Poem: I Will Wait

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I will wait till the birds sing And tender leaves adorn the branches; Till the sun’s rays adorn the top of the pines| And roses crown the bushes; Till the tits swing on the cherry blossoms And the grass is dotted with pearl-like daisies. I will wait till nature smiles And the moonlight falls on…

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Contentment

Cover of Self-Knowledge Journal Winter Issue

An address given by the Warden of Shanti Sadan In the Vedanta classic, the Yoga Vasishtha, we read: The Spring is full of charm and so are the gardens of Paradise, but all these joys are found in contentment, which is capable of yielding all delight. One of the great qualities of mind of those…

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On the Advaita of Shri Shankara

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Based on an extract from an essay by Hari Prasad Shastri entitled ‘An Outline of the Advaita of Shri Shankara Acharya’ Limitations are a darkness and obstruct the vision of Truth. They make Reality appear what it is not; where there is bliss they paint a picture of distress, pain, sorrow and disappointment. Our mind…

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See Me Everywhere: Bhagavad Gita Chapter Seven

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On the Bhagavad Gita Chapter Seven WE ALL WANT to be happy. What then is happiness? There is no simple answer, but for many happiness is at least in large part a state of mind in which we are aware of a deep, underlying unity and connectedness in all things, and of our place in…

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Meditation Practice: Every Mind is Lit

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A recent session led by the Warden at Shanti Sadan MEDITATION is a practice that is progressive. If we persevere, our meditation will help us to find peace and relaxation independent of outer circumstances. Our practice session will become a welcome and necessary part of our daily activities. But with meditation there are further progressive…

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Joy Follows Dharma

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By Hari Prasad Shastri There is a saying: ‘If you want to succeed in life, do not be too good.’ Alexander, Napoleon, Caesar, Charles V, Queen Elizabeth I and Isabella of Spain, were people of great worldly eminence, and yet can we regard them as being unequivocally good? Were they not opportunists who believed in…

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From Harmony to Illumination

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Rise in tranquillity Walk in peace Stay in harmony from Echoes of Japan by Hari Prasad Shastri THERE IS a deeper realm of harmony and peace hidden within our own being. If we want ultimate fulfilment then we need to experience this realm directly—to be one with it—and this realisation is possible. Actually it is…

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You Can Never Tell

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We are told that Rabbi Akiva, a great teacher from the Judaic tradition who died at the hands of the Romans, once rode into a village seeking shelter for himself and his donkey. But no one cared to give him hospitality, and so he had recourse to a nearby wood. He arranged a bed of…

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