You too are a saint
[Pictured: Gauri Ma, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Referred to below]
[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 826
Loving brothers and sisters we are lost in the shadows of the Great Ones [Saints, Seers, Sages, incarnations]. When we get lost in the shadows of the Great Ones it seems to me that we underestimate ourselves and because we underestimate ourselves the power within us finds it very, very difficult indeed to manifest. What one has to realise is that we are the same seed [essence], we are the same spirit and our instrument [the body] is made out of the same five elements that our great Rishis, Munis [Sage-Seers] and Saints were made of.
In my life I've found that the greatest obstacle was when I was admiring others and not trying to imbibe their qualities myself. I used always to think: That is the great being and I am a tiny worm – how can I reach those great heights? Until I met my own guru [spiritual preceptor], Swami Nischalanandaji Maharaj [first President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa].
When we hear about Mother Gauri [Gauri Ma, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna] – who would offer a Tulsi leaf and how it would fall on the little feet – how vividly my guru's words come back. I used to have this dream and in the dream there was clear water flowing and a little Syringa berry tree. I used to walk in the middle of this river and find two beautiful shyamal feet [shyam usually means 'dark blue' – a colour attributed to Lord Krishna to represent 'infinity']. By shyamal feet I do not want you to understand me to say they were dark feet. No, they weren't dark at all. They were shining, cloud-coloured. And whenever I reached these feet I would wake up. Little did I realise that there was someone else who had had a similar experience – and that was none other than Gauri Ma herself. This brings me in common touch with Mother Gauri, the manifestation of Sri Ramakrishna.
We all admire Mother Sarada [Devi – the wife of Sri Ramakrishna] and thus we think that there could not be anyone like her. But she herself showed us, by encouraging Gauri Ma, that she is none other than Gauri Ma in another form. The sooner we realise this, the better for us.
Can we be courageous, sincere and self-willed enough to cut the diamond of character with the diamond of our own lives and reach those rich soils that Sri Ramakrishna's children reached?
I prostrate again and again to Gauri Ma. 'Ma, if you have anything to give me, let me have the same devotion that you had for your Deity.'
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