Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

असतो मा सद्गमय
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय
ॐ शांति शांति शांति - बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

Lead Us From the Unreal To Real,
Lead Us From Darkness To Light,
Lead Us From Death To Immortality,
Aum
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace.  1.3.28.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Sanskrit: बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्) is one of the older, "primary" (mukhya) Upanishads. The doctrine of "neti neti" ("neither this, nor that") and a often quoted verse, "Asato Maa" is found in this Upanishad.

Chapter VIII

1. Then the daughter of Vachaknu said: 'Venerable brahmins, I shall ask him two questions. If he answers me these, then none of you can defeat him in discussing Brahman." The brahmins said: "Ask, O Gargi."

2. Gargi said: "O Yajnavalkya, I shall ask you two questions: As a man of Kasi or the King of Videha, scion of a heroic line, might string his unstrung bow, take in his hand two bamboo— tipped arrows highly painful to enemies and approach his enemies closely, even so, O Yajnavalkya, do I confront you with two questions. Answer me these." "Ask, O Gargi."

3. She said: "O Yajnavalkya, what pervades that Sutra which is above heaven and below the earth, which is heaven and earth as well as what is between them and which—they say—was, is and will be?"

4. He said: "That, O Gargi, which is above heaven and below the earth, which is heaven and earth as well as what is between them and which—they say—was, is and will be, is pervaded by the unmanifested akasa.

5. She said: "I bow to you, O Yajnavalkya. You have fully answered this question of mine. Now brace yourself for the other." "Ask, O Gargi."

6—7. She said: "Yajnavalkya, what pervades that Sutra which is above heaven and below the earth, which is heaven and earth as well as what is between them and which—they say—was, is and will be?" He said: "That, O Gargi, which is above heaven and below the earth, which is heaven and earth as well as what is between them and which—they say—was, is and will be, is pervaded by the unmanifested akasa." "What pervades the akasa?"

8. He said: "That, O Gargi, the knowers of Brahman call the Imperishable. It is neither gross nor subtle, neither short nor long, neither red nor moist; It is neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor akasa; It is unattached; It is without taste or smell, without eyes or ears, without tongue or mind; It is non—effulgent, without vital breath or mouth, without measure and without exterior or interior. It does not eat anything, nor is It eaten by anyone.

9. "Verily, under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, the sun and moon are held in their respective positions. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, heaven and earth are held in their respective positions. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, moments, muhurtas (about forty— eight minutes), days and nights, fortnights, months, seasons and years are held in their respective positions. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, some rivers flow eastward from the white mountains, others flowing westward continue in that direction and still others keep to their respective courses. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, men praise those who give, the gods depend upon the sacrificer and the Manes upon the Darvi offering.

10. "Whosoever in this world, O Gargi, without knowing this Imperishable, offers oblations, performs sacrifices and practises austerities, even for many thousands of years, finds all such acts but perishable. Whosoever, O Gargi, departs from this world without knowing this Imperishable is miserable. But he, O Gargi, who departs from this world after knowing the Imperishable is a knower of Brahman.

11. "Verily, that Imperishable, O Gargi, is never seen but is the Seer; It is never heard, but is the Hearer; It is never thought of, but is the Thinker; It is never known, but is the Knower. There is no other seer but This, there is no other hearer but This, there is no other thinker but This, there is no other knower but This. By this imperishable, O Gargi, is the unmanifested akasa pervaded."  

Chapter IX

26.  ... Here the Upanishad itself states: This self is That which has been described as "Not this, not this." It is imperceptible, for It is never perceived; undecaying, for It never decays; unattached, for It is never attached; unfettered, for It never feels pain and never suffers injury. Yajnavalkya said: "These are the eight abodes, the eight organs of vision, the eight deities and the eight beings. "Now I ask you about that Person who is to be known only from the Upanishads, who definitely projects those beings and again withdraws them into Himself and who is at the same time transcendental. "If you cannot clearly explain Him to me, your head shall fall off?' Sakalya did not know Him; his head fell off; and robbers snatched away his bones, mistaking them for something else.  "

Mantra

SATARUDRIYA

ōm namaste rudra manyava utota iṣave namaḥ,
namaste astu dhanvane bāhubhyāmuta te namaḥ.

