Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.
What you speak about, you can bring about!
If you keep saying you can’t stand your job, you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your body, your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.
If you keep saying you’re broke, guess what? You’ll always be broke.
If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
If you keep saying you can’t find a job, you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship, then you might end up with it.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith , hope , love and action .
Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your THOUGHTS, they become WORDS.
Watch your WORDS, they become ACTIONS.
Watch your ACTIONS, they become HABITS.
Watch your HABITS, they become CHARACTER.
Watch your CHARACTER, for it becomes your DESTINY.

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settle for.
Thought I would share this with you -
In the search for ME, I discovered TRUTH.
In the search for TRUTH, I discovered LOVE.
In the search for LOVE, I discovered GOD.
And in GOD, I have found EVERYTHING.
Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change the way you speak.
“Life is like melted butter. . .once things cool down, it can be reshaped!”
Be blessed.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION…

The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it’s not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

Friends are a very rare jewel indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

Affirmations are one of the simplest and most powerful things we can do to change the quality of our lives and to create the things we want. Affirmations are the force of creation.

“Every thought has a counterpart in a word or sound; the word and the thought are inseparable. The external part of a thing is what we may call the thought. The same thought may be expressed by different words or sounds. Though the sounds vary, yet the relation between the sound and the thoughts is a natural one” - Swami Nikhilananda Sri Ramakrishna Math.

The power of affirmations can be stated very simply: Affirmations are the force of creation. AUM being the sound symbol of Parmatman (Supreme Reality), it is considered to be the first vibration as sound emanating at the beginning of creation. “In the beginning was the word….” (John 1:10).

To affirm means to make firm. There is very little mystery about how and why affirmations work, once the principle is understood. An affirmation is simply a spoken declaration, in the present tense, which creates a desired reality. Affirm what you know to be true in your heart, and you will create that reality. Affirm that you are free, strong, attractive, prosperous and loving –you will find, often in a remarkably short time, that your outer world will begin to change as a reflection of your changing inner consciousness.

Through our words and the thoughts behind them, we are continually giving our bodies operating instructions. By being observant, we can become aware of this process. Everything, before it is created on the physical plane, is at first a spiritual impulse, then a thought, then a feeling. Before we can build a house, there must be a blueprint for it, a design, an idea. Words are creative ideas spoken, made manifest into the world. Vedanta explains this process as VASANAS. VASANAS are subtle impressions which the individual soul will carry with when the soul separates itself from the physical body upon the death of a person. To understand this term VASANA, first think of ice, which is gross. It is solid and it can be touched or felt and can be cut into different shapes. Water is subtler than ice. Water cannot be cut into shape, although it will assume the shape of its container. Water is liquid and not solid like ice. Steam is subtler than water. We cannot hold steam in our hand as we can hold water. Steam is visible for a while and then it becomes invisible. Humidity in the air is subtler than steam. The presence of humidity in the air cannot be seen. The vasanas are like the humidity in the air, subtlest of all. The vasanas undergo transformation at the level of the intellect into thoughts. The thoughts in turn undergo transformation at the level of the mind into desires; and the desires undergo transformation at the level of the physical body into actions.

Every thought and every word – positive or negative – is an affirmation, and is creating the reality of the affirmation. The simplest way to do affirmation consciously is just to say them to yourself, either out loud or silently, whenever you feel like it. Especially say them to counteract any negative thoughts or words you find yourself thinking or saying. This is not a tool for repression – allow yourself to have any thoughts and feelings you have – don’t reject them – yet, give yourself the time and energy to affirm a more desirable reality after you have experienced and explored your so-called ‘negative’ feelings. For example, if you find yourself thinking, ‘This job is making me sick,’ look at what you are thinking and see if that’s something you really want to create for yourself. If it isn’t, affirm to yourself, out loud or silently and with emotion, ‘I am strong and healthy, when I do my work,’ or ‘I am eternally strong, healthy and young,’ or something which feels good to you. Say it repeatedly, if necessary and say it with emotion, until it feels like it has sunk in. By just becoming more aware of what you are saying and what you are thinking, you will find that you have plenty of material to deal with. Notice the things that aren’t working in your life and find affirmations to correct the situations. Of course, your feelings about your job may be a very valid reason for you to find another, healthier job. But if you choose for the present to remain in the same situation, create the most positive thoughts you can about it.

Make the affirmations in the present tense – even if it seems unrealistic. Don’t affirm, ‘I am going to create abundance in my life,’ because the results will always be waiting to happen in the future. Instead, suspend your current beliefs for a moment and affirm, ‘I now have abundance in my life!’ – and you’ll soon find that it is true. How soon your abundance will come depends on how strongly your affirmation is repeated and whether or not you are affirming the opposite on deeper levels of your consciousness (your subconscious negative beliefs). Many people are unconscious of this – and they are so often saying things like, ‘This is really making me sick,’ or ‘This job is killing me,’ or ‘He is a pain in the neck,’ or ‘This is driving me crazy,’ or ‘I can’t do it.’ These words are affirmations, just like any other words. No wonder these people are getting sick, dying too young at jobs they hate, getting headaches, going crazy and failing in life.

Look at your life – clearly and honestly. You will see what you have been affirming to yourself. Most of us have created a lot of things that we would prefer to do without. It is time to affirm, to create something better for yourself. We have been giving ourselves affirmations all our lives. Others also have been giving us affirmations all our lives. The only problem has been that we have not been consciously aware of the process and power of affirmations so we have affirmed a lot of things, which we could do better without.

Anything you say or think to yourself is an affirmation. Anything anyone else says to you is an affirmation, if you accept it. Our subconscious minds accept it all – whether for better or worse. Many of us grew up in environments, which may not have been totally supportive. Most of us had parents, families, friends and other peers who may have given us a lot of terrible affirmations, which were destructive to our self-image. Children often tell each other that they are stupid or ugly or unable to do something. Brothers or sisters often say unflattering things to each other. These are unfortunate, negative affirmations. Most people are still carrying with them, in their basic core beliefs, the non-supportive things, which their parents, teachers, friends and families told them when they were so young that they didn’t have the awareness to question or ignore. These affirmations have an especially powerful effect when there is a strong emotion behind them- those moments when Mommy is deeply upset and yells: “You never do anything for me!” give the child a deep affirmation of his or her own selfishness and worthlessness.

It’s no wonder that people have affirmed themselves into neurosis, poverty, selfishness, unattractiveness, sickness, weak and limited self-images, etc. Fortunately, affirmations are so powerful that a few minutes of conscious, deep, positive ones repeated daily for a few weeks could do years of unconscious, deep, negative ones. This is especially true because the positive affirmations have the greatest power in the universe behind them: the power of truth. Because the truth is that you are a free being. You are not limited or restricted, your life is worthwhile, you are a good person – not a bad one and you are really loving – even though that love may be buried under years of unexpressed anger, guilt and frustration.

Therefore, we emphasize again: Affirm what you know to be true in your heart and you will create that reality. Affirm that you are free, strong, attractive, prosperous and loving – you will find, often in a remarkably short time, that your outer world will begin to change as a reflection of your changing inner consciousness.

Often misunderstood, misused or abused and generally known as The Caste System - Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.

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In the Bhagavad-Gita, The Lord says:

“The fourfold caste has been created by Me;

according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma;”

………… Ch.4, Verse 13

“There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the gods,

that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature. ”

………… Ch.18, Verse 40

“Of Brahmanas, Kshtriyas and Vaishyas, as also the Sudras,

O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature. ”

………… Ch.18, Verse 41

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The word ‘GUNA’ - Satwa, Rajas and Tamas; in Vedanta means Prakriti. The principle of caste system is not confined to any one country. It applies to all human beings of all races, in all countries. This Sanatan principle is eternal and is not subject to change. It remains unchanged in the past, in the present and in the future.

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The Creator created human beings with their four divisions, viz., Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras. The colour Brahmanas obtained was white; the Kshatriyas got red; the Vaisyas yellow and black was given to the Sudras. Here the words expressive of hue or colour really mean attributes. What is intended to be said is that the Brahmanas had the attribute of Goodness - Sattwa; the second order had the attribute of Passion - Rajas; third got a mixture of both goodness and passion (Sattwa and Rajas); while the lowest order got the remaining attribute, viz., Darkness - Tamas.

The whole world at first consisted of Brahmanas. Created equal by the Creator, Jevas have in consequence of their acts, become distributed into different orders. Those became fond of indulging in desire and enjoying pleasures, possessed of the attributes of severity and wrath, endued with courage and unmindful of the duties of piety and worship - these Brahmanas possessing the attribute of Passion became Kshatriyas.

Those Brahmanas again who, without attending to the duties laid down for them, became possessed of both the attributes of Goodness and Passion; took to the professions of cattle-rearing and agriculture, became Vaisyas. Those Brahmanas fond of untruth and injuring other creatures, possessed cupidity, engaged in all kinds of acts for a living and fallen away from purity of behaviour, thus wedded to the attribute of Darkness, became Sudras.

Separated by these occupations, Brahmanas, falling away from their own order, became members of the other three orders. All the four orders, therefore, have always the right to the performance of all pious duties and of sacrifices. Even thus were the four orders at first created equal by Brahma - the Creator who ordained for all of them (the observances disclosed in) the words of Brahma (the Vedas). Through cupidity alone, many fell away and became possessed by ignorance.

The Brahmanas always devoted to the scriptures on Brahma and mindful of vows and restraints are capable of grasping the conception of Brahman. Their penances therefore, never go for nothing. They amongst them are not Brahmanas that are incapable of understanding that every created thing is Supreme Brahman. These, falling away, became members of diverse (inferior) orders. Losing the light of knowledge and betaking themselves to an unrestrained course of conduct, they take birth as Pisachas, Rakshasas or demons, Pretas and individuals of diverse Mleccha species.

A person, who has been sanctified by such rites as those called JATA and others; who is pure in behaviour; who is engaged in studying the Vedas; who is devoted to the six well-known acts of ablutions every morning and evening, silent recitation of mantras, pouring libations on the sacrificial fire, worshipping the deities, doing the duties of hospitality to guests and offering food to the Viswedevas; who is properly observant of all pious acts; who never takes food without having offered it duly to gods and guests; who is filled with reverence for his preceptor and who is always devoted to vows and truth is called a Brahmana in whom are truth, gifts, abstention from injury to others, compassion, shame, benevolence and penance.

He who is engaged in the profession of battle, who studies the Vedas, who makes gifts to Brahmanas and takes wealth from those he protects, is called a Kshatriya. He who earns fame from keep of cattle, who is employed in agriculture and the means of acquiring wealth, who is pure in behaviour and attends to the study of the Vedas, is called a Vaisya. He who takes pleasure in eating every kind of food, who is engaged in doing every kind of work, who is impure in behaviour, who does not study the Vedas and whose conduct is unclean, is said to be a Sudra. If the saID characteristics be observable in a Sudra and if they be not found in a Brahmana, then such a Sudra, is not a Sudra and such a Brahmana is no Brahmana.

This as self-restraint, is the highest results of Knowledge. Those passions - cupidity and wrath, should be resisted, with whole heart. They make their appearance for destroying the highest good. One should always protect the prosperity from wrath, penance from pride; knowledge from honour & disgrace; and the soul from error. That intelligent person, who does all acts without desire of fruit, whose whole wealth exists for charity and performs the daily Homa, is a real renouncer or karma-sannyasa.

Every individual should behave oneself as a friend to all creatures, abstaining from all acts of injury. Rejecting the acceptance of all gifts, should by the aid of intelligence, be a complete master of passions. Should live in soul where there can be no grief. There would then have no fear here and attain to a fearless region hereafter. One should live always devoted to penances and with all passions completely restrained; observing the vow of taciturnity and with soul concentrated on itself; desirous of conquering the unconquered senses and unattached in the midst of attachments.

The indications of a Brahmana are purity, good behaviour and compassion unto all creatures. Sufficient liberty of action is left to them in consequence of which all individuals may attain to an equality of condition. A man of wisdom cannot catch hold of a sinful person and forcibly cause him to become righteous. When seriously urged to act righteously, the sinful only act with hypocrisy, impelled by fear.

All are equal in respect of their physical organism. All of them, again, are possessed of souls that are equal
in respect of their nature. When dissolution comes, everything dissolves away. What remains is the inceptive will to achieve Righteousness. That, indeed, reappears in next life of itself. When such is the result, that is when the enjoyments and endurance of this life are due to the acts of a past life, the inequality of lot discernible among human beings cannot be regarded in any way anomalous.

The status of a Brahmana is incapable of acquisition by a person belonging to any of the three other orders. That status is the highest with respect to all creatures. Travelling through innumerable orders of existence, by undergoing repeated births, one at last, in some birth, becomes born as a Brahmana. The status of a Brahmana is incapable of acquisition by persons begotten on uncleansed souls. But With the aid of these acts a Sudra may become a Brahman. Endued with knowledge and science, purified from all dross and fully conversant with the Vedas, a pious Kshatriya, by his own acts, becomes Brahman.

If the Sudra desires to be a Vaisya, he should abstain from meat, be truthful in speech, free from pride and arrogance. He should rise superior to all pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, joy and sorrow etc., he should be observant of the duties of peace and tranquility and become pure in body and mind.

The status of Brahmana once gained, it should always be protected with care. The manner in which a Sudra becomes Brahmana, is similar by which a Brahmana may fall away from his pure status to become a Sudra.

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FromTejabindupanishad, Shloka 12:

Brahman - the Supreme Reality is not known to those who are possessed of avarice, delusion, fear, egotism, lust, anger and sin or possessed of heat and cold, hunger and thirst, or mental resolve and indecision, or pride of birth in a Brahmin (priest) family, or vanity in having read a mass of books on Mukti (liberation or salvation). In other words - Realisation is not dependent on birth or book-learning as has been repeatedly demonstrated in the lives of saints, from the very earliest times to our own day.

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Whatever has happened, has happened for good.
Whatever is happening, is happening for good.
Whatever is going to happen, it will be for good.
What have you lost for which you cry?
What did you bring with you, which you have lost?
What did you produce, which has been destroyed?
You did not bring anything when you were born.
Whatever you have, you have received from Him.
Whatever you will give, you will give to Him.
You came empty handed and you will go the same way.
Whatever is yours today was somebody else’s yesterday and will be somebody else’s tomorrow.
SO WHY WORRY UNNECESSARILY?
Change is the law of the universe

One of the many exquisite working models towards self-knowledge and self-mastery provided by the Hindu world-vision is a psychological framework through which we learn to distinguish the various features, ‘modes’ or trends that are governing our nature and universe. In the unmanifested Universe, energy has three qualities that exist together in equilibrium; these features or qualities of all natural life are called Gunas and they are namely Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Once energy takes form, one quality of the three predominates. But no matter which quality prevails, an element of each of the other two will always be present as well.

What are The Gunas?

Guna is a state of mind - an attitude. Attitudes are basically qualities or tones of vibration which are found in everything, especially in human. There are three Gunas, or attitudes, from which all the more subtle attitudes are derived. They are: Sattva (purity); Rajas (activity, passion, the process of change); and Tamas (darkness, inertia). The Gunas bind your spirit to the body and keeps it here. Guna is an earthly quality.

The gunas are born from Prakriti. The Divine does not reside in them but they reside in the Divine. In the Divine consciousness, they remain in a state of perfect balance. When this balance is disturbed, the manifest creation begins and beings come into existence with the combination of gunas in different proportions. Under their influence human beings cannot recognize the presence of God amidst us. Because of association with the gunas (qualities), the division of reality and unreality take birth. Thus the soul comes under the influence of the gunas. The primary purpose of the gunas is to create delusion, through desires and attachment then keep the beings under the perpetual control of Prakriti.

Sattva

Sattva, is stainlessness luminous and free from evil. Sattva is a calm, peaceful and clear energy. When through every sense in the body, the light of intelligence shines, it should be known that Sattva is predominant. If Sattva rules in a person, they always do the right thing. Sattva binds the spirit to the body with freedom, happiness and knowledge. Sattva rules by suppressing Rajas and Tamas. When goodness and wisdom are present in your whole being, flows out from your whole self - then Sattva is ruling. The fruit of good action, they say, is Sâttvika and pure. Sattvic Food is fresh, juicy, light, unctuous, nourishing, sweet & tasty and easy to digest. Give the necessary energy to the body with no toxins. juicy fruits, fresh vegetables that are easily digestible, fresh milk and butter, whole soaked or also sprouted beans, grains and nuts, many herbs and spices in the right combinations with other foods.

If the embodied one meets death when Sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless regions of the worshippers of the Highest. A sattvic person on death attains higher worlds and when reborn takes birth among pious people. It is hard to identify a sattvic person as they are calm, centered, compassionate and unselfish.

Rajas

Rajas is the nature of passion, giving rise to thirst and attachment. Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, unrest, longing - these arise when Rajas is predominant. Rajas or selfish activity is seen in people who are chasing materialistic or egocentric dreams. They are full of desire, thirsting for worldly enjoyment and even at more extreme ends of the scale, fueled by competition and ambitiousness. Mostly they are rich by average standards or above. They care too much about their properties like cars and houses. They would do almost anything for money. They live selfish, greedy, restless and very active lives. The outcome of Raajasika action, fundamentally a selfish action is pain. Rajasic Food is bitter, sour, salty, pungent, hot and dry. Are quite stimulating; often times over stimulating. It increases the speed and excitement of human organism. Examples are sattvic foods that have been fried in oil or cooked too much or eaten in excess, specific foods and spices that are strongly exciting.

Meeting death at Rajas domination of life, they are re-incarnated as a person with Raajasika gunas. Raajasika persons are reborn in this mortal world, after death, they remain in the middle worlds and when reborn, takes birth in the family of those who are attached to actions.

Tamas

Tamas is dull, insensible, gloomy and dark energy. Tamas or inertia, binds the spirit by laziness, ignorance and too much sleep. Darkness, inertness, miscomprehension and delusion - these arise when Tamas is predominant. Tamas attaches you to ignorance by hiding the knowledge. Tamas dominates by suppressing other gunas; Rajas and Sattva. Ignorance, laziness, carelessness and delusion arise when Tamas is predominant. Principally ignorance crop up from Tamas. Taamasika persons, living in the lowest Guna, mostly experience misery. A Taamasika person does not do anything much in their life. They wake up late, eat and often take alcohol – may be all the day. This is a much global statement; generally they are very lazy and ignorant. They are not interested in learning anything; people often have hard time changing a Taamasika person’s mind. They neglect their duties; do not care about other people much. Ignorance is the fruit of Tamas. Tamasic Food is dry, old, decaying, distasteful and/or unpalatable. Examples are foods that have been strongly processed, canned or frozen and old, stale or incompatible with each other - meat, fish, eggs and liquor are especially tamasic. Eating too much is also Tamasic.

If a person die while Tamas rules, he sinks to lowest regions on dying and takes birth among the ignorant and deluded dominated by Tamas. They are repeatedly born as lower class creatures of humankind. Anything you do while Tamas ruling your life, the consequence will be ignorance, negligence and delusion.

The three gunas compete among themselves for supremacy while they exist in the beings. Sattva exists by suppressing Rajas and Tamas. Rajas exists by suppressing Sattva and Tamas. As well as Tamas by suppressing both Sattva and Rajas. From Sattva arises wisdom and greed from Rajas; miscomprehension, delusion and ignorance arise from Tamas. The Sattva-abiding go upwards; the Râjasika dwell in the middle and the Tâmasika, in function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.

The purpose of such an elaborate description of these three qualities in the Gita is not to encourage us to become sattvic or eliminate other qualities. The gunas whether it is sattva or rajas or tamas, are part of Prakriti and are responsible for our illusion and all suffering on earth. The Gita therefore aims to make us free from these qualities completely by making us clearly understand the nature of these qualities and how they tend to keep us in bondage and illusion. Hence one should go beyond these three gunas and attain immortality and freedom from birth, death, old age and sorrow.

The embodied one having gone beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay and pain moreover attains to immortality. He who has gone beyond these three Gunas neither likes illumination, activity and delusion when present nor dislikes when they are absent. He is not moved by the Gunas. He remains unshaken, unconcerned, knowing that the gunas are carrying out their actions. Alike in pleasure and pain, Self-abiding, regarding a clod of earth, a stone and gold alike; the same to agreeable and disagreeable, firm, the same in condemn and praise. The same in honour and disgrace, the same to friend and enemy, abandon all undertakings—he is said to have gone beyond the Gunas.

The gunas are great map for navigating your way through life. When you can recognize which of these energies are at play in your life, it makes it so much easier to bring about a state of balance. A correct understanding of the three qualities of Nature is thus very essential to overcome the bondage to earthly life and attain the Supreme Self.

What is the easiest way of practicing and bringing religion into our lives? There are two broad principles governing human action. The first of the two principles is based on the attitude of GIVING. The second is based on the attitude of TAKING.

If the attitude of TAKING prevails in a society you will find its members possessed with multifold selfish demands and desires. Consequently, there is struggle, stress and strain in that society with crimes, robbery, rapes, corruption, inconsiderate selfish behaviour, becoming prevalent at national, community, family and individual levels.

