Sri Mahalakshmi also spelled Laksmi, Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī is the Hindu goddess of wealth, love, prosperity (both material and spiritual), fortune, and the embodiment of beauty. She is the wife and active energy of Vishnu. Her four hands represent the four goals of human life considered proper in Hindu way of life – dharma, kama, artha, and moksha. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments. In Buddhist sects of Tibet, Nepal and southeast Asia, goddess Vasundhara mirrors the characteristics and attributes of Hindu goddess Lakshmi, with minor iconographic differences. Lakshmi is also called Sri or Thirumagal because she is endowed with six auspicious and divine qualities, or Gunas, and also because she is the source of strength even to Vishnu. 

Who is Goddess Mahalakshmi?

Keresanthe Sri Mahalakshmi Temple also spelled Laksmi, (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī, Hindi pronunciation: [ˈləkʃmi]) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, love, prosperity (both material and spiritual), fortune, and the embodiment of beauty. She is the wife and active energy of Vishnu.

What is the difference between Lakshmi and Mahalakshmi?

No they are not the same. Lakshmi refers to the female energy ( wife) vishnu, protector of the solar system. Mahalakshmi is different. The name refers to the wife of mahavishnu, the protector of the universe.

What is the vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi?

For example, the goddess Lakshmi of the Hindus has elephants, or an owl, or (a rare instance of a non-animal vehicle) the lotus blossom as her vehicle.

Is Laxmi wife of Ganesh?

That's why Laxmi is always worshipped along with Ganesh. Many people do not know that Laxmi is the mother of Ganesh. They wrongly consider Laxmi as the wife of Ganesh. This has a root in a story.

What are the 8 forms of Lakshmi?

The eight different forms of Goddess Lakshmi are:

•     Adi Lakshmi. ...
•     Dhana Lakshmi. ...
•     Dhanya Lakshmi. ...
•     Dhairya Lakshmi. ...
•     Gaja Lakshmi. ...
•     Santan Lakshmi. ...
•     Vijay Lakshmi. ...
•     Vidya Lakshmi.

Is Lakshmi daughter of Durga?

The word Shakti means divine force or power. Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati along with Goddess Durga are known as the Tridevi. According to Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati and not Goddess Durga.

Is Lakshmi sister of Shiva?

Parvati and Shiva, Lakshmi and Vishnu, Brahma and Saraswati. The pairs were then tasked with creation, maintainace and dissolution of the universe together. Long story short it is Saraswati that is considered Shiva's sister, and not Lakshmi.

What does Lakshmi look like?

Lakshmi is commonly portrayed as a beautiful woman with four arms, standing on a lotus flower. There is usually one, or sometimes two elephants behind her, anointing her with water. She is often depicted sitting beneath Vishnu, massaging his feet.

Which direction should Lakshmi face?

How do Laxmi pooja (puja) on Friday?

Place a clean (new if possible) red cloth on an elevated platform and decorate it with a statue of Goddess Lakshmi, Shree Yantra, Kalash filled with water, jewellery or gold/silver coin(s). Make some rice pudding (kheer) to offer the Goddess and distribute it as prasadam once the puja is over.

What do you offer goddess Lakshmi?

Once you have the groundwork laid, here are some recommendations for offering, but always remember to follow your own intuition:

•     Statue, plaque or image of the goddess Lakshmi (as well as Vishnu)
•     Objects in red, green, gold, hot pink.
•     Lotus flowers or seeds.
•     Roses in her colors.
•     Stones in her colors.
•     Stones for prosperity.

Is Parvati and Lakshmi same?

Parvati and Lakshmi are from Adi Parashakti. And ultimately they are from Brahman. ... Parvati is lineal progenitor of all other goddesses (which are essentially her various forms and names). So, yes, Goddesses Parvati and Lakshmi incarnations of the same Goddess.

Are Lakshmi and Saraswati sisters?

According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati. The goddess of misfortune, Alakshmi, is the sister of Lakshmi. Saraswati is goddess of skill, knowledge, music and arts. ... Lakshmi and Saraswati are also called Ganesha's shaktis or consorts.

What does Lakshmi hold in her hands?

In Lakshmi's iconography, she is either sitting or standing on a lotus and typically carrying a lotus in one or two hands. The lotus carries symbolic meanings in Hinduism and other Indian traditions.

Why broom is called Laxmi?

In Indian households we get told off by our elders if we accidentally touch a broom with our feet, they say 'it is an embodiment of Lakshmi, brings wealth into the house by taking away dregs and dust, do not dishonor it. ... A broom is considered a sacred utility in Indian households.

Who is father of Laxmi?

Lakshmi in Vishnu purana : According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Durvasa, she left Swarga and made Ksheersagara her home. The reappearance of Lakshmi after Samudra manthan and her marriage to Vishnu thereafter, remain the same.

Why is Lakshmi always at Vishnu's feet?

She is the hindu goddess of misfortune and follows Lakshmi wherever she goes. She is extremely jealous of Lakshmi because she does not have a husband. ... So it is Lakshmi who is sitting next to Vishnu's dirty feet, because if it is dirty, Alakshmi will come and drive her out and claim her husband.

Why did Goddess Laxmi press the feet of Lord Vishnu?

Lord Vishnu, the operator and protector of the Universe when is tired of His duties, Lakshmi presses the Lotus feet of Vishnu and provides him relief from his tiredness.

Why does Lakshmi sit on a lotus flower?

Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune, is usually depicted with a lotus flower. She is usually shown sitting on a lotus flower and holding it in her hands. Thus, Lotus is a symbol of purity and enlightenment amid ignorance. ... Lotus flower is also offered as a seat for Goddess Lakshmi during worship.

What is the best time for Laxmi Pooja?

The most auspicious time for the puja is decided when “amavasya tithi” prevails during “pradosh kaal” or the evening time.

How do I get Mahalakshmi blessing?

Yagya to be blessed by Goddess Lakshmi

Do Yagya every month on the day of full moon (Hindi: “Poornima”) to get the blessings of your Ishta. You can also do chanting of “Om” while giving Aahuti of Samgri in the Yagya in order to get peace prosperity, health, wealth and money.

What is Laxmi day?

Lakshmi Puja is a Hindu Festival where devotees offer prayers to Lakshmi—the goddess of wealth. The legend has that Goddess Lakshmi visits her devotees and offers them gifts on this day. Lakshmi Puja is performed on the eve of 'amavasya tithi' which falls on the third day of Diwali.

Why did Lakshmi marry Vishnu?

The Gods cheered when they saw Goddess Lakshmi marry Lord Vishnu. She was the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity and he was the Preserving God. ... Thus with great pomp and show, Goddess Lakshmi married Lord Vishnu during the churning of the ocean.

Why did Lakshmi choose Vishnu?

The reason why Lakshmi is said to have evolved from milk is to say that the money we earn should legit and be as pure as milk and should n... Because Vishnu chose her before any other person could. The fact that Lakshmi has evolved during Samudra Manthan is true, but it only refers to one Manmantara.

Best Osho Quotes On Life, Love, Happiness

Following are the best Osho quotes with beautiful images. We’ve compiled a list of Top Osho quotes and sayings on life, love, happiness, fear, courage and more.

 

Osho Rajneesh - Indian spiritual guru

If you live with love, through love, you will live a great life, because love makes everything great. OSHO...

“Darkness is an absence of light. Ego is an absence of awareness.”

Top Osho quotes

“The greatest fear in the world is the opinion of others, and the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.”

Top Osho quotes

“A certain darkness is needed to see the stars.”

Top Osho quotes

“Respect life, revere life. There is nothing more holy than life, nothing more divine than life.”

Top Osho quotes

“Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole existence. Why limit yourself to small things? When the whole is available.”

Top Osho quotes

“Mind: A beautiful servant, a dangerous master.”

Top Osho quotes

“It is beautiful to be alone, it is also beautiful to to be in love, to be with people. And they are complementary, not contradictory.”

Top Osho quotes

“Love is the goal, life is the journey.”

