Mind-management tips
[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 839
The mind is your best friend, it shows you what is inside [of yourself]. But we only see what is outside.
Meditation is very important. How we train our mind is very important. The path to [God] realisation is hard to travel, sharper than a razor's edge. Do not treat it lightly. You need the help of a teacher and unflagging self-effort. Grace is very difficult to come by. Without the help of a guru [spiritual preceptor] you miss the point.
Those who grumble and complain are wasting time and energy, they are seeking self-pity.
Make up your mind now to practise – and do it sincerely, honestly, frankly. You get calm only by having perfect, pure thoughts. Pray first for the purity of others and then yourself. Prayer soothes nerves and expands minds.
[Regarding 'M'- Mahendranath Gupta, the recorder of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, pictured above] and his life Swamiji said] Ponder over those words again and again, internally and externally. Then as the mind becomes purer and purer, the mind will become your teacher. As the darkness disperses, the path will become clearer.
[Swamiji about a certain devotee] He is a sannyasi [monk, renunciate, Swami] really. But before the fragrant flower can be offered, it must go through lots of tests – the tests of woman, gold, rejection.
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