Divine continuity
[Pictured: the yantra – symbol – for the anahata or heart chakra]
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 939
[Swamiji comments on a book by Professor Subramanyan]
Reads: Is cow's milk available everywhere? No. Only from one place does it flow. [referring to the Incarnations, avatars]
Swamiji: There is energy in everything, but it is more available in electricity. Although electricity is in all the wires, electricity is seen as greater in appliances. Similarly in the Bhagavad Gita [a major Hindu scripture] Sri Krishna says, 'Among the trees I am the ashvattha [also called the Bo or Bodhi tree.]'
Reads: Where the Divine is more apparent, we say it is vibhuti [sacred]. The Divine is everywhere, but where it is more perceptible, tangible, brighter, it is called vibhuti.
God descends as an Incarnation and brings two or three disciples with Him.
Swamiji: We become what we worship. What you ponder over, you become. Swami Vivekananda [spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna] said in his letters, 'Read these words again and again so you imbibe my spirit.
Reads: Sannyas [renunciation and taking of monastic vows] is absolute self-dedication to humanity. It goes from the personality to the principle. In a temple it is first the idol [murti, image, sculpture] – then this leads to the Ideal [Ishta Deva]. See the personality first. His holiness, his principle, this is what we worship.
Swami Vivekananda said, 'Understand the life of Rama who is the embodiment of principle. Understand the principles of Shiva. [Swamiji nods] Act like Rama, the Soul, Brahman [the One universal consciousness], Sat-chid-ananda, [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute] the transcendental Reality, the Self.
Sita [the wife of Sri Rama] is the mind constantly thinking of Rama, the Atman; She is constantly attuned to the Atman [the universal soul], the Divine. That is the Hindu mind, the self-controlled, developed mind. Serve them with the body, sing to them with the body. The hands serve God, the eyes see the divine form, the ears hear the divine.
In the Ramayana [a Hindu epic] when we read about the 'deer', it means that for a while Sita is distracted from the divine and attracted to worldly things. Never seek to possess the wealth of others, or even your own body. You are only a trustee. 'Rama went away . .' This means in the absence of God-realisation, of Self-illumination, Sita is caught – the mind is caught – by the three gunas [sattva, rajas and tamas – pairs of opposites].
Swami Vivekananda [the spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna] walks in the footsteps of Sri Rama, to bring back national pride.
Swamiji: Professor Subramanyan brings out a beautiful point here. He talks about where principle merges with personality. He does not say that Rama is now an outdated coin and that Sri Ramakrishna is the updated coin. He does not say that Hanuman [the great devotee of Lord Rama] is an outdated coin and Swami Vivekananda is the current coin. He takes your love, which flows towards Rama, Hanuman, Krishna etc. and draws parallels. He takes that devotion and puts it in the present. The love you felt for Rama is seen in Swami Vivekananda. The love you felt for Hanuman is seen to live in Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi [the nun-wife of Sri Ramakrishna] and other devotees. His reasoning shows that there is no sense of disloyalty or disconnectedness. Rather he shows us the connectedness between them.
The holy ones do not take away what you have, but rather they add to it. Sri Krishna says: 'Love Me and I shall look after what you have. I will not take it away.' There is a continuous flow from one to the other.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham