Renouncing the mind
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
685
Your mind can be pure wherever you are seated.
We live in an ashram [Hindu monastery] because here we have the help of other people and the environment is conducive to making our minds strong to renounce the world. If you can renounce the world at home, then do it. That is very good. But then you must not even say, 'at home'. You have no home. And the very fact you are saying 'at home' means you feel you have a home – you have not renounced yet.
If I take you from home and put you here you must be quiet; and if I take you from here and put you at home you must be quiet. Mother Sita said to Lakshmana, 'Sri Rama told me to come and live here in the forest. His happiness is my happiness. If he says I must live in the forest, I am happy so long as he is happy.'
Master [Sri Ramakrishna] showed renunciation when Mathur Babu [son in law of the Rani Rasmani, founder of the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar who took care of Sri Ramakrishna's physical needs] told him, 'Leave the place and go.' Master picked up his shawl, put it on and walked out. But as he went by the gate Mathur Babu fell at his feet and held him saying, 'Please come back, I am sorry.' Master came back, He did not say a word. He put the shawl down and started talking about God.
Mathur told him, 'Go', He went. He did not ask Mathur, 'Why did you tell me to go?' Mathur told him, 'Come back,' and he came back. That is how renunciation is. Wherever you are you will see God. You will not discriminate between ashram and home. But if you say, 'Home is God,' then there is nothing to renounce, it is God.
Ramana Maharishi [pictured above] put it very well. A man asked him, 'Must I renounce?' He said 'Look here, if you go to live in the forest you will still carry your mind. If you stay at home you are still carrying your mind; so renounce your mind. Don't worry about going to the forest or anywhere else.'
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