[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 809
If you can think of Sri Ramakrishna as the nearest to your heart then you will understand how great devotees see their deities.
Sri Ramakrishna and Devi Sarada Ma were so very particular about Jagannath Puri prasad [sacramental food], they never ever missed the opportunity of having it. It is said that eating this prasad, drinking Ganga [Ganges] water and touching the dust of Vrindavan ['birthplace' of Lord Krishna] is like heaven itself.
What tremendous faith they had. But what do we do? We just take a plate and put a lot of prasad on it and if anything is left over, we see if we can give it to some poor people. If no poor people are available well then of course the greatest thing is the cats and the dogs. They must have their share too, but a limited amount.
When a devotee of God cooks prasad he makes sure that he is clean in body, mind and soul - clean in thought, word and deed. Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji's beloved Guru] used to tell us that if you touch your leg you must go and wash your hands before offering even a flower to the Deity. If you touch your nose you must go and wash. If man doesn't like this sort of thing, how will God like it? God likes everything that is hygienic.
Once in a month, supposing the mothers are not clean [menstruating], they can have a complete bath and then cook. But if your own mind runs amok then you must refrain from cooking. Your own mind must dictate to you, nobody else.
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:
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