Swami Shivapadananda

Service, sacrifice and immortality

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 975

Sri Krishna taught us the art of service. Once there was a big yagna – yagna is sacrifice – maybe a fire sacrifice, singing bhajan and kirtan [religious songs], maybe prana [Qi, chi] sacrifice because you give your breath and time. So there was a service and they gave everybody work, a task, to do.

Swamiji speaking to the children: Now you children tell me that Sri Krishna Bhagawan is a God. What kind of work do you think he took? You see, there were great kings, the five Pandava brothers [from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata] were given their work, other saints and sages were given their work. Sri Krishna Bhagawan was God among them – what kind of work do you think he took? You know what he said? He said, 'I will look after the people's shoes and groom their horses.'

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did a similar thing in his life. You know, in India they used to have pride of caste. And Ramakrishna thought he also had pride of caste and he wanted to get rid of it. He wanted to test his mind. So he'd wake up very early in the morning, before the other people could get up. And he would go and wash the lavatory of the sudras [serving-class people] - with his hair. He had long hair in those days, now you see it short. He used to wipe the place and one day people saw him and they were crying, 'Lord, Lord, why must a great bhakta [devotee] like you do that?' You know what answer he gave? He said, 'If I cannot clean my children, who will come?

So, yes, service [seva] in humility – it's not service in pride. The whole world is served yet there is no peace, why? Because the service in this world is through pride. Service in… pride. The day the service becomes service in humility, service in selflessness, that day the nectar [amritam] will be yours. That day you will become immortal. When you don't want to be known and yet you want to know God, then and then only will you and I progress in this world. What kind of service did I say you must give? Selfless service.

Brahma [the Hindu god representing 'creation'] invited all the rakshasas and all the gods to a ceremony. There were the demons – you know what demons are? – rakshasas. All the rakshasas were on one side and on the other side were all the gods. Gods are good people and demons are a mixture of bad and good. They came and sat in rows. Brahma said to the gods, 'Look, here is nectar - amritam. The demons and you gods are here. Now if you drink this nectar – you'll get immortality. You will never die.

[Swamiji then engages the congregation in a very amusing practical exercise to demonstrate what took place. He called two little boys to the front. One represented a god and the other a demon. The one condition for drinking the nectar, Brahma told the gods and demons – was that they were not permitted to bend their elbow to drink it. This made it impossible to drink it oneself. The gods, using a straight arm, fed each other with the nectar. The demons, however, being the selfish creatures they were, would not do that. So they could not drink.]

Swamiji continues: The demons ran away in anger. The gods did not drink the nectar for themselves. They gave it to each other. So that is selfless service. Not serving yourself but serving others. In serving others, the service itself is nectar - amritam. You mustn't think some miracle will happen. When you are serving others it is nectar that you are drinking. You will become immortal. And when you become immortal you can immortalise others – make others deathless. Selfless service purifies the mind. Selfish work, selfish service, makes the mind dirty - makes the mind impure.

Therefore when you come to satsang [religious or prayer service] the idea is to sing to God, not to sing to yourself. When you're singing to God you're becoming selfless because you're not singing about yourself. Who are you singing about? – God. And when you take God's name selflessly, a kind of power comes into your heart. A kind of power comes into your body. A kind of power comes into your mind. A kind of power comes into your words. Your words will be just like God's. These are no lies, these are vak [pronounced 'vaak' - lit: from the mouth or speech] siddhi [siddhi is a power. So this is a special power of speech, influence, inspiration], man [pronounced 'maan' - lit: mind] siddhis [powers].

People may think they are taking God's name and nothing will happen. I can tell you this. Many things happen – only you don't know – you don't see it. Like when you're standing outside at night-time. You think nothing is dropping. In the morning you get up. What do you find on the car? Dew drops! You didn't see it, but the dew came down. Similarly when you take God's name you are purified – strength is added. But you do not know – you do not notice it. Because when you notice it, then the 'I' – the ego [ahamkara] – is there. When you don't notice it, God is there. The 'I' is absent.

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

 

Swami Shivapadananda on the extraordinary selflessness and devotion of Swami Adbhutananda

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

579

[Pictured: A youthful Swami Adbhutananda - the pre-monastic Latu]

   

[Swamiji reads from a book on Latu Maharaj – later Swami Adbhutananda]

From 1891 to 1897 Latu Maharaj had no fixed residence. He stayed in the homes of various devotees in Calcutta and occasionally left the city. His real residence was the eastern bank of the [river] Ganges.

Swamiji: In India they sleep on the banks of the river Ganges.

Swamiji reads: But he would take food from a few devotee families and often stayed at the Monastery for a week or ten days at a stretch. During part of 1892 Latu Maharaj stayed at the Alambazar Monastery. The same year Swami Abhedananda suffered from an intestinal disease and Latu Maharaj nursed him. The Swami writes, 'How great was Latu Maharaj's love for his brother disciples. He whole-heartedly nursed me when I fell ill at Alambazar although the doctor said that the illness was contagious. Latu and Swami Saradananda used to wash the sores on my body everyday.'

Swamiji: What beautiful love. Can we love each other like that, as brother disciples?

Commenting on this, another Swami wrote, 'Latu Maharaj would come in the morning every day, spend the entire day with the Swami, and then leave to practise his austerities [tapasya] in the evening.'

One day in 1893 a devotee came to invite Latu Maharaj to visit his house for some holy occasion. When he entered the room where Latu Maharaj was staying, at the same home of another devotee, he saw Latu Maharaj sitting covered with a thick chaddar [cloth] from head to foot. Although the devotee called to him several times he received no reply. It was only after nearly an hour that they were able to talk with the Swami. When he had returned to normal consciousness Latu Maharaj said, 'Why do you invite me? Ask the sadhus of the Alambazar Monastery. If Brother Shashi [Swami Ramakrishnananda] goes it is as good as the Master going.'

Swamiji: What humility. He did not consider himself as great as his brother disciples.

The same year, during the rainy season, Holy Mother [Sri Sarada Devi], the nun-wife of Sri Ramakrishna] stayed at a house rented for her by one of the devotees. Latu Maharaj also stayed there. In reference to this period he said to a few others, 'While she was there, Mother practised the hard austerity of panchatapa  [panch means five and tapa, austerity] - a severe discipline which is observed by practising japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names] and meditation while seated encircled by four fires, with the sun blazing overhead. The Holy Mother and her companion, Jogin Ma, practised this austerity for a week.'

Swamiji: Sitting in this burning heat they were able to concentrate their minds on God. Is it any small matter? Today we just have to feel a little heat and we start looking for an electric fan. Why did they do this austerity? To teach man that without austerities nothing spiritual can be gained. Therefore the ashramites [those living at the Ashram] or monastery], the devotees and the householders should not treat lightly the observance of certain rules on certain days. These are austerities for us.

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.

Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2

 

Swami Shivapadananda on serving God in man

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

Day 502

(Pictured: The main Dakshineswar Kali Temple complex entrance for arrivals by road)

   

Swamiji continues speaking on Niyama

Sri Ramakrishna said, 'After realising God, if you are a selfless soul, you will come back to have God's lilas [divine play] and sevas [service].' That is what Sri Ramakrishna called greater than Samadhi [superconsciousness].

After [God or Self] realisation: worship. Do not stay in a cave after realisation and now and then come down - that was the old style. Swami Vivekananda followed the ancient Rishis [Sage-Saints] as far as that was concerned. When Sri Ramakrishna asked him what he wanted, he answered, 'I want to enjoy bliss and now and then come down to put a morsel of food in my mouth.' Sri Ramakrishna said, 'No, come back and worship God - the One who has become many.'

After coming down, the same service is transformed into worship. For instance a man comes to you and asks for food. So you give him food. Slowly he takes off his veil and you see who it is and you say, 'Oh, it's Swamiji.' What happens then? Are you still going to give him beggar's food? No. He is the king himself. You will say, 'Oh I am sorry. Please come inside and sit down and I will serve you.' You are serving man but when God is revealed you are worshipping God. 'O Lord, please come inside and take your seat.' Hari Om Tat Sat.

The Bhagavad Gita says you cannot see God with these physical eyes. You can only see God with the eyes which are beyond the eyes, God Himself. There is another kind of vision when you realise that I am everywhere. He who sees the many in the One and the One in the many is the wise man. The sannyasi [monk] has that attitude.

After 1886 [Sri Ramakrishna's Mahasamadhi, passing on] all the people started saying, 'All religions are one - all religions lead you to God.' Before that they all said, 'That religion is wrong and that religion is right, that fellow is not good,' and so on.

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.

