Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:

DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

MEDITATIONS FOR

JUNE
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

THE BENEDICTION – 1
The mental attitude of a man helps him to purify his heart very quickly. All acts done with
divine feeling become divine activities. This is real Yoga.
Glory to India, the land of charity! May she continue her divine activities forever! May the
people of this glorious Aryavarta live up to the ideals of their forefathers, the Rishis of yore!
May bliss ever flourish! May rains come at the proper time! May the earth yield plenty! May
peace, prosperity and joy be unto all beings!

BE S WEET – 2
A really sweet man is divine. He does not expect anything from others. His very nature is
sweet. He brings joy to others by his innate sweetness.
Sweetness is born of Sattwa. It is the aroma of a perfected soul or an adept. It. is acquired
through long and intense austerity, discipline, Yoga practice and communion with God in
silence.
Sweetness should be the most essential attribute of a spiritual propagandist and public
worker. The Rajasic ego should melt in the crucible of the Yogic fire. Rajas should be churned
out. Then the butter of sweetness will float on the surface of the Sattwit mind.

WIN EVERYONE' S HEART – 3

Tile one quality which will bring one respect, fame and the confidence of worthy men is
sweetness of speech. This is one quality by practicing which a person is esteemed by all and
becomes famous. It is the one quality which yields joy to all. One may always secure the love of
all beings and creatures by practicing sweetness of speech.
Sweetness of speech secures one's object, while at the same time it never pains any heart.
Sweet speech pleases more than does the gift of an object.

HONESTY – A UNIVERSAL VIRTUE – 4

Honesty is not a virtue meant only for a particular section of mankind, as loyalty for a
subordinate, chastity for a married woman, and filial piety and obedience for children and
students.
Honesty is a sacred duty mid moral obligation in the interests of social solidarity. An honest
man is dear to the Lord. The Lord showers His Grace upon such a one. Honesty never goes
unrewarded in the long run. All honest man comes to be honored by all.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

BE M ODERATE IN EVERYTHING – 5

You should be moderate in sleeping, drinking, eating, reading, laughing, copulation,

exercise, etc. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "Verily, Yoga is not for him who eats too much nor
for him who abstains to excess, nor who is too much addicted to sleep nor even to wakefulness.
Yoga kills all pains in him who is regulated in eating and amusement, in performing actions, and
in sleeping and waking." He who is moderate in everything is a perfect Yogi.

A MARVELOUS LUBRICATOR – 6
Tolerance is needed in all spheres of life-social, economic, political and religious. Fights,
quarrels, ruptures, friction in society and domestic circles, and war are all due to lack of
tolerance. All religious, social, and political institutions are held together by the cohesive force
of tolerance.
Tolerance is a marvelous lubricating oil which helps the smooth revolution of the wheels of
life.

THE INVULNERABLE FORTRESS – 7

The birth of a man is due to his mixed Karmas--a mixture of good and evil. Every man will
have to meet dangers and calamities at some period in his life. He who is endowed with fortitude
will bear them until a calm mind and a smiling countenance.
Fortitude is a sweet, mysterious spiritual mixture of courage, calmness, patience, presence of
mind arid endurance. It is a virtue born of Sattwa. It gives great strength of mind to aspirants
who tread the path of action.

THE BASIS OF DIVINE LIFE--8

Self-control is indispensable for living a truly ethical life. Without self-restraint, the practice
of ethics is impossible. You may have noble intentions and sublime sentiments, but when you
have no self-control you become a slave of the baser passions.
Self-control leads to the highest merit. It is the eternal duty of man to practice this virtue in
his daily life. It surpasses in merit charity, sacrifice and study of the Vedas. A man of self-control
enjoys esteem in this world and reward in the next.

THE KNOWER OF THE SELF – 9

That man who neither rejoices in times of good fortune nor sorrows when overtaken by
misfortune, is said to be endowed with wisdom and contentment.
Overcoming lust and anger, observing the vow of Brahmacharya, and becoming a complete
master of his senses, the Brahmana, practicing patiently the austere penances and observing the
most rigid restraint, should live in the world, calmly waiting for his time, like one scenting to
possess a body though knowing fully that he is not subject to destruction.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

C ONTROL ANGER – 10
Control of anger is indispensable for the practice of ethics. Anger is your dire enemy; it is the
enemy of peace, wisdom and devotion. It is born of Rajas. All actions proceed from this evil
quality. It is one of the three gates to hell. It is the slayer of austerities. Therefore, control anger
through forgiveness and patience. Indulge not thyself in the passion of' anger.
Bear slight provocation with patience; forgive the faults of others. Forget not your own
defects and weaknesses. Forget the injustice done to you by others. This is the simplest way to
control anger.

