Spiritual self-effort
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
665
Swamiji continues reading from: A Primer of Hinduism by Prof. D.S. Sharma
Daughter: But how can we flee to Him [God]?
Father: That is the whole problem of the second ascent we have to discuss today. The first ascent as we have seen is in society. (Moral conduct is in society.) The complex relationship of man towards one another beats all around it but when the summit is reached and the second ascent begins the voice of humanity dies away. In that rare air you have to travel alone.
[Swamiji] For the second ascent you have to go alone. In the beginning you have to be a moral man – you want to be moral towards others. But for the second ascent you have to travel alone. No one is there, my friend. Do not think someone will come and give you a hand. Never.
You see just a little light in the darkness and it soon fades away and there is darkness again.
[Swamiji] Swami Vivekananda was shown once and then the door was closed. It was darkness. Sri Ramakrishna did not send him into samadhi all the time. Now he had to travel alone. Sri Ramakrishna's life is a perfect life. There is not one corner in Sri Ramakrishna's life. From the tiniest ant to the highest angel, all can find in him how to travel towards God. He showed Swami Vivekananda the light, then he took it away. There is a glimmer of light, then the light is gone. Now what?
Daughter: Is He [God] then at first like a fitful light?
Father: He is a constant Light . . .
[Swamiji] He is not going on and off. He is the constant Light. The jewel in the box that Sri Ramakrishna spoke about is always there. It is not absent. But the door, the maya, [God's power of illusion/delusion] is closing it off. So the Light is always there. Children say, 'There is no sun today,' but beyond the clouds there is always sun. Only below the clouds there is no sun. He is a constant Light. It is we that are fitful. The eye of the flesh cannot perceive and the eye of the spirit has to open itself and acquire a steadiness of gaze.
'O Arjuna you cannot see Me like this,' says Sri Krishna in the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, 'I will give you the third eye, the eye of knowledge.' Then Arjuna sees Sri Krishna with a spiritual eye, in the Universal Form, Vishvaroopa.
So you cannot see It in the beginning with these physical eyes. You will have to open up the spiritual eye.
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