These are the stages of Sadhanas (Devotional Practices) for the purification of the soul:1)Sadhu-sanga or the company of holy men;
2)Sradha or faith in, and devotion to things relating to the spirit:
3)Nistha or single-minded devotion to one's ideal;
4)Bhakti or intense love of God;
5)Bhava or the state of speechless absorption in the thought of God and 6)Mahabhava - When Bhava is intensified, it is called Mahabhava. The devotee sometimes laughs and sometimes weeps like a mad man. He has completely conquered the flesh and has no consciousness of his body. This stage is not generally attained by ordinary souls but is attained only by Mahapurashas or Incarnations of God. 7)Prema or Most intense love of God. This goes hand in hand with Mahabhava. The two marks of this stage are: first, forgetfulness of the world; second, forgetfulness of self, which includes one's own body. This brings the devotee face to face with God, and he thus attains the goal of life ~Sri Ramakrishna~
SARADA- RAMAKRISHNA
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
story time - "HE BURNED HIS BOATS"
HE BURNED HIS BOATS
A long time ago there was a great General who was facedwith a situation which made it necessary for him tomake a drastic decision to insure his success on thebattlefield. He was about to send his army on shore toface a powerful enemy, whose men outnumbered his. Heloaded his soldiers into boats, and sailed to face theenemies on shore. When they reached the shore, heordered them to unload the soldiers and cargoes. Hethen ordered for all the ships and boats to be burned.Addressing his men before the battle, he said, “You seethe ships and boats going up in smoke. That means thatwe cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! Wenow, have no choice – either we win, or we perish.”TheyWON!
SUCCESS PRINCIPLES
Just like the General, we have to burn all our bridgesif we want to achieve success. There can be no room forretreat and we must have an attitude of, “Whatever ittakes”, taking into consideration that we can haveanything we desire provided we do not violate UniversalLaws and the rights of our fellow human beings. Do notdwell on the past. Move forward with confidence and wewill surely see success, unexpected in common hours.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds thestrength to persevere and endure in spite ofoverwhelming obstacles."
A long time ago there was a great General who was facedwith a situation which made it necessary for him tomake a drastic decision to insure his success on thebattlefield. He was about to send his army on shore toface a powerful enemy, whose men outnumbered his. Heloaded his soldiers into boats, and sailed to face theenemies on shore. When they reached the shore, heordered them to unload the soldiers and cargoes. Hethen ordered for all the ships and boats to be burned.Addressing his men before the battle, he said, “You seethe ships and boats going up in smoke. That means thatwe cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! Wenow, have no choice – either we win, or we perish.”TheyWON!
SUCCESS PRINCIPLES
Just like the General, we have to burn all our bridgesif we want to achieve success. There can be no room forretreat and we must have an attitude of, “Whatever ittakes”, taking into consideration that we can haveanything we desire provided we do not violate UniversalLaws and the rights of our fellow human beings. Do notdwell on the past. Move forward with confidence and wewill surely see success, unexpected in common hours.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds thestrength to persevere and endure in spite ofoverwhelming obstacles."
MAYA AND FREEDOM
In one form or another, we are all in it. It is a most difficult and intricate state of things to understand. It has been preached in every country, taught everywhere, but only believed in by a few, because until we get the experiences ourselves we cannot believe in it. What does it show? Something very terrible. For it is all futile. Time, the avenger of everything, comes, and nothing is left. He swallows up the saint and the sinner, the king and the peasant, the beautiful and the ugly; he leaves nothing. Everything is rushing towards that one goal destruction. Our knowledge, our arts, our sciences, everything is rushing towards it. None can stem the tide, none can hold it back for a minute. We may try to forget it, in the same way that persons in a plague-striker city try to create oblivion by drinking, dancing, and other vain attempts, and so becoming paralysed. So we are trying to forget, trying to create oblivion by all sorts of sense-pleasures. And this is Maya.
Two ways have been proposed. One method, which everyone knows, is very common, and that is: "It may be very true, but do not think of it. 'Make hay while the sun shines,' as the proverb says. It is all true, it is a fact, but do not mind it. Seize the few pleasures you can, do what little you can, do not look at tile dark side of the picture, but always towards the hopeful, the positive side." There is some truth in this, but there is also a danger. The truth is that it is a good motive power. Hope and a positive ideal are very good motive powers for our lives, but there is a certain danger in them. The danger lies in our giving up the struggle in despair. Such is the case with those who preach, "Take the world as it is, sit down as calmly and comfortably as you can and be contented with all these miseries. When you receive blows, say they are not blows but flowers; and when you are driven about like slaves, say that you are free. Day and night tell lies to others and to your own souls, because that is the only way to live happily." This is what is called practical wisdom, and never was it more prevalent in the world than in this nineteenth century; because never were harder blows hit than at the present time, never was competition keener, never were men so cruel to their fellow-men as now; and, therefore, must this consolation be offered. It is put forward in the strongest way at the present time; but it fails, as it always must fail. We cannot hide a carrion with roses; it is impossible. It would not avail long; for soon the roses would fade, and the carrion would be worse than ever before. So with our lives. We may try to cover our old and festering sores with cloth of gold, but there comes a day when the cloth of gold is removed, and the sore in all its ugliness is revealed.
Is there no hope then? True it is that we are all slaves of Maya, born in Maya, and live in Maya. Is there then no way out, no hope? That we are all miserable, that this world is really a prison, that even our so-called trailing beauty is but a prison-house, and that even our intellects and minds are prison-houses, have been known for ages upon ages. There has never been a man, there has never been a human soul, who has not felt this sometime or other, however he may talk. And the old people feel it most, because in them is the accumulated experience of a whole life, because they cannot be easily cheated by the lies of nature. Is there no way out? We find that with all this, with this terrible fact before us, in the midst of sorrow and suffering, even in this world where life and death are synonymous, even here, there is a still small voice that is ringing through all ages, through every country, and in every heart: "This My Maya is divine, made up of qualities, and very difficult to cross. Yet those that come unto Me, cross the river of life." "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." This is the voice that is leading us forward. Man has heard it, and is hearing it all through the ages. This voice comes to men when everything seems to be lost and hope has fled, when man's dependence on his own strength has been crushed down and everything seems to melt away between his fingers, and life is a hopeless ruin. Then he hears it. This is called religion.
Two ways have been proposed. One method, which everyone knows, is very common, and that is: "It may be very true, but do not think of it. 'Make hay while the sun shines,' as the proverb says. It is all true, it is a fact, but do not mind it. Seize the few pleasures you can, do what little you can, do not look at tile dark side of the picture, but always towards the hopeful, the positive side." There is some truth in this, but there is also a danger. The truth is that it is a good motive power. Hope and a positive ideal are very good motive powers for our lives, but there is a certain danger in them. The danger lies in our giving up the struggle in despair. Such is the case with those who preach, "Take the world as it is, sit down as calmly and comfortably as you can and be contented with all these miseries. When you receive blows, say they are not blows but flowers; and when you are driven about like slaves, say that you are free. Day and night tell lies to others and to your own souls, because that is the only way to live happily." This is what is called practical wisdom, and never was it more prevalent in the world than in this nineteenth century; because never were harder blows hit than at the present time, never was competition keener, never were men so cruel to their fellow-men as now; and, therefore, must this consolation be offered. It is put forward in the strongest way at the present time; but it fails, as it always must fail. We cannot hide a carrion with roses; it is impossible. It would not avail long; for soon the roses would fade, and the carrion would be worse than ever before. So with our lives. We may try to cover our old and festering sores with cloth of gold, but there comes a day when the cloth of gold is removed, and the sore in all its ugliness is revealed.
Is there no hope then? True it is that we are all slaves of Maya, born in Maya, and live in Maya. Is there then no way out, no hope? That we are all miserable, that this world is really a prison, that even our so-called trailing beauty is but a prison-house, and that even our intellects and minds are prison-houses, have been known for ages upon ages. There has never been a man, there has never been a human soul, who has not felt this sometime or other, however he may talk. And the old people feel it most, because in them is the accumulated experience of a whole life, because they cannot be easily cheated by the lies of nature. Is there no way out? We find that with all this, with this terrible fact before us, in the midst of sorrow and suffering, even in this world where life and death are synonymous, even here, there is a still small voice that is ringing through all ages, through every country, and in every heart: "This My Maya is divine, made up of qualities, and very difficult to cross. Yet those that come unto Me, cross the river of life." "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." This is the voice that is leading us forward. Man has heard it, and is hearing it all through the ages. This voice comes to men when everything seems to be lost and hope has fled, when man's dependence on his own strength has been crushed down and everything seems to melt away between his fingers, and life is a hopeless ruin. Then he hears it. This is called religion.
