Touch of Divine Wisdom

Nayaswami Devi, Nayaswami Jyotish

Description

In Divine Wisdom There Is Bliss Absolute, Bliss Infinite, Bliss Eternal!

This fifth installment in the Touch of Light series follows the authors as they share the wisdom they have gained through over fifty years on the spiritual path. They offerthe keys for how to live a happy, fulfilledlife—no matter the challenges swirling around us—through the ancient yogic teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi share engaging insights on topics such as:

• Dealing with Change and Loss


• Hope for a Better World


• Keeping Your Balance


• Faith, Attunement, and Courage

The authors keep the spiritual journey lightheart-ed, simple, and down-to-earth. With fifty-two en-tries, this book will guide you on your search for truth for an entire year.

Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi are recipients ofthe Global Ambassador Peace Award, conferred at theUnited Nations, for their contributions to world peace. They are lifelong disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the best-selling spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi), and studentsof Swami Kriyananda, Ananda’s founder. As Spiritual Directors of Ananda Worldwide, they share the life-changing wisdom of thosetwo great teachers through their blogs, books, and lectures.

Excerpt from Touch of Divine Wisdom

Preface

Touch of Divine Wisdom is a compilation of our weekly blogs written during the year 2021. It’s amazing to us that we’re already up to the fifth book in this series, preceded by Touch of Light, Touch of Joy, Touch of Love, and Touch of Peace. We’ve been sharing weekly for almost ten years now, with a total of nearly five hundred blogs. When we began writing rather lightheartedly in 2013, we had no idea that such a large, appreciative, and worldwide group of readers would be enjoying them.

In Touch of Divine Wisdom, we focused on themes we hoped would offer our readers understanding, inspiration, strength, and hope to deal with the challenges they might be facing. Wisdom is different from mere knowledge, for it penetrates beneath the surface of things to perceive their underlying reality. Wisdom offers practical solutions, where the rational mind may see nothing but problems. It declares: “There are no such things as obstacles: There are only opportunities!”

Swami Kriyananda, our lifelong teacher, occasionally had us present in the room when he counseled people. He often told us, “Listen to what they are asking behind the words they use. Once you understand what they are really asking, then feel intuitively what to say to them.” He defined wisdom as a combination of mind and heart, of discrimination and love.

As we travel around the world, we see that there are common questions for which many people are seeking answers. We respond to them in our blogs using the vast store of spiritual and practical teachings of our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. We draw also from our personal experiences of more than forty years with Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda, and as leaders and teachers for Ananda, the worldwide organization that he founded. Ananda has now spread around the world to many cultures in dozens of countries. It is a living laboratory demonstrating, as Yogananda once forcefully declared, that “Simple living plus high thinking lead to the greatest happiness.”

In closing, we want to thank our copy editor, Nayaswami Lakshman, and our layout artists, Kalamali and Nara Bedwell, for their invaluable help. The “Touch” series would not be possible without them.

Each blog is a blend of deep philosophy, practical tips, and humor: a combination, in fact, of our hearts, minds, and souls. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the “Touches” of Divine Wisdom you will find in these pages.

Nayaswami Jyotish

Nayaswami Devi

Ananda World Brotherhood Village

February 11, 2023

First Entry: January 8, 2021

In Love and Appreciation

Paramhansa Yogananda’s birthday is January 5. Usually we give people presents on their birthday, but what do you give to someone who has everything? who is everything? No choice is left us but to offer our love and appreciation. This is all we can truly give, and the hidden gift behind all outward symbols.

In a spirit of appreciation, then, I’d like to share how Yogananda’s qualities have helped shape my life. Master said that he particularly manifested three of the eight aspects of God: wisdom, love, and joy. As I try to attune my will with his, I let these three qualities be my primary guides. Here are some ways that I do this.

First, let’s consider wisdom: Swami Kriyananda said that wisdom is different from intellect or discrimination. Wisdom springs from a combination of heart and mind. You need both qualities truly to understand anything or anyone. As the great botanist George Washington Carver once said, “Anything in nature will speak to you if you love it enough.”

There are many ways to tune in to Yogananda’s wisdom, especially through reading his numerous books, lessons, and talks, but lately I’ve hit upon a new one. I’ve read that he considered three books to be scripture: the Christian Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and his own book of prayer demands, Whispers from Eternity. Whispers is a treasure chest of wisdom. It combines deep devotion—the highest form of love—with sensitive guidance showing the appropriate attitudes to hold in most any circumstance. I have started reading and meditating on a different one of these prayers toward the end of each meditation. It is proving to be an absolutely marvelous practice.

Next, there is love: This is one of the most powerful forces in creation. It is the vibration that brings about union, and it expresses itself in various forms in all human relationships. But it is a much more universal force than just this. It is the power that holds atoms together and keeps planets in their orbits.

I’ve found that one of the best ways to feel and express love is through kindness expressed as friendship. Swami Kriyananda was a model in this. I’ve seen instances where virtual strangers immediately felt his love and friendship and wept when he was about to leave. Why? Because he was constantly radiating love and friendship like a surrounding aura as he went about his daily business. People felt it and it changed their lives.

Finally, let’s talk about joy: Joy is constantly flowing within us as part of our very being. We don’t have to try to feel joy, we just need to become aware of its constant presence. It is like feeling your heartbeat: You can sense it as soon as you become calm and pay attention. Feel joy toward the end of each meditation and try to expand it. Then keep an awareness of that feeling throughout the day.

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The best way to imitate Yogananda is to feel ourselves swimming in a sea of wisdom, love, and joy. Do this and don’t worry about anything else. The mere act of attunement will take care of all the details.

In love and appreciation,

Nayaswami Jyotish

Contents

• Art and Photo Credits |  vii


• Preface |  ix




• In Love and Appreciation |  3


• Dealing with Change and Loss |  6


• Hope for a Better World |  9


• Keeping Your Balance |  12


• Peace |  15


• The Light Shining in Darkness |  18


• Catching God |  21


• Exit Strategies |  24


• Celebrations |  27


• More Than a Mother |  30


• How to Live Autobiography of a Yogi |  33


• An Evening in the Eternal City |  36


• Thy Will Be Done |  39


• Without a Doubt |  42


• Relax and Feel |  45


• A Letter to Swami Kriyananda |  48


• Young Bodies, Old Souls |  51


• Facing Grief and Loss |  54


• Thank You, Swamiji |  58


• What God Gives . . . |  61


• Energy Flow Is the Key |  64


• Watch for the “Aha” Moments |  67


• When Time Is Short |  70


• Attitudes for a Better World |  73


• God’s Hidden Language |  77


• Planning for Your Next Incarnation |  80


• Faith, Attunement, and Courage |  83


• Is Freedom from Karma Possible? |  86


• I Can Choose |  89


• Our Own Possibilities |  92


• Three Questions |  95


• You Can Get There from Here |  98


• The Parable of the Frightened Boy |  101


• Three Unexpected Gifts |  104


• Have a Little Faith |  107


• Relax Upward |  110


• Give God the Responsibility |  113


• What Am I Supposed to Learn? |  116


• Identity Theft |  120


• Collaboration |  124


• Start with the Heart |  127


• Hiding in Plain Sight |  130


• Sharing Shiva |  133


• The Principle of T.W.O. |  135


• Karmic Seeds |  138


• The Nightingale |  141


• Diversity and Unity |  144


• A World Without Autobiography of a Yogi |  147


• Unconditional Love |  150


• Where Two or More Are Gathered Together |  153


• Three Visitors |  156


• My Soul Is Marching On |  159




• About the Authors |  163


• Further Resources |  165

 

 

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Bien-être émotionnel
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Paramahansa Yogananda
• Happiness
• Eastern
• Mind
• Self-help
• Spiritual
• Body (disambiguation)
• Espiritual
• Personal Growth

Informations

• Publié par: Crystal Clarity Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781565895911
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Paramhansa Yogananda
T UCH OF DIVINE WISDOM
LIVING THE TEACHINGS OF Paramhansa Yogananda
NAYASWAMI JYOTISH AND NAYASWAMI DEVI
CRYSTAL CLARITY PUBLISHERS Commerce, California
2023 by Hansa Trust
All rights reserved. Published 2023
Printed in United States of America

CRYSTAL CLARITY PUBLISHERS
1123 Goodrich Blvd. Commerce, California
crystalclarity.com 800.424.1055
[e-mail]
ISBN 978-1-56589-099-2 (print)| CIP available
ISBN 978-1-56589-591-1 (e-book)| CIP available
Cover layout design and interior design by Tejindra Scott Tully
Interior layout by Michele Madhavi Molloy
Cover image by lifeforstock on Freepik

