Author: Amrita
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The Happy Person
Today, we discussed in class the 23rd shloka of the 5th chapter, Bhagavad Gita. This is, ‘shaknotihaiva ya sodhum…’ Whoever is able to withstand the turbulence of desire and anger, here in this body, he is a Yogi, and happy.’ Actually, desire and anger are caused from the samskaras within the mind, or antahkarana. These
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Om Kamasvarupinyai Namah
Today Swami Kaivalyananda spent the whole class in a long discussion about desire. This was sparked from the 22nd shloka of the 5th chapter in the Gita – Ye hi samsparshaja bhoga..’ Those enjoyments caused by contact with the sense-objects are the cause of suffering. They have a beginning and end, so the wise do
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Karma and the Class
Today some brahmacharis raised some questions to Swami Kaivalyananda. One was, ‘isn’t it true that some works are more difficult to perform as karma yoga than others, like a war?’ Swami said that for a karma yogi, he performs his svadharma. In the Gita, it is said, ‘para dharmamo bhayavaha,’ the dharma of another brings
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Concrete Devotion
Last night the webcam connection was set up as usual. This time to enable us to see the Paris Devi-bhava. The connection was a bit poor for some reason, but that didn’t prevent Amma from trying to connect with everyone here and even telling one fellow here that he has a “spring loose”. She was
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13 Heurs, National TV2
Here is a piece on Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, shown on the popular French national TV2 news show: “13 Heurs during her visit to Europe 2006 October 28- 31
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Neela, Neela!
Last night and this morning there was Devi-bhava again. This time it was in Holland. Before it began Amma was talking to everybody here again through Skype, asking if it was raining, making jokes, and wanting to know which color sari She should wear for the Bhava darshan. The boys shouted “Neela, Neela” wanting Amma
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Adorable Aqua Blue
for the past few days it has been raining heavily here. the afternoons were exploded with the crackers (left over of Diwali?? ) and flashing lights of the nature by heavy thunders and lightnings. kashtam! we lost the internet at the ashram. the wireless stopped working after the lightning. the equipment is repaired now and
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Mental Renunciation
Today, Swamiji explained some shlokas in the 5th chapter of the Gita, including the 13th. ‘Sarvakarmani manasa..’ This is ‘renouncing all karmas mentally, the Yogi dwells happily in the city of 9 gates, the body. He neither acts nor causes to act.’ Here, Swami Kaivalyanandaji explained that renouncing mentally doesn’t mean that we perform any
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Swallowed by Love
Yesterday morning all eyes were glued to the screen again waiting for Amma to talk to everybody once again through Skype. The Devi-bhava ended and Amma got up in her Maroon colored sari showering all the devotees with flowers. She stood slightly swinging from side to side for what seemed an eternity. After the “doors”