Daily Messages - 2018
Messages from Swami Dayatmananda
26 October 2018
Truthfulness
'Once it so happened that there was a swelling in his legs. He was still at Dakshineswar. Mahendra Kaviraj asked him to take lemons. Brother Yogen used to bring two fresh lemons every day. Master would take them daily. But one day he could not take them. Yogen was astonished. On enquiry it was found that from that day the garden had been leased out to another man for a year. As the Master was given to truth he could not take the lemons that day, for the permission to take the fruits had been obtained not from the new lessee but from the old owner, who, after the leasing out, had no right over the fruits.'
'On the occasion of the Master's last birthday celebration at Dakshineswar during his lifetime Narottama sang kirtana there. There was quite a crowd then; about 250/300 devotees took prasada that day. That day, when the Master touched Loren Babu, he (Master) passed into samadhi. Since that time there was a division among the devotees of the Master. In one party there were Ram, Girish, Manomohana, Kedar and others. They used to call the Master an Incarnation of God. In the other group were Balaram, Kishori, Suresh, Prankrishna and others.
It was on this occasion the Master made it known to the devotees that Maya was no other than Ishwara Himself. 'The creatures and creation are but He. Jivas are His manifestations. Avataras also are His manifestations but with a difference. But ultimately all are He, all are one... The same one who Incarnated as Rama and Krishna has Incarnated this time (showing himself) as Ramakrishna'.
A devotee once asked Latu Maharaj, how lust could be brought under control, rather be driven off completely. Latu Maharaj replied, 'Do one thing. Keep a photo of the Master. Whenever the fell urge would come, look at it intently, prayerfully. You will see all unworthy desires have vanished. Do it.'
To another devotee he said, 'Do you think passions and desires leave us so easily? Constant remembrance of our guru or Chosen Deity is a great help in this matter, I should say, the most powerful means to its achievement. One who has this has advanced far enough towards the goal. It is the Lord who will give you the proper wisdom and will to turn the passions to your advantage. Depend on Him, have unbroken faith in His words, you will see He will give you the strength to conquer them; He will create circumstances, favourable to your growth. If you take refuge in Him with heart and soul all your difficulties will be removed. But your dedication must be wholehearted.'
The disciple: 'Maharaj, we have not seen Him, how can we dedicate ourselves to Him? We do not know the method. Will it do if we say, "Lord be kind to us, bestow your grace on us", and keep quiet?'
Latu Maharaj: 'My boy, He is showering His grace unceasingly. Your very life is dependent on it. Very good, you say, you do not know Him. Granted, but you know His name. Why don't you advance with the name as your only guide? Is it not a fact that you send your application to the manager of a firm without seeing him? You know him later during the interview. And what do you write in your application? Stating your qualification, you promise unswerving obedience to him and pray for the favour. All this you do without knowing him. Don't you?'
Disciple: 'Yes, Maharaj, we do.'
Latu Maharaj: 'Do the same thing with the Lord. But this application is not something to be sent. It is to be written in the pages of one's own mind, which the Lord sitting within it reads. But the drafting must be factual. Our prayers must be sincere, our words must ring true. When we say, "May we not forget your name; I have taken refuge in you; kindly make me your servant; remove all doubts that you are our Master, Guru, father, mother, everything, that I am your son; find me my auspicious path; save me from your bewitching Maya; I have not seen you, only heard your name; my Lord, make me your own," we must mean it wholly, fully. Then only He might one day deign to bestow His grace on you. When that auspicious moment comes all your hard, soul-burning attempts would come to an abrupt end. Nothing more will remain for you to do. He will take full charge of you and guide you on to the goal, give you your destined work to do, to show you the method; and lead you to its fulfilment.'
27 October 2018
Musings of M. (From M. the Apostle and the Evangelist)
M: (to himself, wonderingly)—Where does this feeling, (that I am the doer) come from? Just as the fish cannot live without water—and if one keeps it out of water it tosses about—Similarly we cannot also live without air. Where is kartagiri (doership) in this?
"The child drinks the mother's milk. So it lives. We also do the same. The Big Mother's milk (Jagadamba's) we are always drinking. Air, water, food—everything is Her milk. During the winter, She is Herself on the body, in the form of cotton and wool, protecting the body. That's also drinking Her milk."
M. sits down on the north side of the terrace. Overwhelmed with emotion he sings:—You are Tara. Though you have assumed the three gunas, You are even beyond the limitless. I know You, merciful Mother! You are the one to free me from all trials and tribulations. You live on sea, You live on land and you are at the root of the Beginning. You live in all the bodies, in all hearts, both with and without form: You are Sandhya, you are Gayatri. You are the nurse of the Universe, O Mother! You enable one to cross the ocean of the world, You, the Ever-Beloved of Shiva.
O Ma, the Controller of the hearts! You are ever awake within. Night and day I live in your lap. Why have you so much affection, love for this worthless child? You are, as though mad in Your Love. Sometimes lovingly, sometimes with all Your force, You make me drink Your nectar and tell me sweet tales. How You love me! It cannot be calculated.
Again and again You redeem me, You are the Redeemer of the fallen! Oh! I have found the secret now: Ma is mine and I am Hers. I must walk the path of virtue, listen to You. Sucking at your breast I must be strong and brave, And sing joyfully, "Victory to You, Mother Eternal!"
M. remains silent for a while. Then he resumes his talk.
M.: It's just like a puppet dance. The wire drops, immediately it's the end.
He again sings a song:
Ever blissful Kali, the Charmer of the mighty Mahakala. You dance alone, You sing alone clapping Your hands. O Mother! You are the First Cause, Eternal, of the form of the Void, wearing the moon on Your forehead. When the universe did not exist, where did you find your string of severed human heads? You alone are the Mover in every body; we move as you move us. We dance as you make us dance; we speak as You make us speak. But the restless Kamalakant, calling Your names says: 'Ma, the Destroyer of all, holding Your sword now, You have eaten up both virtue and vice!'
M: That is why the rishis, in their search for the Real found Him alone! Thakur also said: "What more shall I think of? I see, that the Mother alone pervades all."
"It is like the pulling of the string of the handpulled ceiling fan through a hole—a man sitting outside pulls at its string, but as the puller is not visible one may say there is nobody. Likewise, people say that the creation is automatic. They cannot see its predisposition. That's why they say that God does not exist."
29 October 2018
THE HOLY MOTHER
A Devotee: I asked the Mother, "Mother, how shall I live my life?"
Holy Mother replied, "As you are doing now. Ever pray to Him yearningly in constant recollection and contemplation of Him."
"Mother, I am frightened at the sight of even great souls—Mahapurushas—slipping from the Ideal."
"If one lives amidst objects of enjoyment, one is naturally overcome by them. Do not cast your eyes even on a wooden representation of a woman or ever go near it."
"But, is it not true that it is God who inspires man to every action?"
"Yes, it is true. But is man conscious of it? He thinks, in his blind infatuation that he is the doer, he does not rely on God. Whoever surrenders himself to God is saved. A Sadhu must be always alert. His path is very slippery, and a slippery path has to be trod with exceedingly careful steps.
Is it a fun to be a Sannyasin? He must not even look at a woman, and when he walks the street, his eyes should be fixed on his big toes. Just as the collar of a dog saves it from being killed as a street dog, even so does the ochre-robe of a Sannyasin save him from harm. His is the royal road, and every one makes way for him."
30 October 2018
The True Gentleman by John Walter Wayland
The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honour is sacred and virtue safe.
As a human being man possesses virtue, even nobility; he also possesses human limitations and imperfections. We honour the man who exploits his strengths and controls his weaknesses...whose conduct proceeds from good will... The man of good will has a genuine interest in other people. He likes his fellow men because of their virtues and in spite of their faults. A man of good will is willing to co-operate with others. He doesn't wait to be asked to help when he knows his help is needed. He responds voluntarily and warmly and will almost certainly like those with whom he cooperates.
Develop a good sense of humour. The man who has a sense of humour knows that life can be a wonderful experience. The man who has forgotten or never learned how to laugh is a sad case. He lives out his life as if it were the last act of a Wagnerian tragedy and makes everyone around him as miserable as he is himself. But the man who has learned to laugh—especially at himself—has gone far in developing the attractive personality of a gentleman.
Can you laugh with others, even though they may be laughing at you?
Be flexible. To be flexible means to be able to give a little here and there, to admit readily that you're wrong when you're wrong—and do it gracefully. It means keeping an open mind, being willing to accept new ideas, a different outlook, or being prepared to change your opinion. If you are a gentleman, you will make an honest attempt to see the best qualities in others. With this knowledge of his own dignity, the gentleman can move out in life with hope and ambition, two important ingredients in good personality.
31 October 2018
11th December, 1912
The Holy Mother, while in Banaras, used to listen to the reading of the Kasi Khanda. One evening, after the reading of the book, she was engaged in conversation with the disciple.
Disciple: Do all that die in Banaras gain liberation?
Mother: The Scriptures say, "Yes."
Disciple: What is your direct experience? The Master saw that Siva Himself whispers the holy Mantra (Taraka-Brahma) into the ears of the dead.
