Swami Shivapadananda

Self-effort and Grace

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 801

   

Devotee: Do you get God-realisation by God's grace or by your own worthiness, Swamiji?

Swamiji: Both. It is by God's grace and also by your own worthiness. But remember that worthiness itself is God's grace. In other words self-effort must never be given up. Self-effort must always be there. If your self-effort is there, even if you fail, it means you are still on the path of sadhana [spiritual practice].

Incarnations [Avatars] must keep up their own laws. One of the reasons for this is to plant faith in man – man must not think that everything – especially traditional worship – is lies. It is written in the Bhagavad Gita, "Whatsoever a great man does, the lay-man will follow." We must abide by the scriptures. It is not that Sri Rama had a guru [spiritual preceptor] so Sri Rama is not God, or Sri Krishna had a guru so he is not God. Rather say, "This is how it is prescribed in the scriptures."

Devotee: Swamiji, what can we do when we have difficulties in life?

Swamiji: Arjuna's [Sri Krishna's disciple in the Bhagavad Gita] despondency was such that he turned to God – he didn't turn to man. So if you have difficulties in life and if you feel weak, then turn to God and this will become a way of reaching God through your trials and tribulations.

In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna says that there are four types of people who worship him: Those who are sick; those who want knowledge; the seekers of wealth; and the seekers of wisdom. These people seek God. Of these four types of people - though they all seek God - only the last type cannot provide you with the reason why they seek God. And that is because it is their nature to seek God. The sun cannot say why it is shining - its nature is to shine. Similarly the seekers of wisdom think: "Wisdom – God – is the only thing that is worthwhile loving in one's life." So he just loves.

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

 

God and favouritism

  

 

 
 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

786

 

Children of God and little flowers – beautiful flowers of God, my prostrations to that deity that is most dear to your heart and seated in your heart. I prostrate to it again and again. What one begins to wonder: has God ever changed? Did He change in any way? If He has not changed in any way, then why is he not answering the prayers of so many millions of people?

The next question comes, has God favouritism? God has no favouritism, but it is you – if you want the sunshine, you must get out in the sun. [chuckles] But if you don't want sunshine, you can stay under the shelter, it won't get sunshine. Easy as that. But God Himself, personally, has got noooo favouritism whatsoever. It's like saying the judge is seated, he favours. Favours what? He cannot favour. According to your action, the fruit [karma, outcome/reward/punishment] is already determined. In the law books, it's already written. If you kill somebody, then they will consider your state of mind, why when and how, but the punishment is already there. From this itself we must know that those people who think they can influence God, are mistaken. They are mistaken. 

Not by going to God and saying, 'Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Krishna Bhagawan you've got such nice lips, what a beautiful nose you have, look – big peacock feather [Swamiji chuckling really hard] – He won't get influenced. He does not care. So, because when people praise us we get happy and we start swinging from pillar to post, we think God is like that too. Well, sometimes when you praise Him, you think, 'well maybe He will be on my side.' But God cannot be on anyone's side.

Then what happens when we say the prayer? This is all that happens. Our mind becomes purified. Like you people seated here now, your mind is [becoming] pure because you're listening to God's lilas [divine play], God's glory. But if you were in a shop? If you were outside? You'll see a motorcar going, somebody may just come near you and you get cross, your mind is not pure [yet] to that extent. All the gross [things] and disturbance comes inside - in your head. So, here, we realise once and for all that God has no favouritism. And having realised this, that He has no favouritism, then, has He changed? He has not changed. What has changed is you and me.

  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

 

 

Our intelligence is God’s gift

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

622

   

[Swamiji continues speaking on the Bhagavad Gita]

[Lord Krishna says] I am the intelligence of the intelligent.

You can have no pride whatsoever that you are a learned man. God says that intelligence is Him too. So how can you say, 'It is I who am intelligent'? You are not intelligent. Take that life out of you and you are a dead body. Can a dead body be intelligent? Do you have control over your life?

How many of you say you do not want to die or that you will only die next year? You will find that you have no control over it. So the controller is God Himself; and therefore He is the owner of it and not you.

The splendour of the splendid objects am I.

Wherever you see 'splendidness' [or splendour] it is God Himself.

Of the strong, I am the strength devoid of desire and attachment.

This is His higher nature He is talking about now. His lower nature will be with desire and with attachment.

'Of the strong' - who is strong? Of those people who have no desire whatsoever, he is the strength.

Earlier on in the Bhagavad Gita he explains: 'I have no work to do but yet I do the work so the others can follow . . .' Work for what? To purify the mind and reach Him.

An ordinary man, a sannyasi [monk] or a holy man who becomes a selfless worker will actually be expressing Sri Krishna's nature itself.

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

 

Swami Shivapadananda on grace of God and mind

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

591

Swamiji speaking at a Yoga camp

Just as Jesus was born on a Christmas Day, bringing new life to the world, similarly Master's [Sri Ramakrishna's] sannyasi [monastic] disciples, unknown to themselves, performed a havan [ritual fire worship or viraja homa] on this day and took their vows of chastity, poverty and purity; they re-dedicated their lives to the upliftment of themselves and the upliftment of others.

Sri Ramakrishna gives us a new lease of life so that, after these Yoga Camps, we also may re-dedicate ourselves to the task ahead of us. We are the custodians of the treasure of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Sarada Devi [the Holy Mother] If at least two people can become conscious of God in their hearts, in their surroundings, and in people, then this Camp has borne fruit.

When my guru, Swami Nischalananda, brought this kind of sadhana [spiritual practice] to the people of South Africa it was during hard times. People were not conscious that you could meet on one platform with different faiths. He however made it possible for us to meet and worship the same God, by the grace of our sadguru and Master, Sri Ramakrishna.

Of the many people that Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda] marched with and trained, a few have dedicated their lives to God. Of those few, one perchance may reach God. Nevertheless we take our inspiration from the fact that we have started the journey.

There are many people in this world, like us, who have not yet won the grace of their minds because they are attracted to the perishable things of this world. Having had the grace of your mind and the grace of Sri Ramakrishna if we do not make further use of these gifts then we are the losers.

There are many examples amongst us of those householders who have put these blessings into practice. You must all have heard about Ricky from Ladysmith. [ a town in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa] At the time of his death he took the photograph of Master, put it on his chest and died. This was a young man who was not even married, but look at his departure from this world. These are living examples and you can be one of them.

Do not live a life of selfishness, do not be conscious that you are gathering merit or demerit, just be conscious that you are serving your Master and do it to the best of your ability, with faith, love and devotion.

Try to lead the life that you have learned here in the Camp in your homes. Put into practice the things we have learned at Camp when you meet friends and others.

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.

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

Swami Shivapadananda on God’s promises

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

582

   

[Reading from the Bhagavad Gita continued]

[Lord Krishna says] Fix your mind on Me. Be devoted to Me. Worship Me. (Swamiji: The Self that is.) Prostrate before Me. So shall you come to Me. This is My pledge to you. For you are dear to Me.

Swamiji: This is his promise. His promise is not like yours. You say, 'This fire is my witness, I am getting married to you,' but after five years you say, 'All right, my pledge is off. I love you but I have to divorce you.' [laughter]

Having abandoned all duty take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins. Grieve not.

Swamiji: He is saying, 'If you take refuge in Me, I'll do everything for you. You do not have to do anything, just take refuge in Me.'

This is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerities, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service, or desires not to listen, nor to one who speaks ill of Me.

Swamiji: This shows that Hinduism does not force its religion down other people's throats. He says, 'Those people who do not want to listen to it, let them carry on.' Do not try to force it down their throat. The Lord Himself says that. He says, 'If you do not believe in Me, do not talk about Me because it will only agitate your mind.'

He who with supreme devotion to Me would teach this immensely profound philosophy to My devotees shall doubtless come to Me alone.

Swamiji: Yes. If you teach it to those people who are devoted to the Lord, then the teacher himself will come to the Lord as well as those people who practise it.

Nor is there any among men who renders dearer service to Me than he. Nor shall there be another on Earth dearer to Me than he [who teaches this].

