How to Preach? How to Reform Others? --- Reform Yourself; Change Yourself; Discipline Yourself FIRST!

Swami Sivananda: "First of all, discipline yourself thoroughly. You must be a living, walking and talking example of divine life. That is the more effective way of preaching and when you preach, your words will have the weight of your own personal experience and will have the courage of your conviction." (pg. 152, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

"You can best serve your nation, your Lord, your fellow-beings, and yourself by conscious self-culture, by living for the realisation of the Self. A nation's prestige depends upon the few such self-cultured sons and daughters of the land. When time has effaced the memory of all else, it would be the man-of-God who will ever be remembered. Therefore, become a man-of-God by realisaing God here and now.


"Reform yourself. The society will reform itself. If every one of you who reads these lines makes up his mind to lead the divine life from today, from this moment, what doubt is there that the entire society of which you are the units will be reformed.

"Come, then: take a resolve today that you will live every moment of your life for the realisation of God. Selfless service to humanity, Japa, Kirtan, Dyana, Svadhyaya, Charity --- all that you do every day should be directed towards this one end and aim.

"May you all shine as Jivanmuta in this very birth!" (pgs. 109-110, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

"Self-mastery is the watchword of all self-culture. Reconstruction of society is impossible without reconstructing ourselves. So, one has to set one's mental house in order." (pg. 127, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)

 "Discipline is absolutely necessary in the spiritual path. In the college, there is discipline. Is not discipline needed in the office, too? How much discipline they need in the army? If a button is missing in the uniform, the soldier is court-marshalled. To attain immortality, eternal bliss, how much more intensely should you discipline yourself! Exert, strive,endeavour to discipline the senses, mind and the body. Do Asana, Japa, meditation, regularly. Get up regularly at 4 am and practise them. Discipline the thought, speech and action. If you cultivate so, you are bound to attain that indescribable state of Brahman sooner or later. (pgs. 80-81, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)