Question perspectives
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
759
[Pravrajika] Atmaprana [the first Sannyasini (Hindu nun) of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]: If you are looking at Consciousness in everything, at that particular moment you are actually going beyond the form of the thing.
Swamiji: But then there is one small thing you didn't catch yet: it will not be you looking. It is Consciousness looking at Consciousness. Just get that straight.
Mantras [sacred sound syllables or words] are never forgotten. Theories are forgotten. What I am talking now will never be forgotten. It will come [snapping his fingers], it must come. These are mantras.
Swami S: A question a few children asked at the recent Yoga Camp was, 'Who was Lord Shiva's father?' How are we going to answer that to children?
Swamiji: You must ask them, 'Do you think Lord Shiva was God?' If they say no, then you say, 'You are wrong, Lord Shiva was God. God is one. He takes many forms and one of the forms is Lord Shiva. And God has got no father.' When you are talking about human beings, human beings have a father.
He is everything to Himself therefore He is everything to others. If I am good to myself I will be good to others. If I am horrible to myself, naturally, I will be horrible to others.
When a question is asked the spiritual man must straight away take the question and think: 'Is this a spiritual question or is this a worldly question?' Now the child asked you a worldly question because he was thinking that his father had a mother and father, and so on. But once you show the child that it is God you are talking about, not man, they are finished.
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.
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