 

 

Swami Shivapadananda on the 5 great Yagnas

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 489

[Pictured - the bathing ghat leading to the Dakshineswar Kai temple]

The five great Yajnas [worships, rituals, sacrifices or obligations] give us a certain moral character and should not be neglected by householders [lay devotees]. Let us take the first one: Deva Yajna - worship of gods or deities. Or, if you are a Vedantist in the non-dualistic sense, it is the worship of God. So no householder is excluded from worshipping God or God's manifestations as deities.

The next one is called Rishi [Rishi = Sage-Saint] Yajna. Now Rishi Yajna is the study of all the scriptures [which came through the Rishis], of all the dharmas - in particular of your own dharma, your own religion. The householders may be observing the first Maha Yajna [i.e. worshipping the gods] but the second one [study of the scriptures] is the important one. You must be serious because without real thought we become immature beings. Your children too should be taught this. Imagine that you are waiting for your husband to come home after preparing some wonderful dishes for him, and when he comes in he says, "No thanks, I won't eat, I have just had something at the hotel." Think what happens to the feeling of love, the feeling of devotion in your heart. It is shattered. Similarly, if we do not study the scriptures, which were given to us through great sacrifice, then we are treating the Rishis [Sages and Saints] exactly as that husband is treating his wife.

The third one is the Pitra Yajna. That is: service of your mother and father - physical service. When they are not in the body any longer you pray to God for their salvation and you pray to them to bless you. Above all, when they have departed, you keep your conduct so pure that their good name is preserved.

The fourth one is Athithi Yajna. This is made up of service to the poor, to the needy and to the community. In the olden days in India people made homes for the poor, they also dug wells for them so they could then drink, wash and make offerings of water to God, to Surya [the sun], to pitras, [forefathers] and to the Rishis. There are many examples in the Hindu religion where someone first went out looking for poor people to feed and only then partook of their own food. They treated the poor as veritable embodiments of the gods. It is said that when a guest comes to your house if you do not at least offer him water and a seat, you are cursed. In Hinduism it is not that a guest has come home but rather that God has come home. Please do not treat this lightly. Go and give it some thought and throw it out if you do not want it, but then do not call yourself a Hindu. You are not a Hindu if you believe that.

Now this charity was not only done by building houses and wells. It was also done by giving knowledge, or physical labour, or if they had money, they gave money, if they had clothing they gave clothing. They did not keep more than they needed, otherwise they transgressed another rule from the scriptures: Do not be greedy.

The fifth and last one is Bhuta Yajna. Some people think this is worship of departed spirits. No. One of the things it deals with is land. What you take out of the land you must put back into the land. For example: Rotation of crops. The trees and the plants should be watered and the animals should be protected. Nowadays you have the SPCA [Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals] but this type of thought was started thousands of years ago.

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.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on service and our inherent divinity

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 477

   

Every Incarnation [Avatar] has a Rishi; and Sri Ramakrishna's Rishi is Swami Vivekananda.

Sri Ramakrishna gave the greatest mantra when he said, "Service to man is service to God." Serve man as you serve God - just as you do when you go into the temple. When you serve the murthi [image or sculpture] do you say to yourself, "I am serving the murthi?" No. You say, "I am serving God." Similarly when you meet another person, be he a miserable man, a down-trodden man, a rich man or a poor man, serve him. Feel the same thing that you feel in the shrine for the murthi - that he is God and I am serving God in him.

What do I want from God? I do not want anything from God, but let Him increase the love, the bhakti, in my heart so that I will love him more each second of my life in this world. I do not pray to God for material prosperity, I do not pray to God to cure my diseases but rather to increase my love for His Lotus Feet. You will find that sick people have realised God, healthy people have realised God and even mad people have realised God. The most important thing is to realise God.

Swami Vivekananda said, "Service to man is worship of God." This is the instruction of the modern times. He also said, "Each soul is potentially divine." You must believe that you are divine. But how many of you really believe that you are divine? If one of you seated here believes it then tomorrow you will perform miracles. You surely do not believe it.

No doubt here at the Yoga Camp we can all say, "Each soul is potentially divine," but later on, when you go home and have a fight with your wife, let us see what you say then. Or let your child make mischief and then see what you say. You will find your thoughts changing. You have not believed it yet, therefore it is not happening. Believe it when you say, "I am divine."

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.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on serving God in man

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.

Day 421

Money etc will leave you one day, so ask God for what man cannot give you. Even social work must be sadhana [spiritual practice]; Jiva [seemingly individual consciousness] is Shiva [indivisible consciousness] and Shiva is jiva; you must serve man as if he is God, and serve God in man. That will uplift you.

Meditation is when the mind is totally absorbed in one thought, i.e. God. Great saints go into solitude and come back with great messages. Sri Ramakrishna said: I am Kali , who sustains and preserves the whole Universe. Sri Ramakrishna is the embodiment of Kali. He came to uplift women.

You cannot understand [Divine] Mother worship without Sri Ramakrishna as the gate.

Sri Ramakrishna said that the world is smitten by Maya [illusion, delusion] - egoism, lust, greed. These can only be counteracted by keeping [with you] a picture of Sri Ramakrishna. To overcome these you meditate on Sri Ramakrishna day after day - and you will conquer these. Then you will live in peace. If you can overcome these you will be a saint in this life.

You must follow the Guru's instructions. Be obedient. That is the motto for this year [1994].

Feel that you and your Deity are uttering the mantra [sacred word or syllable or God's names] - or feel you are a devotee and you are uttering the mantra to Brahman [the undifferentiated universal consciousness] - this is a dual [dualistic] state [i.e. you are one thing, Brahman another]. Feel the deity uttering the mantra - this is the non-dual [monistic] state.

Swami Shivapadananda on Doctors and touch

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 125

Power, if it is there, must increase love for God’s lotus feet. At one time there was a householder sadhaka [spiritual aspirant/practitioner] who was very, very poor. He was doing japa on Mother Lakshmi [the Hindu goddess of wealth] to get money but she did not show herself. After a while he put on the yogic garb and his love for God increased. After some time Mother Lakshmi actually appeared and followed him around. But the yogi said, “Why do you follow me? I do not want you to follow me.” She said to him, “Ask for a boon.” He said, “I want God-love and I will get it without you.” After some time she forced him to ask for something and he said, “Bless me that wherever my shadow falls, if people walk there, their dharmic [spiritual, worthy] desires will be fulfilled.”

Japa [repetition of the mantra or God’s name], japa, japa. That is the greatest thing. Every breath should be sacrificed to God. Breath is an expression of prana [the life-force]. Breath expresses prana. So give your life to God. Japa, japa, japa. Japa is the easiest way to go to God.

People in the world are so afraid to listen to Truth. It shocks them.

Advice to Doctors
Don’t forget to smile, to give a kind word, to touch. Doctors should live by this. With these three the patient feels better in body and the Spirit looks after itself. You can only do that when you see the patient as your Ishta Devata [chosen Deity or Ideal]. Then everything becomes worship. Old people die because their children do not want to touch them. When there is no touch it leads to hate, to death.

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.

 

Swami Shivapadananda on service to others

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY

READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 43

When people come to the ashram [monastery] enquire about their health. You must greet them first and ask them if they need anything. Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda were very loving. And this love must be passed through you to the world. Branches of the Ramakrishna Centre must serve the poor; wipe the tears of the widows.

In olden times they wanted moksha [liberation from the cycle of birth and re-birth] for themselves but we do not want that. We want to be a Christ who will wash the feet of the devotees and care for the sick.

Sri Ramakrishna asked Swami Vivekananda, ‘What do you want?’ He replied: ‘Samadhi [superconsciousness]; and now and then come down [from that state] and eat a bit.’ Master’s response was: ‘I spit on this kind of spirituality. I thought you would be a big banyan tree where many can take shelter.’

Sri Ramakrishna said: Religion is not for empty stomachs. [Ghandi too, said, 'Do not try to convert the hungry. Our first responsibility is to take care of urgent physical needs].

On realizing that jiva [individual soul] is Shiva [universal soul] and Shiva is jiva, Swami Vivekananda said, ‘I have read many scriptures but I have not read this before.’

We adapt and adopt the road of service while we try to realize God.

If the heart is clean God's grace will descend on us sooner or later. Most of us belong to the second group. [I can hear this being said with Swamiji's puckish humour and a twinkle in the eye.]

We worship God in the living, the moving, and the suffering. Otherwise you are not children of the Master. He washed the latrines of the poor and wiped them with his own hair. You do not have to go to that extreme but you do have to go as far as your hands and legs can reach.

Posted by Clive Simpkins