A Month With Paramhansa Yogananda
From his East-West Magazine; Aug., Sept. 1932
In the Autobiography of a Yogi we read the story how Yogananda doubled the size of a boil on his sister Uma’s leg, while materializing one on his own forearm, by the sheer power of the spoken word. He writes:
“My boil was surgically treated. A noticeable scar, left by the doctor’s incision, is present today. On my right forearm is a constant reminder of the power in man’s sheer word. Those simple and apparently harmless phrases to Uma, spoken with deep concentration, had possessed sufficient hidden force to explode like bombs and produce definite, though injurious, effects. I understood, later, that the explosive vibratory power in speech could be wisely directed to free one’s life from difficulties, and thus operate without scar or rebuke.”
So let’s apply that power, to “to free one’s life from difficulties,” creating a soul-filled existence. Every day of the month you may practice one of Yogananda’s special affirmations, using the technique he taught:
“TIME: (For the individual) Immediately after awakening from sleep in the morning, or during the period of somnolence preceding sleep at night.
(For the group) Any suitable time.
PLACE: Noiseless or quiet surroundings as far as possible. If the affirmations have to be used in a noisy place, just ignore the disturbance and devotedly attend to your exercise.
METHOD: Before starting to affirm, always free the mind of all worries and restlessness. Choose your affirmation and repeat it first loudly, then softer and more slowly, until your voice becomes a whisper. Then gradually affirm it mentally only, without moving even the tongue or the lips. Affirm mentally until you feel that you have merged into deep, unbroken concentration, not unconsciousness, but conscious continuity of uninterrupted thought.
Then if you continue with your mental affirmation, and go still deeper, you will feel a great sense of increasing joy and peace come over you. During deep concentration, your affirmation will merge into the subconscious stream, only to come back later reinforced with power to influence your conscious mind through the law of habit. During the time of experiencing ever increasing peace, your affirmation goes deeper into the superconscious reservoir, to return later laden with un limited power not only to influence your conscious mind but also to materially fulfill your desires. Doubt not and you shall witness the miracle of this scientific faith.”
(from Scientific Healing Affirmations, 1924)
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Daily receive these messages on telegram
You may daily receive the following sayings on your cell phone or computer through telegram. Each day a message will be sent to you. You can choose the time of day. It is free. Go here: https://t.me/daily_practices_bot If you don’t have telegram, your device will ask you to download the app. Enjoy!
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Day 1
Devotion
“This day shall be the best day of my life.
Today I shall start with a new determination
to dedicate my devotion forever
at the feet of Omnipresence.”
~~~
Day 2
Peace
“Today I open the door of my calmness
and let the footsteps of silence
gently enter the temple of all my activities.
I shall perform all dutiful actions serenely,
saturated with peace.”
~~~
Day 3
Health
“The sight of His perfect health
shines in all the dark nooks of my bodily sickness.
In all my body cells His healing light is shining.
They are entirely well, for His perfection is in them.”
~~~
Day 4
Divine Eye
“The all-seeing Eye is behind my eyes.
They are strong, for He sees through them.”
~~~
Day 5
Inner Sunshine
“Beginning with the early dawn,
I will radiate my cheer
to everyone I meet today.
I will be the mental sunshine
for all who cross my path this day.”
~~~
Day 6
Encouragement
“With the spreading of the vital rays of the sun,
I will spread the rays of hope
in the hearts of the poor and forsaken.
I will kindle courage in the hearts of the despondent.
I will light a new strength in the hearts
of those who think they are failures.”
~~~
Day 7
Warm Smiles
“I will burn the candles of smiles
in the bosom of the joyless.
Before the unfading light of my cheer,
darkness will take flight
from the bosom of my brothers.”
~~~
Day 8
Kindness
“I will always hold the unfading torchlight
of continuous kindness
in the hearts of those who misunderstand me.”
~~~
Day 9
For my Parents
“I will behold the invisible
in the forms of my visible father, mother, and friends,
sent here to love and help me.
I will show my love to God
by loving them with divine love.
I will recognize the one divine Love only
in all their human expressions of love.”
~~~
Day 10
Fragrant Bliss
“With the fall of all flowers
I will mix my devotion
and lay them on the altar of Omnipresence.
I worship God as the fragrance of flowers
kindling the light of divine bliss in me.”
~~~
Day 11
Generous Love
“I shall behold my love serving in all hearts.
I am the servant ready to serve
the home of needy minds with my simple advice,
with my purse, and with my humble wisdom
gathered at the shrine of silence.”
~~~
Day 12
Inner Silence
“My highest ambition is to establish
a temple of silence in every soul I meet.”
~~~
Day 13
Humility
“I will take pride in being humble.
I will be honored when chastised for God’s work.
I will rejoice for the opportunity of giving love when hated.”
~~~
Day 14
Gifts of Meditation
“I will fill my heart
with the peace of meditation.
I will pour heartfuls of my joy
into peace-thirsty souls.”
~~~
Day 15
Prosperity
“The sunshine of His prosperity
has just burst through the dark sky of my limitation.
I am God’s child.
What He has, I have.”
~~~
Day 16
Burning the Past
“I will take all sorrows
from the attic of memory
and cast them into the fires of oblivion.”
~~~
Day 17
Inspired Friendship
“Every day I will endeavor to establish
a new temple of Self-realization
in the soil of new friendship.”
~~~
Day 18
God’s Love For Me
“I will behold God Himself bestowing on me
His divine love through the love
of all those who love me.”
~~~
Day 19
Love For Enemies
“I will behold the person
who now considers himself as my enemy
to be in truth my Divine brother
hidden behind the veil of misunderstanding.
I will tear aside this veil with the dagger of love
so that, seeing my humble, forgiving understanding,
he will receive the offerings of my good will.”
~~~
Day 20
Self-Honesty
“Every night I will come out of my hiding place
in self-flattery and the flattery of others,
and I will speak the cold truth to myself
about the difference between the real me
and my flattering conception of myself.”
~~~
Day 21
Introspection
“Each morning I will rouse the judge
of my impartial introspection
and ask Him to try me
before His tribunal of conscience,
and ask the district attorney of discrimination
to prosecute the rowdy error,
which steals the peace-wealth of my soul.”
~~~
Day 22
True Identity
“Being endowed with free choice,
I am the son of God in reality.
I have been dreaming that I am a mortal man.
I am now awake.
The dream of my soul imprisoned
in my bodily cage has vanished.
I am everything that my Heavenly Father is.”
~~~
Day 23
Inner Joy
“Within my soul is the joy
which my ego is seeking.
I suddenly become aware of His bliss
honey-combed in the hive of silence.
I will break the hive of secret silence
and drink the honey of unceasing blessedness.”
~~~
Day 24
God-sweetness behind outer sweetness
“While I watch the variously decorated temple
of Thy flowers near me,
in tears of devotion I will wait
for Thy silent feet of fragrance
to approach my olfactory temple
and baptize me with Thy secret sweetness.”
~~~
Day 25
True Riches
“I will strive to make myself
and all others
definitely rich with God,
first and last.”
~~~
Day 26
My Safety
“I will seek safety first, last, and all the time
in the constant inner thought of God-peace.”
~~~
Day 27
Joy-Billionaire
“First and foremost, I will try to be a joy-billionaire
and satisfy my needs for health and prosperity
at the same time.”
~~~
Day 28
Concentration
“I will acquire divinely deep concentration
and then use its unlimited power
to meet the God-given demands of my life.”
~~~
Day 29
Universal Sympathy
“I will scatter the stars of my unlimited cheer
to dispel the dark sadness of souls.
I will spread the moon rays of my sympathy
in all individuals in all races,
in all my own kind.”
~~~
Day 30
Secret Love Service
“I want no monument
on the mountains of human fame,
but want secretly to remain
in the caves of divine love in souls
and silently serve them
with invisible thoughts of helpfulness.
I would like to dematerialize my body
and namelessly and formlessly
be the silent divine messenger
visiting the dark corners of all souls
and kindling candles of peace
stolen from the works of silence.”
~~~
Day 31
My Heritage
“The King of the universe is my Father.
I am the prince successor to all His kingdom
of power, wealth, and wisdom.”