Chintana

“Old age comes with a passage of time, maturity comes with deep reflection.”

“The values that you uphold in life determine the quality of thoughts, the quality of thoughts  determines  in turn the quality of actions.”

– Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Aparajitananda shares his Chintana (reflections) on scriptures and values based on Pujya Gurudev’s quotes. May reading of Swamiji’s Chintana be instrumental in furthering our spiritual journey.

Chintana – 2022

July 2022All spiritual practices are to help us accomplish steady equipoise for meditation.

June 2022When the mind is calm, serene and pure, it is contemplative. This contemplation gives birth to Rama in you, the Reality.

May 2022When we strive to identify with our real nature, that is Vaikuntham.

April 2022It is the Lord Himself who gives His faithful devotee the experience of His absolute, unchanging Truth.

March 2022Train your mind to keep one ideal in it and work towards it – the mind becomes single-pointed.

February 2022Every day is bursting with opportunities for us to do and to serve, to act and to express, to love and to live.

January 2022Human greatness is not muscular strength, but the greatness of character.

Chintana – 2021

December 2021If we accept and acknowledge the mistake, it is forgiven.

November 2021 It is our bounden duty to do everything to make children grow into beautiful beings.

October 2021Mind at rest is a temple of joy.  

September 2021 We collect things because our hearts are empty.  

August 2021Man cannot get rid of his heavy load of desires. They seem to multiply as the body moves nearer the grave. This is Maya. This is Moha. The only antidote to this disease is Self-knowledge.

May 2021To give love to all others is the only way to enrich life as nothing else can.

April 2021 – Yoga is not twisting the body, but straightening the mind. – Chinmaya 

March 2021 – Being himself exactly the Supreme Being, but thinking himself to be separate from Him, Jeeva strives to become united with Him. What is there stranger than this?  Ramana.

February 2021There is no reincarnation at all, either now or before, nor will there be any hereafter. Reincarnation exists only so long as there is ignorance.    Ramana.

January 2021Overall power and adorability by all came to God because He never says ‘I’ even in forgetfulness.

Chintana – 2020

December 2020God’s creation does not bind. That which does so is Jeeva’s own creation.

November 2020 Life is a piece of art which can be made beautiful and polished, chiselled and shaped, by your own careful self-effort.

October 2020 You are ordinary or extraordinary depending on your attitude towards the situations that you face and how you respond to the challenges in life.

September 2020Nothing in this world, which is but a two minutes’ dream, is worth worrying.

August 2020 We think something is wrong with the outer world.; something is wrong with the Creator. The fact is Creator is supplying us with the best possible things. It is our unintelligent behaviour which is spoiling it.

July 2020Why should tools worry about how the technician is going to solve the problem and do his job. Be a mere tool in His hands.

June 2020So long as our attitude is purely materialistic and selfish with no touch of spirituality, nature will continue to be disturbed by our actions. It is an echo. Nature is only echoing our behaviour. If we don’t change, nature will make us suffer.

May 2020 Not Published

April 2020 Not Published

March 2020Submit to the will of the Lord and draw a lesson from every event.

February 2020 The Lord is in our own heart. To deny Him is to deny ourselves. You may leave Him, but He will not leave you.

January 2020All the great Masters have constantly advised seekers to maintain perfect consistency between their thoughts and expressions.

Chintana – 2019

January 2019Every event in daily life is a silent proclamation of some profound truth.

February 2019 Love of God is the highest and the best means to a person’s happiness here and hereafter.

March 2019So long as one remains a slave of one’s senses how can one concentrate the mind on God and serve Him?

April 2019Practical religion consists in living the philosophy one has understood.

May 2019The only way to start a good work is to START. Leave all anxieties about it to Him. His grace will shine out on our work and it will grow and expand.

June 2019Vedanta is the answer for the problems of the day; it is the only specific for the malady of the age.

July 2019Live in love for Him alone. That is the greatest fulfilment of all existence.

August 2019 A serene mind is a mountain of strength.

September 2019To strive is given to us; success is always His. So never feel beaten out – STRIVE.

October 2019 Education in a country must help to rebuild the character of its people.

November 2019Invoke the Mother to help us annihilate within all negative forces and all weaknesses.

December 2019The goal of teaching is to impart to the children the ability to make the right judgments.

Chintana – 2018

January 2018The joy of living is clouded when the seeker has no dynamic goal or ideal. If there is a goal, then life gathers a sharpness, a glow of its own accord.

February 2018 – Not Published

March 2018Life is as light as a feather to one who has renounced his over-exaggerated pride.

April 2018Thoughts feed the desires. The desire vitalises each flimsy dream. In a short time, the consequent chaos creates a roaring inferno within.

May 2018 If you cannot do great things yourself, remember that you may do small things in a great way.

June 2018Tolerate the world and its endless foolishness. Smile and keep on loving the people.

July 2018 A face overflowing with inner warmth of peace and smile is a charm which none can resist.

August 2018The distribution of grace is not controlled by the Guru, but depends upon the capacity of the recipient.

September 2018 The words of the Master can echo their message only in a bosom that has been stilled in complete love.

October 2018No hurry is allowed in nature. In our inner growth also, no hurry is permitted. Any hurry or impatience will end in suppression/repression.

November 2018 Without learning to live here, there is no hereafter to hope for.

December 2018Dassehra is the victory over the senses, over the mind, which ends in the disappearance of the dreadful shadow ‘I’, that cauldron of weaknesses, yearnings, slavery and imperfection.

Chintana – 2017

January 2017जगत-ईशधी-युक्त-सेवनं अष्टमूर्तिभृत् देवपूजनम् |

February 2017When you are born, you must die. Don’t die while living. Live after you are dead.

March 2017The prescription given is – surrender to Him and act on. What we do is act and then surrender.

April 2017The renunciation is not measured by things a man gives up. True renunciation is of the will and of desires.

May 2017Both rain and sunshine are needed to make a rainbow. Both joy and sorrow are needed to make life truly beautiful and colourful.

June 2017 Let the sleeping lion of adhyatmic fervour in thee wake up! Fight out thy enemies in the inner Kurukshetra.

July 2017Don’t search for the ideal person. Instead, search for the ideals in every person you meet.

August 2017Self Realisation is the experience of love in its absolute nature. Realise thy Self.

September 2017If we can allow an uninterrupted and faithful flow of His will, He shall ever keep us in His hands and never leave us even for a moment.

October 2017To the student of Vedanta, the Guru is the embodiment of his goal.

November 2017Every individual has the right to walk the spiritual path.

December 2017Infinite is our nature. We have to realise this, and we will find ourselves at our journey’s end.

Chintana – 2016

January 2016By thinking deeply of a noble person of character and love, our minds entertain those thoughts, and this causes what we call a blessing.

February 2016Even when threatened with death, don’t give in to dishonesty, deception, lust and passion.

March 2016Every surrender unto God is an elevation in the status of the soul.

April 2016Temperance is the law of all spiritual students.

May 2016 – Not Published.

June 2016Religion becomes dead and ineffectual if the seekers are not ready to live its ideals.

July 2016ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्ति: पूजामूलं गुरो: पदम् | मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरो: कृपा ||

August 2016The Lord does that which is best for us always. Even sorrows mould us into better beings.

September 2016None gets bound by one’s possessions; it is the mental slavery to our possessions that shackles us.

October 2016 If by studying the scriptures, one can become a sannyasin, by counting the King’s money one must become a billionaire.

November 2016Spiritual perfection is not to be created – it is in us already. We have only to remove what obstructs its manifestation.

December 2016The true sevak should not expect recognition of his work from either the people or from his own organization.

Chintana – 2015

January 2015Carefully navigate around the dangerous rocks of thy own lower nature. Thou shall reach the eternal heaven of peace and bliss.

February 2015Make your life a celebration of His presence.

March 2015The secret of success in life lies in keeping the head above the storms of the heart.

April 2015Silence the mind and listen; this is the final state of meditation.

May 2015Be regular.

