Thought for the day

1.Every animate being has to attain fulfillment; that is destiny. The length and difficulty of the journey are determined by the nature of the cumulative effects of many lives. In order to attain fulfillment in the spiritual field, the help of those who have mastered the path is very necessary. This guidance can be transmitted only from one heart to another when an intimate kinship is established between the seeker and the Master. Texts, commentaries and guide books only breed doubts, discords and discussions. Intellectual reasoning will only lead to cleverness and ill-advised sharpness. Experience achieved through intuition alone is valid in the realm of the spirit. For the journey from intuition to illumination, layers of egoism and its evils have to be penetrated and destroyed. A Guru will be of great help in this adventure. For, He alone who has reac hed the goal can guide the pilgrim to it. Without the Guru, the aspirant tends to wander in the wilds.
2.Guru Poornima is a holy day which must be celebrated with prayer and sincere repentance that arises from love for God. This alone can cleanse the heart; not feasting or fasting, which only affect the body. The wayward mind of man is compared to the moon that oscillates between brightness and darkness. On the full moon day, the mind too has to be bright, effulgent and cool.
3Guru Poornima is the day you should decide to become masters of your senses and intellect, emotions and passions, thoughts and feelings through Sadhana (spiritual discipline). Even during Dhyana (meditation), ego will disturb you. A scholar too can be polluted by ego; he delights in discussing pros and cons, and in the process raising doubts that disturb faith. Hence offer yourself completely to God seeking nothing but spiritual progress. Such dedication cannot arise out of scholarship. Therefore engage yourselves in Sadhana (spiritual practices) without delay. Cultivate virtues; be free from evil habits, thoughts, words and deeds. Treat everyone with love and grow in love. This is the way to Ananda (joy).
4.In the spiritual path, there are six steps: Sama, Dama, Titiksha, Uparathi, Shraddha and Samadhana. Sama, Dama and Uparathi are the steps involving control of senses and withdrawal of the mind from the external world. Titiksha is being equanimous in gain and loss, pain and pleasure, praise and censure. Shraddha or faith is very essential in spiritual life; it is impossible to attain illumination without this virtue. Therefore whatever work you undertake, do it with diligence and faith. The sixth step Samadhana refers to contentment. He who has the least desires is the richest man in the world and the one filled with desires is the poorest. This contentment or self-satisfaction comes from selflf-confidence. Self-satisfaction ca n lead one to selff-sacrifice and finally to Self-realization.