Swami Shivapadananda on complaining and likhit japa
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 461
Singing bhajans [devotional songs] and kirtans [chanting] gives you bhakti [devotion], and this is good to concentrate the mind. But reading the scriptures and discriminating gives you knowledge of God. In this Kali Yuga [age of darkness] we have to do both. Sri Ramakrishna said, "We want bhakti tainted with knowledge." This means: Perform with bhakti, sing God's name, but do not forget to read the scriptures and get the knowledge of God.
In life, as far as possible, you have to be 'complain-less'. You are really not supposed to speak about your aches and pains to anybody; you have to carry the burden yourself.
When the great Rishis went to the forest for tapasya [austerity] they suffered, but nowhere in the scriptures have I come across them telling of their suffering. I have found this weakness in us and I want to eradicate it. You yourself must suffer because it is tapasya.
Likhit japa [written repetition of God's names or a mantra] gets our whole being concentrated on God-thought. When you do likhit japa you must write the mantra methodically and systematically. Nowadays we write the mantra in a book that already has squares. As you write the mantra you must mentally repeat it. Do not write it while you are thinking about somebody or something else. Discipline your mind when you write the mantra and repeat the mantra mentally. See the mantra that you are writing, do not close your eyes and write it. Automatically you whisper the mantra and hear it. As you repeat it mentally you will not hear other people talking because your ears will be disconnected from all other sounds. You write it, you repeat it, you see it. When you do that your mind is fully concentrated, your whole being is concentrated. This is the art of concentrating the mind on the most Supreme, your Chosen Ideal [Ishta Deva]. Every mantra starts with Om, so we usually just write Om, Om, Om. Or some people like to write Sri Ram, or Ram, Ram, Ram.
You must do likkit japa as a sadhana [spiritual practice].
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Reference websites: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Sri Ramakrishna Dham