June 2015 Be cheerful within, and loving and peaceful outside.

July 2015Accept. Surrender. Let Him be the charioteer of your life.

August 2015To discover difficulties in every opportunity is the nature of the failures, while to discover opportunity in every difficulty is the nature of the successful.

September 2015Each shock is yet another knock to add to our spiritual stature.

October 2015Tranquillity is the innate nature of all; it is a self-existent reality.

November 2015Each of us has to awaken the sleeping saint within us.

December 2015Without the spirit of sacrifice, no service is possible.

Chintana – 2014

January 2014 He who reigns supreme as master of himself alone becomes a servant of light unto others.

February 2014There is one ornament common to men and women – forgiveness.

March 2014A beautiful life does not just happen; it is built daily by prayer, humility, sacrifice and hard work.

April 2014The real test of a Perfect One is not in the jungle or in a cave, but in the market place where he is teased by the mischiefs of the world.

May 2014What you meet in your life is Praarabdha (destiny); how you meet is your Purushaartha (self-effort).

June 2014He who empowers you to examine your own life and then wipe out your weaknesses is your preceptor.

July 2014Even though you have not conquered in battles the world, you become the world conqueror when you have conquered your mind

August 2014 The fewer one’s passion, the greater are one’s freedom and enjoyment.

September 2014Any attempt of the mind to rise from low values of its present existence to a healthier and diviner scheme of life is yoga.

October 2014Do your job well. Live straight. Devotedly pray and serve. The reward shall come to you.

November 2014There is no vessel to ferry man across the ocean of samsara except jnanam (Self-knowledge).

December 2014 Human life has been given to us unasked. We are blasting it and blaspheming it in a thousand ways.

Chintana – 2013

January 2013 Silence heals; silence soothes; silence comforts; silence purifies; silence revitalizes us.

February 2013To derive a sense of lasting joy, give the mind a new direction. Change the direction of your thoughts; make them divine.

March 2013 Ethics is something we have to cultivate in ourselves. Its expression in the world becomes morality.

April 2013Man can change his destiny not by wishing for it, but by working for it.

May 2013Temples are the gymnasiums for the mind.

June 2013Beating one’s own drum is worldly outlook. Beating oneself into shape is spiritual effort.

July 2013Prayer, in its truest sense, is an attempt to invoke the mightier potential that is already in us, through mental integration.

August 2013The brilliance of the divine Self radiating through each individual is directly proportionate to the degree of surrender at the higher altar within.

September 2013No true seeker has the right to be pessimistic; he should ever be consciously optimistic.

October 2013The secret vein of energy that runs in every one of us is struck, not through pills and elixirs, but through dedicated actions.

November 2013Silently hear everyone. Accept what is good. Reject and forget what is not. This is intelligent living.

December 2013Brood less; smile more. That is the way to live.

Chintana – 2012

January 2012Tomorrow, we will be what we are now, plus what and how we have faced life’s challenges today. This is the Law of Cosmic Justice.

February 2012Religion is to become not a mere practice, but a faithful and constant atmosphere around our head and heart.

March 2012An unruly mind fluttering with greeds and fancies, worries and fears cannot be expected to settle on sublime thoughts.

April 2012Our present work may be great or small. Yet the important thing is to do it well.

May 2012On the spiritual path, there may be lots of ups and downs, but never a fall.

June 2012In the grand scheme of time, plans will get executed as ordained, in the system of evolution. Individuals are mere tools.

July 2012For the man who relies on wealth, of what avail is God’s aid? For the devotee of God, of what use is the worldly wealth?

August 2012Effectiveness of Japa to a large extent depends upon the spirit of surrender with which the seeker is practising it.

September 2012Contentment in anything that reaches him accidentally, unasked and unexpected should be the motto of all serious seekers of inward growth.

October 2012The only private treasure we can really possess in this world is our own thoughts within. It is a sacred sanctum and none can invade it.

November 2012Watch in others for weaknesses which you should guard against in yourselves.

December 2012 Every sunrise is a message from God and every sunset is His signature.

Chintana – 2011

January 2011We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.

February 2011The action of today becomes the destiny of tomorrow.

March 2011Beating one’s own drum is worldly outlook. Beating oneself into shape is spiritual effort.

April 2011Success is not in the trophy won but in the race run.

May 2011Your life will be blessed if you need nothing until you have it.

June 2011 ‘Renounce the ego’ is the Lord’s only request; ‘I’ll make you a God’ is the promise.

July 2011 In introspection, the mind itself is the subject of study.

August 2011To restrain the vagrant mind and channel its enormous potential towards a given goal constitutes yoga.

September 2011 Those who know, do not say. Those who say, do not know. The wise are therefore silent. The clever speak, the stupid argue.

October 2011A man who wants to do something will find a way; a man who doesn’t, will find an excuse.

November 2011Let us develop a sense of gratitude to the Lord by focusing our attention on what we have.

December 2011When the transience of life is understood in all its depth and significance, material possessions are viewed merely as gifts granted for temporary enjoyment.

Chintana – 2010

January 2010The situation can hurt us only when the mind is weak.

February 2010The really poor man is not the one who lacks money, but who lacks the joy of the heart.

March 2010 When Ram gives pain, Ram again gives us the power to suffer and provides people to look after us. Never worry.

April 2010“Desire to possess” when directed towards Narayana becomes the “burning spiritual anxiety of devotion for the Lord.”

May 2010The real men of achievement are the people who have the heroism to fuel more and more enthusiasm in their work when they face more and more difficulties.

June 2010“To dissipate our energies through the sense organs is the vulgar hobby of the thoughtless mortal.”

July 2010Thought by thought and action by action, we are sculpting our future.

August 2010He who believes that change is antecedent to rise will never give way to despair.

September 2010I leave all care with Him, seated in my heart, Whose love for me is endless and true.

October 2010Love creates and lust destroys peace in the heart of a man.

November 2010The impossible is achieved through the process of self-perfection called meditation.

December 2010The man who is not proud of his motherland and who is not true to his customary duties must be regarded as a base ungrateful fellow

Chintana – 2009

January 2009The day we rediscovered ourselves to be really something higher than our own ego, it is the beginning of a new era.

February 2009Lift yourself by yourself; nobody else can do it for you.

March 2009The attitude of egolessness is the secret of unveiling the nobler and the dynamic in us.

April 2009The suffering of each depends, not upon the factual happenings, but upon the texture of each one’s mind.

May 2009That which feels ‘I AM this I’ is neither mind nor matter. It is the eternal Self. The external things exist because of the imagination of this ‘I’.

June 2009None gets bound by one’s possessions; it is the mental slavery to our possessions which shackles us.

July 2009Character is formed from the repeated choice of thoughts and actions. Make the right choice; then we shall have noble character.

August 2009Without I go only to come down; Within I go only to rise above.

September 2009Nothing worth achieving can be achieved without self-effort.

October 2009A happier tomorrow is built when we live today a life divine.

November 2009 Let your hands and legs function but let a part of your mind steadily hold on to the Divine Essence in you.

December 2009 Service in this world is the greatest prayer. Loving the people around is real devotion.

Chintana – 2008

April 2008To weep is folly and to smile is wisdom. Keep Smiling.

May 2008To dissipate ourselves in immoral and criminal thoughts is more harmful than physically indulging in them. The mind has a tendency to repeat its own thoughts.

June 2008Faith and total devotion to the Guru are necessary in order to ease the student’s path and level down the slopes en route.

July 2008The right way of living is only living without hatred.

August 2008The only private treasure we can possess in this world is our own thoughts within. It is a sacred sanctum and none can invade it.

September 2008 In life, it has always been observed that to solve a problem is to rise above it.

October 2008 When I rest, I rust.

November 2008Which else shall beautify a home but the flame of a lovely lamp? Which else shall adore the mind but the light of wisdom deep?

December 2008The more we identify with the little “i” in us, the more will be our confusions in life. By expanding it to identify with a larger cause, we shall find our confusions dwindling into nothingness.

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