Question: I’ve heard you say that everything is all right in moderation. Can you speak more about that, and does it apply to drinking alcohol and smoking?
Swami Satchidananda: There is a saying, in the Tirukkural, one of the oldest spiritual texts in Tamil, “You can even tell a lie if it doesn’t hurt anyone, and if it brings some benefit to somebody.” So, whatever you do in life, let there be no harm to anyone, and some benefit to someone. God created everything for a purpose, even poison. Don’t we use poison in medicine? If you don’t know how to use it, you can kill yourself. Alcohol, by itself, is not bad, but what is the purpose? Will it bring you some benefit? Oh, just a little bit is okay for me. The problem is that you don’t stop with just a little bit. That is only the first step and the next time, a little more, and again, even a little more. It doesn’t stay within the limit. The ultimate goal in doing anything should be that it does some benefit, and no harm. We don’t have that benefit in drinking alcohol. And alcohol is not natural. When you dig a well, do you get alcohol? It is man-made. Everything in nature is always good, if you know how to use it properly. In homeopathy, all kinds of poisons are used in the remedies.  MORE

In Tibet, we say that many illnesses can be cured by the one medicine of love and compassion. These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and the need for them lies at the very core of our being. Unfortunately, love and compassion have been omitted from too many spheres of social interaction for too long. Usually confined to family and home, their practice in public life is considered impractical, even naive. This is tragic. In my view, the practice of compassion is not just a symptom of unrealistic idealism but the most effective way to pursue the best interest of others as well as our own. The more we—as a nation, a group or as individuals—depend upon others, the more it is in our own best interests to ensure their well-being. Practicing altruism is the real source of compromise and cooperation; merely recognizing our need for harmony is not enough. A mind committed to compassion is like an overflowing reservoir—a constant source of energy, determination and kindness. This is like a seed; when cultivated, gives rise to many other good qualities, such as forgiveness, tolerance, inner strength and the confidence to overcome fear and insecurity.  MORE

When is the last time you had a good laugh? This was a question I used to ask myself from time to time. If I needed a chuckle, I would make up my mind to go see a funny movie or attend a party hoping to find a few laughs. This seemed a normal way to think about laughter—as a reaction to stimulus. When I became proactive in maintaining my own health, I heard that intentional laughter, like jogging and a healthy diet, was beneficial. Choosing to laugh independent of mood or emotional state was a new idea to me. Yet there is mounting scientific evidence that large doses of laughter, like vitamins taken in conjunction with a healthy dietary regime, can be effective in promoting healing and health. And much like any other practice, time and space must be made for it.... Society has intuitively known about the regenerative power of laughter long before science began to validate its positive physiological benefits. This is evidenced in common expressions such as “Laughter is the best medicine,” and even in Irish folk wisdom, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in a doctor’s book of remedies.” Validating our intuitive appreciation for the benefits of laughter, we now have gelotology—the study of humor and laughter and its psychological and physiological effects.  MORE