Symbols, gods and customary conventions.
Big personal nostalgia in this equally big audio clip. It starts with devotees briefly discussing Sri Hanumanji's symbols with Swamiji.
I can hear both Radha Ma and Pravrajika Atmaprana Mataji's voices. And Radha is having a merry chortle as Swamiji says that Hanumanji's [gada] goad [sometimes depicted as a rather hefty club] helps to 'motivate' the spiritual seeker. 😉
Swamiji talks about how Lord Brahma got upset with Lord Shiva not conforming to social 'norms' in his greeting. Swamiji says it's true that Shiva may have broken the protocol of the time or occasion, but that being a paramahamsa, Lord Shiva would not necessarily have conformed to any social 'laws' or expectations.
Swamiji explaining how one will see this in India and deeply reflected of course, in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. The phrase, 'A law unto themselves' springs to mind. Swamiji explains how in his view, Lord Shiva 'losing his temper' is insignificant. [It's said that a holy man's anger is like a stick lying on the surface of water. It appears to divide the water. but of course, doesn't.] The holy ones are above all of our 'conventions.' So we can expect unexpected behaviour.
Swamiji relates his wonderful encounter with Maya Ma [acknowledged as a Paramahamsa] at Kanyakumari on the southern tip of India. As Swamiji explains, Paramahamsa 'behaviour' will likely be incomprehensible when perceived from a human level, because of our fixation with relativity – good and bad, blessings and curses, etc. Please listen to Swamiji doing a deep dive into all of this. It's mind-expanding information.
This audio clip is a compilation on various topics. So the topic changes, but each time in a stand-alone way. Swamiji is having some fun, poking at the devotees of Lord Krishna, telling them that their Lord will indeed 'row them across the sea of Samsara'. So he's got to do all the work of rowing. But that it's really 'My Mother' as Swamiji describes her, who is inspiring all of this activity. But she doesn't have to do any of the hard work, because she has Krishna doing it for her. 😂
There are profound insights behind these moments of merriment. Swamiji often added 'a teaspoon of sugar' to sweeten the philosophical or other facts, to make them more memorable.
To listen to these beautiful illustrations, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration: 10:17
NEW! For a fresh daily reading recorded and transcribed by Team Radha Ma and Brother Tim, Click HERE.
The original audio recordings of these posts were made by close Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and Swami Shivapadananda devotee, Mother Radha. The audio editing and noise reduction of the original 1970s-onwards tapes, has been lovingly engineered, over many years, by her son and our dear gurubhai, Brother Tim. May Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji bless them both.
Admin tip: Underlined words are links. If you click on them, they'll take you to an explanation of the particular word or term. [In these overviews, Admin comments are typically in a smaller green font, and square bracketed, like this statement.]
Dear reader, if you spot typos or or other errors, please feel free to email the site admin on info@imbizo.com with your suggested correction/s.
Context: As always, care should be taken to remember that what Swamiji was saying, may have been very specific to the needs of people with him at the time. Please bear this in mind.
Links to our Guruparampara (spiritual lineage) organisations, which will broaden your knowledge base: Ramakrishna Math and Mission and our alma maters, the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and the Sri Sarada Devi Ashram in Durban.
The image in today's post, of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja aspect, is borrowed from the Khan Academy.