*An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs*
*Swami Ranganathananda*
*
*
THE FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE GITA

The Gita was first translated into English by Sir Charles Wilkins and
published by the British East India Company with an introduction by
Warren Hastings, the first British Governor-General of India, in which we
find the following prophetic sentence:
     'The writers of the Indian philosophies will survive when the British
Dominion in India shall long have ceased to exist, and when the sources
which it yielded of wealth and power are lost to remembrance.'

     A century later, another beautiful rendering of the Gita in English,
namely, *The Song Celestial*, by Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904). He had learnt
the Sanskrit language while he was working in India; in Pune and other
places. He developed a great love for Indian culture, and after he went to
England, he produced this book and another equally outstanding book about
Buddha, namely, *The Light of Asia.* Both have gone through more than fifty
to sixty
editions. Both go straight to the heart of the reader.

http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/


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Was it Elder Brother’s Curse?

 

Disciple: If everything is
according to the will of God, why then he does not destroy the Karma of the
devotees?

 

Holy Mother: God can destroy the
Karma if he wills. But then just see how even the Master had to suffer the
consequence
of his action. His elder brother (Raamkumaar) suffering from high malignant
fever was drinking water. Fearing that water would aggravate the illness, the
Master snatched the glass away from his hand. This hurt his brother very much.
He
said, “Just as you have refused me water now, so shall you be unable to eat
anything in your last days.” The Master said, “I did it for your good. Why
did
you curse me?” His brother began to cry and replied.” I do not know why this
curse came out of my lips.” This was however fulfilled. The Master has to
suffer for his Karma. During his last illness he could scarcely take anything.

 

Once when Raamakrishna was in
Shyaampukur, he had a vision in which he saw his subtle body emerge from his
gross physical body while he was walking about the room. He observed that the
back of the subtle body was covered with sores, especially where the trunk
joined the throat. He wondered why this was so. The Divine Mother explained to
him that many people who had committed evil deeds had touched him and produced
the sores on his body. Ramakrishna did not seem at all disturbed by this
discovery. Indeed he said repeatedly that he was ready to be reborn many
thousands of times more, if his incarnations could be of service to others.
However,
Naren and the young disciples determined that no newcomer should be allowed to
touch Raamakrishna, during his last illness of throat cancer.

 

Dr.Mahendralaal Sarkaar, famous homoeopathist,
was the doctor treating Raamakrishna during the last year of his illness. He
seeing the financial difficulties of the disciples, announced that in future he
would attend Ramakrishna free of charge. Though he believed initially, the
disease might possibly curable, finally he said, “The disease is incurable.”
During Durga pooja Dr. Sarkaar took the opportunity of examining Raamakrishna
with a stethoscope while he was in Samaadhi. No heart beat could be detected.
He also touched Raamkrishna’s eye ball with his finger. There was no reaction.
The doctor recorded these facts and said he was unable to explain them.

 

The devotees however believed that
he could cure himself whenever he wished. One day Narendra and others begged
Raamakrishna to cure himself for their sake if not for his own.” Do you think
I
am suffering like this because I want to?” Raamakrishna retorted. “Of course
I
want to get better! But it all depends on Mother.” ‘Then please pray to
Her.’
Said Narendra. ‘She can’t refuse to listen.’ Raamakrishna protested that
he
could not utter such words But they continued to plead with him and at last he
agreed he would do what he could. A few hours later Naren asked him, “Well did
you pray to Her?” And Raamkrishna told him, “I said to the Mother, I can’t
eat
because of this pain; please let me eat a little. But she pointed to all of you
and said, ‘Why! You are eating through so many mouths already.’ So then I
felt
I felt ashamed and could not utter another word.”

 

At Cossipore Raamakrishna
clarified, “Devotees are sifted (separated) by this illness of mine. Those who
are living here with me, renouncing the world belong to the inner circle; And
those who pay occasional visits and ask ‘How are you sir?’- they belong to
the
outer circle.”  




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*An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs*
*Swami Ranganathananda*
*
*
The Gita is thus a heroic message from a heroic teacher to a heroic pupil.
Its universality makes it applicable to any human being anywhere in the
world, to make him or her realize one's fullest human possibilities. The
Upanishads or the Vedanta expounded the science of human possibilities a
thousand years earlier, and the Gita expounds the practical application of
that science. Hence, Swami Vivekananda considered the Gita as the best book
of practical Vedanta.

http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7QwxbImhZI

Devdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the
West -- and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs
about God, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Work using free will or Work with total surrender to
God?

 

Swaami
Jagadaatmaanandji of Raamakrishna Mission Singapore writes in his book
‘Gospel of life sublime’: “Planning is a word very much in vogue in the
modern
age. The great man who visualized multifaceted projects for Karnatak and
carried them out, thus leading to prosperity and progress of the old Mysore
state was Sir M.
Vishweshwarayya. The miraculous progress and development achieved by Japan
is also attributed to their of their planning and execution. A small country
like Singapore
has become a leading nation of the developing countries due to its foresight in
excellent planning and execution. Compare its size and deeds! In US to enable a
human being to set foot for the first time on the moon, about Ten Thousand
technical experts had worked unceasingly for more than 10 years. That is an
example of result of sound planning. India has drawn up several
strategies in the form of five year plans for a prosperous future. Life
Insurance has become a universal project of planning for the future of
individuals and institutions.

 

When we
reiterate that we should live in the present it does not mean that we should
not look into the events of the past and learn from our mistakes and take
advantage of our strength. It does not mean that we should not contemplate
specific projects for future and make adjustments if necessary.

 

Total surrender
to God’s will is possible only after God realization. Saaradaanand say’s,
“Raamkrishna
has resigned to the will of Mother Kali with a completeness which is beyond our
imagination. He was therefore incapable of making decisions except from one
moment to another. Planning seemed positively horrible to him.”

 

On one occasion,
he saw Hriday with a calf and asked him what he was going to do with it. “I am
taking it home.” Hriday answered. “in a few years it will be full grown and
ready for the plough.” Raamkrishna was so shocked that he fell into a swoon.
When
he came back to his senses he exclaimed, “Look how worldly people hoard for
the
future! They are always planning so far ahead! Won’t they rely on God!”

 

Christopher
Isherwood writes: “If I had to use one single word for the “Gospel by M”,
it
would be the word Now. The majority of us spend greater part of our lives in
the future  or the past desiring what is
to come and regretting what is over. M shows Raamkrishna who lives in continuos
contact with that which is eternally ‘present’. God’s existence has no
relation
to past or future. It is always as of now. To be with Raamkrishna was to be
with that now.”

 

In his advanced
years, Swaami Turiyaanand said: “Mother! Through Thy will, all good things as
well as bad things happen. Thou art both good and evil. The lord gets good
things done by those whom He raises to higher planes and again bad works by
those whom he degrades.

 

Formerly I used
to say: “If god acts according to His own sweet will doing good and evil acts
he becomes a despot(tyrant). Is He an autocrat like Czar of Russia?”

 

Now a days
theory of Mahaamaaya appeals to me very much. That means She is the universal
force manipulating everything. When we surrender to Her She never fails to
protect and guide us. With advance of age instead of leaning on theory of
causation we naturally resign ourselves to the Divine Mother.’

 

God realized
souls can resign to the Mother’s will using little free will in their actions.
But
what about us house holders? Perhaps we should plan and offer it to the Divine
mother. 




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*An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs*
*Swami Ranganathananda*
*
*
From this experience I understood that millions of people in India treat the
Gita like any of the stotras or hymns which we read every morning as a pious
act. Today we need a philosophy to guide our footsteps, so that we can meet
the challenges of developing the immense manhood and womanhood of India. It
is that philosophy and spirituality that we get in the Gita. The message of
the Gita was given on the tumultous battlefield of Kurukshetra a few
thousand years ago. The Gita alone represents such a philosophy. All other
teachings were given in a temple, or a cave, or a forest. Here the student
and the teacher, Arjuna and Sri Krsna, were remarkable personalities; they
were warriors. And the teacher, Sri Krsna, was a man full of compassion, and
endowed with universal vision.

http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/


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*An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs*
*Swami Ranganathananda*
*
*
He was very happy. An hour passed and I asked him, 'Have you read any book
of Swami Vivekananda?'  'Yes, I have read some small books of his sayings.'
I said, 'That won't do! I want you to read one particular book, his lectures
in India known as *Lectures from Colombo to Almora*. These lectures awakened
our nation and threw up great patriots who fought for the freedom of our
nation. Man-making and nation-building is its theme. I shall send to you
from Delhi a copy of it with my autograph, provided you promise to read it.
I do not want to waste a book.' 'Yes, I shall read it,' he said. Then I took
leave of him. The next day, I went to Delhi and from there I sent him that
book, and he wrote to me a nice letter of thanks. Later on when he was our
High Commissioner in Canada, he took my permission to publish, in French,
the first lecture *Essence of Indian Culture*, from the first volume of my
book *Eternal Values for a Changing Society*, for spreading among the French
citizens of Canada, a knowledge of Indian culture.

http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/

(P.S. Apologies for the delay in the postings
-Girish)


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Once, two friends were going along the street when they saw some people
listening to a reading of the Bhagavata. "Come, friend," said the one to the
other, "let us hear the sacred book." So saying he went in and sat down. The
second man peeped in and went away. He entered a house of ill fame.But very
soon he felt disgusted with the place."Shame on me!" he said to himself. "My
friend has been listening to the sacred word of Hari and see where I am!"
But the friend who had been listening to the Bhagavata also became
disgusted. "What a fool I am!" he said. "I have been listening to this
fellow's blah-blah, and my friend is having a grand time."

In course of time they both died. The messenger of death came for the soul
of one who had listened to the Bhagavata and dragged it off to hell. The
messenger of God came for the soul of the one who had been to the house of
prostitution and led it up to heaven.

Verily, the Lord looks into a man's heart and does not judge him by what he
does or where he lives.

Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

--
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
Prasanth Jalasutram

Love And Love Alone


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Most Respected Sir



Please do forward my query to Swamijee. I would be most grateful..



Thanks and regards



������ ������

Sanjay N Lulla

EXISTENCE is a FACT. LIVING is an ART







________________________________

From: Kohinoor Kar [mailto:kkaraz@...]
Sent: 22 November 2009 20:54
To: Lulla, Sanjay
Cc: Sri Ramakrishna Devotees
Subject: Re: [SRK_Devotees] THIRTIETH DISCUSSION TOPIC



Namashkar Sanjayji:



You have a valid question and it should have a good answer.  I think it would be
best to ask this specific question to a Swami of the RK Order.  If you want, I
can ask any of the senior Swamis serving in the US or in India.  Please let me
know.



Thanks,

Kohinoor


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Namashkar Sanjayji:

You have a valid question and it should have a good answer.  I think it
would be best to ask this specific question to a Swami of the RK Order.  If
you want, I can ask any of the senior Swamis serving in the US or in India.
Please let me know.

Thanks,
Kohinoor

--
*Sender�s Notice:* This email message including any attachments are intended
for use by the person(s)/agency(ies) named above, and may contain
confidential/privileged information.  Any unauthorized use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please
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attachments.


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HI

My obeisance at the lotus feet of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Maa and Swamijee and to
all you wonderful people



I have a personal question here, I would beg of you to please respond. I had
been meditating earlier for quite some time. I had seen flashes and beams of
light Gold Silver White and Red. I have even seen a lotus with geometric patters
inside. One day while meditating I saw a point of light besides me. It had no
physical form but it was just a point of light. I recognized it as someone I
know. I did not see this persons face nor his physical body and I had no idea
from where the point of light had come besides me. I mentioned this to that
person and he made me believe that that my mind was playing tricks on me. I am
very sure that I was not thinking of this person when I started meditating. I
got confused and stopped meditating. Now I have begun again but I experience
great pain in the frontal side of the head. It remains and goes after some
time..



I want to know what was I doing wrong? Was my mind playing tricks on me?



الامير الصغير

Sanjay N Lulla

EXISTENCE is a FACT. LIVING is an ART







________________________________

From: srk_devotees@yahoogroups.com [mailto:srk_devotees@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Naveena C K
Sent: 17 November 2009 12:27
To: Kohinoor Kar; Sri Ramakrishna Devotees
Subject: Re: [SRK_Devotees] THIRTIETH DISCUSSION TOPIC





Meditation is a wonderful subject to contemplate on.

Swami
Vivekananda gives a wonderful definition of meditation which I
personally feel is the best "Meditation is a process in which the self
thinks of itself to the exclusion of everything else"..

'Self thinking of itself to the exclusion of everything else' is
just wonderful. We need to keep this definition in mind when we
meditate. If the Self is the object of meditation, time and again
taking the mind to reflect up on the self gives a wonderful feeling.
Its a feeling with which most of us are not acquainted with but
something that we must.

Its just not about meditation in morning or evening hours, whenever
possible we need to reflect over the self when we r in work or when we
get some time. As Sri Ramakrishna said, We need to see that 'the Lamp
of Awareness' is always kept burning in the chamber of the heart'

"Jai Sri Ramakrishna"

-Naveena C K

["If only everyman can reflect on the fact that he is going to die someday, then
his life would be far more relaxed"]

________________________________
From: Kohinoor Kar <kkaraz@... <mailto:kkaraz%40gmail.com> >
To: Sri Ramakrishna Devotees <srk_devotees@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:srk_devotees%40yahoogroups.com> >
Sent: Mon, 16 November, 2009 7:36:17 AM
Subject: [SRK_Devotees] THIRTIETH DISCUSSION TOPIC

ॐ श्री रामकृष्ण
Dear sisters, brothers and friends:

Hope this finds you all right with His grace. Our next discussion topic is
*"Meditation and Its Importance"* .

Quoted from Swami Yatiswaranandaji' s work: "It is important to know the
difference between ordinary concentration and meditation. By the word
'meditation' we mean *dhyana* or contemplation. It is not just ordinary
concentration. It is a special type of concentration. In the first place,
meditation is a fully conscious process, an exercise of the will. Secondly,
meditation means concentration on a spiritual idea which presupposes that
the aspirant is capable of rising above worldly ideas. And finally,
meditation is done usually at a particular centre of consciousness. It is
clear that true meditation is a fairly advanced state, attained after long
practice. It is the result of long years of discipline."

Please write messages on the above topic in your own words, quoted from
great saints or any other sources keeping in mind that we are contemplating
on Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada and Swami Vivekananda, the Holy Trio.

May Their blessings be unto everyone.

Best regards,
K

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*Sender’s Notice:* This email message including any attachments are intended
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confidential/ privileged information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or
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attachments.

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unauthorised use, distribution, copying or alteration of this email is strictly
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ONCE Narada besought the Lord of the universe,"Lord, show me that Maya of
Thine which can make the impossible possible." The Lord nodded assent.
Subsequently the Lord one day set out on a travel with Narada. After going
some distance, He felt very thirsty and fatigued. So He sat down and told
Narada, "Narada, I feel much thirsty; please get me a little water from
somewhere." Narada at once ran in search of water.

Finding no water nearby, he went far from the place and saw a river at a
great distance. When he approached the river, he saw a most charming young
lady sitting there, and was at once captivated by her beauty. As soon as
Narada went near her,she began to address him in sweet words, and ere long,
both fell in love with each other. Narada then married her, and settled down
as a householder. In course of time he had a number of children by her.And
while he was thus living happily with his wife and children, there came a
pestilence in the country. Death began to collect its toll from every place.
Then Narada proposed to abandon the place and go somewhere else. His wife
acceded to it, and they both came out of their house leading their children
by the hand. But no sooner did they come to the bridge to cross the river
than there came a terrible flood, and in the rush of water, all their
children were swept away one after another, and at last the wife too was
drowned.

Overwhelmed with grief at his bereavement, Narada sat down on the bank and
began to weep piteously. Just then the Lord appeared before him, saying, "O
Narada,where is the water? And why are you weeping?"

The sight of the Lord startled the sage, and then he understood everything.
He exclaimed, "Lord, my obeisance to You, and my obeisance also to Your
wonderful Maya!"

Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

--
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
Prasanth Jalasutram

Love And Love Alone


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ONCE there lived two yogis who were practising austerities with a view to
realize the Lord. One day Narada, the divine sage, was passing by their
hermitage, when one of them asked him, "Are you coming from Heaven". Narada
replied, "Yes, that is so." The yogi said, "Do tell me what you saw the Lord
doing in Heaven." Narada replied, "I saw the Lord playing by making camels
and elephants pass through the eye of a needle." At this the yogi observed:
"There is nothing in it to marvel at.

Nothing is impossible with God!" But the other man exclaimed: "O nonsense!
That is impossible! It only shows that you have never been to the Lord's
abode."

The first man was a bhakta and had the faith of a child. Nothing is
impossible to the Lord, nor can anyone know His nature fully. Everything can
he predicted of Him.

Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

--
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
Prasanth Jalasutram

Love And Love Alone


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A disciple once asked Bhagavan, who was then at Skandasramam, �What is
meant by desireless action?�

Bhagavan did not give a reply but kept quiet. A little later, he went out
for a walk accompanied by the questioner and some others. Bhagavan saw a
branch of a tree, cut it and spent one hour shaping it into a nice walking
stick. At about that time, an elderly shepherd who had no walking stick came
that way walking slowly and with difficulty.

Bhagavan gave him the stick which he just made and said �Action is over so
also desireless action� and thus showed by example what the phrase meant.

Source: SRI RAMANA LEELA (A BIOGRAPHY OF BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI)
Telugu original Sri Krishna Bhikshu Edited and Translated by Pingali Surya
Sundaram

--
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
Prasanth Jalasutram

Love And Love Alone


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Meditation�
�
Exploration and experimentation of a few methods of meditation is required
before�one decides which is the most suitable method�for him/her.�One can know
through a combination of intuition and experience.�One may experience a few
moments of peace while gazing (looking steadily) into a candle flame but it is
unlikely to help�one change a pattern of negative thinking and acting. The
rhythm of a mantra being chanted verbally, or even mentally, may remove anxious
and angry thoughts for a while, but it won't change the hidden beliefs and
perceptions (way of looking at things), which are responsible for�one's
stressful emotions.� A good test of any method is to ask yourself five
questions: does it increase my self awareness, does it help me understand myself
better; does it strengthen me to change my deepest negative habits; does it help
bring a lighter and more positive energy to my relationships; does it help me
'see' more clearly my values and my
  purpose in life.�
---------
�
�
Brahma Kumaris Om Shanti Studio




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A Case of Re-conversion

 

It is not known Shri Raamakrishna, Shri Viveakananda or any
other Swamis of Raamakrishna Math reconverted Christians or Muslims back into
Hinduism. In fact it is  known that
Ramakrishna Mission fought a court case that the Swamis of Raamakrishna Math
were not Hindus. I do not know the details, but if anybody can tell me about
this court case and the court verdict, I shall feel obliged.

 

            Here is a
case of reconversion .In December 1910, the Holy Mother started for Kothaar in
the Baalaasore district of Orissaa en route to Raameshwaram, the Famous place
of pilgrimage in the south. She stayed for about 2 months in Kothaar, the
headquarters of Balaraam Bose’s estate in Orissaa. One Devendranaath
Chatterjee
,  postmaster of Kothaar-who had once
accepted Christianity and now repenting of his action wanted to come back to
Hinduism. He got reconverted to Hinduism with Holy mother’s approval. After
certain purificatory ceremonies, one of the Holy Mother’s monastic followers
gave him the sacred thread and the Gayatri mantra. The next day he was initiated
by the Mother herself.

 

Thought
for the day

 

Success of a religious body depends not on its external achievements;
efficient organization, its buildings, the size of its membership or its
philanthropic activities but upon the inner life of each of its
members and the measure of their progress towards devotion and knowledge of God.
–Swaami Brahmaanand

 

One should not go after religious
bodies which are spreading on the strength of money, media, inducements and
force. The religious head should be asked, “Have you seen God? Have you shown
God to others?” To these direct questions only one person could answer
directly
in the affirmative. “Yes! I have seen god! I have shown Him to others and I
can
show Him to You!” That person is Bhagavaan Raamakrishna Paramhans.







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D.: How are they to disappear?

M.: They are the ego. If the ego goes they go with it. The ego is itself
unreal. What is the ego? Enquire. The body is insentient and cannot say �I�
. The Self is pure consciousness and non-dual. It cannot say �I� . No one
says, �I� in sleep. What is the ego then? It is something intermediate
between the inert body and the Self. It has no locus standi. If sought for
it vanishes like a ghost.

You see, a man imagines that there is something by his side in darkness; it
may be some dark object. If he looks closely the ghost is not to be seen,
but some dark object which he could identify as a tree or a post, etc. If he
does not look closely the ghost strikes terror in the person. All that is
required is only to look closely and the ghost vanishes. The ghost was never
there. So also with the ego. It is an intangible link between the body and
Pure Consciousness. It is not real. So long as one does not look closely it
continues to give trouble. But when one looks for it, it is found not to
exist.

Again, in a Hindu marriage function, the feasts continue five or six days. A
stranger was mistaken for the best man by the bride�s party and they
therefore treated him with special regard. Seeing him treated with special
regard by the bride�s party, the bridegroom�s party considered him to be
some man of importance related to the bride�s party and therefore they too
showed him special respect.

The stranger had altogether a happy time of it. He was also all along aware
of the real situation. On one occasion the groom�s party wanted to refer to
him on some point. They asked for him.

He scented trouble and made himself scarce.So it is with the ego.If looked
for, it disappears. If not, it continues to give trouble.How it is to be
looked for is learnt from those who have already done so. That is the reason
why the Master is approached.

Source: TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI Book

--
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
Prasanth Jalasutram

Love And Love Alone


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MEDITATION IN YOGA AND VEDANTA
by
Swami Adiswarananda
 
     Meditation is keeping the mind focused uninterruptedly on a subject for
a certain length of time. All spiritual practices, ceremonies, prayer, and
pilgrimage reach their consummation in meditation. In Patanjali’s Yoga system,
meditation is the last step before the final goal, samadhi, or superconscious
experience. Sri Sankaracharya describes meditation as maintaining steady
awareness within of Atman, the focus of the all-pervading Self.[i] Meditation on
Atman, our true Self, is the highest form of yoga. According to the Kurma
Purana:
 
The fire of yoga burns the cage of sin which imprisons a man. Knowledge becomes
purified and Nirvana is directly obtained. From yoga comes knowledge; knowledge,
again, helps the yogi to obtain freedom. He who combines in himself both yoga
and knowledge─with him the Lord is pleased. Those who practice maha-yoga
[meditation on the Self] either once a day, or twice, or thrice, or
always─know them to be gods. Yoga is divided into two parts: one is called
abhava-yoga, and the other, maha-yoga. That in which one’s self is meditated
upon as a void and without qualities is called abhava-yoga. That in which one
sees one’s self as blissful, bereft of all impurities, and as one with God is
called maha-yoga.[ii]
 
Vedic sages maintain that our true identity is Atman, or our inmost Self. When
we forget It and fail to realize It, we become victims of endless suffering.
Knowledge of Atman or Self is the only way to put an end to all suffering and
meditation is the only way to Self-Knowledge. In meditation our consciousness
rises high, comes into contact with the Atman, or universal Consciousness, and
finds connection with It. We expand, taste supreme Bliss, and attain the highest
fulfillment of life.
     The state of meditation is supported by concentration, concentration by
withdrawal of mind, and withdrawal of mind by purity and self-control. Vedanta
texts say that if you can concentrate 12 seconds on a subject uninterruptedly,
it becomes one unit of concentration; 12 such units of concentration make one
unit of meditation; 12 units of meditation lead to the first stage of samadhi;
and 12 units of this samadhi lead to the highest samadhi, the supreme
realization of Atman. But this achievement does not come of itself; it calls for
repeated practice of meditation. The three components of meditation are: the
subject of meditation, the center of consciousness at which the mind is held,
and the method employed to guide the mind to concentration. The subject of
meditation may be the nondual all-pervading Self, any specific aspect of the
divine, or any divine incarnation. The center of consciousness may be at the
heart, or between the eyebrows, or at
  the crown of the head. The method employed to invoke concentration may be any
of the following: japa, or repetition of a sacred word; discrimination between
the real and the unreal; dispassion, which is knowing the evil effect of
sense-enjoyment; pranayama, or control of breath; and ceremonial observances.
Some examples of guided meditation are the following:
Sit in a straight posture. The next thing to do is to send a current of holy
thought to all creation. Mentally repeat: “Let all beings be happy; let all
beings be peaceful; let all beings be blissful.” So do to the east, south,
north, and west. The more you practice this, the better you will feel. You will
find at last that the easiest way to make ourselves healthy is to see that
others are healthy, and the easiest way to make ourselves happy is to see that
others are happy. After doing that, those who believe in God, should
pray─not  for money, not for health, nor for heaven. Pray for knowledge and
light; every other prayer is selfish. Then the next thing to do is to think that
your body is firm, strong, and healthy; for it is the best instrument you have.
Think of it as being as strong as adamant, and that with the help of this body
you will cross the ocean of life. Freedom is never to be reached by the weak;
throw away all weakness. Tell your
  body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded
faith and hope in yourself.[iii]
 
Sit straight and look at the tip of your nose. Later on we shall come to know
how that helps to concentrate the mind, how by controlling the two optic nerves
one advances a long way towards the control of the arc of reaction, and so to
the control of the will. Here is one specimen of meditation: Imagine a lotus
upon the top of the head, several inches up, with virtue as its center and
knowledge as its stalk. The eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers of
the yogi. Inside, the stamens and pistils are renunciation. If the yogi refuses
the external powers he will come to salvation. So the eight petals of the lotus
are the eight powers, but the internals stamens and pistils are extreme
renunciation, the renunciation of all these powers. Inside that lotus, think of
the Golden One, the Almighty, the Intangible, whose name is Om, the
Inexpressible, surrounded with effulgent light. Meditate on that.[iv]
 
Another meditation is given: Think of a space in your heart, and think that in
the midst of that space a flame is burning. Think of that flame as your own
soul. Inside the flame is another effulgent light, and that is the Soul of your
soul, God. Meditate upon that in the heart.[v]
 
Let your mind dwell on some holy personality─a Buddha, a Christ, a
Ramakrishna. Then concentrate upon his heart. Try to imagine how it must feel to
be a great saint; pure and untroubled by sense-objects, a knower of Brahman
[supreme Reality]. Try to feel that the saint’s heart has become your heart,
within your own body. Here, again, the localization of the image will be found
very hepful. Both Hindus and Chritians practice this form of
meditation─concentrating not only upon the heart but also, sometimes upon the
hands and the feet and the whole form.[vi]
 
  Meditate on Vishnu, the Dweller in the hearts of all beings, seated on a
lotus within the rays of the sun, his body luminous, adorned with diadem,
necklace, earrings, and bracelets of great luster, and holding conch shell and
mace in his hands.
  Then the wise man should meditate upon the luminous, benign form of the Lord,
without the conch shell and mace, but adorned with ornaments.
  As the mind becomes concentrated on the form, he must then keep his mind on
the form without ornaments.
  Then he must meditate upon his oneness with the luminous form of the Lord.
  Lastly, he must let the form vanish and meditate upon the Atman.[vii]
 
     The benefits of meditation manifest on the physical, mental, and
spiritual levels. On the physical level, the benefits are good voice, good
health, and good complexion. On the mental level, they are emotional stability,
clear vision, a sense of peace, freedom from worry and anxiety, and greater
concentration. On the spiritual level, the seeker develops more faith, a taste
of inner bliss, self-surrender to the divine, and spiritual enthusiasm. Practice
is vital to actualize these benefits, and the practice must be right. Practice
is considered right when the three components of meditation─subject of
meditation, center of consciousness, and method to guide the mind to
concentration─are kept unchanged and unaltered, and the practice is followed
steadfastly with faith, devotion, and determination.
Meditation is cultivating a single thought reminiscent of the subject of
meditation by repeating it over and over again. By following the same method and
concentrating on the same subject at the same center of consciousness, that
single thought becomes a giant thought-wave. In course of time the mind develops
a channel for that thought-wave and the practice becomes effortless. No
practice, however mechanical or intermittent, is ever lost. The Bhagavad Gita
tells us that even very little of the practice of Yoga saves a person from the
great fears of life.[viii]
     Success in meditation is measured not by any attainment of occult
powers, not by dreams or visions or miraculous happenings, but by glimpses of
the divine that give the seeker a taste of inner bliss and permanent
transformation of character.

 



[i] See Vivekachudamani vv. 332, 378, 381, 383, and 412.
[ii] Quoted in Raja-Yoga, by Swami Vivekananda, in Vivekananda: The Yogas and
Other Works, Swami Nikhilananda, ed., Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, New York,
1996, p. 618.
[iii] Ibid., p. 591.
[iv] Ibid., p. 620.
[v] Ibid., p. 620.
[vi] How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, Swami Prabhavananda and
Christopher Isherwood, trs., pp. 73-74.
[vii] From the Vishnu Purana, as quoted in Ibid., p. 177.
[viii] See Bhagavad Gita 2.40.
 
 




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So long as one does not realise God or Self, one thinks that his will is free.
But it is He who maintains this delusion in man. Otherwise people would not have
feared to do evil, nor would there have been any punishment for crime. But the
realised man knows and feels that he is only the instrument and God is the doer,
he is the chariot and God is the charioteer; he speaks what God makes him speak.

Meditation is a wonderful subject to contemplate on.

Swami
Vivekananda gives a wonderful definition of meditation which I
personally feel is the best "Meditation is a process in which the self
thinks of itself to the exclusion of everything else"..

'Self thinking of itself to the exclusion of everything else' is
just wonderful.   We need to keep this definition in mind when we
meditate. If the Self is the object of meditation, time and again
taking the mind to reflect up on the self gives a wonderful feeling.
Its a feeling with which most of us are not acquainted with but
something that we must.

Its just not about meditation in morning or evening hours, whenever
possible we need to reflect over the self when we r in work or when we
get some time.  As Sri Ramakrishna said,  We need to see that 'the Lamp
of Awareness' is always kept burning in the chamber of the heart'

"Jai Sri Ramakrishna"


-Naveena C K

["If only everyman can reflect on the fact that he is going to die someday, then
his life would be far more relaxed"]



________________________________
From: Kohinoor Kar <kkaraz@...>
To: Sri Ramakrishna Devotees <srk_devotees@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, 16 November, 2009 7:36:17 AM
Subject: [SRK_Devotees] THIRTIETH DISCUSSION TOPIC


ॐ श्री रामकृष्ण
Dear sisters, brothers and friends:

Hope this finds you all right with His grace.  Our next discussion topic is
*"Meditation and Its Importance"* .

