Story:Rajarsi Janakananda

Master told Rajarsi: 'I make one request to you -  that in spite of your many responsibilities you arrange your schedule so that you have a period of meditation each day.' 

Rajarsi resolved to follow his Guru's instructions, no matter how difficult it might be. Conditions at his home were not favourable, so he arose early each morning and went to his office to meditate. To insure that he was not interrupted, he would leave a note on his secretary's desk, which she would see when she came to work: 'I am in conference. Please do not disturb.' He smiled when he said to us: 'Of course, I never let on that I was "in conference" with God.' 

The staff may not have understood what he was doing, but they had tremendous respect for him; and it was accepted that until ten a.m. every day, he was 'in conference.' This continued for all the years from the time he met Master until his retirement. It was the foundation of his liberating spiritual progress."

http://www.yogananda-srf.org/lineageandleadership/Rajarsi_Janakananda_Biography.aspx

Expressing and Experiencing Divine love in Daily life

I sought love in many lives. I shed bitter tears of separation and repentance to know what love is. I sacrificed everything, all attachment and delusion, to learn at last that I am in love with Love—with God—alone. Then I drank love through all true hearts. I saw that He is the One Cosmic  Lover, the One Fragrance that permeates all the variegated blossoms of love in the garden of life.

Many souls wonder wistfully, helplessly, why love flees from one heart to another,- awakened souls realize that the heart is not fickle in loving different ones, but is loving the one God- Love that is present in all hearts.

The Lord ever silently whispers to you:
I am Love. But to experience the giving and the gift of love, I divided Myself into three: love, lover, and beloved. My love is beautiful, pure, eternally joyous; and I taste it in many ways, through many forms.

As father I drink reverential love from the spring of my child's heart. 
As mother I drink the nectar of unconditional love from the soul-cup of the tiny baby. 
As child I imbibe the protecting love of the father's righteous reason. 
As infant I drink causeless love from the holy grail of maternal attraction. 
As master I drink sympathetic love from the flask of the servant's thoughtfulness. 
As servant I sip respectful love from the goblet of the master's appreciation. 
As guru-preceptor I enjoy purest love from the chalice of the disciple's all-surrendering devotion.
As friend I drink from the self-bubbling fountains of spontaneous love. 
As a divine friend, I quaff crystal waters of cosmic love from the reservoir of God-adoring hearts.

So My love is playing hide-and-seek in all human hearts, that each might learn to discover and worship, not the temporal human receptacles of My love, but My love itself, dancing from one heart to another.

I want them to learn to speak the ultimate truth: "Love the One Love in all of us." 
To tell another, "I love you," is false until you realize the truth: "God as the love in me is in love with His love in you."

Without speaking a word, I have loved you always. I alone can truly say, "I love you"; for I loved you before you were born; My love gives you life and sustains you even at this moment; and I alone can love you after the gates of death imprison you where none, not even your greatest human lover, can reach you. 

I am the love that dances human puppets on strings of emotions and instincts, to play the drama of love on the stage of life. 
My love is beautiful and endlessly enjoyable when you love it alone; but the lifeline of your peace and joy is cut when instead you become entangled in human emotion and attachment. Realize, My children, it is My love for which you yearn!

Those who love Me as only one person, or who imperfectly love Me in one person, do not know what Love is. 
Only they can know Love who love Me wisely, faultlessly, completely, all surrenderingly— who love Me perfectly and equally in all, and who love Me perfectly and equally as all.

- Divine Romance, Paramahansa Yogananda

As you see the sky, know it is the Lord looking at you. 
As you look at the sun, know that the Lord is giving vitality to you. 
As you look at the moon, know the Lord is giving you love. 
As you look at the flowers, know that the Lord is smiling at you. 
As you look at people, know the Lord is asking to be recognised and crying for deliverance. 
As you look at saints, know that the Lord is talking to you.
- From Rajarsi Janakananda, A Great Western Yogi book

Story:A man found god through his love for his wife

This is a story told by Paramahansa Yogananda during one of his lectures at SRF temple, Hollywood, California, October 1943.

"I met a man of unselfish devotion in this country. He deeply loved his wife, so much so that his love for her became transmuted into divine love. After she died, he wandered for years, seeking a way to find her again. At last he did succeed. In the end, he found God through his love for her."

"This is the story as he told it to me: In his wanderings after her death, he sought out a great saint in the Himalayas. He persuaded the holy man to promise to give spiritual initiation to him and his wife together. After assuring him of his promise, the saint asked, 'Where is your wife?'

The husband then told him that she was dead. The saint nevertheless kept his promise to give initiation to the two together. He instructed the man to sit in meditation, and began to invoke the presence of the wife. Suddenly she appeared. For a long time she talked with her husband. Then the two sat together and received initiation from the saint.

Afterward, the holy one blessed them, and the wife departed. From the moment, the husband realized that the beloved form he had known as wife was in reality an individualized manifestation of the consciousness of God- as in every human being. The true meaning of divine love, which is behind and responsible for every ideal human relationship, was revealed to him. His was a unique and true experience.

But conjugal love is tricky, and most people leave this world with an unsatisfied heart.

http://aumamen.com/story/a-man-found-god-through-his-love-for-his-wife

Technique:Chanting Aum at the Chakras

"Concentrate at the point between the eyebrows, and go up the spine mentally chanting 'Aum' at each of the centers: coccyx, sacral, lumbar, dorsal, cervical, medulla, Christ center. Now mentally go down the spine chanting 'Aum' at each of these centers. Go deeper and deeper in concentration, up and down the spine, mentally feeling the centers and mentally chanting 'Aum'. As you do this, you see that your consciousness is no longer locked in the external awareness of the body, but becomes centered in higher spiritual perceptions in the spine. Relax in God. Don't be tied to the consciousness of the body. Let your mind go deeper and deeper in the thought of God."

--Paramahansa Yogananda (Winter 2002, SRF magazine)

*Chakras (source: www.yssofindia.org) :In Yoga, the seven occult centres of life and consciousness in the spine and brain, which enliven the physical and astral bodies of man. These centres are referred to as chakras (“wheels”) because the concentrated energy in each one is like a hub from which radiate rays of life-giving light and energy.

The seven centres are divinely planned exits or “trapdoors” through which the soul has descended into the body and through which it must reascend by a process of meditation. By seven successive steps, the soul escapes into Cosmic Consciousness. In its conscious upward passage through the seven opened or “awakened” cerebrospinal centres, the soul travels the highway to the Infinite, the true path by which the soul must retrace its course to reunite with God. All seven centres, however, are often referred to as lotuses, whose petals open, or turn upward, in spiritual awakening as the life and consciousness travel up the spine.

http://www.yoganandaji.org/board/showthread.php?t=5554

Story:Hermit

There is a story in Indian tradition of a hermit who was disturbed during meditation one day by the cawing of a crow. He glanced up at it in anger, and it fell immediately to the ground, dead. “What power I’ve acquired!” thought the hermit proudly. A devata (angel) just then appeared to him and said, “You think yourself so highly advanced, but there is one who is more advanced than you, living in the town near here. You could learn much from her.”

“A woman! Is that possible?”

“Go and see,” said the angel, and instructed him where to find her. The hermit entered the town and, after some time, arrived at a very ordinary home; he considered it beneath him even to enter there. He therefore called out, and a woman answered from within, “I will come to you shortly. I am busy just now, serving my husband.”

“She’s married!” thought the hermit indignantly. “How could a married person possibly be on a higher spiritual plane than I?” Just then she called out, “Be patient, Sir. I am not your crow!”

So she knew about that episode! He decided to wait. When at last she emerged, she spoke from a level of wisdom that did indeed prove enlightening for him.

Humbled, he returned to his place of seclusion. The angel hadn’t yet finished with him, however. Appearing to him a second time, he said, “You’ve learned something, but not yet everything that you need to know. There is another person in town from whom you still have much to learn.” The angel instructed him where to go.

The hermit returned to town. This time, he found himself entering the lowest section, where the butchers and leather workers worked and lived.

“How could any saint possibly live here?” he marveled. When he reached the house of the person he was to see, he found it belonged to a young man who, again, hadn’t time for him at the moment; he was busy serving his parents.

When finally the youth appeared, the hermit learned from him that to do one’s God-allotted duty is the highest calling, and should never be despised. The important thing is not to become attached to one’s duty.

This was, for him, a vitally important lesson. Many renunciates, in forsaking worldly involvement, overlook their duty to serve their broader family of mankind. The renunciate should offer back gratefully to this world the energy and blessings he receives from God. His renunciation should be a means of expanding his sense of selfhood.

To achieve this end, he must develop an attitude of selfless service, rendered to others according to his own ability. If he can sit all day in effective meditation, that may in fact be the highest service he can offer. His meditation, however, should be practiced with an attitude of self-offering to God, and a desire for the upliftment of all mankind, not with a desire only for personal (even though spiritual) gain.

http://www.nayaswami.org/book/01-my-intention.asp

Story:Janaka & Sukadeva

A story oft-related in India tells of the spiritual test given by the great saint, King Janaka, to his would-be disciple, Sukadeva. To test the young devotee before accepting him for spiritual training, Janaka required Sukadeva to tour the royal palace while carrying in the palm of his hand an oil lamp filled to the brim. The condition of passing the test was that sukadeva was to observe minutely (and subsequently report to the king) every item and detail in each palatial room, without spilling one drop of oil from the brimful lamp. The meaning of the test is that the spiritual aspirant must learn to keep his attention centered in Cod, not allowing his thoughts to wander from Him for a moment, lest the oil of divine communion be spilled, while at the same time he performs accurately to the last detail his duties in the world,

-Man's Eternal Quest, Paramahansa Yogananda
http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Metaphysics%20&%20Spirituality/Paramahansa%20Yogananda%20MAN'S%20ETERNAL%20QUEST.pdf

Story:Where does God Sit?

