May 27: Wisdom

“Your true personality begins to develop when you are able, by deep intuition, to feel that you are not this solid body but are the divine eternal current of Life and Consciousness within the body.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda
_“Man's Eternal Quest”_

Further Reading:
📖 yssi.org/Intuition

Q. How best to help dear ones who fall prey to chronic depression?

A. The number one best way to help is through prayer. Pray, “Heavenly Father, Thou art with him. He is well.”

Encourage the person to seek professional help – even get help for yourself to be strong so you can get through the tough times that may come. Getting help from a psychologist is consistent with SRF teachings. If you break an arm, you don’t just pray, do you? God gave us doctors and medicine for a reason – they are God’s channels. Additional support is okay.

There is a story about a devotee of God who was caught in a raging flood. As the waters carried him away, he clung for life to a log and prayed and prayed to the Lord to save him. A boat came to rescue him, but he declined help and cried, “No, no, I’m waiting for the Lord to rescue me.” So the boat left. In a little while a helicopter approached, but again the man refused help, “No, no, I’m waiting for the Lord to rescue me.” Eventually the man was carried off by the swirling waters and was never seen again. When he arrived in the afterlife he asked God, “I prayed and prayed to you but you never came to rescue me. Why?” The Lord responded, “Why my child, I sent a boat and I sent a helicopter to rescue you, but you refused My help.” Use the channels God gave us!

If you suffer from depression or any illness, use prayer to ask to be guided to the right person to help you. Interview them and try to feel in your heart – ask your heart, “Is this one right for me, Lord?” Ask God to work through that person to help you. In this way you are dealing with God. There is no separation between sadhana and the rest of our lives. Relate all to God.

Encourage the person who is depressed to help others. Helping others is in itself a very healing thing to do and is especially helpful in the case of depression, which may often otherwise lead to withdrawal from the world and from others. Give patience and understanding.

Don’t fall into the hole with them. Know that you can’t control the outcome. Put God first. God will take care of things. This doesn’t mean that He will change things – and that’s often the hardest thing to accept – but God has His reasons and we have only a limited perspective. God sees things from eternity. To Him, a struggle of 20, 30, 40 years, even a lifetime, is a small measure of time compared to eternity.

~ Bro. Bhumananda
Satsanga Q/A, 2003 SRF Retreat

May 26: Wisdom

“As you look upon creation, which appears so solid and real, remember always to think of it as ideas in the mind of God, frozen into physical forms.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda
_Yogoda Satsanga Lessons_

Further Reading:
📖 yssi.org/Lessons

The only real limitation is in your mind. If you mentally accept limitations, then you will be limited; if you do not accept them, you will not be limited.

My attitude is, I will not accept any limitation as a permanent condition. I know that I am capable of continuing to strive toward perfection all the days of my life. That is the right attitude.

Never surrender to any limitation, no matter what it is. Be positive-minded, filled with enthusiasm.

To attain those goals that are good and worthwhile, say to yourself, "I can do it," even though at times you may think you cannot go on. Look to the bright side. That was Guruji's nature.

~ Sri Daya Mata
Excerpts from article “Focusing One’s Spiritual Endeavour”
YSS Magazine, 2018

All human beings have flaws. But as we strive to be patient with one another, and learn to expect more of ourselves than of others, we become more divine. Master did not concentrate on our flaws, but he did always try to help us overcome them; and that should be our attitude toward ourselves and others.

While trying always to become better and better, do not dwell upon errors or weaknesses, for this only emphasizes them. Concentrate upon the love of Divine Mother, Her joy, Her goodness and wisdom, and your relationship with Her. Let Her help you get beyond your flaws. As Master used to tell us, you cannot drive away darkness by beating it with a stick; similarly, you cannot eradicate flaws by mentally hitting at them again and again. Turn on the light, and the darkness vanishes; remove dark imperfections that cover the soul by bringing in the light of divine consciousness through meditation, love, compassion, understanding, and right action. The shortcomings will eventually fall away. That is the simplest way to attain perfection.

~ Sri Daya Mata
Excerpts from article “Thou Art My Life, Thou Art My Love”
yogananda.org

May 23: Wisdom

“It is not necessary to go through every kind of human experience in order to attain ultimate wisdom. You should be able to learn by studying the lives of others. Why become helplessly involved in an endless panorama of events in order to discover that nothing in this world can ever make you happy?”

— Paramahansa Yogananda
_“Man's Eternal Quest”_

Further Reading:
📖 yssi.org/Happiness

March 24: Habits

“A bad habit can be quickly changed. A habit is the result of concentration of the mind. You have been thinking in a certain way. To form a new and good habit, just concentrate in the opposite direction.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda
_“Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda”_

Further Reading:
📖 yssi.org/Wisdom

The Will To Succeed ( part 1) Some time ago a student of the Yogoda Satsanga Lessons called me at the Lake Shrine. He was very depressed about the state of his life: a tragic automobile accident had severely injured his legs and destroyed his car, as a…

The Will To Succeed ( part 1)

Some time ago a student of the Yogoda Satsanga Lessons called me at the Lake Shrine.

He was very depressed about the state of his life: a tragic automobile accident had severely injured his legs and destroyed his car, as a result, he had lost his job. Shortly thereafter, his wife left him, taking their two children and their bank account. Trying to find some way to put his life back together, he had gone to a good doctor, he had sought marriage and career counseling —but the situation was not improving on any front. He was at his wits' end.

So I asked him, "You have tried everything else, but have you tried God? Have you sincerely prayed to Him and sought His help in overcoming these problems?" He said, "Well, sort of..."

I urged him to apply the principles of prayer and positive thought and action for overcoming problems, as taught by our guru, Paramahansa Yogananda.

A few weeks later he phoned again, and this time he sounded very happy…. (To be continued)

- Swami Ramananda Giri
Excerpts from Yogoda Satsanga Magazine, Jan-Mar 2006

January 24: Introspection

“Many people excuse their own faults but judge others harshly. We should reverse this attitude by excusing others' shortcomings and by harshly examining our own.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda
_“The Law of Success”_

Further Reading:
📖 yssi.org/Success