Suzie Palmer, (Australia), on the story of Bhagavan.

Hello Swamiji!!
Great to hear from you!! Thank you for sharing that wise story of your Master's. You have inspired the following poem!! Please post in Vedanta group and anywhere you wish!!
All my Love always, Suzie xoxox :-D

* * *
When we look closer

Beware of the dogs at the gate
Faces ferocious
Eyes of slate
Don’t even try to test your fate
Best to stay clear
Of the dogs at the gate

Rearrange your life
Abate the gate
Do everything in your power
Don’t give those dogs bait

Stay away, hesitate
Those dogs know how to keep you away
But then again
Who are they?
Are they truly, what they convey

Take a step closer, peek inside
Are those dogs even alive?
Stone structures etched with skilful hands
These dogs they come from moulded sand!

Oh my, oh my, these dogs are good
Cleverly made, it’s now understood
Things are not always as they seem
When we look closer, the truth can be seen

A story by Bhagavan.

Its our pleasure to narrate a story by Bhagavan, the founder and core of International Vedanta Society. The story goes thus- a very rich man tied two ferocious dogs in his gates. The people using the road adjoining the gate were very frightened by the dogs and left using the road. One day, the rich man asked his attendant, why does the people of the locality avoid using this road of ours, the attendant had no answer. The master asked him to go and find out.
" Out of fear" said a commuter. "Your master has money, so, he can afford to keep such deadly dogs in the gate which appears as if running on to us." Knowing this, the rich man went to the market and requested a man to come with him and that his dogs won't bite. The man resisted initially but gave up to the earnest request. When the man reached the gate of the house, he saw the dogs were of stones. Crafted skillfully in such a way that it looked lively. The man cried out of joy," what a beauty, what a skill !!" The fear transformed into extreme bliss by knowing the exact object.
Similarly, we cry out in this world, terrified by the fears which stays in our mind. See this world carefully, you will see bliss and love. See this world as it is, you will see God. There is nothing but God.
Love and best wishes,

Sarada Chatterjee(Kolkata) writes,

The "mind" is the instrument that supports your personality with thoughts, and those thoughts are the instruments that will forever prevent "peace of mind";..... In fact, there is no such thing as "peace of mind." There is only peace if freed of the "mind."

Jay Bhagavan

What is fear?

Fear is a black cat, hiding in the leafy bushes at night. When it startles, it jumps up, rustling the leaves and shattering the silence, causing a wandering soul to cry out, just as it slinks back into another shadowy crevice with a hundred other cats.

Why not have mercy on that poor cat? Say, “Come here, kitty!” Give her a morsel of tuna wrapped in love, or dime of catnip in a bowl of joy. Put a pink polka dotted bow around her neck, and call her Hope.

She’ll go tell all the other cats about your generosity. They won’t be so startled when you walk by their hideouts in the night. Rather, they’ll come falling to the ground before you, bellies up, and purring in your open hands.

Narayana's Experience with the mahamantra

Dear Friends,
Today we received a letter from Narayana (Xavier Vidal Bueno), a devotee of Bhagavan from Spain. In 2007 he stayed here at Varanasi for some months. Though a naughty and fun loving boy, he has seriously dedicated himself for strict spiritual practice. After reading his letter its real joy to know that the spiritual flower in him is blossoming well. Please read on.....

Hello everybody,

I would like to share the experience I had last night, it was wonderful for me.
Some days ago I decided to do japa (chanting sacred mantra in the mind) at night before going to bed, and last night I was doing so. Normally I enter into a state of half sleep when I am about to finish and then I wake up again and finish the japa; this is because after work I'm very tired and I do the japa liyng on the bed. But yesterday was different, In some point of the japa ( wich I was doing with the full mahamantra ) I started to feel great pleasure and my energy increasing and some parts of my body moving like when you are nervous and tremble. As I felt that I wasn't tired and my concentration was increasing. I decided to folow with the japa for longer than normally; pleasure was increasing as it seemed that I was sinking deeper and deeper in the mahamantra as well as energy and prayers to God would come to my mind every time realizing the Truth of his presence. I could feel the flowing of energy through my limbs and my mind getting clearer as I got deeper and deeper concentration. I started the Japa at 11:30 pm and I finished at last at 3:00 am without any interrumption. This is the first time that I can do such a long japa and when I finished I felt everything was alive.

Thanks God!

Jai Bhagavan!

Hare Krishna!

Narayana

Friday 13th June 2008
Barcelona,Spain

Divine Consciousness

Marie Saide's Notes,Syria.

To begin with, you must know who you really are. Are you the body? If you are the body then why do you say, "This is my body"? Since you call it, "my body", you must be something different from the body.
When you say, "my heart", then that means that you are something different from your heart. Your heart is an object possessed by you, its owner. You declare, "This is my brother, this is my sister, this is my mind, my body, my intellect". The unchanging element in all of these declarations is my. There is a true I, which stands behind this little my and gives rise to it.


It is really the deepest consciousness in everyone and in everything. It is the universal I, the divine consciousness. This divine consciousness is all-pervading. It is within you, around you, below you, above you, and beside you. Truly, it is you.

This divine consciousness can be found everywhere, in everything in the world. But to realize it, the mind must be turned inwards. You must become inner-directed and search out your own truth. You must realize that you are not this, you are not that... you are not the mind, you are not the body, you are not the intellect. Then who are you? The answer comes, "I am I". This is the right path to follow for self-realization. This can only develop when you follow the path of love, the path of devotion. To search for God there is no other way.


Everywhere you look, the formless has taken on forms. God is present everywhere. But in order that you may comprehend him, he has taken on a particular name and form. He is everywhere as the formless divinity, but before you can get that realization, you have to develop your love and devotion for the Lord with form.



Therefore, in the beginning, you enter the devotional path at the lowest rung, and worship the Lord with a name and form. Then steadily, inch by inch, you rise to a higher state. You withdraw your mind from the external world and worship the formless, until finally you realize your own reality as the formless divine principle. That is self-realization.

~ Sai Gita

Bhagavan's words- Bappadittya Saha,

Dear Everybody,
Bappadittya, a known face in the circle of IVS in Kolkata. An Engineer of a German based company by profession, needs always extensive traveling worldwide but it doesn't distract Him from the devotion and dedication towards Bhagavan. He and His family are always pleased to serve Bhagavan and the devotees of Kolkata. He shared some golden words spoken by Bhagavan with all of us. I hope these words of Bhagavan will provide us deeper insight in the world of spirituality. Love to you all, Swamiji.
Dear Swamiji,
Me and my wife together got 'diksha' (initiation)from Bhagawan on 26th August,2006 at around 9 am. Bhagawan said Diksha means looking inside. All throughout we had been looking outside, he said. From now on you will identify, understand and realize your origin, your source.

Bhagawan said :
Whatever you do, do it best. Atleast try to give your best. Give your 100%. Try to do it the most beautiful way. When you eat, eat nicely. When you go to sleep, try to do it nicely. When you talk , talk nicely....

Belief is the real thing, the most important....

Hatred or absence of love is the greatest threat, the greatest enemy of mankind.....

Good and honest thoughts will protect us....

Whatever you do, do with love


You have done a lot with your wisdom. What did you get ? What happened ? Now try to practice Vedanta. You will see that HE is showing the way. You need not do anything. Everything will happen by itself.

Be simple but don't be a fool.

Whatever you are , its you who's responsible. You cannot escape the fruits or eventuality of your actions.

IVS teaches acceptance, not tolerance.

Be in discipline. Don't waste time. Respect the value of time. Be in a system.

When you are watering a plant , feel for the plant, love the plant, feel as if the plant was feeling ... 'yes, I needed water..'

By nature the Guru(Master) is quiet, calm, and at peace with himself, however it is for the disciple that he talks, he has to talk. Hot oil is calm but when a luchi (paste of flour) is released in the hot oil, the oil makes frying sounds. As soon as the luchi gets completely fried and gets a spherical shape, the hot oil becomes quiet.


Shall send more shortly.
Regards,
Bappaditya

Jennifer Helminsky, New jersey, USA.

We must not seek union with the Divine for reasons of the self, but in the service of mankind. There is nothing to be gained from merging with the Supreme Reality if it does not lead others to the same end. We are here to open the way for others. We clear the way, we make ready the path, and we mark the trail. We must be the presence of God for all to see, so that they too may find the face of the Beloved within.

Those who have gone before us - Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, all saints and lovers of God - are remembered and revered the world over. Their message and their example do not fade with the passing of time. They live forever, and they continue to serve mankind, lifting them up from ignorance and suffering, even so long after their passing. This is what we must strive to attain. We must seek to realize the Ultimate Truth not for ourselves, but for all of humanity now and yet to come. God is mankind. We are God. We must empty ourselves and be purified so that we may be filled with the fire of His Love. We must pour out the Divine nectar over the Earth. Let no soul go untouched.