[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:
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