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 Songs of Eighteen "Ities"  by Swami Sivananda
  "For everyone's success in life and especially for an aspirant's success in spiritual life, it is essential that he should develop certain cardinal virtues. Virtue is strength, power and the key to peace. A virtuous man is ever happy, peaceful and prosperous. People ask me for the specific mention of the virtues that one should develop. The Song of Eighteen "Ities" enumerates the virtues that one should cultivate".

Take up any one virtue and develop it to a very high degree of perfection; eradicate in toto its opposite evil quality even in its most subtle form. Meditate on these virtues, on their benefits and the methods of cultivating them. Here is the Song of Eighteen "Ities":

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.

"Serve Humanity and Seek Divinity" - by Swami Sivananda
"Come, come, wake up now. Claim your birthright. Recognise your identity. Enter into experience of the Divine Joy, Peace and Wisdom which is your Eternal Svarupa (essential nature). O beloved friend! O Radiant Atman! Do it now. You are indeed Divine. You are unchangeable, infinite, immortal Atman."
"Compassion to all is the key to blessedness. Humility is the highest virtue. Truthfulness is the greatest treasure. Self-control is the supreme wealth to possess. Egoism is the worst blemish and hence to be eradicated in toto."
"Be an ideal individual. Become a spiritually-illumined soul. Thus crown your life with Wisdom, Peace and Blessedness. You will then become a blessing to all mankind. I wish you joy and peace".<<More>>

Make This a Perfact Day
"Beloved and blessed presence, adorable Holy Master, thou who hast drawn us into thy proximity at the commencement of this golden day! Bless us that we may live each moment and hour of this precious day, in our thoughts, our words and actions, in such a noble and divine way that sundown finds us higher, holier, happier for having entered into this day, finds us nearer to the goal of human existence, namely divine perfection through Self-realization."

"Radiant Immortal Atman! This day is a new day. It has not been before and it shall not come once again. Ponder the uniqueness of this day, its specialty in being the one and only day of its kind, never to be compared with any other day that has gone by or any other day that will dawn. It is a part of God. God is timeless eternity, and a day is a little unit in this timelessness measured by man’s limited consciousness and bound by a now and then, a here and there." <<More>>.

Sivananda Ashram, Ahmedabad is pleased to bring you the final program Schedule of Divya Tour of  H. H. Swami Adhyatmananda to USA , Canada &  UK.  (June 9, 2006 - August  30, 2006)

 Follow Up reports of :
"Anana Utsav" (April 30, 2006 - May, 2006)
" YTTC" ( May 1, 2006 - May 20, 2006 )

I am not able to practice meditation for more than ten minutes. After that my mind begins to wander on sensual objects.

When you develop Ruchi or taste for Dhyana and Japa, you will be able to sit longer for Japa and meditation. Before going to bed, also in the morning at 4 o’clock, and before taking meal at noon, you should do Japa and meditation. Just as you take tea three or four times a day, so also, you should do Japa three or four times a day. Do not worry if the mind wanders. By gradual practice, it will come under your control. Do Kirtan when the mind wanders much. Do Nama-smaran while walking and working also— Sri Ram, Sri Ram.
If you are not able to sit in Padmasan for long, you can sit on a sofa and do Japa and meditation. It is not necessary that you should sit in Padmasan.
Give up onions and garlic completely. Give it up entirely. Do not prepare it at all at home. If you try to reduce it, one day you will take a little, another day you will be tempted to take a good quantity! A cigarette addict who wants to reduce cigarettes, takes a very few cigarettes on some days, but on some other days he smokes heavily, with a vengeance as it were, and more than compensates for the quantity foregone by him previously. Therefore, give up onions completely.
If you give nice cotton seeds and oil-cakes to your cow, it will cease to graze in your neighbour’s fields, it will give up its wandering habit in search of grass and herbs. Now your mind is running after Rasagulla and Peda which it has tasted. But if you give the mind the bliss of Japa and meditation, it will no more run after worldly objects. When you develop Ruchi for Japa and meditation, the mind will give up its wandering habit.