Achariya George Adams
Speaks on "In the Battle Din of Activity"
Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 11:00am
Amidst the battle din of activity and unheard by any, my silent war cry will be God, God, God!
God! God! God!
by Swami Paramhansa Yogananda
From the depths of slumber,
As I ascend the spiral stairways of wakefulness,
I will whisper:
God! God! God!
Thou art the food, and when I break my fast
Of nightly separation from Thee,
I will taste Thee, and mentally say:
God! God! God!
No matter where I go, the spotlight of my mind
Will ever keep turning on Thee;
And in the battle din of activity, my silent war-cry will be:
God! God! God!
When boisterous storms of trials shriek,
And when worries howl at me,
I will drown their noises, loudly chanting:
God! God! God!
When my mind weaves dreams
With threads of memories,
On that magic cloth will I emboss:
God! God! God!
Every night, in time of deepest sleep,
When my peace dreams and calls, Joy! Joy! Joy!
My joy comes singing evermore:
God! God! God!
In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul will constantly hum, unheard by any:
God! God! God!
It is interesting to note that the objective setting for the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna in the Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, "The Revelation of the Supreme Self," occurs on a battlefield. This war, however has nothing to do with the objective ravages of slaughter and mayhem, but in its true meaning reflects the symbolic battle that is constantly being waged between the propensities of our ego and the illuminating guidance of our soul. The dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna speaks to the spiritual quest of man for the light and perfection of God.
This Sunday we will ask ourselves what are the dynamics at play in the great battlefield of our soul? How are we to transmute the propensities of our ego and emerge into this transcendental height of elevated spiritual consciousness? In the words of the hymn, "How can we make this life complete, a pure and living prayer?"
It is appropriate that we contemplate this subject during the Lenten season, the symbolic period of prayer and fasting by Jesus in the wilderness before embarking on his ministry. Moses, Elijah, Jesus and all souls experience this phase of unfoldment. As it is revealed in the "Eternal Truths of Absolute Monism," "Make thine own self pure by good thoughts, good words, good deeds."
Our life is an inner as well as an outer journey. Amidst the battle din of activity, may our silent war cry be, unheard by any: God, God, God!
—Achariya George
From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM
"Every man is essentially divine. Man is the divine self. The ideal of human existence is the recognition of man's spiritual self. Religion is the realization of man's divine nature, otherwise called self-realization. When man realizes his true self, spirituality guides his daily life and conduct. Life guided by spiritual vision insures inner contentment and world peace."
—"The Law of Self-Manifestation (Karma Yoga)" by Swami Premananda
"Spiritual Vision: We are from Spirit; therefore, we reach out for the perfection of God. We intuitively know our ultimate spiritual destiny. We are convincingly aware within our consciousness that the perfection of God is the divine destiny of our soul, of all souls. We feel that God is the source, the substance and the sustenance of all."
—"101 Noble Thoughts" by Swami Premananda
"Every man is a repository of all divinity. You are not unrighteous, you are perfect. You are not unkind, you are all-loving. You are never miserable, you are always peaceful. You think of yourself negatively because you do not know your true nature. The moment you know your self you are awakened to your absolute divinity. You are not man, you are God."
-—"The Path of Pure Consciousness" by Swami Premananda
"Be in the world and do your part, but do not be caught up and bound by its delusions, or you will be enslaved."
—Swami Paramahansa Yogananda
Noble Thoughts: ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)
"Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging."
—Joseph Campbell
"See the good in people and help them. In a gentle way you can shake the world."
—Mahatma Gandhi