[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
713
Gurudev, Swami Nischalananda [Swamiji's beloved Guru], was wonderful. He made us strong from second to second. He used to say, 'Never place your faith in man, place it at the feet of the Lord in man.'
Today's saint can become a devil tomorrow and tomorrow's devil can today become a saint. Watch this very carefully. It happens in every corner of the world. You find a leader leading people, he is a great guru. Suddenly you find he has disappeared from the scene. Had you planted your faith in that person you would now be faithless. Rather plant faith in the Lord who is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and who is also in your heart. If you do this then no matter how many Swami Shivapadanandas come or go, your faith will still be firm in God Himself.
Gurudev said that we should not sing his name and he was right. He said, 'A swami's [Hindu monk's] name should not be sung.' (I am not saying you should not do it but I am telling you what he told me.) He used to say, 'Thousands are the names of God. Sing his name and sing his glory.' Do you see how he made us strong? He took the emphasis away from an ordinary man and put it on the Immortal Being.
In the Christian prayer it says, 'O Lord lead me not into temptation.' That is a very beautiful line. Some people criticise it. They say, 'What kind of a God do you have if He tempts you?' But it is like this: God puts the weak tendencies on one side (which is called sin where the I or ego is concerned) and on the other side God puts the Divine, the I-less. And He shows you pleasure through the senses, through the mind, all the time. You are attracted to some of this. What is attracted? If you did not have the I-consciousness it would not be attracted. So the I is attracted towards that pleasure in the form of lust, greed, anger, money, fame, name, position to be a swami, position to be a sadhaka [spiritual aspirant or practitioner]. Then what are we to do? You should leave it to God, to what God wants to do.
God puts the objects of sensual pleasure there - and He knows what you are going to do. But He wants you to know what you are going to do.
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
