40 Tips for a better life! June 30, 2008

40 Tips for a Better Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to __________ today.’

5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did during the past year.

7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.

18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. I just did. May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door!

“AUM” June 30, 2008

Hari Om

The vibration ….. That sound ….that  WORD …as per Hindu Sanatan Dharma was ” A U M” OR “OM.” !

You are right when you say -
“You and I and others are no other than the One manifesting as the
apparent many”.

From the stillness came the sound……which is effect of ether ( sky ) Subtler than sky is “mind” (mann). Subtler than mind is “intellect”. Subtler than that is “I” (ego,Individuality). In the regime of “nature” the ego is the subtlest!
That “I” in fact is “existence” – when individuality is removed.
(Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahma … I am God ) Remove “I” and what remains is God ! “Only existence”. Thus It becomes common and same for all – one manifesting as many.
Sky is the cause of “air”. Air thus is grosser than sky. Air is the cause of “fire”. Fire is the cause of “water”. Water is the cause of “earth”. Thus you have 8 elements of Nature. Ego, Intellect, Mind, Sky, Air, Fire, Water and earth ( read Gita 7: 4 and 5)
Your existence – You are beyond them. So is God. Both are one only – one manifesting as many.
———————————————————-
The Word is God in time.
It is correct that Word is God in Time. It will be easy to understand if we rephrase it as Word and Time are in God.
In Gita, Lord Krishna says ” This whole universe is pervaded by Me,
in My unmanifest aspect. All the beings exist in Me but I do not dwell in them”

Ch 9 vs. 4.

As soon as God manifests, time is created. Time is a by-product of creation. The first manifestation of God is the Word, “OM” not in literal meaning but the pure sound.
The duality cannot exist without time, hence the creation of time. When pralaya takes place the duality ends and every thing merges in to one. This is the reason the four Yugas start (time zero) from that happening. Lord Krishna says, ” All beings, O’Kaunteya go in to
My nature at the end of each Kalpa (Measure of Time) and again at the beginning of next Kalpa (Measure of Time) I send them forth again. Ch 9 vs. 7

In Hindu thought, there are 6 philosophies regarding the relationship between the creator and the creation and each one differs from the other with some modification. Gita is the only scripture, which addresses all of them and provides a consolidated version of all six.

Live like a Lotus Petal- June 30, 2008

29th June, 2008, Sunday
Aashaad Krishna Ekadashi, Vikram Samvat 2065, Ravivar

One excellent, very easy, very straight forward point. That is – Do
not have any desires of any sort, whatsoever. Neither of God
(Paramatma, Supreme Consciousness), nor of Self (Atma, Individual
Consciousness), nor of the World, nor of Salvation, nor of
Benediction, have no desires at all and become silent. Become
still. Because God is present in all places, in the form of
stillness. If there is no want, no desire of any sort, then God can
be realized instantly, then Self-Realization can happen, then
perfection and complete fulfillment is attainable !

This is everyone’s experience that some desires are fulfilled and
others are not. It is not a rule that all desires will be
fulfilled. The fulfillment of all desires is not in our hands, but
it is in our hands to give up desires. When no more wishes, no more
desires remain, then you will be naturally situated in God (Supreme
Consciousness). You will have the realization (experiential
knowledge) of God. No wants, nothing to do, no place to go, no place
to arrive, nothing to study, nothing to practice, that is all there
is – only these simple points. In just these few words, everything
has been said entirely ! It is due to desiring something that we
expeirence bondage in this world. On leaving these desires
completely, once and for all, one becomes naturally, and on their
own, established in the Supreme Consciousness (Supreme Soul, God),
that is present everywhere, in entirety.

In all your activities remain neutral and impartial. Have no
attachment (likes) and aversion (dislikes).

“Tulasi mamata Ram so, samtaah sab sansaar
Raag ne rosh ne dosh dukh, daas bhaye bhav paa.” (Dohaavali 94)

There are actions and there are objects. Both these are in Nature
(Prakriti). While discontinuing the relationship with objects and
actions, become dependent on only God. Take refuge in only God,
That is It. You are already naturally established in God. In a
dream a lady’s child was lost. She was deeply distressed and
grieving. But when she woke up from her sleep, she saw that her
child is sleeping right next to her – The point of this message is
that wherever you are, there God IS completely and entirely.
Wherever you are, there itself become still !!

From last discourse in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji on June 29th,
2005 at Gita Bhavan, Swargashram, Rishikesh, India, where Swamiji
last resided.

Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram
Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram

Three years ago, on this day, early morning after Aashad Krishna
Ekadashi day (as per English calendar on 3rd July 2005), Swami
Ramsukhdasji left his mortal body and merged into Brahma – its
origin. He now continues to reside in all our hearts, through his
books and teachings, and his immortal principles.

