Ishta Deva issues
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Day 1015
Swamiji continues speaking on the Ishta Deva [Personal Deity or Chosen Ideal] and related issues:
There's another difficult aspect that I taught myself to deal with. Some days I would close my eyes and the form of Krishna would appear, some days Hanuman would come, some days Ramakrishna would come, some days Shiva would come. And I used to get so fed-up [upset]. And I thought, 'What must I do now?' I went to Gurudev [Swamiji's beloved Guru, His Holiness Swami Nischalananda Puri], I said, 'Gurudev, you know what I worship, but all these other deities are coming.' I thought I was very great you see. [all laugh] I said, 'all these deities are coming, what must I do with them?' He said, 'what keeps coming?' I told him, 'sometimes this deity, sometimes that deity…' He said, 'Your mind is restless. But never mind – it's still the mind.' Never mind, it's still the?…mind.
When your mind behaves like that there are two things you can do. Slowly bring it from the other form, back to your deity. If that doesn't happen, meditate on that particular [manifesting] deity thinking that God has now taken that form. Your deity has taken that form. But don't change the mantra![sacred sound syllable, phrase or one of the many names attributed to God] That's the secret. Don't change the mantra but know that another form has come. Suppose I'm meditating on Christ and Ramakrishna appears. And I usually say, 'Hail Jesus, hail Jesus.' Must I now change to Ramakrishna's name? 'Om Ramakrishnaya namah, Om Ramakrishnaya namah?' Then after a little bit of time I go back to 'Om namah Shivaya, Om namah Shivaya?' No! Because I'm separating. But no sooner Ramakrishna comes, I say, 'Ah you rogue [lovingly intended], Jesus! You've decided to appear in this form to me today. All right, I'll say, 'Hail Jesus, Hail Jesus, Hail Jesus' but still see Ramakrishna's form. Slowly the mind will come back to Jesus.
If after some time it doesn't come back, force it by sheer will to its natural form. But let it play with all the deities. Who cares? How nice if 50 deities came and you end up with your deity, knowing that the truth is One – but it takes many forms. And therefore it has many names. Your concentration will still be on God, God, God. Almighty, Almighty, Almighty, Infinite, Infinite, Infinite, Absolute, Absolute, Absolute.
In worshipping one deity, don't hate another. When I was very small I started worshipping Hanumanji – but unconsciously. But after I got a little bit older, I thought, 'Oh, Kali!' Then I started with Mother Kali. Then back to Hanumanji. Then Hanumanji made me angry, 'Get out! I don't want you. I'll worship Shiva.' I worshipped Shiva. From Shiva again, slowly Hanumanji crept in. With him came SitaRam [Lord Rama and Mother Sita combination]. Now what? Christ got in. When Christ went out, Ramakrishna came in. With Ramakrishna, Mother Sarada Devi and all the relatives [associated saints] came in. I thought, 'but wait a minute, what's all this happening?' Then suddenly I understood, 'Ah, my deity took all these forms.'
Ramakrishna is fulfillment because he had the vision of all deities and he told us that all deities are your Ishta Devata. All deities are your Ishta Devata – Satchidananda [Existence, Knowledge, Bliss, Absolute]. Sat-chid?…ananda. So don't ever forget how to deal with these difficulties. I gave you three types of difficulties. [silence from the devotees] Ah, you see how much you're all concentrating? Don't be taken away by the act of the actor – I told you this morning. I told you, think about the words and their meaning.
The first one was? That someone praises their deity and you want to take that deity, because you have a wrong concept of your deity. Secondly, when you have a lot of other deities appearing and thirdly, if other deities appear, don't worry, look at them, know your deity has taken that form but repeat your guru mantra or the mantra of your own deity. And hold this faith. Pray to God. That is the first thing to do. God will correct it. If God doesn't correct it without voice, then he in the form of the guru [spiritual preceptor] is sure to correct it. Man is never lost, God is always carrying him.
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.
There are currently available, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham