Paramahansa Yogananda
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The Law of Miracles
Magnetism
Suffering
Patience
How to Change Yourself
How to Change Others
Habits
THE LAW OF MIRACLES
The law of miracles is operable by any man who has realized that the essence of creation is light. A master is able to employ his divine knowledge of light phenomena to project instantly into perceptible manifestation ubiquitous light atoms. The actual form of the projection (whatever it be: a tree, a medicine, a human body) is determined by the yogi's wish and by his power of will and visualization.
Thought is the matrix of all creation; thought created everything. If you hold on to that truth with indomitable will, you can materialize any thought.
Nothing may truly be said to be a "miracle" except in the profound sense that everything is a miracle. That each of us is encased in an intricately organized body, and is set upon an earth whirling through space among the stars — is anything more commonplace? or more miraculous? (aoy)
MAGNETISM
When you are talking to others, hold the eyes of the one you are talking to, and speak with all the force of truth and the love of God behind your words. And when you shake hands, do so consciously, so that you give the magnetism of your sincere friendship. Try to help that person. Be positive and develop your own spiritual magnetism, and you will have the power to change others. With the eyes you can convey that magnetism. Just look at the one you want to help, and think, "God's blessing is flowing through me." Never feel you are the doer.
In the ultimate sense, then, all things are made of pure consciousness; their finite appearance is the result of the relativity of consciousness. Therefore, if you want to change anything in yourself, you must change the process of thought that occasions the materialization of consciousness into different forms of matter and action. That is the way, the only way, to remold your life. (jt)
It is not our passing thoughts or brilliant ideas but our everyday habits that control our lives.(jt)
SUFFERING
Suffering is a good teacher to those who are quick and willing to learn form it. But it becomes a tyrant to those who resist and resent.
PATIENCE
Strive ceaselessly; never be impatient. Once the finality is achieved, incarnation of troubles will be over in a second, just as when light is admitted within a room that has been locked for decades, the darkness vanishes instantly.
FAITH
The Sanskrit word for faith is wonderfully expressive. It is visvas. The common literal rendering, "to breathe easy; have trust; be free from fear," does not convey the full meaning. Sanskrit svas refers to the motions of breath, implying thereby life and feeling. Vi conveys the meaning of "opposite; without." That is, he whose breath, life, and feeling are calm, he can have faith born of intuition; it cannot be possessed by persons who are emotionally restless. The cultivation of intuitive calmness requires unfoldment of the inner life. When developed sufficiently, intuition brings immediate comprehension of truth. You can have this marvelous realization. Meditation is the way.
Faith is realization itself. It harbors no destructive element, as does belief. Belief can be swayed or destroyed by contrary evidence and doubt; but faith is ever secure, because it is direct perception of truth. Once the world was believed to be flat, but with the progress of science it was found to be round; so that was only a belief, which had to be given up. But faith cannot be contradicted, for it is the developed expression of the unerring intuition within us, which brings us face to face with theretofore unseen realities. One may thus rightly refer to blind belief, but not blind faith.
When a man has faith, or a proper depth of determination, he can move mountains, and planets wait at his beck and call to do what he commands them to do. The man of realization and determination finds a new heaven with Spirit as the only environment.
INTUITION
Man's highest faculty is not reason but intuition: apprehension of knowledge derived immediately and spontaneously from the soul, not from the fallible agency of the senses or of reason.
Intuition is the bridge between the soul and the ego's thoughts and sensations. If one can for a sufficient length of time remain unidentified with thoughts and sensations, and without being unconscious, he will know through the development of intuition the nature of the soul.
ENERGY
Thought is the primary energy and vibration that emanated from God and is thus the creator of life, electrons, atoms, and all forms of energy. Thought itself is the finest vibratory energy, the speediest power among all powers. (bg)
Modern science has discovered that the various material elements are nothing more than differently vibrating atoms. The universe is a cosmic motion picture of dancing atoms, which in turn are energy-sparks—not matter at all but vibratory waves. (bg)
Every gram of flesh has within it enough energy to light the city of Chicago for two days. You feel heat and vitality in the flesh generated by that energy, but not the tremendous energy itself within the atoms of the flesh.
Man is an epitome of the whole creation. The material universe is the vast body of God, the cosmic electrical energy is the astral form of God, and the soul or life in everything is the essence of God. Everything has life; even a stone can feel pain. (jt)
Everything is the vibration of God's consciousness condensed into electromagnetic images. The essence of those images cannot be severed by a sword, nor burned, nor drowned, nor suffer pain of any sort. It is not born nor does it die. It only passes through a few changes. (jt)