Gunarchana An offering of our inner qualities at the Lotus Feet of our Dear Lord

1. Gunarchana An offering of our inner qualities at the Lotus Feet of our Dear Lord Ahimsa Nonviolence Indriya nigraham Sense Control Sarva bhoota daya Compassion Kshama Forgiveness Shanti Peace Tapah Penance Dhyaana Meditation Sathyam Truth

2. Focus of the month • Month 1 • Ahimsa (Nonviolence) • ***************** not causing any harm to any being either through thought, word or deed

3. Focus of the month • Month 2 • IndriyaNigraham (Sense Control) • ***************** Ponder on: Why we have been blessed with the sense organs? Using each sense organ only for its true purpose

4. Focus of the month • Month 2 • IndriyaNigraham (Sense Control) • ***************** Use discrimination And understand What is truly right and what is truly wrong

5. Focus of the month • Month 3 • SarvaBhootaDaya (Compassion) • ***************** It is a direct measure of: How connected we are with another individual or nature in general

6. Focus of the month • Month 3 • SarvaBhootaDaya (Compassion) • ***************** It is the understanding of: The emotional state of another

7. Focus of the month • Month 3 • SarvaBhootaDaya (Compassion) • ***************** Compassion happens when: Love to help becomes Mobile and Flowing

8. Focus of the month • Month 3 • SarvaBhootaDaya (Compassion) • ***************** How can we develop Compassion? Remind ourselves: • Same spark of Divinity flows • through all the objects of the Universe

9. Focus of the month • Month 4 • Kshama (forbearance) • ***************** Kshama is Everything in the World Helps to get along and work with others The greatest power for a human being

10. Kshama (forbearance) • ***************** Harmony Patience Tolerance Kindness Forgiveness Know no Hatred Equanimity Tranquility True & Selfless Love Understanding Compassion Live Together Sympathy Contentment Peace Self Restraint

11. Focus of the month • Month 5 • Shanthi (Peace) • ***************** It is a state of mind of calmness and awareness An ornament Everyone’s principal treasure

12. Shanthi (Peace) *************** Where is Peace? Within Us It is our real nature How can we find this Peace within us? Control of Senses Seva/Service We can move from the feeling of: Happiness bringing Peace, to, Peace bringing Happiness

13. Means, the Heat The Heat that ends the activities of the sense • Focus of the month • Month 6 • Tapas (Penance) • ***************** Heat that reduces our Karma Heat that burns our Sins

14. Focus of the month • Month 6 • Tapas (Penance) • ***************** Is: a Sadhana; a Discipline; a Spiritual exercise For: the realization of the SELF

15. Do we need to: Live in the forest, living on fruits and tubers & Meditate in certain postures? Tapas (Penance) *************** To achieve this goal: No, No, No

16. Have Pure Thoughts, Have Pure Speech Have Pure Actions Tapas (Penance) *************** To achieve this goal: Yes, Yes, Yes

17. Thought, Speech and Action Need to be coordinated Tapas (Penance) *************** Do by compulsion? No, No, No,

18. Coordinate Thought, Speech and Action For satisfying our Inner Yearnings For the contentment of the Self Tapas (Penance) *************** Yes, Yes, Yes

19. Getting absorbed in God as the only thought, the only Goal • Focus of the month • Month 7 • Dhyaana (Meditation) • ***************** Real Meditation is ….

20. WHAT IS REAL DHYAANA : - Directing love on to the name and form of the Lord, without interruption - constant thinking of the Lord in whatever we do. Even performing your duty can be Dhyaana - constant awareness that He is the indweller of all WHY: - Cultivating love for the Lord has great potentialities - to avoid lower desires and to develop higher values WHEN & WHERE: - No fixed time or place for meditation on God - When and where the mind desires, then and there is the time and place - A general, whole time effort of the mind Dhyaana (Meditation) ***************

21. Dhyaana (Meditation) *************** HOW: Three methods of Dhyaana 1) Japa/Chant (felt, seen, heard) Chanting your favourite name of the Lord in front of the Image of the Lord 2) Jyoti/light (felt and seen) Light denoting that Divinity never diminishes 3) Natural breath (felt not seen) the inward path

22. Swami has been guiding us to realize that Truth does not change with time And He has shown us various ways to realize What the Eternal Truth is • Focus of the month • Month 8 • Sathyam (Truth) • *****************

23. Sathyam (Truth) *************** We consider Truth to be of 3 kinds: PrathibhasikaSathya: the reality one experiences in a state of dreaming. VyavaharikaSathya: the empirical reality. Based on the fact that many have experienced it, and hence accepted as true. Paramarthika Sathya: The absolute, Eternal reality that is present everywhere and at all times. The highest end of all. But, the reality check is….. There is one and only Truth. The Eternal, Absolute, Spiritual Truth. Something beyond what we perceive as Truth

24. Sathyam (Truth) *************** How can we recognize the only Absolute Truth? - Swami says we need not make any special efforts. - Just 11 seconds of contemplation on Truth - Just 11 seconds are enough to realize the Eternal Truth - Inquiry into one’s own Reality. What prevents us from experiencing the Truth? - The mind How can we address the mind? - Have a deep and persistent yearning to realize the inherent Divinity, the Truth - Develop an Inner and Outer Discipline - Adhere to what is True in Thought, Word, and Deed. - Follow your conscience, the principle of Truth