Spiritual Instructions
by Swami Jyotirmayananda
Every day in your life is a new opportunity. Begin your day with the practice of serene meditation. Do not carry the worries of yesterday into the glorious unfoldment of today. Develop a deep understanding that the world is a ceaseless process of newness and novelty. You have seen the rising sun day by day, and yet, every day the sun rises with a new meaning for your soul.
Bring rhythm to your daily life. Let no essential need of your body, mind, or soul, be ignored for a single day. Do not develop the habit of putting off for tomorrow what should be done today. In your daily routine there must be a blend of meditation, study of scriptures, repetition of mantra, selfless service, and devotion to the practical realities of life. Yoga exercises, attention to the needs of your body, satsanga, pure (sattvic) recreations, and profound sleep must also not be neglected.
Do not brood over past mistakes. Begin to harmonize your movements from now on. Do not weave the illusions of future expectations. Live in the present with fresh vitality, fervent enthusiasm, and sparkling vision. The manner in which you live today determines what your tomorrow will be. If your today has been lived with a joyous rhythm, your tomorrow will dawn with wondrous promises of joy and spiritual achievement. But if you have a wasted year today by brooding over past mistakes and worrying about past happenings, then you have not sown the seeds for your future prosperity.
Do not imagine what your future must be. Develop a deep faith in the Divine Basis of all that exists and happens in the world. You do not live in a world system created by the monstrous mind of a Devil. You live in a world that throbs with Divine Intelligence, and every event in the world glows with the light of Divine Compassion. How can anything go wrong in a world that is intrinsically Divine? Control your negative imaginations, and direct your imaginative faculty to grasp the bounteous expressions of Divine Consciousness that you are going to experience as time rolls by. However, let these positive imaginations be like drifting clouds of empty fancy. Be a practical Yogi.
Do not wait for a better opportunity, or better chance. Do not lean upon the illusion of “destiny” and “luck.” You are the architect of your destiny. The Spirit within you has the power to create a whole universe in the twinkling of an eye and dissolve it again in a moment. You are essentially the weaver of your circumstances and conditions. Turn your mind towards the majesty of your deeper Self. Do not allow your mind to be burdened by negative thoughts.
Be a hero. During the period of Brahma Muhurta (from 4 to 6 AM), let your mind capture the majesty of the Self by the practice of meditation, repetition of mantra, and prayer. Allow this elevated stream of feeling to become background music for all that you do during the day. Do not unbalance your daily life. When you retire to sleep, an inward melody reveals itself with great clarity. Practice meditation, japa, or any form of reflection to awaken the spiritual melody of your soul. When you sleep, there will be an inner flow of spiritual movement that will continue to purify your unconscious mind. You will awaken with a cheerful and receptive intellect.
If you falter in maintaining a balance program in your daily life, you should not allow your mind to indulge in the sentiments of despair. Rather, continue to strengthen your steps day by day. Each time you fall, try to rise. Do not give up your persistence in asserting the goodness of your soul. You are bound to succeed!
May God bless you! Hari OM Tat Sat!
