How to Cultivate Virtues and Eradicate Vices

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His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a health journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.

It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practiced intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta.

In 1932, Swami Sivananda started the Sivananda- Ashram. In 1936 was born The Divine life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized.

Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950, Swamiji undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953, Swamiji convened a 'World Parliament of Religions'. Swamiji is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read Swamiji's works is to drink at the Fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 Swamiji entered Mahasamadhi.

Ethical culture will result in ethical perfection. An ethical man is more powerful than an intellectual man. Ethical culture brings in various sorts of occult powers.

Morality goes ha d in hand with spirituality. Morality co-exists with spirituality. Ethical culture prepares you for Vedantic realization of 'Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma'-all indeed is Brahman. There is no such thing as diversity.

All aspirants commit the mistakes in jumping to Samadhi and meditation all at once as soon as they leave their houses without caring a bit for ethical purification.

The essentials of moral life are: straightforwardness, honesty, mercy, humility, respect for life, tender regard for every creature that breathes, absolute unselfishness, truthfulness, celibacy, non-injury, non-covetousness, absence of vanity and hypocrisy, and cosmic love.

A man of right conduct has ideal principles and mottoes. He strictly follows them, removes his weaknesses and defects, develops good conduct and becomes a Sattvic man.

Righteousness is eternal. Do not leave the path of righteousness even if your life is in danger. A righteous, virtuous life and a clear conscience give great deal of comfort to man while living and at the time of his death also. Sound character is the only diamond you must crave to wear. Virtues are conducive to Self-knowledge.

Immortality can be attained only by performing acts of kindness constantly and sticking to ethical principles.

Practice of charitable acts, compassion and kind services purify and soften the heart, turn the heart-lotus upwards and prepare the aspirant for the reception of divine light.

The practice of truth, austerities, celibacy and self-restraint are all auxiliaries in the attainment of the knowledge of the Eternal.

Humility is the highest of all virtues. God helps you only when you feel utterly humble. Therefore develop this virtue to a considerable degree. Virtue will develop and survive only when practiced positively and actively.

The law of non-injury is as much exact and precise as the law of gravitation. If you can be fully established in the practice of non-violence in thought, word and deed, you are God.

The path of Ahimsa is narrow, but if you practice Ahimsa in right earnest, you can easily travel the path, since you cannot but get the divine grace at every step.

A holy man with piety is far superior to the mighty kings of countries. God is much pleased with a pious man.

A man who keeps up his promise creates a very good impression on the minds of others and merges in Divinity.

Cultivate sympathy, love, mercy and sincerity and other divine virtues described in the Gita. Lead a well-regulated life.

Moral strength is the backbone of spiritual progress. Ethical culture is part and parcel of spiritual Sadhana.

RELIGION: THE BASIS OF MORALITY

Morality is the quality of being moral. Morality is that in an action which renders it right or wrong. It is the practice of moral duties apart from religion.

Morality is the doctrine of the right and wrong in human con- duct. It is virtuous life. Sometimes in a limited sense it means sexual purity.

Morality is virtue. Morality is ethics. It is the doctrine which treats of actions being right or wrong. Morality is everywhere the same, because it comes from God.

Morality is religion in practice; religion is morality in principle. What you ought to do, that you should do and that you must do, though it brings pain and loss. Why? Because, it is right.

You must do what is right at whatever cost of pain and loss.

All successful actions stand on the foundation of morality.

Morality without religion has no roots. It becomes a thing of custom, changeable, transient and optional.

There can be no high civility, no courtesy, no politeness, and no elegant manners without a profound morality.

There is no true and abiding morality that is not founded on religion.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages