New Life

Srimati Carrie
Spekas on "New Life"
Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 11:00am

All of life seeks renewal. The rebirth of nature is a vivid display of this magnificent unfoldment.  Is it any wonder the symbol of the resurrection of Easter is celebrated in the spring—when life itself has risen from the slumber of its dormant state into the vibrancy, beauty and splendor of perfection!

The blessed symbols of soul: light, water and incense, pervade this festival of spring. The winter snows and spring rains bring new life to the earth.  The light pervades not only the day but the life within each leaf and bud. And the fragrant incense of this awakening arises from the perfume of every blossom as it unfolds the beauty of its Creator.

With our own consciousness lifted to the supreme resurrection, we are reborn to that state of perfection. Our spiritual life is again renewed.

—Srimati Carrie

 From Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“Our daily living may enslave our consciousness in the outer world and enchain our cognitive perception. Mind tends to become overfilled with finite thoughts and to be buried under the debris of finite concepts. When awakened from that entombment, soul is resurrected from the grave of ignorance into the light of inherent wisdom. That is the true meaning of Easter as the mystics have realized and revealed.” 

—Swami Premananda, “Seven Mystic Holydays”
 

“Slowly this consciousness of ours will ascend the cross of spiritual perfection in understanding and illumination as we discover and unfold more of the knowledge of that Divine Self… Perceiving our goal and the means to it as purely spiritual, we are beginning to revitalize our life with ascending subtlety of thought. We are attempting to spiritualize every area of life in the light of Yoga.” 

—Swami Kamalananda, “The Mystic Cross"

Noble Thoughts: "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda

“I am the resurrection and the life.” 

—John 11:25
 

“Just as rivers rushing towards the sea leave their names and forms and merge in the sea, even so do wise men leave their names and forms and merge in the paramount divine being. He who knows that great Brahman becomes IT. He becomes free from the bonds of the heart and becomes immortal.” 

—Prayer from Gandhiji’s Ashram Bhajanavali (collection of prayers for the ashram)

“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure…”

—Qur'an 16:97
 

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

—Isaiah 43:19

Home is the Heart

Achariya Ajay
Speaks on "Home is the Heart"
Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 11:00am

Knowing that his earthly life was soon coming to an end, Jesus chose to return to his boyhood home of Jerusalem to observe the Passover. His welcome home, with joyous welcoming shouts of “Hosanna” and the strewing of palm branches along his pathway, has given rise to our observance of the Holyday of Palm Sunday. There is a beautiful human touch in this, as well as a profound spiritual significance. What is “home” to us? It is the place where we feel the happiest, the safest and the most loved. To the true devotee the entire cosmos is “home” for in it he finds naught else but God, the desire of his heart. Our spiritual journey home is not through time and space, but to the heart of God, which resides within each of us and pervades the entire universe.

—Achariya Ajay

From Gurus and Swamis: AUM

"When our eyes are open to love and the truth of God, when we have made our hearts the mystic Jerusalem, when wisdom guides and love blesses us, when humility and patience are awakened and renunciation removes all finite desires in our hearts, in the joy and gladness of our souls, we welcome the Christ to enter and abide with us. This is the mystic truth of Palm Sunday."

—Swami Premananda, “Seven Mystic Holydays”

"I live in the universe of God, and the entire universe of God lives within me. The light of the whole universe is the light within me. The perfection of God emanating from the heart of the universe is the root of my own  self-consciousness. Thou and I are ever one!"

—Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters"
 

"The world with all its wealth, heaven with all its celestial beings, thou and I, and all creation are but an evanescent glory. Then, my friend, why art thou so overpowered by grief?

"In a home like the temple of God, or in a simple cottage under a bough, free from attachment and greed; who shall be denied happiness in such a life of purity and renunciation?"

—Swami Sankarachariya, “Moha-Mudgar”

Noble Thoughts:  "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda

"The heart is nothing but the Sea of Light."

—Jalaluddin Rumi, quoted in "The Mystic Vision"  by Andrew Harvey
 

"He who consists of the mind, whose body is breath, whose form is the light of Consciousness, whose resolve is true, whose Self is space, containing all actions, containing all desires, containing all odors, containing all tastes, pervading this whole world, the unspeaking, the unconcerned; this my Self within the heart is smaller than a grain of rice, or a barley-corn, or a mustard seed, or a grain of millet, or the kernel of a grain of millet; this my Self within the heart is larger than the earth, larger than the sky, larger than the heavens, larger than all these words."

—"Chandogya Upanishad"
 

"This birth is God's self-knowledge, which from all eternity has sprung from his fatherly heart, wherein lies his joy. And everything which God desires to bring forth is consumed in his self-knowledge, which is its birth, and he seeks nothing outside of himself. He has all his pleasure in his Son and he loves nothing but his Son and everything which he finds in his Son. For the Son is a light which has burned from all eternity in God's fatherly heart. If we want to come there, we must rise from natural light to the light of grace and thereby grow to that light which is the Son himself."

—Meister Eckhart, "Passion for Creation"

The Spiritual Midas Touch

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "The Spiritual Midas Touch"
Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 11:00am

In Greek mythology there was once a dreadfully ugly beast named Silenus, a satyr.  King Midas had performed a favor for this satyr and in return King Midas was offered anything he wished. King Midas wished that “everything he touched be turned to gold.”  Although the god Dionysus thought it was a foolish wish, he granted it with the words, “Midas, all that you touch shall turn to gold.”  The god disappeared, and King Midas rejoiced in his curse.

King Midas then began to touch everything in sight which in turn turned to gold.  His daughter, Princess Zoe, heard his excitement over the newfound wealth. “Father, what has happened?” she asked. “The most wonderful thing,” he replied, and he hugged her and she too turned to gold.  

This Sunday we will endeavor to view this mythology in a different light, the light of our soul.  The “gold” of our new perspective will be that of the wisdom of our “Soul,” God within us.  

Armed with the ideal of Soul, we will come to see that God has given us the gift of spiritual transformation, that everything we touch can and will be transformed by the spiritual substance of universal consciousness.   We have been given very special gifts of wisdom, life and love.  When we “touch” those around us with this gift, they will be turned to gold and we will be transformed by the evolution to a higher level of awareness.

--Achariya George 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

Unconditional love is divine love.  Absolute love is divine love.  Love that is free from all conditions of time, space and causality is divine love.  Perfect love is divine.  Divine love is eternal.  It is not subject to any limitations.   Divine love includes all.  It excludes none. No matter how imperfect the object of love may be, it has a place in divine love.

—The Magnetic Power of Love by Swami Premananda
 

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

Noble Thoughts:  "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda
 

“Not only do I believe that God is Truth, but that Truth is God.”

—Mahatma Gandhi, My Experiments In Truth

“Brahman resides in the body as the self of man.  The self impermeates the entire body.  Reason, volition and love are its constituents. Universality, harmony, perfectivity, adaptability, persistency, revelation, reception, attraction, reaction, oneness, expression, protection, expansion, procreation, purification and the creative will are the powers of its self manifestation.  The entire phenomenal world is its field, and the ten sense organs are the instruments of its objective perception.  Inspired solely by the desire for liberation in perfection, the self consciously guides mind and intellect on the triune path of wisdom, service and love.”

—Svetasvatara Upanishad

Socrates in the face of death when asked, “In what way shall I bury you Socrates?” He replied: 

“In any way you like, but first you mush catch me, the real me.  Be of good cheer, my dear Crito, and say that you are burying my body only, and do with that whatever is usual and what you think best.”

—Dialogues of Plato, Vol. I

True Freedom

Achariya Ajay Jeffrey Bauer
Speaks on "True Freedom"
Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 11:00am

The desire for freedom is one of the most impelling forces in the lives of not only human beings, but in all forms of life. “Give me liberty, or give me death!” said Patrick Henry. We all want to be free. Freedom is a quality of our soul. Sadly, that innately pure desire for freedom is often misguided and lead astray by our sense-bound ego and leads to sensory indulgence and the shirking of responsibility. Or, we hold the erroneous belief that to gain true freedom we must withdraw from this world (escape the “wheel of karma”). Does God, with whom we seek oneness and identification, withdraw from this world? Decidedly not! Look at the splendor of God’s manifestation, which we are so abundantly aware of in this season of rejuvenation. There is no holdback. We are the living manifestation of God’s transcendental perfection. Let us shine forth with the full glory of our soul in this life. The secret to true freedom is in living fully in this world but with non-attachment.

—Achariya Ajay

From the Gurus and Swamis: 

AUM
"I am the living manifestation
Of thy transcendental perfection.
Through me thou dost reveal thy magnificence
That thou mayest witness my omnipotence
And that I may realize thy glory."

—Swami Premananda, Prayers of Self-Realization

"All nature continually offers itself to the Infinite: ever drawn into its light, finding its way in harmony and its ultimate freedom in the One. Is nature’s spontaneous renunciation not also the law of my own soul? When my soul will merge into pure light, leaving no portion in darkness, touching and illuminating all, conscious of the One Self I will be a true renunciate, performing all my actions as effortlessly as the sun rising and the meadowlark singing."

—Swami Kamalanda, Reflections On Still Waters

"The heaven and earth, the infinite space and the endless forms, are all sacred manifestations of the one God. His presence pervades all in every direction, yet he is the center of all. All emanate from him.

"Life must be guided on the path of righteousness because it is spiritual in its origin, pure and holy in its essence and divine in its destiny. Man is a living soul because life is a divine reality."

—Shyamacharan Lahiri, Sayings of Shyamacharan Lahiri
 

Noble Thoughts:  "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda

 "My purpose is to make man unconditionally free, for I maintain that the only spirituality is the incorruptibility of the Self which is eternal, is the harmony between reason and love. This is the absolute, unconditioned Truth which is life itself. I want therefore to set man free, rejoicing as the bird in the clear sky, unburdened, independent, ecstatic in that freedom."
—J. Krishnamurti, quoted in

Krishnamurti – A Biography by Papul Jayakar

"As the crust of our outer nature cracks, as the walls of inner separation break down, the inner light gets through, the inner fire burns in the heart, the substance of the nature and the stuff of consciousness refine to a greater subtlety and purity, and the deeper psychic . . . personality reaches its full stature. The soul, the psychic entity, then manifests itself as the central being which upholds mind and life and body and supports all the other powers and functions of the Spirit; it takes up its greater function as the guide and ruler of the nature."

—Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine
 

"The seed of God is in us. Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer, it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is; and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature. Pear seeds grow into pear trees, nut seeds into nut trees, and God seed into God."

—Meister Eckhart, quoted in The Mystic Vision by Andrew Harvey

Spiritual Sacrifice

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on "Spiritual Sacrifice"
Sunday, March 12, 2017

Spiritual sacrifice is the offering of life freely and completely into the Infinite by overcoming a sense of separation from that Infinite Self that resides within us. Such renunciation is the foundation of our spiritual life. It is living with the awareness of God. It is the dedication of all our actions to God. It is the realization of God.

—Srimati Carrie 

From Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“In the likeness of God, soul comes to God through ever-expanding consciousness of its true being. Sacrifice, the ‘making sacred’ of life, is the most natural offering of the beauty, love, goodness and wisdom of heart and soul, body and mind of man. The greater the consciousness of sacrifice, the greater the realization of freedom, oneness and selflessness. Spiritual sacrifice is a positive power, beneficent and harmonious, because it is in accordance with all spiritual progress everywhere.”

—Swami Kamalananda, Frontiers of the Spirit
 

“The real significance and purpose of renunciation is subjective. It is the discardance of those finite and self-limiting concepts, ideas and impressions which hinder the full and perfect unfoldment and manifestation of all the godly qualities of our soul. Inner renunciation is more vital to our life and spirituality than outer discardance. Spirituality begins with our inner life. When the inner life of thought, desire and feeling is spiritualized the outer conduct automatically follows the ways of righteousness. Let us become renunciates in our mind and heart.”

—Swami Premananda, The Blessedness of the Inner Life

Noble Thoughts: "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda

“Reverence for life...does not allow the scholar to live for his science alone, even if he is very useful to the community in so doing. It does not permit the artist to exist only for his art, even if he gives inspiration to many by its means. It refuses to let the businessman imagine that he fulfills all the legitimate demands in the course of his business activities. It demands from all that they should sacrifice a portion of their own lives for others. When we are truly filled with the idea of reverence for all life, all our attitudes, thinking, actions change. We must go deep into ourselves to find this inspiration.”

—Albert Schweitzer


“‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and everything shall be added unto you.’ This is the one great duty. This is renunciation. Live for an ideal, and leave no place in the mind for anything else. Let us put forth all our energies to acquire that which never fails — our spiritual perfection.”

—Swami Vivekananda

“There's only one effectively redemptive sacrifice, the sacrifice of self-will to make room for the knowledge of God.”

—Aldous Huxley

Rise and Shine!

The expression “rise and shine” is generally understood as a directive to wake up in the morning and face the tasks of the day with energy, optimism and great cheer – something we should all undoubtedly strive to do! However, there is a much deeper spiritual significance to this phrase. Linguists trace the origin of this phrase to the biblical verse found in the Book of Isaiah: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” Arise indicates that we must strive to ascend the mystic cross within and realize the perfection of soul in oneness with God; shine means to then share that light of divinity unstintingly with all of creation. What good the realization of the perfection of soul without the sharing of that light with all? Let each of us strive to rise and shine!

—Achariya Ajay 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

"To know is to share. Whenever we discover something of value and importance we invariably and eventually offer it for the good of all. What could be more beneficent to our life than the knowledge and realization of God? Consequently, whosoever knows God becomes an ardent and self-dedicated revealer of his truth and beauty, goodness and glory. Can a flower conceal its fragrance? Never! Nor can a man who has attained the realization of God resist the yearning of his soul to manifest and proclaim the divine glory of the Deity."

— Swami Premananda, The Gayatri Prayer
 

"We are the pure and perfect living light of God, born to bring that Light to this world, to see that light everywhere and to follow it to the Light of Lights. Thereby our souls shall know infinite existence without the shadow of mortality, pure will without the darkness of desire, perfect love without the veil of vanity."

—Swami Kamalananda, Reflections on Still Waters
 

Noble Thoughts:

"The Dharma seekers who live in the world use their daily activity as a polishing tool. Outwardly they may appear to be very busy, like flint striking steel, making sparks everywhere. But inwardly they silently grow, for although they may be working very hard, they are working for the sake of the work and not for the profits it will bring them. Unattached to the results of their labor, they transcend the frenetic to reach the Way's essential tranquility. Doesn't a rough and tumbling stream also sparkle like striking flints -- while it polishes into smoothness every stone in its path?"

—Hanshan Dequin, Autobiography and Maxims of Master Han Shan
 

"In the degree that we are filled with this Spirit of Peace by thus opening ourselves to its inflow does it pour through us, so that we carry it with us wherever we go. In the degree that we thus open ourselves do we become magnets to attract peace from all sources; and in the degree that we attract and embody it in ourselves are we able to give it forth to others. We can in this way become such perfect embodiments of peace that wherever we go we are continually shedding benedictions."

—Ralph Waldo Trine, In Tune with the Infinite
 

"Everyone shows harmony or disharmony according to how open he is to the music of the universe. The more one is open to all that is beautiful and harmonious, the more one's life is tuned to that universal harmony and the more one will show a friendly attitude towards everyone one meets. One's very atmosphere will create music around one."
—HazratInayat Khan, The Music of Life

Truth is One

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on "Truth is One"
Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 11:00am

Truth is one, though we call it by various names. With varying degrees of effort, we all seek to realize Truth.  And though it may be expressed culturally and linguistically in different forms, it remains universal, eternal and one. 

What we know is very limited.  That is true of all aspects of life.  We want the whole picture, the entire truth but we only perceive a partial reality through the experience of our senses. 

Our life becomes a series of lasting impressions, of samskaras. Once these impressions are formed, it is difficult to move beyond them. The process of meditation guides us beyond these sensory and thought impressions. But mere silence of these senses is not enough.

Meditation begins with the soul not with the senses. 

—Srimati Carrie

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“Truth is reality and impelling power as well. Truth is not a state of passive perfection but it is the dynamic reality of creative perfection. Truth is both inspiration and revelation. The creative power of truth gives guidance to the attainment of the realization of identity with the truth itself. Love of truth awakens inspiration to live by and to become one with truth. Thus truth is the way as well as the ideal.”

— Swami Premananda
 

“The desire for truth is a blessing, but the realization of truth is earned.” 

—Shankaracharya
 

“Truth is One,” and that which takes us to it is understanding of life and the wise application of that understanding in living practice. Life achieves greatness in depth, universality, sublimity and beauty. When the self puts off personal vanities and petty pursuits, ignorance and fears, it sees its truth in purity, oneness and wisdom, and life attains to the freedom of self-knowledge.

—Swami Kamalananda, Frontiers of the Spirit

 
Noble Thoughts:

Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti
“Truth is One, we call It by various names.”

—Rig Veda
 

“O Thou effulgent Reality, Thou preserver of all that comes into being, Thy perfection is hidden behind Thy divine manifestation. I am a devotee of absolute Truth; oh, remove Thy veil for my illumination.” 

—Isha Upanishad
 

“And the one who has brought the truth and [they who] believed in it - those are the righteous.”

—Qur’an 39:33

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.”

 —John 14:6

"This God whom we seek to realize is Truth. Or to put it in another way Truth is God. This Truth is not merely the truth we are expected to speak. It is That which alone is, which constitutes the stuff of which all things are made, which subsists by virtue of its own power, which is not supported by anything else but supports everything that exists. Truth alone is eternal, everything else is momentary." 

—Mahatma Gandhi
 

“He who is devoted to truth; who is ever awake in the illumination of the truth; whose power of remembrance reveals only the truth; who is self-controlled; and who engages himself to fulfill his task after great deliberation and thorough understanding, but performs every action with the consciousness of purity: Such a man of wisdom makes steady progress on the path of immortality, Nirvana.” 

—Dhammapada (translated by Swami Premananda)

Attaining Pure Consciousness

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "Attaining Pure Consciousness"
Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 11:00am

In his work, “The Path of Pure Consciousness (Jnana Yoga),” Swami Premananda shares with us the following:

"So long as we look at ourselves through the senses, thinking and keeping ourselves identified with them, we are bound to have thrust upon us the belief that we are the creatures of flesh.  As long as we live within the sphere of the mind, we consider ourselves as finite beings subject to pleasure and pain. But when we rise above the domain of mind, we realize that we are the Soul, the Self. We are free from the clutch of the senses; we rise far beyond the reach of the mind.... We are no longer slaves to the senses, but they obey our commands.  We are no longer tossed about by the oscillations of mental pleasure and pain.  Our minds reflect our blissful nature.

"At this stage we are not lost, but we live fully. We live in our immortality.  We lose our self-imposed finitude. We realize our immensity."

This Sunday we will discover that the Pure Consciousness that pervades the entire universe is enshrined within us.  Further, we will discover that it is within our power to attain to that consciousness and to live a more happy and fulfilled life.   We will thereafter explore how we can attain to that state of consciousness.

—Achariya George 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“Pure consciousness is illimitable.  It is infinite. It is within the body of man.   Every man can attain to the state of pure consciousness within himself. 

“Pure consciousness is cosmic consciousness.  The whole universe exists within the cosmic consciousness.  Cosmic consciousness pervades all.

“God is cosmic consciousness. God is realized within the pure consciousness of man enshrined at the spiritual eye and the mystic thousand-petaled lotus.”

—Sayings of Shyamacharan Lahiri

“Unstable as the drop of water on a lotus leaf, so extremely impermanent is life on earth.  Beware!  The adder of sense-attachment has struck humanity,' and the whole world is infused with the venom of misery.”

—Mohar-Mudgar by Swami Sankarachariya

“Without exception all religious people from time immemorial have seen God as Light and they have named God Light:  The Hindus’ mantram ‘Brahman jyotismiti’ says ‘God is Light’. The ancient Persians of Iran called God ‘Ahura Mazda’ (‘Supreme Light’), and the Egyptians term for God, ‘Amun Ra,’ means the same.   The prophet Mohammed gave the revelation is the Qur’an, ‘God is the light of the heavens and the earth.’ as did John in the New Testament: ‘Simply God is Light.’”

—The Mystic Cross by Swami Kamalananda

Noble Thoughts:

“The Self can not be realized by the voracious study of the scriptures nor through the intellectual comprehension of truth.  The perfection of the Self is revealed in the divinity of the Self.  Only in Pure Consciousness does the supreme Self reveal its reality of Consciousness-Existence-Bliss Absolute.” 

—Katha Upanishad

"Purnam adah purnam idam, Purnat purnam udacyate,, Purnasya purnam adaya, Purnam eva avasisyate. SHANTI SHANTISHANTI”

“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. PEACEBLISSPEACE”

—Ancient Invocation

Take Time To Be Holy

Achariya Ajay Bauer
Speaks on "Take Time To Be Holy"
Sunday, February 12, 2017 at 11:00am

This Sunday we will offer together the beautiful hymn “Take Time to Be Holy.” What comes to mind when we contemplate these words? Is it that in the midst of our very busy lives we should always be sure to set aside a little time, perhaps on Sundays, or perhaps even daily, to worship God and practice holiness? To be sure! However, a deeper and more profound interpretation would be: How can we utilize time in our practice of holiness? How can we learn to perceive the changeless in the changing, the timeless eternity in the universe of time and change?

—Achariya Ajay
 

 From Gurus and Swamis: AUM

"Why are you so impatient, my heart,  
To attain the fulfillment of all your hopes and desires?
Time melts into eternity,
Thought is lost in formless infinity
And I am immersed in selfless immensity
For thou art ever-present in my heart."

—Swami Premananda, “Prayers of Self-Realization”
 

"Constant mindfulness of the means as well as the goal is patience. The habits of a spiritually inclined person reveal patience; his mind is strengthened and illumined by the enduring power and wisdom of the soul. The patient mind has no need for immediate gratification of the senses."

—Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters”
 

"Eternity is the timeless time of God. Infinite are the attributes of his being. He is without beginning and without end because he is the transcendental reality of absolute perfection."

—Shyamacharan Lahiri, "Sayings of Shyamacharan Lahiri"
 

Noble Thoughts:

"For me the present is merged in eternity. I may not sacrifice the latter for the present."

—M.K. Gandhi, "Letter to S.K. Datta, April 19, 1934"
 

"In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of -- moments when we human beings can say "I love you," "I'm proud of you," "I forgive you," "I'm grateful for you." That's what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff."

—Fred Rogers, "The World According to Mister Rogers"
 

"When you realize that eternity is right here now, that it is within your possibility to experience the eternity of your own truth and being, then you grasp the following: That which you are was never born and will never die."

—Joseph Campbell, "Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor"

A Glimpse of Humanity

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on “A glimpse of humanity”
Sunday, February 5, 2017

What does it mean to be human?  Immediately, experiences of the physical and mental challenges we face in life come to mind. How we meet those challenges often reveals the ways of human imperfection. 

We have come to believe that, “To err is human.” Yet, we also believe that to “forgive is divine.” To be humane toward other living beings is to have compassion. To be inhumane, is to be cruel and to act without compassion.

We express our humanity when we reveal divinity.  The so-called “man’s inhumanity to man” reflects the fact that we human beings often resort to our baser instincts.  But we know and we have seen countless examples of that spark of divinity in human life that brings love and wisdom amidst the darkness of ignorance and fear. And this gives us hope even in a world full of strife.

We are reminded to live in the world but not of the world.  To move in the world of duality but live in the transcendental realm of the Divine Self is the path of spiritual unfoldment.  This is the path of Yoga.  And even a small step on this path will offer a glimpse of humanity, enlightened by divinity.

—Srimati Carrie
 

FROM GURUS AND SWAMIS:

“In my life, especially during my spiritual ministry, I have come in close contact with people of virtually all categories. In my association with my fellowmen I often experienced a disturbing note in my friendship, love and devotion. It is true that I have received abundantly the spiritual blessings of fellowship, joy and happiness from kind and loving hearts. But what I wish to emphasize here is that experiences of pain and agony have come to my life from those whom I have endeavored to serve, aid and assist. Nevertheless I am not embittered by these untoward experiences. And the reason for this I want to reveal to you in order that you also under similar circumstances will be able to rise above all negative thoughts, desires and feeling within yourself.”

—Swami Premananda
 

“The consciousness of duality is not the life meant for man. According to dualism, human life exists in a fragment of time between birth and death of the physical being. But this is not human life. It is the mere animal existence. In the case of the animal which has not the same destiny in the cosmic scheme, happiness can be found in the immediate—in self-preservation, self-perpetuation and shelter. Its happiness is immediate, individual and earthbound. For the human being it is the opposite. The immediate is a stage in the grander attainment beyond the mortality of dualism, the world of change. True human life is a process of sacrifice of the immediate, the individual and the apparent for a realization of life that is eternal, infinite and formless. That process of resolution of duality’s contradictions, separation and incomprehension is yoga.” 

— Swami Kamalananda

NOBLE THOUGHTS:

“Reason and love define the demands of human nature… The demands of reason and love must not be subordinated to the demands of habit … but on the contrary [one] must ascertain on the basis of the demands of reason and love what is to be habitual.” 

— Leo Tolstoy
 

“Hatred ever kills; love never dies. Such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality, for it increases hatred. The duty of a human being is to diminish hatred and to promote love.”

— Mahatma Gandhi
 

“The development of intelligence and physical power is equally necessary in animals and men for their purposes of living; but what is unique in man is the development of his consciousness which gradually deepens and widens the realization of his immortal being, the perfect, the eternal. It inspires those creations of his that reveal the divinity in him—which is his humanity—in the varied manifestations of truth, goodness and beauty, in the freedom of activity which is not for his use but for his ultimate expression.” 

— Rabindranath Tagore
 

“The varied nature of human society in this world is the result of man’s three states of consciousness, physical, mental and spiritual. But all these three are transcended by merging with consciousness of him who is the preserver of all, who is bliss and who is absolute wisdom. From him emanate life, the power of mind and the potencies of all sense-faculties. From him are born space, air, light, water and earth which is the support of all existence. He is the absolute Brahman, the self of all, the basic source and substance of this world, subtler than the subtle and eternal: That thou art; Thou art That.” 

— Kaivalya Upanishad, Translated by Swami Premananda

Why I am an Absolute Monist

I am an Absolute Monist.  I believe that:
Truth is One Men Call it by Various Names.
God, Brahman, is Consciousness, Existence, Bliss, Absolute.
Everything is the Manifestation of God, the Divine Reality.
My Soul is of identical Nature with the God of the Universe.
I Should Make myself Pure by Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.
By the Realization of My Own Self the Absolute Self is Realized.                             
God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth.
By the Realization of God I Become One with God.
I Am That I Am.
I and My Father Are One.
I Am Brahman The Absolute Self.

This Sunday we will explore the answer to why as an Absolute Monist I believe these Eternal Truths.

—Achariya George 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“…Look at the great and spiritual work of the Kriyaban Jesus; “The Father in me doeth the works” he said with wisdom, humility and inspiration.  He taught his disciples to meditate.  He initiated them into the light of Kriya, and he gave them the charge of bringing the greatest ministry the world can receive from any servant of God: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 

—The Mystic Cross by Swami Kamalananda

”The practice of subjective meditation, Sahaja-Sadhana, with the transcendental consciousness of the Self, lifts the mind and keeps it established on the spiritual eye, Katastha. Thence the consciousness leads itself to Sahasraram, the thousand petaled lotus, where all phenomenal concepts are renounced in the full knowledge of the Self, and the self becomes one with the transcendental Self.  This is the subjective path of the life of meditation.”

“Never was it born, nor will it ever die.  Nor, having existence, will it cease to be.  Birthless, deathless and changeless is the Self.  Without beginning, without end, self-existing, it pervades all.  It is not destroyed with the dissolution of form.

“The Realization of the supreme Self, which is indestructible, eternal, without beginning and without end, destroys the illusion that the self is annihilated at the highest state of self-realization.”

—Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Translation and spiritual Interpretation by Swami Premananda

"Purnam adah purnam idam
Purnat purnam udacyate,
Purnasya purnam adaya
Purnam eva avasisyate.

SHANTI SHANTISHANTI”

“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.

PEACEBLISSPEACE”

—Ancient Invocation

Noble Thoughts: "Let Noble Thoughts come to us from every side." —Rig Veda

Jesus of Christ Consciousness (an Absolute Monist):

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 
“The Father in me doeth the works.”
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
“The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not with observation. The Kingdom of heaven is within.”
“My Father’s house has many mansions.  I go now to prepare a place for you that where I am ye may be also.”
“None come to the Father except by the Son.”
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” 

“Eternal, imperishable and infinite is Brahman, the supreme Self.  The wise and the ignorant both live in his cosmic existence. Ignorance is the cause of sense identification and delusion.   Wisdom leads to self-liberation and immortality. But the supreme Self transcends all conditions of duality.”

—Svetasvatara Upanishad, Chapter V, verse 1. 

“My consciousness has reached immortality, the illusion of death has vanished away. AUM: I remember the state of my illumined Self, I remember.”

—Isha Upanishad, verse 17

Good Thoughts, Words and Deeds

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on “Good Thoughts, Words and Deeds”
Sunday, January 22, 2017

Our spiritual pursuits in the life of yoga are interwoven throughout our thoughts, words and deeds.  Every thought is a seed in the garden of our mind.  Every word is an opportunity to express wisdom and realization. Every action is a step toward uniting ourselves with the infinite universe of creation. But it is easy to forget. We forget who and what we are… we forget our divine nature.  We forget to care for all of God’s creation. We forget to speak with kindness… to use words that remind us all of the higher truths.  We forget to act selflessly.

But if we think often of God… If we remember that the soul within us is of identical nature with the God of the universe… then with these thoughts our words will help and heal, and our efforts will become blessings to ourselves and those around us.

—Srimati Carrie

From Gurus and Swamis:

“Meditation and prayer with vision lifted and fixed at the spiritual eye, self-expression with the love of God, translation of good will into good deeds and performance of all constructive and creative actions constitute the life of purity and spirituality.”

— Shyamacharan Lahiri

“Bring unto me only the good from the field of life, O my mind, That I may make my heart an abode of truth and righteousness and a temple of love and peace.” 

—Swami Premananda
 

“When one sincerely examines his life—his ways of thinking and talking; his states of mind; the ways he feels and moves—he will perceive that his life is part of a larger Being, a nature whose intelligence is cosmically principled and empowered. He will seek meditation to become more aware, attentive and artful in this Life Divine. No one need convince him of his need to meditate: The Light of self-revelation has dawned within his own soul.”

—Swami Kamalananda
 

Noble Thoughts:

“Make thine own self pure by good thoughts, good words and good deeds.”

—The Avesta
 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God.”

— The Bible, Colossians 3:17 

“Mind is the forerunner of all activity; mind is the highest among all sensory powers. All relative concepts have their origin in the mind. One who speaks or acts with a polluted mind, sorrow follows him as the tracks of the wheels follow the footprints of the bullocks which draw the cart.

“Mind is the precursor of all perceptions; mind is the most subtle of all elements in the phenomenal universe. All objectified consciousness has its origin in the mind. One who speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness abides with him as his own shadow.”

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

Presence of God

Achariya Ajay Bauer
Speaks on "Presence of God"
Sunday, January 15, 2017

In our spiritual life it is of the utmost importance that we hold the highest ideal as a beacon of light to guide us along the path - that ideal being the oneness of Soul with God, the Absolute. That being said, it is often hard for us to reconcile, or recognize the relevance of that highest of ideals with our day-to-day living. It is too easy for us to succumb to the erroneous notion that that moment of realization will occur at some distant point in time and has little or no bearing on our present life. Yoga is the goal and the means to achieving that goal; the way and the goal must be one. If we wish to reach that lofty realization of Oneness with God we must practice the presence of God in the here and now in every aspect of our lives. God abides with us always!

—Achariya Ajay

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

"Into my life, thou hast filled my existence with beauty and joy.
Every corner of my heart is permeated with thy divine presence,
And thy radiance reveals my true self unto me."

-- Swami Premananda, Prayers of Self-Realization
 

"To look back or forward to worse or better times is to keep the goal of consciousness confined to time limitations... The mystic knows there is no time but the eternal present and therefore lives happily NOW: "I am throughout time. I exist in eternity. Eternity is within me."

—Swami Kamalananda, Frontiers of the Spirit
 

"In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul will constantly hum, unheard by any:
God! God! God!"

—Swami Yogananda, God! God! God!
 

Noble Thoughts:

"Prayer is an impossibility without a living faith in the presence of God within."

—M. K. Gandhi, Young India 20-12-1928

"Sudhana learned from his experience that there was true teaching to be gained from everything he saw and heard. . . . Indeed, those who seek for Enlightenment must think of their minds as castles and decorate them. They must open wide the gates of their minds for Buddha, and respectfully and humbly invite Him to enter the inmost chamber, there to offer Him the fragrant incense of faith and the flowers of gratitude and gladness."

—Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, The Teachings of Buddha
 

"My God, since you are with me and since, by your will, I must occupy myself with external things, please grant me the grace to remain with you in your presence. Work with me, so that my work might be the very best. Receive as an offering of love both my work and all my affections."

—Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Lead Kindly Light

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "Lead Kindly Light"
Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 11:00am

The year 2017 is upon us.  A new chapter in our spiritual life journey has begun.

Our subject this coming Sunday is inspired by one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite hymns, “Lead Kindly Light.”

Our mission and prayer is for the progressive awakening of our consciousness, to the reality of our inner being, the divine light within us. 

Our spiritual guide is our universal ideal of life.

Our ideal is Advaita Vedanta or Absolute Monism, an ideal shared by all of the great spiritual giants of mankind. 

Our intention is to unfold to greater perfection the higher qualities of our inner and outer consciousness thereby finding peace, joy and fulfillment in our life. 

We have confidence that the light of God will illumine our path as it has for all of devotees of Truth. 

We know that we will face obstacles along the way; however, we build confidence by succeeding in each step of our spiritual life journey.  In the words of the song, “one step enough for me.”

We look forward to celebrating this occasion with you.  All are welcome. 

—Achariya George

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

From the depths of slumber,
As I ascend the spiral stairways of wakefulness,
I will whisper:
God! God! God!

Thou art the food, and when I break my fast
Of nightly separation from Thee,
I will taste Thee, and mentally say:
God! God! God!

No matter where I go, the spotlight of my mind
Will keep ever turning on Thee;
And in the battle din of activity, my silent war-cry will be:
God! God! God!

When boisterous storms of trials shriek,
And when worries howl at me,
I will drown their noises, by loudly chanting:
God! God! God!

When my mind weaves dreams
With threads of memories,
On that magic cloth will I emboss:
God! God! God!

Every night, in time of deepest sleep,
When my peace dreams and calls, Joy! Joy! Joy!
My joy comes singing evermore:
God! God! God!

In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul will constantly hum, unheard by any:
God! God! God!

—Swami Paramhansa Yogananda

"How are we to meditate 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:

Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on,
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

—John Henry Newman

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Srimati Carrie Speaks on
"Blessed are the Peacemakers"
Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 11:00am

As we welcome the new year, a feeling of self-renewal inspires our reflection and dedication. This new beginning brings to our minds a prayer for peace and a desire for wisdom.

Our spiritual resolution is to recognize the divine attributes that pervade creation.  We aspire to the perfection of Soul, just as Jesus proclaimed: “Be ye therefore perfect; even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

As a traditional part of our worship we will offer together the Wisdom of Jesus gathered from his teachings revealed in the Sermon on the Mount. We will examine this enduring message of peace in the light of realization.

—Srimati Carrie
 

FROM GURUS AND SWAMIS:

“My soul longs for thy peace not because the world cannot bring happiness to my heart but because only thy peace is unconditional in its blessing and ever-abiding in its grace. Peace is the bliss of God bestowed upon the pure heart and enlightened mind of man. It is attained by the spiritualization of all the experiences and expressions of life. With all my being I yearn for peace and happiness for myself. Then teach me to dedicate a part of my life and action to bring joy and contentment to the hearts of my fellow men everywhere. As the star sends out its light for the joy of all, so let thy peace flow from my soul to bring happiness to all hearts. Peace is the eternal star of God.”

— Swami Premananda
 

“Man does not guide his soul to God. On the contrary, it is his soul that leads man to God. All his spiritual aspirations have their origin in the soul of man.”

—Shyamacharan Lahiri
 

“Spiritual aspiration is inherent to us. We are aware of our shortcomings, our limitations. We always feel we are capable of and want to become something higher, purer and better than what we are now. We will continue to struggle subjectively until we find what is necessary for the evolution to perfect peace. For the ultimate achievement in man’s evolution, a change in consciousness and not a change in the outer trappings of life is necessary.”

— Swami Kamalananda
 

NOBLE THOUGHTS:

“The higher nature in man always seeks for something that transcends itself and yet, is its deepest truth.”

—Rabindranath Tagore
 

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

— Jesus, The Bible, John 14: 27

In the Beginning was the Word

Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "In the Beginning was the Word"
Sunday, December 25, 2016 at 11:00am

This Sunday’s Service falls on Christmas Day. Symbolically, the birth of The Christ will have occurred the night before, and the infant Jesus of Christ Consciousness, symbolically our Soul, will have been born within each of us. It remains for this infant child to grow and unfold and at the right moment to awaken to its spiritual journey of Self-realization and unique life expression.  

The celebration of the Christ Mass, Christmas, is the transformative moment, where our Soul is “born” within.  The birth of the Christ signals the beginning of our spiritual evolution and spiritual life mission. It is the moment when the spiritual law of self-unfoldment begins to manifest as our Soul, the Word.  It is the birth, the beginning of the realization of the inner and outer creative manifestation of divine life, divine love and divine wisdom. It is the beginning of the spiritual process whereby we realize that we are a spiritual being at one with the Creator and the universe.

This Sunday, in keeping with our Christmas celebration, we will meditate on the symbolism of the birth of The Christ, the Word, and God within us.

We look forward to celebrating this occasion with you.  

—Achariya George
 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM

"When man understands even by way of inference the true nature of this creation, the true relation existing between this creation and himself; and when he further understands that he is completely blinded by the Influence of Darkness (Maya) and that it is the bondage of Darkness alone which makes him forget his real Self and brings about all his sufferings, he naturally wishes to be relieved from all these evils. This relief from evil, or liberation from the bondage of Maya, becomes the prime object of his life."

—Swami Sri Yukteswar, The Holy Science, Chapter II, Sutra I

"True knowledge of God consists not only in realizing his presence everywhere, but is something more.  When one realizes God, he becomes God.  He realizes the Self.  He realizes that he himself is Consciousness-Existence-Bliss Absolute."

—Swami Premananda, The Path of Pure Consciousness

Noble Thoughts:

"Spirituality is a progressive awakening to the inner reality of our being, to a spirit, self, soul which is other than our mind, life and body. It is an inner aspiration to know, to enter into contact and union with the greater Reality beyond, which also pervades the universe and dwells in us, and, as a result of that aspiration, that contact and that union, a turning, a conversion, a birth into a new being."

—Sri Aurobindo

Mystic Birth

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on "Mystic Birth"
Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 11:00am

Our Temple will be adorned on Sunday in many traditional Christmas ways with a tree on the altar, wreathes, poinsettias and lights all around to warm our hearts for worship. We come together to share with loved ones the beauty of the season and holy remembrance that we may reawaken to the life of soul within us. 

Throughout the ages humanity has commemorated the birth of those souls whose birth on earth has come as given by God to awaken us, to guide us to salvation, and to bring “peace on earth” and “goodwill to all.”

We recognize and remember the birth of a great soul in human form and in the process we, ourselves, are reborn. Each time we give ourselves in service, each time we meditate, each time we offer prayers of thankfulness, we gather unto us the glorious attributes of the infinite light of soul.

We strive to see that Light within ourselves. When we are conscious of the Light in ourselves, then that light will shine through our lives in greater purity, illuminating all around us.

—Srimati Carrie
 

From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM
 

"Traveling on the path of eternity,
Thou hast come to lead us on the way of perfection.
To awaken within us the realization of our immortal nature
Thou hast descended upon this earth.To bring peace to our sorrowing hearts
Thou hast taken thy place among us.
Thou art Christ,
The source of wisdom and bliss.
We bow to thee in adoration and joy."

—Swami Premananda
 

“Holiness is the spark of divinity in Man. Certainly the same light exists throughout the natural world—in birds, in trees and flowers and in all animal forms—but in man the opportunity is divine for this spark to blaze into illumination without shadow. It is this light by which the soul recognizes itself and knows no more incompletion nor lack. 

“The meaning of holiness is only partly expressed in the words “spirituality,” “piety” and “purity.” Holiness is godliness that shines from the heart that is open and unattached, devoted to God and one with the heart of all.”

—Swami Kamalananda
 

"To be a son of God is not something one has to acquire: rather, one has only to receive His light and realize God has already conferred on him, at his very inception, that blessed status."

—Swami Yogananda Paramhansa
 

"A person needs his body to bring into fruition and creative beneficence the divinely endowed qualities of his soul. What a lamp is to the light, the body is to the soul."

—Shyamacharan Lahiri

Noble Thoughts:

"Free from all limitations of birth am I. I am the changeless Reality, the Supreme Lord of all creation. Yet by the power of my own mystic law I come into being.

"O Bharata, whenever and wherever divinity becomes subdued and humanity struggles to emerge out of ignorance, then and there I incarnate myself.

"To assure salvation to the virtuous, to awaken the ignorant, and thereby to manifest divinity on earth, I incarnate myself from time to time."

—Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Ch 4, vs 6-8

 
“And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a savior has been born to you.’”

—The New Testament of the Bible, Luke 2: 8-10

Wholesome Life

Achariya Ajay Bauer
Speaks on "Wholesome Life" 
Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 11:00am

Synergy is that mysterious dynamic that emerges from wholesomeness wherein the power of the whole inexplicably exceeds the sum of its parts. This powerful dynamic is now being recognized and is manifest in the ideals of holistic (“whole”istic) medicine, whole food, and so forth. Wholeness brings health to us physically, mentally and spiritually. In fact the etymology of our words “health” and “heal” can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic hailitho – “whole, uninjured, of good omen.” How can we live the most wholesome and healthy life? By attuning our lives in all its aspects to the ultimate source of wholeness: God. In God we are healed and made whole again. In the words of the psalmist: “He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.”

-- Achariya Ajay Bauer

From Gurus and Swamis:

O thou Physician of Souls, 
O thou Divine Healer, 
O thou Compassionate, 
I am made whole at thy approach.

-- Swami Premananda, “Prayers of Self-Realization”

When our consciousness is spiritualized by the divinity of God our whole being is sanctified by his purity and holiness.

--Lahiri in Swami Premananda, “Sayings of Shyamacharan Lahiri”
 

O Spirit, teach us to heal the body by recharging it with Thy cosmic energy, to heal the mind by concentration and cheerfulness, and to heal the disease of soul ignorance by the divine medicine of meditation on Thee.

-- Swami Yogananda, “Whispers from Eternity”

Prepare Ye The Way

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on “Prepare Ye The Way”
Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 11:00am

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to the light of God. We prepare ourselves not only during this holy season but daily. If we keep our consciousness attached to the sensory world, we lose sight of the true goal. But if we lift our consciousness the supreme Self of us all, we realize the true Self.

The path is a difficult one. It requires constant effort and determination. There are many challenges to keep to “the straight path.” That is why the Upanishads called this path, the razor's edge.

It is our own inner voice that is the “voice in the wilderness,” calling us to “prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Will we heed this voice?  Or is that still small voice within us drowned out by the loud noises of our objective lives?

Great souls of all times and all lands have offered us guidance along this path. The Buddha offered the "Noble Eightfold Path."  Lao Tzu described the “Tao." Jesus of Christ Consciousness showed us “the way, the truth and the life.” 

Let us remember that our preparation is to inspire ourselves and those around us to the divine light of soul.  With this blessed inspiration we guide our lives with the consciousness of God.

—Srimati Carrie


FROM GURUS AND SWAMIS:

“Our origin and destination are assured, and God has given our souls all the provisions we need for our journey through life…but he leaves the packing and unpacking to us.”

— Swami Kamalananda, Reflections on Still Waters

“Mind to think, intellect to know, heart to feel and individualized self-consciousness to inspire and to motivate—all these were given to me and placed within my consciousness. Well-equipped and well-provided, I traveled from distance to distance in the world of ever-changing beauty and never-ending mystery.”

—Swami Premananda, Prayers of Soul


NOBLE THOUGHTS: 

“A voice of one cries out in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the path of God.”

— Isaiah 40: 3

“Jesus answered: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’.” 

— The Bible, John 14:6

"I am the inspiration and the ideal of the life of subjective meditation and that of the life of objective action. I am the supreme, eternal Reality of all the ever-changing worlds and the friend of all beings. He who knows me thus attains peace."  

— Bhagavad Gita, 5:29

“I place my trust in Allah, My Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He has grasp of its forelock. Verily, it is my Lord that is on a straight Path.” 

— Qur’an 11:56

“He lives truly whose life is guided by the purity, wisdom and light of the Self.” 

– Katha Upanishad

“In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right vision, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration... I follow that path.” 

— Dhammapada
 

The Mystic's Search

Srimati Carrie
Speaks on "The Mystic's Search"
Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 11:00am

During this holy season we remember the great blessings of life. This is a time to pause and reflect, to give thanks and share our joy. This is a time when we yearn to be awakened to the consciousness of holiness within and around us.

The true mystics are those who seek to live in the realization of the divine blessings of God.  This is the life of Yoga — when the soul pervades the awareness and perception of the senses. 

In our search, we look to the lives of the mystics, rishis and saints for examples of how to live in the light of soul. Their examples serve as reminders that God dwells in all beings. But it is up to us to see for ourselves.

—Srimati Carrie

From Gurus and Swamis: AUM

“Mysticism is the spiritual science that deals exclusively with divine truths which are beyond all finite categories. Only transcendental truths form the subject matter of mystic revelation. Knowledge about God and all his attributes, and about soul with its innate divinity is the supreme goal of the mystic’s search.”
 
—Swami Premananda, 101 Noble Qualities
 

“The mystic has opened the door through which he must pass in order to reach God. The door is his own pure heart which opens to embrace all — blessing, uplifting and transforming all with love. Only the openhearted receives the peace and harmony of God.”

—Swami Kamalananda, Reflections on Still Waters

Noble Thoughts:

“If I say it is outside me, my inner world is ashamed; if I say it is only within, that is falsehood.”
 
— Kabir
 
 
If there is a paradise on earth,
It is this, it is this, it is this” 
 
—Amir Khusrau
 
 
It is in God that we live, and move, and have our being.
 
—Paul in Acts 17:28

 
“Wisdom cannot be pass’d from one having it to another not having it, 
Wisdom is of the soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof, 
Applies to all stages and objects and qualities and is content, 
Is the certainty of the reality and immortality of things, and the excellence of things; 
Something there is in the float of the sight of things that provokes it out of the soul. 
 
“Here is realization, 
Here is a man tallied—he realizes here what he has in him, 
The past, the future, majesty, love—if they are vacant of you, you are vacant of them.” 
 
—Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
 

"At the highest state of self-realization the yogi recognizes himself as one with all objects of creation, and attains the revelation that all forms are the manifestations of his own universality."  
 
—Srimat-Bhagavad-Gita: ch 4, vs 6-7