I was delighted to receive your letter. There is no need for you to worry about your devotion or liberation. The Lord will grant you these things in this very life. Don't worry about it. You will have ecstasy and attain Self-realization in this very life. The Lord will also have the work that is earmarked for you done. But this will be no impediment to your liberation. Have no doubt about this.

You no longer need to exert yourself too much doing your spiritual practices. Rather, take good care of your health from now on. No doubt you have to work hard if you want to realize God by your own spiritual practices, but remember, at the root of your success lies God's grace. Know this for certain. God's grace is already on you.

If you want to do God's work, you cannot help but mix with all kinds of people. That this will have some influence on your mind is natural. But don't worry, this will not hurt you. By His grace you will be safe.

A better time will come when you will be able to concentrate on spiritual practices, and then you will be able to remove the veil covering your mind. The mind will then be pure, and you will enjoy divine bliss. Know that this will happen.

I have nothing further to add. My sincere love and good wishes to you.

#lettersofswamishivananda #liberation #spirituality

MOTHER! Far away, one whom I love is very sad to-day. His heart calls to mine for help, but though I tell him how I love him, I leave him still uncheered. How is it? I know he thinks towards me, I know I talk with him. Yet I long to see him, and hear him, and comfort him face to face!

My child, if this were not so, the sense-life would not be yours, or would not hold you. When you have reached that place where the communion of souls is enough, you will find that it is more than the knowledge of the senses, faith will already be swallowed up in sight.

But, oh Mother, what can I now do to ease this craving pain? I prayed for the vision of Râghunath and did not know that it meant torture multiplied a thousand fold. When one is in trouble oneself, one's own little world lies in gloom; outside, the busy feet pass up and down beneath the windows, the birds build nests, and the children play in the sunshine, as before: but the universe becomes all black when the beloved suffers.

Cease, My child, from inordinate affection. Give Me your heart, and let Me govern it alone. Be the witness of earth's joys and sorrows, sharing them not. Thus only can you keep yourself from entanglement, and attain to peace.

But peace for myself, dear Mother, why should I seek? How can I turn a deaf ear to his voice that calls me, adding another pang to the heartache of a life, and go away myself, and be at peace? Give him that inner peace! Let me win it for him, if Thou wilt be kind! But I cannot will to fail him in his need and loneliness, even to gain Thy blessing!

Ah foolish one! Every thought of love that you send out to answer his, becomes a fetter of iron to hold him in life's anguish. Hide you yourself in My heart, My child, and he, too, will come home to Me. For your love's sake, let your voice cease to be one with the voices of the world. Let it come to him only in Mine, when that is borne on the south wind at the time of sunset, calling him gently to worship at My feet. Let it be one with transcendent love, with infinite freedom. Only thus can you satisfy him. Only by withdrawing yourself can you bring him peace.

Mother! I yield. Take me, I pray Thee, into Thine own heart. Let me not look back. If Thou wilt call me I shall find my way there, surely, though my eyes now are blind with tears.

And for those I love, shall I trust Thy mercy less than I trust mine own?

Yet if at the last they seem to stumble, if the foot slip, or Thy voice fail them by the way, promise, dear Mother, once more to wake me from the dream of bliss. Cast me out from Thy heart, I beg of Thee, and let those who so need Thee, go in before to peace!

Silly, silly child! Like a helpless bird you beat your wings of littleness against My grace! Look up and laugh! For already the cloud that seemed so black is passing. Already the clasp of hands about the heart is loosened. Two souls draw the long breath of strength and relief. The feet of two who come to Me are shod with gladness. The hearts of two beat high, for the conquest born of renunciation.

Here is Akshay's own account of this first meeting: "Devendra and Dhirendra took the dust of the Master's feet, as usual, and took their seats. The humble author did likewise and the Master gave him a look full of compassion. What was there in that look, I do not know. It was beyond any description. The holy image of the Master entered his heart through his eyes and occupied it right away. That charming figure at once dazzled his eyes and mind and captivated his heart. Whatever had been left in the heart was cleared out by listening to the Master's sweet words. It was an invisible play, burglary in open daylight by breaking open hundreds of locks inside one's heart...All past remembrances disappeared in a moment, and I became completely oblivious of the world. I forgot my old self, a new current started flowing, a new being was born in my old body. The assembled people no longer seemed to be people, the houses ceased to be houses at all, and having lost everything old, it appeared as if I had entered a new territory and was moving forward in a dream. The story of the Master's glory has been chiselled in my heart. Where can I find adequate language to describe it?" Soon the kirtans began. Sri Ramakrishna burst forth into a rapturous song, "Behold, the two brothers have come, who weep while chanting Hari's name..." Intoxicated with divine joy, the Master began to dance, his face beaming with love and bliss. At times he went into samadhi and remained motionless, at other times he danced with great vigour. As the spiritual fervour reached a climax, Mahimacharan pointed to Sri Ramakrishna and exclaimed, "Here's our Krishna." Akshay, a Krishna devotee, felt deeply that the Master was verily Lord Krishna for whose vision he had been yearning for years.

#spiritual #spirituality

Ordinary people can get away from the powers of Maya only by the grace of an enlightened soul. Very few chosen souls have the strength to merely desire and Maya will become powerless over them -- only those who can identify their oneness in all! For Maya must also have come from the same source which gives rise to ecstasy and bliss. There can be nothing other than the one absolute. Once Ma Sarda said, "I am the Mother of the rich, the poor, the saint and the murderer alike!". Ramakrishna Paramhansa once asked her to keep some people away from herself as their nature is not pure yet. But she would not, She said, "How can I turn away my children, who come to me in distress?" By constant practice and devotion the grace of the God can be had. When you can see that everything is the manifestation of the same Absolute you will neither be tempted nor repelled by anything.

#spiritual

I was listening to ”Meditation: Falling Awake” on ABC Radio National’s The Spirit of Things. I found it informative. I found it voicing the same opinion what i hear on the Guided Meditation recording by Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore each morning. It is this- Meditation is not necessarily bliss. And this has been said by some other spiritual teachers too. I remember when I was a kid it was much easier and blissful to meditate. I would lose body consciousness in ten minutes. I did not persevere in my practice. I went on and off. Now I am working and live far away from home. I have taken it up again. It takes about one hour to get to that same state it used to take me only ten minutes. And it takes an effort to stay sitting now. The rule I broke was perseverance. I was not sincere. But no spiritual effort is ever wasted. The experience of peace, state of being without desires and love for all draws me back to it. It is very essential to be sincere and persevering in all our endeavours. It is noted that after the initial blissful experience we get in meditation- it decreases. But we must not lose heart. If we do not get discouraged and do not stop the practice we will gain deeper understanding of ourselves. I wish that you may never lose heart and practise sincerely.

Thank you for reading this, if you have a comment you are welcome to write it. I would be happy to read your comment.

#bliss #effort #endeavours #meditation #peace #perseverance #practice #spiritual