"Wisdom in Humour"

There is one new book in my yoga-library writen by Swami Sivananda- "Wisdom in Humour".
There is a set of short stories, poems that give us a spiritual lessons. Numerous metaphors help to the reader easily learn the lesson.
There what Dr Frederick Spiegelberg (professor of Stanford University) said  after he heard some stories during the Satsang at Ananda Kutir: "Swamiji, this is just the thing wanted by people today. They would love the humour, but would unconsciously learn the spiritual lesson. The impression made by such teaching would be profound and lasting".

Tere is one of the stories.

An old lady and the needle

One old lady lost the needle in the house.
But she was searching for it outside
In the moon light.
One man asked her,
"O lady, what are you searching here?
She replied, "I lost a needle in the house;
There is a darkness in the house;
I am searching for it here
Because there is good moonlight here"
Wordly people are like this old lady.
They are searching for happiness in outside objects.
O man, look within; control the mind;
You will find bliss in your own Atman.

OM 

Vikalpa Vritti- the action of imagining

"This is one of the five kinds of Vrittis* according to Patanjali Maharshi in Raja Yoga. It does great havoc indeed.Vikalpa Vritti is imagination. Maya* havocs through this Vritti. Fear, worry, co-exist with this Vritti.
There is a rumour that there is cholera in George Town, Madras, the man in the Park Town falsely imagines that he will get cholera. He worries and actually gets cholera out of fear. Your friend did not talk to you, as he was running in haste to catch the train,You imagine that he was offended. There was a rumour that a riot broke out in London. You falsely imagine that your son who was studying in London, might have died. Eradicate these Vrittis thoughts Vichara. Do not identify yourself these Vrittis through Vichara*.
Do not identify yourself with any Vritti. Identify yourself with the Vritti-less Brahman*, and rest peacefully forever."

"Conquest of mind". Swami Sivananda. chapter 10.IV


When everything is good in our life naturally we are relaxed, the thoughts are calm, we have full concetration in what we do. In this moment the mind is getting dull by thinking "too much silence, too quiet, I have to show that I am still here" there the different "what if..." comes : "what if I loose my job tommorow?", "what if my son wouldn't back at home", "what if the rain doesn't stop".
 The mind is the master of imagination.  Dont fight with your thoughts. Let them go.

Hari Om Tat Sat


***Vritti- wave, action
      Maya- ulusion
      Vichara- inquiry (by seeking the real essence of the self, world )
      Brahman- the Absolute

Home pooja

It's not really necessary go to the temple to worship God, to ask him for the blessing. Everybody can make a little altar at home with Jesus picture, Buddha, or other deity or symbol that remind you about the purity, inner peace and gives you a strength.
 There is my today's pooja at home

Burning incense and candles;  Kurma, Buddha and Rama with Sita

You can just meditate on the picture, it gives you the inner balance. You can sing the mantras- the vibrations of the sound purify yourself and the environment.
Better do it in one separate place, where you can keep purity, calm, and nobody will distract you. Every time when you enter to this room, from the beginning your mind will go to the state of calmness. This is a psychological process, as often you spend the time in this place in the state of harmony, as faster your mind associate the state with the place. Later, even the thought about this place will guide you into the relaxing state.

One more thing to share with you. My three deities from the pictures are the avatars of Vishnu.  Kurma: the second avatar, the turtle incarnation, Rama- the king incarnation, the seventh avatar , and Buddha- the ninth incarnation. In total, there is ten avatars with different history that i will tell you next time

Om

"...thank you for your smile"

    This is the true story.
 "Once upon a time, one girl was walking on the street. She was visiting some new city. It was a beautiful sunny day, her heart was full of joy. Suddenly, a poor woman approached to her and asked : "please, can you give me some money?". But the girl hadn't, she didn't took it for a walk, she was only with the camera in the hand. With a smiling face she answered : "I am sorry, I have nothing to give you". Poor woman looked at her eyes and told : "I understand. And sincerely  thank you for your smile" and she smiled also to the girl"

   Sometimes we think that we have nothing to give to other persone. 
The simple, but sincere smile can give a lot. Joyful eyes are the source of positive energy. Did you heard this "she/he has a sparkling eyes" but you dont know why? This is all prana. We can give it and receive it. Smile, touch, word, thought...

Conquest of fear

"Fear is great enemy of man. It is the enemy of his progress. It disturbs his peace and harmony...Fear is of two kinds, natural or rational fear, when there is a threatening situation to endanger life; and unnatural [...] fear, which has no objective reality...

Ignorance is the cause of fear. He (man) forgot his original, divine nature and was thus caught up in the whirlpool of ignorance...Identification of the body or Dehadhyasa is the cause of fear. ... There is no other way to get rid of fear than realization of the Self.

