Daily Reading 76. Swamiji speaks about miracles, vibrations and mantra power.

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

Miracles are the work of ignorant man. Ramakrishna-ites [devotees of Sri Ramakrishna] do not believe in miracles. God made your heart and lungs etc. and God made the heart and lungs etc. of an ant. That is a miracle. Think about it.

Krishna’s saviour power is eternal and permanent. He is jagat [universal] guru. His name embodies his grace and his power.

Now, as you leave this shrine, remember that Swami Nischalananda [Swamiji’s beloved Guru] started this organisation [The Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa] with a feeling of holiness. This leads to transformation, to discipline, calmness, happiness. Vibrations in a subtle form permeate this ashram, this shrine, in a special way: It has the vibration to transform us within, and creates outside actions that are virtuous, kind, loving. Walk out with calmness and love. The singing here is pouring out love to God. Singing can only be so if it is done in a particular way. For satsang [religious service] choose your songs beforehand and sing one after the other. When you sing, place your mind on the feet of God on the altar; or see the Divinity within your heart.

Excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life, by Swami Yatiswarananda: OM [or AUM] represents akhanda, eternal.

Swamiji: Each Deity has a word symbol, a mantra. All mantras are helpful because each one represents a particular Deity. Spiritual thought is so fine, it takes you up, up, up, like a bubble. Good thought affects our personality. It bears fruit quicker than other thoughts.

Reading: Special thought-formulas are called mantras. Mantra awakens tremendous power, Chaitanya [God] Consciousness. A highly evolved spiritual person awakens tremendous power in the mantra. The mantra becomes living.

Swamiji: You must be disciplined and live a pure and systematic life. Without purity nothing spiritual happens. Discipline and purity are very, very essential – in thought, word and deed.

Reading: To the ignorant man the sound of the mantra is a dead form. By proper repetition it leads to the highest illumination and freedom. This leads to a personal vision of the Deity – then to transcendent thought – this leads to the Supreme Spirit. The mantra is of various types.

Swamiji: This is very, very important. For example, Namah Shivaya. When the mantra is repeated properly it arouses the particular Deity meditated on.

Reading: Each mantra is a bija or seed which arouses the Deity within us. This special power is called Devata. The power of japa [repetition of a mantra or one of the many names attributed to God] manifests only in a qualified aspirant.

Swamiji: Meaning, those who are pure, disciplined and systematic. We must have ourselves under control. Every word stands for a certain desire in us. The mind arouses latent spiritual tendencies.

Reading: The purpose of the mantra is to awaken the Spirit in man. If you meditate in the heart, you must keep the Deity there. Do not change it.

Swamiji: If one day you meditate in the heart, then here, then there, the mantra remains dead; you do not find the fruit. Sri Ramakrishna said that you must dig a well in one place, not in many places.

Reading: Wherever you are repeat the mantra.

Swamiji I use my guru mantra for everything. It will carry you across the ocean of samsara [birth and rebirth].

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.