Beyond death
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
682
Swamiji continues speaking on the Katha Upanishad
If somebody asks me, 'Swamiji, what happens after death?' I say, 'This is what happens. I must have died somewhere else and I am here now.' There is nothing great about that kind of a question. No. Nachiketa is asking about the universal pralaya [dissolution] when the whole universe, with time and space, disappear. He is asking 'What happens, O Death, you are the only one that knows this because you are Time?'
If you ask a person, 'Where is God?' He will say, 'God is in heaven.' 'But where was God before heaven?' That is the question Nachiketa is asking.
Yamaraja [the Hindu god of death] replied, 'Ask me all other questions. You can take wife, children, money, all the pleasures of the world and the heavenly world, but do not ask me this. Even the gods find it difficult.' Then Nachiketa said, 'Well, if the gods find it difficult, and you know they find it difficult, that means you know the answer. I will never find another guru [teacher, spiritual preceptor] who knows – you are the right one to teach me.'
The scriptures cannot tell you what God-realisation is, they can only hint at it. So the Katha Upanishad goes on to explain how to get the senses under control and how to meditate upon God in the form of a light in your heart – that is the kind of meditation given there.
When the heart was not there, where was the Lord? You will find out after [God or Self] realisation. When heaven was not there, where was God? Where were you? After realisation you can answer that. On that part all the scriptures are silent. We can only go as far as heaven but beyond that my mantra is 'angasi' [meaning, in isiZulu – an African language – 'I do not know']. 'It' Itself knows who exists everywhere and in everything.
Remember that Nachiketa does not speak about ordinary death, he is speaking about universal dissolution. What happens when there is nothing? He is talking about when there was nothing – not even ignorance or knowledge. Only [God or 'Self'] realisation can give the answer to us.
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