Quoted from Swami Yatiswaranandaji' s work: "It is important to know the
difference between ordinary concentration and meditation.  By the word
'meditation' we mean *dhyana* or contemplation.  It is not just ordinary
concentration.  It is a special type of concentration.  In the first place,
meditation is a fully conscious process, an exercise of the will.  Secondly,
meditation means concentration on a spiritual idea which presupposes that
the aspirant is capable of rising above worldly ideas.  And finally,
meditation is done usually at a particular centre of consciousness.  It is
clear that true meditation is a fairly advanced state, attained after long
practice.  It is the result of long years of discipline."

Please write messages on the above topic in your own words, quoted from
great saints or any other sources keeping in mind that we are contemplating
on Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada and Swami Vivekananda, the Holy Trio.

May Their blessings be unto everyone.

Best regards,
K

--
*Sender’s Notice:* This email message including any attachments are intended
for use by the person(s)/agency( ies) named above, and may contain
confidential/ privileged information.  Any unauthorized use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please
contact the sender by e-mail, and delete/destroy all such messages and
attachments.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

ॐ श्री रामकृष्ण
Dear sisters, brothers and friends:

Hope this finds you all right with His grace.  Our next discussion topic is
*"Meditation and Its Importance"*.

Quoted from Swami Yatiswaranandaji's work: "It is important to know the
difference between ordinary concentration and meditation.  By the word
'meditation' we mean *dhyana* or contemplation.  It is not just ordinary
concentration.  It is a special type of concentration.  In the first place,
meditation is a fully conscious process, an exercise of the will.  Secondly,
meditation means concentration on a spiritual idea which presupposes that
the aspirant is capable of rising above worldly ideas.  And finally,
meditation is done usually at a particular centre of consciousness.  It is
clear that true meditation is a fairly advanced state, attained after long
practice.  It is the result of long years of discipline."

Please write messages on the above topic in your own words, quoted from
great saints or any other sources keeping in mind that we are contemplating
on Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada and Swami Vivekananda, the Holy Trio.

May Their blessings be unto everyone.

Best regards,
K

--
*Sender’s Notice:* This email message including any attachments are intended
for use by the person(s)/agency(ies) named above, and may contain
confidential/privileged information.  Any unauthorized use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please
contact the sender by e-mail, and delete/destroy all such messages and
attachments.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Attached is another message from our devotee member.



May Thakur-Maa-Swamiji bless you and all!
Moderator, Sri Ramakrishna Devotees

--- On Sun, 11/15/09, SAMHITA PRABHU <samhita_prabhu@...> wrote:


From: SAMHITA PRABHU <samhita_prabhu@...>
Subject: Ramakrishna's Respect for Truth
To: "SRK_Devotees Moderator" <srk_devotees@...>
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2009, 5:20 AM







‘Never did an Untruth escape His Lips”
 
Shri Raamkrishna used to say: “The virtue of truthfulness is most important.
If a man always speaks truth and tenaciously holds to truth he will realize God,
for God is Truth. I prayed to the Divine Mother, saying: ‘ Mother, here is
knowledge, here is ignorance take them both and give me pure love for you. Here
is purity, here is impurity take them both and give me pure love for you. Here
is good, here is evil take them both and give me pure love for you. But I could
not say here is truth and here is untruth take them both’.”
 
At the age of nine Upanayana of Gadadhar(Raamkrishna ) was performed. The boy
was given the Gayatri Mantra and invested with sacred thread. One act of this
“Upanayana” ceremony is that the boy –who had become a temporary monk has
to beg food for three days receiving alms in a begging bowl. The person who
first gives him alms is an important figure in the ceremony. Dhani, the daughter
of the blacksmith, who had helped Chandra at the time of Gadadhar’s birth, had
long since begged Gadadhar that she would be the first person to give alms to
him and be addressed by him according to custom as “Mother.” Gadadhar had
promised her that privilege. Gadadhar mentioned his promise to Raamkumaar. But
Raamkumaar objected as Dhani belonged to the blacksmith caste. But Gadadhar
insisted that he could not break his promise since this would be an act of
untruthfulness which would make him unfit to wear the sacred thread. Dharmadaas
Laahaa decided that the boy
  was right. And so was Dhani’s great desire was satisfied.
 
Swami Brahmaanand said, “Oh how deep was the Master’s devotion to truth! If
he happened to say he would not eat more, he could not, even if he was hungry.
Once he said he would go to Jadu Mallick’s house but afterwards forgot about
it. I also did not remind him. At night after supper he remembered the
appointment. It was quite late in the night ,but he must go. I accompanied him
with a lantern in hand. When we reached the house, we found it closed and all
asleep. The Master then pushed back the doors of the parlor a little, placed his
foot once inside room and came away.
 
Without permission taking away things of others i.e. stealing is also a form of
lie! For lie and theft are closely related. Seeing that the Master liked lemon
much, Swami Yogaanand used to bring him a lemon every day. One day the Master
told him, “Where from did you get the lemon yesterday? I could not take it.”
Swamiji knew that the Master could not take things brought from evil and impure
persons. But he brought from the same plant form which he had brought the
earlier lemons. Why was it, then, that the master could not take it? Yogaanand
felt much perturbed and began to look for the cause. After a careful enquiry he
came to know that the orchard from which he used to bring fruits had changed
hands on the previous day of the incident-the lease had expired. He received the
permission to get the fruits from the former owner. On that particular day,
therefore it was really a theft, though it happened unconsciously, as permission
from new owner was not
  obtained.
 
One day Shri Raamkrishna said to Raakhal (Swaami Brahmaanand): “ I see a veil
of ignorance over your face. Tell me have you done any thing wrong?” He could
not remember having done anything wrong. “Try to recall,” Shri Raamkrishna
said to his disciple, “if you have told any untruth.” Raakhal at once
remembered he had jokingly told a lie to a friend. Shri Raamkrishna forgave him
but said: ‘Never do it again. To speak truth always is most important
spiritual discipline’
 
Swaami Turiyaanand says:” Truth is God. False-hood is Maayaa. One gets every
thing by holding on to truth. Once Shri Raamkrishna taunted Pandit Shiv Naath
Shastri: ‘You are such sane people; but how can you speak an untruth? You call
me insane, but never does an untruth escape my lips.”
 
