Swami Rama > Quotes

“Actually it is not necessary to renounce the objects of the world, because a human being does not actually own or possess anything. Therefore it is not necessary to renounce anything—but the sense of possessiveness should be renounced.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Decide that no matter what happens, you will do what you set out to do. If you are determined, possible distractions will still be there—but you will continue on your path and remain undisturbed. Sankalpa (determination) is very important. You cannot change your circumstances, the world, or your society to suit you. But if you have strength and determination you can go through this procession of life very successfully.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Every human being has potentials for healing. The healing energy is flowing without any interruption in every human heart. By the right use of the dynamic will, these channels of healing energy can be directed to the suffering part of the body and mind. The healing energy can nourish and strengthen the sufferer. The key to healing is selflessness, love, dynamic will, and undivided devotion to the Lord within.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“that those who have nothing are taken care of by the Divine.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“The poverty in India is not because of spirituality, but because of not practicing spirituality and not knowing the technique of integrating spirituality with external life. Those leading the country now should become aware of this fact. India suffers because the leaders and people of the country today still do not have a unified vision for uplifting the country as a whole. They do not have an answer to the population problem, nor does there seem to be any immediate solution. I think India is surviving”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Jealousy is an evil which grows in the womb of ego and is nourished by selfishness and attachment.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“The sense of self-preservation leads one to many hallucinations. A human being is constantly haunted by fears. He loses his balance and starts imagining and projecting his ideas the way he wishes. He deepens this process in repeating it again and again. Fear is the greatest enemy of man.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Resulta imposible comprender lo que existe mediante razonamientos o debates intelectuales. La verdad absoluta no puede ser probada científicamente porque no puede ser observada, verificada ni demostrada a través de percepciones sensoriales. (...) Ésa es la razón por la que los científicos no pueden llegar a ninguna conclusión objetiva sobre la inmortalidad del alma y la vida del más allá, y en cualquier caso nada podría convencerlos. (...) El mundo objetivo es solo la mitad del universo. Lo que percibimos mediante nuestros sentidos no es el mundo en su totalidad. La otra mitad, que abarca la mente, los pensamientos y las emociones, no puede ser explicada por las percepciones sensoriales de objetos externos. (...) El alma no ha sido creada. Es esencialmente conciencia y es perfecta. Tras la disolución del burdo cuerpo, todo permanece latente. El alma pervive.”
― Swami Rama

“the simple way of speaking the truth is by not lying. If you do not lie, you are speaking the truth. But if you are trying to speak the truth and you do not know what truth is, then you are making your own truth. You say my truth is my truth and I am speaking the truth and you should listen to me. That is confusion. Do not lie. By not lying, you practice
speaking the truth.”
― Swami Rama, Conscious Living: A Guidebook for Spiritual Transformation

“Swami Vivekananda says: “Fortune is like a flirt—she will run away from you when you want her, but if you are not interested in her, she will come chasing you.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“A thought is like an unripened fruit that is not yet eaten by anyone. Ripening the fruit means bringing a positive thought into action. Many good thoughts die because they are not brought into action, so your good thoughts should definitely be brought into action.”
― Swami Rama, The Art of Joyful Living

“Those who are religiously sick believe in the existence of the devil by forgetting the existence of God. A negative mind is the greatest devil that resides within the human being. Transformation of the negativity leads toward positive or angelic visions. It is the mind which creates hell and heaven. Fear of the devil is a phobia which needs to be eradicated from the human mind.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“The mother of all problems and conflicts lies within you, and that is expecting things from others.”
― Swami Rama, The Art of Joyful Living

