Growth and Grace
[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 944
Sri Ramakrishna said, 'You do not have to leave [renounce] anything by force. As you become sattvic [balanced, harmonious, in tune with the divine] you will [automatically] leave everything yourself.' Master [Sri Ramakrishna] was very careful about non-condemnation. He said, 'If you pluck the flower too soon there will be no fruit.' So wait till it drops off by itself.
On grace:
Who protects us when we sleep? Divine Grace. Someone said to Sri Ramakrishna, 'I will come this afternoon.' But Master said, 'Don't say that. Say, "If God wills it I will come this afternoon."' Without grace nothing is possible. The greatest fruit of Divine grace is Self-realisation. You cannot get God-realisation without grace.
We get discrimination only through God's grace. Without grace there is no satsang [contact with holy ones, spiritual community, prayer services etc.] – neither this birth, nor last birth, nor through purified senses, mind and intellect.
He who has discrimination can be brought to the level of Mother Sita. When she was captured she surrendered to God and prayed to Sri Rama. She did not try to escape from Sri Lanka. In self-forgetfulness comes God's grace. God and His grace cannot be separated. You have a [human as opposed to animal] body through God's grace.
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