Season of Light

Achariya Fritz Kramer
Speaks on: "SEASON OF LIGHT"
Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 11:00am

This week, sparkling lights will be hung from the Temple to honor our entrance into the season of holy days. Let this beautiful adornment outside serve as an invitation to come inside from the cold and begin to meditate upon this divine Season of Light. We will join together this Sunday to consider the role of our holiday preparations. Over the following weeks we will not only deck our halls, but lift our hearts and minds to the purest ideals of the Absolute. Following the service, please join us for our annual tree-trimming, as we beautify our Temple, and embrace that holiday spirit. —Acharya Fritz

 From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

"All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. Know that there is no darkness around us. Take the hands away and there is the light which was from the beginning."

—Swami Vivekananda

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

"God himself is the Cosmic Light. The worship of the sun has been called a pagan custom but do not all churches have lights on their altars? Throughout time, man has worshiped light as a symbol of illumination, the ray of divinity which seeks to shine forth within each and every one of us."

—Swami Premananda 

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

"Each year at Christmastime there are stronger than usual vibration of Christ-love and joy that emanate to earth from the heavenly realms. The ether becomes filled with the Infinite Light...Those persons who are in tune through devotion and deep meditation feel in a wondrously tangible way the transforming vibrations of the omnipresent consciousness."

—Swami Yogananda

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Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

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"Again the light blazes for me.
Again I see the light clearly.
Again it opens the skies;
again it drives away the night.
Again it reveals everything."

—Simeon "The New Theologian"
 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Light again and the one who brings light!
Change the way you live!"

—Rumi, "The Essential Rumi," translated by Coleman Barks

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield is strength.
Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This is called practicing eternity."

—Lao-tzu, "Tao Te Ching," translated by Stephen Mitchell

Infinite Wisdom

Srimati Carrie Trybulec
Speaks on "INFINITE WISDOM"
Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 11:00am

We may not learn all we desire to know in life. We may not understand all the facts. But we can live by the wisdom of God, the infinite wisdom of soul. In realization of the supreme self of us all, we are guided by the light of true wisdom.  —Srimati Carrie

  
From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

“Wisdom is illumination by the light within. It permeates the spirit of things, finding the essence of harmony. It ascends to the Truth and Beauty of God.” 

—Swami Kamalananda, "The Mystic Cross"

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

“Explore all the teachings and manifestations of Truth: Study the wisdom of the ancients. Search the hidden secrets of the cosmic nature. Then know at last that they all are but echoes of the one voice of your own soul reverberating throughout life with the eternal assurance: ‘I am. I know. I love.’”

—Swami Kamalananda, "Reflections on Still Waters"

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

“With the enlightenment of thy wisdom awaken me to the full cognition that I am the transcendental spirit sojourning within this body only to meet thee in the universe of time and space.” 

—Swami Premananda, " Prayers of Self-Realization"

* * * * * * * * * * *
 
“The self appears to be conditioned by virtue of ignorance. But when that (ignorance) is destroyed, the unconditioned self shines by its own light, like the sun when the clouds have disappeared.

“The very nature of the self being knowledge, it does not depend, for a knowledge of itself, on any other knowledge, in the same way as a light does not need another light to reveal itself.”  

—Sankaracharya

 
* * * * * * * * * * *
 

Noble Thoughts
("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Sons of the Infinite, may we be Infinite, perfect beings of light, in the Godhead and in humanity. Winning, Divine Lord and Friend, may we win you. Becoming, Heaven and Earth, may we become you.

Our true being and home is within the infinite. In that unlimited consciousness is our perfection in the Godhead, the Divine Lord of the Vast and his wide vision, and our perfection in humanity is in the Divine Friend and his deep compassion for all."

—David Frawley, "Wisdom of the Ancient Seers, Mantras of the Rig Veda"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"In Sophia, the highest wisdom-principle, all the greatness and majesty of the unknown that is in God and all that is rich and maternal in His creation are united inseparably, as paternal and maternal principles, the uncreated Father and created Mother-Wisdom."

—Thomas Merton, "New Seeds of Contemplation"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Meditation is not a way to enlightenment, nor is it a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace and blessedness itself. It is the actualization of wisdom, the ultimate truth of the oneness of all things."

—Dogen Kigen, in "The Enlightened Mind," edited by Stephen Mitchell

Pure is My Heart

Acharya Jeffrey Bauer
Speaks on "PURE IS MY HEART"
Sunday, November 30, 2014 at 11:00am

Purity has become a very important ideal in modern society. For the sake of our bodily health we rightly desire to breathe pure air, drink pure water and eat pure food. But what of our spiritual health? A heart that is filled with the purity of divine love ensures perfect spiritual health. We do not use the word “purity” in a moralistic sense but as in “of one substance.” Absolute “oneness” is the essence of divine love. In divine love we fulfill Jesus’ commandment to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “thy neighbor as thyself.”

—Acharya Ajay

 From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

"Value the sacredness of love above all. Believe in its power to transform, protect and guide you. Give up the idea that your innermost self is separate from others. In our struggles and sorrows as well as in our joyous attainments we are one on the path of life. There is great freedom, peace and blessedness in being able to "love thy neighbor as thy self." The world becomes our kin through kindness."

—Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters”

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

"The devotee knows none but God. He has no other possession but love. In his love, he offers himself to God, the absolute self. God, who permeates and includes all, is the Ideal of Devotion."

—Swami Premananda, “The Magnetic Power of Love”

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

"Make my soul Thy temple! Make my heart Thine altar! Make my love Thy home! May Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion, and may I be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts."

—Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, “Whispers from Eternity”

Noble Thoughts

("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Solomon says that all waters, that is, all creatures flow and return to their source. Therefore, it is necessarily true, as I have said, that similarity and fervent love draw up and lead and bring the soul into the first source of the One, who is the Father of all in heaven and on earth."

—Meister Eckhart, "Passion for Creation" by Matthew Fox

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"We should not hesitate to open ourselves more steadily to whatever experience of the Infinite we have, to purify and intensify it, to make it our object of constant thought and contemplation, till it becomes the originating power that acts in us, the Godhead we adore and embrace, our whole being is put into tune with it and it is made the very self of our being."

—Sri Aurobindo, "The Synthesis of Yoga"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"If we love God and give ourselves to Him, we must give ourselves to the whole world...One of the holy miracles of love is that once it is really started on its path, it cannot stop; it spreads and spreads in ever-widening circles till it embraces the whole world in God...Every fresh soul we touch in love is going to teach us something fresh about God."

—Evelyn Underhill, "An Anthology of the Love of God"

Gracious Spirit

Srimati Carrie will speak on
"GRACIOUS SPIRIT"
Sunday, September 23, 2014 at 11:00am

As we prepare to share our blessings at this time of Thanksgiving, we turn to that gracious spirit that dwells within us. We show our appreciation for the beauty and the bounty of the Earth, the life bestowed upon us, and the divine benediction of God. Our soul is awakened to the pure and sacred oneness of all creation. Our prayer of Thanksgiving is offered through our living in the consciousness of love and gratitude.  

– Carrie

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

“The spirit of appreciation is awakened within us as a natural consequence of our spiritual unfoldment and advancement. What is the origin of the spirit of appreciation within us? It has its origin in our soul. From our innermost self arises the spirit of appreciation. Like all other virtues, the quality of appreciation springs forth from the most sacred recesses of our spiritual being. All that is righteous, pure and holy within us has but one source. It is our soul.”

—Swami Premananda, "Blessedness of the Inner Life"

* * * * * * * * * * *

“By holding a spiritual ideal one enjoys greater sensitivity and awareness because he consciously cares for the most enduring depth of life. Growth and deepening of ideal is unfoldment of self-awareness. Greater self-awareness allows the heart to be free to love with universality, compassion and wisdom. The desire to do good, to be charitable and to contribute to the welfare of all comes only through pure love.”

—Swami Kamalananda, "Frontiers of the Spirit"

Noble Thoughts: "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda

"Gracious Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would gracious be;
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Thy own gracious spirit speak."

—Thomas T. Lynch

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Every good deed is charity, and it is a good deed to meet your brother with a cheerful countenance and share with others."

—Muhammed

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins them."

—Francis Bacon

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people... Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living."

—Chief Tecumseh

Centers, Circles, and Cycles of Perfection :: November 16, 2014

Swami Kamalananda
Speaks on "Centers, Circles, and Cycles of Perfection"
Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 11:00am

The three “C’s” in the subject title for this Sunday are not mere symbols, nor are they mere philosophical concepts: They are Powers of Divine Perfection. By our understanding of them we grow, we attain greater happiness and become more wise. By appreciating how they work we also gain access to higher states of consciousness. 

—S.K.

From the Gurus and Swamis : AUM

          "Day receives night,

               morning succeeds the evening,

               spring follows winter;

               such is the incessant play of time.

          Life on earth is constantly fading away,

               but this longing for it lingers on.

          To be born is to die,

               to be born again in a mother’s womb,

               only to taste again the cup of sorrow.

          Such is the law of creation (Samsara).

          Then, O man!

          How canst thou remain so satisfied in the

               world of the senses?"

—Swami Shankaracharya, The Moha-Mudgar, from “The Way of Wisdom & Self-liberation” by Swami Premananda

 * * * * * * * * * * *

          "I have come to this earthly globe as an individual

               unknown to all the individuals dwelling in this universe of

               creation.

          Yet I am at once in harmony with life here — all lives in

               this portion of infinity wherein life welcomes life in an

               unending current of conscious existence.

          Light reveals my presence.

          I am, but who am I veiled in mystery before the vision of

               all other percipient multitudes?"

—Swami Premananda Giri, “Prayers of Soul”

* * * * * * * * * * *

          "I may go far, farther than the farthest star,

               but I will be Thine always!

          Devotees may come, devotees may go,

               but I will be Thine always.

          I may bound over the billows of many lives,

               forlorn beneath the skies of loneliness,

               but I will be Thine always.

          The world may leave Thee,

               while playing with Thy playthings,

               but I will be Thine always.

          Thou mayest take everything away that Thou gavest me,

               but I will be Thine always."

—Swami Yogananda Paramahansa, from “Whispers from Eternity”

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

“Within the circles of our lives

we dance the circles of the years,

the circles of the seasons

within the circles of the years,

the cycles of the moon

within the circles of the seasons,

the circles of our reasons

within the cycles of the moon.

Again and again we come and go,

changed, changing.  Hands join,

unjoin in love and fear,

grief and joy. The circles turn,

each giving into each, into all.

Only music keeps us here,

each by all the others held.

In the hold of hands and eyes

we turn in pairs, that joining

joining each to all again.

And then we turn aside, alone,

out of the sunlight gone

into the darker circles of return."

—Wendell Berry, “Closing the Circle”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls... The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."

—Black Elk, "Black Elk Speaks"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Whenever inbreath and outbreath fuse, at this instant touch the energyless energy-filled center.”

—Lakshmanjoo, "Vigyan Bhairava," translated by Paul Reps

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"When the inward and outward are illumined and all is clear, you are one with the light of sun and moon. When developed to its ultimate state, this is a round luminosity which nothing can deceive, the subtle body of a unified spirit pervading the whole universe. Then you have the same function as the sun and moon."

Liu I-Ming, "Awakening to the Tao"

Inner Pilgrimage :: November 9, 2014

Achariya Fritz Kramer
Speaks on "Inner Pilgrimage"
Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 11:00am

As the days become shorter, the temperatures colder, and we begin to look toward the Season of Thanksgiving, may we first take time to contemplate the way of the pilgrim. From time immemorial, pilgrimage has played a paramont role in the spiritual life. People from all times, lands, and faiths have set out searching for, and journeying to, the divine. Sacred sights, where saints have lived and left their holy vibrations, or where Mother Nature has revealed her majesty, can be places of renewal, transformation and awakening. Yet, the wise pilgrim also sets out on the path within. Let us come together this Sunday to meditate on our inner pilgrimage.

—Acharya Fritz

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

"Man has always searched for truth, truth regarding the universe around him as well as the kingdom within himself...There is a divine mystery hidden within our innermost being. It is a mystery because we have not yet gained the full comprehension of its glory."

—Swami Premananda

 * * * * * * * * * * *

"The spine is the highway to the Infinite. Your own body is the temple of God. It is within your own self that God must be realized. Whatever places of pilgrimage you visit outwardly, and whatever outward rituals you perform, the ultimate ‘pilgrimage’ must be within. And the ultimate religious rite must be the offering of your life-force on the altar of inner God-communion.”

—Swami Yogananda

* * * * * * * * * * *

"I am He; I have neither life nor death; I have neither father nor mother; I am not bound by time or space; I am Existence infinite, Bliss infinite, and Knowledge infinite; I am He, I am He. I am not bound by books, or holy places, or pilgrimages, or anything whatsoever; I am the Existence Absolute, Bliss Absolute; I am He, I am He."

—Swami Vivekananda 

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

"Pilgrimage to the place of the wise is to find escape from the flame of separation."

—Rumi
 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"By showing veneration or reverence at the holy shrines, one is able to purify one's thought, speech and action. In this way, the pilgrim is endowed with the morality of Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action."

—Chan Khoon San, "Buddhist Pilgrimage"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round beneath me was the whole hoop of the world.

And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being… And I saw that it was holy.

—Black Elk, "Black Elk Speaks"

The Gita: A Living Metaphor :: November 2, 2014

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on : "The Gita: A Living Metaphor"
Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 11:00am

Swami Premananda describes the Gita as  “the voice of subjective revelation and an unfailing guide on the path of self-unfoldment.” This Sunday we will listen for that voice, and not only reflect upon the Gita as a metaphor for living, but as a living metaphor as well. 

We will explore the question:  “What is the authority for the Gita?" and discover that its authority is to be found within ourselves.  We will further discover that the Gita is an evolving, living fountain of spiritual insight into our own subjective journey, and as we grow, evolve and unfold as spiritual beings so will our understanding of the Gita’s message.”

—Achariya George

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

“All sublime scriptures have an inner spiritual meaning which remains hidden from the unenlightened mind.  The discovery of that inner import makes the scripture a living fountain of eternal substance to quench the spiritual thirst of every true seeker after God.

"…The Gita is the expression of the cultural and spiritual soul of India.  But it has satisfied the quest of reason and fulfilled the spiritual hopes of men and women in all parts of the civilized world.   Be he a Sankaracharya, the absolute monist, or a Gandhi, the apostle of love and nonattached Karma, or impersonal service; an Emerson, the transcendental thinker, or a Bergson, the scientist-philosopher; each has carried the message of the Gita within his mind and heart." 

—"Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita" by Swami Premananda

 * * * * * * * * * * *

"A brief explanatory comment with regard to the significance in which I have used the four terms, the ego, the soul, the self and the supreme Self, may assist in their proper understanding.

 "By ego I do not mean the soul.  Ego is the sense-born and sense-identified self-consciousness  It is the pseudo I.  It is created and sustained by the continuity of sense-perceptions.  It vanishes as soon as consciousness is withdrawn from objective sensations.   It is the Ahamikabhava.

"The soul is to be considered as being synonymous with the self, not capitalized.  The soul, or self, is the individualized supreme Self, capitalized, or the embodied self.   It is the Jivatma.

"The Supreme Self is Brahman, God, the Self of all, Sat—Chit—Anandam, Consciousness—Existence—Bliss  Absolute.   It is the Parama Atman. 

"The difference between the self and the supreme Self is one of degree and not of quality.  Even that is an assumed differentiation.  The self in its highest state of perfection becomes, in truth, attains to, the realization of its own transcendental nature as the eternal supreme Self."

—"Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita," Introduction by Swami Premananda 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

— "The Bible" Matthew, Chapter 16

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Feel nothing, know nothing, do nothing, have nothing, give up all to God, and say utterly, 'Thy will be done.' We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go.”

—Swami Vivekananda

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Don't you know yet? It is your light that lights the worlds."

—Rumi

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul."

—James Allen from "As a Man Thinketh"

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Purnam adah purnam idam

  Purnat purnam udacyate,

  Purnasya purnam adaya

  Purnam eva avasisyate.

SHANTI SHANTI  SHANTI”

“That is Perfect; this is perfect;

Out of That Perfection emanates this perfection;

In the ocean of Perfection surge the waves of perfection;

Yet That Perfection is never lost.

PEACE  BLISS  PEACE”

—Ancient Invocation

Infinite Calmness :: October 26, 2014

Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 11:00am
Achariya Ajay Jeffrey Bauer
Speaks on "Infinite Calmness"

“O thou infinite Calmness, thou art calm;
Teach me to be calm as thou art.”

Such is Swami Premananda’s supplication to God in his "Prayers of Self-Realization." All phenomena would lose power and vibrancy and dissipate into nothingness without a calm center, even as the hurricane would become impotent without its calm eye. The absolute calmness of God is the “eye” of the manifested universe. In order to realize our oneness with God let us become calm as God is.

—Acharya Ajay

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

The nature of the consciousness of creation is motion, change, duality, opposites, multiplicity and desire. The Soul is divinely serene, changeless. Do you want to find the state of pure consciousness of samadhi? Learn, as the Psalmist stated, to "be still and know that I am God."

—Swami Kamalananda, “The Mystic Cross”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Jnana Yoga begins when one transcends all objectified consciousness. In it we begin with pure consciousness, pure existence, and pure bliss. Jnana yoga has nothing to do with the phenomenal world. It is purely subjective, dealing with consciousness without modulation or objectification. Only one who has been able to completely calm his mind is fitted to follow the path of Jnana.

—Swami Premananda, “The Path of Pure Consciousness”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Within the serene mind is reflected the reality and glory of God. The highest ideal of meditation is the complete realization of soul's undifferentiated oneness with God within one's own pure and effulgent consciousness, free from all relative and finite concepts.

—Shyamacharan Lahiri, “Sayings of Shyamacharan Lahiri”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Noble Thoughts:  ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards.

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

—T.S. Eliot, "Four Quartets"
 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

All that matters is to be at one with the living God
to be a creature in the house of the God of Life.
Sleeping on the hearth of the living world
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of a master sitting at the board
in his own and greater being,
in the house of life.

—D.H. Lawrence, "The English Spirit"

* * * * * * * * * * *

Neither giving nor taking
Neither for nor against
Leave your mind at rest
With perceptions remain unconcerned
The great Way is a mind open to everything
which clings to nothing
which fixates nowhere
Radiant and stainless
Rest in the unmoved, uncreated, and spontaneous
and you will soon reach Buddhahood.

—Tilopa in "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das

The Culture of Contentment :: October 19, 2014

Swami Kamalananda 
Speaks on "The Culture of Contentment"
Sunday, October 19, 2014 at 11:00am

No one can master the circumstances of his material life. To pray that life should come to us with propitious mundane experiences according to our desires is both naive and selfish. Yet peace and contentment is possible for us, and if we are willing to put our hearts and minds to it we will realize a transformation, an ease and a power that is enduring.

—S.K.

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

The light of wisdom cannot illumine a mind that is drenched in attachments, even though it has acquired merit by the performance of righteous duties to family and society.  Only a non-attached mind can witness the success of self-realization.

—Swami Shankaracharya

* * * * * * * * * * *

With folded hands, bowed head,
and heart laden with the myrrh of reverence,
I come to Thee.

Thou art my parents;
I am Thy child.
Thou art the Master;
I am ready to obey the silent command of Thy Voice.

I conjured the fragrant devotion of all hearts
and mixed it with my tears:
Now I am ready to wash Thy Feet in silence.

A river of my ardent crystal tears
of craving will rush to meet Thee.
Wilt Thou see
that my boisterous flood of devotion
is not lost in the desert of disappointment?
Wilt Thou see that my mad flood of devotion follows the right course,
which leads to Thee?

—Swami Yogananda, “Whispers from Eternity”

* * * * * * * * * * *

It is true that one must be very careful as to the method of his meditation, so in selecting a method he should seek the guidance of a competent teacher.

Spiritual life must never be approached without suitable meditation.  Meditation is not scriptural reading, nor is it congregational worship, though these are of valuable assistance in the stabilization of spiritual life.  Meditation is purely subjective and decidedly individualistic.

Certain it is that each must enter the silent sanctuary to meditate alone.  Meditation is not an attitude of passive expectancy of mind. 

On the contrary, meditation is the self-conscious direction of the mind towards the ideal and holding the mind thereon; it is the conscious, dynamic and determined guidance of the mind.

—Swami Premananda, from the Introduction to the “Dhammapada”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Nine Requisites for Contented Living:

Health enough to make work a pleasure.

Wealth enough to support your needs.

Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.

Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.

Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.

Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.

Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.

Faith enough to make real the things of God.

Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

—Johann Wolfgang Goethe

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Whether or not objects of enjoyment give rise to happiness, satisfaction, and contentment, or, conversely, give rise to suffering and dissatisfaction depends very much on how you apply your faculty of intelligence.

...Our behavior in our daily lives is the key factor in determining whether all...facilities and relations really produce genuine, long-lasting satisfaction or not. Much depends on our attitude. And for this mental factor, motivation is the key.

—The Dalai Lama, "The Art of Living"

* * * * * * * * * * *

Empty your mind of all thoughts.

Let your heart be at peace.

Watch the turmoil of beings,

but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe

returns to the common source.

Returning to the source is serenity.

When you realize where you come from,

You  naturally become tolerant,

disinterested, amused,

kindhearted as a grandmother,  

dignified as a king.

Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,

you can deal with whatever life brings you,

and when death comes, you are ready.

 —“Tao Te Ching,” translated by Stephen Mitchell

God and Guru :: October 12, 2014

Srimati Carrie Trybulec
Speaks on "God and Guru"
Sunday, October 12, 2014 at 11:00am

We all seek guidance in our lives. Our own pure consciousness is the light of Soul that guides us always.  And yet we need to be awakened to that consciousness.  God is the Supreme Guru.  The Soul in us is Guru.  God is revealed to us through the human Guru. Guru guides us through our own consciousness. May we be blessed with the realization of God and Guru. 

—Srimati Carrie

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“My Guru, Thou the Voice of God, I found Thee in response to my soul-cries. Slumbers of sorrow are gone, and I am awake in bliss.”

—Swami Yogananda, "Whispers from Eternity"

* * * * * * * * * * *

“I know not who led me to your hallowed being. I came, and you received me with the divine love of your heart. You illumined my soul with the light of your soul. We became one soul in the cosmic Soul… The light of your spiritual ideal always guided me through all the vicissitudes of life on earth wherein service commingles with joy and sorrow, and wherein hope and aspiration are clouded by doubt and disappointment.”

—Swami Premananda, "My Gurudev: Swami Yogananda Paramhansa"

 
 * * * * * * * * * * *

“From the most wayward to the most enlightened, all need and heed some authority for guidance in life. In our spiritual life the recognition of this need is revealed in the supplication of prayer, and the law of guidance is further demonstrated through the ideal of Guru.

“The ideal of Guru is profound and universal, not delimited by human association nor confined to any one religious tradition. It is inherent in the unfoldment of cosmic life as well as human spirituality. The authority of ‘Guru’ is based on reverence for the goal of self-perfection, and it comes from an understanding of the means to attain that goal.” 

—Swami Kamalananda, "Frontiers of the Spirit"

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

Truth, contentment, contemplation,These three place in a salver,Add the nectar of the Lord's name,Who sustains the whole creation,Whoever taste this, whoever enjoys it,He secures salvation.Partake of it all the time.He who enjoys this dainty,Can never leave it off.By its use this dark world is crossed,And by His grace,By taking shelter under the feet of the Guru. 

—Sir Joginder Singh, "Sikh Ceremonies"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The Guru may be said to be the power of divine grace...That power of grace, affording a favorable opportunity to the aspirant, is the means.

 —Kshemaraja comm. on "Siva-Sutras" 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Never ending is the glory of the Guru true,and boundless are all his blessings on you;he opens wide the Secret that's limitless,and he leads us to the inmost lands of bliss. 

—"Kabir, Seven Hundred Sayings," versions by Paul Smith

Let Us Meditate :: October 5, 2014

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "Let Us Meditate"
Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 11:00am

This Sunday we will meditate on the subject of meditation.  The subject, “Let us meditate,” is taken from the first three words of the Gayatri Prayer, one of the most ancient invocations known to humanity:  “Let us Meditate on the Glory of that effulgent reality from whom the whole universe is projected" is a bridge to the infinite spirit within and around us. ” “Let us meditate” is an acknowledgement that when we meditate, we unite our consciousness with all beings throughout God’s universe as well as the source of light, wisdom and love within us.

Why should we meditate?  What is the goal of meditation?  When should we meditate?  What are the benefits of meditation?  How do we meditate?  These are questions for this Sunday’s contemplation and enlightenment. All are welcome.

—Achariya George Adams

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

“Sensation is the avenue of the senses, thought is the method of the mind, feeling is the way of the heart, whereas meditation is the path of the soul to attain knowledge.  Why do we need the soul to gain the knowledge of God?  Because our soul is spirit and God is Spirit.  Only the spirit can know the Spirit, only the soul can realize the Self.  Since our soul alone is immortal, only by our immortal soul can we come to the eternal God.”

”Let us meditate with our soul, reveal with our enlightened intelligence and realize within our illumined pure conscious the glory of God.”

— "The Gayatri Prayer" by Swami Premananda

* * * * * * * * * * *

"There is a spiritual relationship among God, soul, heart, mind, body and universe.  God is the first cause of them all.  In him they are all united as of one substance.  Our body, mind and heart are the sacred means of revealing and realizing God.  We are the soul, the immortal spirit.  The whole universe is a part of our greater Self and God is our supreme Self.  The knowledge of truth liberates our soul in the realization of cosmic Oneness." 

— "Six Basic Words of Religion" by Swami Premananda

* * * * * * * * * * *

"How are we to mediate upon that effulgent Reality, the God of Light?   We are to visualize a pure effulgence, a bright but soothing light within our body especially at Dorsal, the Anahata; the Spiritual Eye, the Kutastha; or the mystic thousand–petaled lotus, the Sahasraram.  Then with devotion and determined thought silently, without moving lips or tongue, utter the Sacred Word, the Mantram, while at the same time contemplating upon its divine significance.  AUM;  I and my Father are one; I am that I AM and I am Brahman are some of the Mantrams of meditation on the God of Light."

— "The Gayatri Prayer" by Swami Premananda

* * * * * * * * * * *

“The light of the body is the eye:  if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

—Jesus of Christ Consciousness

Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

"The highest wisdom is for us to know that all is God.  Until each of us realizes our own inherent godliness and divinity, the name of God is just a word to us.  By the practice of meditation and by purification of the body, mind and heart, let us seek to fulfill the divine mission of our lives, guiding them by the illumination of wisdom, divine will, love and realization.  Let us ignite the light and love of Christ within us."

— "Seven Mystic Holidays" by Swami Premananda 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Initiation into subjective meditation is like a bridge to those who are earnest and determined to transcend all inner finiteness.  Realization of the imperishable Brahman, the absolute Self, is the goal of self-liberation."

— "Katha Upanishad" 

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Meditation is not for one who does not want to follow the path of wisdom; yet wisdom can not be attained without meditation.  One who is both wise and meditative, he attains Nirvana."

— "The Path of the Eternal Law"  Swami Premananda

* * * * * * * * * * *

Purnam adah purnm idam

  Purnat purnam udacyate,

  Purmasya purnam adaya

  Purnam eva avasisyate.

SHANTI  SHANTI  SHANTI”

“That is Perfect; this is perfect;

Out of That Perfection emanates this perfection;

In the ocean of Perfection surge the waves of perfection;

Yet That Perfection is never lost."

PEACE  BLISS  PEACE”

—Ancient Invocation

Sacred Duty :: September 28, 2014

Achariya Ajay Bauer
Speaks on "Sacred Duty"
Sunday, September 28, 2014

There is but one true Duty: to realize God and to manifest his divine qualities in our lives. At the same time, however, there are as many sets of duties as there are individuals in this world. Each person’s duties are in accordance with his or her spiritual unfoldment. Our duties in life are a sacred gift from God to aid us in our further spiritual unfoldment, and to help others in theirs. The secret to a happy life lies in the conscientious performance of those duties with the constant awareness and guidance of that highest Duty.

—Acharya Ajay

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

The greatest thing our soul can do in this world is to see it's ideal and follow it. Life involves both passions and poise; fears and courage; suffering and exultation; doubts and assurances. Unless one finds a spiritual philosophy which he can serve with devotion and loyalty he cannot realize his soul’s yearning, its quest for unity and peace.

  -- Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters”

What is Karma yoga? It is Self-realization in action; liberation through work; freedom by service. It is commonly called the path of action. In whatever state of self-expression we engage, that is action. We think, we love, we work. These are all actions. Karma yoga is the regulation of all our actions in order that we may realize our innate spiritual perfection. The philosophy of karma yoga is the science of work. It teaches us how to perform all our activities that we may find peace and happiness in our daily life. Besides it opens our vision in wisdom whereby we may regain the full consciousness of our ever-abiding state of subject of freedom, or salvation.

—Swami Premananda, “The Law of Self-manifestation”

It is not the thing done that defines a duty. To give an objective definition of duty is thus impossible. Yet one can define duty from the subjective side. Any action that makes us go Godward is a good action and is our duty; any action that makes us go downward is evil and not our duty.

—Swami Vivekananda, “Karma Yoga”

Noble Thoughts ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

"Always you have been told that work is a curse

and labour a misfortune. 

But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's

furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,

 And keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,

And to love life through labour is to be intimate

with life's inmost secret."

—Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"

"Man's duty is to do unselfish service to others, and he should do such service not in order to do good to others, but rather because it is the very law of his being."

—Mahatma Gandhi, "Ethical Religion"

"Everything we do — all our work and activity —

is an honor to God if it comes from within self

and from within God, if it is born of our

breakthrough and rebirth in God.

Then the work and the Word become so closely united

that the work is accomplished 'divinely in God.'"

—Meister Eckhart in "Passion for Creation" by Matthew Fox

Arise! Awake! :: September 21, 2014

Srimati Carrie Speaks on "Arise! Awake!"
Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 11:00am

What does it mean to live the meditative life?  What is it that awakens the soul within us? What enlightens our spirit? How do we unfold our divine qualities?

The Upanishads have declared, “Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached.”  It is the call to rise above all worldly limitations.  With selfless service, with a pure mind and devoted heart we realize our true nature. We aspire to awaken to the consciousness of our universal Self. 

Go to sleep with meditation on God. Arise and awake with meditation on God. Carry that meditation throughout the day… and our meditation will become our very life.

