[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:
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