Let us live our lives in accordance with these principles and ensure
that they never die. As Swamiji once said – The best service (Param
Seva) to a saint is to live your life as per his principles and thus
become like him. We all can do this best service to humanity and
Swamiji. Let us.

Swamiji, the jewel in God’s crown, shall always remain alive in our
hearts through his immortal teachings.

From Moderator…

Increasing awareness of Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Gita Press books
was one of his eternal aspirations. If you believe your family,
friends, and acquaintances will benefit from these daily Gita
messages or Gita-Talk group, please send us their email addresses
(these emails will be used for no other purpose – Guaranteed).
Please do not hesitate in this self-less work. Your duty is to give
your near and dear ones this opportunity, leaving the rest to the
Almighty One.

Thank you !

Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram
Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram

For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami
Ramsukhdasji’s website. http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

Continued….Sadhana-Soodha and Sadhu. June 3, 2008

Due to inner feeling of sacrifice and generosity, as his mind and attention moves away from inert objects, it will engage in Truth, Divinity, and Supreme Consciousness (God). Thereafter, he naturally and automatically becomes inclined and engaged in truth and divinity. The main idea that that he was holding at one time that happiness comes from external objects, will be wiped out. His aim and understanding of truth, divinity, existence, consciousness, and blissfulness, will be firmly established and he will naturally become realized and blissful.

On meeting, listening to discourses or through physical touch of such a realized soul, other souls will also become joyful. What then to speak off, he who is extremely blissful himself? In reality, only he is happy, who gives up his selfishness, wanting only what is beneficial for others and in return wants to take nothing for himself.

Some hold the opinion that by spreading the wealth out (taking from rich and distributing to the poor), all will become happy, but one must think about the kind of happiness that rich people really have. It is happiness mixed with sorrow, that creates within a burning sensation day and night. They are never at peace. Therefore the happiness that one gets from wealth, will be the kind that is mixed with sorrow. Also when the wealth is taken away from him, he will undergo immense suffering. Thus by putting others into difficulty, by taking away from others, how can the receiver be happy ? Rather, wherever wealth goes, there will be nothing but suffering, lack of peace and distress.

It is a principle that when the giver gives and only gives and the receiver has no desire to receive, then the giver will become generously philantrophic and experience joy. In this situation, the receiver too will experience joy in taking with an attitude of sacrifice. Therefore that nectar filled gift wherever it goes, will result in happiness – peace and will create an atmosphere of joy and happiness. Thereafter all will be happy and all will have the inner feeling of generosity, because happiness in not in the objects, happiness is in the generosity of our heart.

(to be cont’d)

From “Saadhan, Sudhaa, Sindhu” in Hindi pg 521 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

Ram Ram

For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami Ramsukhdasji’s
website.

http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

Sadhana-Sudhaa and Sadhu June 2, 2008

 the Universe the amount of wealth, food, grain, gold, cattle, and women that exist, they all in all, cannot satisfy a single man, nor are they even capable of doing so. Realizing this, become quiet within. Quieten the thirst, the longing within for more; as desires can never be quietened through the enjoyment of pleasures and acquisition of things. Rather just like when oil is added to a fire, the fire blazes with even greater intensity, similarly, through the enjoyment of sense pleasures, the impressions that are left in the mind, increases the desire for more sense enjoyment.

All desire happiness, but the means to attain happiness are only understood and seen in worldly things by them, therefore men are seen as attempting to acquire only these worldly things. With the number of people in this world, how can everyone get everything that they desire from the world ? All have rights to the things in this world, and the total number of available resources are limited, and those who desire for these things are many in number. When even one person cannot be entirely satisfied, then how will every person get everything ? Let us assume that everyone gets everything, then too, being happy with these things is an impossibility. The reason is that consciousness (Self, Soul) can only be satisfied by perfect Consciousness, not by imperfect and limited inert things. Let us say that the happiness that is perceived through affinity with the perishable objects, is itself seen as happiness; then too, the inert things are constantly changing and
perishing whereas the Self (Embodied Soul) is eternal and imperishable. Therefore how can the union of the two, remain eternally forever ?

