Dualism and beyond

[Pictured: Sri Ramakrishna and the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi] 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 907

   

Lord Vishnu [Sri Madhvacharya] came and gave you the secret of Dvaita [dualism]. [Sri Adi] Shankarananda [Shankaracharya] came and gave you the secret of Advaita [non-dualism, monism]. Ramanuja came and gave you the secret of Vishishtadvaita [qualified non-dualism]. When Sri Ramakrishna came, he put all three in one. Then Master said, 'Beyond this, only the person who has travelled these paths, realised these paths, knows that path.' To him everything is natural.

Do you understand what Master's going into and coming out of samadhi [spiritual superconsciousness] means? It means he is 'relative' [dualism and qualified non-dualism], he is 'Absolute' ] non dual [Brahman], and even more than that. Sri Ramakrishna never believed in minus. He believed in plus. Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Minus is not yoga. Joining together is yoga [from the Sanskrit root word 'yuk' – to unite or 'yoke'].'

In India when all were condemning each other's religions, each other's sects, Sri Ramakrishna said, 'All these are the different aspects of God, and even more than this. What He is, He Himself knows.'

So please do not undermine yourself by thinking Master is only telling you about God. Yes, he is telling you the highest, but he can also give you the relative. Hari Om Tat Sat.

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:

Sri Ramakrishna    Sri Sarada Devi     Swami Vivekananda  

Swami Nischalananda  Swami Shivapadananda 

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