Swami Shivapadananda on Brahman
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.
Day 408
During an Upanishad [Hindu philosophical treatises]class Swamiji said: The Universe is Infinite because we do not know where it begins and where it ends.
Upanishad Commentary: Infinite proceeds from the Infinite.
Swamiji: Remove the infinitude from the Infinite and what remains? Brahman [the undifferentiated universal consciousness] alone.
We see, we give, we take, there is appearing and disappearing. Beyond these is Brahman, the substratum. As Brahman is Infinite, so is the soul Infinite. Soul disappears – what remains? The Infinite.
When it is dark I cannot see the jar. When it is not in jar form, it is still a lump of clay. To sharpen the intellect – and to give yourself a clear idea how you came to this conclusion – think that everything is the Self, and nothing but the Self. It is wrong to say that darkness hides the lump of clay. You just take the jar away by lighting the lamp. You look – the clay is there, the potter is there – but the pot is not made yet.
[Swami Yatiswarananda says in his book] You must have a fixed centre of consciousness – and awaken the spiritual consciousness there. Control of food is very, very important. If you are living a spiritual life we must practise this. You must understand your true motive in all circumstances – must adjust with your environment.
Swamiji: You must have a fixed centre of consciousness. This is very very important in meditation – not one day here and one day there, one day here and one day there. [Swamiji points to different parts of his body.] You must take a particular consciousness to unlock that consciousness, or, as Sri Ramakrishna said, 'To awaken the spiritual consciousness there.'
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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.
Reference websites: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Sri Ramakrishna Dham