If I say, "He is One," it is a lie; if I say, "He is two," I am guilty of slander.
Kabir knows Him as He is, but cannot express Him.

The devotee who can stay in that place where the Invisible and the manifest are one,

Like a lamp in the doorway, illumines both what is within and what is without.

As a piece of cloth is not different from the threads which comprise it,
So Brahman is not different from the world, and the world is not different from Brahman.

O Kabir, there is no difference between the world, the Creator, and Brahman; Brahman is in all and all is in Brahman.

The fire is one, whether it burns in a lamp or a torch; so Brahman is all, and in Him exist all souls, God, and the world.

Unity is the essence of the teachings of all the saints; Laugh at Kabir if you do not become perfect by living in accord with this truth!

~Saint Kabir

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MUST WATCH

🍃🌸5 ESSENTIAL PRACTICES TO AID YOUR SADHANA🌸🍃

🪔Explained by: Swami Sarvapriyananda🪔

•Duration: 17:17 mins

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https://youtu.be/o1EiaHmGSu0

🍃🌸SHUBH NAVRATRI | शुभ नवरात्रि 🌸🍃

Devi is synonymous with Sakti or the Divine Power that manifests, sustains and transforms the universe as the one unifying force of Existence. In fact, worship of Devi is not sectarian; it does not belong to any cult. By Devi or Sakti we mean the presupposition of all forms of existential power, the power of knowledge, of omniscience. These powers are the glorious attributes of God—you may call Him Vishnu or Siva or as you like. In other words, Sakti is the very possibility of the Absolute’s appearing as many, of God’s causing this universe. Sakti and Sakta are one; the Power and the one who possesses the Power cannot be separated; God and Sakti are like fire and heat of fire.

Devi-worship is therefore worship of God’s glory, of God’s greatness and supremacy. It is unfortunate that Devi is misunderstood only as a blood-thirsty Hindu-Goddess. No, Devi is not the property of the Hindu alone. Devi does not belong to any religion. Devi is the conscious power of the Deva. Let this never be forgotten. The words Devi, Sakti etc. and the ideas of the different forms connected with these names are concessions given to the limitations of human knowledge, human comprehension.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in the Gita, ‘This is only My lower nature Sakti; beyond this is my higher nature, the Original Sakti, the life-principle which sustains this entire universe’.

The Upanishad says, "The Para Sakti, the Supreme Power of this God, is heard of in various ways; this Power is the nature of God manifesting as knowledge, strength and activity."

Truly speaking all beings of the universe are Sakti worshippers, for there is none who does not love and long for power in some form or other. Physicists and scientists have proved now that everything is pure imperishable energy. This energy is only a form of Divine-Sakti which exists in every form of existence. Since Sakti cannot be worshipped in its essential nature, it is worshipped as conceived of in its manifestations viz., creation, preservation and destruction.

Sakti, in relation to these three functions, is Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Kaali. These, as is evident, are not three distinct Devis, but the one formless Devi worshipped in three different forms. Durga Puja or Navaratri is the festive occasion of the ‘nine-day-worship of Maha-Kaali, Maha-Lakshmi and Maha-Sarasvati’, the Divinity of the Universe adored in three ways.

Sarasvati is cosmic Intelligence, cosmic Consciousness, cosmic Knowledge. Worship of Sarasvati is necessary for Buddhi-Suddhi, Viveka Vichara-Sakti, Jnana, self-illumination. Lakshmi does not mean more material wealth like gold, cattle etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, greatness, come under the grace of Goddess Lakshmi. Sri Appayya Dikshitar calls even final Liberation as ‘Moksha-Samrajya Lakshmi’.

Hence worship of Lakshmi means the worship of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity. The worship of Devi is therefore the explanation of the entire process of spiritual Sadhana in all its aspects. During Navaratri observe strict Anushtana and purify your inner spiritual nature. This is the most auspicious time in the year for Mother-Worship. Read Saptasati or Devi Mahatmya and Lalita Sahasranama. Do Japa of the Mantra of Devi. Perform formal worship with purity, sincerity and absolute devotion. Cry for the Darshan of Mother Devi. The Divine Mother will bless you with the knowledge, the peace and the joy that know no end.

May Ma Durga establish righteousness or Dharma in the World! May She destroy all dark hostile forces that disturb the peace of the world! May She remove all sorts of epidemics and famine from the land! May She annihilate the Asuric tendencies - lust, anger, pride, hypocrisy, etc. in human beings. May She turn the Asuras, Demons and people with diabolical tendencies into Sattvic men! May She lift us to the heights of divine glory, the imperishable state of Kaivalya, Supreme peace and Self-knowledge.

~Swami Sivananda

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🌿जग्धिपानकृतोल्लास रसानन्दविजृम्भणात्।
भावयेद्भरितावस्थां महानन्दस्ततो भवेत् ॥७२॥

Take some delicious dish/ drink. When you are full of that blissful taste, merge yourself in that blissful taste. Don't think of yourself as an individual being; consider yourself all-full, all-round full. You are situated in the supreme and full state of Lord Siva, Mahānanda.

~VIGYAN BHAIRAV TANTRA, SHĀKTOUPĀYA, Dhāranā 47, v72

•Explained by Swami Laxmanjoo

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Question: Describe in detail the three bodies that make up a human being.

🌿The gross body, or sthūla śarīra, is:

➡️ Composed of the five elements, or pañca-mahābhūtas (space, air, fire, water and earth), which have undergone the pañcīkaraṇa process.

➡️ Determined by the results of past actions.

➡️ The tenement in which to experience joy (sukha), sorrow (duḥkha), and so on.

➡️ Subject to the six modifications: existence (as a foetus), birth, growth, change, decay, and death.

➡️ The basis of relationships like son, father, mother, daughter, and so on.

🌿The subtle body, or sūkṣma śarīra, is:

➡️ Composed of the five elements or pañca-mahābhūtas (space, air, fire, water and earth), which have not undergone the pañcīkaraṇa process.

➡️ Born as and determined by the results of past actions.

➡️ The instrument for experiencing pleasure, pain, and so on.

➡️ Comprised of 17 aspects:

- 5 jñāna-indriyas, or sense organs of perception: Ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose (the respective functional aspects or powers of hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling).

- 5 karma-indriyas, or organs of action: Tongue, hands, legs, genitals, and anus (the respective functional aspects or powers of speech, grasping, locomotion, reproduction, and excretion).

- 5 prāṇas: Prāṇa (inhalation), apāna (exhalation), vyāna (circulation), udāna (the capacity to entertain new thoughts and leave the body at the time of death), and samāna (assimilation); it should be noted that prāṇa and apāna are not restricted to respiratory activities alone.

- 2 inner instruments: The mind and intellect.

🌿The causal body, or kāraṇa śarīra, is:

➡️ Inexplicable, beginningless, and in the form of avidyā (ignorance of Reality).

➡️ The abode of all vāsanās (tendencies that compel the jīva to take another birth) and thus the cause for the gross and subtle bodies.

➡️ Unqualified in form and free from thought modifications.

Question: What is the antaḥkaraṇa or inner equipment?

The antaḥkaraṇa is the inner equipment of cognition. Its ‘mind-stuff’ or ‘thought stuff’ has four facets:

➡️ Manas: Mind (expresses as indecisiveness and agitation).

➡️ Buddhi: Intellect (expresses as decisiveness and rational thinking).

➡️ Citta: Memory.

➡️ Ahaṅkāra: I-thought (sense of individuality, or ego).

~Swami Chinmayananda
•Hinduism FAQs, Question 52, 53

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MUST WATCH

🌿How to teach kids? | Q&A🌿

🪔Explained by - Pravrajika Divyanandaprana🪔

•Duration: 18:36 mins

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https://youtu.be/_Iy7p1LjMlQ

✨​​🌿Shubh Dussehra🌿✨

•Dussehra - The tenth day of celebration

Navratri is replete with symbolism about vanquishing evil and wanton nature, and about having reverence for all aspects of life and even for the things and objects that contribute to our wellbeing. The nine days of Navratri are classified as per the three basic qualities of tamas, rajas and sattva. The first three days are tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga and Kali. The next three days are Lakshmi related – gentle but materially oriented goddesses. The last three days are dedicated to Saraswati, which is sattva. It is related to knowledge and enlightenment.

•Vijayadashami - The Day of Victory

Investing in these three will make your life in a certain way. If you invest in tamas, you will be powerful in one way. If you invest in rajas, you will be powerful in a different way. If you invest in sattva, you will be powerful in a completely different way. But if you go beyond all this, it is no longer about power, it is about liberation. After Navratri, the tenth and final day is Vijayadashami – that means you have conquered all these three qualities. You did not give into any of them, you saw through every one of them. You participated in every one of them, but you did not invest in any one of them. You won over them. That is Vijayadashami, the day of victory. This brings home the message of how being in reverence and gratitude towards everything that matters in our lives leads to success and victory.

•Dussehra - Devotion and Reverence

It is my wish and my blessings that all of you should celebrate Dussehra with total involvement, joy and love.

Of the many things that we are in touch with, of the many things that contribute in making and creating our lives, the most important devices that we employ in making a success of our lives are our own body and mind. Being in reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon, towards the air that you breathe, the water that you drink, the food that you eat, the people that you come in touch with and everything else that you use, including your body and mind, will lead us to a different possibility as to how we can live. Being in a state of reverence and devotion towards all these aspects is a way of ensuring success in every endeavor that we partake in.

•Celebrate Dussehra With Joy & Love

Traditionally, in Indian culture, Dussehra was always full of dances, where the whole community mixed, met and mingled. But because of external influences and invasions over the past two hundred years, we have lost that today. Otherwise Dussehra was always very vibrant. Even now it is still so in many places, but it is being lost in the rest of the country. We have to bring it back. The Vijayadashami or Dussehra festival is of a tremendous cultural significance for all who live in this land – irrespective of their caste, creed or religion – and should be celebrated with gaiety and love. It is my wish and my blessings that all of you should celebrate Dussehra with total involvement, joy and love.

~Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

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🍃🌸 We wish you all a very auspicious and joyful Vijayadashami/Dussehra. May you all conquer and attain victory over your shādripu [kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (pride), and matsarya (jealousy)] and attain the highest good. 🌸🍃

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​​One may gain worldly pleasures, but they will not bring happiness to one. Material things cannot reveal the nature of the true Self, and it is for this reason that the wise renounce the world and become free from all worldly ties. When they fully realize that these worldly things will not bring them happiness and will not make them free from the fear of death, renunciation becomes a matter of joy for them.

It is the ignorant and the self-deluded who care for the momentary worldly pleasures. Those who are attracted by the charms and temptations of the objects of the senses simply fool themselves. They are responsible for their follies and therefore they suffer. All sufferings and pains spring from ignorance, while happiness springs from knowledge. It is knowledge that brings the highest bliss.

~Swami Rama
•Life here and hereafter

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🌿Whatever it is that you fear, take your mind away from it and leave it to God. Have faith in Him.

🌿Much suffering is due simply to worry. Why suffer now when the malady has not yet come? Since most of our ills come through fear, if you give up fear you will be free at once. The healing will be instant.

🌿Every night, before you sleep, affirm: "The Heavenly Father is with me; I am protected." Mentally surround yourself with Spirit. You will feel His wonderful protection.

~Paramahansa Yogananda

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