Daily Reading 46. Swamiji discusses attitude and perception from several perspectives.

From Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Because Paramahamsa Sri Ramakrishna had to be instructed to go to school, this is not a licence to young people not to go to school. He [Sri Ramakrishna, then named Gadadhar] said to his eldest brother, Ramkumar, ‘What am I to do with mere bread-winning education?’ That’s what he said. In later life, in his own words, he said, ‘I want that knowledge by possessing which, I will know all things in this world.‘ He in a way said that he wanted to find the basis of everything. And he called that, ‘Kali‘ [an aspect of the Divine Mother]. Mother Kali. What kind of Kali? Jagadhatri – She who preserves the whole universe, looks after the whole universe.

Now we see here, that out of ignorance we do things because we do not know that there is nothing to be reached for. Everything is built in, in this body. [Swamiji repeats it] Everything is built in, in this body.

It’s like islands. There were five or six islands and one of the small islands complained every day, ‘I do not meet my big friend [island] on the other side.’ So the big island said, ‘See here, you are squealing for nothing, you can never reach it the way you’re trying to reach it, from the outside.’ ‘Then how should I reach you?’, asked the little island. The big island said, ‘You are already one. You are not separate.’

The small island could not understand how they were one, so the big island said, ‘My friend, you see this water? Look deep inside. Look deep down inside this water.’ When the little island looked deep down in the water, what do you think it saw? It saw the seabed. Then he was shocked. ‘Truly we are one deep down – right down in the heart’, he said. ‘But outside we appear to be separate. And from outside we are trying to hold [touch/connect with] each other.’ You can never do it.

You and I may not know that the Rishis [Seer-Saint-Sages] discovered this knowledge because they did not look without – rather they looked within. And in the hours of their deep meditation this knowledge was revealed to them: that they have to ‘get’ [seek] nothing. They already possessed all those things, because they are one with everything in this whole universe.

On sin: There is no sinner, only sin. What is sin? Take ‘I’ out, what remains? ‘Sn,’ as in the Son of God. Do not get depressed. Say to the Divine Mother, ‘Ma, I am your child. I have sinned many times but surely worse sinners have been saved by you? Am I worse than them? Come Ma, save me!’ In spiritual life we have to keep trying. Cry to the Lord and He must answer. If the baby cries, the mother runs, she has to go to her child.

On pain: Even pain can be enjoyed when you are above body consciousness. See God in the pain.

On ritual worship: A havan [ritual fire worship ceremony] is so beautiful, so inspiring. During a havan, when the fire burns badly, it means there are difficulties in their lives [those directly participating in the ceremony].

We read that one time Sri Krishna had a headache. The gopis and gopas were told that the only thing that would cure it, was if one of the devotees washed their own feet and Lord Krishna drank the water. [This was, of course, considered absolute sacrilege and they flatly refused to do anything of the sort out of fear]. But Radha unhesitatingly washed her feet and gave Krishna the water to drink. What does this mean? The other gopis and gopas loved him because they wanted to go to heaven with the Lord, – they were still thinking of ‘I and mine’ – but Radha did not care what happened, as long as Krishna was alright.

So too, when we meditate, we do it because we need something, we want something. But can we do it just to get closer to his lotus feet? Always remember: I am so humble, so low, that I cannot see His face, I can only see His feet.

Do you know what Sri Radha means? She represents the active energy of the individual mind. Krishna represents the actual energy of the cosmic mind. Both of these merge, as deep water merges in the ocean. 

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.