Sivananda Day To Day

by Swami Santananda

Buy this book | Online Bookstore | Go Back

Paperback: 183 + xvi pages
ISBN: 81-7052-200-5
Book Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 190 grams

Table of Contents

Date

Subject Page No.
  About This Book (Back Cover)  
  Publishers’ Note vi
  Sivananda Literature–A Modern Expression to Ancient Scriptures vii
     
13th March, 1959 Sage of Boundless Compassion–Contradictory Experiences–The World Guide–The Kamadhenu–Bury the Past–Reincarnation–Who is Sivananda? 19–22
14th March, 1959 Lesson in Friendship–The Field for Talent–The Adhyatmic Army 23–24
15th March, 1959 Name and Nature–Equal Vision –Witness-Consciousness–The Vision of Wisdom 25–27
16th March, 1959 The Inner Essence–Worry-less Man–The Eternal Truth–Name: Life Transformer–Good and Evil–The Divine Descent–Good and Evil (II)–Divine Stock Exchange 28–32
17th March, 1959 Your Daily Diary–Autograph–Conquest of Anger–Embodiment of Goodness–Theatre Nurse’s Duty–Obstacles Within–Instructions for Writers–Religious Unity in Practice 33–37
18th March, 1959 True Greatness of Man–The Path of Renunciation–Choose, Friend! Sannyasa and Upasana–Irreligious Movements 38–41
19th March, 1959 Bear Insult; Bear Injury–This is not True Vairagya–Cosmic Identification–Physician, Heal Thyself 42–44
20th March, 1959 Complete Cure–Not yet!–How to Avoid Quarrel 45–47
21st March, 1959 Vidya Must Generate Vinaya–Pragmatic Obedience–My Disciples 48–50
22nd March, 1959 The All-Seeing Eye–Life-Transforming Lectures–Approach to Sivananda–Intellect: Your Friend and Foe–Introversion–The Ocean of Compassion–Self-Justification 51–55
23rd March, 1959 Spiritualised Material Life–Siva’s Kindness 56–57
24th March, 1959 Charity While Yet Alive 584
25th March, 1959 Detach, Attach–Where to stay–Advice to a Sannyasa Candidate–Holy Scenes on “Holy” Day–Embodiment of Joy and Bliss–Siva’s Grace–World is Unreal–Who am I?–“Swan–like” Siva–As the Heart, So the action–Sivananda Leela 59–66
26th March, 1959 As the Effect, so the Cause–The Duties of Husband and Wife–Mouna of the Worldly-minded–When Doctors Differ–The Real Eczema–Swamiji’s Method of Initiation 67–70
27th March, 1959 Empty Yourself–Private Inter-view–Devotee’s Doubts Dispelled 71–72
28th March, 1959 The Modern Prophet–Siva’s Spiritual Children–The Nature of True Devotion–Bhakti and Mukti–The Path and the Goal–Religion and Science 73–75
29th March, 1959 Hon. Justice Meets His Holiness 76–77
30th March, 1959 Arise, Awake–Siva, The Liberated Soul–Siva’s Riddle: Siva is the Answer–Cock Lays Eggs?–The Omnipresent God 78–80
31st March, 1959 Advice to Suit Aspirant–Ganga–Sagar–The Proprietor and His Agent–For Success in Business–Be Moderate–The Sadhu’s Role in Society–The Sannyasi’s Bath 81–84
2nd April, 1959 Cure for Physical and Mental Ills–A Boy with Heart on Right Side 85–86
3rd April, 1959 Sage of Cosmic Vision–God Liver Oil–Pseudo-Vedanta–Seclusion Amidst the Crowd–Divine Life in a Nut shell–Guiding Light 87–92
7th April, 1959 Lead a Simple Life–Where to Settle Down–Give up Vanity 93–94
9th April, 1959 Sivananda Regalia–Spend More on Inner Culture–Manahkalpitam Jagat 95–97
10th April, 1959 Three Kinds of Sufferings 98
11th April, 1959 The Nature of the World 99
12th April, 1959 A Remedy for Everything–Nature of the World–How to Get Sound Sleep–Prayer 100–102
14th April, 1959 To be Far is to be Near–Patni Seva–Examiner is Examined–Obey the Rules–Will You….? 103–106
15th April, 1959 Erudition vs. Devotion–Shaven-Headed in Thirupathi!–Gifted Life 107–109
17th April, 1959 Who is an Aryan?–Satiety Swamiji…. The Remembrance 110–112
20th April, 1959 Sivananda Leela–Miracles of Sivananda–Sister Daya with Sivananda 113–116
23rd April, 1959 Sivananda Amritam–Meaning of Guru Bhakti–Blessing in Disguise 117–119
24th April, 1959 Points to Remember–Swamiji, the Superman 120–122
27th April, 1959 Mantra Diksha–An Interesting Story–Is This Self-control! 123–125
28th April, 1959 Be Sweet 126–127
29th April, 1959 Swamiji…. The Solace of the Poor 128–130
1st May, 1959 Existence-Consciousness is Bliss–The Middle Path–Inward Communion–Thou Art That–Silence of Speech–Reality of the World 131–143
2nd May, 1959 Interview with Sivananda–Thirst for Knowledge or Curiosity–What is Karma Yoga–Doubt about the Doubter–Chidananda Rupah Sivoham 136–143
10th June, 1959 Anatomy of the Soul–A Riddle for the Top-man in Each Profession–I am Bliss 144–147
11th June, 1959 The One as Many–Look with the Blind Eye–Reject not, Crave not–True Education–Be Simple but Instructive–To Define God–Maya–Divine Doctor’s Diagnosis 148–156
26th July, 1959 The Sage’s Experience–The Psychiatrist is Analysed–Sahaja Samadhi–Question-Time 167–170
12th October, 1959 The Three ‘K’s 157–160
1st January, 1960 Happy New Year–Comfortable Vedanta–Many Ways and One Goal–20th Century Ramanuja 163–165
4th January, 1960 Sage and Yogi–The Ways of the Lord–Maha Vakyas–Theory and Experience 166–169
8th January, 1960 Conversation and not Compulsion–There Lies the Difficulty–South Africans’ Relative–Points to Remember always–Father is God–Vision of Perfection 170–176
10th January, 1960 Advice to Aspirants 177
11th January, 1960 The Best Barber 178–180

About This Book

There have been many chroniclers who faithfully recorded whatever Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj had said or spoken either in Satsangas, or while holding audiences, or while attending to the official work, or while even walking with devotees or disciples irrespective of what the venue was. Any situation was perfect for the flow of wisdom from his holy lips.

Usually, the devotees who came for his Darshan asked questions about their mundane as well as spiritual life and got satisfactory answers replete with words of wisdom. But, at times, Gurudev himself would pose a question when no questions were forthcoming and there followed an enlightening and soul-stirring talk elevating the hearts of the listeners.

Volumes have been filled with such conversations and they all go by the title “Sivananda: Day–to-Day.” Subsequently, some of them have appeared under the title “The Gospel of Swami Sivananda.”

This book is one such attempt by the late Swami Santanandaji Maharaj who happened to be in the Ashram’s administration for some time besides being in personal service of Gurudev.


Publishers’ Note

It is admitted that Saint Sivananda is the channel for the Lord’s Grace to flow into the heart of man. By his sight or Sankalpa, he can confer blessings–material and spiritual–on the devotee. He has toured all over the land and delivered numerous lectures. He has written over three hundred books which guide the lives of people all over the world.

But that is not all. Sri Swamiji excels all other saints in the human element that is predominant in him. He loves to mix with all; and to show how every man in his everyday life leads the life divine. He shows us how our prosaic actions can be sublimated into Yoga.

All this he does by his own example. To spiritual aspirants, therefore, his thoughts, words and deeds are of the greatest import.

A close and devout disciple of Sri Gurudev and an earnest spiritual aspirant, Sri Swami Santananda has, in this volume, brought together the wonderful lessons that all can learn from the daily actions of Sri Gurudev. He has gathered the pearls of wisdom, inspired words of Truth, as they fell from his lips, and presented them in a charming way, that would inspire all.

–The Divine Life Society


SIVANANDA LITERATURE–A MODERN EXPRESSION TO ANCIENT SCRIPTURES

IN THE IMAGE OF THE MASTER

If Sivananda’s Literature is the echo of the ancient Upanishads, Sivananda himself stands as an expression of that age-old literature. Sivananda Literature proves to us what Sivananda himself is because a beautiful, soul-stirring literature springs, not from any superficial intellectual knowledge, but always from the depths and fullness of a heart which spontaneously expresses the inner realisation of the spirit within. Sivananda Literature is thus the mirror which reflects Sivananda himself.

If today Sivananda Literature has awakened the inner spirit of mankind far and wide, all over the globe, it is not because of a mere intellectual out burst, spilling out, without any originality, the collective gathering of empirical dogmas and theories from various sources, but exclusively because it is the very expression of his inner experience, of his inner personality. So to say, he has expressed himself in his literature as he himself is, in reality.

DISTINGUISHING MARKS OF SIVANANDA LITERATURE

Sivananda Literature has induced in man the taste to evolve, to grow and expand in the life material and in the life spiritual as well. It has induced in man the desire to develop the right understanding towards life and its purpose, its way and the goal. Lastly, it has induced in man an eagerness to mould himself from the human into the Divine.

