Sivananda Yoga FAQ
Q 1: Life or death – which is more dreadful?
A: Life and death are both processes of gaining more and more fresh experiences in the progress of evolution tending towards the fruition of the wishes of the experiencer. Life is a scene where the individual puts on the dress or the form of a certain amount of desires special environment which can be fulfilled in the special environment afforded by it; and death is the time when the individual goes behind the screen and puts on a new dress to appear in another scene of life in order to fulfill another quality of desires which cannot find the required atmosphere for fruition in the present life, but demand a fresh suitable environment. Hence, when properly understood, neither of them is dreadful. Both are necessary processes of breaking barriers and tearing the veils in the path to Perfection. To the ignorant man, however, both are dreadful experiences. He imagines death to be more dreadful.
Q 2: Can asceticism lead to enlightenment?
A: Asceticism is really the austere life of sense-control and mental concentration lived for the purpose of devotional practices or spiritual meditations. True asceticism necessarily includes a strict observance of the moral and ethical disciplines, on the basis of which the higher practices are undertaken. Asceticism is a means to enlightenment in as much as it prepares the ground for meditation which leads to wisdom and realization. Sometimes, asceticism is taken in its narrower sense of bodily mortification alone. But this is a grave error and this alone cannot lead to enlightenment without the calming of the passions and discipline of the mind.
Q 3: How to develop Bhakti?
A: By Satsang, by repeating the Lord’s Name, doing Kirtan, hearing Kathas, reading the Ramayana, Bhagavata and the lives of Bhaktas – Bhakta Vijayam and Bhakta Lilamrita– Vishnu Sahasranama, Narada Bhakti Sutras and Sandilya Sutras. You must develop Vairagya. This is important. Live amidst Bhaktas. Live in Ayodhya. Respect Rama Nama. You will develop Rama Bhakti. Live in Vrindavan. Study Bhagavata. Do Japa of the Dvadasakshara Mantra, “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”. You will develop Krishna Bhakti.
Deep beneath the noise and storm on the surface, deep beneath the surging mental waves, there is that stupendous ocean of peace and stillness. Realize this through deep and intense meditation. – Sri Swami Sivananda
Quick Links
Spiritual Calendar
| JULY 2016
01 Ekadasi AUGUST 2016 02 New Moon |
Glossary
KRISHNA JAYANTI / KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI – (see Calendar)
This is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the Eighth Divine Incarnation.
It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). This is one of the greatest of all Hindu festivals. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this day, which is broken at midnight.
The Lord appeared when the moon entered the house of Vrishabha at the constellation of the star Rohini, on Wednesday, the 8th day of the second fortnight of the month of Sravana, which corresponds to the month of Bhadrapada Krishnapaksha, according to the Barhaspatyamana, in the year of Visvavasu, 5,172 years ago (from 1945), which means 3227 B.C.
According to traditional sources, the Janmashtami is observed on the day when the ashtami tithi occurs at midnight. If the ashtami tithi AND the Rohini nakshatra occur on the same day, then the observance is considered to be doubly sacred; otherwise the observance is held on the day on which the ashtami prevails at midnight. The vrata mainly consists of fasting, spending the whole night in the worship of Krishna, reciting hymns of praise and Krishna’s pastimes, reciting prayers from the Bhagavata, offering arghya to Krishna, and the parana or the ceremonial breaking of the fast. The next day is celebrated as Krishna Jayanti.
Though everything happens according to the Supreme Will, the Karma of the individual determines the form or shape of the experience that is to be had. – Sri Swami Sivananda