[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 1011
Most people who are following Advaita [Vedanta: non-dualism, monism] philosophy are only following it in words. But they are not influenced in their conduct by it because they have not realised it. Or, they are not even trying to realise it. Then what is the best thing to do? Sri Ramakrishna says that you must see every name and form and know that it is God's power. Every power that exists in a name or form, remember that it is God's power. And God and his power are not separate, therefore it is?...God. One and the same. Beautiful. If you can understand this.
Sri Krishna Bhagawan again, speaking in the Bhagavad Gita, makes that very clear. When Arjuna [his disciple] asked him which is greater; the one who worships the formless - or God with form, The Lord answered the question very subtly; he does not say which is greater. He says, 'the path of the Advaitin [practitioner of Advaita] is very difficult.' Very, very difficult. On the other hand, the path of that bhakta [practitioner of the path of devotion], a devotee, who worships God with form, is easy and in the end he is also secured to reach the great height which is beyond the?...form. And therefore you have to read Raja Yoga to know how one can take the simplest person, from where he is. Without believing in anything, whatever he likes and bring his mind to take that form. And in the end go beyond the form of that particular mind. Therefore you find in yoga, a dot [on the wall] is sometimes used [for conceptional purposes] – you must keep concentrating on the dot. [Swamiji chuckling] They don't say the dot is God. But you realise, when your mind is focused, gathered, spot-lighted and it thinks of nothing, it has taken the form of that dot. The dot is a form and you have to go beyond that dot - which Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did.
He worshipped Mother Kali in the temple in Dakshineswar and his whole life, his whole thought was focused on Mother Kali. His mind, sattvic power, Satchidananda took the form of Mother Kali. In the end, knowing that beyond this is also something. And beyond this is the formless. Beyond this is the?...formless, nameless, attribute-less [Brahman]. And he said he took the sword of knowledge and with this knowledge, he transcended, cut the tiny dot and went beyond it into the formless. Nirvikalpa samadhi. He went into Nirvikalpa samadhi [spiritual superconsciousness] where there are no kalpas [modifications of time etc.], where there is no thought, where there is no concept. Nir-vi-kalpa. Where there is no thought whatsoever.
What it is then? Consciousness. God-consciousness. All of us are God-conscious. How many of you are not God-conscious? You are all conscious of God, is it not so? Whether you are conscious in image, or you are conscious in concept, you are all God-conscious. But you are not consciousness itself. When you become consciousness then you won't be God-conscious. You won't be conscious of something. You'll just be conscious.
So Ramakrishna Paramahamsa showed us that 'with form' is also true. And beyond the form is also the absolute truth. Only with form is limited, the other one is unlimited.
So you bhaktas, don't get worried if the jnanis [aspirants or practitioners of the path of Jnana, the yoga of knowledge] talk and say, 'All this is illusion [Maya].' The same thing happened when someone came to Sri Ramakrishna and he said to the devotee, 'What were you doing?' He answered, 'I was reading the Upanishads [Hindu philosophical treatises].' Master asked, 'What did you find out?' He said, 'It says that everything is lies [Maya, illusion, delusion].' He didn't say this world is lies. What did he say? – mark the words! He said, 'everything is lies, only God is the truth.' Master looked at him and said, 'Then why are you wasting your time with the lies? Even the book that you read is lies.' [devotes chuckle uncertainly] Why are you wasting your time with it? So think about it. You keep saying everything is lies. Then you say, 'I want a good mattress.' You say, 'everything is lies, but I must look for a good disciple.' So to talk Advaita is very good. But to practise it is very difficult. To realise it, one perchance reaches it. What happens? One perchance reaches it. Remember that, always.
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