The Joy Symbol is registered by
Ananda Church of Self-Realization
of Nevada County, California.
CONTENTS
Art and Photo Credits
Preface
1. In Love and Appreciation
2. Dealing with Change and Loss
3. Hope for a Better World
4. Keeping Your Balance
5. Peace
6. The Light Shining in Darkness
7. Catching God
8. Exit Strategies
9. Celebrations
10. More Than a Mother
11. How to Live Autobiography of a Yogi
12. An Evening in the Eternal City
13. Thy Will Be Done
14. Without a Doubt
15. Relax and Feel
16. A Letter to Swami Kriyananda
17. Young Bodies, Old Souls
18. Facing Grief and Loss
19. Thank You, Swamiji
20. What God Gives
21. Energy Flow Is the Key
22. Watch for the Aha Moments
23. When Time Is Short
24. Attitudes for a Better World
25. God s Hidden Language
26. Planning for Your Next Incarnation
27. Faith, Attunement, and Courage
28. Is Freedom from Karma Possible?
29. I Can Choose
30. Our Own Possibilities
31. Three Questions
32. You Can Get There from Here
33. The Parable of the Frightened Boy
34. Three Unexpected Gifts
35. Have a Little Faith
36. Relax Upward
37. Give God the Responsibility
38. What Am I Supposed to Learn?
39. Identity Theft
40. Collaboration
41. Start with the Heart
42. Hiding in Plain Sight
43. Sharing Shiva
44. The Principle of T.W.O.
45. Karmic Seeds
46. The Nightingale
47. Diversity and Unity
48. A World Without Autobiography of a Yogi
49. Unconditional Love
50. Where Two or More Are Gathered Together
51. Three Visitors
52. My Soul Is Marching On
About the Authors
Further Resources
ART AND PHOTO CREDITS
The paintings you re about to enjoy in a number of these blogs were all done by Nayaswami Jyotish. We list each of them here along with its page number and a link you can use to view it as a larger image and, if you d like, to purchase it as a print. These are just a few of Jyotish s many paintings; you can see them all at crystalclarity.com/111 .
3 Grand Canyon crystalclarity.com/135
10 Spring Comes crystalclarity.com/136
27 The Next Wave crystalclarity.com/137
62 Twenty-Nine Palms crystalclarity.com/138
86 Shores of Cosmic Peace crystalclarity.com/139
92 Babaji Christ crystalclarity.com/140
98 I Am Always with You crystalclarity.com/112
106 Mountain Glen crystalclarity.com/141
122 King of the Infinite crystalclarity.com/142
139 Master in the Springtime crystalclarity.com/143
PHOTO CREDITS
We offer grateful appreciation to the many Ananda residents who over the years have contributed photographs to the Ananda Image Library. Almost all the photos in the book that aren t listed below were taken from that library. A handful of others are in the public domain.
16 Ruby Stoppe
19 Pixabay
24 Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha
36 Canva
43 Marion Wellman
48 Lisa and Tim Clark
51 Ananda Next Wave devotee
53 Ananda Next Wave devotee
65 Pixabay
68 David LaBriere
71 Rambhakta
77 Pixabay
90 Dua Chuot (Pexels)
102 Bhikku Amitha (Pixabay)
108 Public Co (Pixabay)
111 Rambhakta
113 PIRO4D (Pixabay)
125 Lisa and Tim Clark
128 NEOSiAM 2021 (Pexels)
133 Nayaswami Jyotish
136 Barbara Bingham
141 Barbara Bingham
150 NASA
PREFACE
T ouch of Divine Wisdom is a compilation of our weekly blogs written during the year 2021. It s amazing to us that we re already up to the fifth book in this series, preceded by Touch of Light, Touch of Joy, Touch of Love , and Touch of Peace . We ve been sharing weekly for almost ten years now, with a total of nearly five hundred blogs. When we began writing rather lightheartedly in 2013, we had no idea that such a large, appreciative, and worldwide group of readers would be enjoying them.
In Touch of Divine Wisdom , we focused on themes we hoped would offer our readers understanding, inspiration, strength, and hope to deal with the challenges they might be facing. Wisdom is different from mere knowledge, for it penetrates beneath the surface of things to perceive their underlying reality. Wisdom offers practical solutions, where the rational mind may see nothing but problems. It declares: There are no such things as obstacles: There are only opportunities!
Swami Kriyananda, our lifelong teacher, occasionally had us present in the room when he counseled people. He often told us, Listen to what they are asking behind the words they use. Once you understand what they are really asking, then feel intuitively what to say to them. He defined wisdom as a combination of mind and heart, of discrimination and love.
