Daily reading 34. Swamiji on spiritual practise.

Taken from Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda: Do not look for the results of meditation; otherwise you will forget to do your spiritual practise. ‘By surrendering all to Ishwara, there comes realisation,’ says Patanjali. The devotee begins spiritual life with the worship of God as master, father, child etc. This leads to pure heart and mind.

Practise of morality is not enough. Ego is the last bondage the soul must overcome. The devotee must worship God inside; and eventually realise that God is everywhere. What else but God will you see? And seeing God you will not find fault. Your attitude will be: God is there and I prostrate to Him. Keep this lamp of worship burning. Cultivate this attitude: He is the master and I am the servant.

Swamiji: In olden days the sannyasis only wanted to realise everything for themselves. You must awaken this attitude in yourself: God is the master and I am the servant. It is for all of us to do, to see, to be, to become.

Reading: We do this for our own salvation and the good of the world. [The motto of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission globally, is ‘Atmano mokshartham jagad hitaya cha‘, which translates to ‘For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world.’]

Swamiji: We find this in the religions of Christ and of Krishna. They did not sit in a corner after Realisation, but served people. [Even as] As they went towards Realisation they served people.

Reading: Strongly imagine we are all connected, one with another; and promote the welfare of ourselves and others. First, I am only interested in my own good. Later I am interested in the good of all. Life becomes sweeter. Spiritual awareness accomplishes the fact.

Swamiji: Now it is an intellectual fact. [Later it will be experiential.]

Reading: Offer the fruit of your labour to the Supreme Spirit.
Swamiji Why? To stop the ego.

Reading: Whatever merit you acquire after sadhana, offer it to God. Sri Ramakrishna said: If we take one step towards God, He will take ten steps towards you.

Swamiji: Whatever you do, offer the merit to God. That is a mental attitude. Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri – Swamiji’s beloved Guru] said: When you go to a gym they teach you exercises, but you must do the exercises yourself. Read this book [Meditation and Spiritual Life] over and over again and do what it says. Think: My happiness is the light which brightens the path to realisation.

Swamiji: In Rishikesh, all the Swamis were seated – men and women. But now the Shastras say that women should not hear a certain part. So the Swami who was reading aloud, looked around and said, ‘I do not see any women here! If you think that you are a woman then go outside!’

A God-man has a heart. You must first be a gentleman and then a superman. Be ordinary. You are not a paw-paw [gloomy, long-faced individual]. When you find a rogue [thief], catch him. Master is also Maheshwara Maheshwari – the great God – the embodiment of all the deities.

Reading: You cannot concentrate your mind in meditation? Holy Mother [Sri Sarada Devi] said: ‘It is enough if you just look at the picture of Sri Ramakrishna’. [Swamiji nods his head].

Underlined words are hypertext links to clarification, explanation or other sources. Just tap on them.

The free-to-read or download, 396-page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography, ‘A Life Lived For Others‘, is available by clicking HERE. If you’d prefer the PDF version, please click HERE.

For our gurubhai Atmaprakash Kramer’s beautiful pictorial ‘memoir’ booklet of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Avoca Ashram, please click HERE.

There’s also a Facebook site for Swamiji’s posts now. They feature newer readings published more recently. Click HERE to view.

These recordings or the excerpts from them, were made from the early 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to those with him at the time.