The Gunas – Satva, Rajas and Tamas

The Yogi separates himself from the three gunas (qualities) and attains kaivalya (liberation). By increasing the satvic modifications of the mind such as kṣama (patience), love, mercy, magnanimity, generosity, truthfulness, celibacy, you can destroy the rajasic and tamasic mental vrttis. Internal fight is ever going on between gunas – satva, rajas and tamas, between good…

Honest Want Is Prayer

By sincere prayer you put yourself in a receptive mood. You become a good receiver. You tune your heart radio. Prayer is a form of tuning. Once you tune your heart through prayer, you get all the cosmic things. Whatever you pray for, you get. Pray for peace, you are tuning your radio to the…

A Pilgrimage

When God wants you to pray, then God creates some uncomfortable situation. God makes you run out of gas, or maybe something much worse. That’s why we say, “Adversities are blessings in disguise.” When we face situations like that, when we face a crisis, we think of God more. At other times we do think…

God Never Takes Sides

God is neutral. God never takes sides. You should also be that neutral, that pure. Don’t ever discriminate between people. Don’t ever look down on anybody. See the same spirit functioning through all the various bodies and minds.  

Laugh at It and Be Brave

Question: I have a vision defect which, with other problems, leads to despair and a feeling that I am only awaiting death. What can I do? Answer: What a pity. Why should you await death? Don’t think that seeing with the eyes is the most important thing. Do you think people who can see well…

Don’t Do It Halfway

If you want to experience the truth that everything happening is the Divine Will, you have to accept it totally. If you sleep, it’s the Divine Will that makes you sleep. If you overeat, it’s the Divine Will that makes you overeat. If you fall sick, that’s Divine Will also. You must accept it all…

Union with God

The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’ which means ‘to join’. By the practice of yoga, the individual soul (jivatma) is united with the supreme soul (paramatma). Yoga means union with God. Then all samsara (cycle of birth and death) comes to an end. Yoga kills all sorts of pain – miseries and…

Universal Love

Hatred will not eliminate hatred. You can never make someone love you by hating him or her. Don’t retaliate. Just let your nature be giving and loving. That’s God’s love, an outpouring with no expectation for anything back. Love knows no bargain, it only gives and gives and gives. That’s what is called universal love.…

See God’s Hand

If you have complete trust in God, you learn to accept whatever comes to you. There is no demanding in your life because you know, “Whatever I deserve, God is the one who is giving it to me. If I don’t deserve something, God is the one who takes it away.” But God won’t come…

Spiritual Progress

Take stock of the past year. Turn back the leaves of your spiritual diary. Mark your spiritual progress. Note how far you have advanced in cultivating virtues, like humility, courage, truthfulness, cosmic love, purity, etc., and in the control of the senses. Even if there is a set-back in certain things, nil desperandum. March forward,…