Actualization and Fulfilment
From a lecture by Hari Prasad Shastri We are in this life in order to fulfil ourselves and to actualize our higher potentialities. There is peace hiding in the cave of our soul. There is delight which surpasses all delight, and that delight is serene, not excitement or the fulfilment of desire. We fulfil ourselves…
Read MorePoem by Mira
The key to unlock the gate of the palace was applied, For desire had been expelled from my mind. My mind is not a shallow roadside pond— Who can travel in a puddle? I have no use even for the Ganges or Yamuna now, I have reached the sea. Subscribe or enrol for free guest…
Read MoreThe Bhagavad Gita – From Grief to Peace
In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita the pupil is led from grief to a vision of transcendent peace through a swift traversal of the essential points in the teaching. At the start of the discourse we find the pupil in a situation where he is expected to go into battle with people he…
Read MoreThe Eternal Wisdom
Continuing Hari Prasad Shastri’s imaginative portrayal of the life and teachings of the sages of ancient India Shri Yajnavalkya was about to retire for the night after his evening meal, and was sitting on a blanket slowly removing his flowing robe, when Katyayani softly entered his apartment with some almonds mixed with cream, for she…
Read MoreOur Spiritual Awakening
O my mind, wake up, wake up! For a long while you have not seen perfect happiness. Experience now this highest state of beatitude in front of you. H.P.S. Adhyatma Yoga focuses on the original Yoga teachings, which are spiritual in their methods and purpose. The aim is to awaken our highest potentiality and find…
Read MoreLight Relief
To be human is to be visited by worry and anxiety. Our body is perishable, our mind sensitive, and there are times when life is a struggle. If we were creatures of steel, there could be no understanding of the sufferings of others, no compassion, and social harmony would be impossible. In this sense it…
Read MoreMeditation Practice: Rest in the Peace and Bliss
A recent session led by the Warden at Shanti Sadan In meditation we turn our thoughts from the noise and pressures of the outer world to the source of life and consciousness within our own being. That source seems to be hidden, but through our ongoing efforts we learn how to create conditions of peace…
Read MoreProgress in Self-Knowledge: Part Two
Know thyself! In the first part of this article, the meaning of self-knowledge was looked at from a psychological point of view, with examples from literature, both comic and tragic. We also examined the idea, elucidated by the psychologist, Alfred Adler, that human beings have a fundamental need for significance and to overcome restrictions. This…
Read MoreHigher Knowledge
Higher knowledge is that which makes known the fundamental nature of everything. Is such knowledge possible and if so how is it to be sought? These are pressing questions because we live at a time when human knowledge of the world around us is growing faster than previous generations could have imagined possible. And very…
Read MoreLantern Lesson
A recent presentation at Shanti Sadan made use of a handcrafted candle cover. Shaped from thin brass, with tinted cut-glass stones circling centre and base, it is covered with fine engravings and pierced with many minute openings. A night-light burns at the centre. Subscribe or enrol for free guest access to read all of this…
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