What is the meaning of Sadhana ?

When we read on the subject of worship and spirituality - we  often come across the word Sadhana and are encouraged by all illumined spiritual Masters to engage in Sadhana. But what exactly is Sadhana? and how do we apply it practically in our lives ?

Enclosed here is a simple definition of Sadhana in Hindi , followed by a translation in  English. These two definitions are by two spiritual giants of the modern era - Acharya Shriram Sharma and his Life consort - Vandaniya Mataji Bhagwati Devi Sharma .

Acharya Shriram Sharma on Sadhana  :

Translation :

"However bad a person maybe, one ray of Righteous Knowledge is sufficient  enough to get the person  back onto the right path. The only thing required from the person is the resolve to do so . Unlike glass and stone which when once shaped cannot be changed, our mind however can be changed, reshaped  and reformed.

Repeated efforts made by us to reshape our minds by reducing  our weakness's and increasing  our strengths and virtues is called Sadhana.

 Vandaniya Mataji on Sadhana :

English Translation :

"Sadhana means - Making truthful efforts at self improvement while fighting relentlessly with difficulties ".

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Additional reading on the subject of Upasana, Sadhana and Aradhana:

How Do You Pray (2) -The Three Requirements and Benefits of Meaningful Worship

DO IT ANYWAY ! - A prayer by Mother Teresa

How to Live your Life - An inspiring short prayer by Mother Teresa......

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

                                                                                        Mother Teresa      

                                                                          
A short and memorable quote from the famous American poet and educator- H W Longfellow:

Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the flowers,
Kind deeds are the fruits,
Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds,
Fill it with sunshine , kind words and kind deeds.
                                                                                  H W Longfellow                                          

The Meaning , Strength and Greatness of the Gayatri Mantra - as told by our ancient Rishi's and Muni's.

Enclosed here is a presentation on the Greatness, Glory, and Scientific merits   of the Gayatri Mantra as extolled by our ancient and wise Rishi's and Muni's . This slide presentation is based on the Book - The Super Science of Gayatri written by the 21st century spiritual scientist and enlightened Gayatri Sadhak - Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya.

The worship of Gayatri is a critical need of the modern times. With advancement in Science and Technology we have seen unprecedented material progress. With this rise in material progress we have seen a decline in moral standards and values in the world. 

Scientific progress without the balance provided by  " Righteous Intellect and Wisdom " (Gayatri) will continue to create imbalances in our lives. It is also imperative for us to have inclusive growth - that is to ensure material and spiritual progress of all members of society and not just a select few.

True progress of society therefore  can only be defined as Scientific and Technological progress accompanied by the Wisdom of Righteous Intellect. Hence the need for Gayatri Worship today ........

Additional reading  on the Gayatri Mantra:

The Gayatri Mantra (1) - Its Origin, Meaning, Scientific Impact on our Mind and Body.

The Gayatri Mantra (2):Its Meaning, Its Material and Spiritual benefits.

To read or download the fabulous Book - The Super Science of Gayatri , please visit our Life Transforming Books section .

The time factor in spiritual progress - Why some people are more spiritual than others?

Enclosed here is a short excerpt from "The Gospel of Shri Ramakhrishna Paramhansa" that indicates the reason for the varying levels or degree of interest that different people may have for Spirituality. This short excerpt tells us why some people are more spiritual than others?

In the passage below the author of the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa is referred to as "M" and the "Master " is Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

The time factor in spiritual progress: An excerpt from The Gospel

"MASTER: "Yes, it is good to listen to these things. But nothing will happen except at the right time. 

What can quinine do for a fever patient when he runs a high temperature? Only when his temperature comes down through the use of 'fever mixture' or a purgative should quinine be prescribed. There are patients who get rid of their fever even without quinine. 

A child said to his mother, when he was put to bed, 'Mother, please wake me up when I feel the call of nature.' The mother said: 'My child, I shall not have to wake you. The urge itself will wake you.'

"Different kinds of people come here. 'Some come by boat with the devotees. But they do not enjoy spiritual talk. They keep nudging their friends and whispering: 'When shall we leave here? When are we going?' If the friends show no sign of getting up, they say, 'We would rather wait for you in the boat.'

"Those who have a human body for the first time need the experience of sense enjoyments. Spiritual consciousness is not awakened unless certain duties have been performed."

The Master was going to the pine-grove. With a smile he said to M., on the semicircular porch, "Well, what do you think of my state of mind?"

M. (smiling): "On the surface you are very simple, but inwardly very deep. It is extremely difficult to understand you."

MASTER (smiling): "True. It is like the cement floor of a house. People see only the outer surface and do not know how many materials there are under it."

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Source and credits : 

THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA PARAMHANSA (http://belurmath.org/gospel/chapter26.htm)

Additional Note to the Readers : For those that are unaware : Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Acharya Shriram Sharma are one and the same . To read further details on this subject visit our " Life Transforming Books Section " and read Acharya Shriram Sharma's autobiographical work - My Life its Legacy and Message . You can also read our article " Who is Acharya Shriram Sharma" posted on our blog.

Inspirational Quotes and Short Stories - The Gospel of Ramakrishna Paramhansa !

Dear Readers - Enclosed here are some marvellous short stories, Tales and Fables with an Inspiring message which are extracts from the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
Ramakrishna's message was delivered to the common man through short stories that they could understand -emphasizing  the "Oneness of God" and were aimed at increasing " God Consciousness" and devotion in the minds of men who were increasingly  obsessed with only the material things in Life.

Worldly people have no time for spiritual practice: Akbar and the Holy man

"When Akbar was Emperor of Delhi there lived a hermit in a hut in the forest. Many people visited the holy man. At one time he felt a great desire to entertain his visitors. But how could he do so without money? So he decided to go to the Emperor for help, for the gate of Akbar's palace was always open to holy men. 

The hermit entered the palace while the Emperor was at his daily devotions and took a seat in a corner of the room. He heard the Emperor conclude his worship with the prayer, 'O God, give me money; give me riches', and so on and so forth. When the hermit heard this he was about to leave the prayer hall; but the Emperor signed to him to wait. 

When the prayer was over, Akbar said to him, 'You came to see me; how is it that you were about to leave without saying anything to me?' 'Your Majesty need not trouble yourself about it', answered the hermit. 'I must leave now.' 

When the Emperor insisted, the hermit said, 'Many people visit my hut, and so I came here to ask you for some money.' 'Then', said Akbar, 'why were you going away without speaking to me?' The hermit replied: 'I found that you too were a beggar; you too prayed to God for money and riches. Thereupon I said to myself, "Why should I beg of a beggar? If I must beg, let me beg of God." ' "

Source:http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter37.htm

Parable of the chameleon

"Listen to a story. Once a man entered a wood and saw a small animal on a tree. He came back and told another man that he had seen a creature of a beautiful red colour on a certain tree.
The second man replied: 'When I went into the wood, I also saw that animal. But why do you call it red? It is green.'
Another man who was present contradicted them both and insisted that it was yellow. Presently others arrived and contended that it was grey, violet, blue, and so forth and so on. At last they started quarrelling among themselves.
To settle the dispute they all went to the tree. They saw a man sitting under it. On being asked, he replied: 'Yes, I live under this tree and I know the animal very well. All your descriptions are true. Sometimes it appears red, sometimes yellow, and at other times blue, violet, grey, and so forth. It is a chameleon. And sometimes it has no colour at all. Now it has a colour, and now it has none.'

"In like manner, one who constantly thinks of God can know His real nature; he alone knows that God reveals Himself to seekers in various forms and aspects. God has attributes; then again He has none. Only the man who lives under the tree knows that the chameleon can appear in various colours, and he knows, further, that the animal at times has no colour at all. It is the others who suffer from the agony of futile argument.

"Kabir used to say, 'The formless Absolute is my Father, and God with form is my Mother.'

"God reveals Himself in the form which His devotee loves most. His love for the devotee knows no bounds. It is written in the Purana that God assumed the form of Rama for His heroic devotee, Hanuman.

Source :http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter06.htm

Dogmatism condemned

MASTER: "It is not good to feel that one's own religion alone is true and all others are false. God is one only, and not two. Different people call on Him by different names: some as Allah, some as God, and others as Krishna, Śiva, and Brahman. It is like the water in a lake. Some drink it at one place and call it 'jal', others at another place and call it 'pani', and still others at a third place and call it 'water'. The Hindus call it 'jal', the Christians 'water', and the Mussalmans 'pani'. But it is one and the same thing. Opinions are but paths. Each religion is only a path leading to God, as rivers come from different directions and ultimately become one in the one ocean.

