Daily Reading 79. Swamiji explains how Sri Ramakrishna uplifted the whole universe. And gives powerful advice on brahmacharya.

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

In meditation take your Ishta Devata [chosen Ideal/Deity], put it in your own heart and worship it. If the blessing of God comes on us we will be changed people. When this does not happen then something is wrong with us.

Sri Ramakrishna is a great tidal wave that purifies everything. Sri Ramakrishna came and uplifted the life of the world by uplifting the spiritual life of Hindus and at the same time by uplifting Christianity, Islam etc. All dharma is true as long as you follow that dharma. We are fish swimming in the ocean of our own dharma. Krishna said, ‘All paths lead to Me‘ [God]. An Incarnation has not come for this or that individual but for the good of the whole world, to give knowledge to the whole universe. When there is spiritual language of the heart, there is discrimination of the unreality from the Reality. Touch the philosopher’s stone and everything turns to gold. But when God touches anything it turns to Soul.

In man’s body the spine manufactures ojas [vital force]. In animal bodies it is not like that.

Swami Saradananda Maharaj [a direct monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] said, ‘Everything I have written in ‘Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master’ I have experienced. Do you think we learned to plant grass with Sri Ramakrishna?’ In India many sannyasis still follow [Sri Adi] Shankaracharya’s ideals. They want to realise God for themselves. But Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘No! If God is seated in my heart He must be seated in every heart, you must serve Him there.’ That is very, very beautiful.

It is very important to remain untouched by another person. [Holy Mother] Sri Sarada Devi said, ‘How beautiful to offer an un-smelled flower to God.’ Un-smelled by anyone. Once it is smelled, it is jootha, polluted.

Jesus Christ was a brahmachari [monastic celibate] his whole life long – body mind and senses – especially one very important organ. You must be kept untouched by anyone. You must be the Eternal bride of the Eternal Christ, meaning of the Lord Himself. For Christians this would be Jesus Christ. For a Hindu this would be for his or her Ishta [chosen ideal or deity]. You must control the senses. Direct them towards the Lord Himself by reading holy books, by japa, by fasting and above all by holy company.

Therefore you, as parents, have a very important duty to inform your children, from the beginning, what is good for the Lord and what is not good for the Lord. If you want the Lord, you must make sacrifices.

Most Rishis married but observed brahmacharya. After realising God they could direct other souls.

If you worship an Ishta Devata you will not get the revelation of the Ishta Devata until and unless you keep brahmacharya. This is very, very important. Practise mind and sense control in ordinary life, as a rider controls a horse. Otherwise the horse runs amok.

Please wake up. Please wake up. Please wake up to the reality of spirituality you householders [Grihasthas]. Only through brahmacharya will you live happily on earth. Brahmacharya is the sacrifice of all the pleasures of the world. It is celibacy – meaning complete abstention.

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.

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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.