Mother: I don't know about it, my child; I have not seen anything of this kind.
Disciple: I cannot believe unless I hear something from you on this point.
Mother: Well, I shall tell the Master, "R does not want to believe. Please show me something about it."
I referred to the destruction of temples in many places in India during the Mussalman rule and said, "There was so much oppression. What did God do to prevent it?"
Mother: God has infinite patience. People worship Siva by pouring water in jugs over His head day and night. Does it affect Him in the least? Or they worship Him, covering the image with dry clothes. Does it trouble Him at all? God's patience knows no limit.
The following morning the Holy Mother said to Khagen Maharaj, "Yesterday night I lay awake on my bed when I suddenly saw the image of Narayana of the Seth's temple of Brindavan standing by my side. The garland of flowers round the neck of the Deity hung up to the feet. The Master stood with folded hands in front of the image. I thought, 'How could the Master come here?' I said, 'R does not want to believe.'
The Master said, 'He must. This is all true.' He meant that one dying in Banaras does gain liberation. That Narayana image told me two things. One was: 'Can one ever get the knowledge of Reality unless one knows the truth about God?' The other thing I do not recall."
Khagen Maharaj: Why did the Master stand with folded hands before the image of Narayana?
Mother: That was his characteristic attitude. He was humble before all.
I called on the Mother in the morning and asked her, referring to the conversation of the previous day: "Please tell me if one dying in Banaras gains liberation. What have you seen?"
Mother: The Scriptures say so. Besides, so many people come here with this faith. What else can happen to him who has taken refuge in the Lord?
Disciple: It is, of course, true that he who has taken refuge in God will be liberated. But take the case of those who have not surrendered themselves to God, who are not His devotees, or who belong to other faiths,—will they also get liberation by dying at Banaras?
Mother: Yes, they too. Banaras is permeated with the spirit of God. All living beings of this place, even the moths and insects, are filled with divine consciousness. Any being that dies here, be it a devotee, an atheist, one belonging to another religion, or even an insect or moth—will surely be liberated.
Disciple: Are you speaking the truth?
Mother: Yes, it is true, indeed. Otherwise how can you explain the glory of the holy place?
Nearby there were some sweets that had been offered to the Lord. A fly, buzzing about, sat on my arm. Pointing to it, I said, "Even this fly?"
Mother: Yes, even that fly. All living beings of this place are filled with the spirit of God. Bhudev wanted to take home two young pigeons that had been caught in the niche over the staircase. I said to him, "No, no; you must not take them away. They are inhabitants of Banaras."
1 November 2018
Teachings of Swami Shivananda (Peace Hard To Attain)
Place: Monastery at Belur Math. Time: Thursday, October 28, 1920.
Presently a monk, who had come from a branch centre a few days previously, unburdened his mind, saying: 'Maharaj, though I have been practising meditation to the best of my ability, I find hardly any joy in it. Most often I find I go through my practice as through a routine. That does not satisfy my heart nor does it give me any peace.'
Swami Shivananda said very quietly: 'Look here, my boy, peace is not such an easy thing to attain. The way to peace is very difficult, full of thorns. "Sharp as the blade of a razor and hard to cross is the way to Self-knowledge"—so the sages have described it.'
These are the actual words of the illumined seers. The path is indeed extremely difficult, however easy it may seem to those who have not entered it. Great effort is required to make progress in the realm of the Spirit. But if one sincerely wants to realize God, it is certainly true that he will receive His grace. You must have read in the life of Sri Ramakrishna that even he had to go through tremendous spiritual discipline before gaining the vision of the Mother.
'Spiritual efforts without sincere love for God are fruitless. Sincere love is what counts. The Master used to say that when the three attachments—that of a devoted wife for her husband, of a mother for her child, and of a miser for his wealth—become one, then one realizes God. If anyone feels the same intense longing as would result if these three attachments were united, only then does he have God-vision. Sincere love brings God-realization and in that alone is genuine peace and joy.
'Of course, without the grace of God one cannot have such love overnight, and that is why regular practice is necessary. One should cry to God, laying bare the heart. "O Lord, be merciful to me. I am an ordinary man. How can I hope to realize Thee unless Thou vouchsafest to appear before me? Have mercy on me, O Lord; have mercy on this weak being." Pray this way to Him every day. The more you cry to Him the more your mind will be cleansed. The Lord will reveal Himself to the pure transparent mind.
