Stories told by Swami Rama Tirtha
A selection from Scientist and Mahatma by H P Shastri A king went into a forest on a hunting expedition. In the heat of the chase the king was separated from his companions. Under the scorching rays of the sun, he felt very thirsty. He found in the woods a small garden. He went into…
Read MoreThe Ascent of the Mind
Notes of a lecture given by Hari Prasad Shastri The Yoga of Self-knowledge is the ascension of the mind from its states of heedlessness, passion-struggle, and the balanced equilibrium gained through training, into the higher state of illumination. The word ‘ascension’ has no spatial connotation; it just means lifting the mind from one state to…
Read MoreOne-Pointedness
There are basically two states of the mind: that of heedlessness, in which the mind drifts or responds passively to the events as they occur; and the consciously applied recollection of the purposeful life. In deciding to do anything worthwhile, we have to make a definite decision to set before the mind the purpose in…
Read MoreCreative Peace
Love means to enjoy the eternal in the passing by creating forms of beauty and ideas of truth, to understand nature and to transform the raw and chaotic into harmony. We cannot be happy unless we understand our place in nature, and make progress in learning, virtue, and in appreciation of beauty all around. We…
Read MoreWater as a Teaching Simile in the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, as a long poem or song (gita), includes about twelve verses that mention water, usually to illustrate some particular point, either practical or philosophical, or both. The teaching is always relevant to our own experience, and is intended to awaken us to a higher state of consciousness. It gives us methods for…
Read MorePoem – There Was a Time
There was a time When my heart thawed on seeing a rose, And my eyes lingered on each bud and flower. The cherry blossoms intoxicated my brain And the dancing tulips Drew my lips nearer and nearer to them. In every cool and clear waterfall, I loved to bathe my head. Then I met You,…
Read MorePractice in Challenging Times
The public health crisis that began in Spring 2020 meant that meetings could not be held at Shanti Sadan. Presentations of the non-dual teachings and meditation practices had to be immediately adapted to the changed circumstances and provided initially on-line and then in print. Below are some of the talks and meditations given by the…
Read MoreThe Deeper Concentration
Our mental energy, flowing through the senses, reveals to us the wonder and complexity of the outer world. We have learnt how to extend that knowledge, and have come to regard human development, at least on the material plane, as a process of continuous improvement. Boundaries are to be transcended, records broken, feats surpassed. Everything…
Read MoreThe Supreme Secret
The Supreme Secret: Bhagavad Gita Chapter Nine In chapter nine of the Bhagavad Gita the teacher reveals to the pupil and to us all a ‘supreme secret’. The first verse of the chapter says: To you who do not cavil, I shall declare the highest secret, a combination of knowledge and discernment that will set…
Read MoreMeditation Practice
A session led by the Warden of Shanti Sadan It has been said that meditation is the best preparation for the day, and the day lived with mindfulness is the best preparation for meditation. The observation refers to both sides of our life: the ‘me-time’ we devote to meditation, and the me-in-the-world situation that we…
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