Swamiji explains the integration of nature with mind and mood.
You can actually get a good understanding of God's nature and God's beauty, by observing the changing patterns in nature, says Swamiji. The natural is God, and God cannot be separated from that which is natural. Eternity cannot be separated from itself.
Swamiji illustrates the point by saying that the saints and sages [rishis] noticed that when leaves on a tree were agitated for example, the mind would react. In the same way when the wind blows, the mind may also become agitated [Site admin comment: It's my absolute worst. Very disturbing]. But look at the difference when nature is so calm. Your mind actually behaves the way external nature does. It has a control – you may think you are the boss. You are no boss – it has a control over you.
Swamiji quotes Sri Ramakrishna speaking to Nag Mahasaya [a saintly householder disciple, pictured above], 'Whenever you see a mass of water, sit and meditate.' It reminds one of Satchidananda. Existence, Knowledge, Bliss – everything is in that water. Swamiji explains how this can be turned into a meditation, using the 'ice block in water' analogy. [Swamiji told us several times that where there's a large body of water, there's a high level of prana – energy or life force.]
Swamiji takes this a step further, explaining that when there is complete dissolving, there's no thought, no fear, no pain – just full uniting with the One consciousness of which we are all an integral part.
Swamiji concludes the homily by leading the group in the Sarvesham shanti [peace] mantra. To share in these gentle insights, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration: 06:01
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.
The image in this post is borrowed from here.