Swami Śivānanda Saraswati (1887–1963,) also Swami Śivānanda, was a Hindu spiritual teacher. One of the most influential modern Hindu teachers, he was a proponent of Vedānta and the “yoga of Synthesis,” which blends the four paths of yoga in Hinduism (karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jñāna yoga, rāja yoga.)
Born Kuppuswami Iyer into a prominent Brahmin family in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamiḻ Nādu, Swami Śivānanda trained and practiced as a medical doctor in India and Malaya. He formally commenced monasticism at Hṛṣīkeśa under the guidance of Swami Viśvananda Saraswati in 1924.
After a decade of nomadic mendicancy, Swami Śivānanda opened the Śivānanda Āśram in Hṛṣīkeśa in 1932. In 1936, he launched the Divine Life Society to disseminate spiritual knowledge and train people in the practice of Vedānta and yoga.
The doctrinal foundation of Swami Śivānanda’s teaching was a form of Advaita Vedānta universalism. It promotes concern for the poor and the sick. The Divine Life Society operates hospitals and Āyurvedic dispensaries.
Following Swami Śivānanda’s death in 1963, his students formed new networks of yoga centers throughout the world to spread his teachings. Śivānanda yoga, the yoga method promulgated by his disciple Swami Viṣṇudevananda, spread in many parts of the world. Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, another well-known disciple, founded the Chinmaya Mission.
Swami Śivānanda authored hundreds of books on yoga, Vedānta, wholesome health, and a variety of other subjects—his notable works include Sādhanā (1967,) Science of Yoga (18 vols., 1977,) Practical Lessons in Yoga (1978,) and Practice of Karma Yoga (1980.)
Swami Krishnananda Saraswati wrote the biography Swami Śivānanda and the Spiritual Renaissance (1959.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Sivananda Saraswati
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Awareness, Thinking
Humility is not cowardice. Meekness is not weakness. Humility and meekness are indeed spiritual powers.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Your sole purpose in life is to attain God-realization. All else is useless and worthless.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Purpose, Life, God
A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.
—Sivananda Saraswati
A cheerful thought in you produces cheerful thoughts in others. You are filled with joy and intense delight when you see a batch of hilarious children playing mirthfully and dancing in joy.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Through regular practice of concentration and meditation you attain clarity of mind, increased grasping power, retentive memory, increased intelligence, confidence, peace, optimism and control of the senses
—Sivananda Saraswati
Still the bubbling mind; herein lies freedom and bliss eternal.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Failure
Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.
—Sivananda Saraswati
There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Failure
There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Happiness
A purified mind can grasp anything. It can dive deep into the subtlest subject and understand even transcendental things.
—Sivananda Saraswati
When one God dwells in all living beings, then why do you hate others? Why do you frown at others? Why do you become indignant towards others? Why do you use harsh words? Why do you try to rule and domineer over others? Why do you exploit folly? Is this not sheer ignorance? Get wisdom and rest in peace.
—Sivananda Saraswati
A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. Complete peace equally reigns between two mental waves.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Desires, Desire
If you have controlled your mind you are the conqueror of the whole world.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Love expects no reward. Love knows no fear. Love Divine gives does not demand. Love thinks no evil; imputes no motive. To Love is to share and serve.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Anger
Those who identify themselves with the body and have no soul-consciousness, are utterly ignorant, though they may possess University degrees. Man speaks of his glory and achievements. It is all vanity. At the bottom of it all are sex, food, indolence and ignorance.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Dedication, One Step at a Time, Commitment
Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realize the Self.
Purity of the heart is the gateway to God.
Aspire. Renounce. Meditate.
Be good; do good.
Be kind; be compassionate.
Inquire, know Thyself.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Compassion
When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Practice meditation regularly. Meditation leads to eternal bliss. Therefore meditate, meditate.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Cultivate peace first in the garden of your heart by removing the weeds of lust, hatred, greed, selfishness, and jealousy. Then only you can manifest it externally. Then only, those who come in contact with you, will be benefited by your vibrations of peace and harmony.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Crave for a thing, you will get it.
Renounce the craving, the object will follow you by itself.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Cultivate peace first in the garden of your heart by removing the weeds of lust, hatred, greed, selfishness, and jealousy. Then only you can manifest it externally. Then only, those who come in contact with you, will be benefited by your vibrations of peace and harmony.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Meditation is an effort in the beginning. Later on it becomes habitual and gives bliss, joy and peace
—Sivananda Saraswati
Regular meditation opens the avenues of intuitional knowledge, makes the mind calm and steady, awakens an ecstatic feeling, and brings the practitioner in contact with the source of his/her very being
—Sivananda Saraswati
Will is the dynamic soul-force.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: One liners
Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.
—Sivananda Saraswati
Topics: Character, Patience
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