Swamiji: See how easy it is. If you want God-realisation then go and preach his word, preach it sincerely and He will give you whatever you need. But He also tells you where you must preach it. He did not say, 'Stand on West Street corner [a street in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa] and shout it out'.

And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him shall I have been worshipped by the sacrifice of knowledge (jnana yajna). Such is My conviction.

Swamiji: Do you see? There is not one kind of worship - i.e. only, with camphor, coconut and so on. By this teaching it becomes jnana yoga.

And the man who merely hears this full of faith and free from malice, even he, liberated from evil, shall attain the sacred regions of the righteous.

Swamiji: We must hear this scripture with faith. But we are not listening to it with faith and therefore we do not even believe that it could be true.

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.

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

   

 

Swami Shivapadananda on asking God for the right things

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

Day 554

[Pictured: Frame on the staircase of the Udbodhan House, featuring various photographs of the Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, taken at the request of devotee Mrs. Sarah Bull]

   

Once, when his mother and sister were dying of starvation, Swami Vivekananda went to see Sri Ramakrishna. He asked Sri Ramakrishna to pray to the Divine Mother for him so that She would give him work and bless him. But Sri Ramakrishna said, 'No, I will not ask. Why do you want to test my faith? You yourself have to have faith. You must ask Her directly.'

So Swami Vivekananda went into the Kali temple at Dakshineswar. There he saw Mother Kali pulsating, living, breathing. He prostrated to Her and prayed for selfless love, devotion and knowledge. When he came out of the temple Sri Ramakrishna asked him if he had asked the Mother for work. He said, 'No.' So Master said, 'Go to the Temple again, and this time ask Her for work.' On seeing Her, Swami Vivekananda again asked for devotion and knowledge. And for the third time Sri Ramakrishna asked him to go back and ask Mother Kali for work to help his family. But all three times he could only ask for love, devotion and knowledge.

Swami Vivekananda's real nature was selfless, his nature was to love God, so when he went into the shrine it was his real nature which manifested. If you plant a mango seed it will produce mango flowers and mango fruit - not a plant that seems like something else.

After having been unable to ask for work for the third time Sri Ramakrishna said to him, 'I bless you that your family will not starve. They will have food, shelter and cloth to cover themselves.' And so it came to pass.

Pray for anybody, ask anything, but the highest thing to ask for is love and devotion. Start in the heart. God must be everywhere because He is Omnipotent [all powerful].

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.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on the privilege of spiritual practice

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

Day 545

[Pictured: The sign pointing towards Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother's residence at Udbodhan House in Kolkata]

Swamiji continues speaking at an easter-time Yoga Camp

Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji's Guru] used to say that when you attend Yoga Camp you must not become proud and think that you are a 'chosen one'. You should feel humble that God has chosen you out of so many thousands of people. What good has He seen in us that He has brought us here? What are we worth that He has brought us here? We must reflect on these things.

Gurudev used to say that there are thousands of people that are not here at Yoga Camp. Some are not here because the pleasures of the world are too strong for them. Others are not here because they do not value spiritual life at all. Then there are some who value spiritual life only because they get the things that they love best through God's Grace, things like worldly comforts, curing sickness, motor cars and money. Then there are others who feel that their relatives can go to places like this. They say, 'That's okay for them because they are such great sinners.'

Master [Sri Ramakrishna] said we are like a clean sheet of cloth, and we dye this cloth with our desires. He said that it is the duty of the laundry man to clean that cloth, to make it white and then colour it according to the desires of the owner. And God is so great that he leaves us to choose the colour - the desire. We may choose colours that attract worldly things and destroy spiritual things or we may choose colours that attract spiritual things and destroy worldly things.

Knowing this, we should attract that colour which will give all things the rightful value in our life. All things are very valuable, whether they are of the world or of God Himself. God is not so foolish that He would make dirt if dirt did not have a place in this world. I want you to understand that the dirt that you and I don't like must be supporting life in another form which also loves God. We just have to put them in their rightful places.

