Swami Sivananda Vani

[Guest guest]

REMEMBER THIS LESSON

 

This is the lesson to be remembered, if you want real success in

this life. The man who becomes a slave to the senses is lost, is

ruined. Therefore, the Upanishads show you the way to real success

and real happiness by asking you to choose the Shreyas, that which

leads to ultimate good, and to refrain from falling a prey to the

merely Preyas or pleasurable. Of the two, shreya marga and preya

marga, choose you all to proceed along the shreya marga. Divine life

teaches you how to do this. Do it through service, selfless seva,

love and devotion to parents, elders, society, country and to

humankind in general; through worship, meditation and realisation.

Strive incessantly to develop noble character, for virtuous

character is the basis of all achievement. Control your senses

perfectly. Adopt the motto: " Plain living and high thinking " . Become

embodiments of truth, love and purity. Embrace the ideal of selfless

service. Know that work is worship. Deny the urges of the lower

nature. This may be difficult in the beginning, but your efforts

will be crowned with success. That which is seemingly unpleasant and

painful in the beginning is productive of lasting benefit later.

Through struggle alone the lower nature is overcome. But, with

determination, the struggle is simplified and victory is yours. This

determination is shown to you in the life of great ones like the

Buddha. One who realises the Self through sincere sadhana becomes

the source of wisdom, light and bliss to the world at large. He is

illumined and he illumines all. He frees himself and frees others

too. He has world-consciousness and so he can successfully set

matters right. He becomes the self of all and, hence, he does what

is the best. Whatever he does becomes the law. His actions are

examples of righteousness. He is the world-redeemer, for he is the

cosmic man. This should make you all understand that the realisation

of the Absolute Divinity within means not only the salvation and

perfection of oneself, but the attainment to that height of mastery,

knowledge and power through which alone it is possible to offer a

saving hand to suffering humanity. Unless you are freed, you cannot

free others. Therefore free yourselves from the bondage of samsara,

from the clutches of ignorance and desire. Desire is the cause of

the transmigration of the individual soul. Snap this thread of the

series of births and deaths through self-abnegation, self-surrender,

self-restraint and self-knoweldge.

 

(Taken from Sivananda Bharathi, November month's magazine of A.P. Divine Life

Society, Secunderabad)