Swami Shivapadananda

Ishta Deva

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

647

   

When we say 'ishta devata' the word devata means self-effulgent being, that which is self-effulgent, light. Ishta means one's very own or Chosen One.

To understand this let us assume that there is a diamond that is ten feet long, thirty feet wide and egg-shaped. You may look at the diamond from all sides but take a liking to one of the facets of that diamond. You like to think about that particular facet the whole day because you love it the best. Similarly God has many aspects, billions of aspects. He has as many aspects as there are minds. And by meditating on even a single facet of the diamond you are still meditating on the diamond itself.

The aspect that you begin loving from a young age, the aspect that you want, the aspect that your mind naturally sets on or that your mind is naturally attracted to, becomes your saving grace - that becomes your ishta devata. It saves you from thinking worldly thoughts and from things which will take you away from purity.

You should know which aspect of God you were attracted to from a young age, but there is another way to identify your ishta devata: You can go to the pandit they read up in the astrological books and from there they choose your ishta devata. But sometimes a contradictory thing comes from the books - maybe you do not like that particular deity even though the book says it is yours.

Notice to which deity your mind runs the most - not because it has a beautiful nose or it has good looking teeth. [laughter] You will find that when you are in trouble or when you are happy your mind goes directly to that particular deity. But the best way to identify the ishta devata is when the guru, through the ishta devata's grace, gives you that particular aspect of God that makes you progress in your spiritual life.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

More on Kundalini

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

646

Swamiji continues speaking about the Kundalini

We read that Swami Vivekananda touched Swami Abhedananda when he wanted to test Sri Ramakrishna's power soon after he had been given it. Swami Vivekananda touched him and Swami Abhedananda received an electric shock - his kundalini came up. Sri Ramakrishna was in the next room at the time and immediately he called Swami Vivekananda and gave him a scolding that even his father had not given him. Master said, 'You nearly ruined his life. You dare not do this.'

Do not think that spirituality is to be played with, that anybody can awaken your kundalini and that everyone can bless you. Silly people think they can bless you. I have told you over and over, 'Only God can bless you.' Someone asked me, 'How is it that you bless people?' I said, 'I don't bless people. When people prostrate to me I prostrate to God who is inside them.' Sri Ramakrishna and our gurus said, 'See God in everything.' I am only seeing God in you, I am not blessing you. God Himself blesses you.

If anybody puts his feet on your head, kick him. No human guru has the right to put their feet on your head because guru - God - is seated there. And when the real guru puts his feet on your head you will have a certain kind of awakening. You will become a God-man, not a world-man.

Do not be deluded by reading things in books. Do not believe that if a man tells you a few things.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

Kundalini

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

645

   

Do not be fooled by people when they say you must do pranayama and certain things to raise the kundalini. It is very difficult. Many people bluff you that their kundalini shakti has risen, but a man whose kundalini shakti has risen will not talk ill of another, he will not feel jealous about another person, he will not condemn others. He will become love personified. Do not think that all can become God-realised. If anyone's kundalini is going wrong then his sensuality will increase more and more.

When Swami Vivekananda was giving lectures in America it appears that some people in the audience started shouting, 'Hail Jesus, Hail Jesus,' and 'Glory to the Lord.' Here the kundalini was raised because they were all bhaktas [followers on the path of devotion] but as soon as they went home it appears the kundalini went lower than normal. Swami Vivekananda says that they were emotionally awakened without any yama and niyama [disciplines and observances of spiritual practice], without any purity, and therefore they turned out to be brutes. And when you become brutish then by sheer will you have to give up all those things that you want to do in a sensual way. It is that easy. Do not go to a guru to correct it, you can correct it yourself. How? Try to do away with all those sensual things and do more japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the many names attributed to God].

Forget the people who say, 'Do pranayama.' By force you awaken the kundalini shakti [power] through mudras [postures of the hands], pranayama etc. We do not want to do that. As our minds become purer so the kundalini will rise. Take for instance a container which is empty, it is full of air. But as you pour the water in, to the extent the air is empty to that extent the container will be full. So to the extent you purify yourself to that extent the kundalini will come up.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

Kundalini

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

644

Sri Ramakrishna found out who he was by Tota Puri [his Advaita Vedanta 'guru'] making him go beyond Kali-consciousness [dualistic awareness of the Divine Mother].