'Pavhari Baba said to Swami Vivekananda: "Remain lying at the door of your guru like a dog." Swamiji repeated this remark to us many times. As a dog never leaves his master's home to go elsewhere, whether he is fed or not, whether his master beats him or is kind, in the same way one must be completely resigned to the Lord. He who can take refuge at His feet and stay resigned under all conditions and circumstances till the last, will indeed obtain divine grace.
You have no reason to worry, because you have taken refuge in him and found shelter in his Order. As the Master used to say: "The child whose hand is held by the father has no fear of falling." Know for certain that the Master will save you as long as you remain in his Order.
'Though you did not see Sri Ramakrishna in the flesh, you see us, his devoted servants, and through us you hear his words. It is indeed unusual good fortune, because the next generation of monks will not see even us. It was with this in mind that Swamiji founded the Order.
In the body of the Order the spirit of the Master is manifestly present and will be so for many centuries for the good of the world. From now on he will do his work through the instrumentality of the Order. Constantly bear in mind that loyalty to the Order is loyalty to the Master. Swamiji founded this monastery in direct obedience to the wish of Sri Ramakrishna. Our words, also, are for the good of the world and for your good. We say what is true. We have not come to the world to mislead people.
Be convinced that our Master is gracious to those who take refuge in him. He protects those in every way who are wholly resigned to him with their body, mind and soul. You have given up worldly attachments in order to realize God and find peace. Look up to the Master for everything. He will certainly bless you and bring you peace.
'You are expected to live his commandments and pursue the path he chalked out. Purity and guilelessness should be your watchword. The Master forgives all failings except hypocrisy and self-deception.'
Monk: 'Please bless me that I may always remain in his fold. Sometimes I feel very unhappy because of the many undesirable thoughts which cross my mind. Please instruct me how to be rid of them.'
Mahapurushji (Swami Shivananda) said with great tenderness: 'My boy, I bless you with all my heart. May you remain in his shelter and attain the consummation of your life! Just ignore the bad thoughts. Don't you know Sri Ramakrishna is the very embodiment of radiant purity? If you meditate on his blessed form and repeat his holy name, impure thoughts will hang their heads in shame and disappear in no time. The moment an impure suggestion comes to your mind, cry to Him fervently and pray: "Lord, I am weak. Protect me. Unless thou savest me, who else will do so? Am I not thy servant and have I not taken refuge in thee?" Talk to him in this way about your weaknesses. He will certainly listen to your prayers.'
2 November 2018
The Master would say, 'How to know that a man has advanced in meditation? Birds will settle on his head taking him to be something inert.'... 'A snake will glide over his body from side to side and he will not know it.'... 'His meditation will continue unbroken in all circumstances with eyes shut or open, while talking or walking or engaged in any work.'
Below are some testimonies to show that Latu Maharaj's condition was like this at this time. Swami Advaitananda says, 'One day Latu was meditating on the bank of the Ganges. Latu used to take his seat at a place where water did not rise during the flood tide. But that day it came up to where he was sitting in meditation. Water was still rising and Latu was unaware of it. I observed it and in anxiety reported the matter to the Master. He came hurriedly and saw Latu was surrounded by water. He crossed the water and brought back Latu from his meditation to normal consciousness.'
The next is also from Senior Gopalda:
'One day Latu was meditating, he lost consciousness of his body and fell down and started rubbing his face against the ground. An indistinct sound of pain was coming out of his throat. I got afraid and called the Master there. When he saw Latu in that condition he laid Latu down on his back in an instant and went on forcibly rubbing his chest with his knees. After some time Latu slowly came to his normal condition. Then the Master asked him, "Did you not see Mother Kali today? Keep quiet. Don't shout, otherwise people will assemble here in numbers."
Hearing the Master's words Latu kept quiet, all right, but since that day whenever Latu would meditate his eyes, face, and chest would turn blood-red. It lingered on for some time long after his meditation was over.'
The third incident is from Latu Maharaj's own lips.
At Balaram Babu's residence one devotee asked Latu Maharaj if it is good to see devas [gods] and devis [goddesses] other than one's Chosen Deity. To this Latu Maharaj replied:
'To see visions of gods and goddesses is always good. The same Chosen Deity assumes various forms. It is His sport to manifest Himself as many gods and goddesses. Everything is in that One, so why should people make distinction in showing respect to them?'
The devotee's doubts were not solved, so he took up the matter over again. Said he, 'Maharaj, our scriptures have described these deities differently. There (in the scriptures), for meditation purpose, these deities have been given different forms, their method of worship is different. The mantra for bowing down to them are all different. Still in meditating on one, other deities also appear. Is it not strange? So I ask if such visions are conducive to our spiritual progress.'
Latu Maharaj: 'You fellows are full of differentiation, cannot give up differences. Well, would you concede that all these deities are but one in essence? They are different in forms, that is all. What does it matter if in essence they are but one? Take for example you yourself. You are a man. When you are angry your appearance changes, you assume a terrible form. Again when you laugh do you have the same terrible form? When you cry you assume a third form. With the sway of emotions altered, your appearances undergo corresponding changes. Would you say you have yourself changed for all that? Whatever might be your moods if somebody calls you by name do you not respond? It is exactly the same with the various forms of the deities.
The Master used to say, "The chameleon changes its colours. It is sometimes red, sometimes green, sometimes yellow, brown, violet, blue, etc. All men do not see all its colours, so each attributes to it that colour which he has seen. But one who has seen it in all these colours at different times knows that the same creature assumes so many colours. Similarly, one who goes on meditating on his Chosen Deity and does not give up seeing Him in one form is blessed with other visions of Him and comes to understand that though names and forms differ his Chosen Deity is the same."'
Our probationer Latu saw in meditation various devas and devis. We mention them all here together: Sri Rama, Hanuman, Vishwanatha, Mother Kali, Sri Krishna, Yogamaya. He might have seen many others, but we do not know them.
3 November 2018
(From Memoirs of Swami Adbhutananda)
Here we feel tempted to make a special mention of his vision of Yogamaya. It took place at Dakshineswar. A part of the story we have heard from Rakhal Maharaj and another part from Sri Biharilal Sarkar.
'One night the Master woke us up at dead of night. He said, "Should you sleep away the night? Have you come here for that?" He woke all of us up, gave individual instructions and sent us away to different parts of the garden to meditate. That night he sent Latu to meditate under the Bilwa tree. When Latu returned from his meditation the Master said, "Tonight Leto has returned from the jaws of death."'
This much we heard from Rakhal Maharaj. Below is what we heard from Biharilal Babu. He said, 'It is not a matter of joke to take seat on a pancha mundi asana* for meditation—an asana, sitting on which a sadhaka has realized the Deity. Nobody can do this unless his body and mind have been fully purified and he is fully established in Brahmacharya, the vow of absolute celibacy. Many gods and demigods appear in their subtle forms, send chilling terrors into the occupants of the seat, do not allow them to sit on it, sometimes throw them out of it. If the occupant has not conquered fears fully he cannot sit on it.
It is for this reason that the Master would not send anyone and everyone to meditate under the Bilwa tree. He had his select ones for that. One night such a strong-willed sadhaka as Latu got frozen with fear. At the end of his meditation Latu could not get up from his seat, such terrible figures had he seen during meditation that he had no strength left to move. At that moment the Master saved him. From a distance the Master called out, "Are you very much terrified, my boy? Why is this fear? From whom? Come away with me." When Latu heard the Master's voice courage returned to him. It is not possible for all to sit on that seat. The Master had his realization of Mother sitting on that seat. Hence its great power.
During this period the Master warned them repeatedly, 'My boys, be extremely cautious, Yogamaya is testing you all. If you pass these tests of Hers all the knots of Maya will be untied one by one. Then you will see that there is no distinction between God with forms and the formless Lord.' We hear that the Master said many things about Yogamaya. But unfortunately nobody took notes of them. We asked Latu Maharaj many times about Her. But every time we met with the rebuff, 'Of what avail is hearing about Her? Practise and know Her infinite powers and graces. Who is there who can speak about an infinitesimal part of Hers? Infinite are Her occult powers. If She but expresses just a few of them, Mother Earth, noted for Her patience, shakes in fright, what to speak of puny man.'
We would like to paint one more picture of Latu's meditation. This too occurred under the Bilwa tree. That night he was immersed in deep meditation. Consciousness of the external world including his own body was totally lost. He was then under the grip of what is called yoga-nidra, a sleep-like relaxation in meditation when the individual willpower is nil and when various visions and experiences come and go of themselves making the sadhaka a passive observer. During that time various divine figures appear. They are endowed with all kinds of powers and can give any boon to the sadhaka. In the sadhakas there remains at that time only a residuum of passive observance, otherwise everything is calm and quiet, motionless as figures on a canvas. Latu was in that condition.
He sat for meditation at midnight, now the dawn broke; twilight spread her beauty on the eastern horizon; Latu was still sitting motionless. Not finding his boy to serve him at that hour, the Master came out in search of him. Coming near the Bilwa tree the Master saw two dogs keeping watch over Latu at a distance. He did not proceed farther. In the meanwhile the day broke and the first rays of the morning sun lit up the horizon, some falling on the face of superconscious Latu and brought him slowly to the conscious plane. He opened his eyes and was beside himself with joy when he saw his Master standing at a little distance watching his beloved disciple. He left his seat and prostrated himself at the feet of the Master.
While both were returning to the Master's room, the Master said to Latu, 'Do you know, my boy, (Universal) Mother sent two Bhairavas (demigods of terrible powers and followers and associates of Shiva and Mother) in the guise of dogs to protect you?'
This narrative also is from the lips of Biharilal Babu.
*Panchamundi literally means 'of five heads or skulls'. It is an asana prepared by the tantrika sadhakas under which are buried five heads: of a jackal, a snake, a dog and a bull, and in the middle that of a man; or alternately five skulls, all of men.
4 November 2018
Teachings of Swami Premananda
Remain some days in Jayrambati with the Holy Mother. Serve her. Thereby be blessed and realize the object of human life. This is my earnest wish. With what patience, forgiveness, and forbearance does she lead her life at home! Never before has such an ideal life been visible in this world. If such an example does not result in your remoulding your life, then there is no hope for you.
Seeing the Holy Mother is equivalent to seeing Sri Ramakrishna. Only in her native village can we perceive the Holy Mother's real nature. What substance she has! You will learn how large-hearted and loving she is. Seeing her makes egotism and conceit fly away. Try to learn thoroughly her ways and manners. She has infinite compassion for all mankind. We should become full if we were to get but a particle of that compassion.
Brahmacharya means performing the ritualistic worship, doing japa, meditating and studying with faith and reverence. Austerity means making the lips correspond with the heart. Does this state consist only in uttering a few mantras while taking the vows of Brahmacharya in a formal way?
A devotee has asked the Swami whether the picture of Sri Krishna can be kept in the shrine of Sri Ramakrishna. Pictures of all gods and goddesses, of all religions, can be kept there. Sri Ramakrishna was a great leader in all sects of all religions.
Do not see the defects of one another; see the good, the merits only. As Sri Ramakrishna said, be like the winnowing basket that retains the good grain, while rejecting the chaff. Do not be like a sieve that lets the good material drop through and holds back what is worthless.
We should move about freely, seeing the world as the manifestation of Rama. To hate and injure anyone is to hate and injure Rama, who pervades the whole world.
5 November 2018
Teachings of Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj
As you think, so you become. As thoughts of love help in expanding the self, so do thoughts of anger and jealousy lead to its contraction. Unless one can restrain one's passion, anger, etc. it is impossible to get anywhere near God. If you want to control your passion, anger, etc., you have to meditate on the Master and the Holy Mother and you will then be free from all degrading thoughts.
Once, while I was at Belur, a gentleman came and expressed his regret that we had not married and had renounced the world. By all sorts of arguments, he demonstrated that our supreme Guru Shiva was also married.
Owing to ignorance, man tries to support his views with numerous intellectual arguments, and the result is philosophizing. But he gets over all these, once he is blessed with true insight. The Master used to say, 'The world is a bad place, and you should renounce it.' There was no argument behind it, because he knew that no one can get over his unhappiness without renouncing the world. Once it is realized that a thing is bad, the best thing is to discard it, there is no question of arguing about it.
You better leave debates and arguments alone. We have got a brain of very limited capacity; and for realizing God, all this hair-splitting is of no use. What you require is burning faith in Him. In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Our arguments are just like armchair discussions; they lead us nowhere. We argue about God and then go home and lie down in bed. That is not religion, and it does not contribute to peace of mind.
Faith is the foundation of spiritual life. Too much of argumentation is of no avail... In order to be firmly established in that faith, you may raise one or two valid points, but nothing more. Unless you have faith, arguments and discussions will only cloud the issue and create confusion.
When, therefore, our entire existence depends on Him, why should we form an attachment for worldly things? Worldly attachments draw people away from God and scorch them in the wildfire of the world.
The Bible describes God in all His three forms, with attributes, without attributes, and as incarnate.
Let us make our minds pure, the rest will be easy; and we shall attain spiritual bliss comparable to nothing else in life. Our worldly pleasures are but a speck of dust, when weighed against that great mountain of joy.
6 November 2018
Revelation of Sri Ramakrishna as Kali (From Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master)
21. The disease aggravated
The month of Aswin passed and that of Kartik and the day of the worship of Kali were approaching; but no improvement in the physical condition of the Master was seen. The good effect the treatment produced at first was fast disappearing and there was apprehension lest the disease should assume a serious turn. But the bliss and the cheerfulness of the Master's mind appeared to the devotees to increase rather than decrease. Although Dr. Sarkar visited him frequently now as before and changed medicines repeatedly, he did not get the expected result and considered the change of the season to be the cause; and that condition, he thought, would pass as soon as the cold of winter increased a little.