Top Osho quotes

“Love the person, but give the person total freedom. Love the person, but from the very beginning make it clear that you are not selling your freedom.”

Top Osho quotes

“When you love, love as if the person is a god, not less than that. Never love a woman as a woman and never love a man as a man.”

Top Osho quotes

“Be a lotus flower. Be in the water, and do not let the water touch you.”

Top Osho quotes

“If you love a person, you accept the total person. With all the defects. Because those defects are a part of the person. Never try to change a person you love, because the very effort to change says that you love half, and the other half of the person is not accepted. When you love, you simply love.”

Top Osho quotes

“Tomorrow never comes, it is always today.”

Top Osho quotes

“I live my life based on 2 principles. One, I live as if today was my last day on earth. Two, I live today as if I am going to live forever.”

Top Osho quotes

“Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand – relax.

If you relax it comes, if you relax it is there. If you relax, you start vibrating with it.”

Top Osho quotes

“Get out of your head and get into your heart. Think less, feel more.”

Top Osho quotes

“Awareness functions almost like magic.”

Top Osho quotes

“People say love is blind because they do not know what love is. I say unto you, only love has eyes; other than love, everything is blind.”

Top Osho quotes

“Life is not a problem. To look at it as a problem is to take a wrong step. It is a mystery to be lived, loved, experienced.”

Top Osho quotes

“Courage is a love affair with the unknown.”

Top Osho quotes

 “Find ecstasy within yourself. It is not out there. It is in your innermost flowering. The one you are looking for is you.”

Top Osho quotes

“One just needs a little alertness to see and find out: Life is really a great cosmic laughter.”

Top Osho quotes

“Commit as many mistakes as possible, remembering only one thing: don’t commit the same mistake again. And you will be growing.”

Top Osho quotes

“Love in its purest form is a sharing of joy. It asks nothing in return, it expects nothing. Love is a spiritual phenomenon; lust is physical. Ego is psychological; love is spiritual.”

Top Osho quotes

“Be – don’t try to become.”

Top Osho quotes

“When I say be creative I don’t mean that you should all go and become great painters and great poets. I simply mean let your life be a painting, let your life be a poem.”

Top Osho quotes

“What is discipline? Discipline means creating an order within you. As you are, you are a chaos.”

Top Osho quotes

“The feminine is more powerful than the masculine, the soft is more powerful than the hard, the water is more powerful than the rock.”

Top Osho quotes

“Life begins where fear ends.”

Top Osho quotes

“Don’t try to understand life. Live it! Don’t try to understand love. Move into love. Then you will know and that knowing will come out of your experiencing.”

Top Osho quotes

“Love and respect yourself and never compromise for anything. And then you will be surprised how much growth starts happening of its own accord.. as if rocks have been removed and the river has started flowing.”

Top Osho quotes

“Only laughter makes a man rich, but the laughter has to be blissful.”

Top Osho quotes

“To avoid pain, they avoid pleasure. To avoid death, they avoid life.”

Top Osho quotes

“I love life. That’s why I give teachings of celebration, celebrate everything. From body to soul, physical to spiritual, sex to super consciousness, everything is divine for me.”

Top Osho quotes

“Be realistic: Plan for a miracle.”

Top Osho quotes

“Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it.”

Top Osho quotes

“No thought, no mind, no choice — just being silent, rooted in yourself.”

Top Osho quotes

“Never be ashamed of your tears. Be proud that you are still natural. Be proud that you can express the inexpressible through your tears.”

Top Osho quotes

“Whatever you feel, you become. It is your responsibility.”

Top Osho quotes

“To be a happy person, one has to drop all comparison. Drop all these stupid ideas of being superior and inferior. You are neither superior nor inferior. You are simply yourself! There exists no one like you, no one with whom you can be compared. Then, suddenly, you are at home.”

Top Osho quotes

“Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence.”

Top Osho quotes

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.”

Top Osho quotes

“Always remember to judge everything by your inner feeling of bliss.”

Top Osho quotes

“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.”

Top Osho quotes

“Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move.”

Top Osho quotes

“They say: Think twice before you jump. I say: Jump first and then think as much as you want!”