Prostration to Thee, Rudra; prostration to Thy wrath and Thy arrow (which destroy evil); prostration to Thy bow; prostration to Thy mighty Arms.

Note:—According to the celebrated Sayana Acharya, the Rudra chapter of the Yajur Veda consists of the mantras by which oblations are offered in the Sacrifice of Knowledge, wherein the manifold universe is visualised as the extensive manifestation of the Supreme Being.
yā ta iṣuḥ śivatamā śivaṁ babhūva te dhanuḥ,
śivā śaravyā yā tava tayā no rudra mṛḍaya.

This, Thy arrow that has become exceedingly peaceful (to the devout); Thy bow become a source of auspiciousness, and Thy quiver of blessedness; with these, O Valiant One (Rudra), make us happy.

Note:—While the first mantra invokes the Terrible Power for destruction of evil, the second envisages the fulfilment of the arms on the establishment of peace, and the now benignant phase of what was once formidable.
yā te rudra śivā tanūraghorā'pāpakāśinī,
tayā nastanuvā śantamayā giriśaṁtābhicākaśīhi.

Rudra! That blessed and benign form of Thine, which obliterates the trace of all sins—with that most hallowed and calm phase of Thy being, reveal Thyself to us, O Radiator of Peace from the Mount of Kailasa!

Note:—Rudra-Siva is said to have two forms, the terrific and the beatific, which are manifested at different times.
yāmiṣuṁ giriśaṁta haste bibharṣyastave,
śivāṁ giritra tāṁ kuru mā higṁsīḥ puruṣaṁ jagat.
O Benefactor from the Mount of Kailasa! That arrow which Thou wieldest for aiming at enemies, make that benign (in respect of us). Harm not human beings or others in creation, O Protector on the sacred Mount!
śivena vacasā tvā giriśācchāvadāmasi,
yathā naḥ sarvamijjagadayakṣmagṁsumanā asat.

Resident of the Mountains! We pray to Thee with auspicious eulogies for the sake of attaining Thee. Do so deign that this whole world of ours is rid of all ailment and affliction, and blooms with a joyous mind.

adhyavocadadhivaktā prathamo daivyo bhiṣak,
ahīgṁśca sarvāñjaṁbhayantsarvāśca yātudhānyaḥ.

May that Divine Physician, First among gods, exalt me in His all-redeeming Transcendent Being, having cut off all evil, whether in the form of poisonous creatures and wild beasts, or the demoniacal natures in creation.
asau yastāmro aruṇa uta babhruḥ sumaṁgalaḥ,
ye cemāgṁrudrā abhito dikṣu śritāḥ
  sahasraśo'vaiṣāgṁheḍa īmahe.

This (Rudra in the form of the Sun), ruddy, pink, brownish and yellow and of variegated hue (in different stages of rising from the horizon), most auspicious (being dispeller of darkness), manifested in the bright rays enveloping (the earth) from all directions, ranging in tens and thousands—we mitigate the penetrating ferocity of these with our prostrations.
asau yo’vasarpati nīlagrīvo vilohitaḥ
utainaṁ gopā adṛśannadṛśannudahāryaḥ
utainaṁ viśvābhūtāni sa dṛṣṭo mṛḍayāti naḥ.

This Blue-necked (due to drinking poison), Red-complexioned One, who traverses through the sky (in the form of the Sun)—Him do see (with their eyes) the unlettered cowherds as well as the maids carrying water, Him do also see all beings (both high and low). May He (Rudra) make us happy.

Note:—The import of this mantra is that while the Lord as seated in such regions as Mount Kailasa is accessible only to those who have spiritual realisation, as the Sun He is visible to everyone. In His great compassion He makes Himself felt even by our outer senses.
namo astu nīlagrīvāya sahasrākṣāya mīḍhuṣe,
atho ye asya satvāno'haṁ tebhyo'karannamaḥ.

Salutation be to Nilagriva (with blue neck), who has a thousand eyes (as Indra), and who pours down (as rain or parjanya); salutation be from me to others, too, who attend upon Him (as His servants).
pramuṁca dhanvanastva-mubhayo-rārtniyorjyām,
yāścate hasta iṣavaḥ parā tā bhagavo va.

Lord! Unfurl the string at both the ends of Thy bow. Those arrows that are in Thy hand, set them aside (now, after the enemy has been destroyed).

Note:—The term ‘Lord’ is the equivalent of the Sanskrit original ‘Bhagavan’, which means one who is possessed of all wealth (Aisvarya), valour (Virya), fame (Yasas), prosperity (Shri), wisdom (Jnana), non-attachment to things (Vairagya)—an epithet of the Almighty.
avatatya dhanustvagïsahasrākṣa śateṣudhe,
niśīrya śalyānāṁ mukhā śivo naḥ sumanā bhava.

O Thousand-eyed Divinity! Thou that hast hundreds of quivers (in war)! Setting down Thy bow, and dismantling the ends of Thy piercing arrows (after Thy purpose has been fulfilled), become Thou auspiciousness unto us, with a charming mood of blessing.
vijyaṁ dhanuḥ kapardino viśalyo bāṇavāgïuta,
aneśannasyeṣava ābhurasya niṣaṁgathiḥ.

May the bow of Kapardin (Siva) be freed from its string; and may His quiver be without the piercing ends of the arrows held above. May his arrows become incapable of piercing through, and may His bow become merely a support for the arrows (and not to shoot them).
Note:—This mantra and the others which pray for the putting down of the weapons of Rudra-Siva are invocations of His peaceful aspect, which manifests itself when He is not engaged in the work of destruction with His fierce arms.
yā te hetirmīḍhuṣṭama haste babhūva te dhanuḥ,
tayā'smānviśvatastva-mayakṣmayā paribbhuja.

O Abundant Source of all fulfilments! Protect us Thou, from all sides, with the weapons (like the sword) and the bow in Thy hands, that have ceased from purposes of destruction.
namaste astvāyudhāyānātatāya dhṛṣṇave,
ubhābhyāmuta te namo bāhubhyāṁ tava dhanvane.

Salutation be to Thy weapon arrow that has not been extended on the bow, but is capable of striking the enemy! Salutation to Thy bow. And salutation to Thy two arms.
pari te dhanvano hetirasmānvruṇaktu viśvataḥ,
atho ya iṣudhistavāre asmannidhehi tam.

Lord! May the pointed arrows of thy bow exclude us in every way (from their destructive operations). And that quiver of Thine, may Thou keep it far away from us (and protect us).

Note:—According to another interpretation, the second line can be rendered thus: ‘And that quiver of Thine, may Thou direct it to our enemies.’




Objectively, it is a prayer for the control of the forces of nature. Subjectively, it is a prayer for self-control and the rousing of the spiritual consciousness. Universally, it is a surge of the soul towards God-realisation.

 OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!

Ecstasy

The Divine Mother revealed to me in the Kali temple that was She who had become everything. She showed me everything was full of Consciousness. The image was Consciousness, the altar was Consciousness, the water-vessels Consciousness, the door-sill was Consciousness, the marble floor was Consciousness -- all was Consciousness. I found everything inside the room soaked, as It were, in Bliss, Bliss of God. I saw a wicked man in front of the Kali temple; but in him also I saw the power of the Divine Mother vibrating. That was why I fed a cat with the food that was to be offered to the Divine Mother. I clearly perceived that all this was the Divine Mother-even the cat. Ramakrishna

In that breaking-through, when I come to be free of my own will and of God's will and of all His works and of God Himself, then I am above all created things, and I am neither God nor creature, but I am what I was and what I shall remain, now and eternally. 

... When I stood in my first cause, I 'then had no 'God,' and then I was my own cause. I wanted nothing, I longed for nothing, for I was empty Being and the only truth in which I rejoiced was in the knowledge of my Self. Then it was my Self I wanted and nothing else. What I wanted I was, and what I was I wanted and so I stood empty of God and every thing. Meister Eckhart

If you wish to form a picture of the [divine] Substance, you must raise your intellect to the last [substance] intelligible. You must purify it from all sordid sensibility, free it from the captivity of nature and approach with the force of your intelligence to the last limit of intelligible substance that it is possible for you to comprehend, until you are entirely divorced from sensible substance and lose all knowledge thereof. Then you will embrace, so to speak, the whole corporeal world in your being, and will place it in one corner of your being. When you have done this you will understand the insignificance of the sensible in comparison with the greatness of the intelligible. Then the spiritual substance will be before your eyes, comprehending you and superior to you, and you will see your own being as though you were that substance. Salomon Ibn Gabirol

Divine love (bhakti) is of the nature of nectar (amrit), gaining which, one becomes perfect, divine, and contented; and having gained which, a man has no further desire.
... It is impossible to describe the nature of divine love precisely; one Is in the same predicament as a mute person asked to describe the taste of sugar. That inherent love may arise at any time or in any place within one who is fit to receive it. It has no distinctive characteristics, except that it is free of selfish motive. It is an extremely subtle inner experience of all-pervading Unity.
... Once that divine love is obtained, one looks only to that, one speaks only of that, and one contemplates only that, It is easily recognized; love requires no proof outside of itselfit is its own proof. It appears in the form of inward peace and supreme happiness. One who has attained it has no anxiety about worldly struggle; he has completely surrendered himself, the world, and everything to the Lord.  Bhakti Sutras

When there enters into it a glow from the Divine, the soul gathers strength, spreads true wings, and, however distracted by its proximate environment, speeds its buoyant way to something greater; ... its very nature bears it upwards, lifted by the Giver of that love. ... Surely we need not wonder that It possesses the power to draw the soul to Itself, calling it back from every wandering to rest before It. From It came everything; nothing is mightier. Plotinus

Whosoever finds (Love), finds Nothing and All Things; that is also certain and true. But how finds he Nothing? Why, I will tell thee how. He that findeth it, findeth a Supernatural Supersensual Abyss, which hath no Ground or Byss to stand on, and where there is no Place to dwell in; and he findeth also Nothing is like unto it, and therefore it may fitly be compared to Nothing; for it is deeper than any Thing, and is as Nothing with Respect to All Things, forasmuch as it is not comprehensible by any of them. And because it is Nothing respectively, it is therefore free from All Things; and is that only Good, which a Man cannot express or utter what it is; there being Nothing to which it may be compared, to express it by. Jacob Boehme

If the light of a thousand Suns suddenly arose in the sky, that splendor might be compared to the radiance of the supreme Spirit. And Arjuna saw in that radiance the whole universe in its infinite variety, standing in one vast Unity as the body of God. Bhagavat Gita

Nasadiya Sukta - Creation

nAsad Asin nosad Asit tadAniM

nAsid rAjo no vyomA paro yat

kim AvarIvaH kuha kasya

SArmanambhaH kim aAsid gahanM gabhIram

na mRtyur Asid aMRtaM na tarhi

na rAtryA ahna Asit praketaH

Anid avAtaM svadhayA tad ekaM tasmAd

hAnyan napataH kiM canAsa

Thus begin the famous nAsadIya sUkta (Creation Hymn) of the Rk Veda (X-129) which consist of seven stanzas. There are many English versions of this. None of them can fully convey the grandeur and majesty of the original. Translations of great works, especially by sages and seers, are like pale imitations in papier mache of magnificent sculptures of the masters in marble and granite. But they are worthwhile efforts to convey the essence of the work to those who don't have the benefit of a knowledge of the original language.

HYMN OF CREATION

Not even nothing existed then

No air yet, and no heaven.

Who encased and kept it where?

Was water in the darkness there?

Neither deathlessness nor decay

Nor the rhythm of night and day:

The self-existent, with breath sans air:

That, and that alone was there.

Darkness was in darkness found

Like light-less water all around.

One emerged, with nothing on

It was from heat that this was born.

In it did Desire, its way did find:

The primordial seed, born of mind.

Sages know deep in the heart:

What exists is kin to what does not.

Across the void the cord was thrown,

The place of every thing was known.

Seed-sowers and powers now came by,

Impulse below and force on high.

Who really knows, and who can swear,

How creation arose, when or where!

Even gods came after creation's day,

Who really knows, who can truly say

When and how did creation start?

Did He do it? Or did He not?

Only He up there knows, maybe;

Or perhaps, not even He.

This is as profound a poetic vision of Creation as any in the lore and legacies of humankind. It is remarkable how the rishi in deep meditation reveals to us the glimpse of cosmogenesis that he derived from his own meditation. Many scholars and philosophers have analyzed and commented upon this marvelous reflection which reveals the penetrating power of the seer. What has impresses us here is the subtle skepticism at the end. The enlightened thinker know that when it comes to ultimate questions, none of us can be very sure. So this reflection could be interpreted as saying that when we as mortals make statements about the origin and the end of the universe, or about God and the hereafter, we can never be absolutely certain.

arvAgdevA asya visarjanenAThA
ko veda yata AbabhUva (verse 6)
Even gods came after creation's day,
Who really knows, who can truly say.

Ganga aarti

The aarti is a pleasant ritual of worshipping the Ganga.
Its the site which is to be seen...lots of lamps flowing on the river water with people praying Mother Ganga. This divine light ceremony is filled with devotional song, prayer, ritual and a palpable sense of the divinity of Mother Ganga.



The aarti, an ornate oil lamp, lined with dozens of flames burning in pure ghee - is offered to God. We give thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us that day, as well as symbolically offering light back to Ganga aarti is a time when we break free from the normal stresses and strains of every-day life, and gather together in joy, reverence and peace.



As bright yellow sun dips in the water, and the reflection of its rays bring tears to our eyes we are filled anew with a deep sense of bliss, reverence and spiritual connection.

Arti Ganga maiya, man jai sursari maiya
Bhav-varidhi-uddharini atihi sudradh naiya, man Jai....
Hari pada-padam-prasuta vimal varidhara,
Brahmadeva Bhagirathi shuchi punyagara, man Jai
Shankar-jata-viharini, hanoi trya tapa,
Sagar-putra-gana-tarini harani sakal papai man Jai...
Ganga Ganga jo jana uchcharat mukha son,
Dur desh man sthit bhi turat tarat sukh son, man Jai...
Mrit ki asthi tanik tuv jal dhara pavai,
So jan pavan hokar param dham javai, man Jai
Tav tatvasi taruvar, jal thal char prani
Pakshi-pashu-patang gati pavai nirvani, man Jai
Matu, daya mai kijai dinan par daya
Prabhu pad padma milakar Hari lijai maya, man Jai

Jai Ganga Maa!

Varanasi 2012. Press the title for full HD

"Noor-un-ala-Noor"

From the film "Meenaxi, tale of 3 cities".
A song "Noor-un-ala-noor"(Ustad Murtaza Khan, Ustad Qadir Khan)
Lyrics: M.F.Hussain. Music:AR Rahman



chaaro.n taraf chaaro.n taraf nuur-un-alaa nuur-un\-alaa nuur-un-alaa nuur
Everywhere Everywhere!... there is the divine light....light upon light !

ye barq\-e\-tajallii a.ndhero.n ko chiiratii
This Tajali piercing through these darknesses!
(Tajali is arabic and is refered to the Divine sight that was made by Moses on mount Sinai, who used to communicate with God from this mountain without seeing Him)
yahaa.N bhii tuu vahaa.N bhii tu, ye roshanii kyaa roshanii
I find you Here ... I find You There... this Light!.. O WHAT a LIGHT!

tere siwaa ko_ii hai ke puuchhuu.N
Is there a reason to ask if there is anything other than YOU!

a.ndhero.n se puuchhaa to chup ho gaye chup ho gaye
The darkeness became silent when questioned!

ujaalo.n se puuchhaa to sharamaa gaye sharamaa gaye
The brightness became shy when questioned!

pari.ndo.n se puuchhaa kahaa.N parawaaz hai
I questioned the birds ..."where to, do your flights take you?"

Kaamoshii se puuchhaa kahaa.N aawaaz hai
I questioned the silence .."where does sound exist?"

phuulo.n se patto.n se ra.ngo.n seaayii sadaaa
It was then...from the flowers , the leaves and the colors came the same reply:

chaaro.n taraf chaaro.n taraf nuur-un-alaa nuur-un\-alaa nuur-un-alaa nuur
Everywhere Everywhere!... there is the divine light....light upon light !

uThaa_ii chilaman to dekhaa jalawaa teraa
It was when I lifted the veils ...that I saw your miracles!

ba.Dhaayaa qadam to ma.nzil terii ma.nzil terii
It was when I took a step towards You ...that I found the path!

uThaa_ii nazar to suurat terii suurat terii
You were everywhere when I lifted up my eyes!

bha.Nware kii gun\-gun me.n, ka.ngan kii khan\-khan me.n
In the hissing of a moth... in the clanking of the kangan (bracelet) !

aashiq ke tan\-man me.n birahan ke nainan me.n
In the body&spirit of the lover...in the eyes of the birahan

taano.n me.n saragam me.n bas tuu hai tuu hii tuu
In the taans .. in the musical notes..I found you ..only YOU!

dil kii diiwaanagii man kii aawaaragii tuu
You are the passion of my heart ...You the wilderness in my innerself!
duur leke chal tuu kuchh puuchh naa tuu kuchh puuchh naa tuu
Carry me away with You without me questioning...

ji.ndagii ek raaz thii ek raaz hai ek raaz hai
Life was a secret and will remain a secret!
jaan kar hogaa kyaa kis ne hai jaanaa
Who has the answers to it ... who knows!

ko_ii kahe mohabbat ko_ii ibaadat
Some call it love and some call it worship!

diiwaanagii kahe.n chaahe junuu.N chaahat hii terii adaa
Some may call it ecstasy and others passion but ...LOVE is your truest attribute!

chaaro.n taraf chaaro.n taraf nuur-un-alaa nuur-un\-alaa nuur-un-alaa nuur
Everywhere Everywhere!... there is the divine light....light upon light !

ye barq\-e\-tajallii a.ndhero.n ko chiiratii
This Tajali piercing through these darknesses!

yahaa.N bhii tuu vahaa.N bhii tu, ye roshanii kyaa roshanii
I find you Here ... I find You There... this Light!..

O WHAT a LIGHT!

Hesychasm

Hesychasm (Greek ἡσυχασμός) is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some other Eastern Churches of the Byzantine Rite.
Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "go into your closet to pray", Hesychasm in tradition has been the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God.
Hesychastic practice bears some resemblance to mystical prayer or meditation in Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sufism, compare with yoga), although this similarity is often over-emphasized in popular accounts and generally rejected by actual Orthodox practitioners of Hesychasm. The practice may involve specific body postures and be accompanied by very deliberate breathing patterns. However, these bodily postures and breathing patterns are treated as secondary both by modern Athonite practitioners of Hesychasm and by the more ancient texts in the Philokalia, the emphasis being on the primary role of Grace.
Take up your seat on a high place and watch, if only you know how, and then you will see in what manner, when, whence, how many and what kind of thieves come to enter and steal your clusters of grapes. When the watchman grows weary, he stands up and prays; and then he sits down again and courageously takes up his former task.In solitude and retirement the Hesychast repeats the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." The Hesychast prays the Jesus Prayer 'with the heart'—with meaning, with intent, 'for real' . He never treats the Jesus Prayer as a string of syllables whose 'surface' or overt verbal meaning is secondary or unimportant. He considers bare repetition of the Prayer as a mere string of syllables, perhaps with a 'mystical' inner meaning beyond the overt verbal meaning, to be worthless or even dangerous. This emphasis on the actual, real invocation of Jesus Christ marks a divergence from Eastern forms of meditation.
The Great Schema or Megaloschema, worn by seasoned hesychasts:
The Hesychast is to bring his mind into his heart so as to practise both the Jesus Prayer and sobriety with his mind in his heart. The descent of the mind into the heart is taken quite literally by the practitioners of Hesychasm and is not at all considered to be a metaphorical expression. Some of the psychophysical techniques described in the texts are to assist the descent of the mind into the heart at those times that only with difficulty it descends on its own.
Theophan the Recluse's famous sayings:
"God abandons no one. For Him all are children. None are step-children. And the hard occasions and situations - all is sent for our benefit."
"Attention to that which transpires in the heart and proceeds from it - this is the chief activity of the proper Christian life."
"You must watch after yourself."
"Descend with your attention into the heart, stand there before the Lord and admit nothing sinful to enter there. In this is the entire activity of inner warfare."
"Mercilessness to oneself, readiness to perform any favor to others and the surrender of oneself entirely to the Lord with a prayerful abiding in Him - these are the creators of the spiritual life."
"You must kill egoism. If you don't kill it yourself, then the Lord, hammer-blow after hammer-blow, shall send various misfortunes, so as to crush this stone."
"Self-pleasing and self-pity testify that in the heart abides the ego, and not the Lord."The guard of the mind is the practical goal of the Hesychast. It is the condition in which he remains as a matter of course throughout his day, every day until he dies. It is from the guard of the mind that he is raised to contemplation by the Grace of God.
The Hesychast usually experiences the contemplation of God as light, the Uncreated Light of the theology of St Gregory Palamas.
The goal is to acquire, through purification and Grace, the Holy Spirit and salvation. Any ecstatic states or other unusual phenomena which may occur in the course of Hesychast practice are considered secondary and unimportant, even quite dangerous. Moreover, seeking after unusual 'spiritual' experiences can itself cause great harm, ruining the soul and the mind of the seeker. Such a seeking after 'spiritual' experiences can lead to spiritual delusion—the antonym of sobriety—in which a person believes himself or herself to be a saint, has hallucinations in which he or she 'sees' angels, Christ, etc. This state of spiritual delusion is in a superficial, egotistical way pleasurable, but can lead to madness and suicide, and, according to the Hesychast fathers, makes salvation impossible.
The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and our neighbor; this is the throne on which he loves to sit and on which he appears in the fullness of his heavenly glory. Son, give me thine heart, for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained." ---Saint Seraphim de Sarov

Dadu

Dadu Dayal was a saint from Rajasthan in northern India. "Dadu" means brother, and "Dayal" means "the compassionate one". He lived in the second half of the sixteenth century (1544-1603).

The Creator has many and diverse names:
Choose the name that comes to mind; thus do all the saints practice remembrance.
The Lord who endowed us with soul and body-worship Him in your heart ;
Worship Him by that name which best suits the moment.

Wonderful is the Name; it holds the truth of the three worlds.
Considering this, 0 heart, repeat it night and day.
Wonderful is the Name; let the heart never forget Hari.
Let his image dwell in the heart; cherish it with every breath.
When you cherish Him with every breath, one day He will come to meet you.

One sits fearlessly by repeating God's Name;
the Negative Power can never consume him.
When thou ridest the elephant, 0 Dadu,
then dogs bark in vain.
When love and devotion arise,
one is firmly established in blissful meditation.
With the grace of the Master,
he then drinks the divine Nectar, 0 Dadu.
By being dedicated to the Lord,
millions of obstacles are removed.
A tiny spark the size of a mustard seed
burns a huge amount of wood, 0 Dadu.
Impurities and blemishes of the mind
are burnt up in the fire of separation.
The separated lover will now see
the vision of the Beloved, 0 Dadu.

An Outer Guru that is not an Inner Guru, not a Qualified Teacher

The whole world makes an outer display,
whereas the practice of the Saint is within.
This is the difference between the two;
hence no accord is found between them.

A new pot taken from the potter's furnace
may be decorated with many pictures outside;
But of what use will it be to thee,
0 Dadu, without any contents?
Such are the ones who make outer display of religiosity.

From one who bears no outer religious symbols,
but has unfathomable riches within,
Receive the wealth and keep it within
thy heart, 0 Dadu, and be obedient to such a Saint.

There is a great difference between a Saint and a mimic,
the two are as far apart as earth and sky.
The Saint is absorbed in God, whereas
the mimic pins his hopes on the world.

The One alone dwells within my heart,
Day and night I repeat His Name.
The Name of God alone is true;
keep that within thy heart.
Forsake all hypocrisies and cumbrous practices;
this is the teaching of all Saints, 0 Dadu.

My enemy "I" is now dead; now none can slay me.
'Tis I who have slain myself; I have died, arid yet live.
While the thought of self remains, so long are there two.
When this selfhood is destroyed, then there is no second.
Then only will you find the Beloved, when "I" and "mine" are wholly lost.
When "I" and "mine" are no more, then shall you find the pure vision. "I" and "mine" are a load upon the head; you die with the weight of it.…
In front of [the true] I, stands the [false] I; for this reason, He remains hidden.

When I am not, then there is One; when I intrude, then two.
When the curtain of "I" and "Thou" is drawn aside, then do I become as I was [in the Beginning].

I am nothing and can do nothing
Truly even a fool may reach Thee by Thy grace.

Without love all is false, try however hard you may.
The pain of separation is not born of words; desire [for God] is not born of words.