Then you find others who have treated spirituality in such a way that it has become too familiar to them. Familiarity breeds contempt. They have contempt for spiritual life because they are so familiar with it, they get so much of it.

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.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on inferiority complex

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.

Day 431

   

Of all holy days Guru Purnima is the highest. No other day is equal to the day of the guru. Just as the gurus [teachers] of this world bring the kingdom of human beings to you, the guru of the Spirit brings the Kingdom of God to you.

Vedvyasa was the son of a fisherwoman - but he brought the highest principles to man.

By tasting the fruit of the guru, you will know the Tree.

Blessed is the chela [disciple], whether man or woman, for the Atman does not discriminate between male and female, high and low. It is man alone that discriminates like that. The Atman is present equally, in everyone.

Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji's Guru, pictured] once said to me, "You fool, Inder [Swamiji's pre-monastic name], you depress yourself and suffer from an inferiority complex. If you think superior thoughts about yourself, you will be superior. If you think you are the chosen one of God, the Atman must reveal itself to you. But you go on thinking, 'I am a sinner.' Yes, you have made a few mistakes, in as much as you became shorter in the virtues of life."

Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that you have the right to work but not to the fruits thereof. That means that if you do bad action God appears as bad action. If you do good action God appears as good action. 

Swami Shivapadananda on God’s grace

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.

Day 418

If you read a book on chemistry, you will become a chemist. If you read the [Bhagavad] Gita, you will become a renunciate. You will renounce finite things to receive the Infinite.

The Gita says: Your mind is your friend, your ego is your enemy. You are your own enemy, there is no other enemy. Both the Bhagavad Gita and Master [Sri Ramakrishna] say that that is true.

Master never spoke lies. If something goes wrong, Sri Ramakrishna says: Ask yourself, 'Is it true?' If it is, correct yourself, otherwise it is just another wind blowing.

Saints never defend themselves - who is there to defend?

What do you give to your Guru? What? You give him that which the gods spit on. He takes that ego and gives you the Highest. You bring your ego, your curses, your tribulations. But He knows your position so he takes it. A sannyasin is a dirt bin [i.e. receptacle for our evil] and God is the collector. He will collect one day. Think about that. Do not pride yourself on anything.

We must be very, very careful. Do not pride yourself on being learned, or spiritual, or high class. You think you are an honest man but no man is so good that he has no bad in him; and no man is so bad that there is no good in him. You are honest about one particular thing, but on the other side you are not honest. This is book-keeper's knowledge. Who is the book-keeper? God.

Your mind is your best friend. You know the child inside and out but you still love it. 

Swami Shivapadananda on grace

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 355

 

Do not criticise others. See what you do. Do you get up at 3 a.m.?

 

Before each Yoga Camp [this was a Ramakrishna Centre of SA Ashram tradition at Easter and Christmas-time] fast for three days and then spend the four days with God.

 

Self-surrender is not easy, so say: ‘Lord, all good things are Yours, all comes from You and these are offered back to You. This body and mind are also offered back to You, it is all Yours. Whatever they do is done by You.’

 

God’s grace is very subtle, we are not even aware of it. When I think of God’s Grace, [Swamiji is silent and tears fill his eyes] it is like dew. You put the car in the driveway and go to sleep. Later you get up and go to the car. What do you see? Thousands of dew drops. And you think, ‘Ah yes, that is how it was.’ Each drop reflects the whole Universe, the whole sun. But who sees this? Can I feel His grace with my coarse skin? No, but it is there, all the time, flowing.

 

God’s grace comes though patience and perseverance. Take note of the order in which I give it.

 

When Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji’s Guru]  used to press my leg I used to think, ‘Is it a test? Or is it love?’

 

When the mind is calm, hours pass in thought of the Lord.

 

Satsang [a religious or prayer service], the darshan of the holy, is the most important of all. You do not know what it does for you. You do not know what the company of a holy man does for you. Not a thousand years will have that effect on you. Do you think there must be excitement, emotion, sense-reaction? No. There must be calmness, no reaction.

Click on 'Continue reading' below to find out about CDs of Swamiji speaking.