“Fearlessness is also an essential prerequisite for attaining enlightenment. Great are those who are always fearless. To be completely free from all fears is one step on the path of enlightenment.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“CHILDHOOD IS THE FOUNDATION STONE UPON which stands the whole life structure. The seed sown in childhood blossoms into the tree of life. The education which is imparted in childhood is more important than the education which is received in colleges and universities. In the process of human growth, proper guidance along with environmental learning is important.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Attachment was my mother, and anger was my father. They both died, so I have nothing to do. Now I do not need to do anything.” Meditation will become your very nature when you give up attachment, anger, and pride. Then you will not have to pose for meditation, for your whole life will be a sort of meditation.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“To attain the purpose of life, it is necessary to do one’s duties, whether one lives in the world or outside it. The path of renunciation and the path of action, though two diverse ways, are equally helpful for attaining self-emancipation. One is the path of sacrifice, the other the path of conquest.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“When the senses are well-controlled and withdrawn from contact with the objects of the world, then sense perceptions no longer create images in the mind. The mind is then trained in one-pointedness. When the mind no longer recalls thought-patterns from the unconscious, a balanced state of mind leads to a higher state of consciousness. A perfect state of serenity established in sattva is the highest state of enlightenment. The practice of meditation and non-attachment are the two keynotes. A very firm conviction is essential for establishing a definite philosophy of life. Intellect”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“The Devil One evening after my brother disciple and I had walked thirty miles in the mountains, we stopped to rest two miles beyond Kedarnath. I was very tired and soon fell asleep, but my sleep was restless because of my extreme fatigue. It was cold and I did not have a blanket to wrap around me, so I put my hands around my neck to keep warm. I rarely dream. I had dreamt only three or four times in my life, and all of my dreams had come true. That night I dreamt that the devil was choking my throat with strong hands. I felt as though I were suffocating. When my brother disciple saw my breath rhythm change and realized that I was experiencing considerable discomfort, he came to me and woke me up. I said, “Somebody was choking my throat!” Then he told me that my own hands were choking my throat. That which you call the devil is part of you. The myth of the devil and of evil is imposed on us by our ignorance. The human mind is a great wonder and magician. It can assume the form of both a devil and a divine being any time it wishes. It can be a great enemy or a great friend, creating either hell or heaven for us. There are many tendencies hidden in the unconscious mind which must be uncovered, faced, and transcended before one intends to tread the path of enlightenment.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“SELF-SURRENDER IS THE HIGHEST AND EASIEST method for enlightenment. One who has surrendered himself is always protected by the divine power. One who possesses nothing and has no one to protect him belongs to God and is constantly under the protection of the Divine.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Swamiji, please come forward.” He said, “Sir, I want to ask you a question privately.” So I asked the others present to please wait outside. He said, “I want to know the secret of your success.” I said, “I am not aware that I am successful. In what way do you think I am successful?” He said, “Without asking for money, you get money. This cottage is at your disposal. Drivers come for you. Many people come and sit with you. Why?” I replied, “You know, when I wanted such things, they never came to me. But the day I determined I didn’t want them, I began getting them.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Be that which you really are; don’t pretend to be what you are not.” He”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“how beautifully he unveiled the spiritual mysteries while skillfully hiding his identity”
― Swami Rama, Living with the Himalayan Masters

“I am never lonely. A lonely person is one who is not aware of the complete fullness within. When you become dependent on something outside without having awareness of the reality within you, then you will indeed be lonely. The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself. You are perfect. You don’t need any externals. No matter what happens in any situation, you need never be lonely.”
― Swami Rama, Living with the Himalayan Masters

“It is true that life is full of misfortunes, but fortunate is he who knows how to utilize the ideas which can make him creative. Time is the greatest of all filters, and ideas are the best of all wealth.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Culture and civilization are two inseparable aspects of the lifestyle of a community, country, or nation. A man may be considered cultured if he dresses nicely and then presents himself before others—but this does not necessarily make him a civilized person. Civilization refers to the way a nation thinks and feels; to its development of ideals such as non-killing, compassion, sincerity, and faithfulness. Culture is an external way of life. Culture is a flower, while civilization is like the fragrance of the flower. A man may be poor and yet be a civilized person. A cultured man, without civilization, who may be successful in the external world is not helpful for society, because he lacks the inner qualities and virtues which enrich the growth of the individual and the nation. Culture is external, civilization is internal. In the modern world the integration of these two is necessary. Indian civilization is very rich, but its culture has become a pseudo-English culture which still creates problems in India today.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters

“Many times a day the mountains change their colors, because the sun is at the service of these mountains.”
― Swami Rama, Living with the Himalayan Masters

“The breath is a bridge between body and mind.”
― Swami Rama, Science of Breath: A Practical Guide

“If individuals breathe through the right side, they said, they tend to become more active and aggressive, more alert and more oriented toward the external world. Breathing through the left side, on the other hand, produces a quieter, more passive psychological state, one more oriented toward the inner world.”
― Swami Rama, Science of Breath: A Practical Guide

“Mantra is a spiritual guide which dispels the fear of death and leads one fearlessly to the other shore of life.”
― Swami Rama, Living With the Himalayan Masters