Swami Shivapadananda

What are you living for?

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 1009

I heard this as a film song, but I thought of my Guru [His Holiness Sri Swami Nischalananda Puri Maharaj], when I looked at his face and as he walked. He was so slim. Of course I'm a little padded [plump]…he was so slim… and he walked and I think that tree and he can be synonymous [because he walked so upright].

And when he looked at me in the eyes a serene kind of vibration use to pass through me. Just like a father saying to the son [Swamiji sings in western operatic style] 'What am I living for, if not for y-o-u..' [devotees fall about with laughter, Swamiji himself laughing heartily]

Ah, it was beautiful, I used to love it. Every time Gurudev [the term used for Swami Nischalananda] looked at me, that thing used to go through my mind and I would smile. Beautiful! So nice! C'mon [Swamiji encouraging devotees to sing the line with him. They all sing] 'What am I living for, if not for you.' And I in turn repeat the same thing [Swamiji sings the line again, directed at the devotees].

You don't know. You don't know what is inside. You must feel it. You have to feel what I am saying. A real devotee lives like that. He lives only for his Lord, Rama. Hanuman [the great devotee of Lord Rama] lived only for Lord Rama. I'm sure if Hanuman knew English he would have sung it to Rama. And Rama would have sung to Hanuman. [devotees laughing merrily at the idea]

Of course, of course, the modern Radhas sing it to their Krishnas, too. [gales of merriment, Swamiji laughing too] Think about 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

Why are we here?

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

710

   

In this Yoga Camp you will find that you are yourself responsible for achieving the highest. You are here to help each other as satsangis, as the seekers of truth. You are here in particular to taste the flavour of instruction and obedience, to do the exercises given by the various yogas or various scriptures to purify our minds, to purify our hearts and to taste the bliss, no matter how little it may be. Nay, in a word, it is to seek inspiration. And if we can be inspired to carry on our spiritual exercises side by side with our worldly duties until the next camp, then we have achieved a lot.

This camp appears to me like a filling station where the motorcar stops to refuel itself and then travels on until it comes to the next garage. And this, Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri - Swamiji's beloved Guru] did twice a year. I know that when Gurudev started the first yoga camp some of our brothers who are present here were children. And if you look at the photographs where Gurudev is sitting with the children you will realise that these camps have influenced our lives to a large extent - consciously or unconsciously.

You are here to mother your own baby - that is your mind. You are here, not for light fun, laughter and frolic but rather for a serious mode of life. And if each one of you can remind yourselves that you are here to discipline your own mind, to discipline your own life, then you know the motive of this camp.

Many people think that this camp will give them God-realisation. God-realisation, as Sri Saradadevi [pictured above] said, is not just a ladu [a Hindu sweetmeat]  in the hands of somebody who can have a bite at it whenever they like - a thing which instead of diminishing the hunger of desire allows it to grow. It is not like that. You are here to realise the seriousness of spiritual life, to realise that time is very short indeed. Some of us imagine that only yesterday we were twenty five years old and now we are in our fifties and sixties. Life has gone so fast. Blessed are those children that can realise this at an early age - just like the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who came to him when they were sixteen, seventeen and eighteen. It was Sri Ramakrishna who first drew the attention of the world to the power of the youth in the spiritual field. For his disciples were well educated, well mannered and cultured, and ever thirsty for the wine of spirituality.

We must realise that life is not meant only for lust, anger and greed, that life is not meant only to eat, drink, make merry, multiply and die. Nay, you must realise that life is for a higher purpose. The purpose is to know, to realise, that we are a chip off the old block and therefore 'the Block' [God]. Then you can truly say: 'I am that Power that expresses itself in many names and forms.'

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  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