GREAT QUOTES - of SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA - (POST DT 24 SEP 2012)

GREAT Quotes

of

Swami Sukhabodhananda

Swami Sukhabodhananda  is one of the Great Indian Spiritual Masters of our times. His LIFE PROGRAM is Unique in its spiritual experience and its lessons for worldly success both. His other programs are also marvelously structured and are suitable for both spiritually oriented Individuals and also for those aspiring for worldly success.

His Books are a real pleasure to read and highly illuminating. They are  a MUST READ for learning LIFE’S LESSONS in the most effective way.

Here are some of his Beautiful quotes. As You can see – these quotes are as much intended for daily life, as they are – for spiritual path.

You will enjoy each quote. But please read, and re-read  till the intent gets into your mind and heart.

1.    When God gives us problems, it is to humble us and not to tumble us.

2.    Pain is a gift from the divine to look into what is happening more deeply.

3.    You should be the master of the mind rather than mind being your master. You should use the mind rather than let the mind use you.

4.    Mind creates misery by its desires, expectations, anger and jealousy stimulated by unnecessary comparisons.

5.    When one is alert, one can transform poison into medicine.

6.    A noisy and pushy mind leads one to a state of unhappiness.

7.    In a seed, there is an infinite capacity to grow. Infinity exists in a finite seed. A seed planted becomes a tree. From a tree again there is a fruit, from a fruit there is a seed, from a seed a tree, so in a finite seed there is the infinite capacity to grow.

8.    Worry is a form of identification. It is useless. Unfortunately many of us think it is right to worry about someone we love. This is madness in motion. Give up this voluntary form of suffering.

9.    Learn to be a witness to your thoughts and feelings. In the witnessing consciousness, there is no identification with anything. Identification leads to misery.

10. Can you dwell a little more on the inner world, the mind? Generally, we are present physically in a place while being psychologically elsewhere. Outer seeing makes you see physically where you are. Inner seeing makes you see psychologically where you are.

11. There is no greater force than awareness. When one increases awareness, even a poison can turn into a medicine and with no awareness a medicine can become a poison.

12. There are differences in a relationship. Do not give too much of importance to them. Give importance to your love and commitment, to your commonality, like you enjoy the joy rides in an amusement park, even though it appears scary. It gives you jitters but still you enjoy. Enjoy your relationship.

13. Negative emotions poison life. Like avoiding poisonous food, avoid negative emotions. Like how you are very alert when you see a poisonous snake, be very aware and alert of negative emotions. Let them come, don’t identify with them. Don’t participate in them.

14. If you go on comparing, life becomes miserable. If somebody is better than you, learn from them; enjoy others’ success. No one can have all the good qualities. Someone will always be better than you at some level. Do not whip yourself with this comparison.

15. The Gita encourages us to be calm and serene irrespective of the situations that we face in life. Only such an individual is closer to enlightenment who remains calm. The greatest discipline is in keeping our minds calm in spite of external turbulent situations. This is the core teaching of the Gita.

16. A Zen Master was asked about the secret of his being always happy. The Zen Master replied, ‘When I wake up in the morning, I ask myself whether I want to be in - heaven or hell? Then I decide to be in heaven. The moment I decide to be in heaven, I create heaven in every moment of my life.’

17. The choice in our life is either we come from commitment or complaint. We have to decide that. Invariably we find people who are powerful are those who operate from commitment. And those who are powerless, always operate from complaint. One’s state of being will be powerful if one operates from commitment.

18. Another dimension one needs to add is to operate from selflessness. When we do something that is selfless, we find unknown forces mysteriously strengthen our hands. Pathanjali, a great Yogi says, ‘Do something good … be in the path of goodness, and… you will find forces that mysteriously help you.’

19. Understand that you are the creator of your suffering. This understanding will help you dissolve suffering. An unhappy person in heaven will convert even heaven into hell; a happy person can convert hell into heaven.” So, change is not required anywhere except within oneself.

20. There are two types of sufferings :- • Legitimate; • Illegitimate;  Legitimate suffering is sorrow that is proportionate to the situation. For example your son dies in an accident. This sorrow is valid. But if you continue worrying for more than one or two years, then there is a psychological aspect to it.  To handle legitimate sufferings, one should understand that such suffering is the result of your past deeds…Illegitimate suffering is suffering that is not proportionate to the situation. For example, somebody calls you a fool. You brood over it for days on end. It is this suffering that one can end through right thinking.

21. When your suffering is due to Karma, your past deeds, you have to understand that you are only repaying your debt.

22. Surrender is a leap from the ordinary to the sacred; from the logical to the cosmic. Surrender is like opening the third eye….

23. Surrender is in the realization that God gives me what I need more than what I want. Surrender is trust. Surrender is being open to life.

24. Mostly, tensions emerge from the way your mind languages your experience. For example, a student runs several miles and enjoys running but when it is made a punishment, running creates tension. Where does the tension come from? It is through the interpretations in one’s mind.

25. Observe a surfer…. the stronger the waves, the more does he enjoy it. He decides that he is going to enjoy the waves while surfing. When waves are strong, he is totally present in the moment. There are no interfering thoughts in him. In such space something in him makes him very alive to the life around him.

26. Learn to be in the present. Be aware of the present in total. There is joy being in the present. Do not get lost either in the past or future.

27. Learn to live from the ‘higher self’ and not from the ‘lower self.’ The ‘higher self’ encourages you, as it is filled with positiveness. The ‘lower self’ is an interfering self. It discourages you. It acts more like an obstacle.

28. Can my house be like that of a rich man? Or can my house be better than that of my neighbour? You are always lost in comparison. But life is simple. Ambitions make it complex. Only if you stop the greedy game of going ahead of others, can you be happy.

29. A meditative attitude is very different. Meditation awakens your awareness. Once your awareness is of high order, you realise the foolishness of comparison. You would not allow others’ success to define your failure. You would see the beauty of ‘what is’ and not get lost in ‘what should be.’

30. You would see the uniqueness of yourself. Everyone is unique. Everyone is incomparable. You would learn the art of seeing beauty even in imperfection. You would participate in the miracle of life than being busy in judging life. You would listen to the music of life. You would listen to the mantra of life or the song of life. Your listening would be with your heart. Without this inner and outer, music will not be heard. With this, your perception awakens to newer heights.

31. Commitment is the language of the wise; complaint is the language of the fools. Commitment is a responsibility and also includes accountability. In life, one should be responsible as well as accountable. Generally one takes responsibility without accountability; this weakens one’s being.

32. We have both - an actor and a thinker in us. Every time we lie, the thinker warns us that we are lying and the actor asks us to shut up and continue telling lies. In such a state, there is a split in our being — between the actor and the thinker. It is like riding a chariot with two horses, with the horses going in two different directions. Commitment creates integrity. In this state, it is easier to bring forth the excellence in our lives.

33. Excellence happens when there is love to grow and contribute.

34. Creativity occurs primarily through the power of intention. Intention is like sowing a seed in existence. Allow it to germinate. Allow the forces of nature to nurture life.

35. Commitment also involves dropping illusions. We do not see the world as it is. We see the world projected through our verbose minds.

36. When you are unhappy, there is a pay-off, People give you sympathy. When you are happy, you have to pay a price…. people feel jealous of you.

37. Since childhood you play this racket of getting attention. As you grow up this game continues. Have you seen beautiful girls? They tempt men and when a man falls for them, they push him aside and thus feel strong. This is called the ‘kiss me off racket.’ Men also use anger as a racket to protect their inner wound. Anger in such a case becomes a defence mechanism.

38. Rackets are manipulative games to seek attention. They are types of mental sickness. One’s psychological immune system becomes weak. Hence, one is prone to the path of wrong, like when one’s body’s immune system is weak; one is prone to an infection.

39. Become aware. Each time you are miserable, it is your choice. This is your game. You have some hidden agenda. If you see the foolishness of the hidden agenda, then you will drop it. It is like being tempted to eat excess sweets, but the moment you know it is harmful; you will not be tempted to eat them.

40. Buddha, Krishna and Jesus can still be communicated to, if only you are more meditative. Their ‘presence’ is never destroyed. Lord Krishna in the Gita says, ‘They are fools who consider me to be only the body.’ All great masters can be connected to, if you are more meditative. You need not be frustrated if you can’t meet your master. Be in silence. Ask your question in that space of silence and you get an answer not from the mind but from the beyond. You have to experience this. This is not a matter of logic; it is a matter of experience

41. Do we have likes and dislikes or do likes and dislikes have us? As unconscious beings, likes and dislikes control our lives. Conscious beings are masters of likes and dislikes. When likes and dislikes are under your control, they will serve you and in such a state, you are not messed up. Likes and dislikes are not the problem. However, do they control your life, or are you controlling them, is the real question.

With Hearty Greetings to

All readers &

Especially the followers & Disciples of the Swamiji

Sd/-

(v.vijayamohan)

 *  *  *  Will Continue…  *  *  *