DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
680
Swamiji continues speaking on the Katha Upanishad
For three days Death was absent and for three days Nachiketa went through hell. They call it spiritual darkness. (You will also find it in the Christian scriptures - also 'Dark night of the soul'. Described by Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Theresa of Lisieux in her biography) They call it spiritual night or spiritual darkness. For three days he went through intense tapasya [austerity/suffering]. Yamaraja [lord of death], who was absent, took no notice of his prayers but he was advised that a Brahmin was there waiting for him.
A guest [according to Hindu tradition] should be treated like God, so now Nachiketa was treated like a god - he was offered water and food. Then his host asked him, 'What do you want?' Now Nachiketa was not to be satisfied with the hospitality given to him. He did not just take all the gifts and leave. He said, 'I've come to learn from you.'
There is a very important verse one comes across in the Katha Upanishad. It describes how we are born like corn, we grow like corn, we ripen like corn and we dry out like corn, and then again that corn grows and we are born again. They are speaking about reincarnation, they are speaking about ordinary souls who are controlled by nature and destiny. Corn stands for you and me who do not want to take the spiritual life. We are born like that. We take it for granted that we must eat, drink, make merry and die. And when that happens we are born and reincarnation follows reincarnation.
But Nachiketa is separated from that kind of plant existence, a life controlled by nature. He is an intelligent being. He is using his intelligence to find out what is beyond dying - beyond being controlled by nature and destiny. Now that verse, at first sight looks like a misfit but it is not. Later on you read about shreyas and preyas. Preyas is that plant life. Shreyas is Nachiketa's life where he chooses what to do. He does not just go blindly through life controlled by sensual pleasures. When you take that verse then the whole thing fits in very well.
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
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