Daily Reading 66. Swamiji explains monastic shaved heads and stresses our spiritual journey responsibilities.

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

The shaving off of the hair [by aspirant or actual renunciates – brahmacharis] means you are shedding your lower desires through the practice of yama [things you should do] and niyama [things you should not do] when you are morally fit. Then you have the strongest foundation. There are no cracks, so you do not fall [through them].

[Editorial note: A shaved head is a tradition for a male monastic novice. They typically retain only a small tuft – churki – of hair on the back of the head – symbolising that they have not finally renounced. It’s also a way of reducing ego as many people’s vanity is literally tied up in their hair. Female renunciates in the Ramakrishna and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi tradition typically wear the hair very short, but not shaved.]

The Vedas say: One tenth of your income, of your own sweat, must be given to teaching illiterate people. One tenth to do charitable work. One tenth used to convert your sweat into an institution. If you do this then you are a yogi.

You must take religion seriously. Very, very seriously. Do not speak lies. Do not swear at your God or sin against your God in thought, word or deed. You must be clean [pure] in thought, word and deed. Whoever your Deity is, [they] are a facet of Brahman.

I took Sri Ramakrishna because I have not yet found a facet shining so brightly, in this time, in this universe – though of course there are others.

Build a strong foundation of godly desires. Then when you pass away you are Brahman.

In my mind, in my heart, this country [South Africa] is the holiest place on earth. This is because I was born here on this earth, and I discovered that jewel – Sri Ramakrishna. May you discover him and have that love for your country.

I have no worries. My Master [Sri Ramakrishna] created the world, my [Divine] Mother sustains it and my guru’s [Swami Nischalananda Puri] grace gives me a *palace to live in.

[Editorial note]: * Swamiji lived in very ordinary surroundings. If any minor ‘luxury’ entered the equation at the then very simple ashram, it was because devotees would typically, out of love, create them. Having observed Swamiji for twenty three years of my life, I can say without fear of conradiction that Swamiji lived in and was comfortable with utter simplicity.]

Give your life to Master [Sri Ramakrishna]. Give your life to Master. I did that and see what my life is like. How to become worthy? By desiring intensely to know the Self. What is the secret? Desire intensely to know Brahman, that Brahman which is hidden and kept in the scriptures of the world.

Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Ignorance is the cause of all bondage. Knowledge comes though bhakti [devotion/love] and by loving all as the temple of God.’

The bonds will break and you will be free. Cultivate bhakti. Worship God by loving all beings, sentient and insentient, as temples of God. God is in the stones too. This leads to knowledge. The rope of ignorance breaks and the soul will be free.

Amongst realised souls there are degrees of realisation. Ordinary men of the world can reach God. But the Avatar [Incarnation] is different – from God he reaches man. In lower knowledge you become specialised. For example a heart specialist must know about the heart. The more you know about the heart, the less you know about other organs. Actually you are more ignorant and less knowledgeable. The less ‘I specialist’ you are, the more ‘Thou specialist’ you are.

Do all jobs [work] with perfect concentration. Turn it towards God. This leads to perfection. A lazy child is no good for spirituality. Every thought, word and deed must become worship. This leads to yoga [union]. And this leads to union with God.

How dignified you can become. You can be the greatest saint in the world. And if no one acknowledges you? You have no ego, it is dead. Anyone who needs man does not imagine God in that man. He is not practising sadhana [spiritual practice]. When you meet people with this humility, instantly they become fascinated with you. It is not like the snake being charmed. Here the snake of the ego is fascinated.

All are children of the great Rishis [seers/saints/sages]. Practise what you read in the scriptures. If you don’t, your lack of progress isn’t anyone else’s fault, it’s yours.

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.