. O Mokshapriya! Practise this Yoga,
purify your heart and attain the goal of life.
31. BEHOLD THE COSMIC PRESENCE

All creatures have come out of God. They go back to Him
alone during dissolution. The whole world is the body of the
Lord. How can you hurt or dislike another man or any creature
on the surface of the earth when you have taken God as the ob
ject of adoration and love? How can you be selfish? Can you eat
all mangoes of your garden yourself alone?
When you do not consider another’s pain your own, you
have no compassion or mercy. You have no complacency
(Mudita). Therefore you do not rejoice at another’s virtue. You
have no contentment. There is burning desire in your heart. You
do not consider another’s happiness as your own. Therefore,
MAY 75
you are uneasy. You have no indifference to the vicious actions

of the wicked people. Therefore you are troubled. There is noth
ing but your own self in this universe. All bodies are yours. All
hands are yours. This whole world is your body. All names and
forms are yours. Do not separate yourself from the world. Unite.
Expand. Mix. Feel oneness and unity. You will enjoy boundless
joy and illimitable bliss.
JUNE
1. GITA SHOWS THE WAY

Gita lays down that the purpose of man’s life here is to at
tain Self-realisation. The Lord does not cut asunder Sannyasa
and life-in-the-world, as some scriptures that prevailed before
the Gita had done. Observe the conditions of the Vamas and the
Ashramas today; and you will readily admit the Omniscience of
the Lord and His foreknowledge of the chaos that would en
velop humanity. The Lord, therefore, enjoined Karma Yoga
upon all. “Fill your mind with thoughts of Me; be devoted to
Me; do My will; surrender yourself unto Me; you will soon
reach Me”: that was in short the burden of His Song. The Karma
Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita is truly the Yoga of Synthesis. This
Yoga is the most suitable one for the Kali age. It helps the inte
gral development of the human personality. It leaves no loop
holes for Mayaic forces to enter as it fills every part of man with
godliness.
2. SELFISHNESS VEILS UNDERSTANDING

Selfishness clouds understanding. Even if a man has a
tinge of selfishness, he cannot find out what is right and wrong.
Avery pure, subtle sharp intellect is needed for this purpose, be
sides destroying selfishness.
You should possess a well-purified heart. You must have a
balanced mind. You must be indifferent to heat and cold, plea
sure and pain, praise and censure, success and failure. You must
be well-trained in selfless service for several years. Then you
can get over selfishness and acquire real understanding.
(76)
JUNE 77
3. BEHOLD GOOD IN ALL

Evil is mere appearance. It is not a reality. It is an illusion.
Evil exists to glorify good. Good and evil are not two independ
ent things or entities. They are the two sides of the coin.
An evil man is a saint of the future. Transmute evil into
good through Vichara or reflection. Out of evil often cometh
good. There is neither absolute good nor absolute evil in this
phenomenal world. Good and evil are relative terms.
Behold good alone in everything. Develop again and again
the good-finding faculty. Destroy the evil-finding quality to its
very root.
4. VALUE OF PROMISE
Never break your promise. Stick to it even if it costs your
life. It is better to give up your life in order to secure due perfor
mance of sacred and solemn promise.
“Be slow to make promise, but quick to perform it.” This is
an old adage. Say, “I shall try but I do not promise you.” Do not
entangle yourself by making promises thoughtlessly. He who
keeps his promise is respected by the people. He who practises
truth must stick to his promises. It is a great virtue.
5. YOUR INNER GUIDE

Conscience is the light of the soul that is burning within the
chambers of your heart. It is a form of truth. It is a guiding voice
from within.
Virtuous acts, charity, benevolence, nobility, generosity,
acts of mercy, practice of truthfulness, Brahmacharya and
Ahimsa sharpen the conscience. On the other hand, falsehood,
cruel and immoral life, crookedness, deceitfulness kill the con
science. A man of guilty conscience is ever restless and un
happy in this world and in the next world also. A man of pure
conscience is a veritable god on earth.
6. THE GLORIOUS PATH TO BLISS

He who is virtuous, who is kind on all occasions, who is
filled with compassion, obtains the greatest contentment and as
cends the superior path of virtue.
The wise men who with sanctity lead a virtuous life obtain
eternal bliss and immortality. Those who are charitable, secure
prosperity in this world and abode of happiness in the next.
Harmlessness, forgiveness, peacefulness, agreeable speech,
control of passions and excitements constitute the superior path
of the honest and the wise.
7. THE MARKS OF A VIRTUOUS MAN

Who is good and virtuous? One who is devoted to the
well-being of all, who can give his all and sacrifice his very life
for others, who is endowed with great courage, who follows all
the duties laid down by scriptures, who is ever ready to work for
the well-being of others.
Such a promoter of virtue cannot be seduced from the path
of virtue. He is free from lust or anger, unattached to any
worldly object. Gain or loss, happiness and misery, the agree
able and the disagreeable, life and death are held in equal esti
mation by that man of firm mind engaged in acquiring divine
knowledge.
8. THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

Miserliness is a great curse. It is an enemy of oneness and a
friend of selfishness. Miserly persons are quite unfit for the
spiritual path. Generous-hearted persons are very rare. Many
JUNE 79
have achieved power, popularity, peace and happiness only

through a generous heart.
Miserly persons can never dream to have all these and suc
cess in life. Their very company is very dangerous for spiritu
ally-minded persons. They poison the whole atmosphere on
account of their corrupted and contracted hearts.
9. MOHA-THE STEEL CHAIN

Some men retire from service and live on the banks of the
Ganga, Narmada and the Yamuna. They do a little Japa and
meditation and study Yoga Vasishtha and Upanishads and
imagine that they are Jivanmuktas.
They entertain intense Moha for their children and remit
their pension to their sons and grandchildren. They will not
spend even a pie in charity. They are hopeless, self-deluded
souls! “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
10. REALISE GOD THROUGH CHARITY

Give to the poor, the sick, the helpless and the forlorn.
Give to the orphans, the decrepit, the blind and the helpless wid
ows. Give to Sadhus, Sannyasins, religious and social institu
tions.
Charity should be bestowed with humility and joy. You
should feel that you are highly honoured in getting an opportu
nity to be of service to another. You must feel that you are the re
ceiver. Thank the man who gives you an opportunity to serve
him by doing charity. Give with right mental attitude, and real
ise God through charitable acts.
11. EAT A LITTLE

Eat to live and not live to eat. Let your attention be turned
not to storing of food and enjoying the luxuries of life. If you are
whole-timed spiritual student who has given up all work and

taken to pure Japa and meditation, you can live on one meal a
day.
You will be free from diseases and your mind will be calm
and serene. When you sit for meditation in Brahmamuhurta,
you will merge in Brahman.
12. THE BENEDICTION

His mental Bhava helps a man to purify his heart very
quickly. All acts done with divine Bhava become divine activi
ties. This is real Yoga.
Glory to India, the land of charity! May she continue her
divine activities for ever! May the inhabitants of this glorious
Aryavarta live up to the ideals of their forefathers, the Rishis of
yore! May Ananda ever flourish! May rains come at the proper
time! May the earth yield plenty! May peace, prosperity and joy
be to all beings.
13. BE SWEET
A really sweet man is divine. He does not expect anything
from others. His very nature is sweet. He brings joy to others by
his innate sweetness.
Sweetness is bom of Sattva. It is the sweet aroma of a per
fected soul, Siddha Purusha, adept through long and intense
Tapas, discipline, Yoga practice, communion through mind
melting in silence. Sweetness must be an essential attribute of a
spiritual propagandist and public worker. The Rajasic ego
should melt in the crucible of Yoga fire. Rajas must be churned
out. Then the butter of sweetness will float on the surface of the
Sattvic mind.
JUNE 81
14. WIN EVERYONE’S HEART

The one quality which will bring for one respect, fame, and
the confidence of worthy men is the sweetness of speech. This is
one thing by practising which a person is esteemed by all and
becomes famous. This is the one thing which yields happiness
to all. One may always secure love of all creatures by practising
sweetness of speech.
Sweetness of speech secures one’s object, while at the
same time it never pains any heart. Sweet speech pleases more
than does the gift of an object.
15. HONESTY—THE UNIVERSAL VIRTUE

Honesty is not a virtue meant only for a particular section
of mankind, as loyalty is to the subordinate, chastity is to mar
ried women, and filial piety and obedience is to children and
students.
It is a sacred duty and moral obligation in the interest of so
cial solidarity. A honest man is dear to Lord. He showers His
Grace and blessings upon such a one. Honesty never goes unre
warded in the long run. The honest man comes to be honoured
by all.
16. BE MODERATE IN EVERYTHING

You should be moderate in eating, drinking, sleeping,
reading, laughing, copulation, talking, exercise, etc.
Lord Krishna says, “Verily Yoga is not for him who eats
too much, nor who abstains to excess, nor who is too much ad
dicted to sleep, nor even to wakefulness. Yoga kills all pains in
him who is regulated in eating, and amusement, regulated in
performing actions, regulated in sleeping and waking.” He who
is moderate in everything is a perfect Yogi.
17. A MARVELLOUS LUBRICATOR

Tolerance is needed in all spheres of life, social, economic,
political and religious. Fights, quarrels, ruptures, fractions in
society and domestic circles and war are all due to lack of toler
ance. All social, religious and political institutions are held to
gether by the cohesive force of tolerance.
Tolerance is a marvellous lubricating oil which helps the
smooth revolutions of the wheels of life.
18. THE INVULNERABLE FORTRESS

The birth of a man is due to his mixed Karmas, mixture of
good and evil. Every man will have to meet dangers, calamities
at some period of his life. He who is endowed with fortitude will
bear them calmly with great presence of mind and with a smil
ing face.
Fortitude is a sweet mysterious spiritual mixture of cour
age, calmness, patience, presence of mind and endurance. It is a
virtue bom of Sattva. It gives great strength of mind to
Sadhakas, who tread the path of Pravritti.
19. THE BASIS OF DIVINE LIFE

Self-control is an indispensable requisite for the living of a
truly ethical life. Without self-restraint, the practice of ethics is
quite impossible. You have sublime sentiments and noble inten
tions, but when you have no self-control, you will be a slave to
baser passions.
Self-control leads to the highest merit. It is the eternal duty
of man. Self-control surpasses in merit charity, sacrifice, and
study of the Vedas. The man of self-control acquires great re
ward in the next world and gets esteem in this world.
JUNE 83
20. THE KNOWER OF SELF

That man who never rejoices at large accessions and never
feels sorrow when overtaken by misfortune is said to be en
dowed with wisdom and contentment.
Overcoming lust and anger, practising the vow of
Brahmacharya and becoming a complete master of his senses,
the Brahmana practising patiently the austere penances and ob
serving the most rigid restraint, should live in the world calmly
waiting for his time like one seeming to have a body though
fully knowing that he is not subject of destruction.
21. CONTROL ANGER

Control of anger, is indispensable in the practice of ethics.
Anger is your dire enemy; it is the enemy of peace, wisdom and
devotion. It is bom of Rajo Guna. All actions proceed from an
ger. It is one of the three gates of hell. It is the slayer of all Tapas.
Therefore control anger through patience and forgiveness. In
dulge not thyself in the passion of anger.
Bear slight provocations with patience; forgive the faults
of others. Forget not your own defects and weaknesses. Forget
the wrong done to you by others. This is the way to control
anger.
22. THE GATEWAY TO VIRTUE

Good and bad are both in man. Human being is a mixture
of both. All creatures contain forces of virtue and evil. It is the
restraint of evil and the active exercise of good that raises man
above other creatures.
Anger is the outlet or channel through which emerge
harshness, cruelty, pain and harm; vengeance, violence, war
and destruction. When anger is overcome your understanding
becomes clear and discrimination is active. You are enabled to
choose between right and wrong. You proceed without confu

sion upon the straight, narrow path of moral rectitude.
23. COVETOUSNESS—THE GATE TO HELL

Covetousness causes anxiety, desire to speak ill of others,
strong lustful desire, gluttony, liability to premature death,
strong desire for falsehood, irrepressible desire for indulging
into passions, insatiable desire for indulging the ear, evil speak
ing, boastfulness, arrogance, neglect of duties, rashness and
perpetration of every kind of evil action.
Satsanga, discrimination, dispassion, the practice of the
opposite virtues such as nobility, generosity, charity, integrity,
honesty, disinterestedness, Japa, Kirtan, meditation, enquiry
will eradicate covetousness.
24. THIS IS IGNORANCE

Attachment, hate, loss of judgement, joy, sorrow, vanity,
lust, anger, pride, procrastination, idleness, desire, aversion,
jealousy, envy, and all other sinful habits constitute ignorance.
Ignorance and covetousness are the same. Both produce
the same result or fruits of the same faults. Ignorance originates
from covetousness. The time when ignorance occurs is when
the objects of covetousness are not attained. From ignorance
proceed covetousness. Hence abandon ruthlessly covetousness
by a strong determination.
25. DRINKING—THE BED OF VICES

Drinking ranks as the first of soul-killing .habits. It com
pletely destroys the moral faculties of man, kills all lofty ambi
tions and aspirations and the higher nobler instincts of man.
Man’s nature becomes coarse and he sinks to a low level of
extreme degradation. So widespread has this practice become
JUNE 85
that it is regarded as a social accomplishment and a fashionable

desideratum. Where drinking is present, there vices are ram
pant. It is a dangerous enemy of the ethical life of mankind. It is
one’s responsibility to strive vigorously and banish this evil.
26. GAMBLING—THE WEAPON OF MAYA

Beware of gambling. Pushkara challenged Nala for dice
game and lost everything. Yudhishtira also gambled and lost his
wife. Gambling is a weapon of Maya. The gambler thinks al
ways that he will win in the next play but he goes on losing.
Gambling spoils entirely the character of man, making him
irreligious and unrighteous. It makes him excited and to lose
sound judgement and sense of decorum. It makes him an athe
ist. It brings him in the company of evil-minded persons and
dregs of the society. Drinking, adultery, meat-eating are the
constant companions of gambling.
27. ENTER THIS IMPREGNABLE FORTRESS

Do not waste your precious time in playing cards, in writ
ing solution for crossword puzzles, gambling and race-courses.
Money earned through cross-word puzzles will not stick to you
even for a day. Life is meant for higher spiritual progress.
Wake up, O ignorant man! Struggle hard and obtain the su
preme, inexhaustible spiritual wealth and be happy for ever.
Live in the company of the wise and lead the divine life.
Satsanga is an impregnable fortress where there is no scope for
the entry of Maya and her companions.
28. BECOME THE KING OF KINGS

Be equal in pleasure and pain, in life and death, in praise
and censure, in honour and dishonour, in gain and loss. Thus en
ter into the Infinite or the Supreme Silence.
Renounce all desires through detachment and discrimina

tion. Renounce the objects of the world. Renunciation of desires
will follow. Thereafter live happily wherever thou pleasest.
A distaste for the objects of senses is freedom and attach
ment to the objects is bondage. This is wisdom.
Blessed is he who is established in his own Satchidananda
Svaroopa. He is an Atmasamrat, (Self-King). The whole world
will pay homage to this Sage.
The mind in a Jivanmukta ceases to function. He is free
from delusion and inertia. He experiences indescribable state of
wisdom, and immortal Bliss.
O Mokshapriya! Attain wisdom of the Self and become a
Jivanmukta now and here. Be sincere in your endeavour.
29. WAKE UP THIS MOMENT

Even men who have got their wives lead a life of dissipa
tion. What a great shame! They have taken a pledge before the
sacred fire (God Agni) that they would be true to their wives and
yet they lead a life of immorality.
These deluded souls of little understanding deserve capital
punishment. The Divine Law of cause and effect is inexorable
and unrelenting. It will not spare them at all. O ignorant man!
Have you realised now at least your folly? Will you promise me
that you will lead a good virtuous life from this moment at least?
30. A WORD TO YOUTH

O College boys, who waste your father’s money in towns,
in restaurants, hotels and cinemas! Beware, do not become vic
tims of gonorrhoea and syphillis. Your whole life will be
spoiled.
Learn the ways of self-control from Sadhus and
Sannyasins. Be regular in Japa and Kirtan, meditation and the
JUNE 87
study of old scriptures. You are the future citizens of the world.
Learn to soothe the itching of nerve through sublime thinking
and divine contemplation.
JULY
1. ARE YOU SAFE FROM INNER FOES?

Vices are the destroyers of ethical life being the poisonous
weeds that rapidly grow and choke up the fragrant flowers of
virtue that blossom in the fair garden of ethical life. Unless
vices are eradicated through resolute effort and self-purifica
tion, your moral well-being is not safe.
Anger, lust, sorrow, loss of judgement, jealousy, malice,
pride, envy, slander and fear are very powerful enemies of man.
They approach man and tempt him from all sides.
2. HOW TO CONVERT YOUR PARTNER

Sometimes the house becomes a hell when there is no reli
gious unity between the husband and wife. If the husband is re
ligious, the irreligious wife does not allow him to study
religious books, to sit in meditation, to visit holy places of pil
grimage, to practise Brahmacharya, and to have Satsanga with
great souls.
How can man live happily with such ignorant and irreli
gious woman? If your wife stands in your way of doing spiritual
practice, mildly suggest to her that you will take to Sannyasa.
Then she will come to her senses.
3. THE CORE OF SPIRITUALITY

The workings of Maya are so very extremely subtle, so
very difficult to overcome, and human nature is so Asuric and
unregenerate that real spiritual development and progress in
Sadhana are indeed very hard to obtain.
(88)
JULY 89
To achieve success in any measure in the spiritual life is

the most difficult and uphill task that truly it is Divine Grace
alone that can raise the aspirant from darkness to light. The
eradication of egoism in all its numerous aggressive forms com
prises the very core of spirituality.
4. MOST IMPORTANT SADHANA

Right from the very beginning of your spiritual life, you
must understand clearly that in true humility, sincere desire to
root out gradually pride, egoism, and jealousy, earnest unceas
ing introspection to find out one’s own defects and improve
oneself lies your hope of progress.
Without this basis, all sorts of Sadhanas become a delusion
and a waste. It makes the aspirant puffed up, more proud and
egoistic. When this happens all good advice and instructions
fall flat upon him.
5. DESTROY THE DIABOLICAL NATURE

Spirituality means growing into the form of Divine Ideal.
It is the transformation of your nature from the human to the Di
vine. You can hope to achieve perfection only when you effect
this transformation.
It is purification and change of heart alone that makes
Dharma and Dhyana possible. To grow in Sattva, you must en
tirely destroy the Asuric side of your nature. Never imagine for
a moment that you are anywhere near to the Goal unless and un
til you strive with earnestness and diligence to rid yourself of
evil tendencies, get established in pure Sattvic ethical character.
6. THE DUTIES OF A HOUSEHOLDER

It is difficult to live the life of a householder. The house
holder’s life is prescribed to one who cannot control his passion.
One without passions should revert to the path of Nivritti.
The householder should not plunge himself exclusively in

the welfare of his family. He has to perform many sacred duties
and to practise self-control. He should not become a slave of
worldly enjoyments at any time. He should perform Rishi
Yajna, Deva Yajna, Bhuta Yajna, Pitru Yajna and Manushya
Yajna.
7. ADHERE TO DHARMA
A householder should not earn money by acts which
enthral the senses of man, nor by means forbidden by the Vedas.
In the event of his possessing money, or in want, one must not
endeavour to earn money from any source without discrimina
tion.
Let him not wilfully addict himself to any object of
sense-gratification; in case of extreme attachment, he must
counteract it by means of his will force.
8. SHARE WITH ALL

A householder shall give food to Brahmacharins who do
not cook their meals, and after keeping enough food for his rela
tions and dependents, he shall distribute the residue to birds and
beasts.
He should properly shave his hair, wear clean clothes and
keep himself neat and tidy. Even extremely heated, he must not
visit his wife during the three forbidden days of her periods, nor
share the same bed with her. Intellect, vigour, strength, eyesight
and vitality of a man who goes unto a woman in her menses are
impaired.
9. THE MORNING DUTIES
Early in the morning a good householder should get up
with a holy thought, chanting the Names of Lord Hari and sing
ing of His glories through various hymns and prayers.
JULY 91
He should then evacuate his bowels and wash his legs,

hands and face. He should look at the sun and read the daily Al
manac. He should then take bath in a river or a tank and perform
his morning Sandhyavandana and Arghya. He should do one
thousand and eight Gayatri Mantra Japa.
10. SEE GOOD IN ALL

A householder must speak truth that is pleasant; he must
not speak an unpleasant truth nor a pleasant lie. This is the eter
nal virtue.
Even in cases of ungentle dealings, he must always say
“that’s good, that’s good, good” to all. He must not engage in fu
tile quarrel, nor create a barren enmity with any person. Persons
possessing limbs in less or excess; old men, illiterate persons,
those devoid of personal beauty and worldly possession and
men of low birth, he must not taunt for their unfortunate defor
mities or privations
11. BE PURE
Always bear in mind that the primary condition of success
in the spiritual path is an earnest longing for purity. So, be sin
cere and very earnest in your Sadhana and strive for purification
and sound ethical culture.
Sing the glories and most powerful Names of the Lord. It
will fill you with supreme peace and devotion will dwell in your
purified heart. Evil thoughts are as sinful as evil deeds. The path
of virtue lies straight before you. Be sufficiently watchful and
exert with faith.
12. BHAGAVATA DHARMA

What is Bhagavata Dharma? That which takes you to the
Lord, that which enables you to kill your Vasanas, egoism, likes
and dislikes is real Dharma. That which frees you from the
round of births and deaths, that which makes you fearless,
desireless and “I-less” is Bhagavata Dharma. That which fills
your heart with devotion to Lord Krishna, that which enables
you to behold the one Supreme Tattva, Lord Krishna, every
where is Bhagavata Dharma. Hold fast to this. Strive cease
lessly to do good to others.
13. THOUGHT-CULTURE
Your character and your future are built by your thoughts
and deeds. As you think, so shall you become. If you think no
bly, you will be bom with a noble character. This is the immuta
ble law of Nature.
Character is power as it is made by Karma and moulds
your will. It is the real protection and ornament of a woman.
Change your mode of thought and mental attitude from this
very minute. Develop right thinking and pure Sattvic desire.
Thought transformed will transform your life.
14. POSSESS MORAL COURAGE

Courage is that quality of mind which enables one to en
counter danger and difficulties with firmness or without fear or
fainting of heart.
Valour, intrepidity, boldness are synonymous terms. It is a
positive attribute of the mind. This quality is very necessary for
material and spiritual progress. A coward dies many times be
fore he actually leaves this physical body. Honesty and justice
are linked with courage. There are people who have exhibited
physical courage during combat but have no moral character. It
comes from within.
JULY 93
15. LOVE—THE SUPREME POWER

Ahimsa is supreme love. It is your soul-force. Hate melts
in the presence of love. The practice of Ahimsa will make you
fearless.
He who practises Ahimsa with real faith can move the
whole world, can tame wild animals, can win the hearts of all,
can subdue his enemies. He can do and undo things. The power
of Ahimsa is ineffable. Its glory is indescribable and its great
ness inscrutable. The force of Ahimsa is infinitely more won
derful and subtle than electricity or magnetism.
16. MAN—THE TRIUNE

Man is a mixture of three ingredients, viz., human element,
brutal instinct and divine ray. He is endowed with finite intel
lect, perishable body, a little knowledge and a little power.
This makes him distinctly human. Lust, anger, hatred be
long to his brutal nature. The reflection of cosmic intelligence is
at the back of his intellect. So he is an image of God. When the
brutal instinct dies, when his ignorance is rent asunder, when he
is able to bear insult and injury, he becomes one with the divine.
17. CONQUEST OF SELF

The conquest of the lower self is the conquest of the world.
All animals possess one vicious quality or the other; but man is
a complex animal. He possesses countless evil traits.
Admit your faults freely. When you are free from all these
evil traits, Samadhi will come by itself. Under pressure of Yoga
and meditation various sorts of dirts in the mind come out as dirt
of a room that is shut up for six months. Aspirants should intro
spect and watch their minds.
18. ERADICATE JEALOUSY

To be jealous is mean, to be selfish is ignoble, to be com
passionate is divine; to be patient and enduring is manly; to be
contented and happy is wise; to be serene is glorious, to be dis
passionate is praiseworthy and to be equanimous is laudable.
Therefore eradicate jealousy and selfishness and cultivate
divine virtues. Pride, arrogance, irritability are all obstacles in
progress. Remove them and you will soon attain Godhead.
19. BEAR INSULT

If the aspirant is capable of being offended easily for tri
fling things, he cannot make any progress in meditation. He
should cultivate amiable loving nature and adaptability. Then
this bad trait will vanish.
Some aspirants get easily offended if their bad qualities
and their defects are pointed out. They become indignant and
begin to fight with the man who shows the defects. They think
that the man is concocting their defects out of jealousy or ha
tred.
20. KILL LUST

Make the mind understand by repeated hammering and
Vichar that all sexual pleasures are false, utterly worthless and
extremely harmful.
Clearly think over how very illusory and full of pain it is.
On no account should you listen to the promptings of impure
mind. Place before the mind the glory and advantage of a life in
the eternal and all-blissful Omniscient Atman. Lust deals a
deadly blow to spiritual Sadhana. Kill this lust by diverse meth
ods. Do not entertain thoughts of women.
JULY 95
21. CULTIVATE SERENITY

Be serene and tranquil under all circumstances. Cultivate
this virtue Sama again and again through constant endeavour.
Serenity is like a rock. Waves of irritation may dash on it,
but cannot affect it. Meditate daily on the ever-tranquil Atman.
The divine light will descend on a calm mind only. An aspirant
with a calm mind only can enter into deep meditation and
Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The upward path to good is very difficult,
thorny and precipitous.
22. DO NOT VILIFY

When your friendship with some other person terminates
by some slight rupture, quarrel or misunderstanding you should
never, never advertise and circulate the evil qualities or wrong
doings of your friend whom you have loved for a long time. If
you do this, this will bring harm to yourself and to your friend.
Drop the matter at once. Forget all about the unhappy inci
dent. Always speak well of every body. Speak well even of that
man who has done serious injury to you. You will help that man.
This is nobility. This is the nature of a Mahatma. Even if you are
a worldly man, now you must become a Mahatma in this very
life.
23. SELFISHNESS—THE GREAT CURSE

Selfishness is the source of all vices. It is bom of igno
rance. A selfish man is greedy and unrighteous. He is far from
God. He will do anything to attain his ends. He injures others,
robs their properties and does many sinful actions to satisfy his
selfishness.
Peace of mind is unknown to him as he is always planning
and scheming for acquisition of wealth, power, name and fame.
He always separates himself from others. Attachment and sense
of separateness are present in him to a maximum degree. Self

ishness is a great impediment to Yoga.
24. BROADEN YOUR OUTLOOK

If you are attached to your wife and children, you cannot
develop universal love. You cannot look upon all mankind as
kith and kin. You cannot cultivate universal brotherhood.
You cannot extend the same love which yon have for your
children to other children. You cannot consider other children
as your own children. You will have a constricted or narrow
heart. Your love will be confined to a few persons only. Through
selfishness, you have created a boundary wall round the mem
bers of your family only.
25. ANTIDOTE TO JEALOUSY

The stink of jealousy or selfishness is more abominable
than the stink of a gutter or a suppurating boil or abscess. Aboil
with foul pus can be rendered sweet and clean in a short time by
using a potent antiseptic or a powerful disinfectant, but it is very
difficult to remove the stink of jealousy in the mind.
Constant Japa, ceaseless meditation and untiring selfless
service are necessary to remove this loathsome stink of jealousy
in the mind.
26. BE NOT PETTY-MINDED

A white man dislikes a black man and vice versa. There is
inherent tendency in man to praise his own native place, his
own country, his own family, his own clan or sect. This is
petty-mindedness bom of ignorance.
When the heart of man expands through spiritual culture,
when he gets knowledge of the Self, these Vasanas will perish.
Mark! How man is in a degraded and deplorable state on ac
JULY 97
count of the influence of Vasanas. He clings to them like a leech

and thinks he is always in the right path on account of delusion
created by Vasanas.
27. ADAPT AND ADJUST

Man finds it difficult to adjust to the ways and habits of
others. His mind is filled with the prejudice of caste, creed and
colour. He is quite intolerant. He thinks that his views, opinions
and ways of living only are right and the views of others are in
correct.
The fault-finding nature is ingrained in him. He jumps at
once to find the faults of others. He has morbid eyes and cannot
see the good of others. He can brag of his own abilities and ac
tions.
28. DISCIPLINE OF SPEECH

Be clean-hearted, sweet-tongued, true tongued and courte
ous. Do not destroy your soul by anger and revenge. Live in har
mony with others.
Observe Mauna at least once a month. Discipline the
tongue properly. Think twice before you speak, before you let
fall a word. Know the power of each word that you utter and the
effect it will produce on the minds of others. Do not allow the
tongue to run riot. Speak a few words which are sweet and lov
ing. A word spoken once cannot be taken back like a shot sent at
a target. It is speech that wounds a man more than actions.
29. HUMILITY—MORE POWERFUL

THAN ATOM BOMB
Humility is the path of immortality; vanity is the way to
births and deaths. Simple living is the high road to the kingdom
of Eternal Bliss. Luxury is the high road to the round of births

and deaths.
Humility is a bomb of infinite potency which alone can de
stroy the invincible citadel of egoism. Egoism is harder than
granite or steel. A thousand bombs can destroy a big city or a
country but the bomb of humility, which is more powerful than
the sum total of all bombs, can annihilate this egoism.
30. HOW TO ACQUIRE SPIRITUAL WEALTH

Learn the science of self-control and cultivate a steady
mind by constant practice of meditation. Fix your mind upon
God and you will have divine life. There will be an inflooding
of all divine qualities. All negative qualities will vanish.
Do your duty to your father, mother, wife, son, relatives,
friends, religious teachers, society and country. Do not be trou
bled by worldly cares and anxieties, by sorrow or misfortune.
31. THE KEY TO INTUITION

A pure heart is the beginning of divinity. It is the gateway
to God, an ante-chamber to the presence of the Lord. It is the
key by which the doors of intuition that lead to the abode of su
preme peace are opened. Therefore attain purity at all costs.
Learn to cleanse your mind with the water of purity or celi
bacy and with the soap of divine love. How can you expect to
become pure internally by merely washing the body with soap
and water? Internal purity is more important than external
purity.
AUGUST
1. HOW TO KNOW THE VOICE OF

THE SOUL
Do not mistake the promptings of the lower mind for the
voice of the Soul. The higher mind which tends towards virtue
is Sattvic-mind. The higher mind elevates man and guides him.
It acts as a true preceptor.
You should try to hear the voice of the Sattvic mind. If a
wrong action is done, the Sattvic mind will prick you. This is the
sign of knowing that the action is bad. If there is joy and eleva
tion of mind, the act is a righteous one. That mind which tends
towards luxury and evil is lower mind. Annihilate Rajas and
Tamas by increasing Sattva.
2. THE SUPREME WEALTH

Contentment is real wealth as it gives peace of mind. It is a
sentinel on the domain of Moksha. If you keep company with
him, he will introduce you to his friends the other sentinels, viz.,
Satsanga, Atma-Vichar, and Santi.
If you arg earning 100 rupees per month, do not compare
yourself with a man who is earning Rs. 500/- p.m. If you com
pare, you will get discontentment. This will distract the peace of
mind. Compare yourself with a man who is earning Rs. 20/- per
month. Thank God that He has given you the present state.
3. ENJOY PEACE OF MIND

Cultivate peace of mind in the garden of your heart by re
moving weeds, viz., hatred, greed, selfishness, jealousy. Then
only can you manifest it externally.
(99)
Inhibit all surging emotions and impulses Direct your en

ergies in the appropriate channel towards your chosen ideal.
Develop the power of self-control; keep the instruments in har
mony. Master your thoughts and cultivate serenity of mind. Pre
serve your energy.
4. THE THIEF WITHIN YOU

Evil thought is the most dangerous thief while good
thought is like nectar. Virtue is the most precious treasure. Cul
tivate good thoughts by studying scriptures, Satsanga, Japa,
meditation.
Destroy evil thoughts, wrong desires and unchaste looks
by entertaining divine thoughts, and by cultivating purity. God
beholds all your thoughts and actions. He demands from you
prefect purity of heart. The first requisite for successful medita
tion is the conquest of anger and lust.
5. WEAPONS AGAINST LUST AND ANGER

In some men, lust may be more powerful than anger while
in others anger may be more powerful than lust. You should at
tempt to annihilate these two evil traits, the direct enemies of
peace.
Agitation or excitement in the mind burning from lust, an
ger and hatred, restlessness from greed, worry and fear disturb
the peace of mind. Japa, meditation, prayer, enquiry, Satsanga,
development of virtues like Brahmacharya, patience, forgive
ness, cosmic love, contentment, courage will remove these ene
mies of peace.
6. THE FOUNTAIN-SOURCE OF HAPPINESS

Be always hopeful. Hope is the source of highest happi
ness indeed, impelling you always in all quests. Therefore, be
AUGUST 101
hopeful and make strenuous attempts. You will attain sanguine

success.
Hope indeed is mighty. To one possessed of hope, there is
nothing unattainable indeed. Relying on hope alone, you will
attain sanguine success in all your undertakings, in meditation
and Self-realisation. Nil desperandum. Never despair, friend.
7. THE GROWTH OF LOVE

Develop universal love. If you cultivate love for one and
all, you can have unselfish love for humanity. Love for human
ity begins at home.
First you love your parents, your brothers, sisters, your re
lations, your neighbours, your schoolmates, your community,
your country, your land, and then the whole world. Thus the
small seed of love sown in the young mind of the child gradu
ally develops into universal love. Love is harmony as it pro
longs life
8. STEPPING STONES TO MOKSHA

Apart from the knowledge of scriptures and erudition one
should develop a tender heart. Austerity devoid of compassion,
charity devoid of faith, spiritual Sadhana devoid of purity, a
heart devoid of fellow-feeling, a life without prayer are all as
fruitless as the waters of sandy deserts.
Love, compassion or mercy, purity, truth, non-injury are
the stepping stones to success in the path of God-realisation.
Satsanga, contentment, dispassion and patience are the different
steps that lead to the portals of the Kingdom of God.
9. BE ALWAYS KIND
The Immortal can be attained only by performing acts of
kindness continuously. Hatred, angerjealousy are removed by
continuous service with a loving heart.
Lord Buddha still lives in our hearts. Why? Because he

was extremely kind, did immense service and was an embodi
ment of compassion. You will get more strength, more joy, more
satisfaction by doing kind acts. Your heart will be at rest when
your are about to face death.
10. HOW TO ERADICATE EVIL THOUGHTS

Do not fight against evil thoughts, evil qualities, defects,
weaknesses and bad habits. If you fight against them, they will
become stronger, and it will be difficult for you to overcome
them by fighting against them.
Cultivate sublime, divine thoughts. Develop virtuous
qualities. Build up good habits. Do Japa and meditate regularly.
Try to live in God. All defects, all evil thoughts, all weaknesses
will vanish in toto.
11. PATH TO DIVINITY

Action is the source of all virtue, wealth and desire. He
who has no activity, has no energy or valour. The end of virtue
and wealth is the attainment of salvation. He who does not prac
tise virtue commits a sin. The fruits of righteous acts and of
wealth occur in this world or the next.
Overcome anger by love, lust by purity, greed by liberality,
pride by humility, egoism by self-surrender to the Lord. Thou
wilt become divine.
12. NIL DESPERANDUM

If you fail to keep your resolves, make fresh resolves. Just
as the child falls many a time when he tries to walk without the
help of the wall, just as the new cyclist falls from the cycle a
number of times before he learns to sit steadily on the seat, so
also the new aspirant will fall a number of times in his resolves.
AUGUST 103
He has to make repeated attempts but ultimately he will come

out victoriously.
13. AVIDYA
Just as mirror is rendered dim by a layer of dirt attaching to
it, so also knowledge is veiled by Avidya, Therefore all people
are deluded. They cling to things unreal and mistake the body
for the pure Atman. They think that this illusory world of names
and forms is quite real.
Mula Prakriti is slumbering state of the universe. When the
Gunas are disturbed, Mula Prakriti is called by different names
as Maya, Avidya. Maya vanishes as soon as one gets the knowl
edge of the Self.
14. WILL YOU LAUGH?

Why do you laugh in vain, friend! When you have just the
cause really to weep? You have wasted this life in foolish mirth
and carnal pleasures.
You have done various sinful acts and have not done any
thing to improve your nature. You have no clear conscience and
your heart is filled with all sorts of impurities. You have no
peace of mind. Remember that all carnal pleasures will bite and
sting you to death in the end.
15. IS THIS PLEASURE?

In the Gita, you will find, “That pleasure which arises from
the contact of the sense-organ with the object is at first like nec
tar, but in the end, it is like poison.”
Open your eyes now and do virtuous actions. Seek the
company of the wise. Remember Him and you will have a new
glorious life. What is wanted is mental nudity, i.e., complete
eradication of Vasanas, egoism, etc. Do not be deceived by ex

ternal appearances.
18. TAKE PURE FOOD

If you take pure food, you will have a pure mind. Mind is
formed out of the subtlest essence of food. If you have purity of
mind, you will remember God or Atman. If you always remem
ber God or Atman, the knots of the heart, viz., Avidya, Kama,
Karma will be rent asunder. You will attain Moksha.
“Aman should uplift himself by his own self, so let him not
weaken this self for this self is the friend of oneself and is also
the enemy of oneself.”
17. REAL WORSHIP

Worship God or Atman with the flowers of Jnana, content
ment, peace, joy and equal vision. This will constitute real wor
ship.
Try to identify yourself with the eternal immortal
ever-pure Atman that resides in the chambers of your heart.
Think and feel always: “I am the ever pure Atman.” This one
thought will remove all troubles and fanciful thoughts. This
mind wants to delude you. Start this anti-current of thought. The
mind will lurk like a thief.
18. THE RAZOR PATH

The Vasanas are very powerful. The senses and the mind
are very turbulent and impetuous. Again and again, the battle
must be fought and won. That is the reason why the spiritual
path is called the razor path.
There is no difficulty for a man of strong determination
and iron will even on the razor path. Strength comes from
AUGUST 105
within at every step. Extreme asceticism and self-torture are not

necessary for the attainment of the knowledge of Self.
19. CARE NOT FOR CRITICISM

Do not become despondent under any account. Walk like a
spiritual lion. Overcome difficulties one by one.
Be not afraid of public criticism. People are still abusing
Lord Mahadeva, Sri Sankaracharya, Lord Krishna and Lord
Rama. They will continue to do so from eternity to eternity. The
world abounds with Tamasic people. Stand adamant under all
conditions and at all times.
20. KEEP IT UP
When the mind is Sattvic, you will get glimpses, flashes of
intuition. You will compose poems and will understand the sig
nificance of the Upanishads beautifully.
But this stage will not last long. Tamas and Rajas will try to
enter the mental factory. In the beginning, the stage of progress
may be like the frog’s, never steady and continuous. You may
think that you have almost reached the goal and experience for
the next 16 or 20 days. Have sustained, intense Vairagya and do
intense Sadhana.
21. THOU ART SAFE

O Beloved Ram! You are within a strong spiritual fortress
now. No temptation can influence you. You are absolutely safe.
You can do vigorous Sadhana now without fear. You have a
strong spiritual prop to lean upon.
Become a brave soldier. Kill your foe, the mind, ruthlessly.
Wear the spiritual laurels of peace, equal vision and content
ment. You are already shining with Brahmic splendour on your
face.
22. GRADES OF EXPERIENCE

Some experience glimpses of the transcendental wonders
of Atman. Some are on the borderland of the vast dominion of
Atman. Some are like Dattatreya, Jada Bharata, Varna Deva and
Sada Siva Brahman, who had plunged into the deep ocean of
bliss.
The more the thinning of the Vasanas, egoism and Moha,
Adhyasa, the greater the bliss of the Self. The more the
Sadhana, the more the experience of joy of the soul.
23. WHO IS A SAGE?

Neither through matted locks, nor through fiery lectures
and erudition, or through the exhibition of miracles does one at
tain perfection of knowledge or the perfection of the Self. He in
whom the two currents of Raga-Dvesha, egoism, lust and anger
are destroyed in toto is ever happy and is a Brahman or liberated
Sage or Jivanmukta.
If the Vasanas and attachment to the objects of the world
vanish entirely and if you are in that immovable state, you have
become a Jivanmukta.
24. THE DEATH OF THE EGO

The ego will lurk like a thief when you start introspection
and self-analysis. It will elude your grasp and understanding.
You must be ever alert and vigilant. If you obtain grace of the
Lord through Japa, Kirtan, prayer and devotion, you can easily
kill this ego. Through Lord’s grace only your self-surrender will
become perfect.
When this ego melts in the cosmic ego you will attain com
munion with the Lord of Self-realisation. May you realise the
goal of life.
AUGUST 107
25. SUCH IS LIFE

Worldly life is like a dream always troubled with disease
and the like. It is like a castle in the air. It is only a fool who runs
after it.
Life is waning at each rising and setting of the sun. Even
though you see others dying and growing old, yet you never
wake up from your own dream of the vanity of worldly life.
Each day is like the other, each night is like the other and yet
foolish man runs after worldly enjoyments and sees not the
passing of time.
26. ENEMIES OF KNOWLEDGE

Desire, passion, hatred, jealousy and greed are the enemies
of knowledge. Under their influence, men kill their fathers,
brothers, sisters and others. All mental fever has its root in pas
sion.
Passion is the destroyer of virtue. Therefore abandon pas
sion and be at ease. Anger is your great enemy; contentment is
the heavenly bower. Peace is Kalpa Vriksha which yields every
desired object. Desire is the great ocean. One will have no en
emy if he cultivates Kshma or forgiveness.
27. BEWARE
Oh, Alas! life is waning away every moment like water
kept in an unbaked pot of clay. Diseases are assailing the body
on every side like enemies. Old age is troubling you. Death is
ever on the watch to swallow you. It is awaiting its time to de
vour you.
May you all attain the state of complete mental detach
ment! May you all, while performing the prescribed duties in
the respective station in life, attain the state of perfection or fi
nal beatitude.
28. DEPEND NOT ON WORLDLY OBJECTS

Worldly-minded, ignorant persons are charmed and de
luded by the products of Maya. They lose their understanding
on account of the force of Maya or Avidya and delude them
selves in sensual objects and perish without realising the At
man.
The worldly objects are unreal. If you think deeply and do
enquiry, the world, with its manifold multicoloured objects will
appear as a long dream only. The object which appears for a
short period only like the snake in the rope but does not exist in
reality is only a Mithya object.
29. WHAT IS REALITY?

That which does not exist in the beginning and in the end
does not really exist in the middle also. It is unreal.
The snake that is found in the rope at night does not exist
when lamp is brought. It appears in the middle only. Such is the
case with silver in the mother-of-pearl, water in the mirage, city
in the clouds, etc. Therefore, they are unreal even when they ap
pear. The dream objects also do not exist in the day time. Simi
larly the object of this world appear in the middle only. Hence
they are unreal.
30. THINGS ARE EVER-CHANGING

Cells and atoms of the body of a man are always changing.
Constructive and destructive processes are ever going on in the
different systems of the body. Within seven years the body is en
tirely built of new atoms. He has a different body altogether.
Still his son says, “This is my same father who lived ten years
ago.” Is this not false?
AUGUST 109
One object gives pleasure to a man. The same object gives

pain to another man. In reality no object is a means for pleasure
or pain. It is all mental imagination.
31. REAL OBJECTS ARE WITHIN

The objects created by the mind cause pleasure and pain. It
is the mental Kalpana or imagination that generates pleasure
and pain.
Lust, greed, delusion, pride do not exist outside but are in
the mind. They do not really exist. It is the mind that assumes
these modifications. Through these man gets immense pain.
The mind imagines and thinks, “There is a beautiful object out
side. Will I be able to get and possess this?” A Sankalpa arises in
the mind and the heart melts.
SEPTEMBER
1. THINK CORRECTLY
An apple exists. Man gives value to it. He feels it is very
delicious. An attachment is thus ensued. This is the cause of
bondage.
He who does not like apple, has no attachment for it. He
who is sober and a teetotaler has no value for liquor.
Man is bound by his false and incorrect thinking. O Man!
Think correctly, rightly. Give up all erroneous notions. Think “I
am Brahman, the Absolute” and become free and eternally
happy.
2. TAT TVAM ASI

O Beloved Ram! You have forgotten your real Svaroopa
on account of egoism and desires. Thou art immortal Eternal
Soul. Thou art That. “Tat Tvam Asi.” Rise above Moha or delu
sion. Give up the identification with this impure, perishable
body. Take bath in the Ganga of devotion to the Lotus feet of
Sat-Guru.
Kill the thieves—lust, anger, etc. Abandon the ideas, “I am
the doer. I am the enjoyer.” Be established in the idea of unreal
ity of the world.
3. NATURE OF SELF
Atman alone exists. It appears as the objects which we
cognise just as a rope appears as a serpent. Atman puts on the
appearance of these phenomenal objects. That Brahman is the
Self within all beings.
(HO)
SEPTEMBER 111
That Brahman is without cause and without any effect,

without anything inside or outside it. That Brahman is without
limbs, parts, name or caste. It shines by itself as it is self-lumi
nous, All the objects that you cognise shine after It, i.e., they
borrow their light from the Self-effulgent Atman.
4. THE TRUTH INDESCRIBABLE

Saints emphatically declare that Brahman or the Eternal is
“That which is the undifferentiated, that which is unborn either
as cause or effect, that from which speech and mind turn baf
fled, that which is not this, nor that—Neti, Neti, etc.”
He is the real unconditioned Sat. He is the Reality of reali
ties (Satyasya Satyam). We are baffled in our attempts to de
scribe Him. How can this finite mind grasp the Infinite?
5. MEDITATION ON BRAHMAN
Brahman is a mass of intelligence. He is destitute of any
other characteristics. He is entirely without any sort of differ
ence.
In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV-13 you will find: “As a
mass of salt has neither inside nor outside, but is entirely a mass
of taste, thus indeed has that Self neither inside nor outside but
is altogether a mass of knowledge.” The sage cognises one il
limitable homogeneous mass of consciousness only.
6. THE DIRECTOR OF YOUR SENSES

Just as a house exists for somebody’s use, so also the ears,
eyes, hands, legs exist for the use of the Director of the ears,
eyes, etc., who is entirely distinct from the ears, etc.
That Director is the real infinite “I”, the Inner Ruler. He is
immortal, pure Consciousness. The capability of the ears to
hear sounds, of the eyes to cognise objets depends upon the in
telligence of this Director.
7. TO RECOGNISE THE SUPREME POWER

The Great King cannot see the ordinary persons or agricul
tural peasants, but they are seen daily by the Dewan or Tahsildar
and other officials.
Even so, the supreme Self, who is the source for every
thing, who is the Inner Ruler of all beings cannot be seen. You
can infer His existence by looking at the sun, the moon, the stars
and other marvellous objects of this universe which bespeak of
His Supreme Glory and ineffable splendour.
8. FEARLESSNESS—THE FRUIT OF JNANA

When the knower of the Self is centred in his own Self,
when he rests in his own Satchidananda Svaroopa, he sees, he
hears and tastes nothing else. You can be afraid of another, but
you cannot be afraid of your own Self.
How can there be fear for one who beholds his own Self
everywhere. Therefore, Brahman alone is the cause of fearless
ness of the knower. When there are various causes of fear in this
world, the knowers of the Self or Jivanmuktas are fearless.
9. MEDITATION ON GOD
This world is the manifested aspect of the Lord. He was
alone in the beginning, when there was no creation. After cre
ation, He remains unattached and free like the ether in the pot.
The earthen pot is full inside and outside with ether, and ether is
not at all affected by the existence or non-existence of the pot.
Even so the Lord is all-pervading and full inside and out
side of all beings and remains ever non-attached. He guides the
actions of all beings but He is not the actor.
SEPTEMBER 113
10. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IGNORANCE

The Jiva or the individual soul creates this world of names
and forms on account of his own ignorance and delusion. When
he attains knowledge of the Self by the Grace of his spiritual
preceptor, he dissolves the external world into himself and sees
his own Self everywhere.
He sees oneness everywhere. He becomes struck with
wonder when he thinks of the world of duality. The world of di
versity appears to him like a mere dream and he exclaims in sur
prise: “Where has this world full of the charms of Maya
disappeared now, which was glaring before my very eyes till
this very moment!”
11. THE INNER GOVERNMENT

Just as there is a Government in all countries to govern the
nation and maintain law and order, so also there is an inner Gov
ernment to maintain law and order in this Universe.
The inner marvellous Government has Satyam as their
banner, Dharma (righteousness) as their seal, Omkara as the
band, discrimination as the coat of arms and dispassion as the
shield. They have one unchanging policy, viz., of helping the
aspirants to attain Self-realisation. The head of the inner Gov
ernment is Isvara.
12. WHO IS A SAINT?

The company of saints is a cause of emancipation. Saints
are those whose minds are unruffled, who are free from avarice,
who have conquered desire, and who have brought their senses
and internal nature under control, who are devoted to the Lord,
and who have no longing for anything, who are the same in
pleasure and pain, who are free from attachment, who have the
attributes of self-control, and who are content with whatever

comes in their way.
13. PERSEVERANCE: THE PRICE FOR

VICTORY
The tendency to persevere, to persist in spite of hin
drances, discouragements and impossibilities—it is this that
distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. Aman of persever
ance never meets with failures. He always attains success in all
his undertakings.
When you start any work, you should not leave it till you
attain complete success. Pursue it resolutely. A man of dili
gence, vigilance and strong resolution grows into a genius. The
nerve that never relaxes, the eye that never blenches, the
thought that never wanders—these are the masters of victory.
Victory belongs to the most persevering. Perseverance gives
power to weakness, and opens to poverty the whole wealth of
the world. With steady perseverance, great difficulties come to
an end.
14. A PUNDIT AND A SAGE

The foolish man identifies himself with a mass of flesh, fat,
skin, bones and filth, while the man of discrimination knows
that his Self is distinct from this perishable body. The stupid
man thinks that he is the body. A Pundit who has read some reli
gious books identifies himself with a mixture of body and soul,
while the liberated sage regards the eternal, unchanging Atman
as his Self. So long as the learned Pundit does not abandon his
erroneous identification with this unreal, perishable body, there
is no hope of salvation for him.
SEPTEMBER 115
15. THE FIVE SHEATHS ARE NOT SELF

All illusion has arisen in man an account of ignorance and
non-discrimination or absence of the faculty which discrimi
nates between eternal Atman and the illusory five sheaths
which are falsely superimposed upon the Atman.
The five sheaths are creations by the mind on account of
ignorance. The fire sheaths cannot be the Pure, Self-existent,
Self-luminous Atman. Srutis emphatically declare that the At
man is bodiless. The changes that occur in the five sheaths do
not touch their proprietor and seer, the Atman.
16. THE DEAREST IS THE SELF

Man loves his wealth immensely; but a son is dearer than
wealth. Body is dear than the son; the father even sells his son
during famine for the sake of protecting his body. The Indriyas
or senses are dearer than the body because man protects his
eyes, ears, nose, etc., when another comes to attack him.
Life is dearer than senses. If the king orders to take away
the life of a criminal, the criminal rather prefers to have one of
his senses removed than give up his life. Atman is dearer than
life because it is an embodiment of bliss
17. THE ROOT-CAUSE OF BONDAGE

“I am the body”—this notion arises by force of connection
between the Self and Ahamkara. Worldly life which is a giver of
pleasure and pain has for its root this notion of ‘I’ in the body.
On account of this identification of the Atman which is without
modification, with the Ahamkara, the individual soul always
acts and is forcibly bound by results.
“I have surely done much good work through sacrifices,
gifts and the rest, and shall therefore go to heaven.” This is false
notion. He enjoys in heaven the celestial happiness only for

sometime and falls down as soon as the results of his meritori
ous deeds are exhausted.
18. RISE ABOVE AH AM KARA

So long as there is connection of the Ahamkara or the prin
ciple of egoism and the rest with the body and the sense-organs,
there is pleasure and pain and transmigratory existence for the
individual.
Ahamkara is the notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ in the gross and
subtle bodies. The ignorant are attached to the body. They can
not rise above the sense of‘I’ and ‘mine’ in the gross body. The
discriminating few rise above it through knowledge.
19. THE MYSTERY OF TRANSMIGRATION

Having first created the attributes of attachment and aver
sion to actions of diverse kinds, the mind takes on various
forms, such as white, red and black (the good, the active and the
passive).
In this way, the Jiva or the individual soul wanders through
the influence of Karma till the period of universal dissolution.
At the time of universal dissolution, the Self survives with
Vasanas taking impressions of past Karmas attracted under the
influence of beginningless Avidya.
20. UNIVERSAL DISSOLUTION

When there is universal dissolution there is no destruction
of the individual soul. He remains in a latent form in the Mula
Prakriti or Avyaktam, which is the condition of the equilibrium
of all the three Gunas.
SEPTEMBER 117
At the time of creation, he is bom again together with

Vasanas bom of the mind. In this way he is forced to go round
and round like the wheel for drawing water.
21. THE BORN SIDDHAS

For a Jivanmukta who beholds the all-pervading, immor
tal, indivisible, Self-luminous Atman everywhere, there re
mains nothing to be attained or known. He has attained
perfection, highest bliss and highest knowledge.
Some are bom with purity and other requisites of realisa
tion on account of their having undergone the necessary disci
pline in their past life. Such people are bom Siddhas.
22. BE PRACTICAL—REALISE
An ounce of spiritual experience is better than tons of theo
ries and study of spiritual books. A single glimpse of Brahman
or the immortal Soul will bestow on you illumination and re
move the worldly intoxication of pride, delusion, pain and grief.
Spiritual vision will stand out like a beacon-light for you. Learn
the principle of Divine Life and apply them to daily conduct in
life. Become practical men in the spiritual path.
23. BLISS IS WITHIN

Within you is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal
soul. Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within
you is fount of joy and happiness. Within you is the ocean of
bliss.
Look within for this happiness, which you have sought in
vain in the perishable sensual objects. Rest peacefully in your
own Atman and drink the nectar of immortality.
23. THIS IS SAMSARA

Vasana is a subtle form of desire. It is hidden desire assum
ing the form of desire which is gross. Trishna is intense craving
or hankering after sensual objects. Vasana is intermingled with
Samskaras or impressions.
Vasanas produce Samskaras and Samskaras in turn gener
ate Vasanas. The rotation of this never-ending wheel of Vasana
and Samskara constitutes the Samsara-chakra which causes
births and deaths.
25. KARMA—THE CAUSE OF JOY

