At Every Breath, A Teaching

During the round-the-clock watch at the Houston hospital, especially after the initial intensive care days, devotees were continually streaming through to offer their help. Swamiji was never alone. We asked him, "Swamiji, do you ever get tired of having people around you all the time?" Frail as he was, he roared back at them, "Only if there's hate in the heart does one get tired of people. Do you ever get tired of your arms and legs? Do you ever want them to go away? You may want to change your clothes, but not your arms and legs!" Teaching tips:  Often teenagers do not like to converse with parents and family members. They prefer their friends instead. Gurudev teaches us that we should treat everyone as important as our own arms and legs. This world is efficiently taken care by God who works through many hands and legs. We should admire God's presence in all and respect everyone. 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith ...

"Silently hear everyone," he said. "Accept what is good; reject and forget to remember what is bad. Accept all and take only what you want; reject the rest and live happily." When asked what to do in a case when someone is not necessarily bad, just a 'pain in the neck' because of his or her incessant jabbering, Swamiji twinkled his eyes and said: "Just draw down the shades in front of your mind and let the others go on as they will." 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith Emir, published by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Newcomers had been brought to a satsanga in New Delhi. Swamiji was saying to them: "I'm not a miracle swami. Don't expect me to work miracles." "You are trying to be too humble, Swamiji," objected Krishna Varma. "I know your vibhūtis [glories, powers]." "Of course," said Swamiji, "I'm nothing less than God for you. It is the faith of the bhakta [devotee] that brings the best out of me." Teaching tips: Faith is the key to receive the grace. Many devotees go to temple, and not all of them get what they want from the God they worship. But if someone with full faith approaches and appeals to God, he will receive what he really deserves to get! 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith Emir, published by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Swamiji was telling us that when the Guru first tells you that you're Brahman and not the body, you don't quite believe him. He expanded on this idea with a story from his own experience: One day, Swamiji was walking down a path near Rishikesh. It was so hot that not even 'a decent crow' was out at that time. "Eh, Swami!" a female voice called out, but he paid no heed. He had just recently taken sannyāsa, and his station was new to him. He didn't realize that he himself was being addressed. When he finally realized it was he the woman was addressing, she invited him to have bhikşā. "In the same way," said Swamiji, "you need time to get used to the idea that you are in essence the pure Self - Atman, Brahman. It takes practice." Teaching tips:  To feel God's presence in our heart is difficult when we are busy with daily routine. We should remember it by repeating the name of God (japa) whenever we can. This is one of the effective pra...

Someone asked Swamiji toward the end of a spiritual camp, "Swamiji, why in your presence is meditation so easy, but then when we are no longer near you, our ability to be still and dive deep fades away?" "Because," said Swamiji, "when you're in my presence, I hold you with my mind, and my mind is much stronger than yours right now." "To make the mind strong", he said, "You need to integrate the personality. You cannot have one thought pushing you in one direction and another thought yanking you back in another". "When you say one thing and do another, you dissipate energy," he said. "When you say one thing and then do it, you build inner strength." 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith Emir, published by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Swamiji had been talking in satsanga about the idea of God's will being done on Earth. One listener, as she reflected upon the idea on her own, came to the realization that God's will is always being done anyway, whether we say or think, 'Thy will be done' or not. So, the next day in satsanga, she explained this new realization to Swamiji and wondered why we even needed to discuss God's will. He laughed, "Yes, you're right! God's will will be done anyway, whether you agree to it or not, so it makes it much easier on you if you simply admit it and accept it!"" 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith Emir, published by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

A devotee went to Gurudev and demanded to know how he could get cured of his bouts of bad temper. He sincerely wanted to be rid of them, as he realised how much sorrow they caused him and also those around him. "Show me the anger in you, please," requested Swamiji. "There are some varieties that can't be cured. Show me your type." "Right now I can't show it to you, Swamiji. It comes suddenly, makes me do stupid things, and then just as suddenly leaves me," explained the devotee. "Then it is not your own nature. If it were so, you could show it to me. You were not born with a bad temper; nobody gave it to you; your education didn't train you in it. It is not yours. Please think this over and come to disown it quickly!" "We all know Swamiji got angry at times, but anger never controlled him," says Nalin Vissanji. 1 Adapted from At Every Breath, A Teaching , authored by Rudith Emir, published by Central Chinmaya...