[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 858
When the mind gets depressed, take God's name [using Japa, the meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the many names attributed to God], you can go far. Immediately remind yourself that depression is the worst sin [most destructive habit]. Keep reminding yourself. Go to His lotus feet, go to His name. Depression makes you look ugly. If you want to look beautiful, go to Him. Kick out depression with the foot of laughter and joy.
I used to get depressed, then I got happy making others happy, cracking jokes and so on. Just distract your mind. You will get strong and throw it out yourself.
Chant the name [from your particular spiritual tradition, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna etc.] - you will get calm. If you are repeating God's name and the more you repeat it, the more depressed you are getting, then you are not sincere. Only the tongue is repeating the name. You must also think of the mantra's meaning. Repeat the name with meaning. Look at the form [of your chosen ideal, personal deity or Ishta Deva] and repeat the mantra, that is the meaning.
For instance if you repeat Om Namah Shivaya think at the same time: 'O Shiva, I prostrate to you, I prostrate to you.' That is the meaning. If you do not see the form in meditation, just imagine that the form is there. It is better to take the form and sometimes the formless. As long as you like to touch, it must be with form and not formless.
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