-Srimati Carrie

From Swamis and Gurus:

"Yoga recognizes man as a spiritual being, a divine entity. Man is a soul, the immortal, eternal, ever-seeking, ever-revealing and ever-realizing spirit. Truth is not only the ideal of man, it is also his essential nature. It is true that divinity is the supreme goal of man but it is equally true that the reality and the attributes of the Deity constitute the substance of his soul. Yoga seeks to awaken man to the realization of his spiritual self. It points out to him that he is a son of God, a light which is illumined by the absolute Light. He is a universal soul, an infinite spirit and an eternal being."

- Swami Premananda – “Eight Aspects of Yoga”

“The purpose of Kriya meditation is the revelation of the light of soul, the source of life, intelligence and love which joins together all realms of creation in man. Where there is light, there is joy, and the power of eternal life sustaining, radiating, arising, awakening, illuminating every area of its existence. 

“Some activities awaken cosmic energy from the reservoir of kundalini within us. It is literally true that selfless action increases our energy. Those whose hearts are selfless and pure seem to be gifted with a greater fund of energy than others. The truth is that they have cultivated it. They have awakened or drawn it. Those who desire universal good draw from the infinite reservoir of the beneficent universal will.” 

Swami Kamalananda – Mystic Cross

Noble Thoughts:

“Arise, awake from the slumber of ignorance! Receive guidance from men of realization and gain the knowledge of the supreme Self. It is extremely difficult to walk barefooted on the sharp edge of a razor, but it is still more difficult to follow the path of the Self. Thus have we heard from the wise.”  

- Katha Upanishad Ch 3, v 14

“And this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” 

- Romans 13:11

“That which awakens in man the consciousness of perfection, immortality and bliss is love.”     

- Chaitannya

"There is but one Reality that permeates thee and me, and all beings. Rise above the consciousness of separation and realize thyself in all and all in thee. 

- Swami Shankarachariya

“Spirituality is not an acquirement but an unfoldment. Infinite divinity is the essential nature of man. Man is the birthless, deathless, changeless, eternal, universal, conscious and blissful Self. He has forgotten this truth about himself…Man must constantly awaken himself to the right remembrance of his true Self.”  

-Buddha

Blessed Birthright :: September 14, 2014

On our spiritual path, it's natural to search for similarities, for common traits, for shared experiences with our fellowman and the wider world around us as we strive for ever greater realization of oneness. Yet, we need not look far. Our very births are a good place to start. From thought, to action, to object, to living thing -- in one way or another, all is born into this world. We wrap this process of creation, this seeming transformation of nothing into something, from non-existence to existence, in stories and narratives that allow our minds to perceive glimpses of the Eternal. Let us meditate on our blessed birthright this Sunday.

—A.F.K.

From the Gurus and Swamis:  AUM

"Salvation is the birthright of every man."

—Swami Premananda

"You are limited now; but by deep daily meditation you become able to transfer your consciousness from the finite to the Infinite, you will be free. You are not meant to be a prisoner of the body. You are a child of God; you must live up to that divine birthright."

— Swami Yogananda Paramahansa

"There is, as it were, an infinite ocean behind, and you and I are so many waves, coming out of that infinite ocean; and each one of us is trying his best to manifest that infinite outside. So, potentially, each one of us has that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss as our birthright, our real nature; and the difference between us is caused by the greater or lesser power to manifest that divine. Therefore the Vedanta lays down that each man should be treated not as what he manifests, but as what he stands for."

—Swami Vivekanada

Noble Thoughts
("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)

"According to mystical writings such as the Kabbalah, 'alef' symbolizes the divine energy that preceded and initiated Creation. This seeding power existed before any other form could be realized, which is why the opening word of the Hebrew Bible - 'breshith' ('in the beginning') - starts with the Hebrew alphabet's second letter, not the first...Hebrew 'alef' could also be used to signify numeral 1 and was a symbol of cosmic unity."

—David Sacks, "Letter Perfect"

"The light pervaded everywhere in the form of the universe. I saw the earth being born and expanding from the light of Consciousness, just as one can see smoke rising from a fire... Just as a seed becomes a tree with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit, so within her own being Citi becomes animals, birds, germs, insects, gods, demons, men and women.

—Swami Muktananda, "Play of Consciousness"

"Grandfather Great Spirit

All over the world the faces of living ones are alike.

With tenderness they have come up out of the ground.

Look upon your children that they may face the winds 

and walk the good road to the Day of Quiet.

Grandfather Great Spirit

Fill us with the Light.

Give us the strength to understand, and the eyes to see.

Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live."

—Sioux Prayer from "Earth Prayers,"

ed. by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon

Tracing Our Roots :: September 7, 2014

Swami Kamalananda
Speaking on "Tracing Our Roots”
Sunday, September 7, 2014

For students September means return to familiar academic routines, to studies and friends. For vacationers, return to their homes and vocations, routines and accustomed surroundings. Whatever our age we feel a calling and a need to return to what is familiar, to that by which life can feel well established (rooted, as a tree is rooted!) and secure.

We long to have "roots" giving depth and a firm hold to secure us against the unforeseeable and threatening changes we will encounter. Some people find comforting roots in history or traditions of family and culture. For the philosophically-minded, roots can be binding and confining or self-liberating and expansive.

