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| Make every minute count, the minutes are more important than the years. |
The Voice of Paramahansa Yogananda |
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Paramahansa Yogananda Quotes
Happiness |
Freedom |
DEVOTION
There cannot be any excuse for not thinking of God. Day and night, rolling in the background of your mind, God, God, God! Instead of money or sex or fame. Whether you are washing dishes or digging a ditch or working in an office or in a garden – whatever you may be doing, inwardly say, ‘Lord, manifest to me! You are right here. You are in the sun. You are in the grass. You are in the water. You are in this room. You are in my heart.’
Real devotion is internal. Day and night devotee thinks of nothing but God, and secretly tells him how dearly he loves Him.
One way to achieve unbroken devotion is to do everything for the Lord. Every day I am active for Him. This path is wonderful!
You waste precious time each day. Every little moment you spent with God will be spent to your best advantage; and whatever you achieve with the desire to please God in your heart will stand unto eternity.
The greatest mistake in life is to fail in devotional aspirations. Do not let it become weak and worthless, like a pale candle burning low and flickering out. Let all the heart’s love be the plenitude you shower on the Lord. The intensity of love within each human heart can be like indestructible spiritual radium. Let it glow deathlessly, with healing rays!
HAPPINESS
Material things cannot be owned by anybody, for at death they must be left behind & given to others. We are only allowed the use of things. It shows lack of wisdom to be 'possessed' by material things. Just pray to be given the use of things that you need and to be given the power to create at will what you need. Do not allow your happiness to be conditioned by what you have or do not have.
Happiness depends to some extent upon external conditions, but chiefly upon mental attitudes. In order to be happy one should have good health, a well-balanced mind, a prosperous life, the right work, a thankful heart, and above all, wisdom or knowledge of God.
Supreme happiness cannot be found in the world; but we need not run away to the jungle to seek Him (God) who is the Giver of all happiness. In this jungle of daily life, we may find Him in the cave of silence. Remember, the only man who is happy is the man who sits in the temple of silence and shuts out all storms or worries. Nothing can challenge the quietness of his soul.
Happiness lies in making others happy, in forsaking self-interest to bring joy to others.
You do not have to leave earth’s shores to put on wings; you must learn rather to be happy here and now, under all conditions; and consider others’ happiness as part of your own joy.
The Hindu scriptures describe the body as a product of Nature, with six defects of delusion: "It is born; it exists; it grows; it changes; it decays; it is annihilated." Most human beings nevertheless expect permanent happiness from this impermanent body. Because of the precedence of the experience of material pleasures, the ego is unwilling and unable to conceive of any higher state of happiness.
The saints have found that happiness lies in a constant mental state of unruffled peace during all the experiences of earthly dualities. A changeable mind perceives a changeable creation, and is easily disturbed; the unchangeable soul and the unruffled mind, on the other hand, behold, behind the masks of change, the Eternal Spirit. (More...)
FORGIVENESS
When you forgive, you are in spiritual consciousness. Forgiving means to give your enemy a chance to gain better understanding. If you become vengeful or angry, you only make more enemies, for an angry person is the target of all.
'One should forgive, under any injury,’ says the Mahabharata. It hath been said that the continuation of species is due to man’s being forgiving. Forgiveness is holiness, by forgiveness the universe is held together. Forgiveness is the might of might; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet mind. Forgiveness and gentleness are the qualities of Self-possessed. They represent eternal virtue.
RIGHT ATTITUDE
Man is a walking God. No human being should behave like an animal, identified with his lower nature. He should manifest his true divine Self.
Be afraid of nothing. Hating none, giving love to all, feeling the love of God, seeing His presence in everyone, and having but one desire—for His constant presence in the temple of your consciousness—that is the way to live in this world.
To be spiritual is to be broad, to understand and forgive, and to be a friend to all.
Whatever I do, I do with the greatest love that I have in me. Try this, and you will see that you do not become fatigued at all. Love is one of the greatest stimulants to the will. Under the influence of love the will can do almost anything.
Learn to stand unshaken midst the crash of breaking worlds.
If in a dream you strike your dream head on a dream wall, you will have a dream skull fracture. Wake up and you are healed of your dream injury.
Don’t take life so seriously. This world is a terrible place; there is no safety here. But what are we to do? We must stop taking life so seriously. Delusion can be overcome by holding steadfastly to one philosophy: everything here is nothing more than God’s motion picture.
If you read one hour, then write two hours, think three hours, and meditate all the time.
Making others happy through kindness of speech and sincerely given right advice is a sign of true greatness.
Salvation can come only through your own efforts. If you want to be saved you must make an effort continuously to give first importance to God. Constant reasoning and spiritual effort are necessary.
The yogi should distill from his diet life-force and energy, not sickness! He should also derive energy from the sun, by exposing his body in its rays to absorb pure oxygen, which is carbon-and-toxin destroying; and by practicing deep inhalations and exhalations.
I often think that the most sinful action in life is to admit failure, for in doing so, you deny the supreme power of your soul, God’s image within you. Never give up.
Retain evenness of mind under all circumstances. In every situation be calmly active and actively calm.
Seclusion is the price of finding God.
Business is nothing but serving others materially in the best possible way.
A lazy person never finds God.
I never miss three things: my meditations, morning and night; my exercises; and the service to others.
Do not keep company with people unless you are prepared to give them your full attention.
Live in the world, but be not of the world.
Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita: "Get away from this ocean of suffering." [see The Gita XII:7.] Be in the world and do your part, but do not be caught up and bound by its delusions, or you will be enslaved.
In the spiritual path no wholehearted devotee is ever unsuccessful. His labors are never in vain.
Your face is a reflector—your heart is the foundation upon which the reflection is based—your face must be a sermon; your face must be a beacon light for others to follow; your face must be a lighthouse to show shipwrecked souls the way to the harbor of safety; your face must be an altar where peace reigns, where God reigns. [more in the podcast: Power to Light Your Way]
God First!
Happiness |
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