Talk Excerpts 753 and 754 combined. Swamiji urges us to ‘suffer for God’ if we must suffer.
From Mother Radha’s recordings of Swamiji.
Excerpt 753:
There are five things that are inevitable – birth, death, old age, disease and attraction-repulsion. Even the gods who came into this world went through these different stages.
When one is happy, time flies fast. In the hours of happiness an hour seems like a minute. However, when we are suffering, every second seems like one year. Therefore, suffering gets our attention and is painful. It is better to suffer for God than for worldly enjoyment. Mira Bai did not even think that she was suffering. They sent her poison; a snake to kill her; yet nothing worried her. She continued to repeat the sweet name of Sri Krishna Bhagavan.
In India there was once a man who was praising Sri Krishna. As he was a Muslim, people were not happy. The man continued repeating God’s name: ‘Krishna, Krishna, Krishna.’ They tried to stone him and drown him but he was saved. Everyone was surprised and many came to prostrate to him. When he looked at the crowd he burst out in tears and sang Sri Chaitanya’s song: ‘Hari bol, hari bol, hari hari bol.’ While singing he fell into a swoon. When he regained consciousness, he said, ‘It is so sweet to suffer for your Beloved. It is a great blessing!’
Suffering is inevitable. Here was a man who was suffering because he recognised the ‘All-attractor’, Hari. So repeat God’s name and be blessed.
Excerpt 754:
Suffering is inevitable. Then it is better to suffer in the name of God, suffer for God. It was a very beautiful revelation in my heart. Everyone is suffering, everyone is enjoying, but enjoyment passes so quickly. Suffering is the thing we need to keep company with.
When there was a death in someone’s house, they used to burn a fire and read the Ramayana in the evenings. This was to take the mind away from the suffering, the depression, so that the night could pass. So why not suffer in God’s name?
If you repeat God’s name, don’t think that people will throng to follow you. Great incarnations only had one or two followers. Then what are you looking for? He who wants followers is foolish. Only Hari is the attractor, who attracts us. Not anyone else.
Once, a great man was giving a lecture before a huge crowd. There were thousands of people. He began lecturing on non-injury in thought, word and deed – ahimsa. Gradually, people began to leave. He suddenly saw that only three people remained: God, the chairman and himself. He continued lecturing. Suddenly he noticed that the chairman had also gone. He said, ‘O God, he must have found it uncomfortable in our company.’ [laughter]
So, only you and God will be left. Others will feel strange in your company because you don’t speak their language; you are not praising them so it’s no gain to them. Suffer for God and nobody else.
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’re for newer readings published much 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.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.