"Unstable as a drop of water on a lotus leaf is life, so extremely impermanent is life on earth." Swami Shankaracharya, perhaps the most profound voice linking the seemingly distant wisdom of the ancient Vedas to modern life made the oft quoted observation to alert us to the brevity, uncertainty and fragility of our human existence and future: He further issued a bold warning, "BEWARE!" to explain the toxic effects of identifying our roots with much of earthly life that we count on and cling to.  The question is, just what do we know about our roots, and where are they? Seeking our roots in the Eternal God of our Soul requires us to turn UPSIDE DOWN the familiar "tree of life" of our ancestors and to be born into a different consciousness of self-realization.

—S.K.

From the Gurus and Swamis

AUM

The one who realizes that,

"I am not the vital energy, nor the body, nor the mind, nor the ego,

nor the understanding, but, verily, I am the principle of Consciousness in all" 

That God, the destroyer of the darkness of samsara, I praise.

— Swami Shankaracharya

from "Hymn to God"

* * * * * * * * * * *

I bring to you

A mirror new –

A glass of introspection clear,

That illusions shows and sooty fear

That spots thy mind.

Thou wilt find

This mirror new

        Would also show all true

   The "Inner You,"

That's veiled in flesh

And doth ne'er appear.

Each night consult afresh

Thy mirror friend and clear away

The dust that gathers each day.

— Swami Yogananda Paramahansa

from "Songs of the Soul"

* * * * * * * * * * *

In the good of all souls good comes to my soul.  I must live for all, for the good of all everywhere and always.  The good of all must remain the constant ideal of my life.  God has given me the whole world, he has placed his bounty before me.  Surely even the simplest principle of righteousness and appreciation requires me to recognize and receive with thankfulness and gratitude the gifts of his love for me.  Indeed the world around me, with all its diversity, is the proof of my God's blessing and grace upon me.  I must utilize it with all the spiritual powers and qualities of my soul.

—Swami Premananda Giri

from "Seven Gifts of God to Me"

* * * * * * * * * * *

Noble Thoughts 
"Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Let your roots go deep into the source.     

With attitude build a firm foundation

Of peace in the Tao."

— Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching,"

translation by Diane Dreher

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Eckhart cites Augustine, who says,

'Pure spirits run back again along the same course toward

the purity of God.'

What is the 'purity of god' that is also our purity?

It is, in its most basic form, a return to our origins,

a recovery of our roots, a waking up from forgetfulness,

a remembering of who we are

and in whose image we all have been fashioned."

— Matthew Fox, "Passion for Creation; the Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart"

* * * * * * * * * * *

"He is beyond the tree of life and time,

and things seen by mortal eyes;

but the whole universe comes from him.

Know that he is the inmost of thy soul

and that he is the home of thy immortality."

"I go for refuge to God who is ONE in the silence of Eternity,

pure radiance of beauty and perfection,

in whom we find our peace."

— "Svetasvatara Upanishad,"

translation by Juan Mascaro  

Right Remembrance :: June 29, 2014

Swami Kamalananda 
Speaks on “Right Remembrance”
Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 11:00am

From the Noble Eightfold Path, the subject is Buddha’s “Samma Sati” (in translation).

In his explanation of the importance of right remembrance Swami Premananda points out that “Spirituality is not an acquirement but an unfoldment,” and that Self-forgetfulness and Self-remembrance are the constant expressions of consciousness that determine the strengths of our love, our contentment and our peace.”

Remembrance is much, much more than a thought process, a retrieval of an impression or idea from within the mind, however. What practices serve right remembrance? There are many, and they emerge through the lives and teachings of great masters and life savants to guide and bless our lives.

From the Gurus and Swamis:

AUM
O Supreme!
Whatever I put into words, may that be the saying of a prayer to thee.

May all my efforts and works be gestures of worship of thee;
May every step be taken to thee, around thee, with thee.
May whatever I eat or drink be offered as oblation to you.
May all my enjoyments be in the spirit of offering myself to you.
May whatever I do be synonymous with worship of thee.

 —Swami Shankaracharya

Every sound that I make, let it have the vibration of Thy Voice.
Every thought that I think -- let it be saturated with the consciousness of Thy Presence.
Let every feeling that I have glow with Thy Love,
Let every will that I will be impregnated with Thy Divine Vitality.
Let every thought, every expression, every ambition, be ornamented by Thee.
O Divine Sculptor, chisel Thou my life according to Thy Design!

—Swami Yogananda Paramahansa
"Whispers From Eternity"
 

Give me courage,
That I may live by thy truth.

Give me wisdom,
That I may manifest thy perfection.

Give me love,
That I may recognize my oneness with all.

Give me spiritual strength,
That I may overcome all limitations and live
        in the purity of my Soul.

—Swami Premananda
"Prayers of Self-Realization"

Noble Thoughts

He, alone, whose wisdom is firmly established on the inherent and eternal divinity of the Self, can guide his senses to attain spiritual unfoldment through obedience to the law of their normal manifestation. He is thus protected by the law of the soul as well as by the law of the senses, and should be considered to be a man of intelligent obedience to all the laws of righteousness. 

—Gautama Buddha, "The Path of the Eternal Law: Dhammapada" translated by Swami Premananda
 

We must have friendship for all; we must be merciful toward those that are in misery; when people are happy, we ought to be happy; and to the wicked we must be indifferent.These attitudes will make the mind peaceful.

 —Swami Vivekananda 
 

When you have learned to control your mind in the face of disturbances, then your mind has acquired one-pointedness.

 —Patanjali