Category Archives: INSPIRATIONAL
Bryant University Graduation Week – May 2018
During the last week, there was a festive mood at the University as our young seniors were getting ready to graduate. They are our hope for the future to make this world a better place.
Here are some pictures that capture the joyful moments with colleagues and students.
All Are In God
“Whether you make dhyana of God or of Self, it is immaterial. The goal is the same. But you cannot escape the Self. You want to see God in all, but not in yourself? If all are God, are you not included in that all?” Sri Ramana speaking in Talk 254 (Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi).
Devotee: Is the Universal Soul (Paramatma) always different from us?
Sri Ramana: That is the common belief, but it is wrong. Think of Him as not different from you, and then you achieve identity of Self with God. (Talk 31).
Death Is Another Name For Us
Losing a loved one is a natural cause of grief for us.
We have to eventually reconcile with the fact of death of those we loved, and cherish the joy that arises in the heart when we think of them.
Sri Ramana reminds us, “True love is shown by the certainty that the object of love is in the Self and that it can never become non-existent.”
Sages teach us that the death of the body is inevitable. We are not the body but the Spirit. That is the message of Bhagavad-Gita as well.
The Fundamental Truth Of Being Alone
We have come alone in this world.
We will leave alone.
Behind all the glamour and colors of this world, the great joys and laughter, and all the pain and horrific suffering, the fact of being alone is a constant for all beings.
Meditation on this fundamental truth serves as a gateway to Self-Realization.
Describing this state, Maharshi Patanjali (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) says in Book 1, the third verse, “The Seer now rests in His own nature.”
The Nature of Satsang
If we find the company of good people on our path, it enhances our life in every way.
In Sanskrit, we call this, Satsang (Spiritual Fellowship).
Sages emphasize the power of Satsang to transform our life.
The Satsang need not be physical or face to face. Coming into contact with the thoughts of great saints and yogis via books or other media also constitutes Satsang.
Sri Ramana used to say that physical contact with the Guru is not important. It is the mental and spiritual contact that is critical and central for our growth.
All Love
The Magic Of Palm Reading
My father was a professor of mathematics.
Ever since I was a child, I remember my father reading palms for fun and entertainment. He read palms on demand and instantaneously!
No was ever refused. Someone could come to him off the street and ask to have their palm read. My father would stop immediately, hold the persons hands and look at all the lines on both palms and give his reading.
My father was always positive about what he said and was careful to couch anything negative by emphasizing the power of prayer and the role of will power. His readings were optimistic and he was very enthusiastic about communicating how destiny could be overcome by hard work and sincerely praying to God for help.
My father motivated people. He told them to not focus on their weaknesses and worry, but to enhance their strengths through mantra meditation and prayer.
Anyone who came to our house would have both their palms carefully examined and told about their future and given advice as well to overcome any obstacles!
The picture given above is of my father from the early 1970s. I was serving as his assistant and helping out managing the lines of people who wanted their palms read.
Whenever my father read palms, great crowds would gather.
No one was ever charged. All the readings were completely free.
Secret of Happiness
What is the secret of happiness?
Don’t bother anyone.
Don’t be bothered by anyone.
That is the path of joy and freedom.
Help those who come your way. Help where needed.
But don’t bother anyone. Don’t impose yourself and your views on others.
Stay with people and be part of the community devoted to universal love and peace.
Stay away from those who like to argue. Let them find their way.
Sri Ramana used to say that the best help we can give others is to transform ourself.
Be a person of peace and compassion, and this will reflect in your actions.
Be the light. That light will illumine your path and that of others and will be the best help you can give.
Quietly shine in your own pure nature of peace and radiance.
You will have done all you can.
The Search For True Love
The search for true love is really the search for the ultimate reality of this universe.
It manifests outwardly as the search for that perfect person, the search for God, the search for the mystery of our existence.
Underlying all fears and anxieties is the fundamental agitation of not knowing who we are.
To solve this existential riddle, Sri Ramana advocates the sincere and keen inquiry that focuses on the question, “Who Am I?”
It is this inward focus with intent and intensity, that leads the mind to dive deep into the very heart of the unknown.
It is in the deepest core of our being, that we find the Heart, that is in reality the Self.
One never feels complete until one realizes that one who has been pursued and sought as one’s true love is one’s own Self.
In coming close to the Self, one is drawn to the Self, and then by Grace merges with the Self, the very Heart of Existence and becomes That.
Bhagavan Ramana used to say, “The Self is always there. It is you. There is nothing but you.”
The Most Powerful Yoga
Live your life without hurting anyone. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj in “I Am That”
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