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ALL
ABOUT DIVINE LIFE
By
H.H. Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati
WHAT IS DIVINE LIFE?
Divine Life is the perfect life led according to the laws of Truth.
Divine Life is life immortal, in which
the ideal state of perfection and the
expansion of the self in infinity and eternity are attained.
Divine Life is life in tune with the
Infinite.
It represents the synthesis of the
fundamentals of all religions.
It represents all the principles of
Dharma.
It has no creed of its own, but it
represents the essence of all creeds.
It is a means to attain the true ideal
of all beings, viz., God-realization.
It lays the greatest emphasis on each
individual perfecting himself.
It teaches you how to control your mind
by, concentrating all your attention on the inner Atman.
Divine Life means a good life together
with self-discipline and an inner awareness of the Atman.
Entertain divine thoughts; do virtuous
actions. This is the gateway to Divine Life.
Right conduct, self-conquest,
compassion, benevolence, pursuit of truth, service of humanity, meditation and
self-inquiry: this is good living; this is Divine Life.
Divine Life aims at harmony, peace and
concord.
Live in peace and harmony with your fellow-beings. Radiate goodness of heart all around.
This is Divine Life.
Through
the path of Divine Life alone the world can be cured of its ills.
Artificial living in bungalows with
motorcars and servants, with a big bank balance, but without Divine Life, is
not prosperity.
Reform yourself through Divine Life; the
society will reform itself.
Come, then; take a resolve today that
you will live every moment of your life for the realization of God.
If every one of you makeup your mind to
lead the Divine Life from today, from this very moment, what doubt is there
that the entire society, of which you are a unit, will not become blessed?
The dawn of a new life awaits you! The
time has come! Strive for Divine Life.
You will be blessed.
A life of self-discipline is a spiritual
preparation for the selfless service of humanity.
Self-discipline is a part of Divine
Life, which shows you how to develop and become perfect into Life Everlasting.
Light the torch of Divine Life. Hold the
torch aloft. Let humanity see the spiritual path aright.
On this very day, make your resolve to
become strong and powerful, physically, mentally, morally and spiritually.
Life is a valuable asset; utilize it for
attaining God-realization.
Life without a worthy ideal is like a rudderless boat.
Life without aspiration is like a vegetable existence.
Human birth is a blessing. It is very
difficult to get a human birth. Do virtuous deeds. Evolve and expand. Meditate
and realize God.
A little meditation in the early morning
hours and a well regulated, life will give a balance and rhythm to your life
and an inner spiritual strength and courage.
The raft of the Knowledge of the Atman
will take you, safely over the stormy waves of this great ocean of Samsara.
Shake
off lethargy and faint-heartedness. Exert; show manly fortitude. Success will
be yours. Yield not to
despondence. Be lion-hearted. Strive. You will prosper gloriously in every
attempt.
Learn the lessons of life. Learn to live rationally and
righteously. Seek the way of Light. Be in tune with the Infinite.
Fight bravely the battle of life. Arm
yourself with the shield of discrimination and the sword of dispassion.
All is but one stupendous whole. Know
this spiritual oneness of existence by living a life of purity, inquiry,
devotion and meditation.
Do not run away from evil. Rise above
evil. Face it. Overcome it. Eradicate it. Bring in the Divine Light.
Let your life be dedicated to selfless
service and spiritual endeavors. Let it be a source of inspiration to others.
Never
allow defeat to overcome you. Be always courageous. Defeat is illusory;
victory is real.
Find out your way back to God. Get out of this dark maze of
Samsara with the help of the torch of discrimination.
This world is a bridge. Pass over it and
reach the abode of life eternal; do not build over it.
Live not in yesterday, live not in
tomorrow, but live, work, serve, love, purify and meditate today.
Out of good life comes God-life.
Goodness is the threshold to godliness.
Learn to live well, to live the true
life, to live the life divine.
Do not postpone a good deed. Do it now.
Think not that there is time enough in the future. What guarantee is there
that you will live tomorrow?
Cease to do evil; learn to do good.
Understand life. Live in harmony. Seek good company.
Make the mind free from the domination
of fear and hatred.
Resort not to unrighteousness, whatever
momentary benefits it might bring. You will have to pay heavily later.
Simple living is living in contentment with the minimum
necessities of life.
Hear the teachings of saints and sages.
Practice them. Elevate yourself above the ups and downs of the mundane,
humdrum life.
Be frank and candid. Speak out your
heart. Do not try to bottle up your emotions. But be careful and judicious in
expressing them. You will have peace of mind.
Return good for evil. But do not encourage evil. Be
self-dependent.
Give respect and sympathy to others. You
will receive respect and sympathy from others.
Obey implicitly what your preceptor
says; work selflessly; speak truthfully; love unselfishly; think rightly.
Return love for hatred. If you are not
able to do that, be indifferent. But never meet hatred with hatred.
Cherish love in your heart, goodwill,
toleration and sympathy for all mankind. Let your life be not one of lip
service. Let it be a living expression of love, sacrifice, wisdom and courage.
Do
not twist words, facts and topics. Do not try to guise the truth. If the truth
is un-pleasant be silent. But do not resort to or support untruth.
Make your life a worthy expression of
the spirit of goodness.
Purify your mind through good thoughts,
good words, and good deeds.
Make your mind and speech one. Let your
thoughts and words agree.
Practice the religion of simplicity.
Have the motto of service and selfless love.
You should not postpone charity and
prayer. You should do both the very moment the idea occurs in your mind.
Peace of mind is the fruit of a virtuous
life. Therefore, lead the virtuous life.
Life without virtuous traits is like a
desert without oases.
To
speak the truth at all events, to speak sweetly with love, to practice
non-violence and
celibacy, to behold the Lord in all beings, is Divine Life.
Love, truth and purity form the
foundation of the edifice of Divine Life.
Character
and devotion are the bricks and mortar, with which you have to construct the
walls of the Temple of Divine Life.
The Temple of Divine Life has four
pillars viz., meditation,
purity, love and righteousness.
Through the means of service, love and
meditation, Divine Life is lived.
The secret of Divine Life lies in the
spirit of service and sacrifice.
No philosophy or religion in the world
can teach anything better than: "Serve, love, give, purify; be good, do
good; meditate, and realize."
Purify your heart. Purity is the very
essence of religion.
Mortifying
the body is not Divine Life.
Physical
nudity and matted locks have nothing to do with Divine Life.
Divine Life is not a rejection of life
and its activities, but a transformation of it into the Divine.
The path of duty is the way to glory and
eternal happiness.
The path of duty is the path of
righteousness, and the path of righteousness is the only path to everlasting
peace and happiness.
Aspire ceaselessly to live in the
Divine. Strive ceaselessly to realize the Truth.
Work untiringly for the good of others.
To have faith and devotion, to serve the
preceptor and the saints, to practice meditation, and to attain
Self-knowledge, is indeed a supreme blessing.
Without self-restraint there is no
Divine Life.
Do
not mix much with people, but be friendly to all.
Children
of Immortality! Arise, awake, and lead the Divine Life of truth, purity, love
and goodness.
Be
merciful to all. Be kind to all. Love all. Renounce sensual pleasures.
Meditate on the Divine. This is Divine Life.
The
world is a composite whole. Do not entertain the spirit of separateness and in
your heart and mind, be one with all.
The individual soul has to merge in the
Cosmic Soul. The human life has to transform itself into Divine Life. This is
the goal of life.
Find
out your Center. Dwell always in this Center. This Center is Atman, or your
innermost Self.
Realize
your real nature. Realize your Atmaswaroopa. A lion should not bleat like a
lamb.
Do not he pessimistic. Do not be negative in your approach.
Be always optimistic and positive.
Your only duty is God-realization. All
other duties should only serve as a means to this final goal.
Put aside sorrow and grief. Identify not
yourself with the perishable body and mind. You are the immortal Soul. Why
should you grieve, when your real nature is joy eternal?
