Swami Shivapadananda on being calm

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s
notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 327

 

Do not be happy or sad, be the witness to both. Think: ‘I did this, but
who am I?’ Do this for twenty-four hours, it leads you straight to God.

Get God first, and the gerua [orange] cloth [monastic garb] second.
Always be a student, never be a master. This comes from detachment.

Sadhakas [spiritual aspirants, devotees] can renounce too. Keep the
gerua cloth in your room. Take a vow to God of renunciation of all desires.
That is all you need to do.

Accept all as God’s grace. Feel love and compassion. Suffering is ahimsa
[non-injury, non-violence], be prepared to accept it.

Watch your actions and thoughts. If they lead you towards God,
they are OK, and if away from God, they are not OK.

The guru is a great vibratory force. Offer your heart to God. First
repeat the guru mantra [sacred word, sound syllable or God’s names], then anything you like. You are the reflection of the
guru, so be loving in thought, word and deed.

The mantra soham [‘I am He’ – God] calms the mind when it is repeated
with the breath. This is important at the beginning. It builds heat in the body
and aids concentration. Pray thus: ‘O Divine Mother I desire to see you, hear
you, know you, as you really are: everywhere, as everyone.’ Leave all. Go
inside.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ below to find out about CDs of Swamiji speaking.

1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji’s
words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave
was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.