Choose your spiritual path with care
[A rope appearing as a snake]
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Day 1023
Asat [literally non-truth, opposite of 'sat' -truth] means that which does not exist. What did not exist will never exist. What did not exist in the middle, does not exist and will never exist in the?…end. But delusion, as it is said, you can get deluded by seeing a rope and mistaking it for a?…snake. To clear this, there's only one way. To know, what That is. And That is what he calls knowledge. That is Jnana Yoga. Through Jnana you are united. Through?…jnana you are united.
But many a sannyasi [Swami, monk, sadhu, Hindu Holy man] seems to overlook the second verse of the same [Isha] Upanishad [Hindu philosophical texts]. To become a jnani [aspirant or practitioner on the sadhana path of knowledge] is not an easy thing. You have to actually deny [neti, neti, meaning 'not this, not this] your own body. You have to actually deny your mind, your intellect, your stomach. It's a very, very, tough, difficult path. Knowing that all are not going to have that capability, what can happen to many people is that they'll get themselves deluded. They think they are jnanis.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said that Advaita [non-dual, monism] philosophy is good for just the chosen few. By nature the mind is active and the speaker said earlier on that no amount of action – karma [in this sense not destiny, but work/action] – will remove this. No amount of it. What then? There's no hope then, not so? For all of us. Because by nature the mind is active. Being active, what are you going to do? Karma is performed. It doesn't mean you're just sitting there. At the most you can become lazy [tamasic]. Karma actually means intense activity and above activity. Not no activity and below activity. There's a difference in that. It's intense activity – exertion to the fullest. To know…the…highest. That's what it actually means.
So all are not qualified just to deny everything as illusion [Maya, the divine power of illusion/delusion]. Illusion, when people say it's 'lies', it's like saying the magician pulled one handkerchief out of the hat, then hundreds of handkerchiefs. Magicians will charge you two Rands [the South at the door and yet he produces five thousand Rands on that stage. Then what is the need to charge the R 2 gate fee?
That is why I don't agree with this business of showing miracles. The same person that performs miracles, producing golden rings and diamonds and gives them to people – the same fellow is going to collect money to build an ashrama [monastery, hermitage]. It's not befitting. Because if he can materialise so many thousands of Rand then why doesn't he materialise the ashram? Why give poor people the trouble giving their little share? It's an illusion. And not befitting.
So, this world they say is illusion. But illusion must not be denied completely – it's there [a substratum]. But you don't know the right nature of that. What its real nature is. Like you are here, you say, 'I am this,' but you don't know what your real nature is. You think you are the body. This is an illusion. This is you thinking you are – but let us not think – and see what we are. 'Not thinking' does not mean making your mind dull. But by going above thinking, Jesus says, will give 'that peace that passeth all understanding.' The genius' understanding too, it passes. All. So, that is a very difficult path.
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, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
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