SWAMI RAMA QUOTES

Determination is the power that sees us through all frustrations and obstacles. It helps in building the willpower that is the very basis of success within and without. It is said in the scriptures that with the help of sankalpa shakti, the power of determination, nothing is impossible.

You are the architect of your life and you decide your destiny.

If you learn the technique of how to live here and now, then every moment will be filled with happiness.

Those who want to realize the greatest delight should realize themselves in others.

Non-attachment is like a fire that can burn the binding power of past samskaras. Non-attachment does not mean indifference or non-loving. Non-attachment and love are one and the same. Non-attachment gives freedom, but attachment brings bondage.

Love means to appreciate and enjoy the divine essence in another person.

All adversities are here to help you. They can become instruments of your progress.

The final Reality is silence.

Gurus impart the best of their knowledge in silence. When you are in silence, they communicate with you through silence, and in silence. For the student whose mind is in tune, that teaching is the finest of teachings. This silent communication can happen no matter where you are physically, whether you are 10,000 miles away or very close.

The best of knowledge come through revelation, not through the mind. It is a flood of knowledge that overwhelms the whole being.

A time comes when meditation stirs the unconscious mind and brings forward hidden impressions. It quickens the method of analyzing, understanding, and surveying the unconscious.

Careful vigilance and observation lead the student to study the incoming thoughts from the unconscious mind. The yogis recall all their samskaras, watch them, examine, and even select and reject them according to their need. Those thought patterns that are disturbing are rejected by the yogis, and those that are helpful are strengthened. A deep study of these three states-waking, dreaming, and sleeping-reveals that, with the help and practice of yoga nidra, one can go beyond all the levels of the unconscious.

Meditation is actually not a part of any religion. It is exploring yourself, exploring the deeper aspects of your being, and finally leading you to the center of consciousness within.

If you practice, you will experience, and that experience will guide you.

A perfect human being is one who has attained the state of samadhi.

If you learn to go beyond the jabbering of your mind, and can go to the deeper aspects of your consciousness, then body, breath, and mind will not come in your way.

Breath is a barometer to measure one’s inner state. When you observe that your breath is serene, deep, and without any unnecessary pause, you will experience a sense of great comfort and joy.

Proper breathing is the key to good health.

As long as the mind is outward, only ida and pingala remain active. But when the mind is calm and tranquil, sushumna, the central channel, is awakened. The joy derived from the mind traveling through the sushumna channel is unique; it cannot be compared with any sensory pleasure. Because of that inner joy, the mind loses its taste for worldly pleasures. 

Do not allow yourself to suppress your thoughts. Instead, let the thoughts come before you and become a sort of observer. Start observing your own mind. Do not try to escape; do not be afraid of your thinking. 

There is only one real book to study and learn from— the greatest of all books— and that is the very manuscript that you, yourself, are. 

Yoga is not a religion. It is not just a system of exercises to keep the body fit or to cure minor physical disorders. Yoga is a discipline for the fullest development of the soul, mind, and body. Yoga is a scientific, holistic approach to life.

The most beautiful person is she who is always filled with joy and moves in that joy. Such movements make one a great dancer. Learn to practice this dance.

Life is a beautiful song. Open your heart and rejoice in its melody.

Learn to identify with the source of light and life.

If you have an aim or purpose in life, you can bring your emotional life under control.

When we are inadequate ourselves but our ego is strong, we tend to blame others.

You can live in the world and yet be spiritual. To be spiritual means to be aware of the Reality all the time.

The purpose of life is to grow, expand, and realize one's true identity.

Prayers are always answered; therefore, pray with all your mind and heart.

Selfless service is the finest of all prayers.

The highest guiding principle in marriage should be the principle of selfless service to one's partner.

Love will completely transform you, for love alone has that power.

Decide that no matter what happens, you will do what you set out to do. If you are determined, possible distractions will still be there, but you will continue on your path and remain undisturbed.

The first principle of learning to be still is regular practice, the second is patience, the third is observation, and the fourth is analysis.

Be confident and self-reliant and say to yourself, 'I will do it. I can do it. I have to do it.'

You should never give up working with yourself.

Once you turn you focus inward, the process of transformation will begin; then you will become aware of the many levels of consciousness.

Happiness is within and the source is the center of consciousness, love, and wisdom.

Fearlessness is very important. One should constantly remain in spiritual delight, so that no fear is entertained. Fearlessness comes from knowing that God is with us, and that we are with God.

Learn to love all the things of the world, just as means but don’t get attached to them. This is the secret—the philosophy of non-attachment.

If you really want to enjoy life and be happy, learn to practice and understand the philosophy of non-attachment.

Those who are not happy internally can never be happy externally; those who are not happy within themselves can never make others happy. Those who do not love themselves can never love others.

Meditation is not sitting and fidgeting, daydreaming, worrying, or fantasizing. It means watching, calmly observing the mind itself. Calm observation makes the mind itself calmer. The calmness of the mind creates power to go deeper and deeper into the beds of samskaras, into all the latent memories and impressions that daily provoke our habits and personalities. However, by calmly and very quietly going to the samskaras and observing them they are burnt away; they bubble to the surface and dissipate. This is the process of purification. It is a very powerful practice, and an essential one. Meditation is the exact method of becoming aware of who you are. It is the fundamental training for knowing your inner world. 

To achieve purity of mind, one should cultivate constant awareness by being mindful all the time. One should remain always aware of one’s thoughts

Do not allow yourself to suppress your thoughts. Instead, let the thoughts come before you and become a sort of observer. Start observing your own mind. Do not try to escape; do not be afraid of your thinking.

Contentment is the first and foremost virtue that should be cultivated. It comes only when you have done your duties to your fullest capacity without worrying for the results. It is a virtue that always helps and never disappoints the seeker.

Learn to be spiritual in your daily life by doing selfless action. Learn to meditate every day, a few minutes. 

When you sincerely tread the path, you will meet one who can help you with all setbacks.

Search for the guru within yourself.

Book:Living With The Himalayan Masters - Swami Rama

Living With The Himalayan Masters traces Swami Rama’s spiritual journey, and his experiences with the masters of varied traditions.

Swami Rama was born in a small village in the Himalayas. From an early age, he started living with his Guru. He was not educated in schools, but received knowledge from the sages of the Himalayas. His education was in the Himalayan caves and monasteries. These gentle sages nurtured in him a love for nature, creatures, and the entire universe. Swami Rama tells us about all these Himalayan masters, the yogis, the privilege of whose teachings and company, he enjoyed. In this book, he recalls his years with them, and brings to life those sages who taught him through their experiences, not through books or lectures.

In Living With The Himalayan Masters, he tells us about his master, known as Baba Bengali, who could read young Rama’s mind. It was with him that Swami Rama began his spiritual journey. Gudari Baba is another teacher Swami Rama details in his book. It was this Guru who taught him the value of direct experience. Then, there is Uria Baba, who believed and insisted that every individual has the powers of healing. Through these experiences, Swami Rama tells us about the unknown ascetics and sages, who voluntarily stay away from other people. These tales of sadhus and their siddhis impart knowledge and wisdom, which is otherwise inaccessible to the common man.

Living With The Himalayan Masters has an introduction by Swami Rama’s ardent disciple, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. He tells us, in the introduction, how this book details what we should do to achieve success and happiness.

http://www.flipkart.com/living-himalayan-masters-english/p/itmdyyx85heb7ste

Quotes:

"Being Free from all fears is the first message of the Himalayan Sages. That Fearlessness is also an essential prerequisite for attaining enlightenment. Great are those who are always fearless. To be completely free from all fears is one step on the path of enlightenment." (page 48)

"It is inner strength that makes one fearless, and it is the fearless one who crosses the individual consciousness and becomes one with the universal consciousness" (page 146)

"When yogis speak of non-attachment they are not teaching indifference, but are teaching how to genuinely and selflessly love others. Non-attachment, properly understood, means love."  (page 146)

No matter where you live, live cheerfully (pg 80)

Whenever any great man speaks to you, you should accept his words as mantras and practise them. (pg 84)

Nothing could be achieved without selfless service. All the rituals and knowledge of scriptures are in vain if actions are performed without selflessness.

"Inner Strength, cheerfulness, and selfless service are the basic principles of life." 

"Life is a rhythm and one who knows this rhythm can live as long as he wishes". 

"The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself."

Most people brood on the past and do not know how to live here and now (pg 52)

Dependence on external relationships is ignorance that needs to be dispelled (pg 55)

I am happy with my friend within me (pg 54)

Faith and Determination - These are the two essential rungs on the ladder of enlightenment. Without faith we can attain some degree of intellectual knowledge, but only with faith we can see into the most subtle chambers of our being. Determination is the power that see us through all frustrations and obstacles.It helps in building will power which is the very basis of success within and without. (pg 50)

Technique:Daily Goals

In The Art of Joyful Living (pp. 128-129), Swami Rama suggests that one develop thirty goals for thirty days, and pick one for each day. These should be small points, but things you work on steadily. For example, you may decide that today you are not going to lie. That does not mean that you will redouble your lies tomorrow, but rather, that today your whole thinking process is about this: that you are not going to lie. You never claim that you will be able to speak the total Truth, but simply decide that you are not going to consciously lie. 

If you adopt thirty points to work on for thirty days, you can just watch what you have accomplished in thirty days’ time. The point is not, for instance, whether you have lied or not lied: it is that you have built your willpower. This is the real process of building willpower. After thirty days you will conclude, “Yes, I have done what I wanted to do.” But do not choose big principles that you cannot fulfill—that is destructive. Instead, select little things. 

