SIMPLE Physical Exercises to Promote a Healthy Life .
You can familiarize yourself with the exercise routine through daily practice over a few weeks.
Sound is very important and creates vibrations that affect our moods, motivates us and can create either positive or negative changes in individuals and groups.
There are SEED SOUNDS that were known to ancient Indian sages. They understood and used these seed sounds for Promoting Universal Peace and Protection.
Mantras when chanted around sacred trees and plants promotes the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the person. It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Peepal or Asvattha tree.
The Peepal or Asvattha Tree is considered one of the most sacred of all trees. It provides oxygen twenty-four (24) hours a day. Persons doing pradakshina (walking around the tree) in the early morning will receive an abundance of oxygen supply.
According to Ayurveda, every part of the tree, including the leaf, bark, shoot, seeds, as well its fruits possesses medicinal properties. It’s no wonder then that the ancient Rishis not only meditated but also used it for curing several diseases since ancient times.
Lessons from the Different Phases of Life
SATYAM’S JOURNEY
Adapted from “Sri Ganapati Satchidananda, Part I”
When Satyam was a child his mother Jayalakshmi instructed him through songs and stories. While feeding on the terrace the mother would say, “Are you looking at the Moon, my darling?" This Moon was small ten days ago, just the size of this finger. Look at him today. He is full. He is like a ball. Have you seen how he has grown? Can you say why he has grown? Shall I tell you. There is nectar with angels. He has eaten it well. So, he has fattened himself to the round shape. Do you know what he will do from tomorrow? He will give away all the nectar he has eaten to plants, creepers and trees. From tomorrow onward he will become leaner and leaner? So first you must eat well. If you eat, then you can feed others. So my boy, will you eat well now? Come on, eat! She would look at the Moon and sing a song of the same story.
The mother’s work increased so the stories gradually turned into principles and established truths. What the mother was telling was short, but it took hours for Satyam to memorize and digest (properly understand the lessons Jayalakshmi Mata was teaching). He would then try to master those teachings and practice the spiritual discipline his mother taught to him. To know if his spiritual discipline was progressing, he would put himself to some tests.
At eight years the mother’s teaching continued and she started making him do Yoga asanas. She explained about Yoga. She explained and proved how the stories told from the holy scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharata earlier were all explanations of Yoga Sastra (the science of Yoga). She was teaching yoga practices and gave him initiation as his first Spiritual Teacher. When he was nine years old, Jayalakshmi Mata taught him about herbs.
When Satyam was ten years old Jayalakshmi Mata departed from the world. Satyam and Varalakshmi went to live at Proddutur with his Aunt Venkamma. His practices continued under the guidance of his aunt. Those were the days Satyam begged alms of food, stayed at the houses of strangers but love and the association with holy persons were in abundance.
After Aunt Venkamma passed away, Satyam and his sister went to live In Anantapur with his brother Nanjundayya. Here there was no lack of food and a place he could call as his own. But now he had to continue his spiritual practice in the fire of worldly life. One day after leaving Nanjundayya’s home for school, Satyam got a message, “What boy, have you taken the wrist-watch and rings with you?” He at once returned home. Nanjundayya accusingly said, “You have passed (your exam), I myself wanted to present the watch to you. You are a bit hasty.” His sister-in-law also gave some advise. Grandmother Ambamma scolded Satyam, his father and ancestors. Varalakshmi wept bitterly. Satyam bent his head to see if there was any trace of hatred.
Satyam went to Banglore to visit his mother’s maternal uncle. His uncle and his wife treated him as their own son. Although Satyam was not familiar with the language he and his cousin managed to get along well. One day Satyam noticed that his aunt and uncle behaviour had changed. They started locking the almyrahs. Satyam soon learnt that a watch was missing! No one blamed him for stealing the watch as there was no proof. Satyam thought, “Here they have not disgraced me. Yet it is a disgrace to me. Who is responsible for this disgrace? No one is there. Has the deed occurred without a doer? But it has happened. Why should this disgrace fall on my head only? So, this is the consequence of my past actions. It is becoming quite clear that I am responsible for this disgrace. If I am fated to suffer disgrace, then it can fall on my head even without a person to disgrace me. But all these days when grandmother Ambamma and others disgraced me, I thought that I forgave them and that I had conquered hatred. How is it possible? If I am responsible for my disgraces, how egoistic should I be to think that I had forgiven them? What a traitor I am to my Soul to think that I won the battle where there was no enemy at all to be hated?
There are no wicked persons in the world. I am suffering the consequence of my previous wickedness only. I have wronged myself with the false impression that I have conquered anger. There is no person to vent out my anger! There is no question of victory at all. Eureka! Eureka! I have understood. I have realized my mistake now. If I stay here, these people will have their peace disturbed on account of me.
Satyam requested, “Uncle I want to see grandfather and others, will you not send me?”After visiting his grandfather Linganna, Satyam and Varalakshmi moved to Mysore to stay with grandfather Linganna.
Satyam became an assistant to the priest at the Chamundivanam temple. Sometimes he would go to his aunt Parvathamma’s house, sometimes he stayed with the priest Seshagiri Sastry. If he went to the house of his aunt, the priest or the temple none would ask if he had taken food, if he had slept, where he had gone on the previous days. Satyam wondered, “What will happen to such a person if no one is there at home, the temple or even the marketplace to ask after his welfare?”
An answer came as if from the sky, “If one is cultureless, one will become mad. If he is cultured, he will attain detachment.”
Satyam thought, “I have not yet got this detachment. What is the defect in me? I must reflect on my present state based on my past experience or refinement. What was previous refinement? I had set out to conquer love and hatred. In between I dropped of this word conquer. What happened to love and hatred? I have left them also. Will one discard something he wants or an unwanted thing? Only the unwanted things. Will one love or hate the unwanted things? One will hate the unwanted things. Does it mean I hate these love and hatred? So, it means I have not left off hatred. Aunt Venkamma seems to have told these words long ago.
“There is none who can do either good to us with all love or bad to us with all hatred. If like that there is no base for love and hatred, then do those love and hatred exist or do not exist. Why should there be any dilemma? Actually, they do not exist. Where is the question of leaving off that which does not exist? True, true, true, love and hatred do not exist. There is nothing like leaving them off. If there is no love and hatred, what is the present state? Detachment. This is what I have now. The problem was only to think that I have caught hold of or left off that which did not exist. Now this has gone and there is detachment.
Satyam’s mind merged in unalloyed bliss and he became unconscious of the outer world.
After completing his studies Satyam got a job as a postal worker. He would see the beggars in the society and deeply think about the root cause of beggars in the society. He concluded that the beggars in society was due to due to the selfishness that was at every level in society. Satyam resolved to reform the selfishness in society by himself setting an example of a person who would do selfless service to the society.
Through rituals and prayers Satyam started helping people in the society. He became known for his miracles. People would come to have their problems solved, but Satyam realized that the miracles were not creating a change in the people. They were coming for their personal benefit and would take even the few coins offered to him. Reforming this selfish attitude would not be easy, Satyam who was now known as a Swami would take on a fierce appearance to keep away the selfish people. If anyone committed an offence against someone and the person sought help from the Swami, the offender would at once suffer the consequences of his actions. People became cautious around the Swami and their behaviour began to change.
Swamiji’s mother was versed in music although she had no formal training in music. Swamiji acquired music ability naturally and started using music in his programs. Many master musicians came and became him disciples, saying that after hearing Swamiji play music they realized they did not know music. Music for Swamiji was a Divine Instrument to spread the teachings of righteousness, selfless service, faith and devotion in God and to help people who had physical ailments and worries and stress of daily life. His music became a medium for concentration and focus for people on the material and spiritual paths.
Swamiji attracted millions of people through his music, selfless service, discourses, religious activities, yoga and his personality. His devotees started understanding that the miracles were like candies to bring them to him. The real mission only started when through their social work, religious activities, understanding of his teaching and practice of yoga and other spiritual disciplines they would see a transformation in their inner and outer world.
Even Swamiji demonstrated through his childhood that a person has to analyze himself and learn from every experience until a transformation happens. Small transformations happened when Swamiji as a boy experienced the love of the bear who fed him, the situation of being blamed for stealing by his grandmother, feeling that he had forgiven the grandmother, understanding that what is destined to happen to you will happen even if you do not perform an action, detachment and Supreme Knowledge of the Self.
Swamiji was fully enlightened and showed divine qualities as a child, but through his apparent struggles, a seeker can learn valuable lessons. His life teaches the real miracle is to acquire that experience that you are one with the Divine. His life is a map for a person on the inner journey while living in the fire of worldly life.
Moral of the Story :
The moon appears to wax and wane, however in truth the size and shape of the moon does not change. The moon is always full.
The Light of wisdom and happiness within a person appears to come and go, but in fact the Divine Light within each person is always brilliant.
The mind and heart must be pure for the Divine Light to shine fully.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM SATYAM’S LIFE JOURNEY
i. Like the moon which appears to have many phases, Satyam had to go through many changes in life.
ii. Satyam always reflected on the teachings or events that were happening in his life. By internal reflection Satyam was able to understand that life has its ups and downs, but he must remain balanced.
iii. Satyam reflections created many questions in his mind. But as the moonlight is cool and calming, Satyam thought about the questions calmly and clearly. He then understood the answers to his questions.
iv. Satyam always thought about others. If his presence was creating disturbance in the family, he left that place, but always remembered the lesson he learnt at each stage in life.
v. Once Satyam learnt from a mistake, he would not repeat that mistake.
vi. Satyam demonstrated that miracles do not bring an inner transformation in people. Inner reflection, keeping good company, service to humanity, spiritual discipline and singing or chanting the holy name of God are easy methods on the path for transformation or improvement in a person’s life.
vii. Following a systematic method your mind becomes stable and the Highest Truth, the Inner Self illumines.
viii. Just as the moon appears to go through many phases, a persons goes through many phases in life and must learn from them.
viii. Although the moon appears to wax and wane, the moon in reality is always full. The Divine Light shone through Satyam in all phases of his life.
Click on the link below to download each of the attached files in pdf format.
Curriculum : Lessons Learned from the Moon, Lessons Learned from Satyam’s Journey through Life.
Moon Exercise Routine