Let their attitude change to GIVING. Their demands and desires drop their selfishness. Harmony, peace and happiness will reign in that very same society. The dignity of human race is founded upon the principle of GIVING. Life is to give, not to take. One ought not to demand from society. Perhaps one’s only right in the world is to give, to serve. To serve one and all. Serve the nation; serve the society, the family and yourself. This is the first of the elements of right living. We need to do service to maintain our proper spiritual well being. While the physical body resorts to service, the mind must embrace the world with love.

This is the second element of right living. All our emotions must be amalgamated into a mass of universal love. Our pleasures and pains are identical with those of our fellow creatures. This is true love. The feeling of true love arises from purity. Such purity of love upgrades us to greater spiritual heights.

Knowledge of Vedanta inculcates the elements of right living into our physical, mental and intellectual personalities. Our actions develop a spirit of true service. Our emotions get chastened with pure love. Our discrimination gains subtlety to distinguish between the higher and the lower aspects of life with the result that our attachment for the lower drops off. By maintaining these disciplines at the three levels of our personality, we live an ideal life.

There are only two types of people in this world, the one possessing a divine nature and the other possessing a demoniac disposition. Men possessing a demoniac disposition know not what is right activity and what is right abstinence from activity. Hence they possess neither purity (external or internal) nor good conduct nor even truthfulness.

Bhagavad-Gita Ch. 16, verses 6 & 7

By Sri A.Parthasarathy From his book Vedanta Treatise

In the olden days, a young woman was living with her 3-year-old son in a house near the banks of a river. In the hot summer season the waters of the river had receded and people would walk across knee-deep waters to cross the river. The woman left her house and went across the river to gather some wood from the countryside. When she came back to the river, to her horror, she saw the river in floods. Lots of heavy rains in the mountain regions caused the waters to make the river swell with water. The woman was worried about her 3-year-old son. He could wander around to the rapidly flowing waters of the river and can drown. The mother was getting hysterical with fear and worry.

Just then two young and well built Brahmacharis (celibate students) were passing by and the mother, crying and begging, asked the Brahmacharis to help her go across the river. She told them about her 3-year-old son left alone to play by the house.

The Brahmacharis remembered the strict rules that they should not touch any female, lest that could arouse desires. That they should not be in the company of any females.

One Brahmachari whose name was Harshananda, reminded himself of the strict rules and said he cannot help the young woman. The other Brahmachari whose name was Devananda, immediately carried the mother on his shoulders and started swimming across the strong currents of the river. He safely delivered the mother to the other side of the river and swam back.

The Brahmacharis resumed their journey towards the Ashram where they were staying with their Guru. Harshananda, who refused to help could not believe the breach of the strict regulations and was constantly harping on it, muttering and thinking about it all the way.

When they reached the Ashram, the Guru asked them how their day went. The irritated Brahmachari Harshananda immediately spoke out in strong condemnation about the behaviour of his companion. Then the Guru asked the other Brahmachari.

Devananda said: I carried the mother across the river and forgot all about it but it seems my friend is still carrying the woman in his mind.

The Guru was pleased with Devananda who used his discrimination and helped the mother and spoke about the true meaning of hypocrisy as taught in the Bhagavad-Gita.

He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense objects in mind, he of deluded understanding is called a hypocrite.

Bhagavad-Gita Ch. 3, Verse 6

The five organs of action known as Karma Indriyas, are Vak-organ of speech, Pani-hands, Padam-feet, Upastha-genital and Guda-anus. They are born of the Rajasic portion of the five tanmatras or subtle elements. Vak-speech from the akasha tanmatra (space), Pani-hands from the vayu tanmatra (air), Padam-feet from the agni tanmatra (fire), Upasthan-genital from Aapas tanmatra (water) and Guda-anus from the prithivi tanmatra (earth). That man who, restraining the organs of action, sits revolving in his mind, thoughts regarding the objects of the senses is a man of sinful conduct. He is self-deluded. He is a veritable hypocrite.

The organs of action must be controlled. The thoughts should also be controlled. The mind should be firmly fixed on the Lord. Only then will you become a true Yogi. Only then will you attain to Self-realisation.

- Swami Shivananda, The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

A water bearer in India had two large pots,one hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house. The cracked pot arrived only half full.For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house.Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

Why?” asked the bearer.

“What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house.

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Moral

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots.

But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there.

There is a lot of good in us! Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape

Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life! <p