The Highest Consolation

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2.

Thus, scriptures exist to proclaim to us the existence of a state

beyond sorrow. They exist in order to help us to go beyond sorrow,

to liberate us from sorrow, to attain that covetable state of

sorrolessness. Tarati sokam atmavit (A knower of the Atman goes

beyond grief). Towards that all Sadhana leads. Towards that Goal all

Yoga abhyasa (Pracatice) takes you, and it is towards the attainment

of that supreme state that Divine Life was gien to you as a way, as

well as a way of life, for which we offer our gratitude at the feet

of Gurudev.

 

Swami Chidananda

 

THE SECRET OF INNER SERENITY

 

Radiant Atman! Beloved sadhakas engaged in spiritual sadhana while

leading a spiritual life of seva, bhakti, dhyana and atmajnana as

propounded by Guru Maharaj Swami Sivanandaji! You are living a life

of service, selflessly and motivelessly done, without any desire for

attaining personal gain, a life of devotion and worship with an

intention of drawing down the grace of God, a life of daily

meditation to proceed towards a deeper and deeper understanding and

a higher vision of the Reality, and a life of constant philosophical

enquiry and discrimination to remove the evil of ignorance and

attain illumination, enlightenment and Self-realisation, atma jnana.

For Gurudev propounded and declared a harmony between these paths --

the Yoga synthesising all of them -- integral Yoga.

 

Gurudev embodied all these things. He was a jnani. He was a

parabhakta. He was a hatha yogi as well. And throughout his whole

life he was nothing if not a selfless karma yogi, a servant of all,

ever wishing to serve. In him we found the personification, the

living embodiment of all that he preached and taught. Samatvam yoga

uchayate (Evenness of mind is called Yoga), yogah karmasu kausalam

(Yoga is skill in action), yogaschitta-vritti-nirodhah (Yoga is

control of the modifications of the mind) -- all these thigns he had

within him. His mind was perfectly under his control. He knew how to

be in the midst of activities and yet above activity, always serene,

always actionless. He knew the secret of akarma (non-action) in

karma (action), and at the same time, we found in him a wondrous,

amazing example of absolute samatva (equanimity). He was a

sthitaprajna (one whose wisdom is steady) personified. We found in

Gurudev tulyanindastutirmouni santushto yena kenachit (one to whom

censure and praise are equal and who is content with anything). We

also found in him that samatva, equanimity, resulting from sukha-

dukhe same kritva labhalabhau jayajayau (having made pleasure and

pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same).

 

Contd....