Swami Shivapadananda on Sri Ramakrishna’s purpose

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha's notes, written at Swamiji's feet.

Day 414

Ramakrishna did not want a 'bread-winning education.' He wanted that Knowledge, knowing which you know everything else. Master [Sri Ramakrishna] had the knowledge of who we really are, and how we can live in peace with ourselves and with the whole Universe.

Scholars think they are the greatest and that they will reduce the world to dust and dirt with their theories. Philosophers think the same, as do theologians, and atheists.

Like other Incarnations [Avatars], this son of the world came to deliver this message that is very, very old, but is new to us today. Sri Ramakrishna's message to the world is very, very simple; but to explain this message he spoke in parables. His whole message is: "Know your Creator – know from whence you come, your purpose in the world and where you are going."

When a man has no answer to these questions, he is puzzled. Even a child can get the highest benefit from this message. God must be for the literate, for the illiterate, for the rich, for the poor, for the learned and for the unlearned. This fits Sri Ramakrishna to the T [i.e. perfectly].

You must lead a life going towards God.

Your first duty is to become God-conscious. Swamiji Vivekananda said, 'Each soul is potentially divine,' and the purpose of all the religions in the world is to manifest that divinity in us. Today, are we manifesting divinity or not? Or have we gone back to the animal kingdom where the fittest survive?

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