Download - Mandhata Global

More documents

Recommendations

Info

take fruit, nuts and milk without losing the benefit of the fast. But, these fruits should be pure and simple. It is better to eat an apple or some almonds than pakoras and chapatis made from “phalahari” flour and filled with fried potatoes! cally, we tend to remember God when there is adversity. Our child is in the ICU after a car accident and so we start to religiously chant mantras. We find a lump in our wife’s breast, and we start going religiously to the temple. We are hoping for a promotion at work and so we perform yagna. This is not wrong. It is human nature. We are very busy the rest of the time, and we mostly find ourselves turning to God when we need Him. The point of the fast is to be light so we can sit comfortably in meditation. The point is to have our energy turned away from food, away from the mundane world and to the divine. The energy which our body saves on digestion So, when our rishis and saints urged people to fast, part of gets channeled toward both physical repair of the body as the reason is to remember God. As we are hungry, we re- well as toward vital spiritual Shakti. The point of being a member “Oh, yes, today I am fasting.” This little hungry is that it reminds us of why we are fasting. rememberance that we are fasting then makes us remember God. Even if we cannot take the day off work to sit in I heard a beautiful story of a great saint who could cure puja or meditation, the constant feeling of mild hunger in lepers of their oozing wounds. One day a very sick man our bodies will still keep us connected to the reason for the came to the saint and she carefully lay her hands over his fast, and thus we will be reminded of God throughout the gaping wounds, as they each instantaneously healed day. That doesn’t mean we must starve ourselves com- beneath the touch of her divine hands. However, when pletely. Those who are working or going to school or whose she sent him away, she had left one wound un-treated. health does not permit them to fast should not worry. Take Her devotees questioned her, asking why. Since she clearly fruit, take nuts, take milk. However, try to take as little as had the ability to cure all the wounds, why would she leave is necessary for you to do your daily tasks. Try to leave one bleeding? Her answer was beautifully apt. She said, enough empty room in your stomach that the emptiness “Because it is that one bleeding wound which will keep causes you to remember that you are fasting. Try to eat him calling out to God.” Our lives are extremely busy and filled with so many small only those things which are easily digestible and thus preserve the vital energy of the body. errands, appointments and pleasures that we rarely find Of course, the ideal is to remember God all the time. The the time to remember God. I always say that we tell our ideal is that He should be ever with us, ever such an inte- loved ones, “Oh, I miss you, I miss you” if they are gone gral part of our minute to minute, moment to moment for only a few days. But, do we ever find ourselves, with existence that we never feel separate. But, this is rare for tears streaming down our faces because we are missing people, especially for those who are living in the West (or God? Those who do are very rare and very divine. Typi- in Westernized India) and who are constantly inundated DROPS DROPS OF OF OF NECTAR NECTAR NECTAR . 66 DROPS DROPS OF OF NECTAR NECTAR . 67
with tasks and jobs and with propaganda telling them that they must buy more, own more and obtain more. Amidst all this, many, understandably, find it difficult to keep God in the center of their lives. That is the beauty of the fast – even unconsciously, you are reminded every moment that “today is a special day. Today I am fasting for Hanumanji [or for Lord Shiva, or for my Guru.]” If we satiate our hunger with platefuls of phalahar, then in many ways we have defeated the purpose. Ekadashi Twice a month we observe Ekadashi. The 11 th day of each lunar cycle (both lunar fortnights) is observed as a special Ekadashi fast. There are many Ekadashis during the course of the year, each with a slightly different significance. The importance of observing Ekadashi is written in both thePuranas as well as in the Upanishads. It is said that by observing one Ekadashi fast with reverence, devotion, purity and strictness, one attains all of the benefits of performing a wide range of extended austerities. However, Ekadashi is of an importance far greater than simply the restraint from rice and grains. It symbolizes the control of the mind. ous and intractable, then the horses jump and buck wildly, leading the chariot to thrash here and there, eventually collapsing upon itself. Our scriptures say we have 10 sense organs, and the mind is the 11 th . Ekadashi stands for the 11 th , and since the moon is symbolic of the mind, the 11 th day of the lunar cycle thus becomes especially conducive to practices which teach us control of the mind. Ekadashi is, therefore, a fast for the control of the mind. It is said that if a seeker observes even one Ekadashi with true commitment, faith and devotion and if the seeker keeps his mind entirely focused on God during the course of the Ekadashi, that this seeker will be free from all karmic cycles of birth and death. Our Upanishads say that to control the mind is the great- The puranas encourage complete fasting on ekadashi, but they allow those who are weak to take roots, fruit, milk and water. This is important, because the scriptures specifically state that this is only for those who are weak. Today, however, we