[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 969
What is needed in spiritual life is understanding, faith [shraddha] and love [bhakti]. You first understand carefully. After understanding, then have tremendous faith. But that faith will not work until you make it flow in the ocean of love. That ocean of love is your heart.
How to cultivate that love? That song of yours… [Swamiji asks a devotee]... what does it say? What does it think about this world? Sing it for me - what it thinks about this world?
Devotee instead speaks the words of the song to Swamiji.
Swamiji translates: You know what he [the composer] says? In Gujarati [an Indian language] it says, 'Oh Lord, I call you morning and evening with bhava [deep spiritual feeling] or bhakti [divine love, devotion], come, come, day time and night time I'm calling you, continuously - come.'
How do I think or look at this world as it is appearing to me now? You sing it every time but do you feel it like that? So if we don't feel it then how can it come, that bhava? How do you see this world? He says, 'To me this world appears like a dark well. I mean it. Dark. Beside you O Lord, who else can save me from it? In thought, word and deed, karam and bhacchan, I am now calling you – come and save me.'
But do you think that this world is a dark place? In other words, what's very openly being asked is the question, 'Is there any distaste [vairagya, dispassion] for you? Have you given up this world? Do you feel that this world is not the most important thing in your life? Do you feel that this world is not giving you that happiness that you want?' If you don't feel it then how can the Lord come? Where is he going to come from? Because it's you, yourself with your own darkness -your love of material things, covering him up - he's there already. He's not there or there – he's here already but you're covering him up.
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