Tongues and Trances
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
688
Devotee: What is meant by 'speaking in tongues'?
Swamiji: When Christ said 'love' each one heard the word in his own language. The Hindi-speaking man would hear it as 'prema', The English speaking man would hear it as 'love'. That is speaking in tongues.
Vidya [wisdom, knowledge, understanding] maya [lit: God's divine delusion but leading to self-knowledge] will make you pure, loving and God-loving. Avidya maya [the opposite of vidya maya – leading to further entanglement] will make you more entangled in curing [illness], trances, and all that – and your life will not be transformed. The people like Sri Ramakrishna and others whose lives were transformed had vidya maya.
My father used to get into trance. My father's father used to get into trance. But when it came to me I said, 'No, I have transcended this already,' and all that stopped.
If you want to ask God for something, ask for bhakti [devotion] and jnana [wisdom/knowledge]. Nobody can take these away from you. Only ask for these two things, do not ask for anything else. We do not want powers.
Sri Ramakrishna at one time tested Naren [the pre monastic name of Swami Vivekananda]. He said, 'I have the eight yogic powers [siddhis]. If you want them, take them.' But Swami Vivekananda said, 'Can they give me God-realisation?' Master said, 'No.' So Swami Vivekananda said, 'Then I don't want them.'
That is the calibre to which we belong. If others want to get into a trance, let them. There is nothing wrong. Sri Krishna said in the [Bhagavad] Gita: 'Whatsoever you desire, I give.' You like something; and what you like you get. So if He is giving it to you, you are desiring it. Carry on.
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.
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