A foolish devotee had a golden image of Buddha, which she took with her wherever she went. In the course of her wanderings, she came to a monastery where hundreds of images of Buddha were present.
She did not like the other Buddhas, she liked only her own. Whenever she burnt incense before her Buddha, she never liked that the fumes should go to the others. She drew a curtain round the image.
In a few months her Buddha became dark and grim, while the others were shining brighter, still.
Similar is the case with the narrow-hearted persons. They do not honor others’ faith. But as a river without tributaries suffers dearth, their faith too lacks firmness and dies immature death.
One should develop the heart to embrace the other faiths, also. The religion that embraces all and fights with none is the real religion. Such a religion alone will endure, while others will vanish like bubbles. Such an enduring religion is the religion of truth, purity, non-violence and love.

~ Swami Sivananda

If you cannot love your brother whom you have seen,how can you love God whom you have never seen ? You cannot be selective in your forgiveness,in your kindness, in your tolerance.If you can extend this charitable nature to an impossible person, then you will know that it is possible to extend it towards everyone.

~Swami Chidananda.

Evil is mere appearance. It is not a reality. It is an illusion. Evil exists to glorify good. Good and evil are not two independent things or entities. They are the two sides of the coin.

An evil man is a saint of the future. Transmute evil into good through Vichara or reflection.

Out of evil often cometh good. There is neither absolute good nor absolute evil in this phenomenal world. Good and evil are relative terms.

Behold good alone in everything. Develop again and again the good-finding faculty. Destroy the evil-finding quality to its very root.

~Swami Sivananda

He was very rich. He led a luxurious life. He ate delicious dishes. He would throw away anything which does not come up to his highly developed sense of taste. This high living gave him violent dysentery. The doctor prescribed for him the most bitter pill. “Unless you take this bitter pill, you will die,” he said. Without another word, the man took the pill and became well. Once for all he gave up the life of luxury so that he might never again fall sick.

When there is abundance of energy, in the full bloom of youth, man leads a sensuous life. He is accustomed only to the best of everything! He would scoff at renunciation, self-sacrifice, self-denial, etc. He is not interested in anything that does not give him the maximum sensual pleasure.

His physical energy is depleted. The Guru comes to him and points out to him that he is suffering from the most deadly disease of birth and death. He gives him the bitter pill of renunciation, self-sacrifice and self-denial. Because this is the only way of escaping from the disease of birth and death, the man swallows the pill, and resolves at that very moment, never to revert to his old life of luxury, of Godlessness and heedlessness.

~Swami Sivananda

A message for spiritual seekers from Sri Guru Granth Sahib:

जो नर दुख में दुख नहिं मानै।
A person who does not wallow in sorrow and does give undue importance to sorrow,

सुख सनेह अरु भय नहिं जाके, कंचन माटी जानै।।
Who is not craving for happiness, and is not afraid; who knows gold and mud to be the same in essence,

नहिं निंदा नहिं अस्तुति जाके, लोभ-मोह अभिमाना।
Who is not influenced by criticism or praise; who is free of greed, attachment and an egocentric approach to life.

हरष शोक तें रहै नियारो, नाहिं मान-अपमाना।।
Who is not disturbed by joy and sorrow, respect and insult

आसा मनसा सकल त्यागि के, जग तें रहै निरासा।
Since he has no craving for fulfillment of desires, he wants nothing from the world and its people;

काम, क्रोध जेहि परसे नाहीं, तेहि घट ब्रह्म निवासा।।
Who does not have even a spec of craving and anger, in such a person the divine consciuosness of Brahm is evident and manifest.

गुरु किरपा जेहि नर पै कीन्हीं, तिन्ह यह जुगुति पिछानी।
By the grace of a Sadguru, a person discovers the technique to do so.

नानक लीन भयो गोबिंद सों, ज्यों पानी सों पानी।।
Guru Nanak has dissolved in Govind (God) just as water mixes with water. He has become one with Govind. [Aham Brahmasmi]

~ Guru Teg Bahadur

Sri Sri Ravishankar teaching his ‘Sudarshan Kriya’, Pranayam and meditation practices in Pakistan, which helped many of the practitioners concentrate better during their ‘Namaaz’

News Report (3:13 sec video)

News Report(1:13 sec video)

The Indian race never stood for wealth. Although they acquired immense wealth. Perhaps more than any other nation ever acquired, yet the nation did not stand for wealth. It was a powerful race for ages, yet we find that nation never stood for power, never went out of the country to conquer. Quite content within their own boundaries, never fought anybody. The Indian nation never stood for imperial glory. Wealth and power, then, were not the ideals of the race. What then? That nation, among all the children of men has believed and believed intensely, that this life is not real. The real is God; and they must cling on to God through thick and thin.

The Indian nation never will be a powerful, conquering people – never. They will never be a great political power; that is not their business, that is not the note India has to play in the great harmony of nations. But what has she to play? God, and God alone.

~ Swami Vivekananda