Later, you may want to do this experiment of “thirty goals for thirty days” using a separate list of goals which you make up yourself, but for now, you will find the following to be a useful practice. You might want to write a few words or sentences each day about what you have observed. Start by using the number on the list which matches today’s date. Check-off the goal at the end of the day. 

1. Lovingly serve others today. 
2. Observe one of the yamas (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence or Brahmacharya, non-materialism), directing your actions and speech, while observing your thoughts. 
3. Allow your actions to come from conscious choice rather than as a result of habit. 
4. Observe one of the niyamas (purity, contentment, training senses, self-study, surrender) 
5. Observe all of your actions and ask yourself, “why am I doing this action?” 
6. Observe one of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), externally and internally. 
7. Witness everything, external and internal. 
8. Observe one of the five cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, smelling). 
9. Be aware of your breath today, noticing its qualities and how it relates to thoughts and emotions. 
10. Observe one of the five active senses (speaking, grasping, moving, reproducing, eliminating). 
11. Notice how fears can control you, and how fears are related to imagination. 
12. Observe one of the four functions of mind (manas, chitta, ahamkara, buddhi). 
13. Speak very little today—only what is accurate, purposeful, and non-hurting. 
14. Observe your reactions when a desire, expectation, want, or need is or is not fulfilled. 
15. Observe your gestures and body language, noticing how they reflect thoughts and emotions. 
16. Observe one of the yamas (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence or Brahmacharya, non-materialism), directing your actions and speech, while observing your thoughts. 
17. Practice one-pointedness, paying attention to whatever you are doing today. 
18. Observe one of the niyamas (purity, contentment, training senses, self-study, surrender) 
19. Resolve that today “I will love everyone and not hate anyone today.” 
20. Observe one of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), externally and internally. 
21. Observe whether your “first thoughts” or “second thoughts” are good or bad, clear or clouded. 
22. Observe one of the five cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, smelling). 
23. Be aware of the principle of meditation in action. 
24. Observe one of the five active senses (speaking, grasping, moving, reproducing, eliminating). 
25. Be aware of how you adjust to changing circumstances around you. 
26. Observe one of the four functions of mind (manas, chitta, ahamkara, buddhi). 
27. Observe how you relate to other people. 
28. Observe your reactions when a desire, expectation, want, or need is or is not fulfilled. 
29. Notice which thoughts coming into your mind are “useful” or “not useful.” 
30. Choose one of the primitive fountains (food, sleep, sex, self-preservation) and observe how it 
affects your other desires, emotions, thoughts, speech, and actions. 
31. Witness everything, external and internal (in months which have 31 days). 

http://www.swamij.com/pdf/swamiramateachings.pdf

61-Point Relaxation Technique

The practice is about 16 minutes in length. 

• It is best done lying on your back on a hard, though comfortable surface, such as a carpeted floor. 
• Put a small cushion under the back of your head. 
• Lie in such a way that your head, neck, and spine are straight. 
• Place your arms a comfortable distance to your sides, and have the feet a comfortable distance apart. 
• After the exercise, you might want to go deep into the space between the breasts for yoga nidra (yogic sleep) or take a few minutes for seated meditation. 

However you experience the points is okay: 

• You may experience the points as gross body, such as skin, muscles, or bone 
• You may experience the points as a feeling awareness. 
• However you experience the points is okay--you cannot do it wrong. 
• If you "see" with your inner eye, that's okay. If you do not "see" with your inner eye, that's okay too. 
• You may experience darkness, or you may experience light, such as a point of light like a blue star. 
• Any way that you experience it is okay. 
• Simply allow your attention to go to the points, moving from one to the next. 

Here are the 61-Points, though you will not need this list when following the recording: 

• Forehead, throat 
• Right shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, tip of right thumb, tip of right index finger, tip of right middle finger, tip of right ring finger, tip of right little finger, right wrist, right elbow, right shoulder, throat
• Left shoulder, left elbow, left wrist, tip of left thumb, tip of left index finger, tip of left middle finger, tip of left ring finger, tip of left little finger, left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder
• Throat, space between the breasts, right breast, space between the breasts, left breast, space between the breasts, navel, lower abdomen
• Right hip, right knee, right ankle, tip of the right big toe, tip of the right second toe, tip of the right middle toe, tip of the right fourth toe, tip of the right little toe, right ankle, right knee, right hip, lower abdomen
• Left hip, left knee, left ankle, tip of the left big toe, tip of the left second toe, tip of the left middle toe, tip of the left fourth toe, tip of the left little toe, left ankle, left knee, left hip
• Lower abdomen, navel, space between the breasts, throat, forehead

The 61-Points exercise is an excellent practice for entering Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep), which is a state where you are in deep sleep, yet are awake. Yoga Nidra is deeply relaxing, and is used by the yogis to deal with samskaras (the deep impressions that drive karma) in their latent form.

http://www.swamij.com/online61.htm