Top Osho quotes

“You need either to create something or to discover something. Either bring your potential to actuality or go inwards to find yourself, but do something with your freedom.”

Top Osho quotes

“Don’t be so short of trust, and don’t be in a hurry. If I say something, wait, search, and you will find the way.”

Top Osho quotes

“A single moment of love is equal to the whole eternity of love.”

Top Osho quotes

“If you really want peace on earth, create peace in your heart, in your being. That is the right place to begin with and then spread.”

Top Osho quotes

“If you suffer it is because of you, if you feel blissful it is because of you. Nobody else is responsible – only you and you alone. You are your hell and your heaven too.”

Top Osho quotes

“A woman is to be loved, not understood. That is the first understanding.”

Top Osho quotes

“Friendship is the purest love. It is the highest form of Love where nothing is asked for, no condition, where one simply enjoys giving.”

Top Osho quotes

“Nobody has the power to take two steps together; you can take only one step at a time.”

Top  & Best... Osho quotes

Deep And Meaningful Osho Quotes And Sayings

“Just look at life with more playful eyes. Don’t be serious. Seriousness becomes like a blindness. Don’t pretend to be a thinker, a philosopher. Just simply be a human being.”

“Be ordinary, but bring a quality of awareness to your ordinary life. Bring God to your ordinary life introduce God into your ordinary life. Sleep, eat, love, pray, meditate, but don’t think that you are making or doing something special—and then you will be special.”

“Truth is not to be found outside. No teacher, no scripture can give it to you. It is inside you and if you wish to attain it, seek your own company. Be with yourself.”

“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.”

“Millions of people are suffering: they want to be loved but they don’t know how to love. And love cannot exist as a monologue; it is a dialogue, a very harmonious dialogue.”

“Only a blind man can easily define what light is. When you do not know, you are bold. Ignorance is always bold; knowledge hesitates. And the more you know, the more you feel that the ground underneath is dissolving. The more you know, the more you feel how ignorant you are.”

“Listen to your being. It is continuously giving you hints; it is a still, small voice. It does not shout at you, that is true. And if you are a little silent you will start feeling your way. Be the person you are. Never try to be another, and you will become mature. Maturity is accepting the responsibility of being oneself, whatsoever the cost. Risking all to be oneself, that’s what maturity is all about.”

“Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny – he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally – you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you.”

“Falling in love you remain a child; rising in love you mature. By and by love becomes not a relationship, it becomes a state of your being. Not that you are in love – now you are love.”

“You feel good, you feel bad, and these feelings are bubbling from your own unconsciousness, from your own past. Nobody is responsible except you. Nobody can make you angry, and nobody can make you happy.”

“Nobody can say anything about you. Whatsoever people say is about themselves. But you become very shaky, because you are still clinging to a false center. That false center depends on others, so you are always looking to what people are saying about you.”

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.”

“That is the simple secret of happiness. Whatever you are doing, don’t let past move your mind; don’t let future disturb you. Because the past is no more, and the future is not yet. To live in the memories, to live in the imagination, is to live in the non-existential. And when you are living in the non-existential, you are missing that which is existential. Naturally you will be miserable, because you will miss your whole life.”

“If you are a parent, open doors to unknown directions to the child so he can explore. Don’t make him afraid of the unknown, give him support.”

“Sadness is silent, it is yours. It is coming because you are alone. It is giving you a chance to go deeper into your aloneness. Rather than jumping from one shallow happiness to another shallow happiness and wasting your life, it is better to use sadness as a means for meditation. Witness it. It is a friend! It opens the door of your eternal aloneness.”

“You should live in the world but remain untouched by it. You should remain in the world, but the world should not remain in you.”

“Be less of a judge and you will be surprised that when you become a witness and you don’t judge yourself, you stop judging others too. And that makes you more human, more compassionate, more understanding.”

“Fame is foolish, it is pointless, meaningless. Even if the whole world knows you, how does it make you richer? How does it make your life more blissful? How does it help you to be more understanding, to be more aware? To be more alert, to be more alive?”

