Swami Shivapadananda on the power of sincerity

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

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

Day 419

Sri Ramakrishna said, "I see Death chasing you. What are you chasing after?"

At Sri Ramakrishna's birthday celebration, Swamiji said: If you are sincere in thought and word and deed, not only swamis will come to you, but gods will come to you.
First you must ask yourself: What are you looking for? Can you sincerely say you are looking for God?

Sri Ramakrishna said: Human life is wasted if we do not glorify God in thought, word and deed, and find out who He is. Do we not feel that a bit has been wasted? If not then you are paralysed in thought, word and deed – paralysed in your heart. You should sit and cry: "The great saints worshipped God. They saw God, played with God, cried for God. How is it that I cannot do this?"

A true Brahmin is he who realises God. Sri Ramakrishna worshipped God and realised God in this birth. When you realise God, the more you worship God, the more humble you become and your pride, your ego, is washed away. Your heart is purified and your heart will start loving the saints and the sinners alike. You will not discriminate right from wrong. [i.e. you will see the divine consciousness alone, everywhere.]

Ask yourself: Am I going nearer to God? If you feel sad that you have not realised your deity, you have gone closer to God, you have grown in spirituality.

Sri Sarada Devi [the wife, nun, Shakti of Sri Ramakrishna] told us never to find fault with anyone, but to find our own faults To find fault is a disease.

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