22. The description of the wonderful Bhavasamadhi of the Master on the occasion of the annual worship of Kali
The devotees witnessed an extraordinary spiritual manifestation at the time of the annual worship of Kali also, as at the worship of Durga. At one time Devendranath had a desire to bring an image and worship Kali in it. Thinking that it would be a matter of great joy if he could carry that resolve into practice in the presence of the Master and his devotees, he made a proposal to perform that worship at the Shyampukur house.
But the devotees thought that the Master's body would get more exhausted on account of the zeal, excitement and noise at the time of the worship and tried to dissuade him. These words of the devotees appeared to be reasonable to Devendra, who consequently gave up that idea. But on the day before the worship, the Master said all of a sudden to a few devotees, "Collect all the ingredients for a brief worship; Mother Kali must be worshipped tomorrow."
Happy to hear him say so, they began consulting others. But as they had no other instruction from the Master regarding the preparation for the worship except the aforesaid words, all kinds of suggestions were offered. Unable to come to a decision regarding such important matters as whether the worship was to be performed with sixteen ingredients or five, whether cooked rice was to be offered or not, who was to officiate as priest, etc., they decided at last to keep ready sandal-paste, flowers, incense, light and fruits, roots and sweets only, and wait for further instruction from the Master, which they might afterwards follow.
But the Master gave them no more instruction even when the whole of that day and a half of the following day on which the worship was to take place had passed.
23. The preparation for the worship
It was sunset and it was 7 p.m. Seeing that the Master did not suggest to them anything more regarding the worship and was sitting quiet on his bed, they washed clean a portion of the floor to the east of his bed, brought the collected articles and placed them there. While he was at Dakshineswar the Master sometimes worshipped himself with sandal-paste, flowers and other ingredients. Some of the devotees had witnessed it. At last they came to the conclusion that on that occasion also he would worship the universal Consciousness and Its Power in the symbol of his mind and body or perform the scriptural worship of the self as one with the Mother of the universe. It was therefore no wonder that they should place the ingredients of the worship near the Master's bed in the aforesaid manner. The Master did not in any way dissuade them from doing it.
24. The Master sat silent
All the articles were gradually brought. Incense was burnt and lamps were lighted and the room became illumined and filled with fragrance. Seeing that the Master was still sitting quietly the devotees sat beside him; some among them awaited his command and looked at him with a concentrated mind and some others meditated on the divine Mother of the universe. The room was thus completely silent; and although there were thirty or more persons in it, the room seemed to be vacant altogether. Some time passed that way; but the Master even then sat quietly without himself beginning to perform the worship or asking any one of us to do it.
25. Girishchandra came to a decision and offered flowers at the lotus feet of the Master who entered into Bhavasamadhi
The elderly devotees, Mahendranath, Ramchandra, Devendranath, Girishchandra and others, as well as the young devotees, were present. Of them all, Girishchandra, the Master sometimes said, had a super-abundance of faith. Many of them were now surprised to see the Master take that attitude regarding the worship.
But Girish had a different sentiment surging in his heart. It struck him that the Master had no need to worship Kali for his own sake. If it was suggested that he had a desire to perform the worship under the impulse of selfless devotion, why was he sitting thus quietly without doing so? It did not seem so. Might it not be then that these preparations were meant for the devotees so that they might be blessed by worshipping the Mother of the universe in the living image of the Master's person? It was certainly that. Thinking so, he was beside himself with joy and, suddenly taking the flowers and sandal-paste that were lying there before all, offered handfuls of them at the lotus feet of the Master uttering, "Victory to Mother".
At this all the hairs of the Master's body stood on end and he entered into profound ecstasy. His face radiating effulgence, his lips adorned with a divine smile and both his hands assuming the attitude of granting boons and freedom from fear—all indicated the manifestation of the divine Mother in him. These events occurred in such a short time that many of the devotees who were near Girish, thought that he saw the Master in ecstasy first and then offered flowers etc., at his holy feet over and over again, and to those who were a little farther away it seemed that the luminous image of the Devi suddenly appeared before them in the body of the Master.
26. The devotees worshipped the Master in that state of Bhavasamadhi
It is superfluous to say, that there was no limit to the joy of the devotees. Each of them managed to take flowers and sandal-paste etc., from the tray, and uttering a Mantra according to his liking, worshipped the lotus feet of the Master and filled the room with the repeated sounds of 'Jai' (Victory).