It is a tremendous ordeal to abide by truth. A good deal of sacrifice is needed.
To keep something secret , saying, “I won’t tell it.” is also kind of
untruth. To be absolutely frank and open in one’s dealings is real
Truthfulness.





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*An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs*
*Swami Ranganathananda*
*
*
*
'Yes, that book is not meant merely to give peace of mind; it is meant to
give you strength to serve the people, to make you a responsible citizen. It
contains a comprehensive philosophy of life and work.' He was amazed and
asked me again and again, ' Do you mean to say that this book has a
relevance to me as a Military Governor of this State?' I said, 'Exactly so.
We must realize that men and women of action, of responsibility, have the
need for a philosophy of life and action. the Gita provides that philosophy
calling it by the simple word, "Yoga". We never understood it till now. Take
the opening verse of the fourth chapter of the Gita. Sri Krsna tells us
there: "I gave this philosophy of Yoga to men of responsibility, so that,
through this philosophy, they will become strong to serve and protect the
people, to nourish the people." This is the purpose of this great book.' I
stressed this again and again, and he asked repeatedly, 'Can I, the Governor
of this state, learn any lesson from this book to become a more efficient
person?' 'Yes, that is the purpose of this book, to inspire all men and
women of responsibility to work for the good of all. That is the nature of
this book. It is not meant for putting you to sleep. It is meant to wake
you up.It is not merely to give you peace of mind. It is to give you that
tremendous humanistic impulse and resolve, to work for the good of all in
society.'
*


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Be a Kitten rather than a Young Monkey

 

Surendranath Mitra, had a job in a
English Firm in Calcutta
and was relatively a wealthy man. He was not interested in Religion. He drank a
great deal and was sexually promiscuous. At the same time he was generous to
the poor.

 

Surendra was friendly with
Raamchandra Dutt. Raamchandra Dutt was always suggesting him that they should
go to Dakshineshwar together. At first Surendra refused. But at length he said,
“All right, but if that holy man of yours is fake, I shall pull his ears!”
When
the two of them arrived in Ramakrishna’s room, it was full of devotees.
Surendra
was determined to preserve an attitude of critical independence, so he set down
without offering Raamkrishna any mark of respect.

 

Raamkrishna was saying, ‘Why does a
man behave like a  young monkey and not
like a kitten? The monkey has to cling to its mother by its own effort as she
moves around. But the kitten just stands there and mews until it’s mother
comes
and picks it up by the scruff of its neck. The monkey sometimes looses hold on
its mother. Then it falls and hurts itself badly. But the kitten is in no
danger because the mother herself carries it form place to place. That is the
difference between trying to do things yourself and giving yourself to the will
of God.’

 

This parable made a tremendous
impression on Surendra it seemed to repeat him just what was wrong with his own
life. “I behave like a young monkey,” he thought, “and that is the cause
of all
my troubles. From now on, I shall be satisfied with any condition the Divine
Mother puts me into.” And he felt great happiness and inner strength. And
surendra now willingly prostrated himself at Raamkrishna’s feet. And on way
home, he exclaimed enthusiastically, “Ah how he turned the tables on me! It
was
he who pulled my ears! He read my innermost thoughts.”

 

For Spiritual progress Depend on Divine
Mother

 

After the first meeting with Raamkrishna,
Surendra’s warm generous nature was turned towards spiritual devotion.

 

But he would still visit prostitutes
from time to time. Then after such visits he became so ashamed that he would
stay away from Dakshineshwar. Some body reported to Raamkrishna what Surendra
has been doing. ‘Oh! Yes,’ he said. ‘Surendra still has some desires. Let
him
enjoy them for a while longer. He will become pure soon enough.’ Surendra came
to know what Raamkrishna had said about him. So he was emboldened to return to
Dakshineshwar next Sunday. Raamkrishna saw him. Then in a semi conscious state
said, “When a man goes to a bad place why he does not take the Divine Mother
with him? She would protect him from many evil actions.” Surendra found this
advice very helpful in the future. The thought that Divine Mother was with him
made
him overcome the sexual inclinations.

 

Surendra was more attached to his
drinking. RaamChandra tried to dissuade him from it. But Surendra told his
friend to stop lecturing him. ‘The Master would certainly warn me,’ he said,
‘if he thought drinking was really bad for me. He knows all about it.’
‘Very
well,’ said RaamChandra, ‘then let us go and visit him.’ It was agreed
that
nobody should bring up the subject. They found Raamkrishna sitting under a tree
in a high state of spiritual mood. As soon as they greeted him, he said. “But
Surendra, why, when you are drinking wine do you have to think of it as
ordinary wine? You should offer it first to Mother Kali and then drink it as
her Prasad. Only you must be careful not to get drunk. Do not let your steps
stumble or your mind wander.” Surendra followed Raamkrishna’s instructions
from
that day onwards. He would offer a little wine to the Mother before he drank,
and this action filled him with devotion. He never became intoxicated again. 




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Spirituality Means Waking Up*Anthony De Mello, SJ*

Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don't know it,
are asleep. They're born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their
sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without
ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this
thing that we call human existence. You know, all mystics -Catholic,
Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what
their religion -- are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well.
Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But,
tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are
asleep. They are having a nightmare.

Last year on Spanish television I heard a story about this gentleman who
knocks on his son's door. "Jaime," he says, "wake up!" Jaime answers, "I
don't want to get up, Papa." The father shouts, "Get up, you have to go to
school." Jaime says, "I don't want to go to school." "Why not?" asks the
father. "Three reasons," says Jaime. "First, because it's so dull; second,
the kids tease me; and third, I hate school." And the father says, "Well, I
am going to give you three reasons why you must go to school. First, because
it is your duty; second, because you are forty-five years old, and third,
because you are the headmaster." Wake up, wake up! You've grown up. You're
too big to be asleep. Wake up! Stop playing with your toys.

Most people tell you they want to get out of kindergarten, but don't believe
them. Don't believe them! All they want you to do is to mend their broken
toys. "Give me back my wife. Give me back my job. Give me back my money.
Give me back my reputation, my success." This is what they want; they want
their toys replaced. That's all. Even the best psychologist will tell you
that, that people don't really want to be cured. What they want is relief; a
cure is painful.

Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. It's
irritating to be woken up. That's the reason the wise guru will not attempt
to wake people up. I hope I'm going to be wise here and make no attempt
whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none of my
business, even though I say to you at times, "Wake up!" My business is to do
my thing, to dance my dance. If you profit from it, fine; if you don't, too
bad! As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns
grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens."

http://www.demello.org/article12.html


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*
An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs
Swami Ranganathananda

Travelling in various parts of India, I noticed this widespread
misunderstanding among our people. But it was forcibly brought to my mind
when I was in Hyderabad for a five-day programme of lectures, just after the
Police Actionin 1949, during my extensive tour of Andhra Pradesh enroute to
New Delhi to take charge of the Ramakrishna Mission there. A friend
suggested that I pay a visit to General J.N.Chowdhury, the Military Governor
of the state. So, I went to meet him along with my friend who was my
host there. General Chowdhury received us and did all the talking for the
first half-an-hour and I listened. There was Communist insurrection in some
parts of the state and he had to attend to the telephone quite often, but
the conversation was going on. Then I noticed on his table a copy of the
Gita. That gave me an opportunity to do the talking. 'General Chowdhury, do
you read the Gita? I see the book on your table,' I asked. In a very tired
way he replied, 'Of course, when I feel tired and want to find some peace of
mind, I read a few lines from the Gita.'I said firmly,'That is not
its purpose.'That remark took him by surprise and he asked,'Do you mean to
say that this
book has other values than merely giving us a little peace of mind?'

http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/
*


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Shri Ramakrishna’s worldly
attachments

(From
Shri Shaaradaa Devi-The Holy Mother and Spiritual Talks)

 

Who would believe if it is told
that Shri Raamakrishna took part in a complexion contest?

 

Once there was a complexion contest
at Dakshineshwar, the competing parties being the Master(Raamakrishna) himself
and the son-in-law of a devotee. Both were noted for the brightness of their
golden complexion. (During his last years of Master his complexion became
dark).The Master appointed the Holy –Mother to be the umpire. Both competitors
walked side by side on the Panchavati ground for her to see and judge. The
impartial umpire that she was, she gave her verdict in favour of the other man,
whom she pronounced a shade fairer than Master!

 

Master’s interest in religious
dramas is well known. He could also act. Once in Kamaarpukur the Holy Mother
and one of the ladies of the family were eager to se the performance of some
traveling drama troupe. But the Master would not let them go. When he saw how
disappointed they were he was greatly concerned. He then himself acted out the
play giving the words, the songs, the music and everything. They were so
carried away by his performance that they forgot all about the drama they had
missed.

 

Swaami Turiyaananda writes, “One day
,I arrived at Dakshineshwar temple when the master was having dinner. A number
of cups containing various preparations were set before him. Some one might
have thought these, an unbecoming luxury fit for Raajasik Life. The master at
once said, “Well tendency of my mind is ever towards the infinite. It is by
such
Rajasik devices that I hold it down to the lower planes, otherwise I could not
have talked with you.”

“How strange!”, I said to myself on
hearing him. Others seek to attain Sattv by overcoming Raajas through rigorous
discipline of food, whereas he has to forcibly check his mind from rising to
the Saattvik plane by retaining desires for some food”

 

Ramakrishna desired worldly things
to bring his mind from Samadhi to worldly plane.




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>
> *An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs
>>> *
>>> *Swami Ranganathananda*
>>>
>>>
> We need a philosophy that can help us build a new welfare society, based on
> human
> dignity, freedom and equality. That is what we have set before ourselves in
> modern
> India, and that is also what is inspiring all the people of the world; and
> here in the
> Gita is a philosophy that will train people's minds and hearts in that
> direction. This
> orientation, a practical orientation, was given to the Gita for the first
> time in the
> modern age by Swami Vivekananda. Sri Krsna gave it several thousand years
> ago as a
> practical philosophy, but we converted it into a mere book of piety. When
> we read the
> Gita Dhyan Slokas - those remarkable verses on the 'The Meditation Verses
> on the Gita',
> we will find this idea there. The Gita is compared to milk taken out of the
> cow,
> meaning the Vedas, by Sri Krsna, the milkman. What is the milk for? It is
> not meant for
> worship, but is meant to be drunk for our nourishment. Then alone can one
> get strength.
> But all these hundreds of years, we took that glass of milk, worshipped it
> with
> flowers, and saluted it, but never drank it. That is why we are feeble,
> physically,
> mentally, and socially. That will change if we now start drinking theis
> milk and
> assimilate it. That will help us develop character strength, work
> efficiency, and a
> spirit of service, and to forge a new national destiny.
> <http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/>
>


> http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/
>


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>
> *An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs
>> *
>> *Swami Ranganathananda*
>>
>>
So far as we are concerned, we have to approach this study in this modern
period from a
point of view different from our traditional way. In the past, people mostly
read the
Gita as a pious act, and for a little peace of mind. We never realized that
this was a
book of intense practicality, that this is the greatest book of practical
Vedanta
capable of helping us to create a society of fully developed human beings.We
never
understood the paractical applications of the Gita teachings. If we had done
so, we
would not have had the thousand years of foreign invasions, internal caste
conflicts,
feudal oppressions, and mass poverty. We never took the Gita seriously; but
now we have
to.
http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/


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>
> *An Exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs
> *
> *Swami Ranganathananda*
>
> The first three chapters convey the central theme of the philosophy and
> spirituality of
> Yoga, which Sri Krsna refers to at the beginning of the fourth capter. That
> philosophy
> is enriched in the remaining fourteen chapters. But the core of his
> original message
> has been expounded in chapters one, two and three. It is a book that is
> meant to be a
> help to realize the eternal spiritual reality within all men and women,
> along with the
> humanistic objectives which we have in our Constitution and also those
> which humanity
> is seeking in the modern age. That is why this Gita message is spreading
> now in various
> parts of the world.
>
> http://sites.google.com/site/universalbhagavadgita/
>


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