Source:http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter12.htm

Oneness of God

"The Truth established in the Vedas, the Puranas, and the Tantras is but one Satchidananda. In the Vedas It is called Brahman, in the Puranas It is called Krishna, Rāma, and so on, and in the Tantras It is called Śiva. The one Satchidananda is called Brahman, Krishna, and Śiva."

The devotees were silent.

A VAISHNAVA DEVOTEE: "Sir, why should one think of God at all"

MASTER: "If a man really has that knowledge, then he is indeed liberated though living in a body.

Source: http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter12.htm

Three yogas explained by Master

"Innumerable are the ways that lead to God. There are the paths of jnāna, of karma, and of bhakti. If you are sincere, you will attain God in the end, whichever path you follow. Roughly speaking, there are three kinds of yoga: jnanayoga, karma yoga, and bhaktiyoga. 

"What is jnanayoga? The Jnāni seeks to realize Brahman. He discriminates, saying, 'Not this, not this'. He discriminates, saying, 'Brahman is real and the universe illusory.' He discriminates between the Real and the unreal. As he comes to the end of discrimination, he goes into samādhi and attains the Knowledge of Brahman. 

"What is karmayoga? Its aim is to fix one's mind on God by means of work. That is what you are teaching. It consists of breath-control, concentration, meditation, and so on, done in a spirit of detachment. If a householder performs his duties in the world in a spirit of detachment, surrendering the results to God and with devotion to God in his heart, he too may be said to practise karmayoga. Further, if a person performs worship, japa, and other forms of devotion, surrendering the results to God, he may be said to practise karmayoga. Attainment of God alone is the aim of karmayoga. 

"What is bhaktiyoga? It is to keep the mind on God by chanting His name and glories. For the Kaliyuga the path of devotion is easiest. This is indeed the path for this age. Source:http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter24.htm

Master's conception of Kāli
M: "But with him the meaning of Kāli is different. What the Vedas call the Supreme Brahman, he calls Kāli. What the Mussalmans call Allah and the Christians call God, he calls Kāli. He does not see many gods; he sees only one God. What the Brahma jnanis of olden times called Brahman, what the yogis call Ātman and the bhaktas call the Bhagavan, he calls Kāli.
http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/chapter47.htm

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Source and credits :

Visit our "Life Transforming Books Section" to read the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

The Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa :http://guidingthoughts.blogspot.com/p/books-that-you-can-read.html

A guest post from SpiritualBee.com - Five cherished photos and anecdotes from Swami Vivekananda's Life

A fantastic article and must read guest post from Spiritualbee.com:

"Of all the photographs associated with the life of Swami Vivekananda, a few are especially memorable. Presented below is a collection of 5 cherished snapshots, along with some enlightening anecdotes from the life of this great teacher of Vedic spirituality.

Swami Vivekananda Makes His Debut at the Parliament of Religions and Electrifies the Audience with His “Sisters and Brothers” Address

The Parliament of Religions was the platform that catapulted Swami Vivekananda from a relatively unknown monk, to a world famous and beloved teacher of Vedanta.

On 11th September 1893, Swami Vivekananda arose for the first time, to address an august gathering of 7,000 people, with the words “Sisters and Brothers of America” (instead of the customary “Ladies and Gentlemen”). This simple, yet sincere greeting from an unknown monk, so moved the audience that the entire hall immediately stood up to an applause which lasted for a full two minutes (Vivekananda a Biography, page 133: World, India).

Newspapers of the time report, that by the time his speech ended, the crowd was so enamored that people were clamoring over benches to get near him.

Later Swami Vivekananda reminiscing about the incident explained how the pure and noble thoughts, which he had meticulously cultivated all his life, had become the storehouse of so much power, that just a few words were sufficient to touch the hearts of many:...................."

To view these "one of a kind" memorable pictures of Swamiji and read the complete post, please click the link below: 

http://www.spiritualbee.com/posts/photos-anecdotes-from-life-of-swami-vivekananda/

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Scientific explanation of Lord Shiva and the symbolism of the Shivling- Video in Hindi

The enclosed video is a short 15 minute capsule on the scientific explanation  of Lord Shiva and the symbolism of the Shivling in Vedic religion. Today we know with certainity that  The ancient Indian Rishi's formed symbols to explain to the common man (in ways they could then understand) the scientific and eternal truths that they experienced and saw through their spiritual eyes. 

With modern day scientific equipment  we can now see 3D images of space, electrons, neutrons, protons, DNA streams  and can therefore make informed  links between the symbols of ancient times and scientific realities of space, time and creation as evidenced today. With the help of this knowledge we   can now  properly and fully understand  and contextualise what the ancient Sages experienced through advanced meditative stages  . 

Much of the scientific knowledge contained in the Upanishads and Vedas was lost -as India experienced invasions from other races and countries and remained under foreign  rule for centuries. We saw many educated people alienating themselves from Vedic Spirituality as the spiritual symbols lacked proper scientific expalnations that were relevant and in keeping with  our times. 

Shantikunj, the scientific spirituality  reserach laboratory established by Acharya Shriram Sharma is making concerted efforts to rediscover, re-establish and disseminate lost scientific knowledge underlying  our Vedic heritage. The enclosed video is one of the many steps in that direction.

The below mentioned video, released by Shantikunj on the occassion of Mahashivratri explains the symbolism of Lord Shiv and the Shivling with respect to Creation and Destruction. 

To watch this excellent and informative video, please click the following link :http://youtu.be/Xi0WeNtrkUk

If you found this video informative, may we request you to share this knowledge with others who may benefit from the same.                                        

Source and credits : awgp.org

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युवा पीढ़ी को उज्जवल भविष्य का मार्गदर्शन - Book of Quotes in Hindi from Acharya Shriram Sharma's Vangmay !

The book " युवा पीढ़ी को उज्जवल भविष्य का मार्गदर्शन " (Yuva Pidhi Ko Ujjwal Bhavishya ka Margdarshan) is a compilation of one page easy to read thought provoking quotes in Hindi. All Quotes are excerpts from Acharya Shriram Sharma's "Vangmaya" series of Books.

Vangmay's are individual books structured around a specific topic, much like encyclopedia Britannica. Each Book or each Vangmaya, is an Upanishad by itself.

This book has a fantastic collection of Quotes in Hindi aimed mainly at giving direction to the youth on how to live their life. It has pointers on How we can "Build a successful Life while living righteously". Like all other books by Acharya Shriram Sharma , this book makes for a great motivational and inspirational read for both the young and all adults.

Sample Quotes from the book:

यह दुर्भाग्य ही है की आज धन को सर्वप्रथम स्थान और सम्मान मिल गया ! इसका दुष्परिणाम यह हुआ की व्यक्ति अधिकाधिक धन सँग्रह करके बडे से बड़ा सम्मानीय बनना चाहता है , जबकि धन का उपयोग बिना उसे रोके निरंतर सत्यप्रयोजनो में प्रयुक्त करते रहना ही हो सकता है !
गड्ढे में जमा किया पानी तथा पेट में रुक हुआ अन सड़ जाता है , और अपने संग्रह्कर्ता को उन्मादी बनाते है और अनेक विकार पैदा करता है !तिजोरी में बंद नोट अपने संग्रहकर्ता को उन्मादी बनाते है और और सारे समाज में बदबू भरी महामारी फैलाते है !

इसलिए धन उपार्जन की प्रशंसा के साथ साथ यह तथ्य भी जुड़ा हुआ है की महत्वपूर्ण अवश्यताक्ताओं की पूर्ती के लिए उसे तत्काल प्रयुक्त करते रहा जाये ! ( Vangmaya Nos 66)

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संसार में कांटे बहुत हैं ! उन सबको हटा देना बहुत कठिन हैं ! यह सरल हैं की अपने पैरों में जूते पहने और बिना कांटे कंकडों से कष्ट पाये निश्चिनतिता पूर्वक विचरण करे !

सारी दुनिया को अपनी इच्छा अनुकूल चलाने वाला नहीं बनाया जा सकता , पर अपना सोचने का ढंग ऊँचा उठाकर लोगों से बिना टकराये सरलता पूर्वक अपने को बचाकर रखा जा सकता हैं और बिना टकराए वक्त गुज़र सकता हैं !