Once there was a king who told one of his subjects that unless he could answer a certain question he would be hanged. The man said: "Tell me the question." The king then spoke as follows: "Where does God sit, and which way does He look—North, South, East, or West?" The man went home to think and told his servant that he would be killed unless he answered the king in a fortnight. The servant said to his master: "Let me go for you. I will answer the question." So the servant went to the king and said to him: "First, let me sit on your throne, because while I answer your question I am your master." The king surrendered his throne to the servant and then asked him: "Where does God sit, and which way does He look—North, South, East or West?" The servant on the throne made answer: "Bring me a cow." So a cow was brought. Then the servant said: "Where is the milk?" The king answered: "In the udder." "Nay, Sire," said the servant, "the milk is not only in the udder, but throughout the cow, for the milk is the essence of the cow."

Then the servant asked that a bowl of milk be brought; and when it was brought to him, said to the king: "Where is the butter?" The king said: "I see no butter." The servant answered: "The butter is throughout the milk. Just churn the milk and the butter will become separated from it. Thus, as the milk is all through the cow and the butter is throughout the milk, so is God everywhere." So did the wisdom of the servant save the life of his master, for the king received the correct answer to his question.

If you ask for yourself this same question, you will receive a like answer, for you must milk His Presence from all vast Nature, and you must churn Him from the diluted mind by power of inspiration.

God is not the monopoly of the Yogis or Swamis. He is in the heart and soul of every being. And when you open within yourself the secret temple in your heart, you shall read the book of life. Then, and then only, will you contact the living God. And then will you feel Him as the very essence of your being. Without this feeling in your heart, there will be no answer to your prayers.

http://www.mysticalportal.net/4-5.html

Story:King's dream

A king fell asleep and dreamed that he was poor. He was crying out in his sleep for just a penny for some food. Finally, the queen woke him and said, "What is the matter with you? Your treasury is full of gold, and yet you are crying for a penny."

Then the king said, "Oh, how silly of me. I thought I was a beggar and was starving for lack of that penny."

Such is the delusion of every soul who is dreaming he is a mortal, subject to the nightmarish evils of all kinds of disease, suffering, troubles, heartbreaks. The only way to escape this nightmare is by becoming more attached to God and less attached to the dream images of this world. 

It is because you have put your attention on the wrong things that you suffer. If you give your heart to man, or drink, or greed, or drugs, you will suffer. Your heart will be broken. You must place your heart with God. The more you seek peace in Him, the more that peace will devour your worries and sufferings.

http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Metaphysics%20&%20Spirituality/Paramahansa%20Yogananda%20THE%20DIVINE%20ROMANCE.pdf

Story:Accusation

Remember the story (on one of Master’s Paramahansa Yogananda audio tapes) of the Hindu writer that always fought with others, making accusations, and one time he tried to pick a fight with Master?

“How much money you are making?!” he yelled at Master. But Master did not get angry or try to defend himself. He just listened and let the man blow off steam, and simply responded, “Maybe you are right …… Maybe you are right ……” Finally after an hour the man admitted, “I am beaten”, - just by Master listening and not criticizing. Then Master told him, “Don’t think I’m not going to give it to you now!” With his “bag of air” deflated, the man was now ready to receive wise advice from the guru who told him, “Why be like a vulture, flying high above everyone else, thinking you are above the world, when really your mind is on the carrion in the dirt left by others. Whenever you feel like you want to fight, leave. Don’t fight back because in time that slap will burn in your hand.”

If someone wrongs you, don’t dwell on the wrong. Instead, make a mental list all the good things about that person and of all the good you have in your life. Communication is a key here. Learn to listen. When communication breaks down, the relationship breaks down, especially in close relationships, and particularly in marriage. Strive to have open, honest, frank communication every day. Just listen and understand.

A man asked his wife what she would like for her birthday. “I’d love to be six again!” she answered. So off to the theme park he took her, and she rode the “Wall of Fear” and the “Screaming Wolf”. After five hours she wobbled out of the park and he took her to McDonalds for a Big Mac, french fries, and a milkshake. Then it was on to the movie theater and he stuffed her full of peanuts, popcorn, and coca-cola. Finally they went home and the wife collapsed on the couch, exhausted. “So, what does it feel like to be six again?” her husband asked. “You idiot”, she answered, “I meant my dress size!” (Laughter). This is misguided, unused intuition. Until we develop intuition, better ask more questions! (Laughter)

Give your full attention to what you are doing to develop spiritual magnetism. When you are with someone, be a good listener and accept them for who and what they are. 

http://devotee2devotee.com/devoteeforums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=402

Story:Golden Nugget

Some time ago, I read the life of a saint called, "The Sage of Sakori". It was very interesting, and because of one important incident, it will always stand out in my memory. The guru sometimes threw stones at his disciples, not playfully, but in anger. Those who, with devotion, picked up the stones and carried them home, found that they had golden nuggets. Those who left them lying on the ground missed the blessing.

I had read all the lives of saints that I could get, but found nothing similar in them. An outstanding and marvelous truth was taught by the incident. If the guru "throws a stone" - that is, assigns a duty or gives an order that is disagreeable and painful to the disciple - the attitude in which he receives it and performs it determines whether he shall receive the blessing or not. If he "picks it up and carries it home" - that is, receives it humbly and carries it out cheerfully - he will find he has a golden nugget. All depends upon his attitude

-God Alone, Sri Gyanmata 
She is of God, and God is with her". - Paramahansa Yogananda
http://forum.yogananda.net/index.php?/topic/22140-spritual-dryness/

Story:Initiation of Lahiri Mahasaya

"'Come, brother,' my companion said. 'The master awaits you.'

"He led the way through the forest. The somber night was suddenly lit by a steady luminosity in the distance.

"'Can that be the sunrise?' I inquired. 'Surely the whole night has not passed?'

"'The hour is midnight.' My guide laughed softly. 'Yonder light is the glow of a golden palace, materialized here tonight by the peerless Babaji. In the dim past, you once expressed a desire to enjoy the beauties of a palace. Our master is now satisfying your wish, thus freeing you from the bonds of karma.'4 He added, 'The magnificent palace will be the scene of your initiation tonight into Kriya Yoga. All your brothers here join in a paean of welcome, rejoicing at the end of your long exile. Behold!'

"A vast palace of dazzling gold stood before us. Studded with countless jewels, and set amidst landscaped gardens, it presented a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. Saints of angelic countenance were stationed by resplendent gates, half-reddened by the glitter of rubies. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and emeralds of great size and luster were imbedded in the decorative arches.

"I followed my companion into a spacious reception hall. The odor of incense and of roses wafted through the air; dim lamps shed a multicolored glow. Small groups of devotees, some fair, some dark-skinned, chanted musically, or sat in the meditative posture, immersed in an inner peace. A vibrant joy pervaded the atmosphere.

"'Feast your eyes; enjoy the artistic splendors of this palace, for it has been brought into being solely in your honor.' My guide smiled sympathetically as I uttered a few ejaculations of wonderment.

"'Brother,' I said, 'the beauty of this structure surpasses the bounds of human imagination. Please tell me the mystery of its origin.'

"'I will gladly enlighten you.' My companion's dark eyes sparkled with wisdom. 'In reality there is nothing inexplicable about this materialization. The whole cosmos is a materialized thought of the Creator. This heavy, earthly clod, floating in space, is a dream of God. He made all things out of His consciousness, even as man in his dream consciousness reproduces and vivifies a creation with its creatures.

"'God first created the earth as an idea. Then He quickened it; energy atoms came into being. He coordinated the atoms into this solid sphere. All its molecules are held together by the will of God. When He withdraws His will, the earth again will disintegrate into energy. Energy will dissolve into consciousness; the earth-idea will disappear from objectivity.

"'The substance of a dream is held in materialization by the subconscious thought of the dreamer. When that cohesive thought is withdrawn in wakefulness, the dream and its elements dissolve. A man closes his eyes and erects a dream-creation which, on awakening, he effortlessly dematerializes. He follows the divine archetypal pattern. Similarly, when he awakens in cosmic consciousness, he will effortlessly dematerialize the illusions of the cosmic dream.

"'Being one with the infinite all-accomplishing Will, Babaji can summon the elemental atoms to combine and manifest themselves in any form. This golden palace, instantaneously created, is real, even as this earth is real. Babaji created this palatial mansion out of his mind and is holding its atoms together by the power of his will, even as God created this earth and is maintaining it intact.' He added, 'When this structure has served its purpose, Babaji will dematerialize it.'

"As I remained silent in awe, my guide made a sweeping gesture. 'This shimmering palace, superbly embellished with jewels, has not been built by human effort or with laboriously mined gold and gems. It stands solidly, a monumental challenge to man. 5 Whoever realizes himself as a son of God, even as Babaji has done, can reach any goal by the infinite powers hidden within him. A common stone locks within itself the secret of stupendous atomic energy;6 even so, a mortal is yet a powerhouse of divinity.'

"The sage picked up from a near-by table a graceful vase whose handle was blazing with diamonds. 'Our great guru created this palace by solidifying myriads of free cosmic rays,' he went on. 'Touch this vase and its diamonds; they will satisfy all the tests of sensory experience.'

"I examined the vase, and passed my hand over the smooth room-walls, thick with glistening gold. Each of the jewels scattered lavishly about was worthy of a king's collection. Deep satisfaction spread over my mind. A submerged desire, hidden in my subconsciousness from lives now gone, seemed simultaneously gratified and extinguished.

"My stately companion led me through ornate arches and corridors into a series of chambers richly furnished in the style of an emperor's palace. We entered an immense hall. In the center stood a golden throne, encrusted with jewels shedding a dazzling medley of colors. There, in lotus posture, sat the supreme Babaji. I knelt on the shining floor at his feet.

"'Lahiri, are you still feasting on your dream desires for a golden palace?' My guru's eyes were twinkling like his own sapphires. 'Wake! All your earthly thirsts are about to be quenched forever.' He murmured some mystic words of blessing. 'My son, arise. Receive your initiation into the kingdom of God through Kriya Yoga.'

"Babaji stretched out his hand; a homa (sacrificial) fire appeared, surrounded by fruits and flowers. I received the liberating yogic technique before this flaming altar.

"The rites were completed in the early dawn. I felt no need for sleep in my ecstatic state, and wandered around the palace, filled on all sides with treasures and priceless objets d'art.Descending to the gorgeous gardens, I noticed, near-by, the same caves and barren mountain ledges which yesterday had boasted no adjacency to palace or flowered terrace.

"Reentering the palace, fabulously glistening in the cold Himalayan sunlight, I sought the presence of my master. He was still enthroned, surrounded by many quiet disciples.

"'Lahiri, you are hungry.' Babaji added, 'Close your eyes.'

"When I reopened them, the enchanting palace and its picturesque gardens had disappeared. My own body and the forms of Babaji and the cluster of chelas were all now seated on the bare ground at the exact site of the vanished palace, not far from the sunlit entrances of the rocky grottos. I recalled that my guide had remarked that the palace would be dematerialized, its captive atoms released into the thought-essence from which it had sprung. Although stunned, I looked trustingly at my guru. I knew not what to expect next on this day of miracles.

"'The purpose for which the palace was created has now been served,' Babaji explained. He lifted an earthen vessel from the ground. 'Put your hand there and receive whatever food you desire.'

"As soon as I touched the broad, empty bowl, it became heaped with hot butter-fried luchis, curry, and rare sweetmeats. I helped myself, observing that the vessel was ever-filled. At the end of my meal I looked around for water. My guru pointed to the bowl before me. Lo! the food had vanished; in its place was water, clear as from a mountain stream.

"'Few mortals know that the kingdom of God includes the kingdom of mundane fulfillments,' Babaji observed. 'The divine realm extends to the earthly, but the latter, being illusory, cannot include the essence of reality.'

http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/chap34.php

Story:Monkey Consciousness

Tej Bahadur, a young businessman in India, want to save money and economize the business, he fantasized different ways of cutting costs like travel to abroad by becoming a sailor, by inventing new machines which traverses space in twinkling on a eye. One day he came to know that a man can levitate and walk on water, and is willing to teach this method to a worthy student.

He approached master and asked him to teach levitation.  The Master said gently,  “Son, every night, dim the light in your bedroom and lock the doors. Sitting erect on a straight chair facing east, with closed eyes mentally chant, ‘Om,’ the holy word of the cosmic vibration, for an hour. At the end of one month you will be able to race over the waters.”

Inwardly wondering about the extreme simplity of the lesson, Tej Bahadur thanked the Master and was about to return home when the Master called him back. “Son,” the Master said, “I forgot to tell you something about the technique of levitation. While you are concentrating and mentally chanting ‘Om,’ be sure not to think of a monkey.”

“That is simple,” said Tej Bahadur. “Of course I won’t think of a monkey.” After saluting the saint, he returned home.

Evening came fast and found Tej Bahadur closing the windows, pulling down the shades, and sitting in a straight chair in his bedroom to practice the technique of levitation. No sooner had he done so when, like a thunderbolt, the first thought to strike him was: “I must not think of a monkey.”

Two minutes passed and several times he warned himself inwardly, “I must not think of a monkey.” When ten minutes had passed, and he had thought of all the different kinds of monkeys in South America, India, Africa, Sumatra and still other places, he was furious.

Tej Bahadur willed himself to banish all thoughts of the monkeys, at the end of an hour he found himself thinking of nothing but monkeys. 

After concentrating for a month upon the forbidden monkeys, Tej Bahadur raced back to the Master and exclaimed loudly, “Master, take back your lesson on levitation. I don’t want to learn to walk on water. You have taught me to meditate upon monkeys, not how to levitate. You have developed and increased the monkey consciousness in me.”

The saint laughed merrily. Then, in a voice as soothing as the dew, he said, “Son, I tried to show you how untrained and slavish your mental state of concentration is. Unless you learn to make your mind obey you, you cannot achieve any success, not to speak of attaining the power of levitation, a difficult art.

“First learn mental control; then use that power to achieve small things. When you are able to do that, apply that power to bigger and bigger achievements until your inner power becomes developed enough for you to levitate, or to accomplish even greater spiritual miracles.

Share your empowering thoughts on this story.
http://www.anandaclaritymagazine.com/2005/03/yogananda-meditation-god-yoga/

PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA QUOTES

“Making others happy, through kindness of speech and sincerity of right advice, is a sign of true greatness. To hurt another soul by sarcastic words, looks, or suggestions, is despicable."

Have only love in your heart for others. The more you see the good in them, the more you will establish good in yourself.

'Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them.'

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.

By the practice of meditation, You will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise.

You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God's creative principle works in you.

“The entire universe is God's cosmic motion picture, and that individuals are merely actors in the divine play who change roles through reincarnation; mankind's deep suffering is rooted in identifying too closely with one's current role, rather than with the movie's director, or God.”

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.

Self-realization means the realization that your true Self is not the ego, but God, the vast ocean of Spirit which manifested for a time the little wave of awareness that you now see as yourself.

The greatest romance is with the Infinite. You have no idea how beautiful life can be.When you suddenly find God everywhere, when He comes and talks to you and guides you, the romance of divine love has begun.

Be as simple as you can be; you will be astonished to see how uncomplicated and happy your life can become.

"If you want to be sad, no one in the world can make you happy. But if you make up your mind to be happy, no one and nothing on earth can take that happiness from you."

If you permit your thoughts to dwell on evil you yourself will become ugly. Look only for the good in everything so you absorb the absolute values in the relative world of nature.

Persistence guarantees that results are inevitable.

Coercion or compulsion never brings about growth. It is freedom that accelerates evolution.

“The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.”

I relax and cast aside all mental burdens, allowing God to express through me His perfect love, peace, and wisdom.

Meditation is like giving a hug to ourselves, getting in touch with that awesome reality in us. While meditating we feel a deep sense of intimacy with God, a love that is inexplicable.

Bring into play the almighty power within you, so that on the stage of life you can fulfill your high destined role.

Will power is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Be unshakable in your conviction that you have all the potentialities of great success

Mind is the creator of everything. You should therefore guide it to create only good. If you cling to a certain thought with dynamic will power, It finally assumes a tangible outward form. When you are able to employ your will for constructive purposes, You become the controller of your destiny.

Always remember, nothing can touch you if you inwardly love God.

Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.

“Every morning I offer my body, my mind and any ability that I posses, to be used by Thee, O infinite creator, in whatever way Thou dost choose to express Thyself through me. I know that all work is Thy work, and that no task is too difficult or too menial when offered to Thee in loving service.”

'Stillness is the altar of spirit.'

When i am gone only love can take my place.

There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.

Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself..

Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! control the present! Live supremely well now! This is the way of the wise.

Love is the light which dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.

Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.

Every night in sleep God takes away all your troubles to show you that you are not a mortal being; you are spirit.

If you find true joy in this life, you will have it now and in the afterlife too.

The greatest sin is to call yourself a sinner. You are a child of God. Although gold can be covered with mud for centuries, it remains always gold. So the pure gold of the soul can be covered over with the mud of delusion for aeons, but in its true nature it remains forever undefiled.

It is not what you read that give you liberation but what you do with what you read.

Everything else can wait but your search for God cannot wait.

Be honest with yourself. The world of men is not honest with you. The world loves hypocrisy. When you are honest with yourself you find the road to inner peace.

Read a little. Meditate more. Think of God all the time.

"When you meditate long...the glory of the Divine shines forth. You realize then that all along there was something tremendous within you, and you did not know it."

Technique:AUM Technique

By a guru-given technique of meditation on Aum (Om), such as I have taught to Self-Realization Fellowship students (available in the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons), the sacred Aum vibration of the Holy Ghost can be heard in meditation through the supersensory medium of intuition. First, the devotee realizes Aum as the manifested cosmic energy in all matter. The earthly sounds of all atomic motion, including the sounds of the body—the heart, lungs, circulation, cellular activity—come from the cosmic sound of the creative vibratory activity of Aum. The sounds of the nine octaves perceptible to the human ear, as well as all cosmic low or high vibrations that cannot be registered by the human ear, have their origin in Aum. So also, all forms of light—fire, sunlight, electricity, astral light—are expressions of the primal cosmic energy of Aum.

This Holy Vibration working in the subtle spinal centers of the astral body, sending forth life force and consciousness into the physical body, manifests as wonderful astral sounds—each one characteristic of its particular center of activity.

These astral sounds are likened to melodic strains of the humming of a bee, the tone of a flute, a stringed instrument such as a harp, a bell-like or gong sound, the soothing roar of a distant sea, and a cosmic symphony of all vibratory sound.

The Self-Realization Fellowship technique of meditation on Aum teaches one to hear and locate these astral sounds. This aids the awakening of the divine consciousness locked in the spinal centers, opening them to "make straight" the way of ascension to God-realization.

As the devotee concentrates on Aum, first by mentally chanting Aum, and then by actually hearing that sound, his mind is diverted from the physical sounds of matter outside his body to the circulatory and other sounds of the vibrating flesh. Then his consciousness is diverted from the vibrations of the physical body to the musical vibrations of the spinal centers of the astral body. His consciousness then expands from the vibrations of the astral body to the vibrations of consciousness in the causal body and in the omnipresence of the Holy Ghost.

When the devotee's consciousness is able not only to hear the cosmic sound of Aum, but also to feel its actual presence in every unit of space, in all finite vibrating matter, then the soul of the devotee becomes one with the Holy Ghost. His consciousness vibrates simultaneously in his body, in the sphere of the earth, the planets, the universes, and in every particle of matter, space, and astral manifestation. Through the expanding power of the Holy Ghost, the all-spreading Aum-vibrating sound heard in meditation, the consciousness then becomes immersed, or baptized, in the sacred stream of Christ Consciousness.

These progressively higher states of realization are attained through deeper and longer meditation as guided by the guru. But from the very beginning, the blessings of contact with Aum become increasingly manifest. (...)

In deepest meditation, as practiced by those who are advanced in the technique of Kriya Yoga, the devotee experiences not only expansion in the Aum vibration "Voice from heaven," but finds himself able also to follow the microcosmic light of Spirit in the "straight way" of the spine into the light of the spiritual eye "dove descending from heaven."

First, the life force and consciousness must be withdrawn from the senses and bodily restlessness, and must cross the portals of Cosmic Energy represented by the golden ring of the spiritual eye. Then the consciousness must plunge in the blue light representing Christ Consciousness. Then it must penetrate through the silver star opening into Spirit, in the boundless region of Infinity. This golden, blue, and silver light contains all the walls of rays—electronic, atomic, and lifetronic—of Cosmic Vibration through which one has to penetrate before one can reach heaven.

In these highest states of meditation, the body itself becomes spiritualised, loosening its atomic tenacity to reveal its underlying astral structure as life force. The aura often depicted around saints is not imaginative, but the inner divine light suffusing the whole being. (p.123-125, The Second Coming of Christ by Paramahansa Yogananda)
http://www.yogananda.com.au/pyr/pyr_aum.html

Hymn to Brahma

Use to invoke the help of the Masters or Guru.

Brahmanandam parama sukhadam
(Full of transcendental bliss, giving supreme joy)
Kabalam gyan moorteem
(The sole Image of Wisdom)
Dandwa teetum gagana sadrisham
(Beyond duality, clear as the heavens)
Tattwa mashyadi laksham
(Whose motto is: “Thou Art That”)
Akam nityum bimala machalam
(One, permanent, pure, immovable)
Sarbada sakshi bhootum
(The everlasting Seer of all things)
Bhawa teetum triguna rahitum
(Beyond though, free from the three qualities)
Sudgurum twum namami(My good Guru, I bow to Thee.)

Mary Kretzmann: This direct translation, above, helps deepen our understanding of the poetic translation, below.

(The following is an English translation especially adapted for singing, according to the musical notes on page 38 in Cosmic Chants.)

Full of bliss, giving joy transcendent,Of higher knowledge, the abode,Dual no more, clear as the heavens,Known to all as: “Thou art That”.He is pure, permanent, unmoving,The everlasting Seer of all,Far, far beyond qualities and thought,Guru-Lord, I bow to Thee.

http://www.ananda.org/prayers/articles-on-healing/cosmic-chants/healing-power-cosmic-chants/use-cosmic-chants/#.Up9efdJkPng

Thou Art My Life

To sweeten a sour disposition.

Thou art my life, Thou art my love,
Thou art the sweetness which I do seek.
In the thought by my love brought;
In the thought by my love brought,
I taste Thy name so sweet, so sweet…
Devotee knows how sweet you are.
Devotee knows how sweet you are.
He knows whom You let know

http://www.ananda.org/prayers/articles-on-healing/cosmic-chants/healing-power-cosmic-chants/use-cosmic-chants/#.Up9efdJkPng

Technique:Visualization

Divine consciousness is omnipresent.  In order to attune one’s consciousness to it, it is necessary first to expand the mind by meditation on some aspect of God's infinite nature.  Visualization is not realisation; but visualization is an effective aid in deepening one's concentration, which is essential for the deep meditation that yields realisation.  The following exercise in visualization and mental expansion given by Paramahansa Yogananda will be found helpful in preparing the mind to practice the scientific techniques of meditation.