Certain spiritual experiences show that the kundalini or spiritual power in you is awakened. At these times whatever is nearest to your mind will flash through your mind. Seeing lightening or seeing light is also the awakening of the kundalini. Feeling pain is also the awakening of the kundalini (except where you try to force it; then it becomes a false kind of headache rather than a natural feeling of pain). This awakening differs from person to person depending on the state in which his or her mind is. Degrees of purity also differ from one person to another.

First of all one must establish what kundalini is. Secondly you must know what result you will get when the kundalini is rising in a particular direction and what the feelings will be.

If you read 'Ramakrishna the Great Master' Sri Ramakrishna describes, according to his experiences, how the kundalini awakens. Master said that sometimes it hops like a bird, sometimes it comes up like a snake, sometimes it jumps like a frog. Sri Ramakrishna very clearly describes the effects of the kundalini rising.

If the kundalini shakti [power] is rising according to the instructions laid down in the scriptures (and we will take it for granted that the disciple, the student or the practitioner has followed all the rules of purity), then the result will always be the sharpening of the intellect and the increase of love towards God. That will be the first result.

But if the kundalini has risen and it has gone off-gear you will either become insane or you will get diseases in your body because the current, like two wires, gets fused and you become confused. Or you will find that you cannot meditate or concentrate. If you do not have love for God and your mind is always going on lower things, sensual things, what to do? You do not have to worry about it too much. Just leave out all the things that you know to be worldly and start living a pure life. And when you live a pure life naturally the kundalini shakti will adjust itself and go on to the correct channel. The easiest way to rouse the kundalini shakti is through japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names].

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

Discerning a true Guru

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

642

[Pictured: Adi Shankaracharya, the father of Vedanta]

   

Swamiji speaking on Sri Ramakrishna

If you look at his [Sri Ramakrishna's] photograph there are no glorious garlands around his neck. Nowadays gurus are getting on a horse and taking a sword and saying, 'I am Kalki avatar' - and the silly devotees are even buying such photographs. Some people are even dressing up like Sri Krishna and carrying a flute. These are all fake things. If you are a real guru you do not have to dress up in fancy dress because when your disciples look at you they can actually see if you are Kartika or Hanumanji or Kali or Durga.

What did Arjuna see when that young Brahmin boy came to them by the sea? He saw him as Sri Krishna. And what did Hanumanji see? He saw him as Sri Rama. You do not have to have fancy dress to go and show what you are. Master never believed in fancy dress. Simple as simple could be, He was naked, just like nature itself. That was Sri Ramakrishna.

He did not want anyone to preach about him. But we are forced to preach about him. If you follow him, if you follow his teachings, you will only have to do one thing: die. You [the ego] will have to die completely. Then only he lives in you. Otherwise it is too difficult.

If you have not felt the power of Master's Name it is because you are just treating it as something ordinary. You do not know the power of it. The power is so great that it will increase love for your own Deity [Ishta Deva] and it will increase love for all religions. That is the power of this Name. At the same time it will give the moksha [liberation] fo all the scriptures as promised. It will give you the moksha of the Christian Bible, it will give you the moksha of the Koran. Even more he will give his own abode: Ramakrishnadham. [the place or realm of Sri Ramakrishna] That is the crux of the whole thing: Master's Name.

Master's Name does not only take you to Vishnuloka [the realm or place of Vishnu] or Shivaloka or Shaktiloka. Nay. It takes you to all the lokas and yet it withdraws and shows you: 'Look, all the lokas I am.' That is why you find all the deities being absorbed in Him.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

The Glory of Sri Ramakrishna

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

641

Swamiji speaking on Sri Ramakrishna [Pictured in a state of samadhi]

You may not understand Sri Ramakrishna's ways but honestly I tell you that when Swami Vivekananda said he was an Incarnation, make no mistake, he was an Incarnation  [avatar] of all the highest and positive things. Girish [Chandra Ghosh] even argued this point with Swami Vivekananda and later converted him to that very thought.

Because of Girish Babu almost all the theatres in Calcutta have Sri Ramakrishna's photograph displayed. Before Master's time people said, 'You mustn't put pictures of gods and goddesses in this kind of a place because there are dancing girls here.' But Girish said, 'What? Master is the patitapavana, the saviour and uplifter of the downtrodden.'

Once Girish told Sri Ramakrishna jovially, laughingly: 'If I had known you were such a great saviour I would have committed a little bit more sin and then come to you.' Can you imagine that kind of relationship? Who can talk to his guru like that? Only a Girish could do so. Girish Babu was very great.

Girish Babu and Sri Ramakrishna are the actors themselves. One acted the main role, the other acted the supporting role.

Pray to Sri Ramakrishna. Call him, he will come. He has to come. He must come. He is not an ordinary being. All the others renounced their wives but he said, 'My wife is my mother.' Who can say that? You may say, 'My wife is my mother,' but after two seconds she will turn out to be your wife again. Not even in a dream did Sri Ramakrishna see a woman as a woman. He saw all women as Mother. That was Sri Ramakrishna Bhagavan. Sri Ramakrishna was the only one who never gave an inkling of lust. He is purity. He is all pure.

That is the Sri Ramakrishna we are worshipping. We are not worshipping a being who can only cure your headache, make you pass an exam or show you a few flabbergasting things. No. He was simple, but in his simplicity the highest Infinite was hiding. That was Sri Ramakrishna.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

   

 

Sri Ramakrishna’s instant transforming power

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

640

Swamiji speaking on Sri Ramakrishna [pictured above in a painting by Dvorak]

When Doctor Sarkar [an attendant physician to Sri Ramakrishna] asked Girish [Chandra Ghosh, the famous Bengali playwright], 'How do you know that Sri Ramakrishna is God?' Girish replied, 'You are a fool. Right in front of your eyes I am transformed. Can't you see that? Who else can do that? Can an ordinary man transform me of all people?'

Girish was a natural bhakta [devotee of the path of devotion]. He was a bhakta of the tamasic [slothful] type. Once he visited Sri Ramakrishna while drunk (he was wobbling about). He asked Master, 'Who are you?' He asked again, 'Who are you?' Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Girish, sit down.' But Girish said, 'No. Tell me who you are. Tell me who you are.' and he held Master's throat. 'Tell me you are God,' he demanded. Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Don't make me tell you. I am not a god.' Girish said, 'Tell me the truth. You are God.' Sri Ramakrishna then turned round and said, 'All right if you say I am God, I am God.'

When God does not want to reveal Himself, the tamasic bhakta takes a stick and whacks Him and makes Him reveal Himself by force. And that is called bhairava the protector. Sri Ramakrishna's protector was Girish Chandra Ghosh. If some evil man spoke ill about Sri Ramakrishna his devotees like Naren [Narendranath Datta - later Swami Vivekananda] and Niranjan [later Swami Niranjanananda] could do nothing about it. But Girish would go and face that man. He would ask, 'What did you say about Him?' That was Girish. Girish went to the places where hanuman failed to go. He was a bhairava.

Sri Ramakrishna is not a guru [spiritual master or preceptor] in the ordinary sense. He is the one who is called satguru. He is the one who said, 'Wake up [Divine] Mother,' and the man with him went into Samadhi [a state of superconsciousness]. Mother, in that man, woke up then and there. He was that kind of a guru. Another guru will say, 'Repeat this mantra five hundred times.' If you complain to him: 'My mind is wobbling,' he will say, 'It's because you keep dribbling. [laughter] Carry on. Keep going on and on.' No. Sri Ramakrishna was not like that. He would say, 'Wake up, wake up Ma. Jago jago.' Instantly the man would go into samadhi. That was Sri Ramakrishna.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

Tradition and marital relationships

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

639

 

You must carry your own asan [seat for meditation]. Our gurus have told us sannyasis that when we sleep anywhere else we must carry a little bit of clothing and put it on top of anyone else's bed. But I have a beautiful way to do it: I put a handkerchief under my pillow. I am trying to keep to tradition and the advice given.

Later avatars [incarnations], as far as Sri Krishna, all had responsibility and they transformed that responsibility into tapasya when they realised God.

Householders [lay devotees] must observe brahmacharya to get mind and sense control. How? On ekadasi you fast; you sleep in separate rooms on holy days, on the birthdays of certain saints and sages and on your birthday. All this you practise yourself. Do not tell anybody. Just keep doing this and suddenly, as love for God grows, you will love each other to love God. And you will not hate each other. Sri Ramakrishna did not hate Sarada Devi nor did Sarada Devi hate Sri Ramakrishna. There is a kind of vow that the householders take when they want to live like that.

A true guru always wants to give, he never wants to hide anything. All others are not gurus because they do not have anything to give. A guru never gets jealous of his chelas. [disciples, devotees, followers] Did you see a mother getting jealous of her own child?

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

Behaviour when worshipping

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

638

   

Our scriptures say that when you are praying and when you sneeze you must again do achamanam (the purification rite).

So I ask you to treat the Deity in your own shrine and in this shrine with love. Either you use psychology on God or God will use it on you. You had better be the first one.

Do the arati, feed the Deity and slowly take its blessing and then say, 'Lord you are Omnipresent, I am feeding you.' And then, if you like, get one fruit and place it there. Say, 'Lord you too are here now.'

But first learn to do it in your mind at home. You gave It a form, you gave It a figure, you gave It a life, it is your duty to supply It with food too. If It came to life Itself, then it is Its own duty to look for food. You made the pranapratishta [awakening of the Deity], you did the prayers, so it is your duty to give the food. You must sit there and give It everything.

They say that mental worship [manasika puja] is the most beautiful worship. Every day Arjuna would take vilva leaves and put them on the Shiva linga while his elder brother Bheema appeared to do nothing One day Sri Krishna wanted to humble Arjuna so they went to Lord Shiva's abode. Arjuna noticed that one Shiva linga was covered with great big trees of vilva leaves, while another had only a few leaves scattered around it. Arjuna looked at the trees that had been offered and said, 'But who did this worship?' Sri Krishna replied, 'Bheema performed this worship.' 'But he was just sitting there,' remarked Arjuna. Then Sri Krishna said, 'No he did manasika puja [mental worship].'

External worship too is important because it makes an inner impression. It brings about inner transformation.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

Handling Prasadam [sacramental food]

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

637

   

The man who has a lot of money and a lot of desires is very poor. The man who is lazy and has no desires is worse. But the man who has the desire to realise God is the richest.

In the shrine when offering food to the Deity, look at His face. Then hold His Lotus feet with your hands. Prostrate. Feel that you are holding His feet. Now look at Him again after He has blessed you. Mentally say to Him: 'Lord, I'll take your Prasad [sacramental food - example pictured]. When anyone eats this prasad may they have pure mind and bhakti [devotion] to you.' Now you take the prasad.

My guru [His Holiness Swami Nischalananda Puri] used to say, 'Don't just go and grab it. It's not just a piece of fruit kept there. It belongs to God.'

If there is a little bit of food left on my plate after I have finished eating and I keep talking, what would you do? You would say, 'Swamiji, are you finished? Can I take that away?' But when you come to God's food you treat it like something dead - you just grab it and walk away.

When you are offering prasad you should not speak because the saliva from your mouth, unnoticed by you, goes onto the prasad and that becomes juta, defiled. Therefore never speak near the altar.

I see some men that visit the ashram [monastery], they walk with such big steps from the back of the shrine. I sometimes tell them, 'Look, this is wrong. Walk slowly in the shrine.' You may think that I am scolding. No. Hatred, honestly, is not in my mind, prejudice is not in my mind. The only thing in my mind is to make you a lovely flower so that one day I will be proud to offer you to Sri Ramakrishna, or Lord Vishnu or Kali or Durga or Bandi or Sitala. Only that is in my heart.

When you walk in the shrine you must remember that God is living. How do you walk at the office in the presence of your boss? You walk with respect. When you walk in front of Sri Ramakrishna, even in your own shrines at home, you must walk with that love, with the feeling of living-ness.

The mothers should see that their saris or dresses do not touch any prayer things. If the lota [little water pot] is touched, even when it is empty, it should be washed.

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.

There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2