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TeachingsThe Teachings represent the Vedic Tradition under the Guidance of Sri Swamiji Maharaj whose Titles are set out below.
Svamiji’s Titles: Acarya Mahamandalesvara ‘Lord of the Great Circle’ Ananda Peethadhisvara ‘Lord of the Pitha (seat or conclave)of Ananda’ Avadhuta lit. ‘Naked’ – ‘He who has relinquished all creeds and sects’ Brahmanista ‘He who belongs only to Brahman’ 108, 1008, 1108 ‘1’ stands for the 1 God, ‘0’ for the Whole or Brahmanda, and ‘8’ for the eight manifestations of Shiva that He has mastered’ Parivrajakacaraya ‘The Preceptor who is always on the move – like water that retains its purity by never coming to rest’ Satdarshanacarya ‘The Preceptor who has mastered the six Great Schools of Indian Philosophy’ Srimat Paramahamsa ‘the Divine Swan’ He who is ever discriminating – but spontaneously so Vidya Vacaspati ‘Lord of Learning’ Virukta Siromani ‘He who has accomplished the Supreme Renunciation’ |
Excerpts of Svami Purna’s talks on the Bhagavad Gita. Additional Spiritual Messages may be found by clicking here.
Svamiji elaborates on the Divine traits of genuine leadership as set out in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita.
The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita - a part of the Mahabharata – were spoken and conveyed to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukschetra and can be considered as ‘Crisis Knowledge’ – how to behave and how to handle yourself in a crisis. When the crisis manifests, Knowledge is being given to you.
श्रीपरमात्मने नमः
अथ षोडशोऽध्यायः
श्रीभगवानुवाच
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥१६- १॥
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥१६- २॥
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।
भवन्ति संपदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥१६- ३॥
Manahprasadah – serenity of mind
Saumyatvam – kindness
Maunam - silence
Atmavinigrahah - self control
Bhavasamsuddir - purity of nature
Tapo – austerity
Manasam – mental
In the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna admits: “I can control the wind and other forces of nature, but oh, my Beloved, I cannot control my mind. Please tell me how to do that.”
Manahprasadah – serenity of mind is very important. If your mind is disturbed and filled with anxiety and stress – if your mind is muddled and muddied up – like the water that is disturbed in a pond, this will bring up the mud on the bottom of the pond and you will not be able to see clearly. The same applies to the mind when agitated.
Mind is your biggest tool, your biggest weapon, and the biggest technological weapon in your body politics. Manahprasadah… prasadah also means grace – the grace of a High Being, of a Great Master, and by the grace of a Great Master, by His power and shakti He can make your mind serene and still.
Saumyatvam: good heartedness, kindness. It is difficult to find the correct translation; the Sanskrit term Saumyatvam actually refers to a detachment from external circumstances while still having compassion and kindness in your heart. Having compassion, not only towards another but also towards all creatures becomes a manifestation of the Divine. While walking through nature, through the forest, being in tune with the trees, animals and even insects, being aware of oneness between every plant seed flower, that is part of that mighty creation – that is Saumyatvam.
Maunam: silence The word alone does not quite cover the meaning of ‘silence’. The great sage goes into silence and contemplates, and the Knowledge simply comes to him – that is maunam. The Knowledge comes through analyzing and contemplating. It becomes a natural process, a spontaneous act. Silence is very important.
When you go within yourself, shutting outing all the senses, becoming oblivious to what is going on around you, you are no longer externally involved. Withdrawing from all outside influences, that is going into maunam – silence. It is then that you can restore and collect energy.
Atmavinigrahah: self control. How can one explain self-control? The whole idea of enlightenment is that you are in control and you should not be controlled by anything. Remember what you are: if you are Atma, connected to the Supreme, you are on the path of connection to the Supreme. Know that you are in control. No one is controlling you. You are completely free. That freedom - freedom of the soul and freedom of eternity - comes with understanding of who and what you are.
Taking care of your mind can also be termed austerity, tapo. It is like going into the fire, through a fire-like state. You may be familiar with the feeling of being burned, when your mind goes through various processes of purification and modification. The mind has to go through many trials and tests, like gold-ore being purified in the fire when only pure gold remains, the purity of nature.
Mental austerity will help to achieve pure consciousness: sat – chit – anand, pure truth, pure consciousness and pure bliss. At that stage nothing will matter any more, no more battling with anything, no more crisis or conflict. Duality no longer exists, there is no ‘I and mine’, no ‘we and they’; it is all a part of the greater purpose. Understanding the purpose and the battleground is where the Gita can guide you. Try to understand and contemplate on one sloka at the time.
Svamiji elaborates on the Divine traits of genuine leadership as set out in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita.
The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita - a part of the Mahabharata – were spoken and conveyed to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukschetra and can be considered as ‘Crisis Knowledge’ – how to behave and how to handle yourself in a crisis. When the crisis manifests, Knowledge is being given to you.
श्रीपरमात्मने नमः
अथ षोडशोऽध्यायः
श्रीभगवानुवाच
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥१६- १॥
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥१६- २॥
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।
भवन्ति संपदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥१६- ३॥
Manahprasadah – serenity of mind
Saumyatvam – kindness
Maunam - silence
Atmavinigrahah - self control
Bhavasamsuddir - purity of nature
Tapo – austerity
Manasam – mental
In the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna admits: “I can control the wind and other forces of nature, but oh, my Beloved, I cannot control my mind. Please tell me how to do that.”
Manahprasadah – serenity of mind is very important. If your mind is disturbed and filled with anxiety and stress – if your mind is muddled and muddied up – like the water that is disturbed in a pond, this will bring up the mud on the bottom of the pond and you will not be able to see clearly. The same applies to the mind when agitated.
Mind is your biggest tool, your biggest weapon, and the biggest technological weapon in your body politics. Manahprasadah… prasadah also means grace – the grace of a High Being, of a Great Master, and by the grace of a Great Master, by His power and shakti He can make your mind serene and still.
Saumyatvam: good heartedness, kindness. It is difficult to find the correct translation; the Sanskrit term Saumyatvam actually refers to a detachment from external circumstances while still having compassion and kindness in your heart. Having compassion, not only towards another but also towards all creatures becomes a manifestation of the Divine. While walking through nature, through the forest, being in tune with the trees, animals and even insects, being aware of oneness between every plant seed flower, that is part of that mighty creation – that is Saumyatvam.
Maunam: silence The word alone does not quite cover the meaning of ‘silence’. The great sage goes into silence and contemplates, and the Knowledge simply comes to him – that is maunam. The Knowledge comes through analyzing and contemplating. It becomes a natural process, a spontaneous act. Silence is very important.
When you go within yourself, shutting outing all the senses, becoming oblivious to what is going on around you, you are no longer externally involved. Withdrawing from all outside influences, that is going into maunam – silence. It is then that you can restore and collect energy.
Atmavinigrahah: self control. How can one explain self-control? The whole idea of enlightenment is that you are in control and you should not be controlled by anything. Remember what you are: if you are Atma, connected to the Supreme, you are on the path of connection to the Supreme. Know that you are in control. No one is controlling you. You are completely free. That freedom - freedom of the soul and freedom of eternity - comes with understanding of who and what you are.
Taking care of your mind can also be termed austerity, tapo. It is like going into the fire, through a fire-like state. You may be familiar with the feeling of being burned, when your mind goes through various processes of purification and modification. The mind has to go through many trials and tests, like gold-ore being purified in the fire when only pure gold remains, the purity of nature.
Mental austerity will help to achieve pure consciousness: sat – chit – anand, pure truth, pure consciousness and pure bliss. At that stage nothing will matter any more, no more battling with anything, no more crisis or conflict. Duality no longer exists, there is no ‘I and mine’, no ‘we and they’; it is all a part of the greater purpose. Understanding the purpose and the battleground is where the Gita can guide you. Try to understand and contemplate on one sloka at the time.