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हमें यह जानना चाहिए की इश्वर किसी के भाग में कुछ और किसी के भाग्य में कुछ लिख कर पक्षपात नहीं करता और ना ही भविष्य को पहले से तैयार करके किसी को कर्म की स्वतंत्रता में बाधा डालता हैन.

हर आदमी अपने इछानुसार कर्म करने में पूर्ण स्वतंत्र है ! कर्मो के अनुसार ही हम सब फल पाते हैं ! इसलिए भाग के ऊपर अवलंबित ना रहकर मनुष्य को कर्म करना चाहियें !

To read or download the Balance Quotes , please click the BOOK TITLE below.

Book Link :" युवा पीढ़ी को उज्जवल भविष्य का मार्गदर्शन " (Yuva Pidhi Ko Ujjwal Bhavishya ka Margdarshan).

Note : Please visit our Life Transforming Books section to read similar other books in Hindi and English.

मन साधे जीवन सधे- A Life Changing Book by Acharya Shriram Sharma.

मन साधे जीवन सधे - (Munn Saddhey Jeevan Saddhey) is a book that can change your Life. Its a simply written book that illustrates that while our body does all the work, our mind is controlling all our actions. Powerful and strong men have failed when they give up mentally, and conversely the weak can become winners if they start thinking "I can do it".

An excerpt from the above Book :

"मन साधे जीवन सधे - मन का बल शारीर के बल से भी बड़ा है ! इसके आभाव में शारीरिक बल भी किसी काम  का नहीं होता .देखा गया हैं की उत्तम स्वस्थ्य वाले व्यक्तियों को भी जब मानसिक अघात लगता हैं तो वह अपनी स्थिती संभाल नहीं पाते और अपने सामान्य जीवन क्रम से गिरकर स्वय ही अपनी दशा दयनीय बना डालते हैं .........
सफलता का एक आधार है व्यक्ति का मनोबल !यह सच हा की सफलता आदमी का मनोबल बढ़ाती है , पर क्रिया क्षेत्र मैं यह बात सदैव संभव नहीं हैं .संघर्ष करते हुए सफलता के साथ असफलता भी हो सकती हैं !  आशा के साथ ही निराशा की उत्पति भी हो सकती हैं ! मनोबल की परीक्षा का यही समय होता हैं !आशायुक्त जीवन से निरंतरता आती हैं तो निराशा से निकम्मापन भी आ सकता हैं .यहाँ परिस्थित ना संभले तो मनुष्य के सारे प्रयास व्यर्थ हो सकतें !इसलिए यह बहुत ज़रूरी बात है की सफलता की आशा रखे और असफलता के समय धैर्य भी जागृत रखें . किसी भी अवस्था में मनोबल क्षीण न हो., तो रुक कदम रुक नहीं रहता , निराशा आशा में बदल जाती और हारी बाज़ी फिर से जीत में बदल जाती हैं !........"

Acharya Shriram Sharma has  illustrated this book with short stories and examples of people who accomplished great feats through sheer strength of will. This book  makes for a very inspirational and motivational read.

To READ this fabulous book, please click the book link below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/127817042/Munn-Saadhey-Jeevan-Saddhey-Hindi-authored-by-Acharya-Shriram-Sharma

Why do Hindus worship so many Gods? A guest post by Spiritualbee.com

Why do Hindus worship so many Gods? Is Hinduism a polytheistic religion? Why is the cow sacred? Why is the river Ganges considered so holy? Why is the sun worshiped?

These are some of the questions that naturally arise in most people’s minds when they look at Hinduism from the outside.

For those of us who have grown up in the rich Hindu tradition of India, when someone asks us these questions, often we too are puzzled, because these form such an integral part of our daily existence that we have never really stopped to think about it.

So here is a beautiful and profound explanation, for those of us on the inside, as well as the outside, gathered from the spiritual works of the great modern-day gurus of India.

The Worship of Many Gods in Hinduism, Has its Genesis in the Discovery of the Ultimate Reality, the Source of all Creation, by the Ancient Sages of the Vedas

The religion of the Hindus has its roots in the Vedas, the sacred books whose philosophy forms the firm foundation upon which it rests. Of the 4 Vedas, the oldest is the Rig Veda, whose hymns date to at least 4500 BC or earlier.

