[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
Day 823
In the arati [offering of lights ending a ritual worship or puja process] you are praising Mangalam Bhagavan Vishnu; you are praising Lord Shiva - Karpura [camphor] gauram karunavataram - Lord Shiva's colour is like the snow - white, karpur - karpura gauram karunavataram, means he's the embodiment of compassion. Sada vasantam hridayaravinde - you are always dwelling in my heart. Bhavan Bhavani is Lord Shiva and [Mother] Parvati I prostrate to you. Sahitam namami - this means Lord Shiva and Parvati had no ego [ahamkara] and you're worshipping them. Just as the camphor burns and leaves no residue, no waste, similarly may a life be given to that couple who are Bhavan Bhavani - out of compassion. 'May I not leave any more residue,' means may I not take any birth whatsoever. Then after that you go to the same Deity in the form of Lord Vishnu.
Then you say mangalam bhagavan Vishnu who's got garuda dhwaja - the flag of Garuda. Mangalam bhagavan Vishnu pundari kaksha - lotus-eyed is he who's got the symbol of Garuda. To him too you do the same prayer - may there be auspiciousness to him. Then you say - Sarva mangala mangalye - to Mother Shakti - Shakti is the only form of God that is omnipresent. So, may that Shakti bring auspiciousness to all. Who is that Shakti? Gauri [Mother Parvati]. Sarva mangala mangalye shive sarvartha sadhike sharanye tryambake gauri narayani namostute - the white one again - the white camphor again.
Devotee: Someone said that only if you're a Saivite must you worship Lord Shiva. Is that right?
Swamiji: Did you see a picture of Dattatreya [pictured above]? Dattatreya's picture has three heads in one - Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh [Shiva]. How are you going to separate them? The One is expressing itself in three ways - like one [form called] electricity expresses itself as light, as fridge, as stove and as TV. Now you don't say that because I'm worshipping the TV I mustn't worship the light. It's the power behind it that we are worshipping. But because orthodox people don't understand that then, to get devotion they become one-sided, fanatical. That's all right for them but it is only a fence and you must grow above it.
They say, 'It is good to be born in a temple but it is bad to die in a temple.' You must become above the temple because God is not only in the temple, God is everywhere. Similarly it is better to be born in a dharma but it's worse to die in that [same] dharma. You must die in all the dharmas [paths and religions], acknowledge God in every dharma.
If God is almighty then God must be in my religion and God must be in your religion. You broaden yourself like that.
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.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites - please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham
