[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Transcribed from the recordings made by Mother Radha
Day 1048
Swamiji responding to a question about people getting into trance states:
Your own mind buried in God is called samadhi [spiritual superconsciousness]. Otherwise with the other states, you are not transcending, you are binding yourself. You may still call that a trance - in this, that others transcend their barriers and enter you, limit you. Like a departed soul – it can enter you and control you. And pretend to be a higher kind of an evolved soul and take you on to the wrong path. It controls your mind. Just as a man hypnotizes someone – he controls them. Like that, if you give it a chance, through that trance, that departed soul or some other departed spirit actually hypnotizes you into its control.
You see, when you hypnotize somebody, part of their brain isn't working. That's what 'hypnotize' means. Like if you take drugs and see visions. Part of your brain is actually dwarfed [not functioning normally].
Devotee: Is it the actual brain or the mind, Papa?
Swamiji: It has an effect on both, son - on the brain and that abstract that you call mind.It will affect both. That's why these drug addicts go haywire.
Devotee: It's blanking out circuits?
Swamiji: Yes, 100%. So therefore one should not play with this trance business. I know of many people where with one look you can tell that this is a departed soul [manifesting] but he's telling you he's Kali or Durga and Bandi. But then you will be laughing to yourself.
Devotee: How can you detect this Swamiji? By their reactions, or…
Swamiji: You see son, when a doctor looks at you he knows exactly what the symptoms mean. So if a spiritual man looks - on a vibration level – he'll know.
Devotee: But a layman can't see it, Swamiji?
Swamiji: Hmm, a layman – sometimes inside of him the doubt comes and that God inside is telling him, "watch it". He can't see but God sees for him. You understand what I mean?
One yogi, very wonderfully he told me in India, he said, "don't think that when these householders [lay devotees] come that they are fools. The may be fools but God inside them is telling them, "look out!" [Swamiji chuckling] So watch it. He said, "you mustn't think that they are lying – there's something true in them saying, "hey, look out". Because they are so sincere to their deity [ishta deva] and the deity somehow makes them aware. But they don't know the deity is letting them know. You understand what I mean?
You see, I believe, in my mind and I know in my heart that if it's a real trance, it'll change your inner nature. If Hanumanji had to come on me, the real Hanuman [the great devotee of Lord Rama], then when that Hanumanji leaves me, I can't be doing evil. So the very fact that I'm still doing evil …surely…you find a man getting into a trance and all that hullabaloo, yet he's stealing, telling lies…that's where your sadhana [spiritual practice] is judged. You must watch. If you're really doing sadhana, your mind will start leaving these vices. Because it's hearing God's voice. So, if a man is getting into trances and still doing evil, it's not the real one, that. If you're doing your sadhana you don't have to worry, because your sadhana will take care of it. It's like saying that one man is darkness and you are light. What must you fear from darkness? Because no sooner it comes to you, it'll disappear. If you ask the sun, "you know what darkness is?" the sun will say, "what are you talking about? It's not in my vocabulary." [Swamiji chuckling merrily] That's one thing the sun is ignorant about. So, is your trance question is answered?
Why some people jump about and so on, that too you see, they're actually concentrating on that kind of a deity. "Come and destroy my enemies," and all that. So if they've got into the mood, they carry on like that. If you're thinking of murdering and smoking ganja [marijuana] – if you smoke it – you'll find you want to murder. If you want to sit peacefully and smoke the same ganja you'll sit down peacefully.
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