can also extrapolate from that to mean those who would become weak (and therefore unable to perform their tasks) if they abstain completely from all food. There are many students and others whose jobs or studies are so taxing and straining that the body est task and the greatest accomplishment. It says that when requires some caloric intake. For these people, it is fine to the mind is under control, all else – the senses, the body – take fruit, juices and milk. As much as possible, though, will follow. “The body is the chariot, the senses are the people should refrain from eating at all on the ekadashi horses pulling the chariot, and the mind is the driver with fast, unless it is necessary. When it is necessary, those fruits the reigns in his hands.” So, if the driver is calm, pious and and milk should be taken in their purest, simplest, most peaceful, he will drive the horses and thereby the chariot unadulterated forms. Unfortunately, today we see Ekadashi toward peace, love and God. But, if the driver is tempestu- feasts, where healthy, strong people are filling themselves DROPS DROPS OF OF OF NECTAR NECTAR NECTAR . 68 DROPS DROPS OF OF NECTAR NECTAR . 69
Page 2 and 3: Drops of Nectar Fourth Edition A Co
Page 4 and 5: Swami Chidanand Saraswati,2004, Dro
Page 6 and 7: Pieces Sent by Others Give, by Kahl
Page 8 and 9: Thus, in these pages you will find
Page 10 and 11: INTRODUCTION I have been blessed be
Page 12 and 13: face, I knew that what He was going
Page 14 and 15: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 - ITS MEANING, I
Page 16 and 17: and that our ears can process the s
Page 18 and 19: We must look deeper than treaties,
Page 20 and 21: consumption are raised distinctly d
Page 22 and 23: those hormones (which are the same
Page 24 and 25: a great risk of developing infectio
Page 26 and 27: in the middle of the room, closing
Page 28 and 29: of everything unto Me, you will be
Page 30 and 31: attaining God realization. As an an
Page 32 and 33: Yes, of course, souls can come back
Page 34 and 35: However, it is crucial to pause and
Page 38 and 39: with sumptuous, cooked meals prepar
Page 40 and 41: not, similarly these moral and ethi
Page 42 and 43: principles and laws. Remember what
Page 44 and 45: There was once a huge elephant cros
Page 46 and 47: So, then, the root to success in li
Page 48 and 49: found not in the acquisition, but r
Page 50 and 51: poverty to you. But, if you look a
Page 52 and 53: in a boat to cross the water and sp
Page 54 and 55: is what is needed. There is a beaut
Page 56 and 57: MEIN TO KAB SE TERI SHARAN MEIN HUN
Page 58 and 59: should be a minute to minute, momen
Page 60 and 61: says, “Bhagwad Gita Kinchidadhita
Page 62 and 63: KUMBHA MELA - FESTIVAL OF THE NECTA
Page 64 and 65: than Jayant and they pursued him re
Page 66 and 67: mother, this means treating her wit
Page 68 and 69: However, it must be remembered that
Page 70 and 71: However, the library is silent. It
Page 72 and 73: His work is flowing through you, wh
Page 74 and 75: What do I want out of life? What is
Page 76 and 77: e to carry a gun to protect himself
Page 78 and 79: They are the chains of our attachme
Page 80 and 81: CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Corporal punish
Page 82 and 83: understand. Instead, she would simp
Page 84 and 85: There is a story that goes as follo
Page 86 and 87:
Gujaratis marrying Gujaratis, Punja
Page 88 and 89:
We have seen that everyone wants to
Page 90 and 91:
do our sadhana, perform our duties
Page 92 and 93:
THE DANGER OF ANGER There was once
Page 94 and 95:
So many times in life we read spiri
Page 96 and 97:
pathy and charity make us feel like
Page 98 and 99:
longer coursing with high volumes o
Page 100 and 101:
we really want to be healed at thei
Page 102 and 103:
DIVINE ASSISTANCE There was once a
Page 104 and 105:
ather than obstinately trying to be
Page 106 and 107:
“You can not take the needle with
Page 108 and 109:
crippled man, a dirty child or a cr
Page 110 and 111:
ing job, a lucrative career — the
Page 112 and 113:
as childish. Yet, those views are f
Page 114 and 115:
ONLY YOU There once lived a king, b
Page 116 and 117:
ing it through success, others brin
Page 118 and 119:
always tell people, “Be God consc
Page 120 and 121:
ished!!!” However, the saint was
Page 122 and 123:
a divine, compassionate, pious, dev
Page 124 and 125:
DO YOUR DUTY There was once a horri
Page 126 and 127:
THE LEAKY BUCKET In the very olden
Page 128 and 129:
The prose has become poetry, the st
Page 130 and 131:
this re-connection to your culture
Page 132 and 133:
appear better, or we criticize thos
Page 134 and 135:
“I have come to take you away fro
Page 136 and 137:
say, “I will not buy another jack
Page 138 and 139:
SEARCHING FOR THE NEEDLE Once a wom
Page 140 and 141:
He watched as the saint carefully a
Page 142 and 143:
way? For how long can you move othe
Page 144 and 145:
GIVE GIVE BY BY: BY : KAHLIL KAHLIL
Page 146 and 147:
WHA WHAT WHA T A A DIFFERENCE DIFFE
Page 148 and 149:
there with your same degree; there
Page 150 and 151:
LET LETTER LET TER FR FROM FR OM GA
Page 152 and 153:
I’VE I’VE LEARNED LEARNED I’v
Page 154 and 155:
WA WATCH WA CH CH AND AND LISTEN LI
Page 156 and 157:
BILL BILL GA GATES’ GA TES’ 11
Page 158 and 159:
Never in his life had Shaya run to
Page 160 and 161:
president and spiritual head of Par
Page 162 and 163:
In the midst of this ocean of desti
Page 164 and 165:
Rural Development Program: We are r
Page 166 and 167:
Praise for Drops of Nectar Dear Bha
Page 168:
Jay Siya Ram Pujya Swamiji i hope m
show all

Download - Mandhata Global

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?