Walk Your Talk

Swami Sivananda: "Live in the spirit of the teachings of the Gita. Mere talk and lecture will not help you in any way. You may know the whole of the Gita by heart and may deliver lectures for several hours. But they are of NO avail without wisdom. What is wanted is SOLID Sadhana with mental non-attachment and REGULAR practice of the teachings of the Gita," (pg. 169, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

Swami Sivananda: "Spiritual life is not a mere idle talk. it is not mere sensation. It is actual living in Atman. It is a transcendental experience of unalloyed bliss. Tread the path of truth and righteousness. Stick tenaciously to the twenty instructions. Be regular in your meditation.

"Be patient. Practise introspection. Do selfless service. Develop Vairagya. You will attain immortality," (pg. 132, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

Swami Sivananda: "Mere hearing of eloquent, valuable lectures will not do in the spiritual path. You will have to act according to them. You will have to give your whole heart, mind and soul to the practice. Then only will you have progress in the path. Follow the instructions of your Master and the teachings of the scriptures to the very letter. Give no leniency to the mind. Exact, implicit, strict obedience to the instructions is expected of you." (pg. 44, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).

Swami Sivananda: "Men who read much and work little are like bells, which sound to call others and they themselves never enter into a church." (pg. 118, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).

Swami Sivananda: "Instead of trying to become a Pundit with vanity and pedantry and thirst for applause, try to develop a clean unblemished virtuous life."  (pg. 119, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).

Swami Sivananda: "High education, vast study of scriptures, wealth, rich offerings are not necessary for attaining God-realisation. What is wanted is purity of heart and sincere devotion."  (pg. 120, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).

Swami Sivananda: "... attending or conducting Ramayana or Bhagavata may, no doubt, aid one's spiritual aptitude. But, if you do not fulfill the fundamentals of ethics and morality, all the above observances would no way ensure Self-realisation. Therefore, first and foremost, please look to the rudiments of ethics and morality." (pg. 135-136, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).

Swami Sivananda: "One may deliver a lecture on Advaita philosophy for several hours. One may interpret a verse in a hundred and one ways. One may give a discourse on one Sloka of Gita for a week and yet those people may not possess an iota of devotion or practical realisation of vedantic oneness. It is all dry intellectual exercises. Nothing more than that. Vedanta is a living experience. A Vedantin need not advertise that he is an Advaitin. The sweet divine aroma of Vedanta oneness will be ever emanating from him. Everybody will feel this. (pg. 76, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda).