Daily Reading 105. Swamiji on preparing for the body to die, and remembering our true spiritual nature.
Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.
[After hearing of the death of a devotee, Swamiji said]: Time is short. We must make a 5 year spiritual plan. Old people should mentally and spiritually prepare to leave the body gracefully. Kali Yuga [the age/era/epoch that Swami Vivekananda said began transiting into the Satya yuga, with the birth of Sri Ramakrishna] is the greatest challenge because it is so hard to live a righteous [dharmic] life. In Satya Yuga [pure, golden or truthful age] people live a righteous life anyway.
Devotee: In the Ramayana [a Hindu scriptural epic] it tells how Lord Rama shot Bali, in the back . . .
Swamiji: Yes, so that his karma [developmental contract requiring completion/fulfilment in his present birth] could be fulfilled.
Do everything, but offer it to God.
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi did not often go to [visit at] Sri Ramakrishna’s room [at the Dakshineswar Kali temple], perhaps once in two months. When she felt distressed, she told herself, ‘O mind, why do you think yourself so lucky as to be able to see Him every day?’
Christmas is a family birthday – that means all relatives meet in love. But Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Christ [all incarnations or avatars of the ONE divine consciousness] have a different category of love. Their light is not limited by human concept. The light of God lights the path – it spreads love and light all around. Thus man becomes aware of the light. When man turns away from this light, towards darkness he must control his mind, heart and soul. But man’s heart is limited.
Love of all comes to you on its own terms, never on yours. As Master [Sri Ramakrishna] said: See the tiger from far, do not try to embrace it, it will make a breakfast out of you.
It is a pity you do not read Sri Ramakrishna’s Gospel, everything is in it that you need. You must meditate on Master’s [Sri Ramakrishna’s] sayings thousands of times. Swami Vivekananda said, ‘I am It [the Divine]. Repeat it again and again till it becomes part of you.’ All that I am is spirit. Satchidananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss, Absolute] is ever present, is the Absolute Truth. In it there is no untruth. It is Absolute Knowledge, Absolute Bliss.
I see my Guru [Swami Nischalananda Puri] in everything, in everyone. Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘When the mind is annihilated, when it stops debating the pros and cons, one goes into samadhi, one attains the knowledge of Brahman.’
A mere vision of God is not everything, you must bring Him into your room. You must talk to Him.
OM [the mantra] is for sannyasis. Go beyond the pleasant and the unpleasant – go to the divine.
If we become dependent on people’s love we become slaves. Become independent. If we love, we must also hate. If we love Christ we must hate the devil. How to go above this? See the Father [the ONE, indivisible consciousness].
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The free-to-read or download, 396-page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography, ‘A Life Lived For Others‘, is available by clicking HERE. If you’d prefer the PDF version, please click HERE.
There’s also a Facebook site for Swamiji’s posts now. They feature newer readings published more recently. Click HERE to view.
For our gurubhai Atmaprakash Kramer’s beautiful pictorial ‘memoir’ booklet of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Avoca Ashram, please click HERE.
These recordings or the excerpts from them, were made from the early 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to those with him at the time.