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NOTES ON SELECTED BOOKS ON YOGA, PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

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ALL ABOUT HINDUISM
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

Hinduism is veritably the fountain-head of all religions. It contains within itself the seed of all religions. It includes all religions and excludes none. It is but natural that people all over the world should show increasing interest in a religion with so universal an appeal. "ALL ABOUT HINDUISM" is intended to meet the needs of those who want to be introduced to the various facets of the crystal that is Hinduism. The book, which was first published in 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and there, and is now released in its fifth edition. We do hope that all serious students of Hindu Religion and Philosophy will find the book useful and interesting.

Chapters include:
Hindu Religion; Hindu Scriptures; Hindu Dharma; Hindu Ethics; Hindu Tenets; Hindu Rituals; Hindu Worship; Hindu Yoga; Hindu Theology; Hindu Mythology and Symbols; Hindu Philosophy.

288 pages. Click here for some excerpts from this book.
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BLISS DIVINE
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

BLISS DIVINE is an immortal work, a legacy for ages to come. It is a spiritual classic. It is Bible for the Christians, a Bhagavad-Gita for the Hindus, a Quran for the Muslims, a Zend-Avesta for the Parsis. It sums up the teachings of all scriptures of all ages. Not only that; it offers comfort and consolation, enlightenment and elucidation, in a manner which makes a direct appeal to the modern mind. No line is vague. No explanation is hidden. Optimism is the keynote of the book. Its pages abound in constructive suggestions for a fuller, happier life, right now, here on earth. Each essay is self-contained and can be read apart from the rest of the book. The author has prefaced the book with a beautiful introduction, unsurpassed for depth of meaning and lucidity of presentation.

Chapters include:
Ahimsa; Anger; Brahmacharya; Brahman; Buddhism; Charity; Christianity; Civilisation; Concentration; Confucianism; Conscience; Creation; Death; Disciple; Dream; Education; Ethics; God; Guru; Happiness; Health; Hinduism; Idolatry; India; Islam; Jainism; Jesus; Jivanmukta; Judaism; Karma; Krishna; Kundalini; Life; Love; Man; Marriage; Maya; Meditation; Mind; Om; Peace; Prayer; Ramayana; Reincarnation; Religion; Sadhana; Saints; Samadhi; Science; Sex; Shintoism; Sin; Tantra; Taoism; Thought; Time; Truth; Upanishads; Vairagya; Vedanta; Vedas; Vegetarianism; Woman; Yoga; Zoroastrianism.

580 pages.
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BRAHMA SUTRAS
Text, Word-to-word Meaning, Translation and Commentary
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

A clear and easy exposition of the Brahma Sutras of Sri Veda Vyasa by Swami Sivananda. Swamiji, in his own inimitable way, explains the Brahma Sutras to all aspirants of Truth dispelling all ignorance and doubts. In addition he has given useful information which will not be found elsewhere. An elaborate introduction precedes the work, along with a short introduction and summary of the different Adhikaranas preceding each Pada. Each Sutra contains a word-by-word and a running translation.

672 pages.
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CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

"Concentration and Meditation" form the inner core of the practice of Yoga: It is the key to the door of Inner Illumination and constitutes the central pivot round which all Sadhana in the spiritual revolves. Dharana and Dhyana are the Yoga proper, leading to the consummation, Samadhi and Sakshatkara or Realization. The Revered Sri Swami Sivanandaji gives in this compact and exhaustive treatise on the great subject a thorough-going exposition of the intricacies of "Concentration and Meditation," in a manner only a Master on the path would be able to do. Intensely practical, the work is an imperative to seekers and students on the Sadhana-Marga (spiritual path) . Literature on this subject being very rare, we have endeavoured to bring out the present edition, though after a considerable period of time. WE cannot see any better book on the subject to be placed in the hands of students of this phase of Yoga.

Chapters include:
Theory of concentration; Practice of concentration; Preliminaries for meditation; Practice of meditation; Kinds of meditation; Physical obstacles in meditation; Mental obstacles in meditation; Higher obstacles; Experiences in meditation.

288 pages.
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CONQUEST OF MIND
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

Sri Swami Sivananda has always laboured in a Divine Way, on a grand scale, for the spread of the Wisdom of spiritual India, and for the dissemination of practical knowledge on Mind and its total control and conquest. So great has been his contribution to the world's spiritual literature, human happiness and enlightenment, and so high is his spiritual Eminence that he has been justly esteemed as at once a Patanjali, a Vyasa, a Yajnavalkya, a Sankara, an all-compassionate Saint and a dynamic integral Yogi. Conquest of Mind presents a number of most helpful hints on the Nature of Mind, and as many on the many methods for the successful conquest of mind. By aspirants, devotees, seekers after Truth, psychologists, and others who are seeking peace of mind and happiness in life, this work will be found highly useful.

Sections include:
Mind conquest by introspection; Mind conquest by discrimination; Mind conquest by Yoga; Mind conquest by thought-culture; Practical instructions on mind-control; Meditation for mind-conquest; Conquest of Mind's strongholds; States of mind and principles of mental discipline; Methods of self-analysis; Fruits of self-control; My conquest by religious life; The art of talking to the mind into control; Mind-studies in its structure; The many phases of the mind; The dynamics of the mind; Mind-its manifestations and its resistances; Studies in instincts and emotions; Psychology of sentiment, conscience and spiritual progress; Mind-its features, nature and conquest; Mind-its forms, its discilines and its subdual; Mind its functions, its force, its facts; Mind-its Unchanging Substratum and the suppression of its changing nature; Some secrets of the mind; Mind-its philosophy and the disciplines for its conquest; Comprehensive knowledge and techniques of mind-conquest; More methods for mind conquest; How to find peace of mind.

429 pages.
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ELIXIR DIVINE
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

The 'Elixir Divine' is His Holiness Sri Swami Sivanandaji's last work. This little book of profound teachings from a mighty saint of the modern age attracted many an aspiring soul. We have a firm hope that the Sadhakas (aspirants) the world over will deeply benefit by a study of these precious gems of wisdom contained in this beautiful work of inspirational writings from the pen of the great saint. This should, indeed, be vade-mecum for the aspirants on the Path.

49 pages.
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HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This book gives a detailed and comprehensive idea about the fundamental laws of health and hygiene. It provides the key to real happiness, which can be achieved only through radiant health of body, mind and soul.

Contents include:
What is health?; Nature Cure and Health; Diet and Health; Vitamins; Care of the Eyes; Physical culture (including Yoga exercises); Home treatment of diseases; Ethical and spiritual observances and their influence on health.

168 pages.
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HOW TO CULTIVATE VIRTUES AND ERADICATE VICES
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This volume would rank foremost among the works of H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj. In this he has presented to the men and women of the present-day world a theme that is dearest to his heart and that would transform men into gods and nations into paradise on earth. Whenever Swamiji has spoken, at mass meetings or individual conversations, he has thundered: "It is only through Righteousness that you can attain the Supreme Reality." In this volume Sri Swamiji Maharaj has given us a sweet garland of all the virtues that should adorn every earnest Sadhaka (aspirant) Contents include:
Introduction to Ethics and Morality; How to cultivate virtues section has 115 Virtues to be cultivated. The Song of Eighteen 'Ities' has 18 of the major virtues.; How to eradicate vices section has 80 vices to be eradicated including anger, anxiety, arrogance, fault-finding, fear, gambling, freed, hatred, religious hypocrisy, jealousy, meat-eating, moral and spiritual pride, smoking, vanity, worry.

272 pages.
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JAPA YOGA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

A comprehensive treatise on Mantra-sastra.

Chapters include:
Philosophy of Japa; Glory of the Name; Mantras; Sadhana; Stories of Japa-Yogins.

180 pages. Click here for some excerpts from this book.
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KINGLY SCIENCE KINGLY SECRET
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This work, a compilation from the published writings of Swami Sivananda, is in the nature of a detailed commentary on select verses of the Bhagavad Gita. While many readers may be familiar eith the stanza-by-stanza commentary of the holy Master on the full Gita text, in this volume they will find a considerably more detailed exposition of the implications of Sri Krishna's instructions to Arjuna which are as valid today as they were at the time of the Mahabharata war. The book begins with an Introduction which deals with the goal of human life and the vital role of religion and Yoga in the achievement thereof. Life without religion is a dreary waste and Yoga is but an aid in the practice of one's own religion. Yoga is universal and the Yoga Shastra of Lord Krishna, namely, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita , is equally universal. And the Master's most lucid, free-flowing commentary on a wide spectrum of the Gita verses brings the secret of Sri Krishna's teachings to the doorstep of every English-speaking household. The stanzas chosen over a wide range of topics that are of immeditae consequence to every spiritual seeker. The compilation starts with subjects pertaining to spiritual Sadhana (practice) in general and then proceeds to cover the more important topics under Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga in that order. The living voice of Sivananda echoes and re-echoes on every page and in every line, casting a magic spell in the reader, rousing him at the same time to heightened efforts in the direction of God and Truth.

Contents include:
>The Royal Science of Brahma-Vidya; Scripture are the Authority; Bond between Guru and Disciple; The Caste System; All Roads lead to Rome; Moderation: the Watchword in Yoga; The Mystery of Death; Spiritual Evolution; The technique of Karma Yoga; The Rationale of Saguna (God with form) Worship; The Four types of devotees; The Power of passion; The Taming of the Mind; Pleasure is the source of Pain; Unity of consciousness.

229 pages.
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KUNDALINI YOGA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

Kundalini is the coiled up, dormant, cosmic power that underlies all organic and inorganic matter within us and any thesis that deals with it can avoid becoming too abstract, only with great difficulty. But within the following pages, the theory that underlies this cosmic power has been analysed to its thinnest filaments, and practical methods have been suggested to awaken this great pristine force in individuals. It explains the theory and illustrates the practice of Kundalini Yoga.

We feel certain, that to the spiritual aspirant, this book will serve as a kindly light and leads him on through the dark alleys of an as yet unexplored branch of Yogic exercises, while to the layman it contains a wealth of new information which is bound to be a valuable addition to his knowledge of Yogic culture.

Chapters include:
Foundation; Kundalini Yoga-Theory covering the Nadis (astral tubes) and Chakras (spiritual centres); Yoga Sadhana (Practices).

216 pages.
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LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF LORD JESUS
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

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Every year millions of people all over the world celebrate the Holy Christmas. There are festivities and joyous celebrations, a lot of merry-making. People rejoice that Lord Jesus took birth in our midst about two thousand years ago. It is certainly an event over which all humanity ought to be proud and jubilant. But it is essential, too, to realise that Lord Jesus had a message to deliver. He laid with his own life and blood, a path for mankind to tread. It is essential that mankind should, in the midst of the joyous celebration of the Holy Event of the Birth of Jesus, reflect on the life of the Lord over His Message. For, in it lies the key to world peace and brotherhood. May God bless you! May the blessings of Lord Jesus be upon all.

Chapters include:
Life of Lord Jesus; The Beatitudes; The Sermon on the Mount; Christmas Message-Christ: The Prince of Peace, The Christ-Life must be Lived, Awaken Jesus in You: And Follow Him, Christ-Spirit must be Acquired; Parables of Lord Jesus; A Symposium-Christmas-Its Spiritual Meaning, 'Thy Kingdom Come', A Sacramental Life, Christ's Divine Life, The Promises of Jesus, A Significant Chapter in the Bible.

Click here for a summarized biography of Lord Jesus.
Click here for Gurudev's essay on Christianity.

164 pages.
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LIVES OF SAINTS
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This book is a treasure-trove of inspiring spiritual biography, instructive anecdotes and lofty admonitions of men and women of the highest realisation. For sheer variety and range, this book perhaps has no equal. Here, two points deserve special mention. Firstly, this book is totally non-sectarian and free from prejudice of any kind. It thus manages with marvellous success to draw out the very best from each subject it touches. Secondly, as these sketches come from the pen of a spiritual personality, they present all the lives in a distinctive spiritual perspective, which a layman writing the same biographies would hardly be able to do. This fact, in itself, enhances the worth and utility of the book a great deal. May the light of these saints guide and illumine the path of the readers. May their blessings shower upon the readers and the whole mankind!

There are 107 biographies in this book. Some of the biographies found in this book are:
Maharshi Vyasa; Sage Yajnavalkya; Dattatreya; Zoroaster; Buddha; Mahavira; Confucius; Jesus; Guru Nanak; Sankara; Ramanuja; Madhva; Vallabha; Nimbarka; Ramananda; Gauranga; Arunagiri; Appar; Sundramurti; Sambandhar; Manickavasagar; Periyalwar; Andal; Alavandar; Samartha Ramdas; Namdev; Tukaram; Akalkot Swami; Jnanadev; Goswami Tulsidas; Gorkhnath; Yogi Vemana; Appaya Dikshitar; Sadasiva Brahman; Madalasa; Mira Bai; Rabia; Jalaluddin Rumi; Mansoor; Shams Tabriez; Bulla Shah; St. Augustine; St. Francis of Assisi; St. Francis Xavier; Raghavendra Swami; Ramalinga Swami; Swami Dayananda Saraswati; Sundaresa Swami; Narayana Guru; Ramakrishna Paramahamsa; Sri Aurobindo Ghosh; Swami Swayamprakasa Brahmendra Saraswati; Swami Rama Tirtha; Sri Ramana Maharshi; Saint Gudidi Baba.

476 pages.
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MAY I ANSWER THAT?
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

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This book is a compilation from the various published works of the holy Master Sri Swami Sivananda, including some of his earliest works extending as far back as the late thirties. The question and answers in the pages that follow deal with some of the commonest, but most vital, doubts raised by practicing spiritual aspirants. What invests these answers and explanations with great value is the authority, not only of the sage's intuition, but also of his personal experience. Swami Sivananda was a sage whose first concern, even first love, shall we say, was the spiritual seeker, the Yoga student, Sivananda lived to serve them; and this priceless volume is the outcome of that Seva Bhav (spirit of service) of the great Master.

272 questions. 216 pages. Click here for some excerpts from this book.
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MIND-ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

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To everyone striving for success in life, the invariable stumbling block proves to be the turbulent vagaries of the mind. An undisciplined mind makes a man slave and wrecks his life. Controlling and subduing it is the most vexing of problems to the earnest seeker of happiness. The vital importance of the subject, therefore, prompted H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji maharaj to write this comprehensive work "MIND-ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL." It is meant to serve as a valuable guide to all aspirants and it is also of immense help to anyone in any walk of life. Being the outcome of personal experience of the revered author and written with a practical end in view, "MIND-ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL" is a treasure worthy to be possessed and studied constantly.

Chapters include:
What is Mind?; Mind and Body; Mind, Prana and Kundalini; Mind and Food; The Psychic States; The Mental Faculties; Theory of Perception; Memory; The Power of Thought; Pleasure and Pain; Control of the Senses; How to Control the Mind; Concentration; Meditation; Experiences and Obstacles in Meditation; Hints to Aspirants.

