i want to write like Swami Rama whose words perfectly convey the depth of his experience and the clarity of his thinking. every word he writes is essential, and he avoids the extraneous grouping of ramified excrescent adjectives. he will pin the nub of meaning concisely with one exact word, for he realises the power of words.
here is a sample, from his book Living with the Himalayan Masters:
"Ways of East and West
Our culture does not allow one to get married without the consent of other family members, while the culture of the west believes in a free social life. A Christian can get married to anyone, and the Jewish do likewise. Of course their ways of worshiping God are set in a fixed particular style, while we worship the way we like and choose the path of enlightenment we want. We are free-thinkers but we are in the bondage of social laws, and they are in the bondage of certain fixed ideas in their way of thinking and worshiping.
Both the East and the West are part of the same world with the same purpose of life. Inner strength, cheerfulness, and selfless service are the basic principles of life. It is immaterial whether one lives in East of West. A human being should be a human being first. Geographical boundaries have no powers to divide humanity. Freedom from all fears and awareness of reality within: this message of Himalayan sages is timeless and has nothing to do with primitive concepts of East or West.
Contemplating the single query "who am I" leads to self-realization. This method of contemplation is the foundation stone of both East and West philosophies. It is the Iliad in a nutshell. By knowing oneself, one knows the self of all.
No-one can be enlightened by anyone else, but sages inspire and give inner strength without which self-enlightenment is impossible. Today, humans do not have any example to follow. There is no one to inspire them, and that is why enlightenment seems so difficult.
Man's highest destiny is to be fully aware of the universal spirit and thus advance the cause of evolution.
The body is a temple and the inner dweller, Atman, is God. A human is a miniature universe, and by understanding this, one can understand the whole of the universe.
and ultimately realize the Absolute One.
All the great religions of the world have come out of one Truth. If we follow religion without practising the Truth, it is like the blind leading the blind. Those who belong to God love all. Love is the religion of the universe.
The last thought before you go to bed should be: "O Lord, be with me. I am Thine and Thou art mine." The whole night the Lord will remain with you.
You cannot change your circumstances, the world, or your society to suit you. But if you have strength and determination you can go through this procession of life very successfully.
In India, Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, and Sufis have lived harmoniously for many centuries. India is a melting pot. Whoever visits India gets into this pot.
The poisonous tree of life has but two fruits: contemplation on immortality, and conversing with the sages.
The pearl of wisdom is already hidden within the shell in the ocean of the heart. Dive deep and one day you will find it. A true follower of ahimsa does not believe in disappointment. He dwells above in perennial happiness and peace. That peace and joy do not come to those who are proud of their intellect and learning, they come to those who are full of faith.
There are various modes and levels of suffering, but ignorance is the mother of all.
One's mantra becomes one's staff of life and carries one through every ordeal. Each repetition has a new meaning and carries one nearer and nearer to God. It is capable of transforming that which is negative into that which is positive, and it can gradually integrate divided and opposing thoughts at deeper and deeper levels of consciousness.
I lived with him for three days. My stay with him was very enlightening. It was one of the best times of my life. He taught me many things. Many times each day he repeated the same phrase:
"Be that which you really are; don't pretend to be what you are not."
That place is very serene and beautiful. At the top of the tall hills that surround the valley one can see the long ranges of the Himalaya as though all the snowy peaks are tightly clinging to one another and are determined to stand firmly from eternity to eternity.
Whenever I used to sing, compose a poem, or paint my master objected. He advised me to avoid such diversions and to practice silence. He would say: "The voice of silence is supreme. It is beyond all levels of consciousness and all methods of communication. Learn to listen to the voice of silence. Rather than discussing scriptures and arguing with sages, just enjoy their presence. You are on a journey; don't stop for long at one place and get attached to anything. Silence will give you what the world can never give you."
but then again, i am not Swami Rama and i must choose my own words,
forgo my own fraudulent foes.
here is a sample, from his book Living with the Himalayan Masters:
"Ways of East and West
Our culture does not allow one to get married without the consent of other family members, while the culture of the west believes in a free social life. A Christian can get married to anyone, and the Jewish do likewise. Of course their ways of worshiping God are set in a fixed particular style, while we worship the way we like and choose the path of enlightenment we want. We are free-thinkers but we are in the bondage of social laws, and they are in the bondage of certain fixed ideas in their way of thinking and worshiping.
Both the East and the West are part of the same world with the same purpose of life. Inner strength, cheerfulness, and selfless service are the basic principles of life. It is immaterial whether one lives in East of West. A human being should be a human being first. Geographical boundaries have no powers to divide humanity. Freedom from all fears and awareness of reality within: this message of Himalayan sages is timeless and has nothing to do with primitive concepts of East or West.
Contemplating the single query "who am I" leads to self-realization. This method of contemplation is the foundation stone of both East and West philosophies. It is the Iliad in a nutshell. By knowing oneself, one knows the self of all.
No-one can be enlightened by anyone else, but sages inspire and give inner strength without which self-enlightenment is impossible. Today, humans do not have any example to follow. There is no one to inspire them, and that is why enlightenment seems so difficult.
Man's highest destiny is to be fully aware of the universal spirit and thus advance the cause of evolution.
The body is a temple and the inner dweller, Atman, is God. A human is a miniature universe, and by understanding this, one can understand the whole of the universe.
and ultimately realize the Absolute One.
All the great religions of the world have come out of one Truth. If we follow religion without practising the Truth, it is like the blind leading the blind. Those who belong to God love all. Love is the religion of the universe.
The last thought before you go to bed should be: "O Lord, be with me. I am Thine and Thou art mine." The whole night the Lord will remain with you.
You cannot change your circumstances, the world, or your society to suit you. But if you have strength and determination you can go through this procession of life very successfully.
In India, Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, and Sufis have lived harmoniously for many centuries. India is a melting pot. Whoever visits India gets into this pot.
The poisonous tree of life has but two fruits: contemplation on immortality, and conversing with the sages.
The pearl of wisdom is already hidden within the shell in the ocean of the heart. Dive deep and one day you will find it. A true follower of ahimsa does not believe in disappointment. He dwells above in perennial happiness and peace. That peace and joy do not come to those who are proud of their intellect and learning, they come to those who are full of faith.
There are various modes and levels of suffering, but ignorance is the mother of all.
One's mantra becomes one's staff of life and carries one through every ordeal. Each repetition has a new meaning and carries one nearer and nearer to God. It is capable of transforming that which is negative into that which is positive, and it can gradually integrate divided and opposing thoughts at deeper and deeper levels of consciousness.
I lived with him for three days. My stay with him was very enlightening. It was one of the best times of my life. He taught me many things. Many times each day he repeated the same phrase:
"Be that which you really are; don't pretend to be what you are not."
That place is very serene and beautiful. At the top of the tall hills that surround the valley one can see the long ranges of the Himalaya as though all the snowy peaks are tightly clinging to one another and are determined to stand firmly from eternity to eternity.
Whenever I used to sing, compose a poem, or paint my master objected. He advised me to avoid such diversions and to practice silence. He would say: "The voice of silence is supreme. It is beyond all levels of consciousness and all methods of communication. Learn to listen to the voice of silence. Rather than discussing scriptures and arguing with sages, just enjoy their presence. You are on a journey; don't stop for long at one place and get attached to anything. Silence will give you what the world can never give you."
but then again, i am not Swami Rama and i must choose my own words,
forgo my own fraudulent foes.
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