The nature of growing
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 876
Swamiji speaking at a school
Today we are living in a world that is full of doubt and turmoil. We do not know where to anchor our ship. But anything that we do, no matter what field, it needs devotion, it needs sincerity, it needs faith, whether it be in a school or in a temple – in school, a secular education, or in a temple, a sacred education.
We are all human beings. We all have our limitations. We are like little seeds. Now I want you to imagine a little seed, a very small thing. It is planted in the earth and we give it water and fertilizer. Can you imagine a tender shoot, how it starts growing? And when it starts growing, if someone had to see it at that stage, they would think that this has to die because it is so tender. But yet it grows, it even splits the rocks that are in its way. It opens up the earth and peeps in joy to see the glorious sun.
Thus it enjoys the sunshine, the earth and all the various things that give it life. And it grows into a tree in no time. And having grown into a big tree, what does it do? It gives you, first of all, shade. To the tired traveller it gives a restful place. And it does not only do that. You find it gives the fruits that we enjoy from that tree. Some trees are so wonderful, they give us flowers to add beauty to our table, to make us conscious of the beauty in the flower, and not the food on the table.
Now this is a chart of how we all grow. In the beginning we are so soft, so tender, that we think that the trials and tribulations of this world will crush us. But nay. We grow, equipped with knowledge from our teachers that you see around, with the knowledge that our mother and father give us at home, with the knowledge that the great spiritual giants give us, throughout all ages, whether it be a Muhammad, whether it be a Christ, or a Rama. But these are great trees out of which we draw our inspiration.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham