[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 867
When real sadhana [spiritual practice] takes place there is no time in calculation. Time moves so fast that you don't realise it.
When singing the Hanuman Chalisa, look at your Deity [Ishta Deva or Chosen Ideal] and put all the attributes through to him.
There are three ways of repeating [doing japa, the meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the may names attributed to God] a mantra [sacred sound syllable, word, phrase] . One is loudly [vocalised]. Second, with your lips and tongue [non-vocalised]. Third, neither your tongue nor your lips move [mental or manasic].
Look at your Deity within and repeat its mantra ten times. The highest way to do it, after much effort, is the third one [manasic, mental]. With calmness and proper breathing, you repeat your Deity's name. When you look at the world without, silently repeat the Guru mantra [mantra given through initiation by the spiritual preceptor] and you will feel that the whole world is permeated by your Guru. Struggle to bring your mind, again and again, to the One without a second. That is concentration. Looking at his form is contemplation. When you contemplate and concentrate you enter into meditation.
All of us are used to the physical manifestation, the gross [external]. When you look at your Deity outside, in the murthi [image, picture, statue, representation], it is still physical. You must make the effort to realise the subtle.
Some people enter the mental realm where they see the Deity mentally. And as they utter the mantra they will slowly, from the mental realm, from the physical realm, enter the subtle realm. Thus from the subtle you enter into the subtler; and from the subtler you enter into the subtlest.
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