[Pictured: Interpretation of the Angel Lucifer being cast from heaven to become Satan]
[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 910
So by worshipping Hanumanji what do you get? Forget [his power to have] the ghosts running away – they'll have to run away. There's no darkness when you put the lights on [i.e. when God is present]. No sooner you put the lights on, what happens to the darkness? The darkness disappears – it runs away. So no sooner that you think about Hanuman and all evil is gone. Evil is a misconception. Misconception brings? – fear. And this misconception disappears when you think of God. Because if God is everywhere, then where is there place for the devil [the ignorant mind]? Show me.
We Hindus say God is everywhere [omnipresent]. If God is everywhere then tell me where there is a place for the devil? But you don't see God everywhere. The same God appears [in a particular manner or set of circumstances] and you think it is the devil - and then naturally the devil [your own mind in a state of ignorance or misconception] has to come and worry you.
Example, when you see a stump of wood outside. One day, if somebody [partially] cuts down a tree [without you knowing and they leave the stump behind] and you wake up at night you may think, 'Hare [oh, Lord!], somebody's standing there.' And you think he has a dagger in his hand, or a revolver. You shout to your brother, 'brother, brother, please get the torch, there's somebody standing there!' When you switch on the torch, what is it? A tree trunk. Just like that, when we look at God, we mistake him for a ghost or demon. But God is everywhere. Bhakt Prahalada said, 'He is inside me, inside you and everything [else]' - even in the tree trunk. When you do that [remember that only God is everywhere], even in the [so-called] devil, you will see God. Yes, didn't you see in the Bible that the Christians say God created the angel Lucifer and had to kick him out of heaven [to become Satan]? But who [then] created the devil? God himself. That's means it is God's child, that. It is God's power there.
If you can only recognise God's power there, the devil is useless – he can't do anything. Because in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna Bhagawan says, the water cannot wet you, the fire cannot burn you, the sword cannot cut you and the wind cannot dry you [because you are the atman, or spirit]. If that is the case, what can affect you? Nothing can affect you. That is the idea. That all these ghosts and demons, all the evil – those will become your best friends. How? Like when you worship Shiva all the bhutas and dhutas [ghosts and demons] come along with him. Not only Shiva comes – they come dancing and jumping. They've got their own place [role]. If I'm coming to your house you don't expect me to leave my friends on the road – do you? I wouldn't leave my friends or my guards [guardians] behind. So Shiva's bhutas and dhutas – he won't leave them. He'll bring them. Only thing, they are very obedient [to him]. If Shiva Bhagawan [Lord Shiva] says, 'Shh, sit down!', they obey immediately.
We can keep shouting, 'keep quiet and sit down!', they won't do that because you are not the master. The master is Lord Shiva. The only way to make them obey is to go and put your head on the lap of Lord Shiva. Shiva. When he's got his hand on your head, who can affect you? These are naughty children called? - what? Bhutas and Dhutas - ghosts and demons.
[Topic continues in post 911]
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
