SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
625
[Pictured: 18th-19th Century depiction of Lord Krishna and Arjuna his disciple at the battle of Kurukshetra]
Swamiji to devotee: What is your trade my son?
Devotee: I teach.
Swamiji: The day you learn that you do not teach, you only suggest, that is when you have the truth.
[Swamiji continues reading from the Bhagavad Gita]
Verily this divine illusion of Mine [God's power of illusion/delusion - Maya] made up of the three qualities of nature [Gunas] (sattvic) [balance, harmony], rajasic, [high to excessive activity] (tamasic) [slothfulness] is difficult to cross over.
The Lord Himself is saying, 'It is difficult to cross over, don't be a fool.' How to overcome it? He says, 'Those that take refuge in Me alone cross over this illusion.' No man can cross it through drugs, no man can cross it through some magical power - holding the nose and pressing the toes - no man can get out of it by raising his kundalini. There is only one way: take refuge at God's lotus feet. And 'at God's lotus feet' does not only mean at Sri Krishna's feet. It means at your chosen [personal, Ishta Deva] Deity's feet. Just like God took an avatar [incarnation] as Krishna, God can take an avatar as Shiva, God can take an avatar as Vishnu, God can take an avatar as Mother Kali, God can take an avatar as Bandi, God can take an avatar as Hanumanji.
Ramana Maharshi puts it very well. He says that when you are meditating your mind becomes like a dog. It sniffs and sniffs and sniffs until it smells out where the master, the Self, is.
Sri Ramakrishna puts it the other way. He says, 'You must become like a dog. Its master can dress up as a clown or a spaceman but a dog will smell its master out.'
So you and I must smell out our master, the Self, in any guise. He can come as Kali, Durga, Bandi, Sitala, even if he comes as Ravana, who cares?
A pure mind will see purity all the time. An impure mind will see impurity in the pure.
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 Puri, Swami Shivapadananda Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online... 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
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