Swami Shivapadananda

Develop compassion

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

789

 

Last night, brother Chetty [a devotee] said to me that he was in India and he asked questions about the people that are suffering and if it is their karma [destiny, life-script in this birth]. Yes, of course it is their karma, but their karma can be converted into your dharma [righteous duty]. If their karma is making them suffer, you can turn their karmas, their suffering, through your spiritual practice, by doing dharma [righteous acts and behaviour]. By serving them, by going and elevating their little [not yet unaware, undeveloped] minds and directing them towards the Supreme Being. So everywhere you see a suffering man, everywhere you see people making mistakes, a bhakta, a devotee of God, will take that as an opportunity to serve [with the attitude] 'God help me not to make the same mistake. I know if that mistake is done again, the reward [karma or fruit of the action] will be painful. So Lord, I'm not going to let my fellow being suffer, I want to uplift him.' Therefore, 'raghupati raghava raja Ram, patita pavan Sita Ram'.

If the Lord said, 'all you people, everyone of you are sinners - die!' what will be your position? No – He sacrifices His high state, His formless state – he takes human form, to suffer bodily pains, to limit himself in this world, so he can become the teacher - to teach, without reward. His only reward is this: that you must put it in practice and reclaim your original state. Sat-Chid-Ananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute].

If God can sacrifice, if God can come down and He does not look upon our sins and you want to be like God, then what is our dharma [duty] when we see people suffering? Sri Krishna Bhagawan says in the Bhagavad Gita, 'O Arjuna if I stop for one second, the whole world will collapse.' For one second…the whole world will collapse. I need nothing and I don't want to give anything, but I go on acting – without motive. Can you think about this state, that you do not owe a human being anything, and yet feel that you must go on doing good? Without getting any reward? And if you worship Krishna Bhagawan, if you worship Shiva, if you worship Kartika [brother of Lord Ganesha], Ganesha or any deity, then that is the manifestation of the highest reading of the Absolute [Brahman - the undifferentiated, One consciousness]. And you have to purify your mind by doing those things that are conducive to love, compassion, selflessness. And as long as that state does not come, then what must you do? Go on Trying. Go on trying.

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

Swami Shivapadananda on serving those less fortunate

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

592

Swamiji speaking at a Yoga retreat

Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri - Swamiji's Guru] often told us, 'If you do not know starvation, you do not know suffering.' We actually have a golden spoon in our mouths. Gurudev said, 'When you are scratching in the dirt bins [as he had done in India], walking on the streets looking for a piece of bread, then you will know what starvation is.'

Think of the thousands of people in Africa who are suffering and dying. How often have you seen their faces on TV? Does your heart not go out to them? I am sure if Swami Vivekananda [lead disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] were here he would say, 'Leave this Camp, leave all this praying, go and serve them for they are the living gods waiting for your service, waiting for your worship.' How many of us think to give, give, give? How many of us live a life of selfishness and only cater for ourselves and our children?

When Sri Ramakrishna went on pilgrimage with Mathur Babu he saw thousands of people suffering on the streets of Calcutta, Benares and other places. At one starving village he got off the train, sat on the platform and said to Mathur, 'Mathur, feed them and give them two rupees each.' Mathur, being a miser and the son-in-law of Rani Rasmani [the builder of the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar] said, 'Baba, where will I get so much money to feed these people? How can I look after these people?' Master said, 'Just give as much as you can. Come.' Mathur respectfully refused.

Then Master put down his shawl and sat there and said, 'I shall never move from here, Mathur, until you feed these people. I will not go on pilgrimage. What is pilgrimage to me when my people are dying of starvation, disease and all kind of doubts?'

In the sadhu's [holy man's]  life pilgrimage is very significant but Mathur knew that if Master said something he would keep to his word, so he was forced to summon his people from Calcutta to bring money, clothing and other things. Only when these had been distributed amongst the poor did Master get up and go on his pilgrimage.

Are we doing that? Are we providing for some poor man somewhere? What is the use of you and me sitting and calling upon God, when God Himself is starving in the poor and inviting our worship in a particular way? Master himself said, 'Serve them first, then your children will be blessed, you will be blessed and God Himself will come to seek your blessing.'

If our hearts are not yet melting then we are far from the truth. There is something wrong. Our hearts are paralysed if we cannot feel for others.

The Yoga Camp itself is an embodiment of your Deity. Let that Deity now go out and serve the poor, the miserable.

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.

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2