Shine On

I am awestruck by the wisdom of fortune cookies these days. Is the Dalai Lama secretly writing these messages? Really, these are profound words from the mouths of cookies. Given at the end of a Chinese meal, their heady wisdom a conversation starter to be sure. Today, a clever note in a fortune cookie gave me much to reflect upon. This simple message of truth sounded like something my Swami would have said, reminding me of a fundamental Vedantic principle. That is, consciousness is the SHINE. It is the source of illumination, the very light by which the material world is reflected to our eyes. Apart from objects we see in the waking world, consciousness never, ever, changes. Irregardless of whether we are in the waking world or in dream sleep, the eternal conscious witness is always present in all three states: waking, dreaming and sleeping. Cosmic consciousness watches for eons and eons apart from the body mind complex. Blazing forth like a thousands suns, shining forever as pure, perfect, God consciousness. The God who shines love within, is the same God who reflects love without. And that's the way this fortune cookie crumbled today!

Melting into the Light, I am the unattached Light that shines.

The Light shines, the Light which is Brahman.

That which I am is nothing but Brahman.

I exist and I exist as the Light of Brahman.

I myself, offer myself, into the infinite Light which is myself.

OM peace, peace, peace be unto us all.

God the Eternal Witness 

Lecture by Swami Sarvapriyananda

Panchadasi 
by Sri Vidyaranya Swami

Translated by Swami Swahananda

Wish-fulfilling Tree

"Am I in need of fruit?

I have the Fruit that makes this life

Fruitful indeed. Within my heart

The Tree of Rāma grows,

Bearing salvation for its fruit.

Under the Wish-fulfilling Tree

Of Rāma do I sit at ease,

Plucking whatever fruit I will.

But if you speak of fruit -

No beggar, I, for common fruit.

Behold, I go,

Leaving a bitter fruit for you."

As Sri Ramakrishna was singing this song he went into samadhi. 

 Again the half-closed eyes and motionless body that one sees in his photograph. 

 Just a minute before, the devotees had been making merry in his company. 

 Now all eyes were riveted on him.

Read more of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

The Wish-fulfilling Tree 
Lecture by Swami Chetanananda

Pomegranate Natures Super Fruit

Divine Fruit

Pray For What You Want

Zen in it's simplicity, a note in a fortune cookie gave me much to ponder. Could the universe be trying to tell me something? Today it seems even my food was preaching Vedanta philosophy. This bold demand to pray was fascinating to me especially coming from a cookie. It sounded a lot like what my Swami would say. For by definition, prayer is talking to God in a spirit of love. Through daily personal prayer we connect with our spiritual reality and develop virtues that enrich our lives and purify our spiritual channel to God. Prayer empowers us to take control of the way we respond to any of life's given situations. Through prayer and meditation our spirits are guided on a purposeful journey. As a result, prayer naturally extends to our actions (i.e."Work"). A fundamental teaching in all the world's religions is that our actions should reflect our prayers so that our deeds, our very lives, may be purposeful, virtuous, and beneficial to our fellow man. Living in a prayerful state occurs when every decision we make, every action we undertake, every word we say, is motivated by the remembrance of God. And that's the way this cookie crumbles!

Power of Prayer lecture by Pravrajika Vrajaprana

Mindful Eating

 Mindful Eating - New York Times Article

Practicing Gratitude Lecture by Pravrajika Vrajaprana