The Importance of Austerity

In this talk, Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha highlights how austerity provides all the sublimity, power, purity, tolerance and forebearance to dedicate one’s life wholesomely for the welfare of others. It is the wisdom and austerity alone that leads to an attitudinal change, dedicating one to perform with mental relaxation, delight and an expansive, cheerful attitude.

Swamiji states that this is what the Bhagavad Gita describes as acting in an actionless spirit. Abiding in the spiritual luminosity in the sentience space within, with an enlightened intelligence and dissolved ego, is the austere life lived by Swamiji and the inmates in Narayanashrama Tapovanam. Swamiji further cautions that it is the lack of austerity that leads one to be intolerant, irritated, impatient and other such degrading thoughts and behaviours.

Shlokas chanted in the Track:
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः ।
निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव ।।
Bhagavad Gita 11.55
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्‍व्यपाश्रयः ।
मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ।।
Bhagavad Gita 18.56

PR 27 May 2013