The Divine Glory of Sathya Sai Avathar

    To realise the Atma, overcome four obstacles To realise this Atma, this embodiment of spiritual wisdom (jnana-swarupa), four obstacles have to be overcome: sleep (laya), waywardness (vikshepa), inertia (kshaya), and the enjoyment of bliss (rasa-aswadana). Let’s analyze them one by one. Sleep (laya): When the mind withdraws from the external world, it enters into deep sleep (sushupti), because of the overpowering influence of the objective world (samsara). The spiritual aspirant should arrest this tendency and attempt to fix the mind on the inquiry into the nature of the true Self (Atma-vichara). The aspirant must keep watch over the mind in order to keep awake and must discover the circumstances that induce the drowsiness and remove them in time. The aspirant must start the process of meditation (dhyana) again and again. Of course, the usual producer of drowsiness and sleep during meditation is indigestion. Overfeeding, exh...

The 20 Virtues Essential for Wisdom (   It is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna   ) Arjuna   asked, “Oh Lord! What qualities should a wise one possess?” Krishna replied, “Partha! One must have the twenty virtues in ample measure. You might ask what they are. I shall tell you about them; listen. But do not conclude that the goal can be reached when you have them all. The goal, Immortality, can be reached only by experiencing Brahman, since All this is indeed Brahman (Sarvam Khalvidham Brahmam ). When Knowledge is full, the Knower becomes the Known. “For this consummation, one has to be purified by virtues. Then the Known can be experienced and Realization reached. Therefore, I shall first tell you about this. Virtue first, then victory. What a splendid path! To seek Brahman without first ensuring a moral and virtuous life is like desiring a flame without lamp or wick or oil! Acquire all these three, then you light it and get ligh...