Swami Shivapadananda

Swami Shivapadananda on Swami Adbhutananda’s insight vs. education

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

578

   

Latu Maharaj one of Master's direct disciples - also known as Swami Adbhutananda - has a wonderful history. And he had a wonderful association with Sri Ramakrishna. He was a man that was illiterate, he was a man that was only a cook. Nobody knew what caste or creed he belonged to.

While Latu Maharaj was serving Master [Sri Ramakrishna] at the Dakshineswar Temple, Master decided to teach him Sanskrit. Master gave him a couple of lessons but then, realizing it was hopeless, they both started laughing. Both had failed.

Master took him from where he was and thus proved to us that learning is no criterion for spirituality. Latu Maharaj later became a great saint and catered for his type of people. You can see how wonderful Master was, he even thought of those people who were illiterate and who may not have come in contact with saints and sages. These people had been left in the lurch as far as spirituality was concerned. Sri Ramakrishna manifested himself through Latu and gave the world a person who stunned even Swami Vivekananda [Sri Ramakrishna's leading disciple].

When Swami Vivekananda came back to India from the West he brought a group of Western disciples with him. He was showing these disciples some ancient ruins and explaining to them how they came to be and what their history was. Latu Maharaj was standing in the background listening to this and asked Swami Vivekananda, 'But how is that? How can that happen?' Swamiji tried to make him understand but, like a little child, Latu butted in every time. Now Swami Vivekananda was trying to impress the Western disciples and here was this fellow butting in. Of course Swami Vivekananda got very agitated and told him, 'Go from here. What does an illiterate man like you know?' To Swami Vivekananda's surprise Latu started rolling about with laughter. Swamiji became most concerned about this and asked him what was wrong with him. He said, 'No, I'm just laughing. I'm laughing at your education. If you, with your education, cannot make an illiterate man like me understand, then what is the use of your education?' This struck him like a thunderbolt and Swami Vivekananda, the tornado of spirituality, was humbled.

Do you see what greatness Master had? He compared the apparently low to the high and made that so called low even higher than the one who was considered to be high.

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

 

Sri Ramakrishna on finding fault

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.

Day 420

My Guru said: If you point one finger at another person, you point three fingers at yourself, and the thumb says, 'I am the witness.'

If you are a human being you are made out of five elements, just like everyone else, so why must others be full of faults but not you? If you are a devotee of God, all are devotees of God and you cannot find fault with them.

Sri Ramakrishna said: All religions are true, like rivers, running crooked or straight to the sea called God.

If you think you are Brahman, you are the Self. To find fault, you must compare with someone. God is perfect, so how to find fault with his devotees?

Sri Ramakrishna's life is so subtle. Understand it first and then come to him. And if you love Sri Ramakrishna, you must know why you love him. Examine him and then worship him.

We are all leaves and Sri Ramakrishna is the trunk. A tree has a thousand leaves and they come and go, it has many branches, but the trunk really is the Deity.

Take your deity and see all deities in Him. Pray sincerely and glorify Him. If God asks you, 'What do you want?' You must say, 'I want to love You Lord, I want to know You.' Then you will get everything.

Pray like this: O Lord, may I love you eternally. 

Swami Shivapadananda on the symbolism of Vishnu

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 333

 

All relationships spring from the mind. All experiences are mental, psychological - do not categorise them. Then you will become aware of the mental modifications, and eventually realise that ‘I’ and ‘me’ is nothing but a thought. Realisation of this leads to perfect freedom.

How does energy (comprising the mind) become violent? See it and throw it out. Only then there is no more violence.

Vishnu [the aspect of God representing preservation] carries several things [objects in his hands]: Shankam, this is OM [or AUM], the symbol of Brahman. Out of this was created the whole world. Padam is flower. It indicates, “I am love.” Chakra [disc or wheel]: ‘With this I cut your karma asunder,’ says Vishnu. Gada [club]: ‘To make you pay your karma I use Shiva, the gada,’ says Vishnu. Watch out.

Desire itself does the action. Work itself happens. Do not think ‘I do the work.’

‘I and my Father are One.’ Every reaction, every thought, word and deed separates me from Him. So surrender all to God, the fruits of your actions and yourself. Only then we are One. When you are united in thought, word and deed, there is nothing you cannot do. Body, mind and spirit must become one to return to the Source, God. Therefore it is so necessary to have a guru. Do not worry if the guru is worthy. Are you worthy?

Even thinking of a stone as God, will take you to God.

You are only impure in thought. So purify your thought with the thought of God. Control the mind through breathing. Meditation controls the mind, calms the mind. This leads to the control of anger, to the control of the sex organs. Practise deep rhythmic breathing. Offer the breath to God by using the guru mantra [sacred word, syllable or name of God]. A God-man gives all for God and lives on nothing.

Click on 'Continue reading' below to find out about CDs of Swamiji speaking.

Swami Shivapadananda on seeing God in the 'ugly'

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 265

Question: Why do we only see God in beautiful things? Swamiji: Just think God is in all. God is all. We do not have to see Him in all.

If you knock the door must be opened. For all those who have knowledge, it has been opened, so make your mind pure, and worship [God in] the ugly.

What is death? Find out. Then you will think the ugly is the same as the beautiful. You do not have to realise you are God, because you are God. That is all. And when you worship the ugly you see only beauty everywhere. Then you can go beyond. That is God.

To understand the guru just keep quiet and watch. The guru is only one. Just as you only have one father, you cannot change him, no matter what. So regard others, not as ‘my guru,’ but as ‘my teacher,’ or ‘my father’ and so on. There is no substitute for the guru. You can have a substitute for God but not for the guru. The guru gives you his power at initiation. He wants you to become one with him - God - but he does not really care who comes and who goes. You are not of great importance to him. Just think of him continuously and serve him selflessly, become one with him.

As your thoughts become more pure, you will see him in all. Then his physical form will disappear and only the spirit will remain. At present you think of the guru as ‘that man over there.’ Rather think of his spirit form, that is, without name and form, because guru is God, is your Self. The lower kind of view of the guru, as the physical form, is a projection of your own mind only. The higher view of the guru is him as a spirit form, or as your own Self. You will get strength to do this, and more too. This is the Law.

Swami Shivapadananda on aspects of God

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 253

Swamiji to a Hanuman devotee: You must first see Sri Ramakrishna seated on your head on a lotus, and worship Him. After that you prostrate to him and carry on with your worship of Hanuman.

Hanuman is the Guru personalised. Hanuman is the bodiless Guru. Other Gurus may have bodies but he guides you without a body. May the Guru of Gurus be happy on us.

Swamiji to a devotee: See the Ishta devata [personal Deity] sitting in the Sun. Devotee: But I do not have a form. Swamiji: Think of it as supreme intelligence - feel He is in the sun. It [the Sun] is not just a gaseous mass, it is living intelligence.

What I tell you, you must keep doing. Do not reverse, then my mind will not answer. I will say, Mother knows best.

Swami Yatiswarananda says, “The seeker seeks the company of God. You and God together are strongest. Otherwise you are weak.” Speak about God otherwise it is weakness.

Sri Ramakrishna said: “Some sannyasis [monks, renunciates] do sadhana [spiritual practice] only for their own moksha [liberation from the cycle of birth and death]. Sukadeva [said to have told the 'story' of the Bhagavatam] etc. did it for the benefit of others.” Sri Ramakrishna also falls into this category.

[Clearly to a smoker in the midst!] Smoking creates the physical craving of the cells. Take chewing gum or a sweet when you feel that craving.

 

Swami Vivekananda on unity in diversity

"I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."

Swami Vivekananda
Representing Hinduism
Parliament of Religions
Chicago World Fair
11 September 1893.

Swami Shivapadananda on Hanuman and Sri Ramakrishna

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 242

Reading the Sundarakand [exploits in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana] about Hanuman, brings happiness.

It is very important to take spiritual life seriously. Rely on Hanuman, call on him in thought, word and deed; and do what he does.

Swami Vivekananda said, “Everyone on the spiritual path must worship Hanuman first. He is a perfect sannyasi [renunciate], a perfect brahmachari [sense-controlled, God-conscious celibate], a perfect bhakta [devotee]. He is perfect in every way.” To recite the Hanuman Chalisa - you must be clean in thought, word and deed. When Hanuman is happy with you everything comes right. He is the Guru personified - the bodiless Guru. That means he guards you without a body.

Worship a God-realised soul and you will realise God. You are not forced to accept Isvara [the dualistic God] or AUM [the non-dualistic, One consciousness]. But it gives the principle that will make the mind concentrated. And when you have no thought waves you become God-realised.

Always know that Sri Ramakrishna is a unique manifestation of God - that is my experience. No master under the sun was born like him in this Yuga [era,epoch, age]. There is no peer to Hanuman or to Sri Ramakrishna. If you emphasise Master’s [Sri Ramakrishna’s] personality you become a fanatic. Emphasise his Absolute love instead. He gave Absolute love to the Absolute world - we must give Absolute love to the Absolute world.

You can pray for others if you think your God is living. Ask with faith and a pure heart, full of love for your Deity. And because thought is a living force, positive thought must affect the person’s subtle body. In fact you are praying for their subtle body.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on marital sacrifice

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 233

Speaking to householders [i.e. non-monastic devotees] 

AUM must be the goal in the householder’s life. First a couple must live in such a way as to please the Creator. Then, in the love from the Creator, you must give to neighbours and friends. We cannot fly with one wing, we must have two [i.e. be a couple]. Be like a fruit tree - it does not eat its own fruit, it give it to others. This leads to love. Be happy on the same path. What makes one happy depends on the other. The sun gives light to others, not to itself. The river never drinks its own water, it gives it to others. A husband and wife must live like this. Nothing comes without sacrifice - there must be great sacrifice on both sides.

After Shivaratri [the  all-night worship of Lord Shiva, the aspect of God that destroys ignorance]
You worshipped Shiva all night, and repeated his name with devotion and without devotion - it does not matter so long as you did your best.

Discrimination is the sword to cut down the tree of worldliness. Cut it down so that it will not re-grow. In your household life there is knowledge of God too. The Veda also gives you birth and death. And you go to heaven or hell*. [see footnote] You should not fall asleep.

God, out of His grace, has created this divine lila. That’s why Sri Ramakrishna said, “This is a mansion of mirth.” But this can only be said if you regard life as a divine lila.

Do good and rise above worldliness.

There is a great difference between shallow breathing and deep breathing. Shallow breathing is not good because you are not taking in enough oxygen, and when you breathe out, you do not breathe out enough [exhale sufficiently]. We need fresh air for the cells.

Footnote: Swamiji spoke of seven planes of existence. Some in which you worked out (enjoyed) merits from your previous birth and others in which your worked out demerits (suffered) as a result of what you had done in your previous birth. This would have been the reference to 'hell'.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on 'One God, many perspectives'

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 192

Sri Ramakrishna said, “He who forbears survives and becomes great. O mind, be happy, float in bliss. In Brahman there is no disease, no death. In severe illness be cheerful and die in the lap of God.”

Question: Each of his disciples answered differently when asked about Sri Ramakrishna’s illness. One said he was testing them, another said it was the touch of impure people. One said that he was so great and was in Nirvikalpa [without form/non-dual] Samadhi [superconsciousness] all the time, and another said that it was all his lilas [divine ‘play’]. Which is right, Swamiji?

Swamiji: All are correct, depending on the different disciples. This applies to other things too. Yes, God is One and all are seeing God. Question: How is it they are all correct? Swamiji: God is only One, all are seeing the Divine.

The first devotee to realise that Sri Ramakrishna is an Avatar [incarnation of God] was Srinivasan, an old man in the forest. When Sri Ramakrishna was very young, he worshipped him and said, “When you play your divine lila I will not be there to see it.”

Later in Master’s life the great pundits of that time had many meetings and arguments, then concluded that Sri Ramakrishna was an Avatar [incarnation of God].

Many people symbolise the Deity. Like in the Ramayana ]the Hindu scriptural epic] we read that Ravana took Sita away. But really it is the impure mind that takes us away from the pure mind. And to have a pure mind you need 3 things:

1. Only say what you can do. If you cannot do, do not say.

2. Keep good company.

3. Read holy books.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on the different Yogas

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 91

Jnana Yoga [The yoga of knowledge] can be very dry sometimes. But we must penetrate through the words and try to realize the truths thereof. It is not like Bhakti Yoga [the yoga of devotion] where the heart is more involved and the intellect swims in love. Jnana Yoga is difficult - like in the desert there is an oasis. In Karma Yoga [the yoga of work or action offered to God] more action is needed.

Raja Yoga [the yoga aimed at awakening the Kundalini or primal power through meditation and other practices] is the king of yogas. The mind controls the mind. All four yogas go together.

The thought of Brahman [the ultimate reality] is supported by Brahman - no other thing supports it.

The greatness of the Lord does not need the support of anything else.

Originally the Aryans in India were nomads, with cattle, with kings, with elephants. They had no temples. They symbolized God as nature - which is never imperfect.

Sri Ramakrishna said, “Take a man from where he is.” Swami Vivekananda said, “One coat does not fit Tom, Dick and Harry.”

Hanuman [the great devotee of incarnation Lord Rama] is my solace. Rama asked him, “Who are you?” Hanuman replied, “If I think I am the body, I am your servant. If I think I am an individual soul, I am part of you, a spark of yourself. If I know I am Brahman, you and I are One.” Was Hanuman a monkey? Yes, he was a monkey plus. God is always plus.

The Infinite includes you in it. God is Almighty. God is not God without the might of one ant. The ant’s might is His, the worm’s might is His - plus He is infinitely more than we know.

Posted by Clive Simpkins