Swami Shivapadananda on mouna and universality
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 462
Mouna [internal and external silence] does not only mean that your mouth must be closed, it also means that your mind must not be speaking. Actually, nobody can be in [genuine] mouna except a God-realised man. You may be observing silence but at the same time you may be thinking about lots of things. That is not mouna. To write the mantra [sacred sound syllable or God's names] and think about it means you are not completely in mouna. But we say you are in God who is all mouna because you are thinking of God.
At the time of [Sri Adi] Sankaracharya the term 'jagat guru' meant only the guru of India. When Sri Ramakrishna came he included the whole world – America, Africa and so on.
In Sankaracharya's time Christianity and Islam were not spoken of, but Sri Ramakrishna included these world religions in the Hindu fold. [i.e. taught Universality of all religions] Because of this many people say Sri Ramakrishna transcended Hinduism. The Vedas spoke of India alone.
Sankaracharya said at that time that only Brahmins [the highest of the four Indian castes] could realise God. The kshatriyas [warriors] and vaisyas [merchants] were included to a certain extent but not the low castes [sudras]. Yet in the life of Sri Rama we find Guha included. Sri Rama embraced him and others. [Guha was a hunter who served Lord Rama in the forest and whom the Lord accepted as his own brother].
You will find that we have become prejudiced into thinking that we are the only custodians of this great religion. Through practice Sri Ramakrishna showed that the whole world is jagat and jagat actually means, "That which changes." And where in this world is there a non-changing thing?
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