Swami Shivapadananda

Pain of discipline

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[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 836

   

Swamiji speaking at the end of a Yoga camp

I wish and pray that the children will grow into the Institution [the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa] and through the Institution into dharma [righteousness and spirituality]. And by that they will show that they are made of far better stuff than ordinary people. Some of us may have enjoyed the discipline [of this spiritual retreat]and others - because their minds are like wild horses - may not have enjoyed it. Nevertheless you know that there is pain in disciplining the mind and in letting the mind run wild. And it is better to have the pain of disciplining the mind rather than the other kind [letting it run wild].     

I know there are people who have come here [regularly] year after year and I admire them, for they have become a source of inspiration to the young ones and to us.

When I think of the discomfort that we suffer and compare it to the discomfort of the Rishis and Munis [Sage-Saints-Seers-Teachers], who went through tapasya [austerity] in the forest, I must admit that ours is nothing. They gave up their lives. There were many of them that were [in those days] eaten by lions and tigers. But their giving up their lives was done in the spirit that they provided food for God's creatures [the animals].

I hope and pray that you are inspired and when you go from here you will look at each other with more loving eyes, with more love than ever and with a heart full of compassion.

If you have children and the children want to learn music, don't hesitate to send them somewhere to learn. Knowledge in any form is a blessing. Go and learn languages. Learn the scriptures and let them be your Eternal Companion. Let the lives and teachings of the Sanatana Dharma [Eternal religion, Hinduism] be the spine that will uphold your life in this birth. I love you, I love you, I love you.

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:

Sri Ramakrishna    Sri Sarada Devi     Swami Vivekananda  

Swami Nischalananda  Swami Shivapadananda 

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

Posted at 07:27 AM in Sadhana [spiritual practice] | Permalink | Comments (0) 

 

Advice to monastics

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

740

   

Swamiji gives practical advice to renunciates - nuns, monks, brahmacharis and brahmacharinis

Don't become so intimate with householders [lay devotees] that you go and sit in their houses until three o'clock in the morning. Just go for business - finish your business and get out. Show them that time is important. Show them that there is some discipline on your side. If you go there, you sit, laugh, make jokes, that's the time when everything comes down. Purposely they will put on the TV. Just refuse the TV occasionally and see how they respect you. And when they crack any jokes, stop it then and there.

When you go to a person's house ask them if there is any little difficulty in the house. Start off from there. Another thing: don't let them rely too much on you - like picking them up, bringing them and taking them. You must not do all that. But if they are hard pressed, all right, do it.

About the Branches [of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]: you must make them that independent that their independence becomes your independence later on. That is a strength added to you. But if you make them too dependent on you, and a slave, then their part of the slavery will become your part of the slavery; because you will be relying on them.

The male sannyasis [Hindu monks] must not look at the female's eyes too much and the female sannyasis [Hindu nuns] mustn't look at the male's eyes too much. You know Buddha's way of walking on the street? He watched his toes. There is a lot in what he is saying there. Male can see male. Female can see female. But if you want to watch the other person, watch their toes - God's toes - while prostrating.

Go and read the Ramayana again. Find out what Lakshman saw of Mother Sita, it will tell you there. I tell you, great spirituality lies in the feet. Even when you go to God, God is so great you don't have to worry about first seeing his face before you prostrate [bowing down to put forehead on the floor]. There's the spirituality.

If you go to houses on [religious fund-raising] collection don't think, 'Why should I sit here and do meditation?' That's not it. The idea is to spread It, spread Master's [Sri Ramakrishna's] name. How? Go and find your own money. Out of goodwill the householders are giving money. So take the money out of goodwill and give it to the printing press. Take the same literature and spread the message. I think that is very beautiful.

If you don't have means you must devise means. We are not stealing. We are doing this to get the money to spread the word. We are not saying, 'We will get this money and put it in the bank.' Putting it in the bank is selfish. Buying your own clothes is selfish. I want to drum this into your head.

What is this business of thinking that money is evil? Money is not evil. Money is good - as long as you don't take it for yourself. Sannyasis [monks, renunciates] must never take money and bank it for themselves. Brahmacharis [student, aspirant monks] also must not do this. Just remember this.

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  Swami Shivapadananda 

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