The Satsang Journal
Teachings, field notes and stories of service from across The Satsang Foundation.
In the ultimate sense, when happiness is found inside, one realizes that there is no difference between the inside and the outside! But first one has to start from the inside.
If I begin the enquiry by saying ‘I know’ then there is no enquiry. So one should sit with that humility which comes out of the understanding that learning has no end. One can learn any time then...
The theory of Vedanta is that all bliss and happiness lies within every living being, and when the senses come in contact with a particular object, a little bit of it is released.
When all the ‘mala‘ or ‘delusions’ of the mind are cleared, then what remains is the true essence which is complete happiness, the Truth, known as the Brahman.
We keep working all our lives just trying to grasp ‘happiness’ which always eludes us. Permanent happiness is only an idea because we know only this ‘little happiness’ that comes to us in intervals.
Our true self, true identity - or what the Upanishads call the ‘Atman’ is ‘That Consciousness’ because of which we are conscious- and to reach that identity of ours by quieting the mind, is the mai...
If you want to be free of ignorance, you need knowledge. But once you are free, you have to throw both away. Don’t stick the thorn of knowledge into your foot and think ‘I know everything’.
A heart with no love, affection, devotion, and bhav is equal to a smashan: cremation ground. There is nothing there; it’s all burnt, finished. There is no life out there.
Devotion, bhakti, is in the heart.
Words can only convey things up to a certain point; words are prose, not poetry. Poetry is that which is in between the words.
Imitating a practitioner of kindness is always better than imitating a fellow who is cruel. Practice kindness to all living beings, as much as possible.
One of the great obstacles to attaining Truth is sloth. Swami Vivekananda has said that one cannot meditate for 24 hours a day, therefore Work. It prevents you from sleep and sloth. Working for ot...