AND GRIEF
Friends! Who is the cause of whose sorrow or of whose
happiness? One’s own Karma done in past life is the cause of
grief or happiness. There is no giver of pain nor of happiness.
One gives pain to another: this is the idea of a fool. “I am the
doer”—this is a fruitless and erroneous notion.
The world is bound by the cord of its past Karmas. Happi
ness or sorrow comes to you as the result of your Karma. There
fore take what comes. Bear it in a spirit of resignation and
remain at ease.
26. BE BALANCED IN PLEASURE AND PAIN

Sorrow follows happiness and happiness follows sorrow.
Both are unavoidable by embodied creatures, like day and
night. There is pleasure in the midst of pain and pain in the
midst of pleasure. Both are said to be attached to each other like
mud and water.
The wise do not therefore show joy on occasions of joy,
nor sorrow on occasions of sorrow. They are indifferent to plea
SEPTEMBER 119
sure and pain, happiness and sorrow, joy and misery. They are
not deluded, knowing all to be Maya.
27. GRIEVE NOT AT DEATH

Do not grieve for the departed soul. The Atman is eternal,
changeless, birthless, deathless and pure. The body is non-intel-
ligent, liable to death, impure and destructible. Thus thinking,
there is no occasion at all for sorrow.
If a father or a son has come under the sway of death it is
the foolish who grieve. In this world which is devoid of sub
stance, separation from a desired object is a source of non-at-
tachment and the bestower of peace and happiness for the wise.
28. THOU ART IMMORTAL

You have attained this body by actions done in past lives
and you will attain another body by actions done through this
body in this life. As one leaves an old house and goes to live in a
new one, even so you never die but leave an old body and live in
a new one. The Atman never dies, nor is bom, nor is subject to
increase or decrease, decay or modification. It is ever homoge
neous and limitless being, an embodiment of bliss and knowl
edge.
29. THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION

Sit in a quiet place in an easy posture. Renounce mentally
all attachments, all objects of senses. Gradually draw inside
your senses which are roaming outside.
Reflect upon thyself as distinct from Prakriti. All this
world, mobile or immobile, the body, the intellect and the rest
all that is seen or heard is called Prakriti. It is also called Maya.
It is the cause of creation, preservation and destruction of the
world. It always creates red (Rajasic), white (Sattvic) and black

(Tamasic) creatures.
30. WORLD: A JUGGLER’S TRICK

This world is a play of colours and sounds. This sense uni
verse is a play of nerves. It is a false show kept up by the
jugglery of Maya, mind and senses. You enjoy the sensual plea
sures for a period of twenty years when the senses are strong:
and what is this short evanescent period of twenty years in eter
nity? What is this despicable, jarring, monotonous sensual life
when compared with the eternal and peaceful life in the Immor
tal Self within?
OCTOBER
1. YET YOU ARE PROUD!

You are helpless when you are a baby. You are helpless
when you are seriously ailing. You are helpless when you be
come old also. Why then do you boast of your ability, capacity,
independence and freedom? Why are you proud and egoistic?
Transcend the body and mind and realise the Immortal Self.
Then only can you be really strong, independent and free.
Rise above delusion and illusion through discrimination or
self-analysis and inquiry of “Who am I?”.
2. WHY WORRY?
Worry kills a man. It destroys his joys of life. It is a canker
or cancer that slowly eats away a man. It wears you out. Do not
worry over what is past. Forget it. No one has yet been able to
claim any good thing through worry. Do not worry about things
which are likely to happen; so often they really do not. Suffi
cient for the day is the evil thereof. The surest antidote or peni
cillin injection for worry is to keep busy. Do always something
useful. Do your best and leave the rest to God. Do not worry.
You are indeed blessed now. Hard work with a peaceful, harmo
nious mind will never kill any one. It builds up the system and
prolongs life, but worry kills a man. It shortens life.
3. IS THIS HAPPINESS?
Do you not clearly see that this world is a mere play of
nerves? Do you not understand that this world of opposites is il
lusory? You will have to depend upon these nerves and senses
for your happiness. If these nerves go out of order, you become
(121)
miserable even though you possess enormous wealth and pala

tial buildings. Can you call this little illusory pleasure which de
pends upon the play of nerves as real lasting happiness? It is
mere itching of nerves, which only tickles those deluded souls
who have lost their power of discrimination and understanding.
4. THE MOTHER OF EVIL

Even an iota of greed is quite sufficient to destroy the spot
less reputation of a man and the admirable qualities just as small
patch of leucoderma or white skin in the face spoils the graceful
features and the beauty of a man or woman.
Theft, injury, untruthfulness, hypocrisy, lust, anger, pride,
arrogance, split, enmity, distrust, rivalry—are the outcome of
wealth. Therefore, he who wishes to attain the final beatitude
should shun ruthlessly from a distance the evil known as
wealth. Money is the abode of evil.
5. MIND—THE CAUSE FOR PAIN AND JOY

Neither this body, nor the Atman, nor the gods, nor the
planets, nor work, nor time—is the cause for pleasure and pain.
This wretched mind gives pleasure and pain and creates this
Samsara or the cycle of transmigration.
This terrible mind creates desires, egoism, Sankalpas,
Trishnas, likes and dislikes, and then man does various kinds of
actions with egoism and expectation of fruits. Therefore, he
takes births again and again in accordance with the nature of
action.
6. THE SUPREME WITNESS

The silent Sakshi, the Supreme Self silently looks from
above the activities of the mind of the individual soul like a
spectator. He is quite indifferent and unconcerned. He is quite
OCTOBER 123
unaffected like water on the lotus leaf. The individual soul iden
tifies himself with the body and mind, works and enjoys the sen
sual objects with avidity, cupidity and stupidity and is bound
thereby.
7. AIDS TO CONTROL OF MIND

Control of the mind is the highest Yoga. Charity, selfless
service, vows, Agnihotra and other works, Sravana or hearing
of Srutis, virtuous actions, Japa, Pranayama, meditation,
Vichara or enquiry of ‘who am T, etc.—all these culminate in
the control of the mind. He who has controlled the mind is really
the God of gods.
This filthy body is a phantom of the mind. Foolish people
take this body as the real immortal Self and say: “This is my
body. This is the real Self.” They think erroneously and roam
about in ignorance.
8. ATMAN IS UNAFFECTED
If the body is the cause of pleasure or pain, the Atman has
nothing to do with it, because it pertains to the gross and subtle
bodies which are the products of Prakriti. Atman is always the
silent witness or spectator of the activities of Prakriti. If you bite
your tongue with your teeth, with whom should you be angry
for causing this pain?
If gods be the cause for generating pain or pleasure the At
man has certainly no concern with it because it pertains to the
gods who alone are affected by it.
9. WORSHIP THE SELF

If time be the cause for pleasure or pain, how can it affect
the Atman? Atman is one with time. Certainly a flame is not af
fected by fire nor a hailstone by cold. This Atman which is be-
yond Prakriti can never be affected by the pairs of opposites.

Therefore with whom should you be angry?
Therefore you should practise devotion to the Highest Self
and worship the feet of the Lord and thereby should cross the
ocean of Samsara and attain immortality and everlasting bliss of
the Self.
10. THE PANACEA FOR MISERIES

This world which contains friends, neutrals and enemies,
which affects a man with heat and cold, hunger and thirst, plea
sure and pain, censure and praise, honour and dishonour, gain
and loss, success and failure, sorrow and joy, happiness and
misery, is a creation of your mind owing to ignorance.
Therefore renounce wealth as it is a source for all evils.
Renounce attachment to wealth. Renounce the desire for
wealth. Cultivate Vairagya, the panacea for all human suffer
ings.
11. PRAYER TO SIVA

The leaves of life are falling off. Youth is fading. The days
are rolling on. Time, the destroyer, lays his hands on the whole
world. Existence in this world is as momentary as a bubble or
lightening. O Lord Siva! protect me.
O Lord Siva! who holds the begging bowl of the skull of
Brahma! Control this monkey-mind which jumps at its sweet
will on the branches of desires in the forest of lust and keep it
with Thee for ever.
12. WORSHIP NOT THE BODY

The physical body will be surely destroyed. Then what is
the use of decorating yourself with ornaments and wearing silk
clothes and eating six kinds of palatable foods. The Atman only
OCTOBER 125
is immortal or indestructible. Therefore exert to realise that

Self.
Don’t you know that this physical body which now rolls on
beds of flowers and scented beds, will be one day burnt on logs
of wood?
13. BODY IS A HOUSE

The wise who know the Atman which is Existence,
Knowledge and Bliss Absolute and also the physical body
which is full of blood, bone and flesh will never take this filthy
leather bag for their true Self.
The body is the house. The intellect is wife. The Vrittis are
sons. The Shad-Sampat or sixfold virtues, viz., Sama, Dama,
etc., are the friends. The senses are the servants. He is worldly
who is attached to this house and has forgotten the abode of
eternal bliss.
14. BEWARE OF FRIENDS

This Samsara is coated with the mud of Avidya. It is with
out essence and worthless. If you reflect deeply, it is full of mis
eries and is attended with birth, death, disease and old age. Cut
this knot of Avidya with the sword of divine knowledge,
Who can describe the sufferings of man, viz., mental
worry, pain, disease, the pain caused by the separation of friends
and dear relatives, danger caused by the body, enmity, poverty,
pangs of death and the round of birth and death? So long as you
earn money, all will love and esteem you. But when once you
become old and useless, none will care for you.
15. WATCH FOR THESE THIEVES

To deprive you of the treasure of Atman, lust, anger and
egoism—the thieves—have bound you with the ties of desire
for enjoyment and love for children and have left you in the for
est of this Samsara.
Man groans in the forest of Samsara as he is troubled with
dangers and suffering. The dangers are the pains caused by the
three kinds of Taapas; the sufferings are hunger and thirst, birth
and death.
16. BONDAGES ALL

Desire for house is the chain on the legs. Love of wife is
the tie on the neck. Lust and anger are the guards, delusion is the
jail. How difficult it is to extricate oneself from all these bond
ages!
Faithful, devoted, good-natured, chaste wife, learned, obe
dient sons, house that is filled with eight kinds of wealth are all
perishable. They are all bondages to the man of discrimination.
That is the reason why men of discrimination developed
Vairagya and renounced their homes. The ignorant man re
volves in the Samsara blinded by egoism and mineness.
17. THE SOURCE OF ENDLESS TROUBLE

Wealth creates troubles. He who possesses it, is afraid of
robbers, kings and sons. There is difficulty in amassing wealth.
There is more difficulty in protecting it. There is pain when it
becomes less. There is pain still more if you lose it. Wealth is the
source for all kinds of suffering. Therefore, give up desire for
wealth.
The pleasures of this world and heaven are transitory and
mixed with evils. They are like the apples that appear beautiful
when we look at them with a gross Drishti. The wise will not
like this.
OCTOBER 127
18. GATES TO YAMALOKA

Poverty is the best remedy for the disease of pride. The dis
ease of egoism that is caused by possession of wealth can be
cured by the ointment of poverty.
The three entrances to the city of Yama (death) are woman,
wealth and tongue. He who has conquered these three need not
be afraid of death. He has no eneinies who rides on the horse of
discrimination with the sword of dispassion and the shield of
endurance.
19. HOW TO CONQUER DESIRE

Desire for name and fame, infatuated love for the body, de
sire for vast erudition are stumbling blocks for the attainment of
the Self. He who wants to free himself from Samsara should an
nihilate the desire for these three things.
When desire arises in the mind for an object, think of the
evil qualities of that object. You will get dispassion for that ob
ject. If desire arises to enjoy a beautiful woman of ill-fame,
think of the venereal disease you will contract, the desire will at
once disappear.
20. WON’T YOU WAKE UP NOW?

Life is passing away; people are dying. They are all af
flicted with various sorts of diseases and yet you do not try to
abandon desire and exert for salvation.
The body has been crippled and the hair has become white.
The teeth have fallen and the old man walks leaning on a stick.
Yet he has not abandoned desire. O old man! The moustache has
become gray, but you have not abandoned the desire. You have
become hunch-backed now but anger has not left you. All the
Indriyas have become cold; the limbs have become enervated,
but your egoism has not vanished.
21. TRIUMPH OVER SENSES

Do not allow your mind to be carried away by the fragrant
flowers and scents, palatable dishes, and delicious fruits, a cool
shady tree or a bungalow, melodious music of birds or instru
ment. Sit on earth, meditate on God and conquer the longing for
sensual objects. Get triumph over senses.
The mind wanders about by thinking of any one of the fol
lowing, viz., native place, wife, children, mountain, or river. If
the mind cannot get any of these objects to think upon, it re
mains like a man whose hands and legs are tied.
22. MIND—THE WANDERING DEER

The mind is like a deer, which has forgotten its real abode.
It is wandering in the forest of Samsara. It is scorched by the
three fires, Adhyatmic, Adhidaivic, and Adhibhautic Taapas. It
is bound by the ties of desires and is tortured by the tigers of
sense objects.
When will the mind, which has been undergoing endless
miseries in countless births be able to attain the eternal happi
ness? Reflect on this point daily. O mind! leave off your wan
dering nature at once. Do not think of ladies, delicious dishes
and money.
23. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS!

Who is wife? Who is son? Who are you? Wherefrom did
you come? How wonderful is this Samsara? How are you re
lated to one another? Think deeply on all these matters and you
will have discrimination.
Who are you? Who am I? Wherefrom have we come? Who
is mother? Who is father? Think deeply on all these. Leave off
this world which is a dream and seek the eternal.
OCTOBER 129
24. SUPREME DISPASSION

It is common to have dispassion for some particular ob
jects by some cause or other; but by having dispassion for all
objects at all times, one will get knowledge of the Self. You may
get Atma Jnana soon by the grace of the Guru, by devotion to
him, and by practice of Twenty Instructions.
Do not fall a victim of Moha even if you happen to move in
towns with young and well-adorned fashionable ladies of high
civilised society. Resolve to attain Self-realisation. The
Tamo-Guna will vanish of its own accord.
25. THE RAREST BLESSING

There are on the whole 84 lakhs of creatures; human birth
is attained only after passing through all these lower births.
Even men of vast erudition waste their time without making en
quiry into the nature of the Self, in spite of their having obtained
this hard-to-attain human birth in a good family on account of
virtuous deeds.
To have a human birth is difficult. It is difficult to have a
male body. It is still more difficult to be bom a Brahmin. To fol
low the Vedic path is rare. To be well-versed in scriptures is still
rarer. But the rarest of all is discrimination between the Self and
the non-self; Self-realisation and getting established in Brah
man.
26. AVOID LOWER BIRTHS

Human birth, longing for liberation and contact of a great
Mahatma are all obtained by the grace of God. He verily com
mits suicide who, having obtained all these means, does not ex
ert for liberation.
Nobody knows what the next birth will be. How can one
make enquiry into Vedanta, if one takes an animal birth? Bull
ocks, horses, asses, elephants and buffaloes get emaciated

through starvation and carrying heavy loads without rest. They
are not able to express their sufferings and pain. Should you not
do righteous actions to prevent yourself from taking such miser
able births?
27. THE INCOMPARABLE ACHIEVEMENT

We cannot extend our lifetime even by a second though we
spend crores of rupees for this purpose. What greater folly is
there for us than wasting such a precious life?
Neither charity, nor sacrifice, nor fame; nor Siddhis like
Anima can stand in comparison with Realisation of the Self.
You might have crossed the ocean, conquered pride, delu
sion and envy. You might have dwelt in Brahma Loka or
Vaikuntha-loka or Kailas. Yet all things cannot stand in compar
ison with liberation.
28. KILL THE INNER RAKSHASAS

Can you acquire eternal bliss and supreme peace from the
attainment of vast erudition or from possession of immense
wealth or from the enjoyment of beautiful young ladies? No.
The supreme undying bliss can he obtained only by realisation
of the Self.
Cross the ocean of delusion and kill lust and anger, the
Rakshasas. Now you can safely land on the other shore of fear
lessness and immortality. This mundane life is filled with ego
ism, delusion and disease. When will you be free from all these?
29. LET YOUR MIND BE PURE

The deer falls a prey to the sense of sound; the elephant to
that of touch; the moth to that of form; the fish to that of taste,
and the bee to that of smell. But man falls a prey to all these five
OCTOBER 131
senses. Therefore, how difficult it is for man to free himself

from the clutches of these five senses and obtain liberation?
When wells and ponds are full in rainy season, the water is
muddy and not fit for drinking. In summer the water gets de
creased and is sweet. So also when the mind is filled with
Vasanas, it is clouded with Tamoguna. When it is free from sen
sual desires by the practice of dispassion, it is filled with pure
Sattva.
30. GLORY OF RAMA-NAMA

He who is devoid of “mine-ness” will not be bound by
Karmas whether he dwells in his house or wanders in a forest.
Control the elephant pride with the spear of firmness and
tie it to the post of the lotus feet of the Lord with the chain of de
votion.
At the time of death, neither education nor profession nor
title can help you. It is only the remembrance of the Name of the
Lord that can help you to get eternal happiness. So always re
member the Name of the Lord.
31. THE HIGHEST STAGE

When the five organs of knowledge are at rest together
with the mind and when the intellect ceases functioning and be
comes calm, that is called the highest stage.
When all the Sankalpas (desires) of the mind become
calm, when the mind is neither waking nor sleeping, when it is
motionless and calm like a stone, the highest Brahmic state of
Samadhi is attained. The Jivanmukta attains Sarupa-manonasa
which leaves behind a slight trace of ego but for the Videha
Mukta there is complete destruction of the ego, sleep and all
sins.
NOVEMBER
1. HOW TO DEVELOP BHAKTI

You should have knowledge of God. Then only can you
love Him. You should approach saints and Mahatmas and hear
His Lilas.
Saints declare that there is an All-merciful, Omnipotent,
Omniscient, Omnipresent God. You should study Bhagavata,
Ramayana and other religious books. Through Sravana and
Satsanga come admiration, attraction, attachment and supreme
love for the Lord. You cannot know him without loving Him.
There is love when you perform actions. Without concentration
on God, you cannot love God.
2. GLORY OF TRUTH
If five thousand Rajasuya Yagas and Truth are weighed in
a sensitive balance, Truth will undoubtedly outweigh the five
thousand Rajasuya Yagas. That is the reason why Sruti de
clares: “Truth alone triumphs but not falsehood.” Even
Yudhishthira had to see the hell as he once told a lie, a modified,
twisted truth, in a dexterous manner.
Aspirants should sincerely endeavour to speak the truth at
all times. If they are established in Truth, all other virtues will
cling to them. Brahman is Truth and one can realise Him by
speaking the truth.
(132)
NOVEMBER 133
3. PRACTICAL METHOD FOR

SPIRITUAL GROWTH
The man who can see his own faults as he sees those of oth
ers, will soon become a great soul. Have ceaseless devotion to
truth and be ready to sacrifice your all for it.
Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this
will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not
repeat them in future. Be cautious. Just think of the causes
which led to your failures and try to remove them in future. Be
vigilant and circumspect. Strengthen yourself with new vigour
and virtues. Develop slowly your will-power.
4. THE VOW OF AHIMSA

Ahimsa, the rarest virtue, transmutes a man into divinity.
All the Devas and the whole world pay homage to him. It is eas
ier to develop intellect than to develop heart. The practice of
Ahimsa develops the heart in a wonderful manner.
No Self-realisation is possible without Ahimsa. It is
through the practice of Ahimsa alone that you can cognise and
reach the supreme Self or Brahman. Those with whom Ahimsa
is a policy may fail many a time; those who strictly adhere to the
vow of Ahimsa as a creed, as a fundamental cannon of Yoga,
can never take to violence.
5. VIRTUE AND VICE

That which elevates you is virtue (Dharma), that which
pulls you down is vice (Adharma) or sin; that which takes you to
the goal is virtue; that which makes you a worldly man is sin;
that which hurls you down in the dark abyss of ignorance is sin.
That which gives you illumination is virtue; that which
causes intoxication is sin. That which purifies your heart is vir
tue; that which taints your heart is sin. That which gives you
peace, joy and satisfaction, exhilaration, expansion of heart is
virtue; that which brings restlessness, dissatisfaction, depres
sion and contraction of heart is vice.
6. DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN
VIRTUE AND VICE
Service of humanity and Guru is virtue; mis
chief-mongering is sin. Faith in God, in Scriptures, in the word
of the spiritual preceptor is virtue; doubting is sin. Loving all is
virtue, hating others is sin.
Unity is virtue, separation is sin. Independence is virtue,
dependence is sin. Brahmacharya is virtue, lust is sin. Truthful
ness is virtue, falsehood is sin. Generosity is virtue, miserliness
is sin. Oneness is virtue, duality is sin. Knowledge is virtue, ig
norance is sin. Strength is virtue, weakness is sin. Courage is
virtue, cowardice is sin. To behold the one Immortal Self every
where is virtue, to see diversity is sin. Learn to discriminate be
tween virtue and vice.
7. OVERCOME NEGATIVE BY POSITIVE

Kindle the power of resistance. Keep up the positive ideal
of active service of humanity and pure love. Generate the posi
tive Sattvic counter-currents of energy to combat the downward
negative currents of Vasanas. Keep yourself always in a positive
state.
Overcome negative thoughts by entertaining positive di
vine thoughts. Rise from impurity, impotence and faintness of
heart. Be bold, be cheerful always. Cultivate Daivi Sampat such
as mercy, peace, forgiveness, tolerance, etc. Destroy Asuric
Sampat such as arrogance, egoism, pride, anger, lust, etc. You
are bound to attain the highest bliss and knowledge.
NOVEMBER 135
8. MOTIVE DETERMINES FRUIT

In Hanuman Ghat at Banaras, two girls were about to be
drowned. Two young men rushed immediately into the Ganga
and saved the girls. One man asked the girl to marry him while
the other said, “I have done my duty. God gave me an opportu
nity to serve and improve myself.” He had Chitta-Suddhi. The
external action was the same but the motive was different in the
two persons. The fruit also must be different.
Be righteous always and never deviate from the path of
righteousness. Virtue brings its own reward; vice brings its own
punishment. If you identify yourself with the Sakshi (Witness),
you need not eat the fruits of actions.
9. THE DIVINE GARDEN

A kind, pure, loving and merciful heart is a garden; virtu
ous Samskaras are the seeds; sublime, divine thoughts are the
roots; Sattvic qualities are the sprouts: kind, loving, truthful
words are the leaves. Virtuous actions are the blossoms.
Moksha is the fruit. Therefore develop mercy and entertain di
vine thoughts
Satyam (Truth) is the seed, Brahmacharya (celibacy) is the
root. Meditation is the shower. Santi or peace is the flower.
Moksha or salvation is the fruit. Therefore, speak the truth;
practise Brahmacharya and meditation.
10. BECOME AN ABODE OF THESE VIRTUES

Discrimination, dispassion and serenity must be your ha
bitual qualities. Then you will be a cosmic friend and benefac
tor.
To be jealous is mean; to be selfish is ignoble; to be com
passionate is divine; to be patient and enduring is manly; to be
contented and happy is wise; to be serene is glorious; to be dis
passionate is praiseworthy and to be equanimous is laudable

Therefore, eradicate jealousy, selfishness and cultivate the di
vine virtues. You will soon attain godhead.
11. NIL DESPERANDUM

Start the spiritual current today. Nil desperandum. March
boldly on the spiritual path. Lord Krishna says in the Gita:
“Even if the most sinful worships Me with undivided heart, he
too must be accounted as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.
Speedily he becomes a virtuous person and attains eternal peace
and immortality. O Kaunteya, know thou for certain that My
devotee never perishes.”
12. DIVINE MOTTOES

Write for half an hour daily in a notebook your Ishta Man
tra observing Mauna and without turning your body. Write
down in bold types on slips of paper: ‘Speak truth’, ‘OM Cour
age’, ‘OM Purity’, ‘I must realise God now, ‘Time is most pre
cious’, ‘I will be a true Brahmachari’, ‘Brahmacharya is divine
life’, ‘I am an embodiment of courage, purity, mercy and pa
tience’, and fix these mottoes in bedroom, dining hall, front
rooms and verandahs.
Keep some slips in your pocket and diary also. This is an
easy way of developing virtuous divine qualities.
13. REAL BEAUTY

Remain in the world but be not of the world. The world is a
great teacher. It is the best arena for developing virtues.
Poverty has many virtues. It not only makes one humble
but also confers fortitude and power of endurance. It also gener
ates thoughts of God. Wearing clothes is not for enhancing the
beauty of the body. This body is a dirty leather bag filled with
NOVEMBER 137
various sorts of impurities. Clothes are meant for covering im

pure body. Wear simple clothing. Have sublime thinking. Virtu
ous life in God only can give real beauty for men and women
14. THE DIVINE PATH

O Ram, speak the truth at all costs. See Radha in all
women. Be humble like a blade of grass. Be kind and good. Sing
always Krishna’s Name. Let “Om Namo Bhagavate
Vaasudeya” be always on your lips. May Lord Krishna protect
you.
There is neither good nor evil, neither pain nor pleasure in
the universe. Every man creates a world of good and evil, plea
sure or pain out of his imagination only.
15. SEE GOOD IN ALL

We generally speak ill of others but fail to see the good in
others. Every man has some virtue or other. There is no absolute
rogue on the surface of this earth. Develop the faculty of seeing
good only in others.
Evil and good are obverse and reverse sides of the same
coin. They are relative terms. Like light and darkness they are
corelatives. Existence of each is necessary for the recognition
of the other. Hatred and lies exist to glorify love and truth.
16. TAINT NOT THY NAME

Maintain your good name. A good name is really the
source of one’s strength. One lives in vain if his reputation is
lost. He is a dead man though he is alive. A man does not die as
long as his fame lasts.
Your character depends upon the quality of thought held in
your mind and the mental pictures and ideals entertained by
you. If your thoughts are of a base nature, you will have a bad
character. If you entertain noble thoughts, sublime ideals and

holy pictures, you will have a magnanimous character. You will
have a magnetic personality.
17. BE BOLD AS A LION

Never think, ‘I am a wretched man.’ Drive off wrong ideas.
Be brave like a lion. Be cheerful always. In reality you are At
man (soul). This body is only a sheath or slough that is to be
thrown away. Nobody can hurt Atman. It is invulnerable.
When your house is on fire, how daringly you enter the
house to take your child who is sleeping in the room. Even so,
you must be very courageous when you tread on the spiritual
path. You must be absolutely fearless, you must not have the
least attachment to your body. Then only you will have
Self-realisation quickly.
18. HUMILITY IS POWER

Humility is a bomb of infinite potency which alone can de
stroy the invincible citadel of egoism. Egoism is harder than
granite or steel. He who is endowed with humility can conquer
the three worlds. The humble man is really blessed. He will
soon enter the realms of eternal peace.
The spirit of the Srutis or Upanishads cannot be under
stood even in a hundred years by persons who are conceited and
who think themselves very learned. Therefore abandon conceit
and become humble.
19. GIVE UP VANITY

If there be any good virtues in you, think that there is much
more in others. This will develop humility in you. A
worldly-minded man thinks too much of himself. He thinks that
NOVEMBER 139
there is none equal to him in beauty, intelligence and experi

ence—this causes vanity and arrogance.
He who is humble and regards all worldly titles and hon
ours as mere straw is a great man indeed. Knowledge of your
weakness will instill humility in your heart and force you to
equip yourself with strength and find out suitable methods to
have victory over it.
20. FORBEARANCE: THE KEY TO

WILL-POWER
He who is endowed with the power of endurance, who is
balanced in pleasure and pain, steadfast is fit for immortality
(Gita 11-15).
This body is your instrument, but is not your Self. Forbear
ance develops your will power. It is one of the qualifications of
an aspirant in the path of Jnana. It brings happiness herein and
hereafter. But it has one defect. People misconstrue those who
practise forbearance for impotent, effeminate men. Bear with
joy whatever amount of pain or trouble men may give you. In
crease by all means your power of endurance bearing heat and
cold, pain and hunger.
21. ADAPT AND ADJUST

Study the psychology of men. Analyse human nature.
When you move with different minds, adjust yourself well.
Have perfect adaptability and develop tolerance. Then only can
you be happy.
Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, Vasanas and
Samskaras with you. Raga-Dvesha is everywhere, even in the
caves of the Himalayas. Create your own world and environ
ments from within. Then alone can you be happy anywhere and
in any circumstances.
22. OPTIMISM IS A LIVING STAMINA

Optimism is the doctrine or view that everything in nature
and the history of mankind is ordained for the best, the order of
things in the universe being adapted to produce the highest
good. It is sanguine temperament opposed to pessimism. Pessi
mism is the opposite of optimism.
An optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty; a pes
simist sees a difficulty in every opportunity.
There is a bright side to every situation. Adopt a hopeful,
confident state of mind. The trouble is half overcome before
you start on it.
An optimist gets the best out of life. He hopes for the best
and makes the best of people and circumstances and thinks the
best of people.
Optimism is hope. It is happy life. It saves people. Opti
mism makes you happy and cheerful. The accident is not as ter
rible as you feared. The hill is not so steep as you begin
climbing. The difficulty is not as great as you expected. Things
come out better than you hope.
23. IGNORE CRITICISM

Are you Atman or mind or body? Even though you have
read my writings 1001 times, you identify yourself with mind
and body and lose the balance of mind when a trifling criticism
is made. So strong is your egoism.
People can criticise your body and mind, or become your
friends. Then, why do you get agitated my dear Krishna? You
are still weak. You have now grown spiritually. Ignore criti
cism.
Why do you brood over past events? You can’t have peace
of mind. Rise above criticism and petty remarks.
NOVEMBER 141
24. CARE NOT FOR SCANDALS

Do not be afraid of insult, disrespect, dishonour, abuse or
harsh words. Wear them as ornaments on your body.
Many worry themselves a lot if they hear a little scandal
about themselves. Don’t be afraid as these are vain sounds.
These are vibrations in the air. These are nothing. Allow scan
dals to enter through one ear and pass immediately through the
other ear. You are the immortal Atman where there is no sound.
Nothing can affect you. You are invulnerable.
25. GLORY TO THE CONTENTED!

A contented mind is a continuous feast. A man of content
ment is always peaceful and serene. Knowledge of the Self will
arise only in a man who is endowed with contentment.
Contentment is the sweet ambrosia to allay the three kinds
of fires, viz., Adhyatmic, Adhidaivic and Adhibhautic. He who
is not desirous of what he has not got, and who is free from ela
tion and dejection is said to be a contented man. Glory to such
exalted souls.
26. PEACE ABOVE ALL

When you feel extremely drowsy at night, you will not eat
if a very delicious dish is offered at the moment. You will not
care to attend any musical performance also. What you want is
peaceful resting.
This clearly proves that the mind wants rest but not ob
jects. Worldly people do not know where to find rest and how to
get it. They try to get this rest or peace from external objects.
They hopelessly fail to get this peace from these at each step.
Eternal rest or perennial peace can be had within one’s own Self
only through Self-realisation.
27. SIMPLICITY IS GRACEFUL

Simplicity is freedom from duplicity, affectation or preten
sion. In dress, in food, in character, in manners, in style, in all
things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. There is a majesty
in simplicity. Simplicity is Nature’s first step and the last of art.
Be what you say. Say what you are. Write as you speak.
Speak as you think. Be simple like a child. The door of Moksha
will be opened unto you.
The greatest truths are the simplest; and so are the greatest
men. Goodness and simplicity are indissolubly united. A sim
ple, frank man is the most agreeable man. Purity and simplicity
are the two wings with which man soars high to the Kingdom of
God.
28. GIVE UP DIPLOMACY

Diplomacy will only create suspicion and hatred in others.
You can win the hearts of others through frankness, love and
simplicity. You can capture the hearts of others through selfless
service and humility.
He who has renounced selfishness and he who is endowed
with courage, fearlessness, patience, mercy and cosmic love is
alone fit for attaining Immortality or Self-realisation.
29. THE FIVE REQUISITES

Five things are indispensable if you want to practise vigor
ous meditation and attain Self-realisation quickly. They are
Mauna, light diet or diet of milk and fruits, solitude with charm
ing scenery, personal contact with a teacher and a cool place.
Build through regular meditation a strong spiritual fortress
and a magnetic aura around you which cannot be penetrated
even by the mighty messengers of Maya or Satan. Your will
NOVEMBER 143
should be rendered strong, pure and irresistible by more Atma

Chintan, eradication of Vasanas, control of the senses and more
inner life.
30. HOW TO CONSERVE ENERGY

Conserve the energy by talking a little, observing Mauna,
controlling anger, observing Brahmacharya, practising
Pranayama and controlling irrelevant nonsensical thoughts.
You will have abundant energy at your disposal by having re
course to the above practices.
Abandon ruthlessly all sensual objects. They are the
wombs of pain. Develop gradually balance of mind. Subdue the
senses. Annihilate lust, anger and greed and behold the imper
ishable Atman.
DECEMBER
1. AN ASPIRANT AND A WORLDLY MAN

What does a passionate man do? He repeats the same igno
minious act again and again, fills his stomach as many times as
he can.
What does an aspirant with burning passion for Self reali
sation do? He takes a little milk and repeats the process of medi
tation again and again whole day and night and enjoys the
eternal Bliss of the Self. Both are busy in their own way. The
former is caught in the wheel of births and deaths and the latter
attains immortality.
The mind can be controlled by continuous practice. You
must keep it always occupied in divine contemplation. If you
slacken your efforts, idle thoughts will at once enter.
2. IMPORTANCE OF MORNING
MEDITATION
If you get up in Brahmamuhurta at 4 a.m., you will have a
clear and calm mind. There is a spiritual influence and mysteri
ous silence in the early morning hours.
All saints and Yogis practise meditation at this period and
send their spiritual vibrations to the whole world. You will be
highly benefited by their vibrations, if you start your prayer,
Japa and meditation at this period. You need not exert. The med
itative state of mind will come by itself. Practise meditation in
Brahmamuhurta.
(144)
DECEMBER 145
3. VOICE OF THE HIMALAYAS

Even a spark of desire is a very great evil. Watch each
sense or Indriya when it goes astray. Withdraw it. Practise ab
straction again and again. Curb your passion slowly through
Japa, prayer, meditation, Satsanga, study of scriptures and
Sattvic food. Be ever delighted in your own all-blissful Atman
or soul.
Meditation is death for the mind, the demoniac king of the
passions and the senses. The more you polish the surface of
your inner heart through practice of dispassion and meditation,
the more of the Lord’s Grace-effulgence will shine there. Never
become impatient in the spiritual path. Be patient. Be calm.
Strive, strive, strive!
Regular meditation makes the mind less powerful in its ex
trovert tendencies. Even a little victory in the inner battle with
your mind and senses will develop your power and give more
assurance and courage. But do not be swayed by success. Be
humble and grateful.
Far more precious than many gold and diamond mines is
the spiritual wealth of Self-realisation.
4. BECOME THOU A FLAME OF GOD

Just as the light is burning within the hurricane lamp, so
also the divine flame is burning from time immemorial in the
lamp of your heart.
Close your eyes. Merge yourself within the divine flame.
Plunge deep in the chambers of your heart. Meditate on this di
vine flame and become a flame of God. Withdraw the Indriyas
from the objects. Propitiate the Lord by your supreme Tapas.
Meditate on Lord Hari, get into the dazzling divine car and
reach the supreme abode of Vishnu.
5. THE GREAT MARCH

When you reach the spiritual summit of thoughtlessness
you will reach the abode of immortality and eternal peace and
supreme bliss.
O Ram, start your homeward journey. March boldly on the
spiritual path. Be not afraid of difficulties. Be bold. Ascend
peak after peak. Cross the deep ravines of subtle Moha and
pride that come in your way. Take a long jump and cross the
mystic frontier of Avyaktam. Chop the thoughts that wage a
guerilla war. Enter now into the infinite domain of pure bliss
and highest knowledge. Regain your old pristine divine glory.
6. FORMULAE FOR MEDITATION

Fire is generated in sacrifice by rubbing two pieces of
wood; even so, the fire of wisdom is generated by meditation on
the Supreme Self.
The mind is disciplined in the beginning by fixing it on
concrete object or symbol. When it is rendered steady and sub
tle, it can be fixed later on an abstract idea such as “Aham
Brahma Asmi.”
Meditate always, “I am pure consciousness. I am
Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman. I am the immutable Self-effulgent,
immortal Self. I am the silent Witness of the three states.”
7. THE STATE OF KAIVALYA

A desire arises in the mind and it is gratified. Another
arises. In the interval between two desires, there is perfect still
ness of mind.
But when the mind is concentrated on Brahman or Su
preme Self, it becomes one with Brahman like camphor with the
flame or salt with water or water with milk. Mind melts in Brah
DECEMBER 147
man. Mind becomes of the nature of Brahman. This is the state

of Kaivalya. Know the Brahman and be free.
8. THE FINAL UNION

You will have to pass through six stages of meditation and
finally you will enter into perfect superconscious state. Percep
tion of form will totally vanish. There is neither meditation nor
meditated now.
You will, in this state, attain the highest knowledge and the
eternal supreme peace. This is the goal of life. This is the final
beatitude of life. You are an enlightened sage or the illumined
Jivanmukta now. You are absolutely free from pain, sorrow,
fear, doubt and delusion. The bubble has become the ocean; the
river has joined the ocean and has become the ocean.
9. MEDITATION DISSOLVES DOUBTS

Regular meditation opens the avenues of the intuitional
knowledge, makes the mind calm and steady, awakens an ec
static feeling and brings the Yogic student in contact with the
source or the supreme Purusha.
If there are doubts, they are all cleared by themselves when
you march on the path of Dhyana Yoga steadily. You will your
self feel the way to place your footstep in the next rung of the
spiritual ladder. A mysterious inner voice will guide you. Hear
this attentively, O Yogindra!
10. IDLENESS IS NOT REST

Real rest can be had during meditation when the mind rests
in Atman. Change of work can give rest. Remaining idle with
out work and allowing the mind to wander about wildly like a
rutting furious elephant and building castles in the air cannot
bring rest.
The man who cannot fix his mind in meditation cannot

have knowledge of the Self. The unsteady man cannot practise
meditation. He cannot have intense devotion to knowledge of
the Self or any burning longing for liberation or Moksha. He
who does not practise any meditation cannot possess peace of
mind. How can there be happiness for the unpeaceful?
11. WASTE NOT PRECIOUS TIME

“The Yogi, labouring with assiduity, purified from sin and
perfected through manifold births, reacheth the Supreme Goal.”
If you can give up idle talks and gossiping and idle curios
ity to hear rumours and news of others and if you do not meddle
with the affairs of others, you will have ample time to do medi
tation. If worldly thoughts try to enter the mind during medita
tion reject them. Have steady devotion to truth. Be cheerful.
Increase the Sattvic materials in you. You can enjoy everlasting
bliss.
12. NEVER COMPLAIN OF ENVIRONMENT

Environments are not bad but your mind is bad. Your mind
is not disciplined properly. Wage a war with this horrible and
terrible mind. Do not complain against bad environments but
complain first against your mind. Train your mind first.
If you practise concentration amidst unfavourable envi
ronments, you will grow strong, you will develop your will
force quickly, you will become a dynamic personality. See good
in everything and transmute evil into good. This is real Yoga.
This is the real work of a Yogi.
13. THE RAZOR-PATH
WILL BECOME SMOOTH
The Vasanas are very powerful. The senses and mind are
very turbulent and impetuous. Again and again the battle must
DECEMBER 149
be fought and won. That is the reason why the spiritual path is
called the razor path in Kathopanishad. There is no difficulty for
a man of strong determination and iron will even on the razor
path. Strength comes from within at every step.
The mind-wandering will gradually cease through regular
meditation. Meditation will remove irritability also and aug
ment the peace of mind considerably.
14. THE MAGIC PILL

Try to identify yourself with the eternal immortal
ever-pure Atman that resides in the chambers of your heart.
Think and feel always: “I am the ever pure Atman.” This one
thought will remove all troubles and fanciful thoughts. The
mind wants to delude you. Start this anti-current of thought. The
mind will lurk like a thief.
There is no magical pill more efficacious than solitude to
remove the disease of Vikshepa (tossing of the mind).
14. SIGNS OF PROGRESS

Your mind will sometimes shudder when evil thoughts en
ter it. This is a sign of your spiritual progress. You are growing
spiritually. You will be much tormented when you think of your
evil actions committed in the past. This is also a sign of your
spiritual upheaval. You will not repeat now the same actions.
Your mind will tremble. Your body will quiver whenever a
wrong Samskara of some evil actions urges you to do the same
act through force of habit. Continue your meditation with full
vigour and earnestness. All memories of evil actions, all evil
thoughts, all evil promptings of Satan will die by themselves.
16. BE OF STRONG NERVES
An aspirant must be sensitive and yet possess the body and
nerves completely under control. The greater the sensitiveness
becomes, the more difficult is the task. There are many noises
which pass unheeded by an ordinary person but which are tor
tures to one who is very sensitive.
Untrained aspirants generally mistake their own imagina
tion and impulses for the “inner voice of divine command or in
tuition.” When the mind is Sattvic, you can get glimpses of
flashes of intuition.
17. LIVE IN THE PRESENT