How to Live with God
One cannot grasp God through money, learning, intellect, or psychic powers. One needs love, devotion, detachment, humility, and self-surrender. One has to offer the body, senses, and mind to God and establish a relationship with Him through meditation on His name, form, qualities, action, and lila. M. established such a firm relationship with the Master that his mind was absorbed forever in Sri Ramakrishna. M. said: "Previously I would think that Master was my very own. My goodness! The more I thought of Him, the more I found that He was infinite! When He associated with us, He became truly one of our own, like father and mother. After a while that relationship would disappear and He would become the infinite, limitless consciousness - an ocean of knowledge, love, peace, and bliss! Sri Ramakrishna is our beloved. The more we try to know and love him, the closer we move to him. It is true that we are ordinary human beings, so we shall never be able to understand the infinite Ramakrishna. But if our efforts are sincere and forthright, out of mercy he will reveal his true nature to us. There is no other way to understand Him. (How to Live with God)
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vision of God
Question: “Then householders, too, will have the vision of God, won’t they?” Sri Ramakrishna: “Everybody will surely be liberated. But one should follow the instructions of the guru; if one follows a devious path, one will suffer in trying to retrace one’s steps. It takes a long time to achieve liberation. A man may fail to obtain it in this life. Perhaps he will realize God only after many births. Sages like Janaka performed worldly duties. They performed them, bearing God in their minds, as a dancing-girl dances, keeping jars or trays on her head. Haven’t you seen how the women in northwest India walk, talking and laughing while carrying water-pitchers on their beads?”
vision of God
Question: “Then householders, too, will have the vision of God, won’t they?” Sri Ramakrishna: “Everybody will surely be liberated. But one should follow the instructions of the guru; if one follows a devious path, one will suffer in trying to retrace one’s steps. It takes a long time to achieve liberation. A man may fail to obtain it in this life. Perhaps he will realize God only after many births. Sages like Janaka performed worldly duties. They performed them, bearing God in their minds, as a dancing-girl dances, keeping jars or trays on her head. Haven’t you seen how the women in northwest India walk, talking and laughing while carrying water-pitchers on their beads?”
6 Steps to a Stronger Mind
6 Steps to a Stronger Mind
Our minds are all we've got. They are the source of who we, both personallyand professionally, are. They determine our success or failure. They are ourstrength and our weakness. With the quality of our entire lives resting on our minds, it's unbelievablethat we choose to fill them with so much garbage. The amount of negativityfrom television, newspapers, tabloids and other media that bombards us on adaily basis is amazing. We would never think to fill our bodies with only junkfood, right? Heck no. We know that if we ate nothing but French fries and icecream we would experience negative consequences like skin blemishes, weightgain and rotting teeth. But with mental junk food we don't see the physical consequences right away.When our minds are constantly filled with negativity and bad news, our mindsbegin to decay. That's why we need to develop a strong, Herculean-esque mind.Developing your mental muscles will give you the power to accomplish anythingyou want in life. Sure, it takes some discipline on your part, but look at theworld's greatest bodybuilders. They don't show up at the gym every once in awhile. They create a workout schedule and they are at the gym every day, nomatter what. Hire yourself as your mental manager. Figure out how much you're going topay yourself and make up a job list. Here are six jobs to assign to yourselfto create a stronger mind.
1. Read Right - How much good news do you see in the newspapers? Editorsusually say, "If it bleeds, it leads." Not much chance of positivity there. So, read something else. Read books good books. Books that motivate you.Books that inspire you. Look up some of the great inspirational authors onamazon.com or in your local bookstore. Read them every morning and / or everynight, before you go to sleep.
2. Share Your Mind - Find someone, or a group of someone's, who have the samedesire to share positivity. This is called masterminding. Great successes arecreated when great minds come together and think about the same things.
3. Find A Mentor - I learnt a lot from my Mentor about life than I ever hopedto. Who are the people you admire most, whether you know them or not? Figureout whom you'd like to emulate and study them. If they offer seminars, attendthem. If they've written books, read them.4. Listen to Motivational/ Inspirational CDs and Tapes - This is one of themost important habits you can create for yourself. Find inspirational audiomessages and listen to them over and over. Earl Nightingale, one of the mostbrilliant thinkers of our time, had this to say on the subject: "Tapelistening is the most important advance in technology since the invention ofthe printing press." With audio tapes and CDs, speakers can reach 10 times asmany people as the printed word ever could.
5. Sign Up and Attend Seminars - The motivational messages you hear at seminars, and the inspirational people you meet, reinforce your self-esteemand positive thinking. You can search out seminars via the internet,newspapers or local colleges and universities.
6. Turn Off the Television - On average, the television set in a home is onover 4 hours a day. Just like any bad habit, it needs to be broken. I'm notsaying that all television is bad. No. I'm simply recommending that you cutback on your television viewing. Decide how long you're going to watchtelevision and then turn it off when you're time is up. Try cutting back your television viewing one hour every day at first. You can use that time to reada book, listen to a motivational tape, walk your dog or spend time with yourfamily. After reading these six steps maybe you're saying, "But, I can't do it. I justdon't know if I can be this dedicated to bettering myself? Who else are yougoing to be dedicated to if not yourself? Because when it comes right down toit, folks, you are all that you've got. Jobs and relationships come and go.Children grow up, leave the nest and get lives of their own. Then there youare, alone with yourself. Why not create a "you" you can be proud of."Amaze yourself; manifest your full potential." - Mark Victor Hansen
Our minds are all we've got. They are the source of who we, both personallyand professionally, are. They determine our success or failure. They are ourstrength and our weakness. With the quality of our entire lives resting on our minds, it's unbelievablethat we choose to fill them with so much garbage. The amount of negativityfrom television, newspapers, tabloids and other media that bombards us on adaily basis is amazing. We would never think to fill our bodies with only junkfood, right? Heck no. We know that if we ate nothing but French fries and icecream we would experience negative consequences like skin blemishes, weightgain and rotting teeth. But with mental junk food we don't see the physical consequences right away.When our minds are constantly filled with negativity and bad news, our mindsbegin to decay. That's why we need to develop a strong, Herculean-esque mind.Developing your mental muscles will give you the power to accomplish anythingyou want in life. Sure, it takes some discipline on your part, but look at theworld's greatest bodybuilders. They don't show up at the gym every once in awhile. They create a workout schedule and they are at the gym every day, nomatter what. Hire yourself as your mental manager. Figure out how much you're going topay yourself and make up a job list. Here are six jobs to assign to yourselfto create a stronger mind.
1. Read Right - How much good news do you see in the newspapers? Editorsusually say, "If it bleeds, it leads." Not much chance of positivity there. So, read something else. Read books good books. Books that motivate you.Books that inspire you. Look up some of the great inspirational authors onamazon.com or in your local bookstore. Read them every morning and / or everynight, before you go to sleep.
2. Share Your Mind - Find someone, or a group of someone's, who have the samedesire to share positivity. This is called masterminding. Great successes arecreated when great minds come together and think about the same things.
3. Find A Mentor - I learnt a lot from my Mentor about life than I ever hopedto. Who are the people you admire most, whether you know them or not? Figureout whom you'd like to emulate and study them. If they offer seminars, attendthem. If they've written books, read them.4. Listen to Motivational/ Inspirational CDs and Tapes - This is one of themost important habits you can create for yourself. Find inspirational audiomessages and listen to them over and over. Earl Nightingale, one of the mostbrilliant thinkers of our time, had this to say on the subject: "Tapelistening is the most important advance in technology since the invention ofthe printing press." With audio tapes and CDs, speakers can reach 10 times asmany people as the printed word ever could.
5. Sign Up and Attend Seminars - The motivational messages you hear at seminars, and the inspirational people you meet, reinforce your self-esteemand positive thinking. You can search out seminars via the internet,newspapers or local colleges and universities.
6. Turn Off the Television - On average, the television set in a home is onover 4 hours a day. Just like any bad habit, it needs to be broken. I'm notsaying that all television is bad. No. I'm simply recommending that you cutback on your television viewing. Decide how long you're going to watchtelevision and then turn it off when you're time is up. Try cutting back your television viewing one hour every day at first. You can use that time to reada book, listen to a motivational tape, walk your dog or spend time with yourfamily. After reading these six steps maybe you're saying, "But, I can't do it. I justdon't know if I can be this dedicated to bettering myself? Who else are yougoing to be dedicated to if not yourself? Because when it comes right down toit, folks, you are all that you've got. Jobs and relationships come and go.Children grow up, leave the nest and get lives of their own. Then there youare, alone with yourself. Why not create a "you" you can be proud of."Amaze yourself; manifest your full potential." - Mark Victor Hansen
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