Swami Shivapadananda

One deity in all

Pictured: Saint Theresa of Lisieux, taken in 1895

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Transcribed from the recordings made by Mother Radha

Day 1038

You look at your deity [ishta deva] and all these attributes…put them on your deity. Sing this Hanuman Chalisa to your deity. That's the idea. I don't see anything else but Shiva (Swamiji's original chose deity). He is the glorious one to me. He is my Ramakrishna, he is my Sarada Devi, he is my Kali, he is my Durga, he is my Sitala, he is my Subramanya, he is my Ganesha. Don't you see if I hold Shamolia [a favoured child] I see all of those attributes? She doesn't change into lolling tongues or forms. It's the same thing. Chalo. Close your eyes. See your deity, your chosen deity. Sing the Hanuman Chalisa to that deity. [Swamiji and devotees sing the Hanuman Chalisa].

Repeat mentally, the deity's mantra [sacred word or sound syllable] that you are given when you are initiated. If you are not initiated [formally into spiritual life by a guru - spiritual preceptor - or teacher], then AUM [or OM] is a beautiful mantra to use for your deity. Or use its name attached to AUM and end with namaha. [example: AUM Ganeshaya namah, AUM Jesunataya (Lord Jesus) namah]. You must do that with the utmost faith that the deity is the almighty lord – the highest, Absolute, unreadable, made legible or readable for you. Think like that and say the deity's mantra 10 times, silently.

There are three ways of repeating mantra. You can say the mantra like this [out loud] while you still look at your deity. [Swamiji gives the example] "OM namo bhagavate Vasudevaya". That's one. And the second one is when your lips and tongue move but you cannot hear your own words. And the last one is that neither your tongue nor your lips move and mentally you look at your deity and repeat the mantra 10 times. Either counting it on your fingers or if you can just keep count, that is good. But the highest way to do it – the highest one – after a lot of effort, is this last one. Where you don't shape your tongue or lips but in calmness and breathing properly, you repeat your deity's name. Feel the purity and divinity of your deity permeating your whole body. Every cell. While looking at the deity. Look at the deity again. And let us now worship the deity with the word AUM – the highest symbol in the Vedas [the foundational Hindu scriptures], the sound symbol of the deity. [Swamiji leads the satsang in chanting of the Mahamrityunjaya mantra.]

OM tryambakam yajamahe
sugandhim pushti vardhanam
urvarukamiva bandhanan
mrityor muksheya mamritat

Everything that you see – even this space – your deity has become that. Feel it like that. And when you open your eyes, silently use your gurumantra to look at the deity and you'll be able to see it. [Swamiji and devotees sit in silent meditation].

Now this is very great – this is sadhana [spiritual practice]. This is the whole of spiritual life. A person has to struggle, he has to really struggle, he has to struggle to bring his mind again to the One without a second. That is concentration. Looking at the deity's form is contemplation. And when you contemplate, you concentrate and enter into meditation. Then you enter into?...meditation. Now the steps are these: All of us are used to the physical manifestation of God. When you look at the deity outside – it's still physical – in a murti [image, picture]. It is your deity that has become this universe; therefore it is your deity that has also become that particular form as a particular deity. You have realised the gross [physical]. Now the idea is to realise the subtle. How to do it? Step by step. So you take it. Some people enter into the mental realm. Where they see their deity mentally. When you see your deity you are still in the mental realm. And as you utter your mantra you will slowly, from the physical and gross, then from the mental realm, it will enter into the subtle. From the subtle it'll enter into the subtler. From the subtler, it will enter into the subtlest. That is the?...spiritual.

Now I want you to go step by step. Most of us think that we hear, but when the scriptures say you must listen, all of us take it for granted that we hear. But many of us have to learn to hear. You know, Christ also said something to the effect that people have ears but can't hear. [Christian Bible New Testament, Matthew 13: 1-3:  "…because seeing, they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed".]

They think they're hearing but they're not hearing. If you 'think' you are hearing, you're not hearing. You 'think' there is a God and you're not seeing God. You're thinking God. So your mind is getting to the mental realm. From the mental realm, as you spiritualise it by the mantra, it will enter into the spiritual realm. The subtlest. The idea is, from the gross, to move into subtle. From subtle you must move into the?...subtlest.

Now some people think this is nonsense - closing your eyes. And then this is nonsense to see God everywhere. You see, when I look at a gross thing and yet when I think of God permeating it, I'm still going above the physical state. I'm going to the mental state. From the mental state, when I don't think any more, it'll become spiritual. Without entering the first stage you can never get to the last stage. And you think that everything must happen as a miracle? There's no miracle.

Everything has got a set rule. A set road. A set method. Everything has got a set approach. Even God has got a set way for reaching him. Only, some do it knowingly. And some do it unknowingly. When unknowingly it happens – then the devotee thinks a miracle has happened. But unknowingly he has travelled a certain path. He does not know, that unknowingly he has purified himself. Agents of purification use different methods. He has done it. Similarly, Lord Muhammed unknowingly travelled a lot of [spiritual] distance and saw it and projected it outside. But it's not miracles.

There is only one road – and that is through the mind. The mind is the gateway to this world. The mind is the gateway to hell. The mind is the gateway to heaven. And the mind is the gateway to the Self. Everything is the mind. Take your mind away and put the food there to taste. [Swamiji joking] Never mind, because the mind is not there. Now this, maybe now because your mind is concentrated, you are taking it, but please make a note, I stress this - make a note of what this fellow [Swamiji] says. Then you go read whatever scripture you like. Don't go and get blocked in entanglement or a maze – this is a sin. Go and take this practice. Some people ask me, "Swamiji for 10 years I'm doing only my deity – what after that?" After that it will come automatically. Just do that now. You think you're meditating on your deity. You haven't meditated yet. If you'd meditated on your deity for 10 years you know what would be your position? You'll go mad [with divine fervour].

Sri Ramakrishna uses a secret – a wonderful secret. He says, "The whole thing is to intensify – to intensely yearn for God." You will really know that you are making progress on the sadhana road when your mind intensely wants him and him alone. Until such a time comes, that means you are not really doing it. Your mind must only want him. And when you want him, don't make other people's lives miserable. You get miserable yourself. Why? Because you want him. So there is just one thing in this world you are short of [God] when you yourself get miserable. When you make others miserable, then you are running short of many things – which is Maya [God's power of illusion/delusion]. This is another secret. When you make others miserable then that means that you are what?...running after many things - Maya. When you yourself alone get miserable, then don't make others miserable. Others will look at you and say, "Holy man, look at the holy man," they'll prostrate. They will do everything. But he's just miserable, he just wants God. But your misery inside for that thing [God] is happiness for these people. Because light penetrates, permeates. Think of Mirabai – how miserable she was – crying, 'Krishna, Krishna." Think of Saint Theresa [pictured above], scrubbing the floor all the time. She didn't make anybody miserable. Others were trying to make her miserable – but she did not make others miserable.

Now this is a secret. Write it once and for all in your heart. Papers will get lost. You open it up and it goes away. Perchance you'll become conscious that when you hurt somebody it'll hurt you even more. Others will hurt others and become happy. They think, "good, I put that fellow right", or "put her right".

Yearn in your heart my son, for God and God?...alone.

[Swamiji exclaims in a loud voice] Bolo, Sri Ramakrishna bhagawaniki, jai! Who did you think of? Who you thought of? [Swamiji chuckling] You see…your deity, again! You see how quickly you forget? Bolo, Sri Ramakrishna bhagawaniki, jai! Bolo Mahamayaki, jai! Gangamayaki, jai! Swamiji gurumahrajiki [Swami Vivekananda], jai! Om sri satgurudeviki, jai! Sarvarishi muniniki, jay! Om namo Narayanaya!

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

Ishta Deva issues

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Day 1015

Swamiji continues speaking on the Ishta Deva [Personal Deity or Chosen Ideal] and related issues:

There's another difficult aspect that I taught myself to deal with. Some days I would close my eyes and the form of Krishna would appear, some days Hanuman would come, some days Ramakrishna would come, some days Shiva would come. And I used to get so fed-up [upset]. And I thought, 'What must I do now?' I went to Gurudev [Swamiji's beloved Guru, His Holiness Swami Nischalananda Puri], I said, 'Gurudev, you know what I worship, but all these other deities are coming.' I thought I was very great you see. [all laugh] I said, 'all these deities are coming, what must I do with them?' He said, 'what keeps coming?' I told him, 'sometimes this deity, sometimes that deity…' He said, 'Your mind is restless. But never mind – it's still the mind.' Never mind, it's still the?...mind.

When your mind behaves like that there are two things you can do. Slowly bring it from the other form, back to your deity. If that doesn't happen, meditate on that particular [manifesting] deity thinking that God has now taken that form. Your deity has taken that form. But don't change the mantra![sacred sound syllable, phrase or one of the many names attributed to God] That's the secret. Don't change the mantra but know that another form has come. Suppose I'm meditating on Christ and Ramakrishna appears. And I usually say, 'Hail Jesus, hail Jesus.' Must I now change to Ramakrishna's name? 'Om Ramakrishnaya namah, Om Ramakrishnaya namah?' Then after a little bit of time I go back to 'Om namah Shivaya, Om namah Shivaya?' No! Because I'm separating. But no sooner Ramakrishna comes, I say, 'Ah you rogue [lovingly intended], Jesus! You've decided to appear in this form to me today. All right, I'll say, 'Hail Jesus, Hail Jesus, Hail Jesus' but still see Ramakrishna's form. Slowly the mind will come back to Jesus.

If after some time it doesn't come back, force it by sheer will to its natural form. But let it play with all the deities. Who cares? How nice if 50 deities came and you end up with your deity, knowing that the truth is One - but it takes many forms. And therefore it has many names. Your concentration will still be on God, God, God. Almighty, Almighty, Almighty, Infinite, Infinite, Infinite, Absolute, Absolute, Absolute.

In worshipping one deity, don't hate another. When I was very small I started worshipping Hanumanji - but unconsciously. But after I got a little bit older, I thought, 'Oh, Kali!' Then I started with Mother Kali. Then back to Hanumanji. Then Hanumanji made me angry, 'Get out! I don't want you. I'll worship Shiva.' I worshipped Shiva. From Shiva again, slowly Hanumanji crept in. With him came SitaRam [Lord Rama and Mother Sita combination]. Now what? Christ got in. When Christ went out, Ramakrishna came in. With Ramakrishna, Mother Sarada Devi and all the relatives [associated saints] came in. I thought, 'but wait a minute, what's all this happening?' Then suddenly I understood, 'Ah, my deity took all these forms.'

Ramakrishna is fulfillment because he had the vision of all deities and he told us that all deities are your Ishta Devata. All deities are your Ishta Devata – Satchidananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss, Absolute]. Sat-chid?...ananda. So don't ever forget how to deal with these difficulties. I gave you three types of difficulties. [silence from the devotees] Ah, you see how much you're all concentrating? Don't be taken away by the act of the actor – I told you this morning. I told you, think about the words and their meaning.

The first one was? That someone praises their deity and you want to take that deity, because you have a wrong concept of your deity. Secondly, when you have a lot of other deities appearing and thirdly, if other deities appear, don't worry, look at them, know your deity has taken that form but repeat your guru mantra or the mantra of your own deity. And hold this faith. Pray to God. That is the first thing to do. God will correct it. If God doesn't correct it without voice, then he in the form of the guru [spiritual preceptor] is sure to correct it. Man is never lost, God is always carrying him.

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

Knowing who your Ishta Deva is

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Day 1014

Swamiji continues talking on the Ishta Deva [Personal Deity or Chosen Ideal]:

So how to find out who your deity really is? It's that deity that comes up most in your mind. According to the Bhagavad Gita, what you last think of at the time of bodily death, the next birth you will become that. Not that you will become that only – suppose I'm thinking of someone mad, I won't become mad. No – then every desire that was also inside me will also be projected. What I thought [as predominant desires, samskaras or mental impressions] - it will now become - it will materialise in this world. [As stressed in the previous posting, Swamiji emphasised that the prevailing pattern of thought at death, would be the key determining factor].

Raja Yoga says that because you had the desire to see, God made eyes. You had the desire to smell, the nose came. Desire first - organs later. Desire first, organs?...later. That's why when someone is deaf I think they may have burst someone's ears in a last birth. Or maybe they had no desire to hear. So God says, 'Why must I waste my time – I have no time, time is running out. Might as well make another one – let this fellow go without hearing. [all laugh] When he comes here and says, 'I want to hear,' then in the next birth he'll have hearing. You need have no fear of that.

Your guru [Spiritual Preceptor] will correct you. You can never make a mistake. Nature is a wonderful book-keeper but this can happen - that there may be a little delay of time. What? Delay of?...time. Therefore it is so essential to pray to God first of all, 'God I don't know which is my deity, God I don't know who you are, please reveal yourself in the words of Sri Ramakrishna.' He must reveal himself to you.

Now, the other way to do it, is to go to a guru - if you have God's grace in the form of a guru. He will tell you because he is all-knowing. He is?...all-knowing. He may be unconscious for some time but he becomes conscious when you need him. How? I was telling them this morning that a girl is not born with milk. Only when the child comes along then the milk comes. So, the real guru is only God-conscious. He's not conscious of x plus y equals whatever. He's not worried. But if someone wants that kind of knowledge when he comes to the guru, that thing manifests itself. If someone wants water, that thing will manifest as water. He's only one-thing conscious. God-conscious. But what you desire, he will materialise 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

Stick with your own Ishta Deva

[Lord Rama worshiping the Lingam, symbol of Lord Shiva]

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Day 1013

Swamiji continuing the discussion on the Ishta Deva [Personal Deity or Chosen ideal]:

If in your last birth if you worshipped a particular deity and this birth if you made a mistake, it's a funny kind of thing [unusual]. Because the Bhagavad Gita makes it very, very clear. The last thought [dominant pattern - not just single thought, Swamiji verified] that you have in your mind at death - that you will start off with the next time around. Man can make a mistake but nature never makes a mistake.

I'll give you an example. Vivekanandaji Maharaj in birth after birth worshipped Sri Rama. And then one day [in his pre-monastic life] he was worshipping Sri Rama and he heard that Rama had two children. 'Ooh!,' he said, 'What? He had two children? The fellow is sensual.' I'm telling you this very plainly, now. 'Sensual, this fellow.' How can God be sensual? He's above sensuality. 'Hey, two children!' [Swamiji chuckling] He went to the Ganga [river Ganges], took Rama's photo [dropped it into the river] and said, 'Out!' – and Rama was gone. It takes a great heart to do that, I want you to know. I want you to remember this. No superstition attached. He was a real scientist. If it's not good, out! And he drowned his Rama – he died [devotees chuckle uncertainly]

[Swamiji continues chuckling] And then he took Shiva and began worshiping him. I don't know what he would have thought when he realised that Shiva had an animal child – Ganesha [in the form of an elephant]. [All laughing] Even worse than Rama! Why are you worshiping Shiva? Well he would say, 'He's the king of yogis.' Mahadeva. [meaning] Great god of gods. If he's god of gods he must be Rama's god, too. This is the right bet. [Swamiji continues chuckling]. I shall worship him.

Then he came to Sri Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna said to him, 'Hey – you'd better forget all this and worship Rama,' and then he started worshipping Rama again, though he used to say 'Shiva AUM, Shiva AUM.'

The Ramayana gives you a secret'. Who does Shiva worship? [devotees answer] 'Rama.' And who does Rama worship? [devotees answer] 'Shiva'. It is said that He's a Shiva Avatara [incarnation], why? Because he's the greatest devotee of Rama. You've got the idea? Why is Vivekananda a Shiva Avatar? Because he's the greatest devotee of Rama. And Shiva is the dispeller of?...darkness, inauspiciousness. When he [Vivekananda] came, he brought knowledge to east, west, south and all, alike. The point here is that he took his real deity that came in his mind [Rama] and later on started liking another deity because he forgot one small thing: that he loved Rama, whilst he loved an aspect in the other deity, called Shiva. Some feature he loved in Shiva. What did he love in Shiva? That he had no children. He was above lust. Vivekananda thought that Rama was in lust. So the guru [spiritual preceptor] told him, 'Go back to Rama or no spiritual progress for you.' That's what Ramakrishna said. 'Back to your deity!'

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

One deity – many possible forms [Part 1 of several postings on the Ishta Deva]

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]

DAILY READINGS

Day 1012

Two things go with meditation – contemplation [pratyahara], concentration [dharana], then meditation [dhyana]. Now to contemplate you do japa [meditative repetition of a mantra [sacred word, sound syllable or phrase] or one of the many names attributed to God]. Then while you're doing japa, you concentrate. And as you're concentrating, simultaneously you're meditating. That's why, it is said in the scriptures, that when you utter the mantra, you must know its meaning. The meaning of the mantra is to meditate on the form of the deity [Ishta Deva, chosen deity or Ideal]. And the form of the deity will give you the meaning of the mantra because of its almighty-ness. It is omnipresent [present everywhere], omniscient [all-knowing] and omnipotent [all-powerful].

When you are uttering the mantra…I say, 'Om namah Shivaya,' actually I am seeing Shiva's face, moon-like smile, the Ganga [river Ganges] pouring [from his head], 'Om namah Shivaya,' then I look to see his leg. 'Om namah Shivaya,' – he's got no socks on. [devotees laughing merrily] You must do that. You think I'm joking. I'm not joking – I'm telling you the truth! I think like that sometimes. And sometimes I think his hair is coming loose - I'll push it back up into place again. What do I care? My mind is pure, God is pure, so carry on. I must learn to converse with him because I gave him form and because I gave him form I gave him the limitations of a human being.

The only thing is he's a little more powerful than us all, or almighty, as I said – but because he took the form in which I want him...in other words, let us just say a king is my beloved and I have him take the form of a beggar. Naturally I'll have to give him a small bowl in his hand, and say, 'wait a minute – you haven't got dirty clothes,' I'll take a dirty cloth and dress him. As he walks he must look a little dirty, too. But he's really a king – I know he's a king. But I give him human form and I give him a little limitation. I unpin his hair and brush it, no socks [Swamiji teases], he didn't have a wash, I give him a bath and things like that. You understand what I'm saying?

Simultaneously you must think about your?...deity. As long as your mind does not wander away from that deity. Try as far as possible to bring it under control. When it wanders, it's not a sin. It's only telling you, 'look, you're still weak'. Then make it strong by bringing it back. Suppose you say, 'Om namah Shivaya…hmm…where's this particular devotee gone today? Oh, oh, alright…Om namah Shivaya'. See, it's not sin. Just 'come along, come back, come back, Om namah Shivaya.' You think about yet another devotee, 'alright, come back. Come back, Om namah Shivaya.' You continue like that. Bring the mind gently back.

Two things now. One, when you try to focus your mind, it starts running on other deities. The mind runs on other?...deities. That's one. Number two, you may have chosen a deity but because someone else praised their deity, you say, 'Oh well, I chose the wrong one.' So now, your mind doesn't set on that deity, now you want the other deity. There two subtle things in meditation. Supposing I took Shiva and some fellow who is a Krishna-bhakta [devotee of Lord Krishna] comes and says, 'Shiva is tamasic. My Krishna is sattvic'. I say, 'Hmm, I made the wrong choice.' Now the problem starts in my mind. I made the wrong choice. What is to be done? Remember that your deity is supposed to be all-mighty. That's why I'm playing on that word – not playing – but stressing it. Your deity is almighty. So your deity has the power to take the other form. That you must never forget. That your deity has the power to take any form under the sun – even above the sun.

If your deity is praised, then you like it. If it's not praised then you don't like it. Then there's something wrong with you. You don't like the deity. You like something in the deity – which means you are still limited. If you like the deity – if you say, 'Swamiji, I love you!', then whether I have a blind eye or hooked nose, you still love me. But you won't see my neighbour who has two normal eyes and then say, 'I'd better start loving him. Let this fellow go.' It's not like that. You understand? So number one to remember is that your deity is?...all-mighty and you're not supposed to change, no matter how much they praise another.

Know that your deity has taken the form of Sri Ramakrishna, your deity has taken the form of Krishna, your deity has taken the form of Kali, Durga, Bandhi, any other. Even if your deity is Jesus Christ, your deity has become Ramakrishna. Your deity has become Kali, your deity has become Durga. If you are a Krishna worshipper, Krishna has become everything. From that point of view you must watch.

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

What is the Ishta Deva [personal deity]?

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[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 985

Swamiji invites devotees to ask some 'practical, spiritual questions.' He says: 'If you have difficulties in your meditation, or you are feeling doubt about anything, let's hear it.'

Devotee: Swamiji, could you explain the Ishta Devata [personal deity] please?

Swamiji: Swami Vivekananda [spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna] in his complete works says that the personal God is the highest reading of the impersonal. The personal God is the highest reading of the?...impersonal. Why do you make it personal? Because that is what we can understand. So, the Ishta Deva is nothing else but a minute form of the Supreme Being [Ishwara and ultimately Brahman, the one universal consciousness]. 'Apparently' it becomes minute [very small], for our sake. In reality, you can't give him form, you can't give him attributes, you can't give him name.

What he is, Ramakrishna put so beautifully: Only God himself knows what God is. Doesn't he say that? God is with form, God is without form and what God is, God himself knows. Man cannot say positively, 'It is this.' Therefore in the Vedas [the foundational Hindu scriptures], the way they negate is [by repeating], 'Neti, neti - not this, not this.' When everything which is transient, perishable, ephemeral, is negated – including your body, mind and intellect, then the truth shines because the truth cannot be negated. It is eternal, imperishable, Satchitananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute], infinite, you can't negate it. Does that answer your question?

Devotee: Yes, Swamiji.

Swamiji: It was a good question.

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

Seeing your Deity move

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 812

   

Devotee: If, in meditation, we wish to see the [Ishta Deva's] Deity's movement, if we want to see Lord Shiva dancing [in his Nataraja (doing the dance of the Cosmos) aspect - pictured above] rather than seated, what should we do?

Swamiji: Three things come to my mind - things that I have done. Firstly I gave the body of my guru [spiritual preceptor - Sri Swami Nischalanandaji Puri] as the form of Lord Shiva and I knew that Lord Shiva was dwelling in it as the soul. So when I see the movement of my guru – even when I close my eyes I see him moving by the plants, by the lake etc – I feel Lord Shiva is moving.

Secondly there was a very funny thing which helped me in the beginning stages of sadhana [spiritual practice]. I would go and see films [movies] and in these films I would see [an actor depicting] Lord Shiva acting. I would always picture how he was walking and moving.

Lastly, you can practise seeing the Lord seated on one day and the next day you can practise seeing the Lord standing. After a couple of months you practise that God is touching you. As time goes by, action will come.

The most important thing in meditation is to see the movement of the eyes. You must try to see how the [Deity's] eyes are opening and closing. If you can capture this one movement, you'll capture the movement of the whole body. That's why, when I go in my shrine, I first look at the photo and maybe in the beginning I superimpose it - how He's opening his eyes, how He's closing them, how He is smiling. The most important thing in meditation is to capture the movement of the eyes.

Sometime or another you must have dreamed about a particular Deity moving and that dream itself must become a picture for meditation. In the dream you see Hanumanji moving. Awake you don't see it like that - but in the dream you saw it. So when you close your eyes try to picture that particular scene that you saw in the dream. It will come.

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:

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

 

Chosen Deity remains with you

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

649

   

Swamiji continues speaking on the Ishta Devata [Personal Deity or Chosen Ideal]

Funny things happened in my life. I started worshipping Hanumanji first. When we were little children we used to give him prasad [sacramental food] stones [as substitutes for the real thing], we used to give him arati [benedictory waving/offering of lights to the deity] stones. But as I grew up I got attracted to Mother Kali. I started worshipping Mother Kali. Then Hanumanji made me very cross one day, I decided he was not good for me and I threw him out. Then I took Lord Shiva [pictured above] and I started worshipping him for a long time. But when I came to the ashram I found that Lord Shiva and Mother Kali and Hanumanji were not different from Sri Ramakrishna himself.

One day, I do not know why, a sadness came over me. I got up, I prostrated to the Master [Sri Ramakrishna] and I said good-bye to the dogs. I said good-bye to the people and spontaneously the people started crying. We got into the [Volkswagen mini-bus] Kombi and drove down the South Coast. [of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa] We came to a part where there was some road construction and the Kombi skidded. We went off the road and tumbled fifteen feet down. The last word that I remember saying was, 'Jai Sri Mahavir.'  [the name of Sri Hanuman] When the Kombi stopped I heard someone saying, 'Narayanaya,' at the back. I do not know what the others said but I felt very embarrassed. I said to myself, 'Wait, my deity is Lord Shiva. So why am I saying, Jai Sri Mahavir?'

This shows that, no matter what, Hanumanji is still my Ishta Devata (though he came in the form of Lord Shiva himself).

You cannot escape it. Birth after death you worship them; they will not leave you even if you leave them.

In me my [Divine] Mother's grace is combined with Lord Shiva's, combined with Hanumanji's, combined with Sri Ramakrishna's and Sri Sarada Devi's.

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.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

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

 

The Ishta Devata

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

648

Today, 1^st October, is the 15th Mahasamadhi (leaving of the body) anniversary of our beloved teacher, friend and Guru, His Holiness Swami Shivapadananda Puri. [Pictured above] Swamiji was the 2nd President and Spiritual Head of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa. Very, very... special memories. He touched the lives of many thousands and continues to do so through his legacy of teachings, vibrant monasteries and devotees. He was a living example of respect for and inclusion of, ALL religions. We are privileged and grateful for the association.

 

Swamiji continues speaking on the Ishta Devata [Chosen Deity or Ideal]

Swami Vivekananda worshipped Sitaram [an aspect of Lord Rama] from a young age. He worshipped them but as he grew up he found that Sri Rama was married and had two children. He said, 'What? This man I am worshipping, who we call God, has two children.' He went to the Ganga [river Ganges] and consigned Sri Rama to the river. He then took Lord Shiva's picture and started worshipping it. (I do not know what happened when he found out that Lord Shiva had two wives and two children.) Anyway, when he went to Sri Ramakrishna, Master took one look at him and said, 'You worship Shiva. No. You must worship Rama. Rama is your ishta devata.' And he made Swami Vivekananda worship Sri Rama. Only Lord Shiva can have love for Sri Rama; and Hanumanji is Lord Shiva himself.

Ultimately we find that Swami Vivekananda was Lord Shiva himself so he could not worship Lord Shiva. He had to worship Sri Rama and his spiritual progress gained momentum, his love increased by leaps and bounds.

Devotee: How can I increase love for the ishta devata?

Swamiji: You must read more about it. Hear more about it. The more you read and hear about the glories of your ishta devata the more the love will increase.

If you do not hear and read about it then your devotion will definitely become stagnant, it will not increase. That is why in these yoga camps I insist that we speak about Sri Ramakrishna. Otherwise he can just be a man, a dead thing. The speaker gave a talk about Sri Ramakrishna today so you have a love for him. Similarly you must speak about your deity and hear about your deity.

You find the vaishnavites doing that a lot. They think about Lord Vishnu, they recite stories about Lord Vishnu and they glorify Lord Vishnu. So the love for Lord Vishnu is naturally increased.

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.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

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

Ishta Deva

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

647

   

When we say 'ishta devata' the word devata means self-effulgent being, that which is self-effulgent, light. Ishta means one's very own or Chosen One.

To understand this let us assume that there is a diamond that is ten feet long, thirty feet wide and egg-shaped. You may look at the diamond from all sides but take a liking to one of the facets of that diamond. You like to think about that particular facet the whole day because you love it the best. Similarly God has many aspects, billions of aspects. He has as many aspects as there are minds. And by meditating on even a single facet of the diamond you are still meditating on the diamond itself.

The aspect that you begin loving from a young age, the aspect that you want, the aspect that your mind naturally sets on or that your mind is naturally attracted to, becomes your saving grace - that becomes your ishta devata. It saves you from thinking worldly thoughts and from things which will take you away from purity.

You should know which aspect of God you were attracted to from a young age, but there is another way to identify your ishta devata: You can go to the pandit they read up in the astrological books and from there they choose your ishta devata. But sometimes a contradictory thing comes from the books - maybe you do not like that particular deity even though the book says it is yours.

Notice to which deity your mind runs the most - not because it has a beautiful nose or it has good looking teeth. [laughter] You will find that when you are in trouble or when you are happy your mind goes directly to that particular deity. But the best way to identify the ishta devata is when the guru, through the ishta devata's grace, gives you that particular aspect of God that makes you progress in your spiritual life.

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.

Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda

Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online...

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