[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
742
Swamiji teaches the renunciates of the Ramakrishna Centre of SA
We, the homeless brothers [monks, nuns], the brotherhood, have taken no other step but the step of self-sacrifice. Therefore, because you have to sacrifice, sannyasa [monasticism, renunciation] is known as the greatest path. In other worships you sacrifice everything else. But in this sacrifice you sacrifice the self. The very self that sacrifices other things is now sacrificed.
To the extent you think of the Higher Self to that extent you are 'extinct'. That is why you grow in the image of your deity. You die [to the world] - though gradually - you die for sure. You live and act as your [ishta deva] deity lived and acted.
See how little children sacrifice themselves in the mannerism of the teachers. They will imitate the teacher. Automatically they will say, 'Come on we will teach,' or, 'We will take the cane.' They will act just like the teacher. Can you see them sacrifice the self in this example?
So we sacrifice our lower self for the Higher Self.
When we read this book 'The Teachings of Buddha' we can ignore the word Buddha and put the word, 'Enlightened Being' in its place. Call it Christ if you like. Call it Allah if you like. Call it Mohammed if you like. Call it Sri Ramakrishna if you like. Call it Guru if you like. Call it what you like.
[The book] The Duties Of The Brotherhood, The Homeless Brothers [mendicants]
A man who wishes to become my disciple must be willing to give up all direct relations with his family, the social life of the world, and all dependence upon wealth
Buddha says you must give up three things if you want to become a disciple. First give up all ties with your families. (The homeless [Note: monks, nuns] ones now I am talking to.)
Next, you must give up all social relationships - going to visit friends and all that, enjoying yourself and wasting your valuable time. The only relationship you should have is visiting Brahman. Why? Because you want to sacrifice the lower self to the Higher Self.
Third, you must give up all dependence upon wealth. Who's wealth? Before the Rand [South African currency] was in your hand it was in somebody else's hand; and just as it is in your hand it will move on into someone else's hand. So it is not yours. It is of this world. It will remain in this world when you leave.
So you must not have relationship with your families or social relationships and, above all, give up reliance on wealth.
I always draw your notice to this: none of the sannyasis should have any kind of banking account. Banking is not the only form of wealth. Buying antiques and so on is another form. No reliance on all those things either.
This whole world is an antique. Imagine when it was created. It should be more valuable each day; but we find it is value-less each day. How much more valuable is it becoming? Nothing. If anything were really valuable it would be this world. But we find this world, this antique world, not valuable. How can you value a part thereof?
After cremation only a little ash will be left. That too is valueless because they will put it in the water to satisfy their own minds and say, 'Well, I have done shanti paat, shanti.' [prayers for the repose of the soul]. If the same body was dead and the lions devoured it, it would be in the stomach and turn into excreta. Who did the shanti then? [Swamiji laughs.] The lions stomach or hunger became the shanti.
So all this is the play of the mind. All these things are unreal.
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.
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
