Books of Daily Thoughts and Prayers by Swami Paramanda. Swami Paramananda
Ideal.
Lines to Memorize.
My heart is Thy throne,
Yea, it is for Thee alone . . . .
It is love’s own design
And built by life’s unmixed devotion . . .
It is designed by love,
Encircled by love,
It is love’s own creation.
Lesson.
The beginning of our regeneration takes place when we know our true nature through our connection with the Godhead. Real good comes to us when we find that we have the Divine spark within us. If we learn to unfold that, all we have to do is to remove the obstacles from its way, then it shines in its own glory. We must have a basis for our life which is dependable. Wise men make it their first duty to find their home in Truth.
Prayer.
O Thou Divine Essence!
Thou art one Absolute Being without a second.
Make me realize Thy Allness.
Enlighten my heart that I may always feel Thy Holy Presence.
Teach me ever to draw my strength through contact with Thee,
And surround me at all times with Thy blessing and peace.
JANUARY SIXTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
Pray that you may learn to fill your heart with selfless love, humility and gentleness.
Lines to Memorize.
I give my peace unto thee, but thou must give up self.
Be not affrighted, my child,
There is no loss in giving up self.
Fear brings thee anguish and it brings thee doubt;
But doubt, anguish and fear will all leave thee.
When thou hast given up self.
Lesson.
Love, humility and gentleness—these are the things which make us happy, these are the things we should crave for. Souls that are full of self and full of fear are always troubled. God will always make us happy and bless us when our heart is free from doubt, despair and harshness. Direct all your thoughts and prayers to Him, then you will be safe from pride and egotism.
Prayer.
O Thou All-abiding, All-loving One!
Manifest Thyself in all my thoughts, words and actions,
That I may transcend the limitation of the little self;
And draw nearer to Thee through selfless devotion.
Make my heart glad and peaceful and fearless.
May I always feel Thy Presence within my soul.
JANUARY SEVENTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
God pleads tenderly with us, like a mother, to give up self.
Lines to Memorize.
I shall dwell in thee when thou hast given up self;
Nay, I shall possess thee, fill thee and own thee
When thou hast given up self.
Lesson.
Direct, simple, child-like method is the best. All great characters have exhibited simplicity and directness. This is a Divine gift. It is much easier to go by the direct path. Calculation, mental analysis and all such things entangle us and our mind becomes confused. When we have a true sense of consecration we are always simple, child-like and full of selfless devotion.
Prayer.
O Thou All compassionate Spirit
Reveal unto us Thy abiding love.
Destroy all selfishness in our hearts,
Fill us with strength and wisdom.
Make us worthy channels to express Thy power and do Thy Will,
And surround us ever with Thy protecting peace.
JANUARY EIGHTEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
A common man always asserts his ego; a superior man is only conscious that God is manifesting through him.
Lines to Memorize.
Come thou [ ego ] no more into this house of mine, nor do thou bring thy companions;
This is now my King’s dwelling . . .
Thou art no friend of mine.
Thou hast wrought me pain by thy harsh dissonant tone;
Henceforth enter thou no more this house of mine;
This is His dwelling;
This is a sacred shrine.
Lesson.
We must form the habit of spiritual consciousness. We must learn to look up to something higher. If we do this we minimize our sadness, our miseries and fears. In an ordinary person the opposite forces, good, evil, pleasure and pain, are constantly preying on his mind; but this need not be. When we establish rhythm, we have our fixed level and we are not preyed upon by the ego. We maintain our balance.
Prayer.
May the Supreme Spirit of the Universe protect me.
May His blessing abide with me.
May I always act in harmony with His Will
And give myself more wholly to Him.
May His peace fill my heart and life.
JANUARY NINETEENTH
Salient Thought for the Day.
He who has touched something higher, his sense of proportion is true.
Lines to Memorize.
Verily Thou art a transformer!
Thine unseen touch changes our blemish into beauty,
Our emptiness into fullness,
Our life’s harshness into sweet tenderness.
The marvel of Thine infinite majesty
Fill my heart with wordless ecstasy.
Lesson.
We fight and we struggle to find a little peace of happiness, but we never find anything that is abiding on the outside. When we have joined our forces with our Maker, then only does there come upon us a sense of peace, a sense of security that none can shake. If we keep a light burning in our room, there is no access for darkness; so if we keep our mind filled with God, there can be no entry for evil or error.
Prayer.
O Thou All-seeing One, Thou knowest my inmost needs;
Do Thou manifest Thy loving Presence in my heart;
Teach me how I may place myself wholly in Thy keeping,
And trust with guileless faith in Thy Guidance.
JANUARY TWENTIETH
Salient