Swamiji speaks on genuine illumination, noise sublimation, and meditation.
This audio clip touches on a number of topics of interest.
Enlightenment is that stage, says Swamiji, on reaching which, you have no relativity. In deep sleep there's no 'relative' either – but that's not it – it's blank.
Swamiji shares how some people arrive at what they think is a state of enlightenment through the use of drugs or other methods, when in fact what they're experiencing is hallucinations. Their intellect remains dull.
Swamiji says that real illumination means that the scriptures and wisdom will come pouring out of an individual, even if they've never read the scriptures. Which is why we can't doubt a Sri Ramakrishna or a Lord Jesus the Christ – because neither was a learned scholar, and yet they were infinite wells of spiritual wisdom. Master [Sri Ramakrishna] and the Lord Jesus were speaking from the soul. Others will speak from the mind or intellect, because they read it, they think about it and they write good essays. But it's 'hearsay' [not based on personal experience].
The conversation moves on to transmuting 'noise' into divine sound. Swami quotes Gurudev [his beloved Guru Swami Nischalananda Puri] saying that if there's a persistent sound which has the potential to disturb or annoy, synchronise/harmonise it with the sound of AUM/OM or one of the many names attributed to God.
Swamiji explains how he did exactly this when they were travelling the length and breadth of India in a railway carriage. He refers to the Heidelberg printing machine in the ashram press, making its distinctive sound [to my ears, it made rhythmic hissing sounds – like a steam train locomotive]. As Swamiji says, you can make it say what you want it to say. [In psychology this is called sublimation. Converting the the stimulus to a higher or productive value, rather than letting it negatively affect one, or worse, trying to suppress it.] So tune [synchronise/harmonise] any rhythmic or persistent sound with God's name.
If you really want to meditate says Swamiji, it's easy. [I can hear Mother Radha – who made all of these delightful recordings of Swamiji speaking, over many years – chuckling at this.] Because you want to meditate. So it's as easy as that. [Mother Radha chuckling harder.] What you don't like, is difficult. If you like it, it's easy and you'll find a way to do it.
Swamiji gives an example of us wanting to go see a movie [often called a bioscope in those days] and how by hook or by crook, we'd find a way of doing so. Mother Radha asks, 'Is that all there is to it?' Swamiji says, 'Yes, that's all there is to it.' Listen to the delightful interaction between her and Swamiji, which the satsang attendees can relate to, and thoroughly enjoy.
Swamiji shares how he got called 'the rooster' at home, by his pre-monastic family, because he'd be making a noise in front of their home shrine at 3am – the idea being to get everyone else up, too.😉 He references his pre-monastic mother, Kossilla Ma [pictured above with ashram Mummy, Sri Jayanti Devi]– who is seated in the congregation.
To enjoy this variety of topics, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration: 07:13
For the free-to-read, draft 394 page, expanded version of 'A Life Lived For Others'.
Click here for: → Swamiji's biography
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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, was often very specific to the needs of people with him at the time. Please bear this in mind.
Links to our Guru Parampara (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 Ramakrishna Centre of Johannesburg is also active in Gauteng province in South Africa.
There are various publications [The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna etc.] which you can download at no charge, from the Ramakrishna Centre of SA website page, HERE.