Srimati Carrie
Speaks on "What is thy nature?"
Sunday, September 4, 2016 at 11:00am
All of philosophy seems to raise the question: "What is thy nature?”
In our study of the universe, of ourselves and of God, we seek to know "What is thy nature?” But what does it mean to “know” the nature of the universe, of ourselves, of God?
According to the Upanishads the enlightened life requires both Brahma-Vidya and Atma-Vidya; realization of God and realization of one’s own true self.
We seek to know the Divine attributes, to see God in all, and to realize the qualities of that Self within us. This is the path of Yoga.
All of our attempts along this spiritual path will bear fruit. Remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi: "Full effort is full victory.” What effort will we make? What steps will we take?
—Srimati Carrie
From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM
”The moment we realize the Self, we realize the Soul, we realize God, we realize our true nature.”
—Swami Premananda, "Realization of the Self"
“It is the aim of yoga to fulfill life’s purpose through conduct and consciousness inherent, and thus natural, to our being.”
—Swami Kamalananda, "Frontiers of the Spirit"
“He who inspires other souls with his ecstasy will find himself expanding. A soul who feels his joy in other souls gradually feels himself as the Self of all.
“Human hope, if used rightly as motivation to cultivate higher potentials of mind, imagination, and will, ultimately produces true faith, the intuitive realization of the divine powers in the soul.”
—Swami Yogananda Paramhansa, "The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You"
“Through the knowledge of the essential nature and potentialities of the soul are gained the wisdom and power to make life a creative and perfecting self-manifestation in all states of existence.”
—Swami Premananda, "Introduction to Aitareya Upanishad,
Eight Upanishads"
Noble Thoughts:
“Perfection is the exclusive attribute of God and it is indescribable, untranslatable. I do believe that it is possible for every human being to become perfect even as God is perfect. It is necessary for all of us to aspire after perfection, but when that blessed state is attained, it becomes indescribable, indefinable.”
—Mahatma Gandhi, "Young India," 22 Sept 1937
“Heart, mind, thought, perception, discrimination, intelligence, knowledge, insight, steadfastness, imagination, wisdom, instinct, memory, conception, purpose, life, desire, will - all these are, indeed, various manifestations of consciousness.”
“The whole manifested universe has its existence in consciousness. Consciousness, is Brahman, the Self.”
— "Aitareya Upanishad," ch2, v2-3 (translated by Swami Premananda)
“That which is the Pure Atman is the Great Cause, the Cause of the cause. The gross, the subtle, the causal, and the Great Cause. The five elements are gross. Mind, buddhi, and ego are subtle. Prakriti, the Primal Energy, is the cause of all these. Brahman, Pure Atman, is the Cause of the cause.
“This pure Atman alone is our real nature. What is jnana? It is to know one’s own Self and keep the mind in It. It is to know the Pure Atman.”
—Sri Ramakrishna