Swamiji speaks about Christ dying for sins, our prarabdha karma and the power of God’s names.

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Verbatim transcription.

Swamiji: They say Christ died for our sins. He died for our sins, like this: The world, if it now takes his name that will give you moksha [liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth]. But prarabdha [prarabdha karma – the fruition and outcomes of previous-life action], whatever [portion of it] is in operation, will still go on. So the world is suffering because of its prarabdha. If it stops now and takes Master’s [Sri Ramakrishna’s] name [things will change]. So Christ’s name – if someone stops now and starts taking Christ’s name and living as Christ lived, so only the prarabdha will be in operation. You understand that? All the other sins that he [the individual] has done in many a birth, will be killed by taking his [God’s] name.

Pravrajika Atmaprana Mataji asks: Did he have to suffer physically? Swamiji responds: Why must we ask why, when and how? He does whatever he wants. He [Sri Ramakrishna] told that to Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. ‘I will do what I want to do.’ He only can, nobody else can.

So ‘died for our sins’ means he’s taken all our prarabdha sin [pre-existing karma]. That name itself – if you only just take that name now, all your past sins will be destroyed. There’s no question of future sin because your prarabdha won’t allow you to create any future sin, because you’re taking his name and living the way he wants you to live. And prarabdha is going to go, because there’s no power [impetus] added to it. The switch is already off by taking his name. If it’s spinning hard, switch it off, it doesn’t stop then and there.

Now somebody will say, ‘Well I’m an incarnation [avatara]. Take my name.’ You can take my name. But my name is not that life of Ramakrishna. His life is different. For the whole world, he’s come. That’s why it’s not nice to go repeating everyone’s [any random] name. Repeat the names that are sanctioned to repeat [authorised/validated/sanctified]. You want to come tomorrow and say, ‘Shivapadananda, Shivapadananda’, it’s not done like that. The thing [name] is sanctioned by the Great Ones [Rishis, Sages, Saints]. They realised [the ultimate truth of] it. Like [Swami] Vivekananda realised it, [Holy] Mother realised it, many others realised it. And the pandits [religious scholars of the day] realised it. They proved it.

He [Master] proved it through naked [seen with open eyes] vision, to Mathur babu [Son in law of the Rani Roshmani – benefactor behind construction and maintenance of the Dakshineswar Kali temple], and through argument he proved it to the Bhairavi Brahmani [his Tantric guru] and to himself through giving certain experiences, by touching people [and transmitting spiritual power or insights], he proved it where he was.

Take the sanctioned [approved] ones. Don’t try bluffing people, because otherwise all the names will mean the same. If you take a name and think that it’s God’s name, that’s a different story now. Because God is the ‘taker-away’ of your sin. Ordinary gurus can’t [do that]. Ramakrishna said, it’s like a small snake eating a big frog. Both get stuck.

That question also arose in my mind. You see when we think about the whole world’s sin, we say, everyone must be alright. But the books – the scriptures – also said that the prarabdha [working out of the suffering ] will go on. So taking his name now will definitely cure you of your past sins. Your future sin is in question then, because you won’t do any sin for the future. Prarabdha will go on.

That’s why he [Sri Ramakrishna] also said, ‘At the time of departure, I shall come.’ If you’re losing faith then somehow he’ll come and stand [be there for you]. Like when [Swami] Vivekananda wanted to take another Guru [Pavhari Baba initiation] he [Master] appeared to  him. He didn’t say anything. He was just looking [at Vivekananda]. He put faith in him.

You see, that idea of taking the sin of the whole world, we must understand that. It’s very important to understand that. ‘Whole world’ doesn’t mean the world will come to an end. [Swamiji chuckling]. The world will go on. How many children were born after [the advent of Jesus]? So those born children’s sin, how’s he going to take it away now, the question will be? No sooner they take his name and realise his way of life, he’ll take it away.

[Indistinct interchange with Pravrajika Atmaprana [pictured] . Sounds like], ‘But they have to take his name?’ Swamiji: They will have to live the life even if it’s not that name, but the life has to be lived…] In this yuga [age, epoch]  if they want to follow a living God, it’ll be his name. His name and many names. The Vishnu Sahasra naam is an example. Swami repeats: Om Eym Sarva-Deva-Devi Svaroopaaya Shri-Ramakrishnaya Namah, [meaning, I prostrate to Sri Ramakrishna, who is the consciousness of all the gods and goddesses.] My Ramakrishna is not compartmentalised or departmentalised [a unique Swamiji-ism this 😉]. As long as the man is taking any deity’s name and he’s living a life that we know is a pure life, then it’s valid. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.’ [Matthew 5:8] What are the great saints – the same thing. Which name is not his name? Show me one. Only thing [problem] is that you take the name but think of something else. Take the name and think about him. You see how broad it is? Yes, it’s broad.

The free-to-read, 396 page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography is available by clicking HERE.

These recordings were made from the 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 an individual or a group of people with him, at the time.

The image of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple is borrowed with gratitude from Thai Airways Bangkok, HERE.