Swami Shivapadananda

Play-acting at spirituality

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 987

Devotee asks a question: Swamiji, in order to attend a satsang [prayer or religious service] your mind and body must first be pure?

Swamiji: No! It needn't be. What kind of people go to the swimming pool? What kind of people go to the bathroom? Dirty people…this is what Master [Sri Ramakrishna] was explaining. When he says 'colour your cloth', it doesn't mean that cloth [mind]is pure. Keep colouring it – it'll take the colour of purity.

Devotee: If you're tired…

Swamiji: It doesn't matter! The mind will look for an excuse. Didn't you see that when you sat down, you started yawning? [devotees chuckle]. Didn't you see? It happens. Then you start feeling creaking pains here and there. And yet when you're watching TV, nothing happens. Because you don't like this thing, therefore the mind starts reacting that way.

We have to force ourselves now – let's be frank with ourselves. Your son may not like to go to school. He'll say, 'When my mind is alright I'll go. I get a headache at school.' Your mind is a spoilt child. It's a brat of the first order. You must force it to do the right thing. Otherwise you'll get old. When you get old where are you going to have the opportunity to do it? Now at least, even if your mind is tired, you're young, you have the vigour, you can manage it. But when you're old?

Some people say, 'When I'm old I'll read the Bhagavatam.' Then the only time I see them reading the Bhagavatam is when it's read for them when they're dead. [all laugh] That body is lying there and you find all the others are reading and that fellow can't hear. I have seen this. No, let us not use excuses. You must adopt the attitude of non-cooperation with your mind. Like your little boy wants to go to town on a day that you're not going. You think you'll take special trouble and take him to town? You won't go. Nonsense. You must be like that with your mind. Your mind is spoilt. Spoilt! It won't do you good. You've tried all the different things. They didn't give you satisfaction. You think this little thing is going to give you satisfaction? Take your age and watch how much more you have to go. People only live to about 60 now. Forget 100 years. And if you're already 35 or 40 you've only got about 20 left in which to score the goal. [Swamiji chuckles]. And you're still waiting.

It's like saying, 'I'll swim in the ocean when the waves cease to be'. That will never be. The senses won't want to stop. You'll want more pleasures. Forget it. Make it behave by force. Don't stop it completely. Moderate it. Regulate it. What must you do? Moderate it. Regulate it. That is what is said very symbolically in the Tantric [occult] worship. They say the sadhaka [spiritual aspirant or practitioner] should sit on a dead body and do japa [meditative repetition of a mantra (sacred word or sound syllable) or one of the many names attributed to God] thousands of times. After a time the dead body will open its mouth – you must quickly feed it something or it'll swallow you up. What is the meaning of that? This body is already dead. We are sitting on it. While the mouth is closed, start taking God's name. When the senses start, you want sex, your eyes want to see pleasurable things - then give it a little something. A few grains. When that calms it a little bit, quickly rush to take God's name again.

Any sense that troubles you – that you can't contain [manage]  – give it a little. But don't feed it. It will over-indulge and then it will devour you. That's the meaning. When that thing opens its mouth, put in a few grains. Only a few?...grains. And while it's chewing, you now have the time to carry on with repeating God's name. You gave your senses a little something. When the senses settle down, then quickly – make haste – to take God's name.

Look, tell me sincerely – you people think you take God's name? You don't really take God's name. But you imagine you're taking God's name. If you take God's name, God has no alternative but to run after his name. Meaning, if you sincerely take God's name, you'll be mad after God. The love of God must come inside you. So we are trying to take God's name but we haven't really taken God's name. We think we are meditating and as long as we think we're meditating, we are not meditating. We are thinking.

You understand my darling son? So don't let us bluff ourselves. The thing is that we must look at ourselves sincerely and look at it with disgust. How we are bluffing ourselves. You think your wife and children, your brothers and sisters and your friends, when you're suffering with a headache, that they will take the pain for you? Forget it. Nobody will save you at the time of death when you're choking, when your ears are getting hot and your eyes are looking all around. The only thing they can do is cry. That is also imitation love. Three days after your death they'll have to go back to feeding themselves otherwise they will be in the same position as you. [all laugh]

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, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. 

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

Habit prevails at death

 

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 874

   

Transcribed from Guru Purnima talk in 1994

When you do japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the many names ascribed to God] you must think of the meaning. It is no good just repeating the name. You must think of the meaning. Then heart, mind and soul are all one.

If you can't do that then you must surrender [to God's will/grace]. But how many of us can surrender? When you sing a kirtan [religious song] you are taking God's name but you are thinking of something else. You are thinking about what he or she [someone else] is doing, singing or going.

When you have taken [repeated] God's name for a long time, then it predominates, and so at the time of death you will [automatically] take God's name. It is the [dominant pattern of] thought at the time of death that determines your future birth.