360 pages.
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PRACTICE OF BRAHMACHARYA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

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Commonly taken to mean celibacy, the word Brahmacharya really signifies the Achara or conduct that leads to Brahman (God). Brahmacharya is the art of self-restraint, the practice of which confers health and long life, peace, power and poise.

Sivananda, who was a doctor before he became a Swami, is pre-eminently qualified to deal with the subject of Brahmacharya in its many dimensions-physical, psychological, ethical and spiritual. as he candidly unravels the ramifications of sex and celibacy, the reader is struck with wonder at the thorughness of the author's insight into the subject. This unusual book is actually the outcome of Swami Sivananda's deep concern for human welfare. It does not therefore stop with merely advocating Brahmacharya. It tells you how to practice it. It tells you how to gain mastery of the sex impulse. An amazingly useful work for those who prize health above all else.

In 3 Sections:

Chapters include:
The Working of the Sex Impulse; The Value of Semen; Brahmacharya for Householders; Women and Brahmacharya; Suppression and Sublimation; To Marry or Not to Marry; The Role of Diet in Sex Control; Wet Dreams and Spermatorrhoea, etc., etc.

204 pages. Click here for some excerpts from this book.
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PRACTICE OF YOGA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the definition, ethics, psychology and the science of Yoga, in its various branches of approach. Hence, it forms an excellent introduction to the spiritual way of living. The force and compelling expressions of the Swamiji are a novel feature especially in his writings which he intended to be a general directive to everyone. Here is an outstanding example of a saint speaking from experience with a direct address to people who hunger and thirst for a permanent remedy and solace in a world of dreary expectations and hopes that offer little satisfaction. Man has to gird up his loins to do something rather than merely expect a miracle to happen in the course of Nature's evolution. This doing is an outcome of one's wholesome being, the reconstruction of which on a sound and rational basis is the philosophy of spiritual life and the teaching of all adepts in Yoga. We are confident that this edition will be a source of inspiration to beginners and remain as a general guide even to advanced seekers of Truth.

Chapters include:
Objects of Yoga; Foundation of Yoga; Ethical culture; Preparation for Yoga; Yoga physical exercises and Pranayama; Mind and its functions; The Law of Karma; Obstacles in Yoga; Meditation Yoga of wisdom; Mystic Experiences.

309 pages.
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RAJA YOGA
Text, Word-to-word Meaning, Translation and 
Commentary of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Maharshi
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This book represents a new classification of the subject matter. The book is divided into fourteen chapters to render the subject very, very clear and attractive. By the present arrangement, it is very easy to remember the Sutras and the different headings and subject matter connected with each heading. The word-to-word meaning will be of immense use for the students in understanding the meaning of the Sutras. Copious annotations and Commentary have been added to each Sutra. This will throw a flood of light wherever the students come across with abstruse, knotty and intricate points on Yoga.

224 pages.
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SADHANA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

In order to tread the path of spiritual life: (1) let the aspirant conceive of an ideal; (2) let him put up a general programme of life; (3) let him have Abhyasa (practise) and Vairagya (dispassion) and (4) let him take a background of thought into which he can take refuge at times of external stress. And for all this, the help of this book is most invaluable; it is in fact, the greatest boon that we could offer to the aspirant-world. There is no aspect of Sadhana (spiritual practise) which has not been dealt with, no path which it has not presented, and no point of guidance that the aspirant's peculiar difficulties need, which has not been elaborately dealt with.

Contents include:
Introductory (A Survey of the Evolution of the Ancient Indian Spiritual Techniques); Foundations of Sadhana; Significant Process in Sadhana; Types of Sadhana; Sadhana in the Prasthanatrayi (Veda, Brahma Sutras, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita); Sadhana in the Smritis, Epics and Puranas; Sadhana in the Various Schools; Importance of Sadhana; Sadhana for the Conquest of Lower Nature; Sadhana for Various Siddhis (Psychic Powers); Obstacles to Progress in Sadhana; Karma Yoga Sadhana; Bhakti Yoga Sadhana; (Raja) Yoga Sadhana; Vedantic Sadhana; Courses for Practical Sadhana; Questions and Answers on Sadhana; Intimate Advice to Aspirants; Inspiring Swadhyaya (Readings) for Aspirants; Some Experiences of Aspirants.

719 pages. Click here to learn more about Sadhana.
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SELF-KNOWLEDGE
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

The life of man in this sense-universe is a life of temptation. Man is born for Self-realization. He is born for leading a religious life. But he is lead a stray by the temptation of his environments. He is spoiled by society. He has not got the strength of will to resist the temptations. The lesson given in this book are particularly addressed to those who have no faith in religion, God, the Law of Karma, theory of reincarnation, a life beyond and an after-world (Metempsychosis, Eschatology, etc.). These are the collections of the lessons given to struggling souls in the world, to many atheists. Now they are far advanced in the spiritual line and entirely free from the miseries and troubles of the world. Through the help of these lessons, many aspirants were able to remove all obstacles and pitfalls in their daily Sadhana (spiritual practices) and they received a new hope and joy in the spiritual line. This book will satisfy the desires of people who approach it. These are lessons of love, peace and unity. My philosophy and teachings are not for the chosen few, the cultured and the wealthy alone. I am a friend of the poor, the outcaste, the sick, the oppressed, the forlorn, the guilty but penitent transgressor. I live to serve the poor, the sick and the forlorn, and also the criminal. The whole world is my body. The whole world is my home. My message, my sayings and teachings are meant particularly to the poor, the outcaste, the sick and the oppressed. I embrace all. I include all in my warm embrace. I am a cosmic friend. Anybody can utilize me for his purpose. I belong to all. I am the servant of all. I am the brother of all. Will you follow my instructions with implicit faith? I have given in this book a spiritual pill for all aspirants, nicely sugar-coated and compressed for ready assimilation and absorption.

Chapters include:
Universe; Hinduism; Guru and Disciple; God and Avatara (incarnation); Bhakti Yoga; How to develop Bhakti; Japa Yoga; Karma Yoga; Maya (the illusive power of God); Brahma Vidya (Science of God); Vedanta; Jnana Yoga; Jivanmukta (liberated being).

256 pages.
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SERMONETTES OF SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This volume which contains short, inspiring sermonettes of Sri Swami Sivananda is a boon to the busy man in the work-a-day world too busy to find time for more serious study, who yet wants a 'sweet pill' which will at once give him spiritual strength and vigour, to make him grow spiritually into a divine being, without succumbing to the temptations of Maya in the present-day materialistic atmosphere.

Chapters include:
Sermonettes on the soul, service, saintliness, goal of life, Guru Bhakti, earthly life, ethics, Sadhana, culture, health, success in divine life, immortality, meditation.

240 pages.
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SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

Consciousness in common individuals is like an iceberg, only very little exposed to the external world in the realm of sense-perception, and mostly submerged within the subconscious, concealed inside the depths of astral spheres. The spiritual aspirant devotes himself to the task of exploring and unfolding his inner personality, cultivating the hidden faculties of his perception, until he finally attains the highest state of Self-realization. In the process of his quest he comes across various types of occult phenomena, and passes through different phases of spiritual development. These experiences have a direct bearing on his mental and physical being and are closely interrelated with his Sadhana. Spiritual Experiences is a publication that tries to portray the aspirant's perception of the working of his psyche as well as the forces of the astral world. Self-realization is the consummation of all experiences and transcends the realm of the mind, and is, therefore, indescribable. Yet, adumbrations have been attempted herein, through the medium of words, to describe the supersublime state of cosmic consciousness, and of the other preceding phases of occult perception. We hope that the book will be found useful to all those who tread the spiritual path.

