Daily Reading 28. Swamiji on love for God.

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

Reading from Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda: Increase your love for God, then love for others increases.

Swamiji: I found that, ‘Increase your love for God,’ was the key to my spiritual life. In the early days I used to see Shiva Bhagavan here [Swamiji points to his heart]. When I would meet people, unconsciously my mind would fall to their chests, and I would see Shiva Bhagavan there [in their heart].

The mantra is [transliterated from Sanskrit], ‘Shivaaya Parameshwaraaya Namah Om,’ but I say, ‘Shivaaya Vishwaroopaaya Namah Om.’

Reading: Always remember to keep your emotions under control. You should not externalise your feelings. Remember that you have no right to pass compliments to others, especially to spiritual aspirants.

Swamiji: The other thing is, we must not throw our hands [touch] freely on others. Smuggle the Divine into everything. Love Him. You may fail, but you must try. Repeat Mother’s Stotra [prayer to the Divine Mother] eleven times. It’s in the [Ramakrishna Centre of SA] prayer book, page 144. Light the lamp of remembrance of the Deity in your heart.

Reading: Ego asserts itself again and again. Sri Ramakrishna says make the ego the servant of the Lord. But somehow it comes up and pretends to be the servant of the Lord. Desires and passions refuse to be controlled, so give them a Godward turn. Yearn for union with the Divine. That alone gives permanent joy and peace.

Swamiji:  For them to be permanent, desires must go to God, and God alone.

Reading: Be angry with the lower desires, with the turbulent passions. Regard them as the enemy.

Swamiji: There is always hope even for the worst sinner under the sun. Human nature wants to look down on others. Duryodhana said: I know what dharma is, and what adharma is, but I do not know what compels me to do wrong.

Reading: Control these desires by willpower and by cultivating the ‘witness’ attitude. Neither is easy.
Every passion must be given a Godward turn – consciously, knowingly, by willpower.

Swamiji: The Upanishads say we must have healthy senses. They are instruments but they must be controlled by the willpower or the Supreme. It is a graded path. Be wide awake, conscious, more reflective. Act less on impulse or on instinct.

Everything is Divine, even the Mother’s tiger. But if you go to prostrate to it, and not to the Mother, be careful! Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda Puri – Swamiji’s beloved Guru] said: If I say, ‘Keep still,’ you must keep still. And when I say, ‘Don’t do it’, do not do it. Now it is the opposite sex. Later the time will come of no sex. See the Spirit more than the form.

Reading: Dispassion must be cultivated as much as possible. Detach from others as much as possible and connect it with the Divine as much as possible. But we brush God aside.

Swamiji: How beautiful!

Reading: Centre all the emotions on the Ishta Devata [chosen Ideal or Deity]. He will never leave you, never forget you. Learn how to be with Him alone. When we pray we use a mantra for this reason, to make the Deity living to us. Keep repeating the mantra and seeing the luminous form. Do japa intensely.

Swamiji: When you eat think: ‘Make Shiva eat,’ or ‘Make Krishna eat.’ The whole time when I eat I think that too. Try it. You will see it on your face, in your eyes. God has His own shine, His own effulgence.

Underlined words are 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.