(A devotee’s notes - Talk given by Swami Suddhanandaji at Dakshineswar Ashram, May 2009)

We get three types of blessing:

1. Physical – Here we feel peaceful and comfortable and are at ease. This blessing is limited in capacity.

2. Mental – In this we form ideas and get inspirations. This blessing is better than the physical one.

3. Spiritual -  Here we enjoy spiritual vibrations, and we get more out of this kind of blessing as it helps to quieten the body and mind.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna says that a person who has pragya or wisdom is neither excited by good things nor depressed by unpleasant things.

The sages call that man wise who has no desire for results, nor does he think or plan for one. If we act according to the Divine plan, then we will succeed in everything we do.

If we work with selfish desire we find no joy at the completion of that action. So we have to go to the root of that action. If the motive is to please the ego then we get misery. For example, if I cook to get praise then I shall get praise as karmaphal. If I cook with prayerful consciousness so that the people who eat the food should get God’s Blessings – I will get better results.

The formula to get joy and peace is to work to please God and Guru. Daya Mataji says that beloved Gurudeva, Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, gave us the key to keep the mind peaceful. We cannot change the outside world but we can change the inside world. We can do this by meditating and gradually we will learn to internalize and be filled with peace and joy through Guru’s kripa.

So perseverance is necessary and then vivekshakti is developed. This helps us to focus and to do the right things and to direct our lives.

At first Guruji’s sayings may not be comprehensible, but perseverance helps. We should keep trying. As Lahiri Mahasaya used to say ‘banat banat ban jaye”.

There are three laws of success:

1. Conscious Law – when we try to achieve something through action.

2. Subconscious Law – Here all the past impressions of our thoughts and actions are stored. We have to remove bad thoughts by putting in good ones. Affirmations and Cosmic chants are very helpful in this.

3. Super Conscious law – According to the Superconscious law we must not go into the subconscious mind but keep our minds focused on the kutastha. Slowly we will be able to commune with God. When we have a problem we keep thinking about it all the time. Guruji says we must give it a rest. Problems sometimes solve themselves.

Firstly our minds will become peaceful. Secondly our minds will become more understanding. Then we will feel love. Lastly, we will feel joy. This is what we meditate for.

For example when we meditate on Om and become one with it and we will become successful. We have to tell God that we are doing everything for him. We have to be in tune with Him and His laws. Daya Mataji says focus on the inner world, because the outer world will not give us happiness.