The Generosity of the Spiritually Rich
According to one of the doctrines propounded in the non-dual philosophy, there are three grades of reality. There is the real world of the spirit, transcendent and absolute. It alone can be called truly real. But within Maya there is the whole world of Sansara, which has a kind of borrowed reality of its own.…
Read MoreInspirations from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
CHILDREN ask questions, ‘Why this, why that?’. Probably, even in ancient civilisations, little boys and girls spontaneously and persistently confronted their parents with the great word: ‘Why?’ or its equivalent. The Upanishads emerged out of this questioning spirit of human nature. There was also a worshipping spirit. But it was mixed with fear. The universe—the…
Read MoreOpen the Box
While in St Helena, the dearest object of the Emperor Napoleon’s love was his son, the King of Rome, who was in Austria in the hands of Metternich. A bust of the child was sent to the emperor from France, encased in a strong box. The British, naturally humane, passed it, and it arrived at…
Read MoreSelf-help through Self-Knowledge
WHEN WE FIRST discover Adhyatma Yoga—the Yoga of Self-knowledge—it is reasonable for us to ask: ‘There are so many forms of yoga. Is the Yoga of Self-knowledge just another variation to add to the range?’ The answer is: No. The Yoga of Self-knowledge is an ancient teaching. There are grounds for regarding it as the…
Read MoreQuest for Peace
The attraction of peace may draw us to peaceful environments, though the serenity we anticipate is often marred by interference. It may be gardeners’ day at the park we visit, with lawn-mowing and hedge-trimming in full spate; the church we seek for refuge hosts a choir rehearsal; the idyllic resort we fly to echoes with…
Read MoreMeditation Practice
A session led by the Warden of Shanti Sadan When we meditate, what do we do with our mind? We bring our mind to a state of alert quietude. This change from an active and restless mind to one that is peaceful and concentrated is easier said than done. Be assured that this is a…
Read MoreSeeing More Deeply
What is wisdom? The founder of Shanti Sadan once gave a simple, practical, threefold explanation: Wisdom is to see deeper than with the eye and with sympathy. Wisdom is to clean the glasses of the mind. Wisdom is to have an understanding of the I. All three are relevant to the general idea of seeing…
Read MoreThe Natural Way to Peace
By Hari Prasad Shastri Pleasures and sufferings recur in life, but pleasure and its memories pass away like the summer evenings, while sorrow endures like the winter cold. What is the meaning of this? They say that experience teaches us to live better, but what is better living? Which is better, to rear a large…
Read MoreThe Symbolism of the Life of Christ
The human mind, at least in its empirical aspect, has not a very big span of appreciation. It cannot begin to encompass even a fraction of all empirical knowledge; still less can it comprehend the all-embracing spiritual truth. Like a bird, it pecks at a few crumbs here and there. The idea that the empirical…
Read MoreMeditation and Our Beliefs
Meditation is a matter of practice, not doctrine; this accounts for much of its appeal. So are our philosophical views or religious beliefs important when we come to meditation? Some may say that they are not, and even that meditation should be based on, and approached with, as few religious or philosophical ideas as possible,…
Read More