Daily Reading 19. Swamiji speaks on dignity and families.

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

Reading an excerpt from Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda:  As a sadhaka, the first step is to be dignified, and associate this with experience and maturity. Then when you project this dignity, it will always bring unity and a feeling of understanding.

Swamiji: No matter how you look at a photo of the Master [Sri Ramakrishna], the same dignity is there, the same holiness is there. In my shrine at home, I used to worship Shiva Bhagavan. That was when I was nice and small. Suddenly I felt guilty that I hadn’t greeted the other forms of God. This thing brings about separation somehow in the mind. Then I would go on and greet all of them. If you cannot give it to one Divine Form, you must give it to many. That is why on your shrine at home you must have one, one lovely one, one nice one – or two or three – but not more! [Swamiji used to say it will become like a distracting ‘art gallery’.]

Master [Sri Ramakrishna] said a very wonderful thing, ‘In the Kali Yuga you should have one or two children, or at the most have three.’ Remember what he said. Many a meaning it has. One child will be treated like a king, two as princes, three like normal human beings. After that you become animals. That is what happened when Master went to visit Devendranath [Tagore]. For one hour he spoke the highest philosophy to the Master. Then the Master asked him, ‘Are you married?’ ‘Yes’. ‘How many children have you got?’ ‘Six or seven.’ ‘Oooh!’ The Master was very worried.

You see, all the trouble that we are having now, the Master sorted it out [identified] in 1886. He directed us – what we should do and what we should not do. They are having the same problems now in countries in Africa.  

Reading: There is only one way to discipline the wayward will. Plan your daily duties – what you do in your spare time – what thoughts you have etc. The life of a spiritual aspirant must be conscious and alert. Minimise the unconscious thinking and activities. Be much more wide-awake. You must be the master of your mind, and not your mind of you. 

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.