Swami Shivapadananda on God-consciousness

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.

Day 445

 

 

Yoga retreat Camp talk:

Try to do japa [repetition of a mantra or God's names] as much as you can. Here at the Camp all your spare time should be given to japa, likhit japa [writing of the mantra of God's names], reading of some religious book, or reflecting on the thoughts you've heard.

When you practise the spiritual disciplines then you are a human – otherwise you are another animal. Both types go to the temple. The rich man takes his dog when he goes there. The rich man is supposed to come out improved, but he comes out worse than the dog. So we want to convert the dog – the mind. Transform it into God, into selflessness.

Sri Ramakrishna's dressing was something extraordinary. Sometimes he used to walk in the streets of Calcutta [Kolkota] and find hundreds of people following him, nay thousands, and he would think, "Oh, these people are taking my mind away from God." So he would take off his dhoti [body cloth] and put it under his arm and look around – all had disappeared. Then he would repeat God's name.

You have to dress in such a way that you don't expose your body – that would look very vulgar. Just as you take pride in dressing your Deity at the time of prayer at home, dress yourself like that.

Speak to others with respect, speak truthfully and above all, as Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri, Swamiji's Guru] said, speak sweetly.

We should try to greet others before they greet us. Are you not meeting God each time you meet somebody? This is subjective rather than objective.