Bringing Sanatana Dharma Into Life

It is very simple and easy to live a rewarding spiritual life in Sanatana Dharma.
You can incorporate the lofty principles into your day-to-day life.
They are not disruptive.
They are very easy to practise.

Remember your favourite God or Goddess before you do anything, throughout the day —
even small silly things.
It is even better if you say a divine name mentally.
Others need not hear.
Narayanaa, Jai Ganesh, Jai Mata Di, Jai Shri Ram, Shivaya Namaha, Shambho Mahadeva —
whichever is your favourite.
This itself will fill whatever you do with divine energy and make it successful.

As you keep on doing this, after some time, whenever you see a photo, an idol, a temple —
you will naturally start feeling an affinity towards the same.
It is the same way an actor becomes your favourite.
Before you see the first movie, you don't know what he or she looks like.
But after a few movies and songs and videos, he or she will become part of you.
You will be ready to even argue and fight for that actor.
So, keep on remembering, keep on taking the divine name. That is the technique.

Don’t feel proud about your capabilities and talent.
The society gave them to you.
The Supreme Almighty gave them to you through the society.
If you are a good doctor, it is because someone wrote books, someone taught you,
someone built medical colleges, someone developed medicines.
Single-handedly you cannot do anything.
This thought should always be there in your mind.
Your talents, your capabilities are resources given to you by the society.
They are not yours.
Be humble. Be thankful for your talents, qualities, capabilities.

You can be a shield, but don’t be a sword — in challenging times.
Never create issues between people.
Don’t divide brothers, sisters, parents and children, families, groups.
You may do this unknowingly — be careful about what you are doing.
Be bold, but don’t be cruel.
Be ready to forgive, don’t be obstinate.
Be truthful, don’t go back on your words.
Before making a resolve, taking a vow, think ten times:
Is it the right thing to do?
Am I going to hurt or harm someone by doing so?
Will I be able to stick to this?
Convince yourself first, then only take resolves — even New Year resolves.
If you realize that you have been wrong, then you can correct yourself.
Always be ready to help — without looking at what you will get out of it.

Use your tongue judiciously.
Tongue has two functions — to speak and to taste.
Whatever you speak, be watchful.
Whatever you taste, it should not harm your body.
It should not make you addicted.
Eat to live. Don’t live to eat.

There are two things — mind and intelligence.
Mind is what goes after pleasures, enjoyments.
Mind is what gets affected by grief and sorrow.
Don’t allow the mind to wander free as it wants.
Keep the mind under the control of your intelligence.
If the horses of a chariot are not controlled by the charioteer,
then they will run here and there.
That’s how horses naturally are.
Horses are trained to behave, and also they are controlled throughout by the charioteer.
So whatever your senses do — eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin —
and whatever the mind does through them,
keep them under control using your intelligence and discretion.

Matayo — it is monkeys who go wherever the mind takes them.
Men go to places wherever good advice, knowledge takes them.
Enjoy the pleasure that a peaceful, inactive mind can give you —
when there are no thoughts in the mind.
Don’t keep on doing stuff whenever you are awake.
Try to keep the mind still, at least for a few seconds.
You will start enjoying a pleasure from that.

Habits are very powerful.
Develop good habits, healthy habits.
Learn to love — love people, places, plants, animals, birds, insects.
Love is a big power.

You can help others, you should help others —
but don’t also spoil them by giving too much help.
If someone sympathises with you for working hard, stay away from such people.
Eventually, they will make you lazy.
All the organs of the body have been given to you to work using them.
Otherwise, God would have made you like a football.

Don’t go around boasting that you work hard.
If you are born as a human, it is implied that you have to work.
There is nothing great about working hard.
It is everyone’s duty.

Don’t postpone tasks.
What can be done tomorrow, do it today.
What can be done today, do it now.

Pray before you go to sleep.
Pray as soon as you wake up.

If you dedicate too much of your time to movies, songs, serials, entertainment —
anything that pampers your senses —
then you will end up being an atheist some day.
Your priorities change.

Whenever you are in doubt — 'Can I do this to him or her?'
Ask this simple question:
Will I like it if it is being done to me?
That will give you the decision.
Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want to be done to yourself.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi