God is death, too
[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 841
Has continuity from post 840
We all of us hate death. In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna Bhagawan says, 'I am [also] death, the all-devourer.' [Swamiji chuckling] Instead of death coming and us recognising [that] this is Krishna Bhagawan [God] , in the guise of Yama [the Hindu god of death], we run away. Swami Vivekananda [the lead disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] used to put it very beautifully. He said, 'Even dogs are higher [more discerning]. If you dress up in any kind of disguise, [whether] Father Christmas or a clown or anything else, the dog will look at you, sniff and bark. What happens? Your own house members may say 'Who is this fellow who's come? What do you want?' So family may not make you out [identify you] in other dressing [a disguise]. But a dog identifies his master in any outfit. Similarly a bhakta [devotee of God], a real bhakta, will identify God, not matter whether he presents as a dog, cat, rat. So he won't be scared of anybody. God has come. The dog called bhakta [follower of the devotional path], the dog called gyani [or jnani – follower of the path of spiritual knowledge] will recognise his master straight away.
So Yama [lord of Death] is [also] that manifestation [death] of God. He [Lord Krishna] says so himself in the Bhagavad Gita. But when he comes, you know what we do? We pretend that the person he's looking for lives next door. When the poor Lord comes to release us, we say 'next door'. [Devotees and Swamiji chuckling heartily]. Why? We are not yet prepared. We may be laughing, but truly, it happens. I can tell you this. Eighty percent of the time it happens.
So when Nachiketa went to Yama, Yama was not at home. For three days and three nights, Yama was not there. When Yama came home, he recognise that this boy has faith – and faith is [a] greater [power] than anything, especially because he's a Brahmin boy. What's the meaning of Brahmin? Brahmin means 'he who is seeking Brahman [the One indivisible universal consciousness]'. He who is seeking…Brahman. You can be a Brahmin by birth but if you're eating cows, pigs and all of those things at home [Swamiji chuckles] then you are [nothing more than] a Sudra [member of the servant-class]. Sudras are those people who eat dog-flesh, so I'm going to take it for granted that nobody's eating dog flesh here. [hilarity from the devotees]. So we'll start from Vaisya [the merchant class/caste]. So we're all Vaisyas and maybe Kshatriyas [warriors] and maybe Brahmins [teacher/priest caste].
So in the Brahmin boy Yama recognises what? What is hidden in him? The fire of sacrifice, the fire of tapasya [austerity], the fire of truth. Yama says [recognising these powers within Nachiketa], 'If this boy gets just a little bit upset and curses me, I am doomed. Though I already [have the power] to take people to hell or heaven, I am doomed. So Yama says, 'please take this water, wash your hands and legs [a cleansing/purification ritual].' This small boy of five washes his hands and legs and Yama says, 'It has been three days that you were here and you can now ask for any three boons [blessing, gifts or indulgences].'
As the first boon Nachiketa asks for his mother and father, for the second boon he asks how to go to heaven and as the third boon he asks for the knowledge of what happens after death. [He says to Yama] 'Some say that when people die, they go to heaven. Others say that when people die, they are no more, what have you to say? What [really] happens after death?' So Yama says, 'Ask me anything else, ask me for wealth, knowledge, ask for an elephant, ask me for women, ask for a kingdom to rule over for thousands of years, but please, I beg you, this thing you are asking me it is so difficult even for the gods to get [understanding of] it.'
So Nachiketa says, 'But that's the knowledge I'm looking for. I want it! If you can say this is difficult for the gods whom we worship, then it must be something very, very great. I want it.'
In the Upanishad they hint [at that insight] but they can never tell you what Brahman [the One universal consciousness] is. They hint, like I hinted just now. Remember the question: Krishna Bhagawan is in heaven. Who made heaven? God made heaven. Before making heaven, where was God?
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