Swami Shivapadananda on God’s grace

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

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

Day 418

If you read a book on chemistry, you will become a chemist. If you read the [Bhagavad] Gita, you will become a renunciate. You will renounce finite things to receive the Infinite.

The Gita says: Your mind is your friend, your ego is your enemy. You are your own enemy, there is no other enemy. Both the Bhagavad Gita and Master [Sri Ramakrishna] say that that is true.

Master never spoke lies. If something goes wrong, Sri Ramakrishna says: Ask yourself, 'Is it true?' If it is, correct yourself, otherwise it is just another wind blowing.

Saints never defend themselves – who is there to defend?

What do you give to your Guru? What? You give him that which the gods spit on. He takes that ego and gives you the Highest. You bring your ego, your curses, your tribulations. But He knows your position so he takes it. A sannyasin is a dirt bin [i.e. receptacle for our evil] and God is the collector. He will collect one day. Think about that. Do not pride yourself on anything.

We must be very, very careful. Do not pride yourself on being learned, or spiritual, or high class. You think you are an honest man but no man is so good that he has no bad in him; and no man is so bad that there is no good in him. You are honest about one particular thing, but on the other side you are not honest. This is book-keeper's knowledge. Who is the book-keeper? God.

Your mind is your best friend. You know the child inside and out but you still love it. 

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