Swami Shivapadananda

Self-Sacrifice

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

794

I cannot be God's child, I cannot be wanting God and at the same time, look down on my fellow beings. That is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, that you have to become more humble than the grass. You know that the grass is under the…feet! And yet it does not stop growing to glorify God's creation. So you have to be more humble than the grass. Trampled you must – be trampled you must! But do not give up your sadhana [spiritual practise]. Do not give up your resolution. Do not give up your right attitude towards purifying your mind. And when you do this then you can be categorised as a 'human being'. Otherwise we are still animals, but in human body.

The most important thing is this: are you prepared to sacrifice for the sake of the thing that you want and love most? That is the question you must answer. And if you are, nothing on earth can stop you, nothing – not even God Himself. He can't. He's helpless [in the face of your love and dedication]. He is….helpless.

There was a sadhu [holy man] sitting on the bank of the [river] Ganges and every time a scorpion was about to drown he picked it up. The scorpion stung him and he moved his hand and it fell again. He tried to pick up the scorpion again, to save it. And it stung him again and it fell back into the water. The third time a very educated man who was standing there came to the sadhu and thought 'I'll show this sadhu how foolish he is. He tapped the sadhu, 'Sadhu maharaj, what are you doing?' The sadhu responded, 'I am saving the scorpion.' The man responded, 'But the scorpion stings you each time. You foolish fellow, why don't you just let it go?' The sadhu said, 'Ah, no, the scorpion is my guru [spiritual preceptor/teacher]'. The man asked, 'How is the scorpion your guru?' To which the sadhu replied, 'The scorpion's nature is to sting. As a sadhu my nature [dharma] is to save and sacrifice my good for the sake of other things – even the scorpion is in the realm of God's creation. I have to save it. So, if the scorpion does not leave its nature, why should I leave my nature? Even if I have to die.'

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

 

 

Tips for spiritual advancement

 

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

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

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

733

   

Devotee: How is it possible that Sri Sarada Devi, aged two, pointed to Sri Ramakrishna and said: 'I am going to marry him'?

Swamiji: Subconsciously she knew - though consciously she may not have known.

If you really believe you do not die or take birth you will be truthful - a jivanmukta. You will be liberated though still living in a body.

Swami Vivekananda [pictured above] said, 'The day Sri Ramakrishna was born was the beginning of the Sat [or Satya] Yuga.' He didn't say, 'The day Sri Ramakrishna was born the Kali Yuga [Yuga = epoch, era, age] ended.'

No teacher can help you if you don't help yourself.

The Deity [Ishta Deva] looked after you for so long; will it hurt you now? We need complete self-surrender and faith in our own Deity because it has accompanied you from birth to birth. Man's only question is: 'How do I know my Deity?' Your mind automatically gravitates to one Deity when there is preaching and practise - it suits you and you will know it is your deity.

You must go to the guru and do what he says and not follow our own whims and fancies.

The dirtiest thing on Earth is to tell lies.

Even in dream you must control your mind. What you do playfully comes out in dreams.

Sri Ramakrishna kept to truth. If he said he would come today, he'd come - even if it was midnight. Here principle is greater than life, but we think life is greater than principle.

The nature of the world is ever changing. Be above heat and cold [i.e. pairs of opposites, (discomforts].

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

 

Swami Shivapadananda on self-effort and grace

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

Day 551

[Pictured: Udbodhan House in its original state at the time it was inhabited by the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.]

   

Devotee: I can't remember even one spiritual saying.

Swamiji: That is because your mind is on worldly things.

Devotee: What to do, Swamiji, when the children have problems?

Swamiji: Do japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names]. That helps them more.

You cannot realise God through rites or sadhana [spiritual practice], only by His Grace.

Brahman [the indivisible One consciousness] is bliss, not 'full of bliss'. The space here [Swamiji points to himself] and the space there [points to someone else] is the same. Though the space in the pot seems different, it is one. For example, Jesus the Christ said, 'I and my Father [God] are One.' The 'I' makes a difference.

While meditating sit relaxed, then the mind dwells effortlessly on the object of meditation, or on the thought. I do this all the time.

If I see one sixteenth part of truth in you, that is what I will tell.

When you see everything in Him [God] and Him in everything, you don't see any differences, just One - You and You alone - then fearlessness comes and fear goes. If I see the slightest difference fear comes up.

We say: 'God is omnipresent,' but we see something else and fear comes. All this is consciousness, what is there to fear? Ignorance is the cause of fear. This is a stage we must go through - but we must transcend it. To know that the scripture is not all, we must realise what is in that scripture. The Eternal thing is indestructible.

You must rely on [the Divine] Mother and exert your own abilities. Then you will never fail in life. The guru [spiritual preceptor who is actually God] cannot do it for you but he can inspire you.

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.