Swami Shivapadananda with tips on enhancing meditation
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
576
Question: During the meditation period, after doing the mala, [prayer beads, rosary – pictured] Swamiji [has] said we must meditate on God's qualities. Is that without repeating His name at all?
Swamiji: Repeat it, son, because 'repeating His name' is the catch. If you do not repeat His name your mind will run here and there.
Devotee: When we are trying to concentrate on the [Ishta Deva] deity's form what happens if the form does not come to mind? What can we do in this case?
Swamiji: When the form does not come to mind, provided you have done your dhyana sloka, [meditation verses/prayer] do not worry. Just keep your mind in that particular spot where you are meditating.
Devotee: There are times when we are going through the guru mantra very mechanically. Instead of this, is sitting down silently and thinking about the form perhaps more productive?
Swamiji: No, no, no. You must get your mind to do the guru mantra and to think of the form. Make it productive. Your mind will revolt. It will tell you all sorts of things. That mind is a rogue because you are a rogue. Do not worry about this mechanical feeling. Just do it. It is the same as when you start riding a wild horse. It will drop you a few times but slowly you break that horse in. That horse must listen to you. You must not listen to the horse.
Who are you to judge your own spirituality? God will judge it for you. When you are trying hard He Himself will dish out things for you. Otherwise, if you find ways and means, God will let you keep on finding ways and means.
There is a story about a dhobi [washerman] who was washing some clothes when a bhakta [devotee] of Lord Vishnu came along. He started singing God's name and walking on the washing. The dhobi, of course, got angry and started kicking the bhakta. Lord Vishnu got this very urgent message, so he went to the bhakta for a split second and then went back to heaven. The Divine Mother asked him, 'Lord, why did you go so far and not do anything?' He said, 'By the time I got there my bhakta had picked up a stone to hit the dhobi. As long as he can protect himself I'll sit here'.
If you find ways and means, God will let you keep on finding ways and means.
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