Daily Reading 84. Swamiji shares some profound insights on our spiritual evolution.

A blessed memory. Some of the original Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa ashram devotees onstage. From Left to Right: Brahmachari Maharaj, Sister Sri who became Pravrajika Atmaprana Mataji and headed the Sri Sarada Devi ashram (convent) in Asherville Durban, Neal Shah, Sister Mary Jibodh to our right of pillar, Sister Soundlai, our dearly beloved and revered ashram ‘Mummy’ Sri Jayanti Devi Mataji playing harmonium, Mummy’s son Lokesh, Sister Jayshree Jibodh, Sister Henny Schimmel – a stalwart founding member of the Ramakrishna Center of SA, and Brahmachari Thribhuvan who took sannyas and became Swami Thribhuvan Puri.

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

Reading an excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life, by Swami Yatiswarananda: Meditate on infinite love, infinite bliss. Depend more and more on the indwelling guru. Stress the spirit, not the form.

Swamiji: Someone met Pavhari Baba [a great Yogi of the time] who gave him a living mantra: ‘Sitaram.’ If you repeat it you must get the desired goal.

The holy one is in your heart, catch Him there. You are not alone, you are with God – everything is ‘It’. We say, ‘By [the Divine] Mother’s grace.’ Yes, I am all Mother. Go back to the Lord’s name, to the Lord’s feet. Repeat the mantra with meaning. Look at the Deity’s form and repeat the mantra. As long as you like to touch, ‘It’ is not formless.

Depression is the worst sin. Keep reminding yourself to go back to the Lord’s name [japa], to the Lord’s feet. Kick depression out with laughter and joy. I used to get depressed – but then I got so happy making others happy and cracking jokes.

If you chant the [divine] name and think of the meaning, you become calm. Look at the form, repeat the mantra and think of the meaning. Repeat Om Namah Shivaya – I prostrate to you Lord Shiva – that is the meaning. If you do not see the form, just imagine it is there. [Swamiji often said to us: ‘Imagination is the greatest gift. What starts out as imagination becomes reality.’]

The day you meet a sadhu [genuine holy man], that day you really take birth, otherwise you are more dead than alive. Your sadhana [spiritual practice] begins because you have a living example – meaning something to contrast your life against – and your life on earth is blessed.

Great devotees die thinking of God. A jivanmukta can say, ‘I am who I am – I neither go nor come when the body falls.’ The subtle body moves about. Just witness the body – it walks, it talks – the body just drops.

If you knowingly get into deep sleep, you will know who you are. The mantra will take you there.

The ‘Ramakrishna-ites’ [devotees of Sri Ramakrishna] call the Vedas the essence of the scriptures.

If there is the sex act, the kundalini is dormant. The unconscious mind must slowly be changed.

A human being’s body is described as a city – God is seated in it – and that is a great light. Light, Truth, immortality are attributes of supreme Truth, supreme Light and Absolute Bliss.

A man must discipline himself – this makes the yearning within grow to want God, and God alone.

You want something? That is craving. The day you stop wanting anything, you will get That, which is all things.

The purpose of brahmacharya [continence, chastity in thought, word and deed, or ‘constant, unbroken remembrance of God’ as Swamiji put it to us] is to develop the medha nadi of intelligence and memory – the power of intuition and the vigour of the brain. Otherwise the brain heats up when you meditate. The higher centres of consciousness open when you dwell on higher things.

Meditation must be practised in higher [spiritual] centres [chakras]. Higher centres can’t be opened if the lower centres are active. How to observe perfect chastity, brahmacharya? Never be too violent. By an effort of will create a higher mood.

Anger is overcome by humility. It is no good living in an ashram and getting angry – because spiritual growth leaks out the other side. First: Holy thought – because of holy company – meditation and study regularly.

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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