“It is a strange thing, that every child is born with a closed hand, and every body dies with an open hand.”

“If you live with unhealthy people, to be healthy is dangerous. If you live with insane people, then to be sane is dangerous. If you live in a madhouse, even if you are not mad at least pretend that you are mad; otherwise those mad people will kill you.”

“Life in itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create meaning.”

“Wherever you are afraid, try to explore, and you will find death hiding somewhere behind. All fear is of death. Death is the only fear source.”

“If you want to learn anything, learn trust – nothing else is needed. If you are miserable, nothing else will help – learn trust. If you don’t feel any meaning in life and you feel meaningless, nothing will help – learn trust. Trust gives meaning because trust makes you capable of allowing the whole descend upon you.”

“Wherever you feel death, feel it. Don’t escape. Death is beautiful; death is the greatest mystery, more mysterious than life.”

“I also teach you to love yourself first. It has nothing to do with ego. In fact, love is such a light that the darkness of the ego cannot exist in it at all. If you love others, if your love is focused on others, you will live in darkness. Turn your light toward yourself first, become a light unto yourself first. Let the light dispel your inner darkness, your inner weakness. Let love make you a tremendous power, a spiritual force.”

“Even if they can find a lover they demand perfection, and the love is destroyed because of that demand.”

“My whole love and respect is for the person who accepts himself totally, as he is. He has courage. He has courage to face the whole pressure of the society which is bent upon splitting him into divisions – into good and bad, into saint and sinner. He is really a brave, courageous being who stands against the whole history of man, of morality, and declares to the skies his reality, whatever it is.”

“Intelligence comes from meditation, intelligence comes from rebellion, intelligence does not come from memory.”

“Help the world to become better. Don’t leave the world just the same as you have found it – make it a little better, make it a little more beautiful.”

“No relationship can truly grow if you go on holding back. If you remain clever and go on safeguarding and protecting yourself, only personalities meet, and the essential centers remain alone. Then only your mask is related, not you. Whenever such a thing happens, there are four persons in the relationship, not two. Two false persons go on meeting, and the two real persons remain worlds apart.”

“It is not a question of money, power, and prestige; it is a question of what intrinsically you want to do. Do it, irrespective of the results, and your boredom will disappear.”

“You are being taught everything, but you are not being taught to be yourself. This is the ugliest form of society possible, because it makes everybody miserable.”

“So the second thing to remember is never to demand perfection. You have no right to demand anything from anybody. If somebody loves you, be thankful, but don’t demand anything—because the other has no obligation to love you.”

The Glory of Saints By Sri Swami Sivananda 

Sivananda Saraswati (or Swami Sivananda; 8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

A saint is a god on earth. To him, the whole world is mere straw. To him, gold and stone are alike. To him, pleasure and pain are the same.

A saint lives in God. He has realized God. He knows God. He has become God. He speaks of God. He shows the way to God. He is God-intoxicated. He is God Himself. He is one with God.

Saints are God's agents on earth. God reveals Himself in a saint in His full glory, infinite power, wisdom and bliss.

The saints constitute a ladder for the pilgrims to the shrine of God. Wherever saints and sages stay even for a half-second, then and there are sacred places like Varnasi, Prayag and Brindavan.

A saint is a blessing on earth. Saints are the living symbols of religion and are the true benefactors of humanity. Throughout history, saints have played a great part in preserving spiritual values in the world.

A saint is a spiritual washerman. He applies the soap of devotion and knowledge, and removes the spots of sin in worldly people. In his presence, man becomes holy.

The moment the mind thinks of a sage, immediately all evil desires, base passions, are brushed aside. Meditation on the lives of saints is equal to holy company. Study of their teachings is equal to holy company.

To think of saints, to live in their company, to have good fortune of receiving their blessings, is to draw forth upon yourself a shower of purity, inspiration and divine consciousness.

The Nature of a Saint

A saint is free from I-ness and mine-ness. He is free from lust, anger, and greed. He loves all beings as his own Self. He is endowed with dispassion and mercy. He speaks the truth and serves all. He ever meditates on the Lord. He does not speak ill of others. He has equal vision. He sees Devi or Mother in all women. He is ever joyful and peaceful. He sings the glory of the Lord. He has divine knowledge. He is fearless and generous. He never begs, but gives. He is majestic and lordly. Such a one is rare in the whole world. He is not easily found. He is not born everywhere.

Love is the very breath of a saint. Mercy is his very nature. His heart overflows with compassion. He does not look to the faults of others. He returns good for evil and blesses those who curse him.

The heart of a sage is a flame of love and his whole being thirsts for the uplift of suffering humanity. He forgets himself utterly and lives but for the sake of others.

A saint sees the whole world as the projection of his own soul. A sage sees unity in diversity. He becomes one with the whole world.

A sage is a youth amongst the youth, aged amongst the old, brave amongst the brave, a child amongst children. He feels the pain and suffering among sufferers.

The Life of a Saint

The life of a saint is plain, simple, and attractive. It is full of grace. It is methodical. A saint is ever of good cheer. He knows no ill of life. To him, life is joy. He experiences no trial of misery. He is fearless. No monarch has sway over him.

The life of a saint is always a life of quiet, of indrawn stillness, of solitude and aloofness. He is untouched by the changes of the world. No external happening can shake him off his balance. He is centred in his own Atman or Absolute Consciousness.

A sage is desireless and so he is ever happy. A king possesses everything and so he is happy. But, the happiness of a sage is infinite, because he lives in his own Atman, the ocean of Brahmic Bliss. A king is full of fears and worries. He is afraid that his enemies will conquer him one day and so he is restless and miserable.

The happiness of a liberated sage is not sensual pleasure. It is Atmic Self-bliss. He enjoys the whole world simultaneously as the Self of all objects. His happiness is not in time. It is transcendental bliss.

A sage alone is really wealthy. Multi-millionaires with cravings and desires are beggars. A saint is superior to an emperor, to Indra, the Lord of heaven.

A sage has awakened from the dream of life. He enjoys eternal bliss. To a sage of illumination, the entire world surrenders.

A Sage Need Not be a Genius

The sage moves among men, but he is unseen by all men; he is taken by them as an ordinary man.

Only a sage can know a sage. He will sometimes appear like a Sarvajna, an all knower. He will sometimes appear like an Ajnani, an ignorant man. He knows when to act like a Brahma-nishtha and when to behave like a fool. Do not judge him. If you approach him with the proper Bhava, with faith, devotion and spiritual thirst, he will impart the highest knowledge to you. If you approach him with a bad motive, he will behave like a madman and you will be deceived. Great will be your loss then.

A Brahma-jnani or liberated sage need not be a genius. He need not be an eloquent speaker, orator, lecturer or professor. But, he is calm, serene, and tranquil. He is taciturn and silent. His silence is superior eloquence. He has equanimity and balanced mind. He has equal vision. He has Samata and Sama-drishti. He is a Mouni, Maha Mouni, and Muni. He has divine wisdom and intuitive knowledge. In his presence, all doubts are cleared.

Saints Have No Caste

There is no caste among saints and sages. A sage is like a lion out of the cage, free from shackles of caste, creed, profession, tradition and scripture. Do not look to the caste of saints and sages. You will not be benefited. You cannot imbibe their virtues. In higher religion, there is neither caste nor creed. Cobblers, weavers, and untouchables had become the best saints.

There is no real difference between a Christian mystic and a Hindu saint. Their sayings never clash. The messages of the saints are essentially the same. They have always been a call to men to discover the Wisdom of the Self or Atman.

Sages Differ in their Conduct

Knowledge is the same in all sages, but their conduct is different. Sri Vasishtha was a Karma-kandi; he did Havans and sacrifices. Raja Janaka was a Bhogi; he ruled his dominion; he enjoyed regal pleasures. Sri Dattatreya was a wanderer; he was an Avadhuta, a naked Fakir. Kakabhusundhi was a Yogi. Some even marry.

