HINTS ON PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY

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HINTS ON PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY

Posted by: " Uttishthata " uttishthata

Thu May 24, 2007 8:05 pm (PST)

 

HINTS ON PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY - Swami Vivekananda

(Delivered at the Home of Truth, Los Angeles, California)

 

But there is the real existence in and through everything; and that

reality, as it were, is caught in the meshes of time, space, and

causation. There is the real man, the infinite, the beginningless,

the endless, the ever-blessed, the ever-free. He has been caught in

the meshes of time, space, and causation. So has everything in this

world. The reality of everything is the same infinite. This is not

idealism; it is not that the world does not exist. It has a relative

existence, and fulfils all its requirements. But it has no

independent existence. It exists because of the Absolute Reality

beyond time, space, and causation.

 

I have made long digressions. Now, let us return to our main subject.

 

All the automatic movements and all the conscious movements are the

working of Prana through the nerves. Now, you see, it will be a very

good thing to have control over the unconscious actions.

 

On some other occasions, I told you the definition of God and man.

Man is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere, but the

centre is located in one spot; and God is an infinite circle whose

circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is everywhere. He works

through all hands, sees through all eyes, walks on all feet, breathes

through all bodies, lives in all life, speaks through every mouth,

and thinks through every brain. Man can become like God and acquire

control over the whole universe if he multiplies infinitely his

centre of self-consciousness. Consciousness, therefore, is the chief

thing to understand. Let us say that here is an infinite line amid

darkness. We do not see the line, but on it there is one luminous

point which moves on. As it moves along the line, it lights up its

different parts in succession, and all that is left behind becomes

dark again. Our consciousness may well be likened to this luminous

point. Its past experiences have been replaced by the present, or

have become subconscious. We are not aware of their presence in us;

but there they are, unconsciously influencing our body and mind.

Every movement that is now being made without the help of

consciousness was previously conscious. Sufficient impetus has been

given to it to work of itself.

 

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Volume 2 [ Page : 32 ]

 

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Each work has to pass through these stages-ridicule, opposition, and

then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be

misunderstood.

- Swami Vivekananda