[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
761
When [Lord] Krishna says, 'I do not take birth,' "I" here means the Incarnations [Avatars]. Krishna goes on to say, 'In reality you don't take birth.' Here he is talking about the spirit; he is talking about other people's spirit. But when he talks about himself he talks about the body and the soul because there is no separation between the Lord's body and the Lord's soul; they are Satchidananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss - Absolute]. Everyone is born, everyone dies. Even Sri Krishna's body was shot by an arrow. I understand it like that.
[Pravrajika] Atmaprana [the first Sannyasini (Hindu nun) of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]: The mother and father getting together is only for the purpose of the body, not the soul, isn't that so?
Swamiji: Oh yes. But I wouldn't use the word 'body'. I'd say, 'For the purpose of form.'
Atmaprana: The mind and the soul are separate things, but how is it that there are certain traits you find in the mother and father that are similar in the child?
Swamiji: I gave you an example earlier: Swami Vivekananda's [lead disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] soul was attracted to that particular body. It's not that his parents gave him those characteristics. Those characteristics were always there, only the soil was needed for it to grow.
Atmaprana: At what stage is the mind or soul attracted to the child?
Swamiji: Soul is omnipresent.
Atmaprana: The individual soul?
Swamiji: No. Wait a minute. Don't go that way. Soul is omnipresent. Omnipresent means it's everywhere. Finished. Put it to one side in a box.
At what stage does this glass become transparent? [tapping the glass table] Isn't this earth? Just as this glass here becomes transparent at a certain level or under certain conditions, similarly the elements, with certain energy, when they reach a particular degree of evolution, then in that something that we call mind (though it is still material), on reaching a certain degree of vibration it is able to become clear. And that omnipresent thing is captured in it. That's what we call individual soul.
Because this mind thinks it is this material thing, it is called soul. And, because of its stronger thought all the time, in that way it will keep taking birth, like that, because it has projected itself in that way. What takes birth? The mind. What is called 'individual soul'? The mind. Is it explained?
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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