Besides detailing ceremonies and worships aimed at refining a person’s inner character, the Vedas contain records of stupendous truths concerning the nature of our Universe, as witnessed by the ancient rishis (sages) in the super-conscious states of meditation.

The sections of the Vedas that detail these transcendental truths are called the Upanishads, and the philosophy that they propound is called Vedanta.

Apart from chronicling facts about our world that are strikingly congruent with the discoveries of modern science, such as evolution, the theory of space, time and causation, as well as the atomic structure of matter; the sages of the Vedas speak in tremendous detail, of the presence of an Ultimate Reality, which is the source of all Creation.

They call this Reality, Brahman or God and describe it to be an extremely subtle, all pervading and infinite ocean of consciousness.

To continue reading the full article please click the following link: http://www.spiritualbee.com/posts/many-gods-in-hinduism/

Acharya Shriram Sharma Quotes in English (Translations of Quotes in Hindi)

68700134 Acharya Shriram Sharma Motivational and Inspirational Quotes from Guiding Thoughts

Achary Shriram Sharma - Quotes in Hindi (Daily Guidance Part 2)

Yugrishi Acharya Shriram Sharma - An introduction to HIM and HIS expectations from us! from Guiding Thoughts

Acharya Shriram Sharma: Quotes in Hindi ( Daily Guidance Quotes Part 1)

Enclosed here is a collection of  uniquely Inspiring Quotations  in Hindi  from Acharya Shriram Sharma.  These Quotes are a collection of Quotes from  "All World Gayatri Pariwar".

Acharya Shriram Sharma- Motivational and Inspirational Quotes in Hindi. from Thoughts-that-Guide


To  view Part 2 of this Collection , please click the link below:
http://guidingthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/02/acharya-shriram-sharma-inspirational_19.html

Swami Vivekananda - A short video of his Life and Contributions.

Enclosed here is a short, informative and well done video on the "Life and Contributions" of Swami Vivekananda. 
The video focuses on educating us about  Swami Vivekananda's significant contributions   towards spreading the message  of Vedanta in the East and West. This video is a good watch for both adults and children.
(Vedanta = Eternal and uniformly applicable Truths for all mankind). 

Swami Vivekananda

Video Link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebs-FZVmaeE
Source and credits : HSS (USA)

Other must read  articles and excerpts from  conversations with Swami Vivekananda:
1.Swami Vivekananda - on why people following DIFFERENT religions DISAGREE!
2.Swami Vivekananda and John D Rockefeller on  responsible use of personal wealth.
3.Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda on "eating meat' and using animals for scientific experiments/ animal testing.
4.How to be Spiritual - The Connection between Chastity and Spirituality
5.Swami Vivekananda's on: What is Yoga? Discovering we are not just Body but Soul

Note to readers : We invite you to visit our " Life Transforming Books" section to read many free books on Vedanta by Swami Vivekananda and the 16 direct disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. These books are outstandingly written , very informative and written in a conversational style.

Links to the Gospel of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda are also available in our Life Transforming Books section.

A collection of 60 and more books in Hindi written  by the illustrious spiritual scientist and Master of the Vedas & Upanishads - Acharya Shriram Sharma are also available.

The Laws of Karma (5) : Are Misfortunes always the result of Bad Karma?

This article is a continuation of our very popular series titled :" The Laws of Karma".   All articles on The Laws of Karma are abbreviated excerpts from Acharya Shriram Sharma 's writings. 
So far in our Karma series we have discussed 'Who Keeps a Record of our Good and Bad Deeds', "How are deeds categorised as wrong or right", "Types of Sufferings and their underlying causes", and also "Types of Karma". In this chapter from the book "The Absolute Laws of Karma' we discuss whether misfortunes are always the result of Bad Karma?

The Karma theory is not fatalistic ,instead  it recognises and emphasises "free will" of individuals and their ability to overcome all situations in life.

The Laws Of Karma: Are Misfortunes always the result of Bad Karma?