To get established in the Self, to do
charitable and noble deeds, to be pure at heart: this is indeed a supreme
blessing.
Spiritualize your activities. Dedicate
all your actions as an offering to God. Practice detachment, self-surrender
and Live in God.
Awake from the slumber of ignorance. Be dispassionate.
Learn to discriminate. Meditate. Sleep no more! Behold the
dawn of wisdom in your heart.
Lift
the veil of human imperfections. Behold your real divine nature.
Seek
first the spiritual kingdom within you.
Realize fully the message of the unity of life and the
divine purpose behind it.
Stick to the fundamental principles of a
noble life. Re-orientate them to suit the changing times and conditions and
never compromise on your fundamental principles.
Unfold all the latent potentialities of
your soul through leading the Divine Life.
Escape from the world is not the
solution, but freedom from worldliness is what is desired.
Live in agreement with nature. Use your
discriminative faculty. You will be happy, healthy and wise.
Swerve not from the path, whatever are
the distractions and unfavorable circumstances.
Be rooted in the ideal. The struggle may be
difficult in the beginning. But later you will reap a happy harvest.
Allow not wealth to harden your heart. It
should be utilized for the good of others.
Be a servant of the poor, be a lover of
the poor, be a devotee of the poor, be a brother of the poor, be a helper of
the poor, be a healer of the poor. Your life will be blessed.
The greedy, the proud, and the covetous
have no peace. The contented and the humble enjoy the blessing of peace.
Give: charity creates the feeling of oneness.
Give a little of cold water to the
thirsty, give a few grains of food to the hungry and speak a few kind words to
the afflicted. The Lord will bless you.
Seek to live with all in love and
kindness, for who knows where or in what guise the Lord Himself will come to
you.
Be a friend to the animals; serve the
animals. The Lord dwells in all creatures.
If you can always remember that God is watching all your thoughts
and actions, then you will not entertain evil thoughts or do evil actions.
Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever
you do, first offer to the Lord.
Co-operate with the divine forces, and
work for the promotion of peace and harmony.
Be not dogmatic and fanatic; be
catholic, broad-minded, tolerant, and all-inclusive.
If the brute in you triumphs, love will
have no scope to flourish.
Trust in the love and wisdom of God. You
will be free from fear and worry.
A man of discrimination is always
careful, vigilant and circumspect. He always watches carefully his thoughts.
Repentance is asking for the forgiveness
of the Lord with real tears of grief, and imposing some discipline on oneself
in the form of Tapas.
By feeling the Lord's presence
everywhere, you can become fearless, and enjoy infinite peace and bliss.
Rise above all sects, cults and creeds. Sectarianism is an
antithesis to spiritual life.
The sure way to Perfect Life is pointed
out in the Gita. The message of the Gita is the Yoga of synthesis, with a
special emphasis on any one of the particular aspects of Yoga chosen according
to the temperament of the aspirant.
Disseminate the message of equality,
unity, and cosmic love.
Dissemination of spiritual knowledge is the noblest form of
service to humanity.
Spiritual enlightenment can only come
from those who have attained such enlightenment themselves. The blind cannot
lead the blind. One who has seen the Light only can show the Light to others.
Only he is called great, who is
merciful, who is endowed with self-restraint, righteousness and wisdom, who
radiates joy and peace, who sheds divine light and lifts up the people from
the quagmire of Samsara.
The perfect man is a beautiful
combination of the "head, the heart, and the hand."
As the rivers flow on to the ocean, so
may you flow on to the Absolute, the ocean of bliss immortal, where there is
no diversity, no disharmony, and no imperfection?
Two letters lead to death; three letters
lead to immortality. Mama (mine) leads to death; Na-mama (not mine) leads to
immortality.
Desire nothing. Fear nothing.
Sparks of the Divine Flame! Back to the
Divine Flame! Be one with the Divine Flame.
Meditate
on this formula: "Nothing exists; nothing belongs to me. I am neither
body, nor mind. Immortal Self I am."