"Sit upright.  Focus your gaze and your mind at the Christ Consciousness centre between the eyebrows.  Fill your heart with joy.  Behold! The sphere of darkness that you see with closed eyes is becoming a sphere of light and joy.  This sphere is enlarging. Now it is bigger than your body.  Go on expanding the sphere of joy and light.  Your home and everyone in it are present in the sphere of light that you are beholding.  Go on expanding it until you see your whole city in this sphere of light and joy.  Ever increasing, the sphere of light and joy is encompassing the entire country, and still it is expanding, including Europe, Asia, the world!  See the world bathed in the light of this peaceful sphere of joy.  The earth appears as a little ball moving in the vast sphere of light and joy.  The sphere is becoming even larger; see! Our planetary and stellar system, the Milky Way, and island galaxies, like little bubbles, are floating in it.

Expand the sphere of light and joy within you, in which all things are moving, glimmering like the lights of a city.  Meditate on and try to be one with that joy.  God is joy, and we must find Him through joy.  The scriptures say: 'Thou art That.  ‘Your Self is one with this vast sphere of light that is your Father.  You are this sphere of light and joy!  Meditate on that.  You have no boundaries--eternity above, below, everywhere.  In this eternal sphere of light and joy all things are moving.  Mentally affirm: 'In me worlds are floating like bubbles.  I and my Father are One.'

Now open your eyes.  Look at the body and see how little it is!  Close your eyes and realize again that you are not the body.  You are the eternal sphere of light and joy in which all things have their being.  Go on meditating, mentally affirming: 'I am the cosmic sphere of light, of joy, of love, in which worlds and universes are floating like bubbles.  My Father is this cosmic sphere of light; my Father and I are One.  I am not the body; I am the eternal sphere of light.  Aum.  Aum.  Amen."

These basic instructions on meditation were written by Paramahansa Yogananda and are used daily by all Kriya yogi's if you are interested in learning more about the SRF techniques. Please contact Mother Center http://www.yogananda-srf.org/ or http://www.yssofindia.org/ or http://www.yssofindia.org/meditation/Lessons-for-Home-Study-English

http://www.acorntooak.org.uk/blog/how-to-meditate

King Soul Vs King Ego

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=73uEQuTvBMAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Paramahansa+Yogananda%22&hl=de&ei=VNhfTdGnCNC74gavndjeCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Man's Eternal Quest

"Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from hatred to love. Lead me from limitations to Thine inexhaustible power; lead me from ignorance to wisdom. Lead me from suffering and death to everlasting life and enjoyment in Thee. Above all, lead me from the delusion of human attachment into realisation of Thy love eternal, which plays hide-and-seek with me in all forms of human love."

“Father, Mother, Friend, Beloved God, reveal Thyself unto me! Leave me in ignorance no longer. All delusion I cast from the sacred shrine of my soul. Be Thou the only King sitting on the throne of my ambitions, the only Queen in the castle of my love, the only Deity in the temple of my soul. Keep me awake in Thy consciousness, that I may pray and demand unceasingly until Thou dost open all doors into Thy home of wisdom, and there receive me, Thy prodigal child, and entertain me with the fatted calf of immortality and eternal joy."
- Man's Eternal Quest, Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda

http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Metaphysics%20&%20Spirituality/Paramahansa%20Yogananda%20MAN'S%20ETERNAL%20QUEST.pdf

Tips:Curing Mental Alcoholics

Mental Alchoholics: Particular psychological extreme, which might be chronic anger, fear, sex, sadism, gambling, stealing, jealousy, hate, greed, moods, craftiness, or stupidity.

When a person displays extraordinary tantrums of anger, fear, jealousy or any other of the aforementioned characteristics- then one may know that he has acquired those abnormal mental habits in a previous existence.

Parents who notice any such evil psychological tendencies in their child, even in its infancy, should get busy and take some steps to prevent the child from becoming a psychological alcoholic; if possible, by placing him in another environment under the good care of spiritual teachers.

If possible, the angry mental alcoholic should be placed with one or more individuals who do not become angry, even under irritating circumstances. The sexual person ought to be surrounded by self-controlled people, the habitual thief needs the society of honest people. The chronically timid can be helped by association with the brave, and by reading stories of men who were heros. Moody or scornful or "sourpuss" types should have the companionship of habitually cheerful people.

An abundance of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet, and each week a one-day fast on fruit juices - with a longer fast occasionally - will greatly help to change the cerebral grooves that entrench the pernicious habits. 

Overindulgence in sex impairs the nervous system and the brain cells, aggravates anger, destroys will power, also. Hence all mental alcoholics should learn control over the sex impulse, that they may practice moderation in marital relations, as nature intended.

Self-control practised daily, even in insignificant matters, will help the mental alcoholic to come out of his drunken indulgences little by little.
Man's Eternal Quest - Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda

http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Metaphysics%20&%20Spirituality/Paramahansa%20Yogananda%20MAN'S%20ETERNAL%20QUEST.pdf