Daily Reading 80. Swamiji speaks on the foundation steps for awareness of Consciousness in all, at all times.

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

Sri Ramakrishna, because he had realised the Self, could see a good woman or a bad woman as Mother Kali [the Divine Mother]. He was above merit or de-merit.

You are angels by your own actions, and you are demons by your own actions. Your body becomes your friend – think about it.

Reach That and you see that everything is Consciousness. Day and night are Consciousness. Sri Ramakrishna saw all as God because he was God Himself.

One thought catches another thought but it is still thought. You must become thoughtless in the conscious state, not in the unconscious state.

What is a brahmachari? He who seeks by various means to realise Brahman. Brahman is immortal and fearless, Infinite, absolutely Absolute. It is very, very beautiful that we can sit like this and discriminate about the scriptures.

We must try to make others dharmically [spiritually, righteously] happy, rather than making ourselves happy.

We must read Swami Vivekananda’s works. That is the backbone of our religion. Sri Ramakrishna’s work has only scratched the surface now, after one hundred and fifty years. It is a world religion. He was the first to say, ‘All religions are like rivers flowing crooked or straight to the sea called God.’

In each of us there are three states, three bodies – physical, mental, causal. We are actors on the causal stage. Remember, all three bodies are superimposed on the Atman which is the base, the sub-stratum. When you are tired of acting here, you go to dream state, then from there to deep sleep and vice versa. Everyone must dream; but some go to the deep sleep state so fast that they do not see it.

A man who is God-realised, he is Spirit here. He has transcended the three bodies and knows he is Brahman Itself. Get this idea into your head, heart and mind. It may not be the Atman but the Atman is in the heart. Everything that brings about fear is not Atman – it is not the real, true nature of man. When you feel fearful you think you are going to die and you want to get out of it. That is the time to remember that you are Atman. Meditate on the Truth – this leads to Consciousness.

Yama [restraints things you should not do: opposite of Niyama, – obervances – what you should do] binds you to death and death binds you to existence. The practice of brahmacharya [at its most basic: celibacy, continence, physical and mental sexual control] is very, very important. Much strength goes out that way, or out through the five senses. Brahmacharya should be introduced gradually, not abruptly, if you feel you cannot give it up straight away. You must have some practice to strengthen the ‘brahmacharya-hood’ [early stages] of brahmacharya.

Immortality is not circumscribed by time. In time you become spiritually mature, so do not neglect it. Make haste while the sun shines. Make haste while the Atman shows.

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.