Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:

DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

MEDITATIONS FOR

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

IDENTIFY Y OURSELF WITH ALL – 1

There is no such thing as inanimate matter. There is life in everything. Life is involved it's a
piece of stone. Matter is vibrant with life. This has been conclusively proved by modern science.
Smile with the flowers and the green grass. Play with tile butterflies and serpents. Shake
hands with shrubs, ferns and twigs. Talk to the rainbow, wind, stars and tile sun. Converse with
running brooks and the turbulent waves of the sea. Keep company with your walking-stick and
enjoy its companionship. Develop friendship with your neighbors, with cats, cows, trees--in fact
with all the creation of nature. Then you will have a wide, perfect, rich, full life.

THE THREE THINGS – 2

Eat three things. Wear three things. Practice three things: Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya.
Remember three things: death, afflictions of the world and God. Give up three things: egoism,
attachment and desire. Cultivate three things: humility, love and fearlessness. Eradicate three
things: lust, anger and greed.
Friends, here are some very helpful triads for your daffy spiritual practice. Three things to
love: desire for liberation, company of the wise and selfless service. Three things to despise:
miserliness, cruelty and petty-mindedness. Three things to admire: courage, generosity and
nobility. Three things to respect: Guru, renunciation and discrimination. Three things to control:
tongue, temper and tossing of the mind.

STEPS TO G OD-REALIZATION – 3
Shake off' the bonds of Karma through rules of right conduct, discrimination, austerity, and
discipline of the senses and mind. Know the secret of true bliss through concentration and
meditation. Root out passion. Embrace peace. Enjoy the glory of Self-bliss. Delight in the Self
within.
Serve the sick, console the distressed, live in God, preach the gospel of love. Lead a life of
self-sacrifice and service. Be pious and pure. This will lead you to the attainment of God-
consciousness.

SIMPLE SADHANA – 4
If you study one chapter of the Gita and do two malas of Japa daily, if you observe two fasts
in a month and spend the time in prayer, within a single year you can cover a long distance oil the
path of Yoga. The spiritual impressions will be present in the subconscious mind. They are
indestructible and will coalesce and form a spiritual bridge over which you can cross to the other
shore of immortality.
Keep company with evolved souls who tread the path of Truth. Always mark carefully what is
going on in the inner mental factory.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

KEEP THE B ODY HEALTHY – 5

This physical body is the holy shrine of God. It is the temple of the Lord. Keep it strong and
healthy. Then only will you meet Him. Do not be carried away by a false understanding of the
gospel of Maya. Take care of the body but have no attachment to it. Be prepared to give it up for
a noble cause. This body is an instrument to attain Self-realization. You cannot meditate if you
have a weak, sickly body.

WHERE IS G OD? – 6
Where is God? Can we find Him only in the temple, church or mosque7 No. Is He to be
sought only in the four Vedas or in the six schools of philosophy? No. Does He dwell in places of
pilgrimage? No, no, no. Where is He then?
God is seated in the hearts of all. He is not very far away. He is quite close to you. Subtler
than the subtlest, greater than the greatest, He is located in the cavity of your heart, in the
innermost recess or chamber. You can reach Him through earnest and sincere spiritual practice.

POWER OF JAPA – 7
Japa calms and strengthens the mind and makes it introspective. It checks its outgoing
tendencies. It roots out all kinds of evil thoughts. It gets rid of desires and reduces the torte of
thought. Eventually, it leads to the vision of God. Japa purifies the mind, induces dispassion and
brings one lace to face with God.

FEEL THE INDWELLING PRESENCE – 8

The secular knowledge that you get from the universities is mere husk only. It serves the
purpose of earning one's livelihood and no other use of it is made by the majority of persons, it
cannot give you peace of mind and salvation. It thickens the veil of ignorance by fattening
egoism.
One Mantra, one verse of the Upanishads is quite enough to blow up tile knowledge that you
derive from the university. Study the first Mantra of tile Upanishads: "The whole world is
indwelt by the Lord. Rejoice in the all-pervading Atman by removing name and form."
Do not be proud and arrogant. Imbibe the import of this Mantra. Practice. Feel the pure,
indwelling Presence.

THE TWO PATHS – 9

Yoga is communion with the Lord. The goal of life is the attainment of Self-realization. There
are two ways of attaining God-consciousness. They are the path of action and the path of
renunciation. The path of action is the path of activity with detachment as the basis, leading to the
attainment of the Cosmic Vision in and through the diverse experiences of normal life. The path
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

of renunciation is the path of absolute renunciation of Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is only Jnana
Sadhana. It is a means of attaining Self-knowledge.
Three things are indispensable for the attainment of Self-realization. They are: devotion to the
spiritual preceptor, yearning for liberation and a desire for the company of the wise. He alone
who is endowed with all these three requisites can cross this ocean of Samsara.

DIETETIC HINTS – 10
Highly seasoned dishes, hot curries and chutneys, meat, fish and alcohol are forbidden for
aspirants. Meat can make you a scientist but rarely a philosopher. Chillies, sour articles, tamarind,
mustard, all kinds of oils, salt, onions and garlic should be given up. Onions are worse than meat
to a student of Yoga.
For spiritual practices, Sattwic food is absolutely necessary. Wheat, paddy, barley, sugar,
butter, milk, sugar-candy, fruit, ghee, green dhal, green vegetables and potatoes are Sattwic
articles of diet.

SPIRITUALIZE Y OUR NATURE – 11

Eradicate lust and passion by entertaining pure thoughts, anger by practicing love, greed by
means of charity, attachment through discrimination, pride by means of humility, jealousy
through nobility. Practice unconditional, unreserved and ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord.
Combine the love you cherish towards all worldly objects-towards wife, son, wealth,
property, friends and relatives-and direct this concentrated love to God. Repeat the formula: "I am
Thine; all is Thine; Thy Will be done," have perfect self-surrender and faith. Then only can you
have the vision of God.

QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEVOTEE – 12
God is the inner ruler of your heart and mind. He is the silent witness of your thoughts. You
cannot hide anything from Him. Be straightforward and guileless.
A devotee must become an embodiment of purity and goodness. He should be ever ready to
do good to all living beings. That devotee who is intent upon the welfare of all beings obtains
eternal peace. He ever rejoices in the welfare of all, gets the vision of God and is ever blissful.

EVILS OF LUST AND ANGER – 13

Anger and lust are the two inner enemies that stand in the way of developing devotion. From
lust follow the ten vices that are mentioned in Manu Samhita: love of hunting, gambling, sleeping
during the daytime, slandering, company of the opposite sex, drinking, dancing, delighting in
vulgar music, singing vulgar songs, and wandering aimlessly.
Anger begets eight kinds of vices. All evil qualities proceed from it. If you can eradicate
anger, all evil qualities will die by themselves. The eight vices to be avoided are hatred, injustice,
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

rashness, persecution, jealousy, harsh words, cruelty, and taking possession of the property of
others.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

HOUSEHOLDER' S S ADHANA – 14
"May we hear with our ears and see with our eyes nothing but what is pure, so that with our
senses unperturbed and remembering God, meditating on Him, singing His praise and reciting His
Name, we may attain a life as that of the gods! Om Shanti!"
Here is an easy method of attaining God. At night all the members of the household should sit
in a circle and do Kirtan for one hour before the picture of the Lord. Try to forget the body and
the world. Enter into the state of ecstasy. If you are regular in this practice you will be free from
bad dreams. All the diseases of the body and mind will vanish.

WHICH IS AN I DEAL H OME – 15

Start the pure life of a Yogi the very moment you read these lines. Give no leniency to the
mind. Self-reliance is an indispensable quality. You can get advice from others but you will have
to tread the path yourself. You yourself will have to place each step on the spiritual ladder.
That house is a miserable place, a veritable hell on earth where the husband moves up in
spirituality and the wife pulls him back into sensual grooves, and vice versa. Both the husband
and wife should be harmoniously blended or joined by the thread of knowledge of the Self, each
aspiring for attainment of God-consciousness.
That house is really heaven where the husband mid wife lead an ideal, divine life, singing
Hari's Name, repeating His Mantras, studying scriptures, controlling the senses, and serving
Bhaktas.

RELY ON Y OUR O WN SELF – 16

How can you please the world.? There are so many tongues, so much talk, so many opinions,
so many remarks. This world is a strange mixture of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. Tamasic people
are in abundance. Their nature is to always find fault and pronounce unnecessary criticism.
Therefore, follow the dictates of your conscience and thc promptings of' your soul. Even it' the
whole world opposes you, fear not.
Never move a fraction of an inch from your firm resolve and determination. Stand up and
proclaim the truth Even if the whole world leaves you, fear not. The inner ruler stands at your
side in your heart.

MAINTAIN S PIRITUAL DIARY – 17

Every student should maintain a spiritual diary. Then only can defects be rectified and the
mind controlled. The spirit of serving humanity must be ingrained in the heart of every aspirant.
Sattwit qualities such as mercy, generosity, tolerance, truth, forgiveness and nobility must be
developed.
Keep a daily spiritual diary and note in it when you give vent to anger, when you hurt the
feelings of others. This is very important. If you exhibit anger or hurt others, impose punishment
on yourself. Give up your meals at night. Do fifty more malas of Japa. Note in your diary that you
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

forgot God twice during the day. If you proceed like this for one or two years, you will attain
remarkable peace, progress and willpower.

C ONQUER SIN BY RIGHT RESOLVE – 18

Sin is a mistake committed by the ignorant Jiva during its journey towards God. Once you
make up your mind to tread the path of Truth, all sins wilt be destroyed.
Lord Krishna gives His word of promise: "Even if the most sinful worships Me with an
undivided heart, he, too, must be accounted righteous, for he hath rightly resolved. Speedily he
becometh dutiful and attaineth eternal peace. Know thou for certain that My devotee perisheth
never.”
Grieve not, my dear friend. Fear not. Stand up. Fight the senses and desires. A glorious,
brilliant future is awaiting you.

FORGET NOT THE G OAL – 19

Forget not the goal of life amidst selfish activities. The goal of life is to know your own Self.
Are you attempting to attain this end and aim of life? Are you doing Japa Pranayama and
meditation? Have you kept up the ideal constantly before the mind's eye?
The day that you do not practice any spiritual Sadhana, that day is entirely wasted. Give the
mind to God and the hands to work. You have to analyze and scrutinize your motives. It is the
selfish motive and not the work itself that binds man to Samsara. Prepare the mind for Karma
Yoga.

W ORK IS W ORSHIP – 20
Live in the spirit of the teachings of the Gita and work without expectation of fruit and
without any egoism. Think that you are an instrument in the hands of Lord Narayana.
Work never degrades a person. Unselfish work is worship of Lord Narayana. There is no
menial work from the highest standpoint, from the standpoint of the Absolute, from tile
standpoint of Karma Yoga. Even scavenging, which done with the right mental attitude and spirit,
is Yogic action. Even a scavenger can realize God in his own station of life by means of service.
You have within you all the materials for getting wisdom. There is a vast magazine of power
within. It wants kindling. Wake up now!

DESTROY SELFISHNESS – 21
It is selfishness that has contracted your heart deplorably. Selfishness is the bane of society. It
clouds one's understanding. It is petty-mindedness. It is the root cause of human suffering.
Real spiritual progress starts with selfless service. Serve the mendicants, devotees and the
sick. Serve the poor with love and affection. The Lord is seated in the hearts of all. The spirit of
service must enter into your very bones, cells, tissues and nerves. The reward is incalculable.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

Practice and feel the cosmic expansion and infinite bliss. Tall talk and idle gossip will not do.
Evince intense enthusiasm arid zeal for work.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

NO W ORK I S MENIAL – 22
He who has understood the right significance of Karma Yoga w,-ill take every work as Yogic
activity. There is no menial work in his vision. Every work is worship of the Lord. In the light of
Karma Yoga, all actions are sacred. The aspirant who always takes delight in doing work that is
considered menial in the eyes of worldly people, will eventually become a dynamic Yogi. He will
not have a downfall. The canker of pride will not taint his character.

BE DETACHED AND BALANCED – 23

Just as the tongue is not affected by taking ghee, so also you must be unaffected ever amidst
worldly activities and troubles. You must keep up balance of mind and detachment at all times.
This is Jnana.
You may fail to keep balance of mind even after numerous attempts but eventually you are
bound to succeed if you persist in the practice and if you discipline the mind properly.
Every failure is a pillar for future success. A Karma Yogi should not expect even a return of
gratitude, appreciation, love or admiration from the people whom he serves.

HOW TO JUDGE RIGHT AND WRONG – 24

Have right thinking. Use reason and common sense. Follow the injunctions of the Shastras.
Consult the Manu Smriti or Yajnavalkya Smriti whenever you have doubts. You will be able to
find out whether you are doing right or wrong actions.
The third way of distinguishing right from wrong is to have fear of God. Consult your
conscience. The subtle inner voice will guide you. As soon as you hear it, do not delay even a
moment. Start the action without consulting anyone. Practice listening to the inner voice in the
morning at 4am. If there is fear, shame, doubt or prick of the conscience, know that you are doing
wrong action.

BE N OT DELUDED – 25
You have a whole menagerie within you-the lion, the tiger, the serpent, the elephant, the ape,
the peacock. Bring them under your control. The beauty of the flesh is really due to the life-giving
principle of Prana. It is attributable to the light that emanates from the Arman.
This nasty body with discharges oozing from the nine outlets, is composed of five elements. It
is an inert object. Always remember this. Have a clear-cut, well-defined picture in your mind of
the components of this body. You will thus conquer lust by means of this mental exercise.

UNLOCK THE D O ORS WITHIN – 26

The ever-restless mind becomes calm when all desires disappear. Desires raise thoughts. Man
performs actions for acquiring the desired objects. Thus, he is caught in the wheel of this worldly
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

existence.
Just as in a bungalow there are doors between the outer and the inner rooms, so also there are
many doors between the lower and the higher mind. When the mind is purified by the practice of
Karma Yoga, austerity, right conduct, observances, meditation, Japa, study of the scriptures, and
the practice of restraints, then the doors between the lower and the higher mind are opened and
discrimination between the real and the unreal dawns. The eye of intuition opens. The practitioner
gets inspiration, revelation and higher divine knowledge. He enjoys peace and bliss.

MOULD Y OUR NATURE – 27

With the help of the subconscious mind you can change your vicious nature and cultivate
healthy, virtuous qualities that are opposed to the undesirable ones. If you wish to overcome fear,
mentally deny that you have it, and concentrate your mind upon the opposite quality-on the ideals
of strength and courage.
When this positive attitude is developed, fear will disappear by itself. A positive quality
always overpowers a negative one. This is the infallible law of nature. This is the substitution
method of the Raja Yogis. You can acquire a liking for distasteful tasks and duties by cultivating
a desire and taste for them. You can establish new habits, new ideals, new ideas, new attitudes
and new tastes.

TAP THE SUBC ONSCIOUS MIND – 28

If an idea is planted in the mind, it grows at night through the operation of the subconscious
mind. The subconscious mind never takes rest. It works vigorously throughout the twenty-four
hours.
Those who know well the art of manipulating this subconscious mind can turn out tremendous
mental work. Ail geniuses and eminent personalities have control over the subconscious mind.
You should understand clearly the method of extracting work from it. It is a most wonderful
underground mental factory.

HARNESS THE MIND – 29

Many philosophers and seers are unanimously agreed that the mind cannot usually attend to
more than one thing at a time. But through proper training and discipline you can harness the
powers of the mind for the performance of various mental actions simultaneously, and make it
shift with prodigious rapidity backward and forward from one end to the other, carrying out your
behests.
Change of thought, relaxation of the mind by allowing it to dwell on thoughts that are
pleasant, cheerfulness, Sattwic food-- all these are necessary for mental health. A cheerful attitude
and positive thinking are two of the most important ingredients of good health.
 Gregg Hill's Reflexology and Japanese Massage Institute presents:
DAILY MEDITATIONS
BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

Y OGA IN DAILY LIFE – 30

Ponder over the sufferings of human life. Sit very quietly in your room. Withdraw the senses
from objects. Look within. Meditate. You will soon attain immortality and regain your lost
Divinity.
You are not a slave of the senses and desires. You are the mighty emperor of emperors. Pain
is only a passing cloud. Sorrow is a fleeting shadow. Sorrow is false; it cannot live. Bliss is true;
it cannot die. Rise above desires. Renounce selfishness and egoism. Awake! Arise! Become a
dynamic Yogi. Enjoy thc eternal bliss of the Soul. Thou art the immortal and all-blissful Atman.
Thou art beyond the reach of pain, grief, sorrow, decay and death.
Think carefully, decide correctly, act truthfully, speak truthfully, live honestly, work
diligently, talk gently, behave properly. You are bound to succeed in any walk of life. You will
have peace of mind. You will have a pure conscience. You will get spiritual wealth of an
inexhaustible nature.

PRACTICE BEFORE THEORY – 31

Spiritual practice that is regular, systematic and sincere is of greater importance and necessity
than mere theoretical spiritual knowledge.
Even a grain of practice is better than tons of theory. Regularly study the scriptures and other
religious literature. Put into actual practice without delay whatever you find applicable and
beneficial. Develop the feeling that you must become an ideal Karma Yogi to serve the needy and
the forlorn. Keep a spiritual diary. It will hasten your progress.