Daily Reading 110. Swamiji talks about Maya, troubles, and premature spiritual experiences.
Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.
Vedanta says, ‘Everything is maya [‘partial truth’, as swamiji described it to us].’ Others say, ‘There are different stages in spiritual life.’
Question: Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi says, ‘Troubles are like water under a bridge . . .’ What does this mean?
Swamiji: Do not look at the water, the problem. Repeat [do japa with] the name [of God] and look up top [above, beyond the issue]. Concentrate on the Deity there, then the pain is not so great. Practise, practise, practise, makes perfect. If you think it is difficult, it will be difficult. When you think, ‘I will get over it,’ the problem is no longer that difficult. Remember my words – it is no longer that difficult.
Get drunk with God’s name. Holy Mother said, ‘I am come in the form of your karma [evolutionary ‘script’ of merit and demerit].’ Keep the mind level [calm, in equilibrium], all the time – on God and holy things.
Question: Why is it so difficult to control my mind?
Swamiji: Foolish people try to control their minds, wise people try to make the mind fully occupied. That is the difference. Let the mind be on God even when you ask a question – that means give the mind a good direction.
Intense yearning is lacking in us for God-realisation – for knowing who we are. If you want to marry a particular being, you become blind to the advice of your father and mother, so you break through the wall of their resistance. Similarly we need to show this kind of determination in our spiritual life.
Lust must be lust for God. In the Bhagavad Gita [a major Hindu scripture] it says, ‘Whatever you desire, I fulfill.’ This does not mean shallow desire but intense desire – ‘I fulfill that.’
Excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda: We must have firm faith and perseverance. Faith – because there are various kinds of obstacles – and great tenacity is needed. Persistence leads to great strength of mind, to the power of discrimination, the ability to make decisions. We sadly lack these. Indecision is a sign of mental weakness, of conflict within you. If you are indecisive for a long time it leads to weakness. We must be decisive in small things. Even the smallest thing must be done with decision. If you have a strict routine then many small details will not worry you. This leads to more energy etc. Do not remain indecisive – either get up immediately or sleep for another half hour. If you are inclined or not, do it. We must have mastery over our feelings. Good sentiments must be retained within.
Swamiji: For example we say, ‘I love you dear, but I must divorce you.’ [laughter].
Reading: Until the character is transformed a great spiritual aspirant retains great feelings within, not outside [not externally visible].
Swamiji: At one time Swami Vivekananda told Swami Abhedananda [also direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] to meditate, and by Swami Vivekananda’s influence [touch] Swami Abhedananda went into samadhi [superconsciousness] – after a while he came down [to a normal state]. Sri Ramakrishna was very angry about this and said to Swami Vivekananda, ‘Shame on you. You have not accumulated spiritual power and you are already spending it. You do not know what harm you have done him.’
Some people come here [to Swamiji] and say, ‘Why haven’t I had spiritual experiences after so long?’ But they do not know what will happen.
[There are many instances recorded in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, where people pressed Master for spiritual experiences or visions. When he granted their wishes they often asked him to ‘take back’ the visions and so on, because they couldn’t function normally, or became fearful.]
Underlined words are hypertext links to clarification, explanation or other sources. Just tap on them.
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.
For our gurubhai Atmaprakash Kramer’s beautiful pictorial ‘memoir’ booklet of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Avoca Ashram, 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.
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.