|
How
to Be "Calmly Active" — Centered in Peace No Matter What You
Are Doing…
"To be calmly active and actively calm — a Prince of Peace
sitting on the throne of poise, directing the kingdom of activity
— is to be spiritually healthy. Too much activity makes one
an automaton and too much calmness makes one lazy and impractical.
Peace is the enjoyment of life; activity is the expression of
life. A balance between the activity of the West and the calmness
of the East is needed."
Relaxation
and Mental Peace…
"Disturbing psychological states can be substantially alleviated
by consciously removing their outer physiological manifestations.
Fear often causes you to clench your fists and incline your head
slightly forward; and it is certain to cause palpitation of your
heart. If you watch for such physiological reactions and relax
your hands, straighten your body, breathe slowly and deeply and
then exhale the breath and keep it out as long as is comfortable,
concentrating on the inner calmness of breathlessness, you will
feel some relief from fear."
Balancing
Your Spiritual and Material Life…
"The material and the spiritual are but two parts of one universe
and one truth. By overstressing one part or the other, man fails
to achieve the balance necessary for harmonious development….
Practice the art of living in this world without losing your inner
peace of mind. Follow the path of balance to reach the inner wondrous
garden of Self-realization."
Simplify
Your Life…
"It takes too much time and energy to keep too many possessions
in good order. The truth of the matter is that the more unnecessary
'necessities' you have, the less peace you have; and the less
you are possessed by possessions, the more happiness you have."
Overcoming
Worry…
"Everyone needs to let go of his worries and enter into absolute
silence every morning and night. At such times, try to persist
for one minute at a time without thinking about your problems.
Concentrate for several minutes at a time on this inner peace.
Next think of some happy incident; dwell on it, and visualize
it; mentally relive the pleasant experience over and over again
until you have discarded your worries entirely."
Seclusion
is the Price of Greatness…
"When you have finished your duties at the end of the day, sit
quietly alone. Take a good book and read it with attention. Then
meditate long and deeply. You will find much more peace and happiness
in this than in restless activities in which your mind runs riot
in all directions….If you cultivate the habit of spending time
alone at home in meditation, a great power and peace will come
over you. And it will remain with you in your activities as well
as in meditation. Seclusion is the price of greatness."
The selections
featured here are excerpted from Paramahansa Yogananda's book,
INNER
PEACE: How To Be Calmly Active and Actively Calm.
Special
Opportunity for INNER PEACE
Please
note: Copyright © Self-Realization Fellowship. All rights
reserved. Except for your own personal use, or for brief quotations
in reviews, no part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted
without permission in writing from Self-Realization Fellowship.
|
Insight and Inspiration
