Talks Excerpt 233. Swamiji highlights the need for deep breathing.

From Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Om must be the goal in the householder’s life. First a couple must live in such a way as to please the Creator. Then, in the love from the Creator, you must give to neighbours and friends.

We cannot fly with one wing, we must have two. Be like a fruit tree – it does not eat its own fruit, it gives it to others. This leads to love.

Be happy on the same path. What makes one happy depends on the other. The sun gives light to others, not to itself. The river never drinks its own water, it gives it to others. A husband and wife must live like this. Nothing comes without sacrifice – there must be great sacrifice on both sides.

[Spoken after Shivaratri]: You worshipped Lord Shiva all night, and repeated his name with devotion and without devotion – it does not matter so long as you did your best.

Discrimination [viveka] is the sword to cut down the tree of worldliness. Cut it down so that it will not re-grow.

In your household life there is knowledge of God too.

The Vedas also give you birth and death. And you go to heaven or hell. You should not fall asleep.

God, out of His grace, has created this divine lila. That’s why Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘This is a mansion of mirth.’ But this can only be said if you regard life as a divine lila.

Do good and rise above worldliness.

There is a great difference between shallow breathing and deep breathing. Shallow breathing is not good because you are not taking in enough oxygen, and when you breathe out, you do not breathe out enough. We need fresh air for the cells.

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These recordings or the excerpts from them, were made from the early 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to an individual or a group of people with him, at the time.