Swami Shivapadananda

Marriage attitude

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 999

To marry well, think that your wife to be is God-sent. To marry well, think your husband to be is God-sent. And if you think that they're God-sent your whole attitude will change. Your life will change. Your thoughts will change. As Swami Yatiswaranandaji said, 'get into good habits.' The whole world is a habit. Trouble is you've got into a bad habit. Don't get depressed – just try to get into good habit. That is all.

Spirituality in the beginning stages is developing good habits. And when you become good, you'll do good and the good itself will take you above good. That is the idea. To go above bad and…? - good. Can you do that? You can! Otherwise what are we doing here? You have free will – everything is God's will but in choosing bad or good, you have will – make no mistake. Because God has given you that kind of will. It is His will.

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

Marriage tips

 

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 915

   

In marriage, 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 its water to others. A husband and wife must live like this.

Nothing comes without sacrifice. There must be great sacrifice on both sides.

[Pandit Jawaharlal] Nehru [former Indian Prime Minister] said in a letter to his daughter on her marriage, 'As long as you live, let there be no secrets between you.'

Serve your partner to the best of your ability.

The world is not all happiness. It is full of happiness and unhappiness (or sadness). Take both.

Rama and Sita cried, Krishna and Radha cried. But there is something higher: Bliss in everything. Catch hold of that.

The western world says: I must become above suffering. The eastern world says: I must suffer so much that suffering becomes no suffering. In the west you want to be comfortable. In the east you take away everything and live with suffering. To the extent we understand that there is not always happiness, to that extent we are mature. Otherwise we are immature.

If we live we must love. Take the 'I' out of live and put 'o'. It is love. What makes a sinner a son of God? Take the 'I' out of sin and put 'o'. It is son of God. But we always think, 'I did this, I did that.' [i.e. we manifest ego, ahamkara]

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

 

Marriage

 

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 914

   

Do not go about faultfinding. If you go to a vegetable market and see a sheep's head for sale, it is only something in the wrong place [i.e. you may wish to criticise the inappropriateness – don't].

In married life, try to please each other in dharmic [righteous] ways. Then you will be nearer God. Married life is a wonderful life. Everything is in twos. Newly married people must live for each other. You make her happy and she must make you happy. Always remember your Deity [Ishta Deva or chosen ideal].

You must have respect for the body. The two wings of marriage are the husband and wife.

Om [reaching the highest spiritual goal] must be the goal in life.

First, you must live in such a way as to please the Creator. Then, in the love from your Creator, you must give to neighbours and friends. Just as you are united in thought with them, may they be united with you. Be like a fruit tree. It does not eat its own fruit. It gives it to others. This leads to love.

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

Marriage

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 891

   

[In a letter Swamiji wrote]

Marriage is an eternal journey to the Self merging in the Self.

Marriage is not a right but a privilege, given by Prakriti and Purusha, to reflect their eternal unity. How wonderful is the love that attracts a wife and a husband, in unity, to glorify It. May you two first unite eternally in Him.

Twenty years of life together, with all its trials and tribulations, is a miracle. May you live ever fresh in this miraculous world.

Yours in God who represents all.

The mind has layer after layer. One layer is spiritual and one layer is worldly. That is why we feel spiritual one day and not spiritual the next day. That is because you neglect it. But it will come back.

Think that your mind is your child.

Anger is where all your spirituality leaks away.

Without grace nothing is possible. The greatest fruit of grace is Self-realisation; you cannot get it without grace. We get discrimination only through God's grace. Without grace there is no satsang, this birth or last birth.

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