SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Taken from Mother Radha’s
notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.
Day 55
Karma [destiny] goes with
dharma [spirituality], so transcend karma with dharma.
You are not repeating, ‘I am
strong, I am holy,’ therefore you are weak.
We want more beauty. But we
do not think what is behind that beauty.
Do not do japa [repetition of
God’s name] as you fall asleep. Rather think of God or think of His lilas
[literally plays]. And the best one is to think you are in God’s lap. M’s [Mahendranath
Gupta, the householder disciple who recorded Sri Ramakrishna’s life and
teachings in ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’] last words were: O Master [Sri
Ramakrishna], O Mother [Sri Sarada Devi], take me on your lap.
Be humble in front of the
guru [teacher], surrender to him.
The catch is repeating His
[God’s] name. If you do not do so, the mind will run. Do this consistently for
six months, you will be a changed person.
When the form does not appear
during meditation do the Dhyana Sloka [the invocation mantra of the Guru]. Do
not worry. Keep the mind where you meditate. Slowly it comes.
Do the guru mantra. The mind
will revolt but you must. You must sit and ride the wild horse of the mind.
Then the horse will listen to you and not do what it wants. This is the
determination you must have. Who are you to judge your progress? God will judge
for you. When God sees you trying, trying, He will help you.
Latu Maharaj [pictured - later Swami
Adbhutananda, a monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, described as Sri Ramakrishna's 'miracle' by Swami Vivekananda. The genuinely illiterate Latu was transformed by the touch of Sri Ramakrishna] worked hard all day and
went home in the evening to practise austerities. Without austerities, nothing
is gained.
Can Sri Ramakrishna’s words be anything but true? When you read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna you must have the same faith his devotees had at that time.
Posted by Clive Simpkins