Then how can one gain happiness? What is the solution for happiness ? The solution is – the desire and aim of attaining divinity, (Supreme Consciousness) and following righteousness and virtuousness. The reason is – when our behavior is righteous and fair, when we have no desire for anything beyond what is rightfully ours, then true happiness is possible. And this will come about when there is feeling of sacrifice and generosity within you. If we are able to give up those things that we think will give us happiness, and with a generous feeling if we desire to give to others and not take from others, then the things will automatically become plentiful, and the number of takers of those things will become fewer. At that time, the fruits of our generosity, the divine energy and more will work to it’s fullest power, whereby the things will increase in productivity and what we already have will be protected. Thus happiness will pervade every where.
(cont’d)

From “Saadhan, Sudhaa, Sindhu” in Hindi pg 521 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

Ram Ram

For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami Ramsukhdasji’s
website.

http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

Self ? Doership-Enjoyership! June 2, 2008

In the Self there is no doership or enjoyership in the least bit – “naivam cinchitkaroti sah,” (Gita 4:20), “naiva cinchitkaromeeti” (Gita 5:8). Whatever actions have been performed in the 8.4 million forms of life, none of them can reach the Self, because the department of Self is totally different from the department of action. So long as a spiritual aspirant performs actions for himself, his sense of doership (egois) persists, because without a sense of doership, performance of an action for one’s own self cannot be proven. Therefore those spiritual disciplines which are practices for one’s own salvation, continues to keep the ego safeguarded as-is. Whatever actions are done with egoistic notion cannot ever lead to one’s upliftment and salvation, because egoism is the root cause of bondage (cycle of birth and death). Therefore a spiritual aspirant should not give importance to activity, and instead give importance to the Self.

The body’s relationship is with the world, and the Self’s relationship is with Supreme Consciousness (God). The body is a part of Nature, whereas the Self is a part of Supreme Consciousness. Rather, it is not possible for the Self to be ever established in the body. But man out of his ignorance, assumes himself to be established in the body. In this there is a vital fact that a man inspite of assuming himself to be established in the Self, does in fact not become a doer or enjoyer – “sharirasthopi kaunteya ne karoti ne lipyate.” (Gita 13:31). It proves that the realization of the Self as not being a doer or enjoyer is not attainable through any spiritual practices, rather it is a natural state. Therefore a spiritual aspirant is not to try to wipe out doership and enjoyership, rather he is not to accept it at all in the Self; because in reality, they are not in him. In Gita, God has explained the abscence of enjoyership by giving the illustration of ether and the
abscene of doership by giving the illustration of the sun

“As the all pervading ether due to it’s subtleness, cannot be tainted, so the Self (Soul, Atma), being omnipresent and permeating everywhere, is not tainted by the body.” (Gita 13:32)

“Yatha sarvagatam saukshmyaadaakaasham nopalipyate
sarvatraavasthito dehe tathaatmaa nopalipyate.” (Gita 13:32).

Divinity (existence) cannot rest in the body or in Nature (prakriti). It is all pervading like ether – “nitya sarvagatah” (gita 2:24). It pervades all bodies, within and without. That all pervading divinity alone is our nature.

From “Manav Maate Kalyaan Ke Liye” in Hindi pg 92, in English pg 94 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami Ramsukhdasji’s
website.

http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

Happyness and Unhappyness June 1, 2008

That which appears to be favorable to the mind and senses is deemed as happiness and that which appears to be unfavorable to the mind and senses is deemed as unhappiness. This is the definition and explanation of happiness and unhappiness that is commonly understood among most people.

We think that by getting food, clothing, house, car, property, land, knowledge, medicines and other things cheaply and in abundance we will become happy. But think through this more deeply – those that have these aforesaid things in great abundance, are they truly happy ? Not in the least bit, because with the increase of material abundance, their longing for it grows, and this longing for material things is the root cause of unhappiness.

In the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjun asked God about the root cause of sin leading to sorrow and unhappiness, God responded that it is “desire” (craving, longing) which is the main reason why one commits sins. The real reason for unhappiness is only desire (craving, longing). Wherever you see people who are unhappy whether it be in prison, in hell, on anywhere, if you investigate the reason they are in their current state, you will conclude that either they had some desire and craving for something in the past or in the present they are longing for something that they do not have. By desiring, one does not attain things. Even the world does not give to those who desire, rather they want to give forcefully, willingly and gladly to those who do not want anything.

In this world, if a person gets everything to his liking and as his mind desires, then too, he will not be satisfied. Rather his longing for more will continue to increase “jimi pratilaabh lob adhikaayi”. The reason for increased craving is that he is experiencing something lacking within himself, and as long as there lies this feeling within of some void, something missing, till that time how can there ever be happiness? Rather there will only be increasing unhappiness.

If you think about this deeply, then you will realize that happiness is not due to acquiring things, rather by attaining anyone or anything, the unhappiness resulting from craving or longing for more, further increases. (to be cont’d)

From “Saadhan, Sudhaa, Sindhu” in Hindi pg 520 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

Ram Ram

For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami Ramsukhdasji’s
website.

http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org