Who is Ramakrishna?
[Pictured: Swami Vivekananda, spiritual heir to Sri Ramakrishna]
[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 906
We call Master [Sri Ramakrishna] the embodiment, the Consciousness:
Om Aim Sarva Deva Devi Swaroopaaya Sri Ramakrishnaaya Namah.[Meaning: I prostrate to Sri Ramakrishna who is the consciousness of all the gods and goddesses]
Aim [the Sanskrit mantra sound-syllable] is the Consciousness of all the deities embodied in the body called Sri Ramakrishna. And what is great about him? He is the past, present and future.
The other day I said to a devotee, 'If this Sri Ramakrishna cannot help you, if you find he is not fulfilling your prayers, and you are sincere, then take him and throw him out. We do not want to see his face.' Why should I worship a paralysed God? I want a God that is living.
The Lord can fulfil our wishes and at the same time guide us in such a way that our minds become purified – plus we get to know who we are. Christ said, 'I and my Father are One.'
Swami Vivekananda [the spiritual heir of Sri Ramakrishna] said, 'I do not want to speak about the Master because in speaking about him I may belittle him.' Someone asked him, 'What do you think Sri Ramakrishna is?' So first, before answering, Swami Vivekananda asked the other devotees what they thought. One said he was the embodiment of Krishna. Another said Brahma. And another, Hanumanji. Christ's devotee said, 'I think he is Christ because I see all Christ's qualities in him.' Another said, 'I think he is Allah because he is full of mercy, love and truth.'
Then Swami Vivekananda kept quiet, thinking deep in his heart. And they found little tears falling out of his eyes. They asked him again, 'What do you think?' Swami Vivekananda calmly replied, 'I think that he is that which you all say he is, and even more than that. All these that you say come from him. Go and find out. How can I talk of him? What can I say?'
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