Swami Shivapadananda on the importance of happiness
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
594
Happiness is the most important thing. You must be happy. Even when you are dying you should smile, it makes others happy.
A devotee asks Swamiji how to tackle a problem.
Swamiji: Give it to God. Do not do it seriously. Do it lightly, throw it off. Otherwise in time you will think you solved the problem and not God.
You must have unflinching faith in the guru and steadfast devotion to the Ideal, then japa [meditative repetition of a mantra or one of God's many names] and meditation become easy.
You must go to the guru to learn how you must act in a given situation.
At these Yoga Camps [retreats] we hope and pray that our minds become pure, that our faith in God becomes stronger. And that out of this faith and purity our life in future may bless us to serve God through all names and forms.
The scriptures are actually the embodiment of certain ideas and energy, and if we do not put these scriptural thoughts into action we are no better than animals. Every word that is uttered in the scriptures, every word that is told to us by the saints and sages, and especially our gurus is a word that reveals to us our path and our goal.
Sri Ramakrishna said that the goal of human life is to know who he or she is. It is God-realisation. When a saint was asked, 'What is the highest duty in this world?' the saint smiled and replied, 'The highest duty of man is to worship God, to glorify God and God alone.'
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.
Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda,
Click Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to read online…
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