‘Bribing’ God
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 799
Some people who are going to write their exams come here looking for advice. I tell them, "Do certain prayers, have faith and go." (Of course I don't say then they'll pass the exam.) When they fail the exam they say, "Oh, oh, no good. This Hanumanji is not God, we'll try Lord Shiva." So next time they try Lord Shiva. They get through the exam and they say, "Lord Shiva is alright." But if they fail then they'll say, "Lord Shiva doesn't come right." Then they put Lord Shiva through the back door and get Mother Kali in from the front door. And this is just a maya [God's power of illusion/delusion] of your mind.
You should not place any condition whatsoever on God. If God wants to protect you, God will protect you. If God does not want to protect you, He'll allow your karma [essential path/destiny in this birth] to take its course. He will allow to happen that which will do you higher good later on.
Imagine that a man's son is arrested for murder and he is sentenced to death; and that man goes to the temple and prays, "O Mother Kali, if he comes out of jail free I will give you five goats. Not only five goats, I'll feed some poor people. Not only that, I'll give ten thousand Rand [South African currency] to charity." Now when the son gets hanged by his neck the man will say, "God didn't work." Naturally. Why should God work? Do you think God is going to worry about your five goats and feeding the people? He has given five goats to lots of people. He has given thousands of Rand to charity – many times, through others. Why should he be so bound by your "carrots" [bribes/incentives]?
If your prayer works it's His grace. Don't think that your prayer can make it work, it is just His grace.
Sri Ramakrishna says, "God is like a little child – he takes from whomsoever He likes and He gives to whomsoever He likes. We can't divine His actions." We can't make out His actions. Once you can make them out, then you are better than Him, then you know His next move and you play chess His way.
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