[Pictured: sign outside old Hindu temple]
[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 980
Females get very cross when I say they must not do Hanumanji's puja [ritual worship] during their period [menstrual cycle]. Now they don't understand this. This is in the scriptures. You can sit and do the Hanuman Chalisa 11 times but don't use the ingredients – camphor, light [lamp/dia] and so on. Japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of the many names attributed to God] is not stopped. Japa you continue doing because no breath can be stopped – it's Prana [or Qi,chi]. Only the ritual [worship] is stopped. What is the difference if you say Hanuman Chalisa and on the other hand say 'Ram Ram'? [the name of Lord Rama] It's the same thing.
So you can do the recital but not the gross offerings. That is all you stop. It's very subtle. It's so subtle… when you walk where there's dirty places you may not like it, but you'll still breathe. You don't stop breathing. But you won't eat food there. You know why? It's a physical thing [repugnance]. On prana level it's always pure. But on a physical level it is not pure. That is why. For your own cleanliness - not that it will affect God.
You know why they say that when you do Satya Narayan katha and janda [ritual prayers followed by flag - janda - raising] or other prayer services, you must fast - do you know why? You know what the reason is? Halfway in the prayer service you may want to go to the toilet. [all chuckle] This is true! Keep yourself empty so you can listen to the katha properly. A real pandit [the officiating priest] will tell you that, 'go and relieve yourself, wash and come back.' If I drank five cups of tea, you think I'm going to sit for two hours? This may sound very silly but it's true. I'm telling you what is true. God is not affected by your fasting. Neither is he affected by your feasting. But your mind is affected and your body is also affected. Do you understand what I am saying?
Now the next question you ask me, is why? There are certain things that even doctors can't explain but it takes place. Why do people go mentally off [balance]? Worry [stress] they say. What actually happens? They don't know. Similarly if a woman is in her menstrual cycle there is a test that is conducted. They say that if there are some jars of pickle, a woman that is not menstruating can take some from a jar and it's unaffected. But let the menstruating woman have contact with that same jar and see what happens. It turns bad. Now this is not explainable. I'm not telling you something of which I'm not sure – otherwise I wouldn't tell you. So there are certain things you can't explain, but it happens.
Devotee: Can a woman go to the temple if she's menstruating?
Swamiji: Mother Sarada Devi [the nun-wife of Sri Ramakrishna] put a stop to one thing. When someone asked her, 'Ma, can I pray [in the temple] she said, 'Go and have a bath and pray.' It's written in Mother's complete works – go and read it. Somebody else asked the same question. 'Yes,' she said, have a bath and carry on'. She changed the old rule.
Devotee asks if menstruating women are allowed in the kitchen.
Swamiji: It's not about women being banned from the kitchen. In those days when a woman was menstruating she actually had to stay in her own room. Later on she was allowed out of her room, but couldn't enter the kitchen. Now she can enter the kitchen. As the beliefs slowly change… But actually this is not done for any reason of prejudice but for cleanliness.
But now a scientific man will argue that this is just an ordinary secretion and how can a secretion be a problem? But if your nostrils start leaking [mucous] into your mouth, you don't say, 'oh it's just a secretion'. [devotees laughing heartily]. I just want you to see [visualise] this. There are certain things I can tell you in words but it may not make a picture. But certain descriptions I give it will make a perfect picture [Swamiji and devotees laughing]. Doesn't it? [devotees agreeing]. Not to say it's anything bad – please get this again. There's nothing wrong with it.
Supposing a man is really sick and he calls upon Hanumanji, you think Hanumanji won't assist him? He has to, because he's my father. Swamiji recites from the prayer 'twameva mata cha pita twameva' [thou art my mother and thou art my father] but at least give it its due respect. Give it?...its due respect. That is from a ritual point of view. Otherwise, where is there no God? Show me one place. Even that [bodily secretions] is God's form. That is the highest. To know that you have to follow rules and regulations, which are called ordinary discipline. Nothing to worry about. Everything is good.
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, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
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
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