Daily Reading 50. Swamiji speaks about Sri Hanumanji being a Chiranjivi [immortal].

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

[Lord] Hanuman exists now. He’ll exist after this and he existed before this. Man exists eternally. Swami Vivekananda stated: ‘Apparent’ man is body, mind, soul and internal organs. Real man is the Atman which lives forever. The Bhagavad Gita, chapter 2 verse twelve says: ‘There is never a time I did not exist, nor you; and never a time we cease to be.’

Get out of karma [the cycle of birth and rebirth]. Think: Sri Ramakrishna is everywhere, doing everything. Act like a saint. Think: What would Sri Ramakrishna do in this situation? Or: What would Swamiji do in this situation? Think like this and surrender completely. 

Pray for freedom from desires – because desire is the father of karma [cause and effect]. Swami Vivekananda prayed as he sang: ‘O Lord, cast Thy compassionate glance on me.’

Swamiji to the sannyasi (monastic) disciples: [Please note the very specific group of devotees to whom this was addressed] Laughing is fickle-mindedness. Watch how it creeps in. Always laugh with controlled laughter – then you are aware of your body. If you laugh with uncontrolled laughter, then you are unaware of your body. In front of a sadhu [holy man] do not cross your legs [it’s a sign of arrogance/ego] and do not stand above him unless he says so [this signals an appropriate humility].

In the morning, I salute Surya [the Sun god] and say Master’s [Sri Ramakrishna’s invocation mantra composed by Swami Vivekananda] prayer: Sthapakaya Cha Dharmasya, Sarvadharma Svaroopine Avataraya Varishthaya, Ramakrishnaya te namah.

English Meaning: Sthapakaya cha dharmasya: To the establisher of righteousness/spirituality.
Sarva-dharma-svarupine: To the embodiment or personification of all faiths and religions.
Avatara-varishthaya: To the supreme or greatest among all divine incarnations.
Ramakrishnaya te namah: To that Sri Ramakrishna, I offer my salutations.

And I concentrate on the Lord in the third eye [the position between and slightly above the eyebrows on the forehead]. If you meditate on light, let it spread through the whole universe.

Meditating on the feeling of love or joy is formless – but it is still with form – like the ocean or the sky. No meditation is greater than another. Just meditate on that upon which the mind rests best.

Even after God-realisation [Sri Adi] Shankaracharya [the great Hindu philosopher] fulfilled scriptural ordinances. [he continued doing his prescribed duties].

You control your nature, and God will fulfill your desire.

I imagine the Deity in my head. At times I will go to Vishnu because he preserves, to Brahma because he creates and to Shiva, because he destroys.

In reality there is one God. Spontaneously and simultaneously cells in nature are being created, preserved, destroyed. Spontaneously it happens.

The ego hides the good from you. This is your enemy. Mother and Krishna are not two. It is ONE. It is the same power. It is all an attitude of your mind. You see good things and you are happy. You see bad things and you are sad.

Each incident in your life can’t be seen alone, because you are creating new karmas and paying off old karmas. If you are not prepared to give up [sacrifice] your life, you will act in a selfish way. If you act from a dharmic [righteousness] point of view, it leads you to God. A rajasic [very or overactive] man is very good so long as his actions are directed towards God. Hanuman always wanted to serve Rama.

If your God is Omnipresent [everywhere], Omnipotent [all-powerful], Omniscient [all-knowing], He is God. If he is any other thing, he is a demi-god.

For example, people worshipped a stone [Shiva lingam], thought it was the Omnipotent Shiva, and realised God.

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.