Daily Reading 81. Swamiji delivers a series of aphorisms and maha vakyas [great truths] in simple one-liners.

A beautiful, high-resolution shot of the old Avoca ashram building taken from the rear. Swamiji’s quarters were on the upstairs left. The original shrine was on the lower level, on the right. To the professional photographer who took this memory-stirring photograph, we ashramites use it with gratitude and thanks.

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

Learn scriptural verses, then your memory will improve. Spirituality leads to the spiritual abode.

Kundalini has its own shakti [power/energy], its own bhakti [love, devotion] too. Even on the road, repeat the mantra [sacred sound syllable or one of the many names attributed to God] mentally.

If you want to be very happy in the world, be ignorant. Ignorance leads to bliss in the world.

Virtues are living entities.

Sanskrit is called Dev Vani [the language of the gods]. It is not a dead language, it is a living language.

When you are old you must take to religious life. Think what you did in your life. If you think Brahman, Brahman, Brahman, you will offer everything to God. Do everything for God. Offer death itself to God. Thus you get liberated.

Very few have a strong will while young – a will strong enough to ignore the senses. Follow the instructions of the guru and study the scriptures. This leads to freedom. If you think the Lord is Infinite, you will become the Lord, you will become Infinite. He will do everything.

Fears and impurities make us desire the wrong thing. True desire kills you [the egoistic you]. It is not difficult to realise God if you really want It. You should not desire much. You should leave it to God. What you desire most God fulfils in the body – as quickly as possible – even in the next birth. God speaks without interpreters. God gives various methods.

Excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda: In the course of meditation one must be merged in the Lord. If you float on the surface you cannot hope to reach the precious stones at the bottom.

Swamiji: You must think about this very carefully and keep it in your head. Prarabdha karma can be understood like this: Switch on the wheel, it turns at full power. Switch off, and the wheel still turns [but will eventually run to a stop].

A realised soul never does wrong. To describe this Sri Ramakrishna says, ‘A professional dancer never takes a wrong step.’

To attain siddhi powers it needs effort. But in a jivanmukta [liberated soul] it just happens, because of prarabdha karma [the karma being worked out in this life]. A jivanmukta never takes birth out of karma. An Incarnation comes from top [higher spiritual realm] to down [where we are on the physical plane].

What is Consciousness? Be conscious of Consciousness. That is the most befitting word.

Teach children: Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma. [This is a foundational Sanskrit phrase from the Taittiriya Upanishad (2.1.1) that defines Brahman, the supreme, ultimate reality, as Truth, Knowledge, and Infinity.]

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.

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