Swamiji talks about our spiritual ‘life-stages’ and principles.
Swamiji starts off by saying, 'The relationship between Guru and Chela [disciple] is deeply sacred. Because it's based on self-sacrifice.'
He explains how Mother Ganga came to earth after great sacrifice, to purify everything.
Swamiji clarifies that the gods are really physical manifestations of our own psychic powers.
The sadhaka's [spiritual aspirant's] life must be based on principles and divided into four categories [or 'ashramas' as the phases in Hindu life are referred to.] Brahmacharya [student phase], grihasta [householder stage], vanaprastha [contemplative, recluse or retired stage] and the last one is sannyasa [the renunciation stage].
But, says Swamiji, you can't put them in tight compartments. One phase overlaps into the other. It's a progressive growth. We must learn how to grow this plant called spirituality in our own lives. It's not something that will 'come from heaven' or just fall on us.
People don't just suddenly become spiritually inclined. It means that in birth after birth they've been leading up to this. That they've worked very, very hard. Swamiji gives examples of great ones who are divine beings, and who sacrificed long ago, to reach these stages. Here's the rub as the saying goes: There is no short cut to God! Swamiji refers to sacrificing the goat or the sheep of ego [ahamkara] on the altar of selflessness.
Swamiji says something which keeps surfacing as a theme in these discussions, and is clearly driven by urgency: 'You must be serious' about your spiritual growth.
In fun mode, Swamiji jokes about his own potential 'four-ashramas' status in past births.😉He goes on to talk about how to see God in everyone and everything, starting off as imagining it to be so. [Swamiji told us numerous times that 'imagination is the greatest gift.' Not a gift or great gift, but THE greatest gift. He told us boys, 'What starts out as imagination, becomes reality.]
Rules, their role and benefits are the next aspect of this discussion. Following a rule for exercise, or on the spiritual path, makes one stronger and stronger, to the point where we transcend the rule, says Swamiji. The rules, guidelines and principles aren't there by accident. They were devised by our ancient, wise Rishis for our benefit.
To listen to these suggestions, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna.
Duration: 11:42
For the free-to-read, draft 394 page, expanded version of 'A Life Lived For Others'.
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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 was generated through prompts to Microsoft Copilot AI (Artificial Intelligence).