Do you really want God?
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Day 998
The youth must think carefully now. The time is running out. I'm only looking for about six youths who can renounce the world [to embrace monasticism]. No…they won't renounce the world. They're following their father and mother's path. 'Why should I renounce?' The fathers and mothers will praise renunciation wonderfully . They'll go on stage and say, 'What great renunciation, what a great spiritual state it is!' – and no sooner one of their sons or daughters want to renounce and there's a big hullabaloo [fuss]. They go hammer and tongs [arguing] – they don't want the child to go to a holy place. Don't be a hypocrite – encourage your children.
There was one incident in the life of Mother Sarada Devi [nun-wife of Sri Ramakrishna], when a mother came and said, 'see here, you'd better tell my daughter it's not nice to lead a spiritual life. Tell her to go and get married.' [Swamiji chuckles]. Mother Sarada turned around and do you know what she said? 'Why should I do that? I'd rather tell her, "do what you want to do.'" So she told the child, 'Do what you want to do, you know what example we have set.' Why bluff yourself? Why bluff others? Are you really sincere? You should ask yourself that. Because we are so used to asking if the other man is sincere. Ask the question, 'am I really sincere? Do I really want God?' Think, think.
Do you really want God? You don't want God – you want what God gives – everything except God. 'God, cure my disease,' when something happens. If God can't cure your disease through your deity [Ishta Deva], you go somewhere else – hoping they'll cure it for you. 'God give me love, God me me wealth.' You see what the human mind is? They pray and pray and get so tired of praying, 'God, God, give me wealth,' that they go and rob somebody. Then they say, 'God gave me wealth.' The same rich man will say, 'See! Look what God gave me.' But ask him to enquire in his mind, how many people he robbed, he won't tell you. God didn't teach him how to rob but he robbed.
Some people say, 'but if I know the truth I would not do it – why didn't you tell us the truth?' I say, 'See here, you know that to tell lies is sin?' he says, 'Of course, yes.' I say, 'How many lies have you told?' and he keeps quiet. So if you know that telling lies is sin and you're still telling lies, then, how if I tell you the truth, are you going to follow it? No, you won't follow it. I can take a horse to the well, but I cannot make the horse drink the water. We are that kind of horse. God takes us by force to drink the amritam [nectar of immortality] of his blissful nature. Come, go and enquire, criticise yourself as Swami Yatiswaranandaji says. Criticise yourself. Keep holy company. Don't gossip. Gossip won't take you anywhere. Do anything that will create love, or bring up love in your mind for the spiritual life and spirituality.
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, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
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