[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 983
God is the wish-fulfilling tree. 'Wish-fulfilling tree' means that God gives anything to everybody – whatever they want. But the fruit [result, fulfillment, implications] means the taste of it is your business [responsibility]. I'll give you an example. If I'm sitting here and I say, 'Krishna Bhagawan, I want an apple,' God comes as an apple, I take it, 'Mmm, apple.' God came as apple – I'm eating the apple. Krishna Bhagawan I like chillies. What happened? Enjoyment but the other side burns [on excretion].
God comes in whatever desire you want. But the result is yours. So watch. Just watch what kind of desire you have in you. God is a beautiful thing – a wish-fulfilling tree. If I say Kali, God will come as Kali. And whatever Mother Kali does, I'll have to do. I say Christ, he comes as Christ. I say Ramakrishna, he comes as Ramakrishna – broad-minded, wide, embracing the whole world. So what do you want? Think about what I am saying. You may not understand what Swamiji says, but that's wish-fulfilling, my Lord is that. You desire a beautiful girl, he'll come as a beautiful girl. After that, with all the children, working, troubles and so on – that's your business. Think of a sannyasi [Hindu monk or nun, sannyasini] he'll come as sannyasi, blissful, calm, serene.
If you want to steal - go and steal. God will provide an opportunity. He'll make some loophole somewhere. Go and steal. He doesn't care, he comes in that form. He gives you all that. Go and steal but when you get caught, then that's your business [karma]. You see – you desire one thing but you don't think about what you desire, indirectly, with it. Suppose I have a desire to steal a golden bracelet. Actually, along with that I have desired jail, I desired a hiding [punishment], I desired disapproval, all that - the side-effects. I'm only looking at the main wish but the other things involved are also indirect desires.
You've already desired [many things]. What have you already desired? Children, working hard, sweating, money – you have desired all of this already. You know, this is called a bonus. [devotees chuckle]. You say to God, give me pure love, you're actually saying to God come in the form of pure love to me. I don't want you to come in any other form because this is what I want. And whatever you ask God for, he will fulfill.
Think about your other births. Think about what you desired from seven years of age in this birth. You are paying for all of that now. You have desired God in all these different forms. He can't stop coming now - he's already taking that form - you'll have to see him! What I am telling you is very logical. God knows what he is doing. Think about it.
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