Swami Shivapadananda on Sadhus
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.
Day 437
[On Swamiji's birthday] A sadhu [holy man, monk], it is said, owns nothing but gives everything. Sadhus are the udder of the cow called God. If the devotee is hungry he only has to press the udder in a particular way, then only the milk comes out. Like this, His children drink, and they are nourished with spiritual knowledge. The residue of spiritual knowledge is worldly knowledge. Worldly knowledge is the stepping-stone to great spiritual knowledge, i.e. the selflessness of the sadhu. My prostrations to all sadhus, past, present and future.
You are sadhus of the future. You will give the essence of knowledge to God's children, to your children - because then you and God are not separate - you become one, the same thing. Always treat a sadhu with respect. Rishis [great seer-Sages] are more than sadhus.
Lord Shiva first realised himself and then married Parvati. Sri Ramakrishna enacted this himself: first he was a sannyasi [Swami, monk], then he married. He is the king of ascetics. First he knew who he was and then he knew who he got married to. You think you are the body, and you married a body. If you have realised you are spirit then you are married to spirit.
I read somewhere: I do not know if we are His [God's] blunder or He is our blunder.
Kali manifested out of Parvati.
In the scriptures we read that out of the Rishi's anger came great things. But out of your anger comes low things.
You and I together become Rishis, but first we must become devotees.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's
words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave
was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in
red in the posting for further explanation
or links.
Reference websites: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Sri Ramakrishna Dham
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