Gurugram December 2018 | Preface
Blessed Self,
Om Namah Sivaya
Greetings from the Yoga Camp Sivananda Headquarters in Val Morin, Canada. 2018 has come and gone and we would like to take a moment to thank all of you who have made this year such a success! All of you were essential in continuing Master Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda’s mission of bringing peace and harmony into this world. You have all helped through your practice, through your prayers, through your effort to be the best that you can be amidst the adversities and challenges that we each face in this wonderful life journey.
Every student, every guest, every karma yogi and staff that have at any point passed through our Centres and Ashrams, have made possible for several others to benefit from these ancient teachings and practices. We would like to express our gratitude for your support which has been invaluable to us in order to maintain the locations and support other communities. Without your help we would not have been able to stretch our arms and help many other charities across the world to alleviate suffering and bring a helping hand.
This year we have been able to help support various schools, asylums, orphanages and more. We believe that with the support from all of you, we will be able to not only continue with this mission in this new year, but to expand even further. Being able to share our loving hearts and warm hands to help those who need.
May Master and Swamiji’s blessings be upon you all. May your new year be full of peace, joy and love!
We thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.
Spiritual Calendar
DECEMBER 2018 03 Ekadasi 06 Deepavali (Diwali) 07 New Moon 09 Swamijis Mahasamadhi 11 Swamijis Jalasamadhi 19 Ekadasi 23 Full Moon |
JANUARY 2019
01 Ekadasi |
Upcoming Courses
Dec 15/15 – Jan 13/19 Jan 04 – Feb 02/19 Jan 05 – Feb 03/19 |
Jan 06 – Feb 02/19 Jan 06 – Feb 02/19 Jan 19 – Feb 17/19 |
Quick Links
Raja Yoga
From Discourse II:
“Sadhana Pada – On Spiritual Disciplines”
II.33.
VITARKA-BADHANE-PRATIPAKSA-BHAVANAM
“When negative or harmful thoughts disturb the mind, they can be overcome by constant pondering over their opposites.”
Commentary:
The yogi is ever alert, watching his mind. When he sees useless thought waves arising, he immediately replaces them with positive thoughts, thus creating new mental habits that are conducive to spiritual growth. Be kind. Be compassionate. Be honest. Be sincere. Be truthful. Be bold. Be pure. Be wise. Be virtuous.
– Sri Swami Sivananda
Bhagavad Gita Quote
Chapter V: The Yoga of Renunciation of Action
V.3. JNEYAH SA NITYASANNYAASI YO NA DWESHTI NA KAANGKSHATI;
NIRDWANDWO HI MAHAABAAHO SUKHAM BANDHAAT PRAMUCHYATE.
(Krishna speaking to Arjuna)
He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasin who neither hates nor desires; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he is easily set free from bondage!
Commentary:
A man does not become a Sannyasin by merely giving up actions due to laziness, ignorance, some family quarrel or calamity or unemployment. A true Sannyasin is one who has neither attachment nor aversion to anything. Physical renunciation of objects is no renunciation at all. What is wanted is the renunciation of egoism and desires. An ordinary worldly man lives in his emotions. He lives in his lower mind. He has no idea of intuition. – Sri Swami Sivananda
Glossary
RISHI – a holy Hindu sage, saint, or inspired poet. A person of Self-realization. A visionary.
The outstanding quality that identifies Swami Sivananda from other beings is that he was a visionary. A visionary is known as a rishi. In the course of spiritual development and growth, people go through different stages of becoming stable in the higher consciousness. Stability of higher consciousness is perceived as the manifestation of a character. This character identifies a person, whether one is a sadhu, a mahatma, a saint, a sannyasin, a siddha, a bhakta yogi, a jnana yogi, a hatha yogi, or whatever. A visionary, a rishi, is the highest form of illumination, because in that stage of having established an identity with the higher consciousness, one is able to foresee the events of the future. What one foresees indicates how humanity is going to develop, what track it is going to follow. Visionaries are able to ease the process, to smooth the path for future generations. Rishis have the qualities of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence, Godhood.
Human beings associate and dissociate themselves just as two pieces of wood in a flowing river. When the time ripens, everything resolves itself into One. – Sri Swami Sivananda