Paramahansa Yogananda explains to us how having steadfast faith in God sustains us throughout our lives. Extract from The Self-Realization Fellowship book, Living Fearlessly
In San Fransisco (in 1925), I had only $200 in the bank and was about to begin a lecture campaign. I had not enough money even to make a start; and many large bills had to be paid. I said “God is with me. He has given me this trouble and He will look after me. I am doing His work; I know he will help me.” If the whole world forsakes you, but you know that He is with you, His law will work its wonders for you.
When my secretary came to me and I told him how much money we had in the bank, he literally colapsed on the floor. I said “get up.” He was shaking: “We are going to jail for not paying our bills!” I said “we are not going to jail. In seven days we will have all the money we need for the campaign.”
He was a doubting Thomas, but I had faith. I was not in need of money for any gain of my own, but to spread God’s work. I had no fear, even for the enormity of my troubles. Fear is afraid of me. What is there to fear? Nothing should give you fear. Face all troubles with faith in God and you will conquer.
Bhagavad Gita says: “With heart absorbed in Me, and by My grace, thou shalt overcome all impediments. And think of it! I was walking in front of the Palace Hotel when an elderly woman came up to me and said, “Can I talk with you?” We exchanged a few words then out of the blue she said, “I have money to burn, Can I help you?”
I replied, “I don’t need your money. Why should you offer money to me when you don’t know me?” She answered, “But I do know you; I have heard so much about you.” And right there she wrote out a cheque for $27,000. I saw in that the hand of God.
I live by faith in God. My power is God. I do not believe in any other power. As I concentrate on that Power, it works through me. That power of God is working with you also. You will see it is so if you have faith and know that prosperity comes not from material sources but from God.
Universal Nature felt an impulse to create the universe; and now everything that comes into being follows as a necessary consequence. If this wasn’t so, then even the main purpose that the ruling power of the universe directs its own impulse towards would be lacking in reason.
To remember this helps you face uncertainty with tranquility
I am aware that I have been a bit quiet on the blog front lately, having not written an article for over two weeks. There have been a number of distractions and I’m also working on an exciting project at the moment (watch this space for news and updates). In view of the lack of recent blog action on my part I have decided, that from tomorrow, I will be posting my daily thought for the day on this blog, instead of on social media. That way there will be a daily blog post and I will also intersperse these daily thoughts with articles. I currently have an article in mind that I know you will find interesting and I hope that I will have the time to write it by the end of the coming weekend.
The latest guest to tread the boards on my blog is Author Sheryl Browne and I’m sure you’ll be interested to read all about her and her latest book.
Author Biography – Sheryl Browne
Now residing in Worcestershire, Sheryl grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs, currently giving home to a feisty, but partially blind, midget Jack Russell and an OAP cross collie/lab.
Creative in spirit, Sheryl has always had a passion for writing. A full member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association for some years, she has previously been published in the US and writes Romantic Comedy because, as she puts it, “life is just too short to be miserable.”
Sheryl’s new novel, RECIPES FOR DISASTER, has just been released by Safkhet Publishing. Recipes for Disaster is deliciously different; fun recipes combined with romantic comedy make this book unique and cater to the romantic comedy and cookery readers at the same time. A man’s point of view also appeals to male readers who want to cook or learn how. The book had a wonderful reception in its first week on the market: over 5,000 Kindle copies sold!
A word from the publisher: Sheryl originally approached Safkhet with her book previously published in the US. She knew Safkhet had no list for the type of book and yet was not quite ready to give up hope. Kim, the editor who received her submission, loved her writing style and asked if she would like to write a romantic comedy cookbook. Having just the recipe names to work with, Sheryl gave it a go and managed to convince everybody else on the Safkhet team that a new imprint was needed. An imprint for Sheryl’s books and more just like it. Something to cheer up the reader, something bright and something that combines fun reading with recipes.
Safkhet signed Sheryl for three more books to be released within the next 18 months. They will all be published both in print and for the Kindle. Safkhet will soon accept submissions for this new imprint; up to four titles are planned for publication per year.
Today I welcome Author Darlene Jones to my blog, and she’s going to introduce her book to us.
EMBATTLED by Darlene Jones
A long time ago, I lived in Mali. Every single day, I wished I could wave a magic wand to relieve the heart wrenching poverty. My experiences there led to the writing of this story. Some aspects of EMBATTLED reflect my desire to wave that wand and make the world a better place—if only wishes could come true. And of course, every novel needs its love story, so along with the sci-fi magic, I’ve added the requisite romance.