Sages like Dattatreya and Jadabharata roam about happily. They have neither rooms nor clothing. All dualities have become extinct. They cannot work for the well-being of the world like Raja Janaka and Sri Sankara. But, their mere presence elevates people.

The other type of sage is the benevolent sage - like Raja Janaka and Sri Sankara - who works for the solidarity of the world. He has compassion for all. He writes books, conducts classes, establishes Mutts or Ashrams. You may ask: "Which of the two kinds is superior ?". The answer is: "Both are on the same level".

A Sage is not Selfish

Ignorant people say, "A sage is attempting for his own Self-realization. He is extremely selfish. He is of no use to society". This is a serious mistake. A sage is the most benevolent superman. He is extremely kind and compassionate. He elevates at once all persons who come in contact with him. Further, he does Sakti-sanchar through his Divya-Drishti. He finds out the deserving aspirants and raises them up through Sankalpa Sakti, even while remaining in a cave or Kutir in the distant Himalayas.

A Jnani is not a selfish man as worldly men think. His spiritual vibrations purify the world. His very life is exemplary and elevating. He gives hope and encouragement to others to tread the spiritual path. He is the only real lover of mankind. He feels the presence of God in everyone. He loves his neighbour as himself. A Jnani only does real selfless service as he feels the presence of God in all beings. He is the real altruist and humanitarian.

Do not Judge a Saint

You cannot apply the worldly yardstick to measure the greatness of the saints. Do not superimpose defects on them on account of your evil eye. You cannot judge their merits.

Brahma-nishtha are like fire. They can consume anything. Their very touch purifies everything. They are beyond good and bad; they are themselves the supreme good. Do not imitate their actions. Their actions are strange and mysterious. They are beyond your intellect. If you commit theft and say, "Did not Krishna steal butter ?", you will be hopelessly ruined. Krishna lifted up the Govardhana Hill with His little finger. Can you lift even a big stone with all your strength ? Follow the Upadesa of saints and Mahapurushas; you will attain Brahma-Jnana here and now.

How to Benefit by the Company of Saints

To benefit from the company of saints, you have to prepare yourself first. Do not go with any preconceived notion or prejudice. Go with an open, receptive mind. Go without expectations. Approach them humbly and respectfully. Assimilate what appeals to you. If some of their teachings do not appeal to you, do not form a hasty opinion. If you do not like them, you need not take them to heart. What may be suitable to another may not be suitable to you. Yet, with regard to broad fundamentals, there can be no difference of opinion.

When you go before a sage, do not ask him questions out of mere inquisitiveness. Sit in his presence humbly. Observe him. Listen to him without prejudice. Ask him only such questions about which you really need clarifications. Ask him only pertinent questions. Do not draw him into politics or public bickering.

Meditate in the presence of a sage. You will get inner light which will clear your doubts.

Saints as Advisers

The very company of sages and saints has a tremendous transforming effect on the lives of true seekers. It lifts them up to heights of sublimity, purity and spirituality. It does not fail to affect even the rank materialists.

Every school, every college, every boarding house, every jail, every institution, every house should have a saint for the guidance of its members.

Saints and sages only can become real advisers to the kings, because they are selfless and possess the highest wisdom. They only can improve the morality of the masses. They only can show the way to attain eternal bliss and immortality. Shivaji had Swami Ramdas as his adviser. King Dasaratha had Maharishi Vasishtha as his adviser.

Saints are in abundance. You do not want them. You do not wish to approach them. You do not wish to serve them. You do not aspire for higher things. You are perfectly satisfied with some broken shells and glass-pieces. There is no thirst or spiritual hunger in you for achieving higher divine knowledge and inner peace.

Spiritual opportunity is a rare privilege. Do not lose such opportunities. Take recourse to the company of sages and saints. One moment of company with the Holy builds a ship to cross this ocean of life.

God is the great purifier. A saint also is a great purifier. God incarnates as saints and sages when their need is felt most.

Study the lives of saints. You are inspired at once. Remember their sayings. You are elevated immediately. Walk in their footsteps. You are freed from pain and sorrow.

Seek the company of sages and evolve. Satsang with sages is unfailing in its results.