Swami Shivapadananda on the extraordinary selflessness and devotion of Swami Adbhutananda

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji

579

[Pictured: A youthful Swami Adbhutananda – the pre-monastic Latu]

 
 

[Swamiji reads from a book on Latu Maharaj – later Swami Adbhutananda]

From 1891 to 1897 Latu Maharaj had no fixed residence. He stayed in the homes of various devotees in Calcutta and occasionally left the city. His real residence was the eastern bank of the [river] Ganges.

Swamiji: In India they sleep on the banks of the river Ganges.

Swamiji reads: But he would take food from a few devotee families and often stayed at the Monastery for a week or ten days at a stretch. During part of 1892 Latu Maharaj stayed at the Alambazar Monastery. The same year Swami Abhedananda suffered from an intestinal disease and Latu Maharaj nursed him. The Swami writes, 'How great was Latu Maharaj's love for his brother disciples. He whole-heartedly nursed me when I fell ill at Alambazar although the doctor said that the illness was contagious. Latu and Swami Saradananda used to wash the sores on my body everyday.'

Swamiji: What beautiful love. Can we love each other like that, as brother disciples?

Commenting on this, another Swami wrote, 'Latu Maharaj would come in the morning every day, spend the entire day with the Swami, and then leave to practise his austerities [tapasya] in the evening.'

One day in 1893 a devotee came to invite Latu Maharaj to visit his house for some holy occasion. When he entered the room where Latu Maharaj was staying, at the same home of another devotee, he saw Latu Maharaj sitting covered with a thick chaddar [cloth] from head to foot. Although the devotee called to him several times he received no reply. It was only after nearly an hour that they were able to talk with the Swami. When he had returned to normal consciousness Latu Maharaj said, 'Why do you invite me? Ask the sadhus of the Alambazar Monastery. If Brother Shashi [Swami Ramakrishnananda] goes it is as good as the Master going.'

Swamiji: What humility. He did not consider himself as great as his brother disciples.

The same year, during the rainy season, Holy Mother [Sri Sarada Devi], the nun-wife of Sri Ramakrishna] stayed at a house rented for her by one of the devotees. Latu Maharaj also stayed there. In reference to this period he said to a few others, 'While she was there, Mother practised the hard austerity of panchatapa  [panch means five and tapa, austerity] – a severe discipline which is observed by practising japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names] and meditation while seated encircled by four fires, with the sun blazing overhead. The Holy Mother and her companion, Jogin Ma, practised this austerity for a week.'

Swamiji: Sitting in this burning heat they were able to concentrate their minds on God. Is it any small matter? Today we just have to feel a little heat and we start looking for an electric fan. Why did they do this austerity? To teach man that without austerities nothing spiritual can be gained. Therefore the ashramites [those living at the Ashram] or monastery], the devotees and the householders should not treat lightly the observance of certain rules on certain days. These are austerities for us.

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