| "Just Be What You Are" Drop all impatience Drop all frustrations; Just be what you are Just be what you are. There is no need for projection There is no need to create impression; Just be what you are Just be what you are. Stop this fighting with yourself Stop this struggle with yourself; Stop being sad with yourself Stop further hurting yourself; Just be what you are Just be what you are. You do not have to become something You do not have to achieve something; Just be what you are Just be what you are. Accept yourself as you are Love yourself as you are; Just be what you are Just be what you are. Swamiji Tapas (Austerity) Tapas is a comprehensive term signifying purification, self discipline and austerity. The word stands for a group of practices the object of which is to purify and discipline the lower nature to bring the bodies under the control of an iron will. The word is derived from the process of subjecting alloyed gold to strong heating whereby all the dross is burnt off and pure gold is left behind. In a way the whole science of character building whereby we purify and bring under control our lower nature may be consider as tapas; but in the orthodox sense tapas is used for some specific exercise adopted for the purification of the bodies. These include practices like fasting, observing vows, keeping silence, pranayama, mantra chanting, meditation etc. In the case of ordinary human beings the consciousness is to a great extent identified with the body through which it is working. The practice of tapas gradually loosens this attachment and the consciousness is then free to proceed inward for higher realizations. |