One God many manifestations
[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 923
Our great gurus [spiritual preceptors, teachers, sages, seers, saints] and our great gods and goddesses are not many, but only one. Example, you see how many globes [lighting lamps/bulbs] are burning here? Now look at the globes. What expresses itself through the globe? Electricity. The electricity is only one, isn't it so? It's only one current but it expresses itself in so many different globes. But not only that. Electricity can make things feel cold – like in the refrigerator. It's not only hot, it also makes it cold. Look at the electricity in your TV. It makes a picture. So you see the expression of electricity. It will make heat to cook your food on the stove. It is only one but it has many different expressions.
Just like that, God is one, only one but He expresses Himself through these different forms, called Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh [Shiva], Kali, Saraswati, Lakshmi. He expresses Himself in Hanumanji, Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna, Ahura Mazda [or any other deity you can think of]. These are different globes and the light inside it is only one. And the expression of that light is only electricity.
So God to the Hindus is not three, four, five, six – it's only one [Brahman]. Called if you like, a certain type of globe. Dim globe – you know in the night you put a dim [soft] globe [light]? Then you have bright globes and coloured globes. God is just like that. He expresses Himself in the globe called Hanumanji [the great bhakta devotee of Lord Rama]. He expresses Himself in a globe called Kali. He expresses Himself in a globe called Ramakrishna. He expresses Himself in the globes called Gurus. So he expresses Himself in the globes call human beings, too.
But the only thing is that we don't know this. What happens? We don't know this. That is why we do not find Him or know where to look for Him. Where must we look for God? Within the heart. Where? Within the heart.
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