Swami Parmananda, Ramana Maharishi, Meher Baba, Katho Upanishad, Rumi

No one can have a monopoly of spirituality.
No one can claim exclusive right to it. It is not
something cut and dried. Spirituality means getting
away from all that is calculating, cold and hard.
No one can rob us of it except when we ourselves
yield to our lower instincts.

Swami Parmananda
Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers (BDTP)

The desire for happiness (sukha prema) is a proof of the ever-existing happiness of the Self. Otherwise how can desire for it arise in you?
If headache was natural to human beings no one would try to get rid of it. But everyone that has a headache tries to get rid of it, because he has known a time when he had no headache. He desires only that which is natural to him. So too he desires happiness because happiness is natural to him.
Being natural, it is not acquired. Man’s attempts can only be to get rid of misery. If that be done the ever-present bliss is felt.
Ramana Maharishi
TWSRM

Salient Thought for the Day.

It is a great blessing when we are struck. If
there is anything in us, the blow will bring it out.

Lines to Memorize.

These dark shadow that fall upon the path of
my life,
Causing me sadness, distress and pain :
I have learned to welcome these through Thy
holy grace.
They show me how I lack wisdom ;
How failing and faltering is my strength.

Lesson.

Be brave and hold fast. Patience conquers everything
in the end. Our moods and feelings are only
momentary—they come and go, being fleeting in
nature; therefore we must try to endure them and
look upon them as a witness. Never tear down your
peace and happiness unnecessarily. Never lose faith
in yourself. Pray that Mother may make your faith.
ever stronger and stronger and give you joy, selflessness
and true devotion.

Prayer.

Do Thou, 0 Eternal One, awaken in me such
wisdom
That I may find safety in Thee alone.
Grant unto me true fortitude and spiritual
strength.
May I be enduring and unaffrighted by pain
and trouble.
If I fail or stumble, may I always turn to Thee
for help,
And find renewed courage and life in Thy
Blessed Presence.

Swami Parmananda
Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers

Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain
serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to
control his mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is a function of the mind. A
man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in
solitude.

Ramana Maharishi

A Disciple asks Ramana Maharishi a few questions and the Maharishi answers:
D.: They say that there are many saints in Tibet who remain in solitude and are still very
helpful to the world. How can it be?
M.: It can be so. Realisation of the Self is the greatest help that can be rendered to humanity.
Therefore, the saints are said to be helpful, though they remain in forests. But it should not be
forgotten that solitude is not in forests only. It can be had even in towns, in the thick of
worldly occupations.
D.: It is not necessary that the saints should mix with people and be helpful to them?
M.: The Self alone is the Reality; the world and the rest of it are not. The realised being does
not see the world as different from himself.
D.: Thus then, the saint’s realisation leads to the uplift of humanity without the latter being
aware of it. Is it so?
M.: Yes. The help is imperceptible but is still there. A saint helps the whole of humanity,
unknown to the latter.

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharishi

A Disciple asks Ramana Maharishi some questions and the Maharishi replies
D.: Jesus Christ cured people of their diseases. Is that only an occult power (siddhi)?
M.: Was Jesus aware at the time that he was curing men of their diseases? He could not have
been conscious of his powers. There is a story related as follows: Jesus had once cured a man
of his blindness. The man turned wicked, in course of time. Meeting him after some years,
Jesus observed his wickedness and asked him why he was so. He replied saying that, when he
was blind, he could not commit any sin. But after Jesus had cured him of blindness he grew
wicked and Jesus was responsible for his wickedness.
D.: Was not Jesus a Perfected Being possessing occult powers (siddhi)?
M.: He could not have been aware of his powers (siddhis).

From: Talks with Sri Ramana Maharishi

An examination of the ephemeral nature of external phenomena leads to vairagya. Hence enquiry (vichara) is the first and foremost step to be taken. When vichara continues automatically, it results in a contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure, etc. The ‘I’ thought becomes clearer for inspection. The source of ‘I’ is the Heart – the final goal.

If, however, the aspirant is not temperamentally suited to Vichara Marga (to the introspective analytical
method), he must develop bhakti (devotion) to an ideal – may be God, Guru, humanity in general, ethical laws, or even the idea of beauty. When one of these takes possession of the individual, other attachments grow weaker, i.e., dispassion (vairagya) develops. Attachment for the ideal simultaneously grows and finally holds the field. Thus ekagrata (concentration) grows simultaneously and imperceptibly – with or without visions and direct aids.

In the absence of enquiry and devotion, the natural sedative pranayama (breath regulation)
may be tried. This is known as Yoga Marga. If life is imperilled the whole interest centres round the one point, the saving of life. If the breath is held the mind cannot afford to (and does not) jump at its pets – external objects. Thus there is rest for the mind so long as the breath is held. All attention being turned on breath or its regulation, other interests are lost.

Again, passions are attended with irregular breathing, whereas calm and happiness are attended with slow and regular breathing. Paroxysm of joy is in fact as painful as one of pain, and both are accompanied by ruffled breaths. Real peace is happiness. Pleasures do not form happiness. The mind improves by practice and becomes finer just as the razor’s edge is sharpened by stropping. The mind is then better able to tackle internal or external problems.

If an aspirant be unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods and circumstantially (on account of age) for the third method, he must try the Karma Marga (doing good deeds, for example, social service). His nobler instincts become more evident and he derives impersonal pleasure. His smaller self is less assertive and has a chance of expanding its good side. The man becomes duly equipped for one of the three aforesaid paths. His intuition may also develop directly by this single method.

