Books of Daily Thoughts and Prayers by Swami Paramanda. Swami Paramananda
divine beauty hath tamed my restless mind.
Lesson.
Everyone wants to be free from unhappiness, weakness and fear. But how can we, when we cling so tenaciously to the ephemeral? So long as we hold to changing things and go up and down with them, we can never find what we are seeking. Although we may have tremendous zeal for happiness and higher ideals, we miss our end.
Prayer.
All-loving Spirit draw my heart away from the fleeting objects of sense,
And fasten it to Thy abiding Reality.
Awaken in me spiritual yearning,
That through it I may perceive Thee in all things.
May I never yield to weakness
Or fail in my loyalty to Thee, who art the Source of my life and my strength.
FEBRUARY FOURTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
We must be patient, we must be persevering, we must be steadfast, if we would develop our higher qualities.
Lines to Memorize.
Soul of the sanctified mystic is nurtured in the bosom of Divinity;
His rhythmic heart beats in unison with the unbroken harmony of life.
Blessed art thou who doth shed upon this discordant world
Thy sweet beneficence of love and peace.
Lesson.
When someone strikes you, glorify the pain; be grateful that you have a chance to prove your steadfastness and loyalty. A person’s test of strength and wisdom rests on this,—how great is his sense of equilibrium under stress. A man must have so much balance, so much wisdom that he can withstand the onslaughts of life.
Prayer.
May I follow Thy path, O Lord, with unwavering faith and one-pointed devotion
Give me such spiritual insight that I may know my union with Thy Divine Being;
And may this so strengthen me
That I shall be unmoved by the hard experiences of life.
FEBRUARY FIFTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
Our trials are a great blessing than the pleasant things which happen to us.
Lines to Memorize.
Brother, thy load is heavy and thou art weary;
But One who has placed the load upon thy head will also give thee strength to carry it . . .
He knows both thy strength and failing;
His gift is just and right-proportioned.
Bear thou then, with unruffled mind, joy and sorrow, loss and gain.
Lesson.
O blessed sorrow! you rend our heart with your sharp thrust, that we may be purged of self and delusion. You are truly our beneficent friend, but you come with fierce scorn of a foe. You are the awakener of our spoiled lethargic hearts. Come as oft as you think best.
Prayer.
Sweet Comforter, my soul’s unfailing Refuge,
Thou art the embodiment of all that is blessed;
Bless me that I may find my sole comfort and joy in Thee.
Taking whatever Thou givest with trusting heart.
Make me a worthy channel to express Thy power and do Thy Will.
FEBRUARY SIXTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
We eliminate weakness through our life. We can make ourselves like a fortress—invulnerable.
Lines to Memorize.
The ramparts of this dwelling where I live
Are built with faith, hope, courage and love.
These four walls stand all weather and storm.
Lesson.
If we can carry holy thoughts and hold a right sense of values, we can live our life without breaking under it, no matter how difficult it may be. We are hurting ourselves fundamentally when we lower our standard. If we hold to a fixed level of conduct, whatever the world does, we still maintain our standard. When we walk in the light of God, there is no darkness. The light of Truth always shines through our life when we have love in our heart.
Prayer.
Thou, O Lord, art the Source of my strength and sustenance.
Fill me with spiritual strength.
Make me steadfast and selfless and strong to endure.
May I rest in Thy Holy Presence
And feel secure in the consciousness of Thy protecting love.
FEBRUARY SEVENTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
We must keep our inner life orderly. We must keep it up. This cannot be done by someone else.
Lines to Memorize.
I sit in this garden of mine
Speechless and wonder-struck;
I walk in it gently with bare feet,
For it is now holy land.
Lesson.
A person neglecting his thoughts and feelings cannot suddenly get the blessing of the spiritual life. There are times when spiritual lethargy overpowers everyone, but the brave heart rises above it and overcomes it. If there is lack of fervor, increase it, double it, treble it, and the lack will be crowded out. The Supreme Being is never far away from us. It is because of our conception of Him that He seems far away. We hold Him aloof by our attitude of mind. We draw Him close through simple faith and purity of heart.
Prayer.
O Thou All-compassionate Being,
Free my thoughts and actions from all blemish
That they may manifest Thy Truth at every step.
May my life move in perfect rhythm with Thy Life.
May I never grow weary in Thy service
Or lack in ardor and devotion to Thee.
FEBRUARY EIGHTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
It makes us stronger, to endure.
Lines to Memorize.
Brave heart, tired soul, remain awake awhile longer, awhile longer.
The hour of watching is almost over.
It will end,
And its end will bring thee gladness and rest.
Lesson.
We need to pass through times of darkness in order to learn the value of spiritual consciousness. When our life becomes blinded by despair, all our efforts seem unsuccessful; those are the moments when we need to hold fast. When we have a thing, we do not realize the lack of it. For instance when a person rolls in luxury, it is very difficult for him to imagine the misery