Em’s life is taken over by “beings out there somewhere.”
Yves, the “being” in question, gives Em,
a) the power to speak any language as soon as she hears it,
b) the ability to make people do whatever she says,
c) a shield to make her invincible.
In this new life Yves has given her, Em has no knowledge of,
a) her true identity,
b) her family or friends,
c) her job as a junior high school principal.
EMBATTLED is,
a) a sci-fi adventure story,
b) an action story,
c) a love story.
EMBATTLED also deals with the weighty human issue of,
a) war,
b) war,
c) war.
d) All of the above.
With blood on her hands, strange words coming out of her mouth, and her face all over the media, Em knows that she did stop the jungle battle, storm into the armed courtroom, face and defeat the zealot soldiers. But, “working” for the powers controlling her, she is haunted with not knowing about or being connected to her own life. And, at some point she will have to decide which of her two lives are her true destiny.
Yves has his own set of problems as a rookie learning to be a Power, trying to communicate with Em, facing her doubts and questions as well as his own, and struggling to control the onslaught of emotions that arise from his association with humans. He risks losing his chance for advancement, his chance to free his people, even his life, by falling in love with Em.
It gives me great pleasure to be able to share with you the write-up of the interfaith prayer meeting held in Bath on 5 February 2012.
REGION 7: Mayor of Bath’s Annual Call To Prayer to all Faith groups
For the last ten years the Sai Baba organization, along with representatives from seven major faiths, have been asked to make a short presentation at this annual event in the splendid Guildhall. This year the theme was ‘Bath’s Industrial Heritage’ which was challenging to say the least!
The Mayor opened the event and called upon the Mayor’s Chaplain to MC the proceedings. The Reverend welcomed the audience drawn from Bath and the surrounding region and expressed happy surprise that extra chairs had to be brought in, despite the snow, to seat the large number assembled.
The Christian Youth representatives from St Saviour’s led the way by summarizing their activities and core values. They welcomed all to visit their church and enjoy their most valued sense of community and love of Christ Jesus.
The Jewish tradition followed with a vibrantly sung prayer drawn from the Torah with a brief explanation.
This was followed by Ruhi, a 4th generation Bah’ai who gave a brief history of her faith and heartfelt reading and song.
Then came the Islamic faith group who led a question and answer dialogue, mentioning that there are between 1200-1500 Muslims in Bath and informing us of the local Islamic tradition of the city.
They were followed by Arun Bedi from Swindon who led the Sikh tradition’s contribution. He explained the potency of the 2 primary symbols of Sikhism and the power of Aum. He finished by chanting and translating a prayer.
Buddhism followed with another question and answer dialogue led by a monk from the Bristol Buddhist Centre, and then we enjoyed a beautifully sung Liberating prayer blessing in English.
We were then treated to a sweet rendition of the Gayatri mantra and a bhajan led by Satyen Gadher and his group of young Hindu children who, in their beautiful colourful dress, lit up the proceedings with deep heart and respect.
To close the proceedings and before we broke for tea and mingling came the Sai Baba group with our Sarvadharma. Knowing the Mayor’s love of song, we wanted to get everyone singing and so kept our presentation to a minimum, focussing on the Universality of Swami’s message and the commonality of His teachings with those of other traditions. Without God, without Love and without Service there would be no Industrial Heritage in Bath, regardless of the faith and beliefs of those who created this magnificent city.
It was heartwarming to see many in the audience joining in with a couple of devotional songs with which we concluded the proceedings, accompanied by Kathryn Crosweller on the guitar :
Happy are they who in friendship willingly work together …who in peace united willingly work together.
And to finish, therousing song Let the Love we’re sharing spread its wings, fly across the earth and bring new joy to every soul who is alive…Samasta Loka Sukhino Bhavantu….
Afterwards, the Lib Dem MP of Bath, the Honourable Don Foster, who had been singing at the top of his voice, told Clare that he thought everyone in the UK should be encouraged to sing this song regularly…!
The event aims to bring together all the various faiths so that the promotion of common values and purpose can be shared and felt. To this end much was achieved this year. There was a definite feeling of tolerance, understanding, mutual co-operation and appreciation of each other’s spiritual paths.
It’s also a wonderful networking opportunity and most of us enjoyed interesting conversations with those from other faiths. A representative from the Islamic, Buddhist and Ba’hai groups have each accepted an invitation to come to our Sunday Study Circle to speak on a chosen theme of their particular tradition. This outstretched hand of welcome and friendship is as our Sai would hope and expect of us and we look forward to further extending this sense of sharing and openness to other groups.
I have also held the opinion for quite some time that our out-of-body experiences contain messages of guidance for us in the same way that our dreams do. This is what I meant at the beginning of this article when I said it was being written on the principle that EVERYTHING happens for a reason, right down to the minutest detail. This is also supported by the fact that whenever I go on an astral journey I am always taken to a specific place; it is never random. So, with all this in mind I want to deal with the symbolism of the castle-like building made out of red stone.
Earlier that day I had seen a news bulletin announcing that Glasgow Rangers Football Club had gone into administration for millions of pounds of unpaid tax bills. For those around the world reading this who may not be familiar with British football, Glasgow Rangers are bastions of The Scottish League with a history of over 50 league championships behind them, they have also been victorious on countless occasions in domestic cup competitions. Over the years a number of Scottish teams have gone to the wall through financial difficulties, but you would never have thought in a million years, that the institution that is Glasgow Rangers, with its glittering history, would have followed suit. Although the club hasn’t folded, the situation it finds itself in is unprecedented in its history. Rangers ground is called Ibrox Park and during the bulletin, footage of the exterior of this grand old building was shown. It just happens to be made of red brick.
My red stone building was symbolic of Ibrox Park and the “fortress” that was Glasgow Rangers FC (the fortress representing the grip that Rangers have had on Sottish football over the years). The whole point of showing me this scene was as a reminder that everything on the Earth plane has its day and will eventually perish. A castle is representative of strength and security, but not even the “fortress” that was Rangers FC could continue without going through revolutionary changes. It’s also a reminder of the futility of putting our faith in “things of the world” because they are only temporary.
As for the muppet-like characters, now that is a strange one, although I do have my theories. I know that on the astral planes we can “think” ourselves instantly into different forms; and I have first-hand experience of this. Also, as stated earlier in this article, I honestly believe that all of our thoughts, feelings and actions within the Earth dimension have a knock-on effect that creates for us our own personal little astral world which is representative of where we are on our spiritual pathway. Now, if the place I was taken to is somewhere that has been created by my consciousness, all I can say is that there sure must be a lot worse places out there in creation. In all honesty, that place wasn’t half-bad at all. The musicians really seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the muppet-like characters to me, symbolise child-like enthusiasm. They also represent the little bit of chaos that continues to rear its head in my life from time to time. There is also another, much simpler theory that I have, which is that they could just have been souls who looked that way. Or, they “thought” themselves into those forms knowing it would make me smile and give me something to think about. I also believe that the purpose of me being exposed to high frequency music was so that I could reap its healing benefits; the healing being received on a level beyond my current comprehension.
A huge round of applause please for my latest guest writer….. put your hands together for the one and only Bonnie Trachtenberg….
Bonnie Trachtenberg is the award-winning, bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. She has also written for three newspapers and penned countless magazine articles. Trachtenberg lives on Long Island with her husband, four cats and a dog.
On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she’s just pledged to love for the rest of her life.
Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother’s footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love-a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents’ house.
But Rebecca’s mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they’re all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but! “Wedlocked is a funny, warm, and engaging story about life, love, marriage and family.
“This page-turner is the perfect summer read!” -Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Social Lives
I awoke this morning at about 06.40 a.m., and on going back to sleep, I had a dream (which was the usual strange affair) which led to an out-of-body experience. The thing about this astral journey though, is that it has made me look at things from a different angle. Now before I go any further I just want to say that this article isn’t meant to be set in stone, it’s just my personal theory that I concluded because of the strangeness of the experience.
I’m not even going to bother trying to relate the dream because it was one of those typical dreams where nothing makes sense and you find yourself in some kind of ridiculous scenario. But as the dream was tapering off, and just before I was aware of being out of my body, I can remember running in near darkness. I was alone, and at regular intervals I encountered dogs. Running towards dogs in almost total darkness didn’t seem very clever but I then became aware that, as I met the dogs head on, I could run in the air above them, thus avoiding any confrontation. All of a sudden I was travelling at terrific speed in total darkness and I was wide awake; aware also that I was being carried.
As we slowed down and entered into daylight I could see to my left a magnificent old-looking building. It was in the design of a castle, but it was like one of the many old buildings we have in the UK that have been made to resemble castles but have never actually been castles. There is one in Cirencester, about 10 miles from where I live, that is an annexe of Cirencester College. This one was made out of red stone and I noticed that it was “outside”, meaning that my companion and I had entered a building and as we were slowing down I could see this magnificent castle-like structure through the huge glass panelled windows.
The area we entered was quite busy and it looked like a cross between a hall and a large reception area. There was what looked like the kind of reception desk you would get in a hotel, but it was large and open planned. All around this reception-type area was the most beautiful ornamental glass. It was the colour of highly polished rose quartz, but translucent. I say “the colour of rose quartz”, but in reality the colour was not what you would see on the Earth plane. There were pieces of glass of all shapes and sizes, and all were incredibly beautiful. Next to the reception there was an area where a band was playing; they were definitely playing but I could hear no music. The strange thing was that some of the band members looked like they could have been characters from the muppet show on TV. They were definitely not animals, they just looked strange and reminded me of the muppets. As we came down to land a soul crossed our path, a tall male soul with fair hair, and he just looked at us quite blankly and carried on walking. We landed right across the other side of the hall to where we had entered and seemed to have the spot to ourselves. As my companion put me down I turned to see that it was a male soul who (in earthly terms) looked as though he was in his 40’s, he had grey hair and was of medium build and height. Even though I did not recognise him, I’ve done this enough times now to know that there will be some connection between us, that I will not be aware of because I only have my earthbound memory whilst in this physical body. I thanked him and said “good to see you”. He said to me “what do you want to do”.
As we stood interacting I noticed a long corridor going off from the opposite corner, diagonally, from where we came in. For some reason, that remains a mystery, I answered him in a half-hearted manner; it was as if a part of me knew it wasn’t to be.
So, instead of saying to him “I want to explore, show me around, what’s down the corridor” etc. I didn’t even get my half-hearted reply out of my mouth, and I was back in my body in bed. When I came back down to Earth and started to analyse the experience I was totally baffled; what with muppet characters and being half-hearted about wanting to explore. So, after a great deal of thought I have come up with the following theory, which works on the principle that literally EVERYTHING happens for a reason.
Firstly, and I have encountered this before but never given it much thought, why could I hear no music even though the band were clearly playing very enthusiastically? My feelings are that because this was the astral planes, where the vibration is higher than the vibration on the Earth plane, the frequency of the music coming from the instruments must have been beyond my hearing range. I may have been in astral form but I was still technically earthbound, and therefore I would not have been attuned to hear it.
I have felt for some time now that every astral journey I have has a specific purpose. I also know that we exist on many levels simultaneously. Now, we know that our thoughts create our lives, and we also know that beyond the realm of matter our thoughts materialize as our reality instantaneously. So my theory is that even though we may be in a physical body within the Earth dimension, our thoughts and actions can have an instantaneous knock-on effect within our astral existence. It’s obvious that we DO exist at an astral level simultaneously because our astral form is encased within our physical form. The previous day I had been in a neighbour’s house trying to help her with a computer problem, and in the house there had been a number of glass ornaments, some of which were a similar colour to rose quartz. One piece in particular had been quite beautiful. I feel that my fascination with this glass created a “thought impression” that materialized within the astral world of “semi-matter”. I honestly feel that we are not only creating our lives here, but we are also creating a kind of “personal astral world” all of our own at the same time.
I also feel that when my companion said to me “what do you want to do”, it wasn’t because he was going to show me around, it was because he DID show me around. I really do believe that even though I came back to my body, an aspect of me remained in that place and most certainly did get the tour. I know this all sounds crazy, but we have to remember that not only is earthly life illusory, but also astral life is illusory, because the astral planes are simply a stepping stone back to source.
I am going to finish for now because I don’t want this article to get too complicated. But I haven’t finished. There is the significance of the red stone building and the muppet characters to decipher yet. God bless and stay tuned.
Some things rush into existence, and others hasten out of it; and of those coming into life some part is already extinct.
Movement and flux are continually renewing the world, just as the unbroken course of time makes eternity forever young. In this flowing river, on which no one can stand, what is there for us to value among the things rushing by? It would be like a man falling in love with a passing sparrow, which is already out of sight.
Surely a man’s life is as fleeting as the vaporisation of the soul from his blood or his breath inhaled from the air? For just as you draw in a single breath and then return it, which you do in every moment, so you will have to return the actual power of breathing that you had originally at your birth, to the source from which it came.
In San Fransisco (in 1925), I had only $200 in the bank and was about to begin a lecture campaign. I had not enough money even to make a start; and many large bills had to be paid. I said “God is with me. He has given me this trouble and He will look after me. I am doing His work; I know he will help me.” If the whole world forsakes you, but you know that He is with you, His law will work its wonders for you.
Author - Richard F Holmes 