Two Parables of Rumi
The meanings of some of the parables one encounters in the writings of Jalaluddin Rumi are relatively straightforward; others may be obscure and challenging, susceptible to various interpretations, and requiring long reflection. Then the meaning will deepen as the comprehension of the enquirer grows through ongoing practice and experience. Here are two examples from Rumi’s…
Read MoreImproving our Memory
From a lecture given by Hari Prasad Shastri This is the hour of concentration on truth, of reviving the spirit in its innate nature and capacity, of filling the heart with peace, of finding satisfaction in the contemplation of the imperishable and immutable in the world. OM. This discourse is on memory and the laws…
Read MoreWhat Is the Good?
Philosophers may spend many words in discussing the question of what is the good, but the essence of the matter is simply stated. The good is what confers value on life, and it is the object of human aspiration. The good, real or imagined, is what inspires love in the heart of the individual and…
Read MoreSelf as Infinite Consciousness
An article on the understanding of Self as Infinite Consciousness, in the light of the non-dual teachings. Our life is full of purposes. When we rise each day, our aims, small or grand, routine or exceptional, stream into our mind, and our body moves to accomplish them. We can usually say what we are going…
Read MoreBeginning with a Smile
A smile is said to be the shortest distance between two people, and it is cheering to discover in the wisdom literature references to this silent, though profound, means of communication. A noteworthy example comes at the start of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna, having learnt of the troubled state of mind of his disciple, Arjuna, proceeds…
Read MoreMeditation Practice: Universal Consciousness
A session led by the Warden at Shanti Sadan If we practise meditation regularly, we find we have a great inner support that helps us in many ways. For meditation becomes a source of strength, a way to peace and a means of expanding our consciousness. This leads to fulfilment independent of outer aids and…
Read MoreSayings of Saints Universal (Three)
A further selection from the Sant Vani, compiled by Hanuman Prasad Poddar and translated by Hari Prasad Shastri People devoted to sense-objects die in grief over the following: the senses are not satisfied with the joys of gratification; many of their ambitions remain unfulfilled; they take nothing from this world to the other with them. Increase…
Read MoreExistence is Revealed by Contemplation Alone
By Hari Prasad Shastri The human mind has two purposes. Its lower function is to work for the preservation of the species, and its higher function is to know the Truth and be free. Souls not yet developed devote their mental faculties to their individual and selfish ends, that is, they work for the sustenance…
Read MoreHow to Be Inwardly Rich
Within the hope of man alone The highest goal draws nigh. He chooses, raises up his soul To that which is on high. He can duration to the moment give, He can in Time the Eternal live. From Rudolph Eucken, The Truth of Religion How to be inwardly rich? What does it mean? In the…
Read MoreThe Wisdom of Shri Shankara
Shri Shankara was a great teacher and enlightened sage, who formulated the non-dual teachings as the true interpretation of the upanishadic wisdom. One of the cardinal features of Shri Shankara’s thought is that it is concerned, not with abstract principles, but with the analysis of experience itself. In his introduction to the Brahma Sutras he…
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