Essentials Quotes for Life - Swami Shivananda

Few quotes to be read every day. It is having its own power to change our lives. Here is the few golden quotes from Swami Shivananda.

• Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord .
• Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord.


• Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.


• Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.


• Forget like a child any injury done by somebody immediately. Never keep it in the heart. It kindles hatred.


• A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.


• Humility is not cowardice. Meekness is not weakness. Humility and meekness are indeed spiritual powers.


• Do not love leisure. Waste not a minute. Be bold. Realize the Truth, here and now!


• There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient .


• Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realize the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself.


• If you do not know the laws of right conduct, you cannot form your character.


• Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate தேச்டினடின்.


• Crave for a thing, you will get it. Renounce the craving, the object will follow you by itself.


• Practice meditation regularly. Meditation leads to eternal bliss. Therefore meditate, meditate.


• Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods. So let us celebrate the struggle.


• The real spiritual progress of the aspirant is measured by the extent to which he achieves inner tranquility.Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord .Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord .


• Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize.


• It is divinity that shapes, not only your ends, but also your acts, your words and thoughts.


• A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. Complete peace equally reigns between two mental waves.


• Always do good to others. Be selfless. Mentally remove everything and be free. This is divine life. This is the direct way to Moksha or salvation.

A conversation with God

A conversation with God is actually a conversation with our heart. Here is a nice conversation, a true insight in many ways.. just enjoy the context

GOD: Hello. Did you call me?
ME: Called you? No. Who is this?
GOD: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
ME: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst
of something.
GOD: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.
ME: Don’t know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.
GOD: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

ME: Why are we constantly unhappy?
GOD: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.
ME: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
GOD: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
ME: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.
GOD: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

ME: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
GOD: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.
ME: You mean to say such experience is useful?

GOD: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the
lessons afterwards.
ME: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?
GOD: PROBLEMS are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) EnhanceMental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
ME: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading.
GOD: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside.
Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

ME: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
GOD: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as
decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

ME: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
GOD: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

ME: What surprises you about people?
GOD: When they suffer they ask, ‘Why me?’ When they prosper, they never ask ’Why
me’. Everyone wishes to have truth on his or her side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

ME: Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
GOD: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.
ME: Thank you for this wonderful and kind session.
GOD: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don’t believe your doubts and doubt
your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

[This is taken from The Vedanta Kesari May'08]