Born on the 8the September 1887, in the illustrious family of sage Appayya Dikshita and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind.
His passion for service drew him to the medical career, and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.
It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to quality himself for ministering to the soul of man. he settled down at Rishikesh in 1924 Practised intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi Saint Sage and Jivanmukta. in 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim ad object. in 1950 he undertook a lighting tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 he convened a World Parliament of Religious. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world belonging to all nationalities religious and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the Fountain of wisdom Supreme. On 14th July 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.
Young Awakened India needs more of her sons awakened to the spiritual purpose of their life. they should not add to the burden of population that She patiently bears on the other hand they should endeavour to reduce the burden of misery that She patiently endures the misery of her own children.
This can come to pass only if the picked among her sons and daughters turn away from the illusory pleasures of the world and dedicate their lives to the cause of human weal. They should renounce the world, embrace the glorious order of Sannyasa Join some institution whose motto is selfless and work for the amelioration of the conditions of the masses in general and the revival fo ancient Indian culture. That is the call sounded by Swami Sivanandaji of Rishikesh in this small but inspiring book.
To those who have already entered family life renunciation takes another form. Their renunciate brethren who have dedicated their lives to the service of the nation depend upon those who have not so renounced for ensuring a normal living. All humanitarian work has been made possible only through public charity. to the householder then the call is to renounce greed for more acquisition to renqunce attachment family wealth and position and is his own way to contribution to common weal. Swami Sivanandaji has graphically portrayed in this volume the falsities of mundane life, and human affection. Man should turn back to his own Eternal source: That is to be achieved through selfless service love of God Meditation and finally Inner Illumination
We are quite sure that this new chandelier added to the Electric Illumination system will be welcomed by one all.
The goal of the life is the attainment of Self realization or God –consciousness. There is one Supreme Undying Principle or Essence the Brahman or the Absolute Self which dwells in the chambers of your heart and everywhere.
In the Whirlpool of fleeting sensual pleasures you have forgotten the purpose of life and its goal. in your pursuit after the phantoms shows of worldly vanities you have annihilated the spiritual instincts and longings of the soul. What a sad state Mysterious is Maya! Mysterious is Moha.
You cannot remain even for a day without self shaving. The razor the mirror and the shaving stick are your objects of walk bare-footed even for a few yards. You want servant to put on the socks and the shoes and ties the lace. You cannot walk even half a mile. You want a rickshow or a Tonga. How effeminate you are!
You have lived in vain! you have wasted this precious life. Hotels restaurants Cinema housed are your abodes of immortality. Really you are leading a miserable life. if you can talk something on dry polities, you think you are a great hero.
Why do you roll in this miserable Samsara? Are you not ashamed? if you have real manliness you must break the chains of earthly bondage the bondage of birth and death, old age and disease hunger and thirst! That is courage that is heroism! That is real manliness. Do not be cowards; start now; fight against worldly delusion against the mind and the sense.
To wear spectacles at the age of ten to wear wrist watch to bay a car by borrowing money, to wear fashionable dinner uniform and Ell wood hat health boots to have a French crop or bobbed-hari, to smoke Three Castles cigarettes of Navy cut or Manila cigars to constrict the neck with stiff collars, to walk along the beach with ladies in clasped hands, to have newspaper in their pocket to have a trimmed or Kaiser moustache at the middle of the upperlip to take meat and drink brandy to play bridge to gamble to dance in ball-rooms to borrow money to go to talkies ann in short to lead a life of dissipation this is modern civilization! Fashion and style have made you beggar of beggars.
There are scorpion stings on one side, flies bugs, mosquitoes thorns trouble you form another winter sucks your in summer and the biting winter sucks your blood. Influenza, plague, leprosy, fashionable appendicitis, Pyorrhoea, small-pox are ready to devour you. Fear delusion, grief sorrow and misery kill you every moment.
Desire anger jealousy worry anxieties and cares and excitements torment you every second. Deaths of persons whom you loved most give severe shock. yet you will never renounce this momentary pleasures of sense of this unreal mundane existence. Such is the depth of sensual enjoyment! You will speak with pride: Oh, I am a powerful man. I am very clever and intelligent. I can do anything. There is no Isvara. O fool! you twist your glued moustache and when the scorpion stings you sharp you will call out bitterly: “Oh, Narayana, help me! If the hair becomes grey you will invent monkey-gland grafting for rejuvenation. If the teeth are fallen you will put on a new false dental set. You will never leave the will to live and enjoy and enjoy. Hopeless specimens.
Just reflect for a while your state. as a baby in the womb you are covered with urine and pus and scorched by the fire of hunger. As an adult you are puffed up with the enjoyment of the sense-objects, wife in body and mind. A life of delusion amidst women. Monkey and sensual objects in your pitiable lot.
Life is transitory. Death is incessantly staring at you like a venomous serpent ever ready to strike various dire diseases cause much havoc to this body. Youth abandons the body quickly and old age grips it. He alone is saved who makes haste to utilize this precious life in striving to attain the Summum Bonum of life.
Maya the great juggler prepares a skeleton covers it with flesh and hides the various impurities with a shining skin. O deluded man! How long are you going to call this body as yours? Give up this deluded imagination and identify yourself with your real natural the Satchidananda Svarupa. Are you not tried of saying: “My son is ailing from typhoid. My second daughter is to be married. I have much debts to pay. My wife is worrying me to purchase for her a good necklace. my eldest son-in-law died recently.” Indeed such miseries should open your eyes now at least to the Grand Goal of life.
Human love is hollow. it is mere animal attraction. it is passion only. it is carnal love. It is selfish love. It is ever changing. it is all hypocrisy and sheer show. Dear Man! You can find real lasting love in God and God alone. His love knows no change.
Tell me friends, how long you will be a slave to fleeting things of the world? How long you going to repeat the same sensual enjoyments? How long do you wish worship mammon and woman? When will you find time to meditate on the Lord and to do virtuous deeds? Think and reflect. Is there really any pleasure or happiness in this world? Why do you cling to these mundane objects? why do you stroll about here and there like a street dog in search of happiness in this earth plane? Search within. Look within and introspect and rest in the Supreme Abode of Peace and Immortality now. Never delay a second even. Plod on. March forward. Realise now and be free.
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