Sahasrara Land 

Absolute Truth is revealed in Sahasrara

Above the gross, above the Gunas, in the timelessness

Infinite hosts Reality and Cosmic Truth

Sahasrara Land is in the Realm of God

Sahasrara Land is in the Garden of The Spirit

IT is where Divine Lotus Feet reside

IT is where Divine Nectar comes from

IT is where Divine Love, Bliss, and Peace permeate into earthly world from

The only passport needed for this divine land

Is conscious surrendering to IT

Is acceptance of Pure Divine Love as it is

With pure, open heart

 Veni Grig

More: http://sahajapower.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/the-fragrance-of-the-spirit/

Hari Om!
Om Namo Narayanaya!

After a long gap during which we also enjoyed a month long stay at Sivananda Ashram in India (more on this will be posted soon), here is a post to share a very inspiring talk given by Guru Maharaj Pujya Sri Swami Chidanandaji:-

“What is good fortune and what is misfortune? Who is our friend and who is our enemy?

Man is the only living being endowed with discrimination and who has inherited vast knowledge through scriptures – the Vedas, Puranas, Srimad Bhagavatam, Panchadasi, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Narada Bhakti Sutras, Sandilya Bhakti Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, BrahmaSutras, etc – which are filled with so much wisdom. Add to it the wisdom teachings of many, many sages down the centuries. In our own times, there are the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Dev, Swami Ramdas, our own Gurudev, Ma Anandamyi, etc.

How much guidance we have got! If we don’t use this for our good, then who is to blame for it? Having all this and not utilizing it – it is our fault, not somebody else’s fault.

Vipado Naiva Vipadah, Sampado Naiva Sampadah !
Vipada Narayana Vismrutih, Sampat Smaranam Narayanasya !!

Misfortune is forgetting God – that is the real misfortune. Constantly remembering God and not to forget Him – what is greater fortune than this? This is indeed the greatest fortune. Other things are neither good fortune nor misfortune. These alone are the greatest good fortune and the greatest misfortune – Remembrance of God and forgetfulness of God.

Who is your friend? Who is your enemy?

He is your greatest friend, well-wisher, relative, companion, helper – who creates in you a taste for repetition of God’s name, even from your childhood. Srimad Bhagavata Maha Puran says that He is your father, mother, companion, best friend, helper, well wisher – who creates within you, a taste for the name of God even from your childhood. There cannot be a well-wisher greater than such a person, because in this Kaliyuga, repetition of God’s name is the greatest way.

Jaake Hruday na Ram Vaidehi !
Tyajiye Koti Vair sam Yadyapi Param Sanehi !!

That person, in whose heart God is not seated – here he mentions Lord Rama and Sita, the daughter of King Janaka Maharaj or Videha. That person who has not kept God and awareness of inner presence of God -even if he is your best friend, cast him away, leave him, renounce him, as though he is a million devils or enemies – who is intent upon doing you harm; who will destroy you, hurt you, harm you. Such a person, even if he happens to be your best friend, if he diverts your mind to miscellaneous enjoyments saying – lets go to the club or the cinemas, lets go and have a nice evening snack in the restaurant, etc. Any person who diverts you towards earthly activities, whose fruit is not attainment of God – discard, renounce, give up such a person as though he were a million enemies put together. Even if he happens to be your most intimate friend, because slowly he will color you in his own color. He will make you like himself.

This is a miniscule wisdom teaching out of many that we have received from various saintly sources. I think this one is from Sant Tulsidas.

Having provided you with these nuggets of spiritual teachings, gems of wisdom, I shall end the service of this morning, but Spiritual teachings are only useful when they are remembered; when they are kept in the heart and so remember them and benefit from them by applying them in your own life – subjective inner life as well as objective outer life in this world. Even if you have many lakhs of rupees in the bank and you do not make use of it, then you are as good as a poor person or a miser. A miser has money but he will not spend; a poor person has no money so he cannot spend. To either of them money is not of use in life. In the same way for spiritual teachings. Therefore, spiritual truths and guidance must be actively and constructively utilized. It is for living; you must apply it in your daily life by thought, word and deed.

Hari Om! Om… Om… Om!”

Yours in service of God and Gurudev,
Aparna & Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

The third issue of DIVINE AMBROSIA which is named as ‘Re-wiring Ourselves Spiritually..” is uploaded. We are sorry that we could not maintain this as monthly journal as article contributions were low. We are planning to keeping it either a bi-monthly or tri-monthly E-Magazine. If you want to contribute any articles for publishing in this magazine, you are welcome. Please contact us and send us your articles.

We hope you like this issue.
You can read it in reading layout produced from http://issuu.com

Get your own – Open publication

Yours, In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna & Hari

We were listening to one of Swami Tattvavidananda ji’s discourses and were so captivated by one example that he gave which highlights the difference between a Jnani (a realized one) and all the others.

The example is this:

There is a Giant wheel. It has axle in the horizontal plane and it rotates 360 degrees in the vertical plane. It is in the mela setting and as we ordinary people do, everyone is enjoying the mela. This Giant wheel is rotating so fast, going to the top and then coming to the bottom, with high speed.

A monkey came and jumped to the edge of a seat. Now it is on the top, and in the next moment, it was at the bottom. Again the giant wheel took it to top, and then to the bottom. Thus it is rotating without break and the poor monkey is clinging to its life sitting on the giant wheel.

Now, A pigeon came and sat on the axle of the wheel. The axle does not rotate, it is the wheel that rotates. While the giant wheel is moving up and down, this pigeon is not perturbed like the monkey, but is seated on a firm axle and just witnessing.

This Giant wheel is Samsara or the World. We ordinary people get on the wheel of the world and always are subjected to ups and downs. Whereas a Jnani, a realized person is not in the Samsara. He is detached and just witnesses !

What a wonderful example !

yours, In Service of Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

We are glad to bring out the second issue of Divine Ambosia for the month of May.

Please follow this link to view it and download it.

Divine Ambrosia, Issue-2, May 2008

If you would like it to be in more fancy layout, here it is, which is published in “ISSUU”

If you would like to contribute articles for publishing in this magazine, please send them to
DivineAmbrosia.ezine@gmail.com

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Thank you,

Yours In Service,
Aparna & Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

We got out the first issue of the Spiritual Monthly E-Magazine “Divine Ambrosia”. We hope to keep it as a monthly issue.

You can read it online here on Issuu, which provides good reading and zooming layout of the PDFs:

Or you can view on Saranaagathi website:
DIVINE AMBROSIA E-Magazine – April 2008.

Happy Ugadi to All of you !

Yours, In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Hari & Aparna

Dear All,

Hari Om !

The Sivananda Daily Reading today is very inspiring and wonderful. Many times Gurudev have responded and answered our questions through the Daily Readings.

THE THREE THINGS by Swami Sivananda

Eat three things; wear three things; practise three things: Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya. Remember three things: death, afflictions of the world and God. Renounce three things: egoism, desire and attachment. Cultivate three things: humility, fearlessness and love. Eradicate three things: lust, anger and greed.

Friends! Here are some triads for your daily spiritual practices. 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: generosity, courage and nobility; three things to respect: Guru, renunciation and discrimination. Three things to control: tongue, temper and tossing of mind.

Yours, In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

Vairagya (dispassion) is very important in Spiritual path. Gurudev often said that sadhana without the element of vairagya is like a cracked pot which slowly leaks away the effects of sadhana. Personally, I encounter this difficulty, as it is not easy to get concrete Vairagya towards many things, many habits which formed grooves in our mind.

The Four Spiritual Gems, that are outlined by Swamiji will really motivate us in developing both vairagya and devotion to Lord.

Four Spiritual Gems:

1. Remember the pains of Samsara
2. Remember Death
3. Remember the Saints
4. Remember God

(1) and (2) will produce Vairagya.
(3) will bring inspiration.
(4) will cause attainment of God-Consciousness.

Let us all benefit by remembering these four points.

Yours, In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

I have uploaded a wonderful E-book titled ” Sayings of Papa Ramdas” in the DOWNLOADS section. This book contains simple, profoud and inspiring sayings of Papa, categorized in sections of Ignorance, Ego-sense, Goal, Path , Divine Name, Renunciation, Bhakti, Jnana, Self-surrender, Universal Vision and Love, Karma Yoga, Purushottama, and General.

Kindly download it and be highly benefitted.

You can download here also !

Yours,
In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna Hari

Dear All,

Hari Om !

I love Gurudev Swami Sivananda’s English songs very much, because they are so apt, very unique, natural and fit for our modern times. And when Swamiji himself sings, the effect is wonderful and thrilling. With his child-like voice and God-realized spiritual power, he “roars like a lion of vedanta”.

Here, I am posting the Song of Eighteen ‘Ities’ written by Swami Sivananda ji Maharaj. Also, at the end, there is an audio link in his voice.

Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram Om
Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram

Serenity, regularity, absence of vanity,
Sincerity, simplicity, veracity,
Equanimity, fixity, non-irritability,
Adaptability, humility, tenacity,
Integrity, nobility, magnanimity,
Charity, generosity, purity.
Practice daily these eighteen ‘ities’,
You will soon attain immortality.
Brahman is the only real entity,
Mr. So and so is a false non-entity.
You will abide in eternity and infinity;
You will behold unity in diversity;
You cannot attain this in the university.
By the grace of Guru, you can attain immortality.

Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram Om
Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram.

Click here to download the Audio of the “Song of Eighteen ‘Ities’” It requires Real Audio Player.

Yours,
In Service of the Lord and Gurudev,
Aparna Hari

O Ram, I take refuge in Thee,
Thou art my love, my life, my lead,
I am in Thee, Thou art in me,
Thou art my father, mother, indeed.

Thou art the life that pervades all,
In Thee all things and lives reside,
Thou art the life in great and small,
In Thee my friend and brother abide.

Thy lotus feet my constant thought,
Thy light divine my only dream,
To serve Thee is my pleasing lot,
Thou art my wealth, name and fame.

O Ram, how charming is that sound,
O lips, utter Ram Ram,
O mind, meditate Ram Ram,
Forget thyself in Him – in Ram.

We have received the latest copy of “The Vision”, a wonderful spiritual booklet published by Anandashram in Kerala. I was reading through the “Papa Answers” section and found this insightful teaching of Papa. I quote here in Papa’s words:

“There are three kinds of minds. One is like a mudworm, the other like a house-fly and the third like a bee. The mudworm dwells always in mud and enjoys its life. Suppose you see a mudworm rolling in filth and out of compassion for it, you take it and place it on a clean spot. It won’t be happy there. It will die soon unless you put it back in filth. The house-fly sits on sweet and fragrant things, and also on filth. It enjoys both. It is with the sweet for sometime and then goes frorm there to remain in filth. The honey-bee sits only on flower and sucks honey. It will never sit on filth. So, the mind that we generally have (some times spiritual thoughts, sometime materialistic and bad thoughts) is like a house-fly. Our mind must be like a honey-bee, always finding delight only in the thought of God .”

- Papa Ramadas

Let us try to divinise our minds as Papa says !
Yours,
In Service of the Lord,
Aparna Hari