Daily meditations by Swami Sivananda 5: The Growth of Love

26^th July

Develop universal love. If you cultivate love for all those close to you, you can have unselfish love for humanity. Love for humanity begins at home.

First you love your parents, your brothers, sisters and relatives. Then you love your neighbours, your community and your country. Finally, you love the whole world. Thus, the small seed of love sown in the young mind of the child gradually develops and grows into pure universal love. Love is harmony. It prolongs life.

In Indian Culture: Why do we…. 2 - DO NAMASTE?

Why do we do namaste? Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all – people younger than us, of our own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers. There are five forms of formal traditional greetings enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste. Why do we do namaste? Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means – I bow to you – my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaha can also be literally interpreted as “na ma” (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, “may our minds meet”, indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility. The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognising this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord – as if to look within. The gesture is often accompanied by words like ”Ram Ram”, “Jai Shri Krishna”, “Namo Narayana”, “Jai Siya Ram”, “Om Shanti” etc – indicating the recognition of this divinity. When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect. Taken from: In Indian Culture: Why do we…. By Swamini Vimalananda & Radhika Krishnakumar

Daily meditations by Swami Sivananda 4: Follow the Rules

July 7th - Even God follows certain self-imposed rules. Think of the universal laws, how beautifully they operate. Think of the correlation of the planets, and with what precision and rhythm they move. Cannot God also leave the world and remain absorbed in Himself? He has His eye on every atom of creation. You should acquire that much of self-discipline if you wish to evolve rapidly towards Godhead.

Swami Sivananda Pocket Spiritual Gems 4: Your Watchword

To serve the poor, the sick and the saint and the country, to raise the fallen, to lead the blind, to cheer up the suffering are your ideals. To have perfect faith in God, to love your neighbour as your own Self, to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, to protect cows, animals, children and women should be your watchword. And your goal should be God-realisation.

Sivananda Gurugram: July

 THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
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Let your eyes look with kindness, your tongue speak with sweetness, your hand
touch with softness.

-- Sri Swami Sivananda

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This month:
- Be reminded of the 14 points of meditation
- read about The Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad, the eighty-sixth among the 108 Upanishads
- make chocolate chick pea mousse
- New moon 3rd July, full moon 18th, Ekadasi 13th and 28th July
- Swami Sivananda's Mahasamadhi 14th July

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