Raga (attachment) is the long-standing associate of fear. Wherever there is raga, there is fear. Man is attached to his children, house and property, he has fear of losing his house, property and children...You are attached to a fountain-pen, walking stick, book, watch, towel, cloth. Fear slowly creeps in...
Give up attachment to this body by identifying yourself with the bodiless, sexless, pure, all-pervading immortal Atman or Brahman.          

Victory over fear (Pratipaksha-Bhavana-method) . As you think so you become. As you think, so you develop. As is your ideal, so gradually your life will become...Sit with closed eyes in the early morning. Meditate on courage, the opposite of fear, for half an hour. Think of the advantages of courage and the disadvantages of fear. Practice the virtue during the day...Repeat the formula "om courage" mentally, daily several times. Meditate and assert:
   
      I am all courage  om om om
      I am embodiment of courage om om om
      I am like Bhishma* om om om
      I am a great hero om om om
      My will is very powerful om om om
      I am not afraid of anything om om om
      I am bold and chivalrous om om om
      Courage is my birthright om om om "


extract from "Conquest of fear" by Swami Sivananda

*Bhishma- the son of Kuru King Shantanu. One of the characters in Mahabharata.

Marigold- Swiss vegetable bouillon powder

Finely, something about the food. I like cooking very mutch, so I am looking and I am trying all the time  the different brands and  components for the cuisine. Healthy food is very important for the body and mind. The more it's fresh and natural the more prana is inside and the more we are strong.

Few days ago I found a great replacement for the typical bouillon powder for my cuisine- Swiss vegetable bouillon. I tasted it and I can tell, yes there is the difference!  It’s more gentle,  less salty and there is no typical umami taste that comes from gluten.

Marigold Health Foods is the British company that distributes vegetarian foods : bouillon, braised tofu, bouillon miso*.

What ccomponents are in this bouillon? There are:  

• sea salt, 
• hydrolised vegetable protein, 
• potato starch, 
• palm oil, 
• vegetables 8 % (celery, onions, carrots, leeks) ,
•  lactose, 
• spices (turmeric, white pepper, garlic, mace, nutmeg),
•  parsley,
•  lovage.    

  Not bad , I think.

The standard bouillon powder contains simple salt, only 4,3 % of vegetables (onion, carrot and parsley) and of course  there is yeast and gluten (the taste of which can be addictive).

How to use it? As you like, for the soup, souse, vegetable or just as a hot drink.

There is one disadvanatages- it's more expensive than simple bouillon. We can by it in different online shopps with ecological foods, in Poland in "Alma", in France in the "comptoire Irlandais" and in the other eco-shops.

So wish you a nice day and deliscious and healthy meals!

Bon appétit!

*this is not commercial information, but just the sharing of the private opinion

What does yogi can do during the day?

Lot of people think that to be a yogi that's spending half a day doing the asanas and the goal is to tie the body in node. No,  Yogi we can be in every moment in our daily life.

We begin by the morning. What to do? It’s not easy to do all the asanas just after waking up, but we need the energy, so it can be good to do the pranayamas : 3 rounds of kapalabhati and anuloma-viloma. If you have more time, you can do also brahmari, it will awake your voice in the morning. Before the pranayamas you can meditate a little, 10 minutes it’s enough (of course more it’s also good J ) (raja yoga)

When the body is full of energy you can begin your daily activity. Breakfast, work, school, shopping or anything that you need. During the cooking you can sing the mantras, your favourite prayer ( bhakti yoga), also during the walking, washing etc.

A little of karma yoga maybe? You don’t need go to the ashram to do it, just help your parents, wife, husband, friend or anybody. This is your meditation by the work. Sacrifice a part of your time for others, this is a karma yoga in pure state.

In the evening, when the body is quit flexible, do the asanas. Every amount of time is good. More time- more asanas, less time- less asanas. Quite logic.

And one more- jnana yoga. Take a philosophical book, read about universe, mind, God, ask yourself the questions, make your intellect work.

Every activity can be the way for self-realization, for mind-conquest. Eating- choose only satvic food, do not let all the time  the body take the food just because it’s yummy :) , or don’t buy something just because it’s in mode or it’s attracts you (and you know that you have already 3 nearly the same at home J ).

Every relation with people can be also the exercise – the control of the emotions, patience, compassion, this is all the yoga.

Something more? Do what you don’t like to do. You drink the tea only with sugar? So, one day without. Your neighbor is so boring and you avoid him on the stairs? Today stay with him and listen (the example from the last satsang with Swami Atmaramananda. Seemingly Swami Vishnu recommend it J ).

Every day is the time to be a real yogi. Do your duty as well as you can, be concentrate on what you are doing, remember about sadhana, abhyasa and vairagya. Nothing special. Be yourself and little more J

   

       Hari Om tat sat!