[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 807
Of course there must be "fun and floric"[this was Swamiji's fun way of reversing the words 'fun and frolic'] - we don't need any paw-paw [papaya, long, glum-looking] faced people here - we have enough of those. But this fun and frolic should be so good that it will give you joy. The most important thing is that whatever you laugh and joke about, let it be associated with God.
After Master's [Sri Ramakrishna's] passing Swami Vivekananda and his brother disciples would walk in the grounds of the Baranagore Math and Swami Vivekananda would take two steps and fall into samadhi [superconsciousness]. His fellow disciples would laugh and say, "Oh, Thakurji [the name used for Sri Ramakrishna, meaning, 'the Master] got in samadhi [superconsciousness]." Sometimes they would start dancing around Swami Vivekananda and then they also would get the joy of his ecstasy.
Master [Sri Ramakrishna] had a little [vocal] stammer and his close disciples would [lovingly] imitate him. Thus their minds were dwelling on the steady intellect of Sri Ramakrishna all the time. This type of action helps us to protect our minds from entering into the world.
One of the things that a speaker [i.e. giving a talk or lecture] should remember is that when he is speaking there should not be any doubt or hesitation. You will hesitate only when you want to put in your own ideas. If you take your words direct from the scriptures, what hesitation is there?
Devotee: How does a holy man walk and talk?
Swamiji: I can tell you how he'll talk - he'll talk sattvic [pure, balanced] things. He'll talk scriptures - he will not condemn the scriptures. But I don't know how you are going to describe a holy man who has a mind that is established in Brahman [the One, indivisible universal Consciousness]. You cannot detect his walking. He is like a Paramahamsa [the highest echelons of holiness. Lit: great swan, said to be able to separate milk from water - a metaphor for discerning spirituality from worldliness] sometimes he behaves like a ghoul [ghost], sometimes he behaves like a child, sometimes he sits down and sleeps. But in all these actions there will be one thing in common: there will be non-injury [ahimsa - non-injury on thought, word or deed]] - even to an ant. He will not injure anybody.
When he talks he will not go against the scriptures, he will always speak that which is in the scriptures and will even clarify some of the topics. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is an example of this.
How does he sit? There too, his sitting is only sitting in the Atman [Universal soul]. You can't detect his sitting from the outside.
There is nowhere that God is not. God is always there because He himself has become 'That' [which is, which we see and experience and also which we do not see and experience]. And God's walking, talking and sitting cannot be made out [discerned] (though to some extent the talking can be made out) except that it will do no harm to others. Paramahamsa Ramakrishna himself was an example of that. To God everything is Himself. Sri Ramakrishna did not harm anybody - he did not destroy anybody. He behaved in a way that made people think of the highest Being. Somehow he makes you think about God.
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. For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below: 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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