Concern yourself with the present only. Do not look back
upon the past or the future. Then alone will you be really happy.
You will be free from cares, worries and anxieties. You will
have a long life.
Exercise Vichara and Viveka in your attempts. Do not
think of the past or the future. The past days of boyhood, your
days of schooling—are all dream when you are forty. You will
have to deal with the present only. The present is most impor
tant.
18. NECESSITY OF SECLUSION

Ekanath, Raja Janaka and others realised by doing spiritual
Sadhana while remaining in the world. The central teaching of
the Gita is to realise in and through the world. These people
were really Yoga Bhrashtas. It is absolutely impossible for the
vast majority.
Lord Jesus was missing for 10 years. Buddha went into se
clusion for 8 years in Uruvala forest. You can make a beginning
in the world but when you have made some progress, you must
shift yourself up for advanced practices to a suitable place
where you will find spiritual vibrations and solitude.
DECEMBER 151
19. PRACTISE IN DETACHMENT

A householder with Yogic tendencies and spiritual inclina
tions can practise meditation in a solitary and quiet room in his
own house or in any solitary place on the banks of any holy
river, during holidays or throughout the year if he is a
whole-time aspirant or if he has retired from service.
If you are a householder with a spiritual thirst for intense
Sadhana, you cannot all on a sudden sever your connection with
your people. Stay for a week or a month in seclusion to begin
with. Then gradually prolong the period. Then you will not feel
the least pangs of separation.
20. BRAHMACHARYA IS INDISPENSABLE

Semen or Virya tones the nerves and brain and gives en
ergy to the system. He who has preserved this vital force by the
vow of celibacy and sublimated it into Ojas Sakti, can practise
steady meditation for a long period. He only can ascend the lad
der of Yoga.
Without Brahmacharya no iota of spiritual progress is pos
sible. Brahmacharya is the very foundation on which the
superstructure of meditation and Samadhi can be built up. Many
people waste this vital energy—a great spiritual loss in
deed—and they become blind and lose their power of reason
under excitement. Pitiable indeed is their lot! They cannot make
any substantial progress in Yoga.
21. TRANSFORM THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Meditation on the immortal Self will act like a dynamite
and blow up all thoughts and memories in the subconscious
mind. If the thoughts trouble you much, do not suppress them
by force. Be a silent witness as in a cinema. They will subside
gradually. Then try to root them out through regular silent medi
tation.
The practice must be constant. Then only one can attain
Self-realisation surely and quickly. He who practises medita
tion by fits and starts for a few minutes daily will not be able to
achieve any tangible results in Yoga.
22. ALL POTENTIALITIES ARE WITHIN

In all man’s struggles and attempts at achieving any de
sired object, there is in reality no necessity at all for him to go in
quest of external forces to aid him. Man contains within himself
vast resources and inherent powers lying untapped or else only
partially made use of.
It is because he has allowed his faculties to get scattered on
a hundred different things, he fails to achieve anything great de
spite his inherent potentialities. If he intelligently regulates and
applies them, quick and concrete results will accrue.
23. CONCENTRATION FOR POWER

To learn to rationally and effectively use existing forces,
man need not wait for any striking new methods, etc., to be in
vented for guiding him.
Since the dawn of creation nature herself abounds in in
structive examples and lessons to aid man in every walk of his
life. Observation will tell us that every force in nature when al
lowed to flow loosely over a wide area moves slowly and with
comparatively less power than it would do if gathered together
in one mass directed through a single restricted outlet. The con
centrated application of a force makes for maximum results in
minimum time and effort.
DECEMBER 153
24. HOW TO DEVELOP CONCENTRATION

The powers of the mind are always scattered and resist at
tempts at concentration. This oscillatory tendency is an innate
characteristic of the mind stuff. Of the various methods em
ployed to curtail and arrest this tossing of the mind, those using
the medium of sound and sight stand prominent because these
two have peculiar knack of catching the attention and stilling
the mind.
Therefore in the course of spiritual discipline also the
methods of developing concentration take the form of gazing
steadily at a dot, or at the symbol of Pranava, or the Mantra or
the figure of the favourite chosen deity.
25. SELF-SURRENDER
A little consideration of what takes place around us every
day would show us that a higher law than that of our will regu
lates events; that our painful labours are unnecessary and alto
gether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous
action are we strong, and by contenting ourselves with obedi
ence we become divine. Belief and love will relieve us of a vast
load of care. O my brothers! God exists.
There is a soul at the centre of nature and over the will of
every man, so that none of us can wrong the universe. The
whole course of things goes to teach us faith.
Remember Him and attain immortality and Eternal Peace
right now.
26. UPASANA—THE HUMAN PREROGATIVE

Eating, drinking, sleeping, fear and copulation, etc., are
common in brutes and human beings; but that which makes one
a real man or a godman is Upasana. Upasana transmutes a man
into blessed divinity.
You will find in Gita—“But by devotion to Me alone, I

may thus be perceived, Arjuna, and known and seen in essence,
and entered, 0 Paranthapa.”
He who leads a mere outward sensual life without doing
any Upasana is an animal only though he wears outwardly the
form of human being.
27. GLORY OF SELF-SURRENDER

Self-surrender is one of the nine modes of Bhakti. The will
of the devotee becomes one with the Lord’s will and he enjoys
all divine splendour of the Lord.
The obstacles that stand in the way of self-surrender are
desires and egoism. The self-surrender must be totally unre
served, ungrudging and unconditional. Sometimes the devotee
keeps certain desires for his own gratification. The egoism is
very stiff and obstinate. It is like hard granite. It has to be split
asunder through constant hammering with the chisel of Bhakti.
28. THIS IS BEAUTY!

Minus skin, dress, ornaments, the human body is nothing.
Just imagine for a moment that the skin is removed. You will
have to stand by with a long stick to drive away crows and vul
tures. Physical beauty is superficial, illusory and fading. It is
skin deep only. Do not be deluded by external appearances. It is
the jugglery of Maya. Go to the source—Atman, the beauty of
the beauties, the everlasting beauty.
If your hair becomes grey, that is the first warrant from
Lord Yama. You must get ready to meet him. The wrinkles on
the face and the bending of the body will remind you of the war
rant.
DECEMBER 155
29. FAITH—THE INDEX OF CHARACTER

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, “Threefold is by nature the
inborn faith of the embodied—pure, passionate and dark
(Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic). The faith of each is shaped ac
cording to his own nature, O Bharata. The man consists of his
faith; that which his faith is, he is even that.”
Faith indicates what man’s character is. Have true perfect,
living, unswerving faith in God, in His grace, in the power of
His Name. Meditate and open yourself to the Divine Light. You
will be transmuted into Divinity. Faith can move mountains and
can give you peace, inner spiritual strength, joy, freedom, im
mortality and bliss.
30. HAIL! O LORD OF LORDS!

O hidden Love that pervades all objects! O power that sus
tains this vast universe! O Self-luminous Light that gives light
to the sun, the moon, the stars and the intellect! O adorable Lord
of this universe! O Deva of the Devas! O Lord of the Lords;
Thou art the womb of the Vedas! Thou art the Director or Gov
ernor of this universe. Thou art the life of my life, the Soul of my
soul, Prana of Pranas, the Mind of my mind, the Eye of my eyes;
the Ear of my ears, Thou art the beauty in flowers and land
scapes. Thou art the charm in the face and skin. Thou art the
Pranava of the Vedas. Thou art the sweet silence. Thou art the
Peace that dwells in the heart. Thou art Eternal Bliss. Thou art
the destroyer of Avidya or ignorance. Thou art the bestower of
immortality.
31. PRAYER TO THE SUPREME BEING

O Beauty! O Spiritual Imperishable Inexhaustible Wealth!
O Sweet Honey! O the light of Heavens! O the light of Devas or
celestial beings, O my dear relative, Thou art my body. Thou art
the Ovum. Thou art the germinal cell. Thou art the very life-ele
ment.
Thou art my eye. Thou art the black portion of the eye.
Thou art the inner pupil that moves within the eyes. Protect me.
Let not evil touch me. Let me forget this world. Let me remem
ber Thee always. Take me to Thy sweet bosom. Make me dwell
in Thee for ever.
OM TAT SAT
BRAHMARPANAMASTU
TWENTY IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Get up at 4 a.m. daily. This is Brahmamuhurta which is

extremely favourable for meditation on God.
2. Asana: Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa
and meditation for half an hour, facing the East or the North. In
crease the period gradually to three hours. Do Sirshasana and
Sarvangasana for keeping up Brahmacharya and health. Take
light physical exercises such as walking, etc., regularly. Do
twenty Pranayamas.
3. Japa: Repeat any Mantra as pure Om or Om Namo
Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya, Om Namo Bhagavate
Vasudevaya, Om Sri Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri
Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, according to your taste or inclina
tion, from 108 to 21,600 times daily.
4. Dietetic Discipline: Take Sattvic food, Suddha Ahara.
Give up chillies, tamarind, garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mus
tard, asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not
overload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind
likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eat simple food. Milk and
fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life
going. Eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a
month. You must be able to live on rice, Dhal and bread without
any chutney. Do not ask for extra salt for Dhal and sugar for tea,
coffee or milk.
5. Have a separate meditation-room under lock and key.
6. Charity: Do charity regularly, every month, or even
daily according to your means, say six paisa per rupee.
(157)
7. Svadhyaya: Study systematically the Gita, the

Ramayana, the Bhagavata, Vishnu-Sahasranama,
Lalita-Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, the Upanishads or the
Yoga Vasishtha, the Bible, the Zend Avesta, the Koran, the
Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to one hour
daily, and have Suddha Vichara.
8. Brahmacharya: Preserve the vital force (Veerya)
very, very carefully. Veerya is God in motion or manifesta
tion—Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya is all money. Veerya
is the essence of life, thought and intelligence.
9. Prayer Slokas: Get by heart some prayer Slokas,
Stotras and repeat them as soon as you sit in the Asana before
starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind quickly.
10. Satsanga: Have Satsanga. Give up bad company,
smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop
any evil habits.
11. Fast on Ekadasi: Fast on Ekadasi or live on milk and
fruits only.
12. Japa Mala: Have a Japa Mala (rosary) round your
neck or in your pocket or underneath your pillow at night.
13. Mouna: Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a couple
of hours daily.
14. Speak the Truth: Speak the truth at all costs. Speak a
little. Speak sweetly.
15. Reduce your wants: Reduce your wants. If you have
four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy,
contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have plain living arid
high thinking.
16. Never hurt anybody: Never hurt anybody (ahimsa
paramo dharmah). Control anger by love, Kshama (forgive
ness) and Daya (compassion).
TWENTY IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS 159
17. Do not depend upon servants: Do not depend upon

servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.
18. Self-analysis: Think of the mistakes you have com
mitted during the course of the day, just before retiring to bed
(self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction register. Do
not brood over past mistakes.
19. Fulfil duties: Remember that death is awaiting you at
every moment. Never fail to fulfd your duties. Have pure con
duct (Sadachara).
20. Surrender to God: Think of God as soon as you wake
up and just before you go to sleep. Surrender yourself com
pletely to God (Saranagati).
This is the essence of all spiritual Sadhanas.

This will lead you to Moksha.
All these Niyamas or spiritual canons must be rigidly observed.
You must not give leniency to the mind.

Daily Meditations

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Daily Meditations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Daily Meditations

A Guide to Better Living

©The Divine Life Trust Society

PRICE: Rs. 75/-

Published by Swami Padmanabhananda for

“A great thought is a great boon, for which

health back to you and renovating and overhauling your whole

4. BACK TO THE NATURE

5. FOOD FOR HEALTH

within his easy reach by natural ways of living and by observing

6. THE HUMAN BODY

7. HEALTH AND KARMA

substratum or source for the body and mind. Mental health is

10. FAST CURE

11. YOUR NATURAL HERITAGE

Brahman or the Absolute. Claim your birthright now this very

12. VALUE OF EXERCISE

13. NOT THIS PERISHABLE BODY

you, so also this body in which you are temporarily encased, on

14. SCIENCE CANNOT SOLVE THE

15. THE CURATIVE TRIUNE

mon basis is a right, cheerful and optimistic mental attitude.

16. THE BACKGROUND OF TREATMENT

17. DEVELOP CONCENTRATION

18. PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA

19. PRACTICE OF ASANAS

20. CULTIVATE CLEANLINESS

21. IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

five hours of sleep may be sufficient. Adults who do hard physi­

22. PRACTISE CELIBACY

23. HOW TO BEGIN YOUR DAY

Be regular in the practice of Asanas. Those who practise by fits

24. THE VITAL FORCE

25. THE SCIENCE OF RELAXATION

26. HOW TO RELAX

27. COOPERATE WITH NATURE

28. YOUR SYSTEM NEEDS REST

29. BE CHEERFUL ALWAYS

30. SHARE WITH ALL

be generous, be virtuous. Be serene, be self-controlled, be

1. THE POWER OF WILL

2. HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR WILL

ers, such as the power of judgment, power of memory, power of

3. ADAPT AND ADJUST

5. HAVE MASTERY OVER THE MIND

few items. If you keep several items which cannot be executed

9. NEED FOR A DEFINITE AIM

have no ideal, no clear-cut programme of life. Hence their life

10. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

11. BE NOT DIFFIDENT

Become a lion. Become a spiritual Lord. Become a cham­

12. THAT THOU ART

13. IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS

14. TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS

15. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE

16. MEMORY CULTURE

17. PRACTISE INTROSPECTION

18. CALM THE RIPPLES IN THE MIND-LAKE

19. NOW OR NEVER!

20. THE COSMIC WIRE-PULLER

21. WHAT IS VASANA?

22. WHAT IS MIND?

23. POSITIVE OVERCOMES NEGATIVE

five hours of sleep may be sufficient. Adults who do hard physi

Become a lion. Become a spiritual Lord. Become a cham

Pravntti Marga is the path of activity with detachment as the ba

Thine. All is Thine. Thy will be done.” Have perfect self-sur

ness and selfish Pravritti. It is the root-cause of human suffer

The mind of worldly persons is gross. It is unfit for con