Swami Shivapadananda on Japa
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
588
We Ramakrishna-ites get great happiness by doing the repetition of God's name with our fingers. One of the reasons is that I do not have to carry anything with me. Another is if I forget my [japa] mala somewhere I will not have to worry. I only have to make sure my hands are clean.
When you are using your fingers for japa the fingers must not be apart for then all your prana [life-force] is wasted, your japa comes to naught, your prana is lost and it does not do you good.
Another good reason we like to use our fingers is that there is no showing off with the beads. Swami Adbhutananda [a direct monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] said, 'We do not put on beads. We've got no rudraksha mala. [pictured] We do not make miracles.' Be as simple as possible.
Devotee: Is there anything wrong in using a mala?
Swamiji: There is nothing wrong. But your beads must not be used to glorify your body, like an ornament. They must not be exposed, your beads should be hidden.
At the time of initiation [into spiritual life], if I said to you, 'Meditate on this as your guru' then that becomes your guru. And what is this outside one [i.e. himself]? A representative of that inner one. Please do not get confused because though you are looking at me as the same, I am not the same at all times.
In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we read how Master [Sri Ramakrishna] got in samadhi. Now do not treat this word samadhi just as an ordinary thing. We seem to make light of it. Samadhi is God in union with a particular aspect of God, or God in union with the Self. When you are in union with a particular deity it is savikalpa [with form] samadhi. When you are in union with the Self it is nirvikalpa [formless] samadhi. So when we read his words, it is God speaking through Master, it is someone else speaking from behind him or through 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, 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.
Reference websites (please mouse-over
the name to connect): Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa,
Ramakrishna Dham, Swami Shivapadananda 2