Gurugram May 2020 | Preface

Greetings from the Sivananda Headquarters.

NEWS

Presently, we are in the most difficult period of our lifetime with this strange COVID-19 virus pandemic. Our prayers and hearts goes out to everyone as we watch COVID-19 bring, not just one country but the entire World to a stand still. In the beginning of this pandemic, humanity was in shock and disbelief how quickly this virus could spread. Every Sivananda location worldwide was shut down overnight. In the quiet we were reminded of Master and Swamiji’s teachings – when everything is flowing against us, rise up to help each other. We are all in the same boat. We are all members of one human family. As quickly as the virus spread, at lightning speed and the help of technology, we started offering online classes to support, uplift and motivate everyone under lockdown. To our surprise, the asana classes, Satsangs and courses began reaching a wider international audience than even when our Ashrams and Centres were open. We received an immense amount of positive response and feedback from participants on how helpful the teachings were during these difficult times. We continue to offer more and more classes and courses online, including spiritual counselling online, with qualified professionals for those seeking the help.

Remember, the Sivananda Organization will continue doing whatever possible to help humanity. Stay strong. Stay safe. Stay connected. Turn inward. Do your practice. Take care of yourself, take care of others. With Master and Swamiji’s grace, may all be well in health and free from fear. Pranams to all.

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

Another way to connect is to join us for meditation and chanting session on Sunday 3rd May 2020 (see below) or chant bhajans with others through Live Facebook, Skype or Zoom; join our online Satsangs and courses; connect with a group study of a scripture, and last, but not least, practice karma yoga. Please watch out for others. Look out for any opportunity to connect with someone, even for a short while, keeping them cheerful and away from anxiety. There are so many ways we can help others.

As Swami Sivananda would say “Always look out for the chance to serve.” Now we have the perfect time.

Our prayers are with you all at this time, and with the grace of the Gurus and God together we can emerge from these trials stronger and more committed to peace on this earth. Health and Peace to all.

UNITE FOR A PEACEFUL PLANET
The Gathering of 100,000 Minds

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 has launched a worldwide peace action, gathering 100,000 meditation practitioners across the globe at the same time, once a month, every 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 create a positive future for humanity to participate at home in this large scale peace mission. The focus of our meditation will be the unity of all beings, including our home and Planet Earth. To participate in this peace action, please register on our web site at https://sivanandaorleans.org/unite-for-a-healthy-planet/

UNITE FOR A PEACEFUL PLANET Meditation and Chanting – Sunday May 3rd 2020 at 1:00pm UTC/GMT

Through all this, may there be many blessings to the Sivananda family. 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.

Desirelessness is the highest form of purity. – Sri Swami Sivananda

Please check with each TTC/ATTC location whether COVID-19 has affected your selected course.

All upcoming 2020 TTC, ATTC and Sadhana Intensive courses can be viewed here “TTC | ATTC | SI – Calendar” on the NEW Sivananda website, under the tab, Teachers’ Training. You can now conveniently apply for Teacher Training Courses online on the new Sivananda Organization website – www.sivananda.org

Truth is simple. Truth always expresses itself with the greatest simplicity. – Sri Swami Sivananda

Discourse III: “Vibhuti Pada – On Divine Powers”

III.18. SAMSKARA-SAKSATHKARANAT PURVA-JATIJNANAM

‘By perceiving “samskaras”(subtle impressions) comes knowledge of the previous birth’.

Commentary:

When ‘samyama’ is performed on the ‘samskaras’, or habitual impressions of one’s mind, knowledge of past births comes. This is because of the Karma that must be worked out in this life depends on the impressions carried over from past lives that were not dealt with at the time.

The essential condition of spirituality is the annihilation of the lower self. – 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 the Imperishable Brahman – Summary of the Eighth Discourse:

Lord Krishna explains how those who attain Him do not have to come again into this impermanent world of sorrow and pain. All beings, including even the gods, come again and again into this created universe from the state of unmanifest being wherein they remained at the end of an age-cycle. But the Lord exists even beyond this unmanifest being. That radiant, imperishable Divine Reality is the highest goal to be attained. Single-minded devotion of our heart is the means of attaining this highest blessed state.

Even though there are auspicious and inauspicious circumstances of departing from the physical body and journeying forth, yet if one steadily abides in the Lord through firm devotion and faith, then these conditions do not matter. By always remaining in tune with the Lord through pure love, everything is made auspicious, if one can ever remain united with the Divine through deep devotion, constant remembrance, regular meditation and continuous communion, then all times, places, conditions and situations become auspicious and blessed.

This is the secret of invoking His Grace and attaining Him and becoming eternally free and blissful. Arjuna here asks Lord Krishna about the meaning of the different terms referred to by Him in the last two verses of the previous chapter. He wishes to know what is the Supreme Being, what is Karma or action that He refers to, and what is the meaning that pertains to this spirit, the elements and the Centre of all things within this human body.

Beyond all things manifest and unmanifest, beyond these names and forms, there is the Supreme Being—Brahman. He indwells this body as the Centre of all things, including even our own self (individual soul). We are a spiritual being residing in this body and supported by the Silent Witness within—the Supreme Antaryamin. Prakriti or Nature is the being pertaining to the elements. Worship, prayer and offering to the gods with faith and devotion constitute actions that lead to blessedness.

The secret of reaching the Divine Being and thus freeing oneself forever from birth and death and the pains and sufferings of this earth-life, is to constantly practise unbroken remembrance of the Lord at all times, in all places and even amidst one’s daily activities. If one practises such steady remembrance through regular daily Sadhana, then he will be rooted in His remembrance even at the time of departing from this body at death. Thus departing, he will go beyond darkness and bondage and attain the realm of eternal blessedness.

One must practice sense-control. The senses must be well disciplined and gradually withdrawn from outside objects. The mind should be Centreed within upon God, by uttering Om or any Divine Name. By such steady practice daily the Lord is easily attained.

When a person identifies with this illusory world, the ego predominates and he/she acts without wisdom, thereby incurring new karma within. – Sri Swami Sivananda