Grace and concentration
[Pictured: A youthful Swami Vivekananda, spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna]
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 946
You must do dharmic [righteous, 'right'] action – then, when God sees this, He showers His grace. Sometimes you will not be aware of it. If you have ego, you will not be aware of it. If you have sattvic [balanced, better under control] ego you will be aware of it. God's grace is always working – but it is hidden by the ego [ahamkara]. Only a hero can take a hero's part.
Take refuge with saints and sages, and read the scriptures to learn His will. For you and me the world is full of birth – and therefore death [the cycle of samsara]. For Sri Ramakrishna this world is 'a mansion of mirth' because he sees the [Divine] Mother's will in everything. Otherwise it is full of birth and misery. So let you and me win His grace.
[Swamiji comments on a reading]
The messenger of God [Hanuman] has the form of a monkey. He meets Sita. Her hair is unkempt because she is repeating God's names and glories.
This means she is above body consciousness. Her method of concentration? She walks and always looks at her toes [to keep the mind indrawn and not notice sense-objects] , but her mind is always concentrated on God.
Hanuman felt very sad because Sita was very sad. Then Ravana [the demon king] tried every method to win Sita's love, but Sita had given her love to Rama.
Swami Vivekananda [spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna] said, 'Do not praise another man's wife's beauty. Today women fall for this but Ravana tried and failed. Sita is angry because Ravana is trying to make her break her vow.
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, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
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