All spiritual paths lead to one destination
[Pictured: the Ganges/Ganga delta]
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 938
Only the religious leaders who came after Master's [Sri Ramakrishna's] time preached the universality* of religion. Sri Ramakrishna's method was, 'All religions are disciplines to discipline our minds, and you can realise God.'
Before this, all believed that if you followed Karma Yoga [the yoga of offering the fruits of one's labour to God] you would get God-realisation – or that if you followed Jnana Yoga [the yoga of spiritual knowledge] you would get God-realisation – or if you followed Bhakti Yoga [the yoga of devotion] you would get God-realisation. They felt you could not mix them. But Sri Ramakrishna said, 'Religion is not in dogmas and doctrines. It is in being and becoming, by worship, psychic control (internal and external), by knowledge, or by all these.'
You can practise all these yogas [paths and approaches] in one birth. The mind differs from second to second.
After 1886 many others followed religion as preached by Sri Ramakrishna. He did not just find it, no, he discovered it, he un-covered it – like you remove the cloth from the table.
This is Sanatana Dharma – the Eternal Religion.
*Sri Ramakrishna's dictum was 'Religions are like rivers – they all end in the One ocean called God'.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham