Gurugram March 2020 | Preface

Greetings from the Sivananda Headquarters.

NEWS

“Unite for a Peaceful Planet” – a gathering of 100,000 minds to bring about a shift in World consciousness.

When a certain percentage of people in the world align their minds at the same time with a strong positive intention, this can neutralize the chaos and unrest generated by negative thinking, ignorance, and greed.

The mantra Om Namo Narayanaya was given to humanity to be used in time of need to generate powerful waves of harmony and peace.

The Sivananda Organization is launching this “Unite for a Peaceful Planet” worldwide peace action, starting with a gathering of 100,000 available Sivananda meditation practitioners across the globe, once a month, for a 30 minute practice of meditation, positive intention and repetition of the peace mantra, Om Namo Narayanaya.

We invite all yoga students and anyone wanting to help creating a positive future for humanity to participate in this large scale peace mission. Let us join in this effort to bring about a shift in the world consciousness.

When: Every 1st Sunday of the month at 2pm France Time = 1:00pm UTC/GMT
Next session: 1 March 2020 at 2pm France Time = 1:00pm UTC/GMT

The focus of our meditation will be the unity of all beings including our home, planet earth, as well as raising awareness towards global warming.

To participate in this peace action, please register at https://sivanandaorleans.org/unite-for-a-healthy-planet/

You will then receive an email with guidelines on the Unite for a Peaceful Planet project.
Om Shanti, – Ashram de Yoga Sivananda, Orleans France

All life is one, all people are members of one human family, all are expression of the One Self – Swami Sivananda

The Sivananda Organization is also very pleased to announce a new feature on our International website. A series of articles by Swami Vishnudevananda, has been collected and edited from his talks, Satsangs and lectures given over the years to students, guests and disciples on the Five Points of Yoga and the Four Paths of Yoga. The intention is a new article will be added to the Articles feature on sivananda.org website every two weeks at https://articles.sivananda.org/

Articles can also be accessed through the top black bar on the sivananda.org website, where it says “Subscribe to our Daily Teachings | Read our YOGALife, Articles & Gurugram”. The articles can also be accessed through About>Publications>Articles.

We pray that the availability of these teachings will inspire you to go deeper into your practice and serve as a guide along the spiritual path.

May there be many blessings to the Sivananda family for the year to come. We thank you all for your continued support in sharing the teachings and the mission of Sivananda Organization. We strive to share with humility and truth, becoming stronger and better instruments to carry on the work without compromising the authenticity of the message. Pranams to all.

Love all. Serve all. Behold the Self in all. Have a broad vision. – Sri Swami Sivananda

2019 TTC courses can be viewed here on the NEW Sivananda website.

See the full list of other international courses and events: https://www.sivananda.org/

Crave for a thing, you will get it. Renounce the craving, the object will follow you by itself. – Sri Swami Sivananda

Chapter IV: “Kaivalya Pada – On Realization”

IV.34. PURUSARTHA-SUNYANAM GUNANAM PRATIPRASAVAH KAIVALYAM SVARUPA-PRATISTHA VA CITI-SAKTER ITI

“Kaivalya” (liberation) is that state in which the “Gunas” (qualities of nature) attain equilibrium and merge in their cause, having no longer a purpose in relation to Purusha (the Soul). The Soul is established in its True Nature, which is Pure Consciousness.’

Commentary:
Liberation occurs when the gunas no longer have an effect. The three qualities of nature rest in balance, ceasing to go through change, for their purpose has been fulfilled. Then, the yogi can no longer be called an individual, for he is Purusha (the Soul) itself.

Tyaga and Tapas will give you tremendous powers. Be not cheated by the temporary pleasures of the world – car, property etc. – Sri Swami Sivananda

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, narrated in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is comprised of eighteen discourses, with a total of 701 Sanskrit verses. The timeless scene takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Sri Krishna, through a swift conversation with Arjuna, reveals profound, sublime and soul stirring spiritual truths, plus, rare secrets of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and Karma. Those who study, and endowed with Faith, can reap the full benefits of the Bhagavad Gita, and the science of the Soul.

We continue reviewing Swami Sivananda’s summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

The Yoga of Meditation – Summary of Sixth Discourse:

Sri Krishna emphasizes once again that the Yogi or Sannyasin is one who has renounced the fruits of actions, not the actions themselves. The performance of actions without an eye on their fruits brings about the purification of the mind. Only a purified mind, a mind free from desires, can engage itself in constant meditation on the Atman. Desire gives rise to imagination or Sankalpa, which drives the soul into the field of action. Therefore, none can realize permanent freedom and tranquillity of mind without renouncing desires.

The lower self must be controlled by the higher Self. All the lower impulses of the body, mind and senses must be controlled by the power of the higher Self. Then the higher Self becomes one’s friend. He who has perfect control of the body, mind and senses and is united with God, sees God in all objects and beings. He sees inwardly that there is no difference between gold and stone, between friends and enemies, between the righteous and the unrighteous. He is perfectly harmonized.

Sri Krishna proceeds to give various practical hints as to the practice of meditation. The aspirant should select a secluded spot where there is no likelihood of disturbance. He should arrange his meditation seat properly and sit in a comfortable posture, with the head, neck and spine erect but not tensed. He should fix his purified mind on the Atman by concentrating between the eyebrows or on the tip of the nose.

The practice of Brahmacharya is absolutely necessary if one is to succeed in meditation. The conservation and transformation of the vital fluid into spiritual energy gives immense power of concentration. Fearlessness, too, is an essential quality on the Godward path. It is faith in the sustaining protection and Grace of God.

The aspirant is advised to practice moderation in his daily habits—in eating, sleeping, recreation, etc. Extremes are to be avoided as they hinder the practice of meditation. Living a life of such moderation, and gathering up all his forces and directing them towards meditation upon the Atman, the aspirant gradually transcends the senses and intellect and merges himself in the blissful Atman. He finds that the bliss of the Atman is incomparable, that there is no gain greater than the Self. Having thus attained perfect union with the Self, the Yogi no more descends into ignorance or delusion. He does not relish any more the pleasures of the senses.

Lord Krishna again emphasizes that the concentration of the mind on the Atman should be like a steady flame in a windless place. This ultimately leads to the vision of the Lord in all beings and creatures. Arjuna is doubtful whether it is at all possible to engage the mind steadily on the higher Self, as its very nature seems to be one of restlessness. Krishna assures him that the practice can succeed through Vairagya (dispassion) and constant effort.

Arjuna wishes to know the fate of the aspirant who fails to realize the Supreme in spite of his faith and sincerity. Krishna tells him that the accumulated power of his Yogic practices will assure him a better birth in the future, with more favourable conditions for Sadhana. The aspirant will then be compelled to carry on his Yogic practices with greater vigour and faith and will finally achieve God-realization.

Krishna concludes that the Yogi—one who has attained union with the Supreme Lord—is superior to the ascetics, to the men of book knowledge and the men of action, as the latter have not transcended ignorance and merged in the Self.

Prepare the soil of your heart. The Guru will appear before you to sow the spiritual seed. – Sri Swami Sivananda