Ramana Maharishi
TWSRM

In order to clarify the relationship of “atma-Paramatma” we comp a re Paramatma with an infinite ocean, a limitless ocean, and the atma as a drop in this ocean. The atma is never out of this limitless ocean ( P a r a m a t m a ) . The atma can never be out of Paramatma because Paramatma is infinite and unlimited. How can the atma come out of, or have a place beyond, the limitlessness of the limitless? Therefore the a t m a is in P a r a m a t m a

Meher Baba

After establishing the primary fact that the atma is in Paramatma we go a step further and say that atma is Paramatma. How ? For example, let us imagine an unlimited ocean. Let us also imagine that we separate or take out one iota of ocean from the limitless expanse of this unlimited ocean. It follows then that this iota of ocean, while in the limitless ocean, before separation is ocean itself, and is not there in the shoreless ocean as an iota of the ocean, because every iota of ocean, when not limited by the limitations of a drop, is unlimited ocean

— Meher Baba

There are yogis (those who practice a systematic course of esoteric knowledge) who can of themselves suspend their physical bodies in mid-air during the time they are in a temporary samadhi (trance). There are some who can bodily walk on water or fly in the air without the aid of external means, and yet all this is no sign or p roof of their having experienced divine love. Weighed on spiritual scales these miracles have no value whatsoever. In fact, miracle mongering by the average yogi is not only poles apart from the spiritual path, but is actually a hindrance to the individual’s evolution towards spiritual progress

— Meher Baba

The following incident in the life of a Hindu Master shows the disregard in which it (occult power or Siddhi) is held by Perfect Masters, who are Truth personified: The Master was one day by the river’s edge waiting for one of the little ferry boats that take passengers across the stream for the diminutive fare of one anna. A yogi seeing him thus waiting, came up to him, literally walked across the river and back, and said, “That was much easier, was it not?” The Master smilingly replied, “Yes, and had less value than that of the boat fare—one anna.”

— Meher Baba

The ability to exercise constant control over one’s low desires is no mean achievement. Success in establishing a lasting sublimation of all desires is indeed a greater one. But the greatest is the burning away of all one’s desires once and for all, which divine love alone can do. As there is never any show about divine love, this “ burning” in love is always without “smoke,” i.e., without show. There are times when an outward expression of God-love may amount to heroism, but to make at any time a mere show of one’s love for God, for the sake of show, amounts to an insult to God. That is why Kabir says that in the act of meditation when one assumes an asan ( posture) to meditate upon God, one should at that time learn to avoid making any display such as the swaying motion of one’s body, even if it is only for one’s own gratification.

— Meher Baba

States of Consciousness by Meher Baba
ALL souls (atmas) were, are and will be in the Over-Soul
(Paramatma).
Souls (atmas) are all One.
All souls are infinite and eternal. They are formless.
All souls are One; there is no difference in souls or in their being
and existence as souls.
There is a difference in the consciousness of souls;
there is a difference in the planes of consciousness of souls;
there is a difference in the experience of souls and thus
there is a difference in the state of souls.
Most souls are conscious of the gross body (sthul sharir);
some souls are conscious of the subtle body (pran);
a few souls are conscious of the mental body (mind or mana);
and
a very few souls are conscious of Self.
Most souls have experience of the gross sphere (world);
some souls have experience of the subtle sphere (world);
a few souls have experience of the mental sphere (world); and
a very few souls have experience of the Over-Soul.
Most souls are on the gross plane (anna bhumika);
some souls are on the subtle plane (pran bhumika);
a few souls are on the mental plane (mano bhumika); and
a very few souls are on the plane beyond the mental plane
(vidnyan).
Most souls have great binding; some souls have little binding;
a few souls have very little binding; and a very few souls have
absolutely no binding.
All these souls (atmas) of diff e rent consciousness, of diff e re n t
experiences, of different states are in the Over-Soul (Paramatma).
If, now, all souls are in the Over-Soul and are all One, then why
is there any diff e rence in the consciousness, in the planes, in the
experiences and in the states?
The cause of this difference is that the souls have different and
diverse impressions (sanskaras).

Meher Baba
God Speaks

The Ascending Soul

I died as mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was man.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet, once more, I shall die as man, to soar
With angels blessed; but even from angelhood
I must pass on; all except God doth perish.
When I have sacrificed my angel soul,
I shall become what no mind e’er conceived.
Oh, Let me not exist! For Non-existence
Proclaims in organ tones, “To Him we shall return!”

—Rumi

The better (Shreyas) is one thing, and the pleasanter (Prayas) quite another. Both these of different nature, bind a person. Of these two, well is it for him who takes the better; he fails of his aim who chooses the pleasanter.

Kathopanishad

Salient Thought for the Day.
When we consult our inner being in everything,
we begin to hear the voice of God and perceive His
Presence.

Lines to Memorize.
Lo ! a perfect cave in the utmost depths of my
heart was awaiting, ever ready and ever still.
It was afar, yea, out of reach of all our ills.
Now I sit with Thee in unbroken peace—in rain,
storm and wind.
They come and beat against my outer life, but
have no access to where my heart’s treasure
lies.

Lesson.
The ultimate vision of Reality far surpasses all
that we can picture. When we attain it, we no longer
think whether we are worthy or unworthy, rich or
poor, happy or unhapy. We gain a new spirit. We
seem to breathe the real oxygen of life, we find fresh
hope and courage. As we have certain hours for our
outer duties, so we must have a time which we devote
to our soul culture. When day after day we strive
to cultivate this inward sight, we cannot fail to
unfold it.

Prayer.
0 Thou in-dwelling Spirit,
May I learn that my own strength is never
sufficient,
But that my strength lies always in Thy strength.
May I so offer up my life that all my thoughts
and actions may have their source in Thee.

– Swami Parmananda