"Misfortunes are an unwelcome event in our lives. Misfortunes  are popularly believed to be the result of past sins and signal the displeasure of God. However, this view is only partially correct. It is true that one of the reasons for unhappiness is past sins, but all unhappy events do not necessarily have their roots in past misdeeds. 

It may appear paradoxical, but at times misfortunes may also befall us because of the grace of God and the accumulation of past virtues. Unhappiness may also be felt while undergoing hardships in course of virtuous activities. When God shows his benevolence  towards a highly evolved soul and wills to release that soul from the bondage of  everyday living, HE may create distressful situations in that person's life where the individual is forced to make a specific  choice. Such unhappy events jolt the individual out of his slumber and help him to realize the futility of attachment to worldly things. The shock of unhappiness in such cases serves as a Divine Wake-Up-Call. 

Our addiction to worldly attachments, infatuations and passions is so strong and alluring that we cannot be easily de-addicted. There are fleeting moments of wisdom in life when man thinks that life is extremely valuable and must be used for achieving some lofty objective, but soon thereafter attractions of the world sway him from achieving this aim . Through misfortunes, God exerts a strong pull to extricate the devotee from the self-created quagmire of worldly attractions.

Unpleasant, heartbreaking happenings, such as a near fatal accident or disease, death of an intimate friend or relative, sudden financial loss, humiliation, or treachery by a trusted friend, may occur to give a strong shock treatment so that one may course correct his or her life or understand the gravity of purposeful living. 

Sometimes, the virtuous samskaras accumulated on account of our past Karma's can also produce unhappy events. Virtuous karma's also act as shields to ward off sinful temptations. The former do not permit the sinful tendencies to dominate and offer stiff resistance. Many a time, commitment of a sinful act - is foiled by some unforeseen obstacle. If a thief breaks his leg while  attempting thievery, it should be taken as a consequence of his past virtuous Karma's. 

Those who work hard for moral or social upliftment of society and meticulously follow their course of duty, face stupendous problems, hardships , including  lack of resources in their work. They also have to face antagonism of people who find such activities detrimental to their vested interests. Persons treading the royal highway of righteousness have to face hardships at each step. Misfortunes are like a goldsmith’s furnace, in which the validity of past virtues and tolerance to hardships undertaken for virtuous deeds are tempered. After going through misfortunes, the character and personality of an upright person becomes all the more lustrous.

Hence while going through misfortunes, do not be under the impression that you are a sinner and a wretched person deserving Divine wrath. It could be that the distress is a blessing in disguise, with hidden boons, which you are unable to foresee at the moment because of limited vision. 

Innocent persons may be found suffering because of unfair ideologies or oppression by others. Any of us can  become a victim of exploitation, suppression and injustice. The exploiter has to face the consequences of his Karma's in due course of time, but the sufferer should not take such trials as outcome of his Prarabdha. 

A student has to face many hardships in the course of his education. A mother suffers hardship while bringing up a child. Ascetics, social reformers and righteous persons undergo unbearable hardships while working for reformation of the society and evolution of the human soul. Such voluntarily undertaken hardships, confrontations, and problems faced in the course of fulfillment of self-assumed responsibilities also cannot be considered as consequences of past misdeeds. 

At the same time, it would not be appropriate to regard every “happy-go-lucky” person as a virtuous person in his past life or every sufferer as a sinner of his past birth. Such a concept would be unjustified and misleading. There is no reason for someone to have self-pity or feel remorseful on such a false premise. The course from committing an action / Karma to its fruition as Prarabdha follows an occult and mysterious process known only to the Creator. 

With regards to the Laws Of Karma -we have to remain ever vigilant towards our duties and responsibilities and leave the rest to the Impartial and Supreme Justice of God. Let us face the misfortunes and good fortunes of life with equanimity. God has made us responsible only for our duties as human beings. There could be many reasons for successes-failure and happiness- unhappiness. Only the Creator knows their purpose in His Absolute Wisdom. Let us entirely offer ourselves to the Divine to be used for the free and unobstructed flow of His Will through us."

                                              -

                                                        ******

Credits and Source of the above article:
To read the book "The Absolute Law Of Karma" click  link below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/56439617/The-Absolute-Law-of-Karma-by-Pandit-Shriram-Sharma-Acharya

To know more about the author -Shriram Sharma Acharya please click the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shriram_Sharma