As we travel around the world, we see that there are common questions for which many people are seeking answers. We respond to them in our blogs using the vast store of spiritual and practical teachings of our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. We draw also from our personal experiences of more than forty years with Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda, and as leaders and teachers for Ananda, the worldwide organization that he founded. Ananda has now spread around the world to many cultures in dozens of countries. It is a living laboratory demonstrating, as Yogananda once forcefully declared, that Simple living plus high thinking lead to the greatest happiness.
In closing, we want to thank our copy editor, Nayaswami Lakshman, and our layout artists, Kalamali and Nara Bedwell, for their invaluable help. The Touch series would not be possible without them.
Each blog is a blend of deep philosophy, practical tips, and humor: a combination, in fact, of our hearts, minds, and souls. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the Touches of Divine Wisdom you will find in these pages.
NAYASWAMI JYOTISH
NAYASWAMI DEVI
Ananda World Brotherhood Village
February 11, 2023
TOUCH of DIVINE WISDOM
1 January 8, 2021
IN LOVE AND APPRECIATION
P aramhansa Yogananda s birthday is January 5. Usually we give people presents on their birthday, but what do you give to someone who has everything? who is everything? No choice is left us but to offer our love and appreciation. This is all we can truly give, and the hidden gift behind all outward symbols.
In a spirit of appreciation, then, I d like to share how Yogananda s qualities have helped shape my life. Master said that he particularly manifested three of the eight aspects of God: wisdom, love, and joy. As I try to attune my will with his, I let these three qualities be my primary guides. Here are some ways that I do this.
Grand Canyon, by Nayaswami Jyotish.
First, let s consider wisdom: Swami Kriyananda said that wisdom is different from intellect or discrimination. Wisdom springs from a combination of heart and mind. You need both qualities truly to understand anything or anyone. As the great botanist George Washington Carver once said, Anything in nature will speak to you if you love it enough.
There are many ways to tune in to Yogananda s wisdom, especially through reading his numerous books, lessons, and talks, but lately I ve hit upon a new one. I ve read that he considered three books to be scripture: the Christian Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and his own book of prayer demands, Whispers from Eternity. Whispers is a treasure chest of wisdom. It combines deep devotion - the highest form of love - with sensitive guidance showing the appropriate attitudes to hold in most any circumstance. I have started reading and meditating on a different one of these prayers toward the end of each meditation. It is proving to be an absolutely marvelous practice.
Next, there is love: This is one of the most powerful forces in creation. It is the vibration that brings about union, and it expresses itself in various forms in all human relationships. But it is a much more universal force than just this. It is the power that holds atoms together and keeps planets in their orbits.
I ve found that one of the best ways to feel and express love is through kindness expressed as friendship. Swami Kriyananda was a model in this. I ve seen instances where virtual strangers immediately felt his love and friendship and wept when he was about to leave. Why? Because he was constantly radiating love and friendship like a surrounding aura as he went about his daily business. People felt it and it changed their lives.
Finally, let s talk about joy: Joy is constantly flowing within us as part of our very being. We don t have to try to feel joy, we just need to become aware of its constant presence. It is like feeling your heartbeat: You can sense it as soon as you become calm and pay attention. Feel joy toward the end of each meditation and try to expand it. Then keep an awareness of that feeling throughout the day.
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The best way to imitate Yogananda is to feel ourselves swimming in a sea of wisdom, love, and joy. Do this and don t worry about anything else. The mere act of attunement will take care of all the details.
In love and appreciation,
NAYASWAMI JYOTISH
2 January 15, 2021
DEALING WITH CHANGE AND LOSS
T here s a joke about a man who woke up one morning to discover that he had only three, long hairs left on his head. As he looked into the mirror, he said, Today I think I ll wear my hair in a braid. The next morning he found that he had only two hairs left and thought, Hmm t