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Glorious Fifty Years of Wisdom and Service
A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 50th Birthday

Links for this Book

Table of Contents

  • Meditation—Its Theory and Practice by Swami Krishnananda
  1. The Meaning and Method of Meditation
  2. Impediments in Meditation
  3. Spiritual Experiences
  4. The Groundwork of Self-Knowledge
  5. The Problem of Self-Alienation
  6. The Method of Self-Integration
  7. Self-Withdrawal and Self-Discovery
  • Articles About Swami Krishnananda

Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions

  1. Get up at 4 a.m. daily. Do Japa and Meditation.
  2. Sit on Padma or Siddha Asana for Japa and Dhyana.
  3. Take Sattvic food. Do not overload the stomach.
  4. Do charity 1/10 of your income or one anna per rupee.
  5. Study daily one chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita.
  6. Preserve Veerya ( Vital force ). Sleep separately.
  7. Give up smoking, narcotics, intoxicant drinks and Rajasic food.
  8. Fast on Ekadasi days or take milk and fruits only.
  9. Observe Mouna for two hours daily and during meals also.
  10. Speak the truth at any cost. Speak a little and sweetly.
  11. Reduce your wants. Lead happy, contented life.
  12. Never hurt the feelings of others. Be kind to all
  13. Think of the mistakes that you have done (self-analysis).
  14. Do not depend upon servants. Have self-reliance.
  15. Think of God as soon as you wake up and when you go to bed.
  16. Have always a Japa-mala on your neck or in your pocket.
  17. Adhere to the motto: "Simple living and high thinking. "
  18. Serve the Sadhus, Sannyasins and the poor, the sick and the suffering.
  19. Have a separate meditation room under lock and key.
  20. Keep a daily spiritual diary. Stick to your routine. These 20 instructions contain the essence of Yoga and Vedanta. Follow them strictly. Do not be lenient to your mind. You will attain supreme happiness.

—Swami Sivananda

Quotes from Swami Sivananda

  • God is love. The only true Religion is the religion of love of the religion of the heart. Feel for others as you feel for yourself. This universal religion will bring world-peace and happiness.
  • Yoga is a prefect system of practical Self-Culture. Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.
  • Yoga brings a message of hope to the forlorn, joy to the depressed and strength to the week, and knowledge to the ignorant.
  • Yoga does not consist in sitting cross-legged for hours together or getting himself buried underneath the ground for weeks and months. Yoga is much more than this.
  • The practice of Yoga will bring you joy and happiness. It brings you success in every walk of life. Yoga will infuse in you new strength and confidence. The practice of Yoga will confer on you radiant health and longevity.

—Swami Sivananda