Sivananda Literature is meant not merely for the educated classes. It is like an open-air theatre, widely open to all, young and old, male and female, literate and illiterate, without the least distinction of caste, colour, creed or race.

For the young man just stepping into the field of life, not having enough strength to face its adverse conditions, Sivananda Literature is a blood tonic which nourishes his entire personality, prepares him and makes him march forward boldly to face the hard game.

To the middle-aged house-holder who is in a fix, not able to face the tribulations of family ties, perplexed as to how to walk the way in the long run of life, Sivananda Literature is a Guiding Light which illumines the royal road and takes him safely till the end of his journey.

Swamiji’s method of disseminating the ancient gospel in a most appealing manner, applicable to the modern man, is something unique of its kind.

The most beautiful aspect of it is that you need not go in search of his literature which comes to your very door to greet you, to guide you, to serve you, to comfort and console you in a miraculous way with breathless earnestness and boundless love.

Swami Sivananda serves through his literature–not the body, but the soul. Sivananda Literature is food for the soul. Swamiji sits in a remote corner of Bharatavarsha on the sacred banks of the Ganges. The Ganges flows only in India and that also in a limited area. But, Sivananda Literature, the inexhaustible wisdom of Swamiji flows in the hearts of millions enabling them to reap the rich harvest of ever-lasting peace and immortality.

INDISCRIMINATE CHARITY OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE

Swami Sivananda’s methods of spreading spiritual knowledge among humanity at large may, sometimes, even look queer, but they are cent per cent fruitful. The moment Swamiji comes across an address, immediately he will send a parcel of his books to the person concerned. Swamiji is not particular even to know whether the person to whom the books are sent is spiritual-minded and is interested in spiritual books.

For the onlooker, this may appear to be a wasteful method, but Swamiji would say, in his calm and cool way: “Don’t worry, if the person does not like it, it will be useful to someone somewhere.”

Yes, it is quite true. Swamiji’s writings which are not mere words of poetic imagination, but sober truths of a perennial philosophy, the immortal voice of the ancient saints and seers, always reach the hands of aspirants longing after liberation, wherever they may be.

Swami Sivananda is not bothered when a person writes abruptly: “Sir, I have no interest in these spiritual books. I don’t need them any more.” The efforts of Swamiji to spread the Gospel of Divine Life, the only mission of his own life, have no selfish motive behind them. Therefore it is that his efforts have not gone in vain. They have brought forth wonderful fruits. Thousands of aspirants all over the world are daily awakened by Sivananda Literature.

LIFE-TRANSFORMING POWER OF SIVANANDA LITERATURE–INSTANCES REAL LIFE

It is Swami Sivananda’s “Spiritual Lessons” casually found in a second-hand bookshop which transformed the life of Dr. Chellamma, an eye-surgeon of Madras, who was engrossed in the usual pursuit of worldly life and family attachment, induced her to renounce the world and make her blossom forth into Swami Sivananda-Hridayananda, who now utilises her profession as a worship unto the Lord through her selfless service to the hundreds of poor eye-patients in the Sivananda Eye Hospital.

It is an article of Swamiji found in “My Magazine”, by chance, that inspired and elevated Sridhar, a boy belonging to a rich family of luxurious life, made him embrace Sannyasa and turned him into Swami Chidananda, now a shining glory to The Divine Life Society.

It is a single sentence in “Students’ Success” which awakened the inner spirit of Shri V.L. Nagaraj of the Postal Department in Banglore when he opened, out of curiosity, a book addressed to somebody else, from a parcel which got untied during transit. The transformation which took place in that single soul has, in its turn, brought about the transformation of hundreds of lives in Bangalore. As a result of it all, a wonderful and dynamic Divine Life Centre flourishes in Bangalore today, having a press of its own and disseminating the gospel of Divine Life through the free distribution of books and pamphlets.

Instances are brought to light every day of how, in a miraculous and astounding manner, aspirants get Swamiji’s literature and get themselves transformed. Sivananda Literature is a powerful magnet. When, for the sake of curiosity, you glance at it, you are caught up. You cannot help finishing the book to the end. You cannot help being inspired and elevated. You cannot help getting your materialistic outlook entirely changed. Such is the glory, such is the grandeur and such is the splendour of Sivananda Literature. Every word of this Divine Literature has life in it. Those words go straight into your heart, tear to pieces all your atheistic conclusions and awaken the spirit which is lying dormant behind them all.

However much the squirrel may try, by sponging its tail, will it be ever possible for it to empty the ocean?

Such is my attempt to write about Sivananda-Literature, the Ocean of Wisdom.

Buy this book | Online Bookstore | Go Back

You may like it