Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!

Namaste!

Main Impediments to Sadhana
by Sri Swami Sivananda

The spiritual path is thorny, rugged, precipitous, steep and slippery. But it is nothing for a man who has virtuous qualities and a Brahma Nishtha Guru to guide him.

The spiritual path is doubtless beset with various difficulties. It is the razor path. You will fall down several times. But you will have to rise up quickly and walk again with more zeal, boldness and cheerfulness. Every stumbling block will become a stepping-stone to success or ascent in the hill of spiritual knowledge.

Every aspirant will have to face various sorts of difficulties in the spiritual path. You need not be discouraged. Muster all your strength and courage and march afresh on the path with redoubled vigour and energy.

If you can give up idle talks and gossiping and idle curiosity to hear rumours and news of others and if you do not meddle with the affairs of others, you will be free from all sorts of obstacles that crop up in your way.

If worldly thoughts try to enter the mind, reject them. Have steady devotion to the spiritual path.

Know things in their proper light. Emotion is mistaken for devotion; violent jumping in the air during Sankirtan for divine ecstasy; falling down in swoon on account of exhaustion from too much jumping for Bhava Samadhi; Rajasic restlessness and motion for divine activities and Karma; a Tamasic man for a Sattvic man; movement of air in rheumatism in the back for ascent of Kundalini; Tandri and deep sleep for Samadhi; Manorajya or building castles in the air for meditation; physical nudity for Jivanmukti state. These are the obstacles in the spiritual path. A Sadhaka should discard them ruthlessly and march forward.

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The following article has been posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:

• Acharya Sankara’s Fourfold Angle of Vision

 

Kindly take note that postal service to United Kingdom has been resumed. However, postal services to Delhi, Maharashtra, Australia and Canada have been suspended until further notice.

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Home Nursing
By Swami Sivananda

The divine grandeur and majestic beauty of leading an ideal spiritual life lies in the active interest that a spiritual aspirant takes in serving all humanity with Atma Bhava or Narayana Bhav. This the Sage of Ananda Kutir preaches silently through his own practical exemplary living.

Of the various types and modes of service that can be rendered to the ailing humanity—morally, mentally and physically ailing humanity, medical service stands above all others, for, has it not been said Mens Sane Corpore Sane, has it not been asserted beyond doubt Sareeramadyam Khalu Dharma-sadhanam! As such, viewed from all quarters physical well-being is an essential and foremost pre-requisite for pursuing any walk of life. Bringing out this noble ideal and truth through his various activities, Sri Swami Sivanandaji has in addition to publishing the monthly journal "Health and Long Life" already given us a number of books on health and on medical subjects. As his boon to the suffering humanity, Sri Swami Sivanandaji’s work ‘Home Nursing’ is presently published.

Needless it is to point out that the books published in this series are written to educate the laymen.

May the ‘Home Nursing’ find its way into all household and be a sincere guide and divine healer!

For more information, please see: Home Nursing

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SPECIAL CONCESSION

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20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/-
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40% Special Discount on the following Pictorial Volumes of Worshipful Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji and Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji:

1. ES8 Glorious Vision                Rs. 650
2. ES4 Gurudev Sivananda        Rs. 250 
3. EC70 Ultimate Journey           Rs. 500
4. EC71 Divine Vision                 Rs. 300

Please visit our online bookstore for further details.

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THE DIFFICULTY: A devotee brought some fried gram. It was nicely packed in a plastic bag and lovingly offered to the Master.

“Will it produce diarrhoea, doctor?” the Master turned towards Swami Hridayananda.

“No, Swamiji, it will not do so if we are careful to take only a little.”

“My goodness! There lies the difficulty. The problem is that we cannot take a little.”

All laughed.

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“It is very difficult to believe that what we perceive, what we live right in the middle of, what we experience day after day, is not the reality. Whereas, that which you have never perceived, about which you have no knowledge, that which you have never experienced—neither the nose has smelt it, nor the eye has seen it, nor the hands have touched it, nor the ear has heard it, nor the tongue has tasted it—that is the reality. Therefore, Sraddha (faith) is required in the Apta Vakya (words of a trustworthy person), in the Shruti Vakya (words of the Vedas), in the Guru Vakya (words of the Guru). The Shrutis, the saints, sages, mystics and world teachers and your own Guru have no axe to grind. They have no ulterior motives, nothing to gain by misleading you, telling you something which is not true. They have no self-interest. Therefore you must believe.” – Swami Chidananda

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