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Inspiring Words of Swami Niranjanananda - II


Swami Niranajan on occasion of Guru Pournima, 30th July 2007

Photo by - Petia Chtarkova

Inspiring words - Part I







To be friend with the mind and tackle it, there are 3 ways one can use.

1. Rectify the karmas or actions - This improves the quality and behavior of mind.
  This is karma Yoga and you can redesign the karmas or actions in life by following the path.
  karma yoga is the cultivation of the attitude associated with the natural activity of life.
  Steps to Practice Karma yoga
 
I am doing it as Duty or commitment.
I am doing it to improve my own skills.
I am doing it observe the reactions in my own head, being a witness to inner psychological reactions.
Developing immunity from the influences of such reactions.
Seeing what is the association of our reaction, is it selfish? Is it harmful? Is it detrimental? Is it positive? Is it uplifting?
Balance the reaction if it is on negative side, and you have to become the master of it.
  Karma Yoga is perfected in this way, the karmas, attitude, mental approach & behavior is changed.
   
2. Develop the wisdom in life - develop the understanding in life and it is the greatest quality which human being can have. This path is also to organize the intellect. This is known as Jnana Yoga.
  Jnana Yoga - to organize the intellect
  Steps to practice
 
Self awareness - cultivation of awareness, it is like a focus of torch, mind is like this, you only have to focus it. In Jnana Yoga enlargement of awareness takes place, you perceive more things, it starts from cultivation of awareness, to start you can pick up a meditative technique, 1 month, 1 year and when you come to a point when you feel that you are not going to go further then change it.
 
Awareness of interactions in life, ambitions and aspirations in life, desires and needs, awareness of external and social and personal life. Life should open up in front of you.
Awareness culminates in "Swadhaya" (Self study), and out come of Swadhaya is organization of knowledge, intellect so that knowledge can be expressed in course of our life. And this is "Vivek Bhuddh". This Vivek Bhuddhi is Sthith Prajnya, wisdom or intellect does not fluctuate. Sthith prajnya governs the activities of life
 
   
3. Management of emotions - To bring the diversion to the flow of emotions, channelize the emotional force by means of Bhakti yoga.
  Bhakti Yoga - emotion management
  Steps to practice
  Being able to channel the flow of emotions
 
Connecting with Faith and belief is a very strong force, positive transformation starts to happen when one develops the faith and belief in higher force. less.
To always have positive and virtuous thoughts. One has to make effort to develop positive quality of mind & thoughts so that you always have positivity for others. Thought is a beam radiating out of your mind. We can feel the thoughts if we tune ourselves in a subtle way. The positive development of thinking patterns affect the entire surroundings.
 
By becoming one pointed on the learning and teaching of the Guru and become ego less.
To connect with the universal force and realize its presence in every living form.
   

These 3 ways bring "chitta shuddhi", or purification of mind, which results in elimination of lower tendencies and acquisitions of mind. This leads to development of higher qualities in life.

"Chitta shuddhi" comes before other aspects of yoga such as concentration and any other attainment in yoga.

Taken from lecture by Paramhansa Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
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