Real Peace - Sivananda Daily Reading For 1 January

[pberq]

What a great New Year's message!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sivanandadaily/

SIVANANDA DAILY READING FOR 1 JANUARY
REAL PEACE

How long do you want to live a life of duality? A life of
restlessness and discontentment? How long do you wish to lead a life
of ignorance, hatred, bitterness, and separation? How long do you
wish to continue your own selfish struggles? How long do you wish to
behold differences and distinctions? How long do you wish to keep
the barriers between man and man?

You cry for shanti, for peace. But where to get it? Through whom to
get it? Realise peace in your own heart through association with
sages and by meditation. You can find this peace only in the
stillness, only within your own self. You certainly cannot find it
in objects. Look within.

Sit silently in a quiet room for one or two hours. Close your eyes
and concentrate on the point between the eye­brows. Withdraw the mind
and the senses from the external objects. Be still.

Silence the surging thoughts and the bubbling emotions. Forget the
body. Forget the world. Enter into the great calm. Dive deep down
into the recesses of your heart. Plunge into the ocean of peace. Now
you can realise your oneness with the supreme self.

Be regular in your practice. This is of paramount importance. It is
useless to talk of the cessation of war, whilst you are still full
of petty hatred and jealousy. So first remove your own inharmonious
vibrations. Then there will be no more war between nations. It is
only the individuals that constitute a nation.

Lead a life of peace. Kill suspicion. Kill envy. Kill prejudice.
Kill selfishness. Kill the greed for power and possession. Do this
ruthlessly.

Lead a simple life. Practise daily meditation and establish peace in
your own heart. Then you will radiate it to all who come in contact
with you.

Mysterious is this peace. If you enjoy this peace, you will be
contributing peace to the whole world. Realise the peace that
passeth all understanding and be free.

[I Have A Dream]

1. Thank you for this, pberq. It's really good stuff. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Yes, yes, this is the key

though my meditations last minutes, not hours (still working on stilling the monkey mind). Another practice to do is the breathe peace. Put a phrase that is meaningful to you on the breath, thinking it with each inbreath and each outbreath. It could be Om, Shanti, just about anything. By watching the breath, keeping it even and regular, you can regulate your emotions--ever tried staying angry with an even and regular breath? :) Anyway, this practice can extend the meditation so aptly described in the article--and it is this focus on peace that will lead us through the shadows of maya that have been created.