God and favouritism
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
786
Children of God and little flowers – beautiful flowers of God, my prostrations to that deity that is most dear to your heart and seated in your heart. I prostrate to it again and again. What one begins to wonder: has God ever changed? Did He change in any way? If He has not changed in any way, then why is he not answering the prayers of so many millions of people?
The next question comes, has God favouritism? God has no favouritism, but it is you – if you want the sunshine, you must get out in the sun. [chuckles] But if you don't want sunshine, you can stay under the shelter, it won't get sunshine. Easy as that. But God Himself, personally, has got noooo favouritism whatsoever. It's like saying the judge is seated, he favours. Favours what? He cannot favour. According to your action, the fruit [karma, outcome/reward/punishment] is already determined. In the law books, it's already written. If you kill somebody, then they will consider your state of mind, why when and how, but the punishment is already there. From this itself we must know that those people who think they can influence God, are mistaken. They are mistaken.
Not by going to God and saying, 'Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Krishna Bhagawan you've got such nice lips, what a beautiful nose you have, look – big peacock feather [Swamiji chuckling really hard] – He won't get influenced. He does not care. So, because when people praise us we get happy and we start swinging from pillar to post, we think God is like that too. Well, sometimes when you praise Him, you think, 'well maybe He will be on my side.' But God cannot be on anyone's side.
Then what happens when we say the prayer? This is all that happens. Our mind becomes purified. Like you people seated here now, your mind is [becoming] pure because you're listening to God's lilas [divine play], God's glory. But if you were in a shop? If you were outside? You'll see a motorcar going, somebody may just come near you and you get cross, your mind is not pure [yet] to that extent. All the gross [things] and disturbance comes inside – in your head. So, here, we realise once and for all that God has no favouritism. And having realised this, that He has no favouritism, then, has He changed? He has not changed. What has changed is you and me.
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