Chosen Deity remains with you
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
649
Swamiji continues speaking on the Ishta Devata [Personal Deity or Chosen Ideal]
Funny things happened in my life. I started worshipping Hanumanji first. When we were little children we used to give him prasad [sacramental food] stones [as substitutes for the real thing], we used to give him arati [benedictory waving/offering of lights to the deity] stones. But as I grew up I got attracted to Mother Kali. I started worshipping Mother Kali. Then Hanumanji made me very cross one day, I decided he was not good for me and I threw him out. Then I took Lord Shiva [pictured above] and I started worshipping him for a long time. But when I came to the ashram I found that Lord Shiva and Mother Kali and Hanumanji were not different from Sri Ramakrishna himself.
One day, I do not know why, a sadness came over me. I got up, I prostrated to the Master [Sri Ramakrishna] and I said good-bye to the dogs. I said good-bye to the people and spontaneously the people started crying. We got into the [Volkswagen mini-bus] Kombi and drove down the South Coast. [of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa] We came to a part where there was some road construction and the Kombi skidded. We went off the road and tumbled fifteen feet down. The last word that I remember saying was, 'Jai Sri Mahavir.' [the name of Sri Hanuman] When the Kombi stopped I heard someone saying, 'Narayanaya,' at the back. I do not know what the others said but I felt very embarrassed. I said to myself, 'Wait, my deity is Lord Shiva. So why am I saying, Jai Sri Mahavir?'
This shows that, no matter what, Hanumanji is still my Ishta Devata (though he came in the form of Lord Shiva himself).
You cannot escape it. Birth after death you worship them; they will not leave you even if you leave them.
In me my [Divine] Mother's grace is combined with Lord Shiva's, combined with Hanumanji's, combined with Sri Ramakrishna's and Sri Sarada Devi's.
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.
Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swami Shivapadananda
Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online…
Reference websites (please mouse-over the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2