Gifts and realisation
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
684
There are very few people who can reach the state of God-realisation without a guru [spiritual preceptor/reacher]. In school you need a teacher to teach you arithmetic [maths]. So if you need a teacher in ordinary things, do you think in spiritual things you can reach God without a guru? Those people who think like that are foolish – ignorance is making them think like that. A man who can reach God without a guru will not be thinking, 'Can I reach God without a guru?' It will just happen.
In the beginning Girish [Chandra Ghosh, the famous Bengali playwright – pictured above] also wondered why he should have a physical guru, a human guru and why he should prostrate. Later on he found he too needed the guru, and that is how he took Sri Ramakrishna as a guru.
Ganesha [the Hindu god who removes obstacles] was born in many different yugas [epoch, age, era]. In certain yugas his wives were Siddhi and Buddhi. Siddhi means all the siddhis – the eight yoga siddhis [powers]. And buddhi means he had a clear intellect that discriminates right from wrong. We read that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh's [Shiva's] shaktis become their consorts, their wives, in that sense.
Ganesha Bhagavan is the son of my Mother Parvati, [consort of Lord Shiva] and he gives siddhi and buddhi. He gives all kinds of power – he also gives wife power – so he is married.
One day I asked Gurudev [Sri Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji's guru], 'Tell me Gurudev, truly, do you really love Sri Ramakrishna?' He looked at me and put his head down, he did not answer. Truth does not need any verbal answer. Others may have thought, 'Oh, he wasn't sure therefore he didn't answer.' But I knew exactly in my mind, through his grace, that the truth does not need any answer.
He could have told me 'Yes', but if I did not believe it, what could he do about it? If he had said 'No' and if he was not telling the truth, what could I do about it? So he kept quiet, he just put his head down.
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.
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