THE GATEWAY TO VIRTUE – 11

Good and evil are both in man. A human being is a mixture of both. All creatures contain the
forces of virtue and evil. It is the restraint of evil and the active exercise of virtue that raises man
above all other creatures.
Anger is an outlet through which emerge cruelty, harshness, pain, harm, vengeance, violence,
war and destruction. When anger is overcome, your understanding becomes clear and
discrimination active. You are able to choose between right and wrong. You proceed without any
confusion on the narrow, straight path of moral rectitude.

C OVETOUSNESS -THE GATE TO HELL – 12

Covetousness causes anxiety, desire to speak ill of others, strong lustful desire, gluttony,
liability to premature death, strong desire towards falsehood, irrepressible indulgence in passion,
insatiable desire for listening to evil, arrogance, neglect of duties, rash behavior and perpetration
of every kind of evil action.
Satsang, Japa, meditation, Kirtan, discrimination, dispassion, honesty, integrity, nobility,
charity, and Sell-enquiry will eradicate covetousness and all other negative qualities.

THIS IS I GNORANCE – 13
Attachment, hatred, loss of judgment, fear, vanity, lust, sorrow, anger, pride, procrastination,
idleness, desire, aversion, jealousy, envy and all other sinful habits constitute ignorance.
Identification with the body is also ignorance.
Ignorance and covetousness are the same. Both produce the same results. Ignorance
originates from covetousness. It manifests itself when the objects or covetousness are not
attained. It leads to one's downfall and misery.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

DRINKING – THE BED OF VICES – 14

Drinking ranks as the foremost of the soul-killing habits. It completely destroys the moral
faculties of man, kills all lofty ambitions and aspirations and the higher, nobler instincts of man.
It harms both the body and the soul.
Man's nature becomes coarse and he sinks to a low level of extreme degradation when he
takes to liquor. So widespread has this practice become that it is regarded as a social
accomplishment. The place where drinking is present, there vices are rampant. Drinking is a
dangerous enemy of ethical life. It is the responsibility of all to strive vigorously and banish this
evil.

GAMBLING--THE WEAPON OF MAYA – 15

Beware of gambling. Puskara challenged Nala in the dice game and lost everything.
Yudhisthira also gambled and lost his wife. Gambling is a weapon of Maya. The gambler always
thinks that he will win in the next attempt but goes on losing.
Gambling spoils the character of a rnan entirely, making him irreligious and unrighteous. It
makes him get excited and lose his sound judgment and sense of decorum. It makes him an
atheist. It brings him in contact with evil-minded persons and the dregs of society. Drinking,
adultery and meat-eating are the companions of gambling.

ENTER THIS IMPREGNABLE F ORTRESS – 16

Do not waste your precious time in playing cards, in working out crossword puzzles, in
gambling and races. Money earned in solving crossword puzzles will not stick to you even for a
day. Life is meant for higher spiritual purposes.
Wake up quickly, O ignorant man! Struggle hard and attain the imperishable spiritual wealth
and be happy forever, live in the company of the wise and lead the divine life. Satsang is an
impregnable fortress where there is no scope for the entry of Maya and her companions.

BECOME A KING OF KINGS – 17

Be balanced in pleasure and pain, in life and death, in praise and censure, in gain and loss, in
honor and dishonor. Thus will you be able to enter into the Infinite or the supreme Silence.
Renounce all desires by means of detachment and discrimination. Renounce the sense-
objects. Then renunciation of desires will follow. Thereafter, live happily wherever thou pleasest.
A distaste for the objects of the senses is true freedom, and attachment to the objects is
bondage. This is wisdom.
Blessed is he who is well established in his own essential divine nature! He is indeed a Self-
king. The whole world will pay homage to such a sage.
The mind of a liberated sage ceases to function. He is free from delusion and inertia. He
experiences indescribable peace, wisdom and bliss.
O seeker after liberation, attain wisdom of the Self and become a sage here and now. Be
sincere in your endeavor.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

WAKE UP THIS M OMENT – 18

Even men who have their wives lead a life of dissipation. What a great shame! They have
taken a pledge before the sacred God of Fire that they would be true to their wives, and yet they
lead a life of immorality.
These ignorant, deluded souls of little understanding deserve capital punishment. The divine
law of cause and effect is inexorable and unrelenting. It will not spare them at all. O ignorant
man, have you realized your folly now? Will you promise me that you will lead a holy and
virtuous life from this moment at least?

A W ORD TO THE Y OUTH – 19

O college boys, do not waste your lather's money in seeking pleasures in cinemas, restaurants
and hotels. Beware! Do not become victims of syphilis and gonorrhea. Your whole life will be
spoiled.
Learn the way of self-control from Sadhus and Sannyasins. Be regular in your Japa and
Kitran, in meditation and study of the scriptures. You are the future citizens of the world. Learn
to soothe the itching of the nerves through sublime thinking and divine contemplation.