[When] Someone dies, he [or she] may be unconscious when it happens. But a tape recorder only plays what is in it [i.e. what has been pre-recorded]. So too, it is the mind that determines your future birth. If I [momentarily] think something bad now and die, [still] all the good thoughts from the past come and flood it [as a result of the habit of positive repetition].

The habit that is cultivated with love is always there and there is no fear. When you do good, do not be proud that you do good. Why do you do good? Because you cannot help

but do good. What your faith is, your nature is; and what your nature is, you express.

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

  

Japa power

 

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 854

   

If you want to become pure, the whole day concentrate on japa [meditative repetition of a mantra (sacred sound syllable or word) or one of the many names attributed to God] and God thought. Because japa is so great. By repeating God's name, you concentrate on it and all God's qualities become your qualities. What you think you become. Purify yourself, not though bath, soap etc. but by heating the mind through discrimination and austerity.

Worship Him, commune with Him, hold His hand. Walk, singing, laughing, smiling on the sea shore of life. Beautiful it is. Can you imagine the Lord puts His arms around your neck and says, 'Come on.' That touch itself is so electrifying that it destroys all past, present and future sins.

The greatest gift Lord Rama [the Hindu incarnation - avatar - of God] gave Sri Hanuman [his prime devotee] was to embrace him. [see image above] Love the teacher, worship God in the teacher, he will give you God in you.

Take out name and form. What is left? Brahman [the one, indivisible universal consciousness].

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

 

Don’t think! Just do!

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

751

   

The discussion on Japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the many names ascribed to God] continues from post 750

Didn't Swami Vivekananda say to his brother disciples, 'Do you think that if I am not going to get milk to drink I am going to drink ditch water?' The pleasures of this world are ditch water. Milk is repeating God's name, thinking about God.

Householder [lay devotee]: But isn't a goal necessary?

Swamiji: A worldly man will look for a goal. But he shouldn't look for a goal. It is a lower stage. Just do good because it's good to do good. Don't do good because somebody will say, 'You are a good man,' or because you will have a place in the public eye, or so that God will come to you and pat you on the back and say, 'You did very good work.' No.

You just do good because it is your nature.

If you ask the sun, 'Why are you giving sunlight?' What is he going to say? 'Because it is my nature. I can't help but do it.' It has no motive. As a child, did you think you were breathing to keep living? No, you just breathed. Later on the evil started: 'If I don't breath I will die.' As a child you just breathe because it is natural to breathe. Who cares why you are breathing? So just do japa and meditation. Don't care for what reason you are doing it. Do it because that's the only right thing to do. Do it for the sake of doing it.

If you do this your mind will be concentrated at once. Because before I say, 'Shiva', my mind just goes: 'Shiva, Shiva, Shiva'. I repeat 'Shiva, Shiva, Shiva.' I used to mock it, laugh it and play it. I'd do everything with it. Later on when divine and undivine things came up then the trouble started. I'd think, 'Now I must concentrate it.' At that time the concentration was perfect without thinking it was concentration. Then the thought came in, 'To think is divine and to not think is undivine.' Just be. Who cares? Just repeat God's name. That is the right thing to do. Just carry on.

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

The power of Japa

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

750

I never tell a devotee something without 'stamping it on top' [making a particular impression/impact]. If I say, 'This is Devan,' I put a stamp that says, 'This is Devan'. If I say something which is not nice to a crowd then I'll stamp it on their minds. Each mind will know: 'I am this that Swamiji is talking about.' I stamp it. I don't leave it without a stamp. I just draw your notice to it: 'A spot [some impression] is here, take it out.'

Do you see how thought can uplift and remove obstacles? Thought makes me think of a light-bulb. When it is bright it makes me think it is touching the battery. If it's not bright I think, 'Well, darkness. It's not touching the battery called God.' Sometimes I look at a battery and think, 'God is like this'. You can't separate the battery from its power.

God is Almighty. Try and take the 'might' out. You can't do it. 'Might' can be felt but the 'might' is still there. The more it gives 'might' the more it should be there. Generate it. Your generator is sadhana [spiritual practice]. If the generator is faulty, the battery is not charged - no contact with God.

Don't think you are doing sadhana. Forget the word sadhana. Forget the word japa [meditative repetition of a mantra [sacred word or sounds syllable]  or one of the many names ascribed to God]. Just do japa.

The greatest progress came to me when I did not know that I was doing japa and meditation for the sake of God-realisation. It was natural. My father used to do it, so I did it. My mother used to do it, so I did it. They just repeated God's name; I repeated God's name. I didn't ask the questions, 'Why repeat God's name? To become pure? To become impure? To become God-realised? To become protected?' Nothing. I just repeated because everyone was repeating. Later on, the evil, the maya [the divine power of illusion/delusion], came in: 'Oh, I must do meditation for God-realisation.' That was when the japa fell to the lowest.

So just do for the sake of doing. Who cares? Isn't it better to repeat God's name than to repeat evil things, worldly things? So just repeat.

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

Swami Shivapadananda on Japa

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

588

   

We Ramakrishna-ites get great happiness by doing the repetition of God's name with our fingers. One of the reasons is that I do not have to carry anything with me. Another is if I forget my [japa] mala somewhere I will not have to worry. I only have to make sure my hands are clean.

When you are using your fingers for japa the fingers must not be apart for then all your prana [life-force] is wasted, your japa comes to naught, your prana is lost and it does not do you good.

Another good reason we like to use our fingers is that there is no showing off with the beads. Swami Adbhutananda [a direct monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] said, 'We do not put on beads. We've got no rudraksha mala. [pictured] We do not make miracles.' Be as simple as possible.

Devotee: Is there anything wrong in using a mala?

Swamiji: There is nothing wrong. But your beads must not be used to glorify your body, like an ornament. They must not be exposed, your beads should be hidden.     

At the time of initiation [into spiritual life], if I said to you, 'Meditate on this as your guru' then that becomes your guru. And what is this outside one [i.e. himself]? A representative of that inner one. Please do not get confused because though you are looking at me as the same, I am not the same at all times.

In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we read how Master [Sri Ramakrishna] got in samadhi. Now do not treat this word samadhi just as an ordinary thing. We seem to make light of it. Samadhi is God in union with a particular aspect of God, or God in union with the Self. When you are in union with a particular deity it is savikalpa [with form] samadhi. When you are in union with the Self it is nirvikalpa [formless] samadhi. So when we read his words, it is God speaking through Master, it is someone else speaking from behind him or through him.

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 getting the mind to turn inward

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

566

[Pictured the Pranava or AUM/OM symbol in Sanskrit]

   

The reason you should do likhit [written] japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or sacred sound syllable or one of God's many names] is because it does many things for you. It brings your mind to the level of concentration that you want. Your eyes look at the words you have written and your attention is not disturbed. I used to write the word Om though I would repeat my  deity's [Ishta Deva's] mantra at the same time: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. But if you think you can just say Om, Om, Om, then you can do that. But do it.

You will see that meditation is the seventh step in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, it is one step below samadhi [superconsciousness]. Meditation is the most important part of our spiritual exercises, our spiritual disciplines. It is said that as long as our minds do not naturally turn inwards, so long will we not have a perfect meditation.

Most of us have not experienced the meaning of the mind turning inwards. Just as the mind wants to go outward there will come a stage in your life when the mind will feel this world to be impermanent and tasteless, it will want to pull away and go inside.

They say this stage comes in a sadhaka's [spiritual aspirant or practitioner's] life only if that sadhaka practises all the virtues, that is yama and niyama. In the Bhagavad Gita some other spiritual qualities are spelled out and these too we have to practise. When we have practised these things we will not find it difficult for the mind to go inwards. As a matter of fact it will become a natural process. But as long as that does not happen we must go on practising all the virtues and observances, whilst giving up all the vices.

It is said that in place of a negative thing you must put a positive thing. For example: If I hate somebody, I must put in love. As I begin to love, hatred will automatically be out of my mind. Adi Shankaracharya rightly said that we do not only eat with our mouths, but also through all our senses. And when we feast we feast.

Many thoughts are projected on TV in the form of pictures and our minds seem to take in these pictures. As long as your mind finds joy doing this, so long will your mind not be steady and it will not pull within. There will be a leak in the boat.

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 power of Japa to realise God

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

563

[Pictured: Painting of Swami Brahmananda Puri, direct monastic disciple of Paramahamsa Sri Ramakrishna]

   

You must cry to God: 'Lord, Lord, why have you misled me with the toys of this world? Am I such a sinner? You have brought many sinners, with heinous sins, to the throne of your kingdom. I am not even as bad a person as Valmiki who, from a thief and a highwayman, became a bhakta [devotee] by your grace.'

That is what God can do with you too. A thing that is worthless He can make worthy. That is the miracle of the whole thing. From sand He can make gold. Call upon Him with every breath you breathe. Know that you are breathing God's name. It will suffice if you go from here with some inspiration to seek Him out in your daily duties. Where else can you find an easier method?

Swami Brahmananda [pictured above] said, 'The easiest way to get God is japa, japa, japa.' [repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names]

You may have seen the fruit of japa but you do not know the miracle of it yet. The fruit of japa was seen in Hanumanji, Prahlada and others. But we neglect the greatest jewel: japa. When you do japa the qualities of the Lord automatically transmit themselves to your mind and therefore to your heart. When your heart is coloured by the qualities of the Lord you become so transparent that mankind can see God through you.

'I shall go on the pilgrimage of this life by Thy grace and Thy glory alone.' These are not mere words. These words were recorded in the Vedas [ancient Indian scriptures], they were sung by great bhaktas after realizing God.

Do not criticise anybody's method of worship because it is not your business. It is the business of the Lord and his bhaktas. Do not think of anyone's religion as low in any way but encourage him on his path and encourage yourself similarly. For all paths must lead to the pathless path and then to God.

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.