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Companions Until Illumination Radiant Divinities! The way spiritual, which leads to true peace, everlasting joy, divine perfection, illumination and liberation, commences with sad-vichara—right enquiry into why we are here, what we are here for, what is this thing called life? Our presence, our being and doing upon this planet earth is characterised as life—what is this life?......

Upcoming  Holy Festivals at Sivananda Ashram, Ahmedabad

Srimad Bhagvata Katha (in Hindi ) March 13, 2007 to March 20, 2007 – Honoring devotees request, Srimad Bhagvata Katha in Hindi has been organized at Sivananda Ashram (A’bad). Pujya Sri Swami Adhyatmanandaji Maharaj will be on Vyasasana. Come, listen to the Glories of Lord Sri Krishna and attain a Blissful experience.   Sri Rama Janmotsava: (Tuesday, March 27, 2007) During the holy Vasant Navratri - March 19, 2007- March 27, 2007) Sri Rama Charit Manas Parayana(recitation)daily from 9.00am to 12.00pm and on Ramnavami day, a special satsang , Japa, Aarati & Mahaprasad from 9.00am to 12.00pm has been organized.
Yoga Teachers Training Course (May 12, 2007 - May 31, 2007)

Children’s residential camp (May 6, 2007- May 10, 2007).

News & Activity Report for theMonth of February 2007

Parable Of The Millionaire And Three Beggars
There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three beggars thought of approaching him for help. The first man went to the millionaire and said: "O Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me." The millionaire was taken aback at this man's impudence. "What! You demand five rupees from me as though I owe you the money! How dare you? How can I afford to give five rupees to a single beggar? Here, take these two rupees and get away," he said. The man went away with the two rupees. The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: "Maharaj! I have not taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me." "How much do you want?" asked the millionaire. "Whatever you give me, Maharaj," replied the beggar. "Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least three days." The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note. The third beggar came. "Maharaj, I have heard about your noble qualities. Therefore, I have come to have your Darshan. Men of such charitable disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth," he said. "Please sit down," said the millionaire. "You appear to be tired. Please take this food," he said, and offered food to the beggar. "Now please tell me what I can do for you." "Maharaj," replied the beggar; "I merely came to have the Darshan of the noble personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you!" But the millionaire, struck by the beggar's spirit, begged of the beggar to remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and looked after him for the rest of his life.

God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach Him, with three different desires and prayers.

There is the greedy man full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).

The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, inasmuch as he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.

The third type is the Jnani; he knows the nature of God. He merely prays to the Lord: "O Lord, Thou art Satchidananda; Thou art Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc." What does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his spirit of renunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He makes him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to Himself. Over and above this, He makes the Bhakta to live in His own House- Vaikuntha. For ever afterwards this Jnani-Bhakta dwells in the Lord's Abode as a Liberated Sage.

"The very essence of meditation is a state of mind
when the mind is filled with God and God alone,
nothing else besides God,
I repeat: “Meditation is filling the Mind
with God-thought”,
and, therefore,
emptying the mind of all thought other than that of God."
 

"What is Gangaji meditating upon?
Gangaji is meditating only upon Sagar(ocean)
Day and night she meditates on sagar
and flows steadily towards it,
and the culmination is that there is no Ganga
afterwards, there is only sagar.
The Ganga of your mind should always
be aware only of Sagar."
-Swami Chidananda