Chapters include:
Nature and state of consciousness; Cosmic consciousness; Experiences in meditation; Samadhi or the State of Super-consciousness; Some Yogic experiences; Kundalini Shakti; Psychic powers; Signs of spiritual progress; Experiences of the Jnana Yogi; The state of liberation; Experiences of some South Indian mystics; Experiences of Some Christian and Muslim mystics.

303 pages.
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SURE WAYS FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE AND GOD-REALIZATION
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This book is universally acclaimed as a masterpiece of Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, whose incomparable works on Yoga and Vedanta have been guiding lights of seekers after Truth all over the world. Sri Swamiji, by his precept and practice, has paved the way for not only the great goal of Self-Realisation but success in life, here and now. A deep study of this volume would compel every reader to put the precept into daily practice; such is the power of Swamiji's persuasion. Such study and practice would undoubtedly bestow on the seeker great peace and prosperity, health and happiness, and eventually, liberation from birth and death. In the wake of a persistent and growing demand for this remarkable guide-book from spiritual seekers of the East and West, we are now in the fourteenth edition. May it inspire many thirsting souls is our humble prayer.

Chapters include:
Culture of will and memory; Raja Yoga; Psychic Influence; Cultivation of virtues; Eradication of negative qualities; Garland of Yoga; Anecdotes.

256 pages.
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TANTRA, NADA AND KRIYA YOGA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

These three isolated themes are separately dealt by the saintly author in his characteristically lucid but comprehensive manner intelligible even to the layman.

Chapters include:
TANTRA YOGA-Sakti Yoga Philosophy; Mother Worship; Classifications of Aspirants; Guru and Diksha; Sadhana; Tapas; Vrata; Siddhi; Rules of Worship of Parasakti; The Pancha Tattva; Upachara; Yantra; Chakra Puja; Manasic Puja; Bhava in Worship; Mantra Yoga; Sri Vidya; Symposium on Sakti.
NADA YOGA-Influence of Sound on Mind; Glory of Nadanusandhanam; Nada Yoga; Goal of Life; Power of Sound; Sound and Brahman; Anahata Sound; Sound and Image; Nada, Bindu and Kala; Dhvani; Release or Moksha; The Sacred Pranava; Nada-Bindu Upanishad; Tyagaraja on Nadopasana; Musico-Therapy.
KRIYA YOGA-Tapas; Svadhyaya; Isvarapranidhana; Secret of Surrender; Self-Surrender; Shatkriyas in Hatha Yoga; Pranayama; Concentration; Meditation; Samadhi.

162 pages.
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THOUGHT-POWER
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

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The value of this great little work is evident even from a mere reading of its table of contents. It is a book of perennial interest and many-sided usefulness for self-culture, self-knowledge, acquisition of the power of personality, and success in life. It is a work that edifies, imparts illumination to the intelligence, and empowers human will for good and for achievement of greatness. Students, grownup persons, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, seekers after Truth and lovers of God,-are all bound to find in the pages of this publication plenty of specific guidance for thought-culture and thought-power, and for living a positive, dynamic, rich, triumphant and joyous life.

Chapters include:
Thought-power-its physics and its philosophy; Thought-power-its laws and its dynamics; Value and uses of thought-power; The functions of thought-power; The development of thought-power; Thoughts-their varieties and their conquest; Positive methods for thought-control; The patterns of thought-culture; From thoughts to thought-transcendence; The metaphysics of thought-power; Thought-power and God-realization; Thought-power for a new civilization.

272 pages.
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VOICE OF THE HIMALAYAS
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

In the mind of the spiritual aspirant-of the East or of the West-the Highest Spiritual Wisdom has always been associated with the Himalayas. From the Sages of the Vedic age down to the glorious Sannyasins of modern times, an illustrious galaxy of seers and sages have perpetually echoed the Highest Truth from their abodes in the Himalayas, thus keeping these Holy Hills ever reverberant with the Voice that has kept awake the vigilant and awakened the slumbering, throughout the ages. It is the rare good fortune of the present generation that there lives today a great representative of these mighty Sages, whose Voice has reached the four corners of the earth. It is Sri Swami Sivananda who has, in keeping with the vastness of the field of his divine work, presented the universal truths in a manner that appeals to the world. Sparks of divine wisdom from his torch of divine light have been presented in this volume to illumine the path of the Sadhaka to the great goal, Self-realization.

Chapters include:
Call to bliss; Your duty on earth; Overcome all obstacles; The path of Yoga; God-your supreme goal; The Vedas-The wisdom-source; Foundation of Yoga and realization; The world and you; Realization through love; The occult Yoga of Patanjali; The Path of Knowledge; The path of worshipful service; Renunciation-the supreme requisite; Your spiritual life; Important spiritual instructions; Broadcast to the world and world-peace; Religion; The ethical life or Dharma; Culture of Bharatavarsha (India); Divine Life.

334 pages.
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WHAT BECOMES OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

The problem of life beyond death has ever been a most fascinating one from time immemorial. This book treats in detail of the subject and furnishes an answer to the agelong question. Many books have been written on this subject, but hitherto most of the works deal mainly with the astral or other spirit world. It has mostly been the study of the conditions in the Pretaloka which is merely one among the numerous supramundane planes beyond the grave. Spiritism, seance and the testimony of recognized mediums have for most part featured prominently in all such works. This present book is a departure from the usual line in that it is based, to a great extent, upon authoritative scriptural texts and upon knowledge derived through reasoning, deep reflection and personal meditation. It throws a flood of light upon all aspects of post-mortem existence not adequately dealt with in other works. The book also gives valuable information about the different beliefs on this subject, of the various races and religions. The portions giving the inner meaning and the esoteric significance of the different practices and customs in connection with the dead form a most informative one.

Chapters include:
What is Death?; Soul's Journey After Death; Resurrection and Judgment; Soul After Death; Doctrine of Reincarnation; Lokas or Planes; Spiritualism; Sraddha and Prayer for the Dead; Conquest for the Death.

208 pages. Click here for some excerpts from this book.
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YOGA SAMHITA
By
Sri Swami Sivananda

This publication is a companion to 'BLISS DIVINE', containing similar presentations on a vast area of subjects in Philosophy, Religion and Spiritual Sadhana. The contents of 'YOGA SAMHITA' forms the author's writing on different occasions, and therefore, touch upon multifarious aspects of philosophic thought and Yoga practice. The whole collection of themes may look like a veritable dictionary of Yoga philosophy and psychology, though the items are not actually arranged in an alphabetical order. The book will thus be a good introduction, furnishing general information to the reader on the basice principles of spiritual life.

Chapters include:
Jnana Yoga; Inward Path to Liberation; Bhakti Yoga; Sakirtan Yoga; Karma Yoga; Yoga of Synthesis; Spiritual Psychology; Yoga and Its Fruits; Triumph Over Materialism; Yoga for Health; Practical Way to Self-Realisation; Education; Essence of Yoga and Vedanta; Highest Yoga; Japa Yoga; Raja Yoga.

368 pages.
Out of Stock at the headquarters but available at the Sivananda Boutique.


BLISS IS WITHIN
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

Sri Swami Chidanandaji has been giving innumerable talks during his extensive tours both in India and abroad. This publication contains some of his inspiring and life transforming talks.

Talks include:
Spiritual Life: Its Relevance in the Modern Age; Divine Life; Vedic Culture; True Happiness; The Philosophy of Work in Excellence; Man's Relationship with the Mind; Maya; Sadhana; Satsanga; Divine Name; Yoga, Its Implications, Objectives and Place in Life; Meditation; The Path of Devotion; Attainment of Divine Perfection; Transforming Spirit of Saints and Mystics; Essence of Religion; World Peace; Bliss is Within.

252 pages.
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FOREST ACADEMY LECTURES ON YOGA
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

While there are Commentaries on the Yoga scriptures from orthodox points of view, teachers have very rarely attempted to bring the loving message of Yoga to the hearts of people. In the present publication, Swamiji has presented to the seeking public the knowledge of Yoga as it actually has to be imparted to the novitiates who wish to receive instruction in a parental fashion.

There are 81 lectures including:
Sadhana for Modern Man; The Path of a Sadhaka; The Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sadhana; On Concentration; Hints on Practical Sadhana; The Need for Faith; The Glory of Sanyasa; The Maha Mantra Sankirtan Yoga; The Call of the Gita; Mantra Japa Yoga; Guru Purnima; Hanuman - the ideal Sevak and Bhakta; Saints; Jesus Christ; Ghandiji; Prayer-its Purpose and Prerequisites; Importance of Satsang and Gurubhakti; Fundamental Concept of Yoga; Importance of Swadhyaya; Need of a Guru for Yogic Practices; Facts about Mind and its Control; Imperishable Bliss; Path to Self-realisation; Nature of Divine Grace; The Nature of Parabrahman.

514 pages.
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A GUIDE TO NOBLE LIVING
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

The work is a collection of Swamiji's writings and speeches which are in the form of essays, articles and short discourses delivered on different occasions.

Contents include:
Eradicate Desires and Rest in Your Desireless Blissful Self; Necessity, Base and Supreme Factor of Yoga; Serve Humanity and Seek Divinity; Be Simple and Guileless, Humble and Enduring; The Role of a Sadhu (renunciate); Destruction Precedes Construction; The Epicurean's Charge; Guru and Disciple; Religion; Analysis of the Human Mind; Hints on Practical Sadhana; Sadhana for Modern Man.

106 pages.
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GUIDELINES TO ILLUMINATION
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

In order to progress in this spiritual path one should know the fundamentals of spiritual life. This book serves the purpose of giving some practical and useful information in this direction. This entire book constitutes a sincere attempt to serve earnest seekers after spiritual Truth and to spread spiritual wisdom that is likely to be of benefit to mankind.

Talks include:
Principles of Yoga; The Need for Faith; How to Lead the Divine Life; Meditation and Its Value; India Today and Tomorrow; The Message of Lord Ganesha; The Glory of Divine Mother; How to Overcome Obstacles in Sadhana; The Secret of True Happiness; Right Attitude in Spiritual Practices; Mind, the Liberator and the Binder; Swami Sivananda-A Spiritual Guide of India; Yoga of Devotion and Its True Import According to the Bhagavata; Essence of Theology; Goal of Human Life; The Importance of Yoga; Occult Phenomena: Their Place in Yoga; The Ideal of Unity; Yoga and Christian Religion.

192 pages.
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THE PATH BEYOND SORROW
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

Thirty years have passed since these talks were delivered, but their meaning and relevance are as valid today as they were at the time they were delivered. Also, the teachings and guidance contained in these are universal in scope and intensely practical in their approach. It is our earnest hope that this small volume will help in its own way to further the right understanding of the timeless message of spiritual life.

Talks include:
Bliss is within; Occult Phenomena-Their Place in Yoga; Real Renunciation; Know Thyself; Your True Purpose in Life; Laws of Health and Prosperity; Worship God as Mother Divine; Yoga in the Home; The Law of Karma and Reincarnation; The Mysterious Mind and Its Control; The Only Source of True Happiness; The Truth about Yoga; Meditation and Prayer; Saints and Sages; Divine Life.

270 pages.
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PONDER THESE TRUTHS
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

This volume contains a selection of 75 talks given by Sri Swami Chidanandaji during the early morning group meditation at Sivananda Ashram. The talks are full of the inspiration and wisdom of a true son of our ancient Indian culture. They have been an inspiration to those who heard them and to those who have prepared them for publication. May they be an equal inspiration, help and solace to you!

Lectures include:
Spiritual Life; Yoga and Vedanta; Purushartha-Self Effort; All Things Are Possible; Why Do You Suffer Unnecessarily?; Mind-Your Greatest Friend; What Has to Be Known?; The Peace Within; Nullifying Embedded Impressions; The Immanence of God; Temptation; Knowledge Is Meant to Be Lived; The Paradox of God-realisation; Higher Knowledge and Lesser Knowledge; God Is Love; What Pleases the Lord; Know Yourself; The Divine Name; The Fundamental Error; The Conscious and the Inert; God's Grace and Human Effort; ; The Keynote of All Yogas; The Key to Happiness; The Lord's Promise; You Are the Light; The Truth That Liberates.

387 pages.
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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO YOGA (ILLUSTRATED)
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

As a first step on the path of Yoga Sadhana (spiritual practice), the necessity for physical fitness hardly needs any explanantion. Even for a householder engaged in his daily activities, the necessity to keep the system physically fit to attend to his daily duties is quite obvious. Seen in this light, the present work which contains exposition on a set of select important Asanas (postures) which can be conveniently practised daily, not only by the whole-time spiritual Sadhakas but also by ordinary householders, is thus a boon to the aspirants treading the path of spiritual Sadhana and to the general public. The book answers many questions that may arise in the minds of the earnest aspirants, clears many of their doubts and removes unnecessary and unfounded fears that may lurk in them concerning possible harmful effects of practising Yoga Asanas. Revered Swamiji has taken pains of illustrating the postures with his own photographs and has given practical guidance in the technique of meditation which is the desired goal to which perfection in postures (Asana-Jaya) leads the practising seeker.

87 pages.
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TWENTY IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS
By
Sri Swami Chidananda

Here is a systematised presentation of the well-known "20 Important Spiritual Instructions" of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, and it enlarges upon the prerequisites requires for the all-round discipline that should ast as the fore-runner to direct meditation, arranged beautifully in their sequential order. May the blessings of all saints and sages be upon the readers of this superb spiritual literature.

104 pages.
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A SHORT HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHIC THOUGHT IN INDIA
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

Among the publications of the Divine Life Society, the present book on the structure of Inner India is one of a special kind, for it offers to students of Indian Culture a taste of its quintessential essence and, to those who are eager to know what India is, a colourful outline of the picture of the heart of India. The survey of thought covered in this book ranges from the Vedas and the Upanishads to the Smritis, including the Epics, Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as the religious modes of conduct and the philosophic tradition of the country. The scheme of the whole book is a larger one and it is expected that subjects which are not treated of here, viz., the Agamas and Tantras, the Systems of Philosophy, including Jainism and Buddhism, and the different Sadhanas or Yogas, will form the contents of another volume.

Chapters include:
The Vedas; The Upanishads; The Itihasas and Puranas; The Bhagavad Gita; The general teachings of the epics and Purana texts; The Yoga-Vasishtha; Theology; The Smritis or codes of ethics.

188 pages.
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ASCENT OF THE SPIRIT
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

'Ascent of the Spirit' should be of benefit to the students who are engaged in the deeper pursuits of spiritual life and the practice of Yoga in its analytic and philosophical aspects. The range covered is vast and touches almost all the phases of a study of the internal structure of Man and the Universe in relation to the Nature of Ultimate Reality. These essays appeared in a series through the columns of the Journal, 'The Divine Life,' as editorials, and now they are made available in a convenient form for purpose of study at a glance, and as a guide to the essentials of meditation on the social, psychological, educational and metaphysical sides of the spiritual approach to life.

Chapters include:
The Progressive Evolution of Man; Principles of Reconstruction of Humans Aspiration; Steps in Educational Methods; The Adventure of Knowledge; Render Unto Caesar the Things Which are Caesar's and Unto God the Things that are God's; Human Individuality and its Functional Features; The Crisis of Consciousness; The Individual and the Society: The Philosophy of Law; A Study of the Logical Basis of Legal and Ethical Principles; The Cloister and the Hearth; The Difficulties of a Spiritual Seeker; The aims of Human Existence; The individual Nature; The Spirit of Sadhana; The Search of the Spirit; The Fourth dimension in Psychology; The Law that determines Life; Human Nature and Its Components; The Infinite Life.

255 pages.
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CHHANDOGYA UPANISHAD
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

THE CHHANDOGYA UPANISHAD is one of the most prominent among the major group of philosophical and mystical texts constituting one of the threefold foundation of India's spiritual lore, the tripod of Indian Culture, being constituted, of the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavadgita. While the Veda Samhitas are the recognised primary source of divine inspiration, their hidden intention, purported message, is supposed to be prominently revealed in the Upanishads. The Vedas are said to be capable of a variety of interpretation, a knowledge of the Adhidaiva or the transcendent divinity, Adhibhuta or the created universe. Adhyatma or the deepest subjective consciousness, Adhiyajna or the field of action and sacrifice, and Adhidharma or the function of law and order. Though, in a restricted sense, the Adhyatma, in this mentioned classification, may appear as an insight into the perceiving and knowing subject as distinguished from its involvements in the objective universe and the transcendent divinity, thus categorising the Upanishads as records of inward revelations of the ancient sages, yet, the Upanishads constitute Adhyatma-Vidya or knowledge of the pure self in a wider sense, inasmuch as the self can be envisaged in the different degrees of its connotation and the many levels of its expression. God above, the universe outside, the society of persons and things in the midst of whom one's own individuality may be included, are all, in the final analysis, comprehended within the status of the Absolute Self, so that, in its broad outlook the Upanishads may be considered as a groundwork in whose light may be studied every branch of knowledge and learning.

Among the ten major Upanishads, the Chhandogya and the Brihadaranyaka stand above others in their grand stature and majesty, these two texts being viewed by scholars as representing the cosmic and the acosmic aspect of Reality.

In the Brihadaranyaka there is a preponderating emphasis on the ultra-spiritual nature of every plane of existence and stage of evolution, a rather super-idealistic sweep of all the phenomena of experience. The Chhandogya, however, tries to be more realistic in its rather matter-of-fact consideration of the issues of life. This is the reason why, evidently, there is a prevalent feeling that the Chhandogya is Saprapancha (considerate as to the visible forms of experience), while the Brihadaranyaka is Nishprapancha (transcendent to all available experience).

This exposition of the Chhandogya Upanishad is, perhaps, the most in-depth study ever made of its philosophical and spiritual message, and goes certainly as a companion to the author's interpretative exposition of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in a separate volume. Herein, the First Chapter constitutes a brilliant study of the Panchagni-Vidya and the Vaishvanara-Vidya sections occurring in the Fifth Chapter of the original text. This single chapter of the book may well form a classical presentation of a grand theme for the cosmical meditations characteristic of the Upanishads in general. The Second Chapter expounds the great content of Sixth Chapter of the original, constituting the instruction of Sage Uddalaka to his son Svetaketu. The Third Chapter is a study of the seventh section of the original, dealing with the majestic Bhuma-Vidya, being the teaching of Sage Sanatkumara to Narada. The Fourth Chapter studies the eighth section of the original, which actually concludes the Upanishad. The Samvarga-Vidya and the Sandilya-Vidya occurring at other places in the Upanishad are also included in the end as pieces of stimulating meditation of absorbing interest.

May this valuable production come as a solacing blessing to seekers of Truth the world over.

303 pages.
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THE EPIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

Here, in these lines of poetry
From sea of life some pearls are laid
Before the eyes of all seekers
Who long the light to envision
By which to disentangle self
From life's turmoil and tear's vale
And see creation as a play
Of God Almighty, Great and Grand,
To blessed live and aims fulfil,
On earth below and in heaven
And everywhere with freedom's Peace.

The whole gamut of life's journey
With all its granduer and greatness,
Its ups and downs as seekers see
By inner eye's penetration
May readers read and souls enjoy.

84 pages.
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ESSAYS IN LIFE AND ETERNITY
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

This publication deals with such themes of study and enquiry as perhaps do not leave anything pertaining to human life unsaid or unexplained. The value of this treatise can be assessed only by an actual reading of it with the requisite concentration. The subject of the thesis has been arranged systematically in an order of ascent and relatedness comparable with the order of the manifestation of life as could be gathered through an investigation of the structure of Nature and the obvious process of the universe.

Chapters include:
Metaphysical Foundations (The Absolute and the Relative, The Human Individual, The World of Science, Aesthetics and the Field of Beauty); The Social Scene (The Phenomenon of Society, Civic and Social Duty, Political Science and Administration, The Process of History, Education and Culture); The Development of the Religious Consciousness (The Exploration of Reality, Tantra Sadhana, Philosophical Proofs for the Existence of God, Fundamentals of Spiritual Ascent, Life After Death); Regarding Justice, Judgement and Human Solidarity (On the Concept of Righteousness and Justice, Creation and Some of Its Implications, Concerning Inter-Philosophical Dialogue and International Understanding); Principles of a Higher Order of Life.

260 pages.
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PHILOSOPHY OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

We have the satisfaction, again, of dedicating to the seekers of the Higher Life, as well as the general public, this novel text on the profundities of the Great Scripture of Yoga, the Bhagavadgita, consisting of the series of extempore discourses delivered by the Author during the Course of Training held for students at The Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy of this Society. The deeply learned analysis of the subject, and the spiritual force that is permeating throughout the continuity of the Chapters of the book, will, we firmly hope, fulfil the innermost longings of the searching spirit of every sincere pilgrim on the glorious journey of life.

212 pages.
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PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

Perfection, which is humanity's aim, seems to have intimate relation with an understanding of oneself, with an impartial appreciation of values. This calls for an ability to enter into the nature of the object of knowledge without the fabrication of an exteriorized contact, whether through the senses of perception or by the deductions of the intellect. One gets attuned to the object in a sympathy of being rather than by a mere psychological function. This crux of the experiential predicament determines all human relations such as those that obtain in society and in the internal life of the individual. All tension in the personal and social levels may be attributed to a lack of this capacity to adjust oneself with the structural being of others, whether they are humans or material things. Here commences the operation of philosophy, where one feels a need to rise above the merely relational, in the sense of the external, the objective, or that which is only artificially foisted upon oneself. This would be to elevate consciousness from sensation, perception and cognition to intuition, realization and experience. A systematic statement of the stages of such a comprehensive education is philosophy. The presupposition of this method, the fundamentals necessary for such an awakening, the implications of this attempt at synthesis in knowledge, the reconciliation of the subjective, objective and transcendent in a peace that passeth all understanding;-these form the consummation towards which are directed the studies in The Philosophy of Life. This book presents a critical exposition of the fundamental principles in Eastern and Western Philosophy in the light of the doctrines of Swami Sivananda.

Chapters include:
Part I:The Foundations of Philosophy
The definition of philosophy; The value of philosophy; The method and scope of philosophy; The Atman; The theory of perception; The constitution of the universe; The phenomenality of empirical knowledge; Brahman; Ishvara or the universal soul; The Jiva.
Part II: A comparative study of some Western philosophers
Immanuel Kant; George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; Arthur Schopenhauer; Friedrich Nietzsche; William James; Henri Bergson; Samuel Alexander; Alfred North Whitehead; The Neo-Hegelians; The importance of the study of Western thought; Philosophy and life.

535 pages.
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THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

Though the book is indeed going to be a useful and interesting reading, it may not equally be an easy reading. As the theme advances through the chapters, there is a tendency in the presentation to become a little more difficult gradually, mainly on account of the nature of the subjects treated in the later sections. This valued contribution may with advantage be studied as a fitting sequel to the author's earlier "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Yoga" and "Yoga as a Universal Science". The three texts read in a sequence would form almost a complete exposition of the vast range of the foundations as well as the practical methodology of the human quest for eternal values.

Chapters include:
Introduction; What is Philosophy?; The Structure of the Universe; The Study of the Self: From Physics to Metaphysics; The Nature of the Individual; The Nature of the Self; The Theory of Knowledge; Religion as the Perfection of Life; Methods of Practice; The Art of Meditation; The Way of Reason; The System of Yoga.

168 pages.
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THE REALISATION OF THE ABSOLUTE
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

Philosophy is the dear delight of the Reason, the great joy of the Understanding. True philosophy is not confined to the intellectual categories merely; it is the solace of the heart, the peace of the mind, the refuge of the individual. It examines the entire gamut of possible experience and lifts human thought to the Divine Consciousness. Sri Swami Krishnananda, in this illuminating and inspiring exposition of the philosophy of the Vedanta, has carefully investigated the powers of all the faculties-Understanding, Feeling and Willing,-their respective objects and the experiences which they give rise to. His exposition of this intricate subject is lucid, logical, erudite and exhaustive. It forms an excellent text-book for all those who, in their pursuit of Truth, endeavour to tread the Path of Knowledge. The work comprises the central theme of the metaphysics and the ethics of the Vedanta, and is more a recondite manual for practical meditation on the Absolute, than a dense informative text on general philosophical themes. The work is powerful and rousing, and will provide the needed comfort to many a seeking soul.

Chapters include:
Introduction; The Nature of the World; The Need for Integral Knowledge; The Nature of Reality; The Process of Truth-Realisation; The Attainment of Liberation.

239 pages.
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RESURGENT CULTURE
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

This publication brings out the substance of the three lectures delivered by Swami Krishnananda at the University of Allahabad, on an invitation received from the hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, requiring that the students be addressed on the essentials of culture and a life of knowledge. They cover the foundation of Indian Philosophy and a practical application of it in one's daily life. The Appendices provide a statement on the leading points in the technique of living an Integral Life, and an effective method that could be implemented in the Educational Process. Knowledge is not mere accumulation of facts, and is meaningless if it is divested of that light which illumines the basic demands of human nature. Education and culture make the true Man, and towards this end the efforts through this publication directed.

Lectures include:
The Goal of Life; The Psychology of the Inner Man; Sure Ways of Success in Life; Path to Perfection; The Educational Process in India.

79 pages.
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SADHANA - THE SPIRITUAL WAY
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

The present publication is another welcome treat, consisting of very homely and easy-to-understand discourses delivered by the author on the subject of the core of Sadhana, which is the methodology of actual spiritual practice. The theme is arranged in a manner of a gradual ascent of ideas, right from their foundation, through their process, to their avowed aim. Students and readers of this book will certainly find herein something new, interesting and delightful since it is directly connected with the great meditation which are the highlighting features of the proper aim of life.

Contents include:
The Search for Happiness; On Mind-Control; The Object of Meditation: The Apex of the Cosmic Triangle; Social Welfare Work and Conceiving Universality in the Ishta-Devata (Personal God); The Descent of Creation and the Ascent of Consciousness; Summoning Things into Oneself; Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha: Brahmacharya, Garhasthya; Vanaprastha, Sanyasa (moral value, economic value, vital value, eternal value: celibate, householder, recluse, renunciate); The Vedas and Upanishads; Vaishvanara Vidya (Spiritual Wisdom); The Search for Truth.

127 pages.
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SELF-REALIZATION ITS MEANING AND METHOD
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

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"Know thyself and be free",-this perennial wisdom-teaching rings the eternal message of the ageless quest of all creation-bound fields of self-awareness, whether these be persons, things or whatever evolving species. The character of 'self' ingrained everywhere and in everything explains loves as well as hatreds, war as well as peace, statis as well as dynamis, life as well as death. But for the assertion of an inscrutable and transcendent apperception and non-objective consciousness playing hide and seek and masquerading through all forms of existence, perpetually, the drama of the universe would not have remained that eluding mystery which it purports to be and has been for ever and ever. Here is an attempt to ponder over this most essential of all needs, this pressing call from within and without and from all sides in the life of everyone. The contents of this book form the subject of five lectures addressed to seekers in the Ashram of The Divine Life Society, some years back, and it is hoped that these suggestions will do some good to many a searching spirit.

64 pages.
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SPIRITUAL IMPORT OF RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

The necessity which any religious adherent or spiritual seeker would feel for a book of this kind should be obvious. Generally, religion goes by rituals and performances of general routines come by way of tradition, but the mind of man, being what it is also moves with the routine and does not feel competent to visualize the vital role which religious observances play as vehicles which embody a deeper significance which may best be described as spiritual. There is a meaning behind every act, or ritual in the religious field, even as there is a hidden purpose behind the implementation of any project or the doing of any work. Rarely are religions seen to awaken themselves to the spirit that they are expected to convey, the living flame which they enshrine and without which they remain forms without content. Here, we, believe, is a precious gift to everyone who seeks assistance in probing into the philosophical depths and spiritual values behind the injunctions of the religion of man.

Contents include:
What is religion?; Sun-The Eye of the World; Siva-The Mystic Night; Rama--The Apotheosis of Human Perfection; Sankara--The Genius; Knowledge as means to Freedom; Veda Vyasa; Saint; Sri Krishna; Lord Ganesha; Sri Radha; Gurudev Sivananda-Physician of the Souls; The Esoteric significance of the Devi-Mahatmya; The Sport of the Infinite; Yajna; Lord Skanda; The Gospel of the Bhagavad-Gita; Lord Dattatreya; Christ Consciousness; The Significance of Ekadasi; The Awakening Message; The Purpose of Philosophy.

254 pages.
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TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

The present publication is significantly titled as 'TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE,' since the main undercurrent of the message in this seven lectures is an emphasis on the need to search for one's True Self through an acute analysis of the variety of psychological involvements in which the essential Selfhood of Beings seems to be enmeshed. These discourses were delivered extempore during the seven-day annual function at the Headquarters of the Divine Life Society subsequent to the Sri Guru-Purnima celebration in the year 1993. It is hoped that this veritable treatise will ever remain as a handbook of guidance to lovers of Truth.

The lectures include:
The conditioning of personality; The object of meditation; The object of meditation is not outside;The psychology of meditation; The difficulties on the path to perfection; The doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita.

104 pages.
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YOGA AS A UNIVERSAL SCIENCE
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

"Yoga" is a much misunderstood and abused term these days. Yoga, let it be understood, is a sacred word. It signifies both the means and the end. It is the aim of human existence. It is to live Yoga that one is born. By a stroke of mysterious misfortune, man has fallen from heaven, is separated from God. The "why" of this is a divine secret. Yoga, rightly practised, promises to restore the lost Kingdom to man, assures him to re-unite him with the Ultimate Reality, once again. Yoga is not merely a practice, or a set of practices, but the whole science of life itself. We are living muted lives. Yoga offers the whole life. Yoga promises to cure all our diseases--physical, mental, emotional, spiritual--all of them. Yoga promises perfection. Yoga promises perennial bliss shorn of all misery. In the pages that follow, Swami Krishnananda expounds Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with a refreshingly new approach. Swami Krishananda, whose first love is metaphysical philosophy, keeps discussion on this theme to the minimum, expounds and elucidates philosophical questions only to the extent necessary for the practitioner. The stress from beginning to end is on spiritual practice, spiritual discipline, on the culturing of the individual, on solid spiritual evolution towards the achievement of integral perfection.

Contents include:
God, Man and the Universe; Man's Separation from God; The Mind and Its Functions; Preliminary Instructions on Yoga Practice; Obstacles in Yoga Practice and How to Overcome Them; The Psychology of Yoga: Worship of Isvara; Getting in Tune with the Universe; The Yamas--Our Attitude to the People around Us; Brahmacharya--An Outlook of Consciousness; Individual Disciplining of One's Own Self; Yogasana and Pranayama; Management and Conquest of Desires; Concentration--Its Significance and Value; Meditation--Theory and Practice; Empiricality and Transcendentality; Merging in the Bosom of the Creator.

240 pages.
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YOGA OF MEDITATION
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

The first part of the book is an exposition of the theory and practice of meditation in its fundamentals. This phase of the deep analysis and study presented in this book may be regarded as a sort of rock-bottom for all further thinking and study in the technique of meditation. The second part of the book is mainly based on the science of meditation as described in the Bhagavad-Gita. The whole book, thus, will, we believe, be an indispensable companion to all seekers on the Inner Path, and enrich the lofty aspirations of people with its perennial value.

143 pages.
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By
Sri Swami Krishnananda

The daily sessions which Swamiji holds with varieties of visitors to the Ashram attract people from different parts of the country and abroad, since these occasions provide to people a homely atmosphere to express their longing, their questions, their enquiries and their difficulties which range over a wide area of human life. This book consists of the answers that Swamiji furnished to the queries of the visitors.

Includes discussions on:
Free will; What is the Self?; The Good and the Bad; The Absolute; How to let God into the Heart; Sexual Impulse Versus Meditation; Looking for Happiness; Concepts of God; The Phenomenon and the Noumenon; Eastern and Western Thinking; Intellectual Understanding; Activity After Enlightenment; Test of Our Progress on the Spiritual Path; Creation of the World; Hindu Gods and the One God; World Crisis; The Self In the Deep Sleep State; The Relationship Between Brain and Mind; The Higher Reality and the Eternal Impulses; The Aim of Education; The Balance of Nature; The Seven Stages of Enlightenment.

388 pages.
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THE SUPREME YOGA
By
Sri Swami Venkatesananda

The Supreme Yoga is a translation into English accompanied by brief expositions, by Swami Venkatesananda, of the well-known Vedanta treatise in Sanskrit,The Yoga Vasistha. The Swami has arranged the verses of the book in such a way as to convert them into a rosary of daily thoughts throughout the year, on the lines of his two other books, already published, namely, The Srimad Bhagavatam or The Book of God, and The Bhagavad-Gita or The Song of God. The Yoga Vasistha has been a favourite book of spiritual seekers in India these several centuries. The special appeal lies in its thoroughly rational approach. The reader will come across passages such as the verse entry for 3 February, highlighting the importance of reason: 'The remark of even a child is to be accepted, if it is in accordance with reason; but the remark of even Brahma Himself, the creator of the world, is to be rejected like a piece of straw if it does not accord with reason.' It is this philosophy of a comprehensive spirituality, rational and practical, that man in the modern age needs to rescue himself from his stagnation of worldliness and put him on the high road of creative living and fulfilment.

761 pages in 2 volumes.
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WHAT DOES SWAMI SIVANANDA TEACH?
By
Sri N. Ananthanarayanan

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The quintessence of the teachings of Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj is brought out in this book. This book is intended as a useful and handy introduction to people who are not adequately acquainted with the life and teachings of the Master. Its purpose is to arouse interest in spiritual life in general and the Divine Life chalked out by Swami Sivananda in particular.

Chapters include:
The Human Quest; God, Man and the Universe; Health First, God Next; Fundamentals of Yoga Sadhana; For Whom Is Divine Life?; Good Life and God-Life; The Art of Karma Yoga; The Bhakti Marga (Path of Devotion); Practice of Meditation; On the Cultivation of Bhav (feeling); The Egodectomy Operation.

118 pages.
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WHAT THE RIVER HAS TAUGHT ME
By
Sri N. Ananthanarayanan

In these articles, the author who is a direct disciple of Holy Master Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj and an inmate of the Ashram for many years, seeks to share with the readers his views on Sadhana (spiritual practice) and spiritual life in the light of his own experiences. These articles are more the direct outcome of the author's spiritual struggle than the product of any intellectual effort. As such, they should have a special appeal to practising spiritual seekers everywhere.

Contents include:
Are You a Spiritual Seeker?; Why do Sadhana?; Good Life and God-life; Theory and Practice in Spiritual Life; Sense of Urgency in Sadhana; The Borderland between Virtue and Vice; How to Get over Maya; Fate, Free Will and God's Will; Spirituality is Expansion; How to Get Your Desires Fulfilled; Living in the Present; Choosing a Career - The Spiritual Angle.

180 pages.
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AN APOSTLE OF INDIA'S SPIRITUAL CULTURE

This volume released on the auspicious occasion of the Sixtieth Birthday Anniversary of H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, President of The Divine Life Society, purports to be a vade-mecum to readers in general and students of India Culture in particular. While the volume does expressly announce the multifarious services of the scholar-saint whose contributions to the social and spiritual requirements of people are its principal themes, it also amply provides abundant material for the study of the cultural and spiritual values of India in some of its varied aspects.

This book has three parts and an appendix:
PART ONE: THE APOSTLE; consists of tributes to Sri Swami Chidanandaji.

PART TWO: INDIA'S SPIRITUAL CULTURE; Consists of essays by several authors. Essays include: The Secret of Yoga, Bhava (feeling), Meaning of Culture, An outline of the Development of Philosophical Thought in India from Vedic Times to the Present, The Philosophy of the Upanishads, Hinduism-The Mother of Religions, The Revival of the Indian Spirit, The Voice of Spiritual India, Liberation Through Meditation, The Universality of Indian Culture, The Revelation of God's Love in Christianity, Education and the Future of the Country, The Principle of Right Thinking, The Aims of Human Existence.

PART THREE: SELECT WRITINGS OF SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA AND SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA; Writings include: Indian Culture Based in the Bhagavad-Gita, A Message for Renascent India, How to Obtain Guru-Kripa (Grace), Dattatreya, Education of the Child, The Sacred Duty of Every Man, Mary Magdalene.

APPENDIX: The Gospel of Divine Life.

311 pages.
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Last Updated: Saturday, 24-Jul-2021 03:33:46 EDT
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