ARE Y OU SAFE FROM I NNER F OES? – 20

Vices are the destroyers of ethical life. They are the poisonous weeds that rapidly grow and
choke up the fragrant flowers of virtue blossoming in the fair garden of ethical life. Unless vices
are eradicated through resolute effort and self-purification, your moral well-being is not safe.
Anger, lust, sorrow, loss of judgment, jealousy, malice, pride, envy, slander and fear are
powerful enemies of man. They approach him and tempt him from all sides.

HOW TO C ONVERT Y OUR PARTNER – 21

Sometimes the house becomes a hell when there is no religious unity between the husband
and wife. If the husband is religious, the irreligious wife does not allow him to study scriptures,
practice meditation, observe Brahmacharya and have Satsang.
How can a man live happily in the company of such an ignorant and irreligious woman? If
your wife stands in your way of doing spiritual practice, mildly suggest to her that you will take
to Sannyas. Then she will come to her senses.

THE CARE OF S PIRITUALITY – 22

The workings of Maya are so extremely subtle, so very difficult to overcome, and human
nature is so demoniacal and degenerate, that real spiritual progress and development in Sadhana
are indeed very hard to attain.
To achieve success in any measure in spiritual life is the most difficult and uphill task. It is
truly Divine Grace alone that can raise the aspirant from darkness to light. The rooting out of
egoism in its numerous forms comprises the very core of spirituality.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

MOST IMPORTANT S ODHANA – 23

Right from the very beginning of your spiritual life, you must understand very clearly that in
true humility, sincere desire to gradually root out pride, egoism and jealousy, earnest and
unceasing introspection to find out your own defects and improve yourself, lie your hope of
progress.
Without this basis all sorts of Sadhanas become a delusion and a waste. They make the
aspirant puffed up, prouder and more egoistic. When this happens, all good advice and
instruction fall flat upon him.

DESTROY THE DIABOLICAL NATURE – 24

Spirituality means growing into the form of the divine ideal. It is transformation of your
nature from the human to the Divine. You can hope to achieve perfection only when you effect
this transformation.
It is purification and change of heart alone that render concentration and meditation possible.
In order to grow in Sattwa you must entirely destroy the diabolic side of your nature. Never
imagine for a moment that you are anywhere near the goal unless and until you strive with
earnestness and diligence to rid yourself of evil tendencies and get established in a pure ethical
character.

THE DUTIES OF A H OUSEHOLDER – 25

It is difficult to live the life of a householder. The householder's life is prescribed for one
who cannot control his passion. One without passion should take to the path of renunciation.
A householder should not be exclusively engaged in family affairs, tie must perform the
sacred duties and have self-control. He should not become a slave of sense enjoyments. He must
perform sacrifices to the Rishis, gods, manes and the lower creation.

ADHERE TO D HARMA – 26
A householder should not earn money by acts which enthrall the senses, nor by means
forbidden by the Vedas. It: the event of his not possessing money, he should not try to earn it
from any source without due discrimination.
Let him not willfully addict himself to any object of self-gratification. In case of extreme
attachment, he should counteract it by means of his patience and will-force.

S HARE WITH ALL – 27

A householder shall give food to Brahmacharins who do not cook their meals and, after
keeping enough for his relatives and dependents, he shall distribute the residue to birds and
beasts.
He should shave his hair properly, wear clean clothes and keep himself neat and tidy. Even if
extremely tempted, he should not visit his wife during the three forbidden days of her periods,
nor share the same bed with her. Intellect, strength, vigor, eyesight and vitality are impaired if a
man goes to a woman during her menses.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

THE MORNING DUTIES – 28

Early in the morning a good householder should get up with holy thoughts, chanting the
Name of Lord Hari and singing His glories through various hymns and prayers.
He should then evacuate his bowels and wash his legs, hands and face. He should look at the
sun and read the daily almanac. He should then take bath in a river or a tank and perform his
morning worship and prayers. He should repeat thc Gayatri 1,008 times.

SEE G OOD IN ALL – 29

The householder should speak truth that is sweet and pleasant; he should not utter an
unpleasant truth nor a pleasant lie. This is the eternal virtue.
Even in cases of ungentle dealings, he should always say, "That is good; that is good, good to
all.” He should not engage in futile quarrels, nor create enmity with any person. Persons
possessing limbs in excess or less, old men, illiterate persons, those devoid of personal beauty
and worldly possessions, men of low birth-all these he must not taunt for their unfortunate
deformities or privations.

BE PURE – 30
Always bear in mind that the primary condition of success on the spiritual path is an earnest
longing for purity. Therefore, be sincere and very earnest in your spiritual practices and strive for
purification and sound ethical culture.
Sing the glories and most powerful Names of the Lord. You will be filled with supreme
peace, and devotion will dwell in your purified heart. Evil thoughts are as sinful as evil deeds.
The path of virtue lies straight before you. Be sufficiently watchful and exert with faith.