123-4 Swamiji speaks on introspection, fulfilling dharma and free will.
Swamiji continues the theme on the externalised senses, found in audio post 123-3.
Whilst now it [the mind] is going outside [externalised], when you start forcing yourself and doing good, it's such a subtle power, that it will start going inward.
But the mistake comes here. When we go inward, we must not neglect the outward. We must take the outward aid to push it inward. What you think, affects the outside, and also, what you see outside and think, affects the inside.
So the wise man will take the aid of the outside. Never neglect the outside [dharma/duties]. Outside and inside, when it becomes 'one side', God-side, then all problems are over. And which side is the God-side? It's got no sides. It's infinite.
But there's a starting point. Somewhere, man must start, whether you call it outside or inside. Like I said the other day, you have to start somewhere. Though the whole world is Brahman [undifferentiated Consciousness], but you have to say, 'Neti, neti' [not this, not this]. Swamiji chuckles. Only to say, 'All this is!' [Iti, iti.]
Man is fashioned [in the habit] to travel only one side. He can't take on all sides, at one stroke. He must come to a particular area, a particular platform, a particular state, from where he will see all sides. And the only way to come to that, is through the different ways of a spiritual path. All paths are to centralise the vision – to see through God's eyes. But now you're seeing through human eyes.
Swamiji relates how someone asked Sri Ramakrishna if we have free will? Swamiji highlights the guilelessness and simplicity of Sri Ramakrishna. Saying that the truly holy person just speaks, because what comes out of their mouth will automatically be right. Swamiji explains how truth doesn't require calculating or 'weighing'. It's frankness, straightforwardness [but not of the destructive kind.] Sri Ramakrishna gives a delightful 'Zen Koan' [seemingly paradoxical] answer: 'There is and there isn't.' 😉 Please listen to Sri Ramakrishna's exquisitely clear explanation as given by Swamiji. Gandhi, many years after Sri Ramakrishna, used this same explanation when asked the question.
Swamiji says that by using our free will, we will become stronger, each time. And there will come a time when we will be liberated from all constraints. We will discover that all will is God's will. Swamiji gives a detailed insight into how all of this will unfold. It makes for a wonderful meditation.
Swamiji wraps up the homily by quoting, ‘Be still and know that I am God’ from Psalm 46:10 in the Christian Bible. Swamiji says we must think about which 'I' is being talked about here. Whether with Lord Jesus or Lord Krishna. Know which 'I' it is. We are the same divine 'I' – but we have mistakenly attached our concept to body, mind and intellect – the ego 'i'.
To benefit from these deep insights, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration: 09:15
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Dear Devotee, if we use the term 'He or he', when referring to Swamiji, it's not impolite or disrespectful. It's to minimise the repetitiveness of saying or writing 'Swamiji' too many times.
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.
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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 crafted from prompts to Microsoft Copilot AI – Artificial Intelligence.