Some time passed this way when the ecstasy of the Master came to an end and he was in a state of partial consciousness. The fruits, roots, sweets, etc., collected for the worship were then brought before him and were given him to eat. He, on his part, took a little of all those things and blessed the devotees so that their knowledge and devotion might increase.
Afterwards they took his Prasada and sang the glory of the Devi and the greatness of Her name till a late hour in the night.
The devotees experienced a joy they had never felt before, at this especial worship of the divine Mother that year, the memory of which remained fresh in their minds ever after. And whenever sorrows and miseries came and they became dejected, that serene face of the Master, brightened with a divine smile and his hands promising boons and freedom from fear, appeared before them and reminded them that they were all under the protection of the Divine.
7 November 2018
Teachings of Swami Vijnanananda
The greatest need is to concentrate on Him when we are dying.
The best time for meditation is midnight. You can then achieve results very soon. Nature is in a quiet mood then and the concentration is easier.
Every day you should regularly practise meditation. That helps you to concentrate your mind.
One should try to help others as far as possible, but without beating one's drum. For the rest of the time, one should be all by oneself. In this way concentration of mind will be gradually achieved.
Everybody complains that he cannot concentrate his mind on God, because it is assailed by all sorts of thoughts. Why not put up a "No admittance" notice and refuse to let those thoughts crowd into the mind?
Don't give up japa and meditation simply because you cannot concentrate your mind properly.
My only advice to you all is to forsake idleness. An idle brain is the devil's workshop. You must do everything with concentration and diligence.
Within everybody there is consciousness. This consciousness pervades the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the air, etc., down to the minute being, and it is because of this consciousness that there is motion in everything.
In the transcendental state, i.e. the state of complete union with the Infinite, there is no outward consciousness; only a slight feeling remains there.
Contemplation on Him should enable us to gain lordliness over our passions and become masters of our souls.
The question that arises in my mind is, where shall we be after giving up this mortal frame? I asked Mahapurush Maharaj who told me that we would be in the Ramakrishna Loka where we would be keeping company with the Master.
To contemplate on the Master all the time and not to forget him even for an instant is to be in his company. That is Ramakrishna world—to think of him all the time with heart and soul, never losing him even for a moment.
One should not ask for anything from God, but remain satisfied with whatever He is pleased to give. Real welfare lies in using things properly, wrong use of things brings misfortune.
You should be satisfied with whatever you can secure for keeping the body fit, and then, go on working selflessly for God.
There is a Hindi couplet which says that jewels, elephants, and houses, indeed, all wealth is just valueless compared to contentment.
It is all so difficult, you cannot have contentment so long as you are subject to worldly desires. Once they disappear, you are free.
Purity, Truthfulness, and honesty should make the cornerstone of your life. And there should be faith. With these a man will have contentment in life, whatever circumstances he may happen to be in. Contentment in all circumstances is the mark of religious life.
When we have control over our passions, we shall succeed; we shall ourselves then feel that we are advancing towards God.
When the mind is completely under your control, it will have nothing to exist on except noble thoughts.
After the dissolution of the mortal frame, the soul takes a subtle form and more intensely reaps the harvest of previous deeds.
God pervades everything. But, of course, it is a joyful experience. He is inside and outside. When you realize that He is within you, the senses get controlled once for all; and it is for this that you have renounced everything, do you understand?
This universe—the entire creation and all living beings—has been there from the beginning of time. Nothing new is happening; the same process has been going on in different ages, just like a lump of clay being made into a particular image and then broken and made into another image. This is how the process of creation has been going on; nothing new, only a repetition.
8 November 2018
Reminiscences of Sri Ramakrishna's God-intoxicated state
Oh, what a state of mind I passed through! When I first had that experience, I could not perceive the coming and going of day or night. People said I was insane. What else could they say? They made me marry. I was then in a state of God-intoxication. At first I felt worried about my wife. Then I thought she too would eat and drink and live like me.
I visited my father-in-law's house. They arranged a kirtan. It was a great religious festival, and there was much singing of God's holy name. Now and then I would wonder about my future. I would say to the Divine Mother, 'Mother, I shall take my spiritual experiences to be real if the landlords of the country show me respect.' They too came of their own accord and talked with me.
Oh, what an ecstatic state it was! Even the slightest suggestion would awaken my spiritual consciousness. I worshipped the 'Beautiful' in a girl fourteen years old. I saw that she was the personification of the Divine Mother. At the end of the worship I bowed before her and offered a rupee at her feet. One day I witnessed a Ramlila performance. I saw the performers to be the actual Sita, Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and Bibhishana. Then I worshipped the actors and actresses who played those parts.
At that time I used to invite maidens here and worship them. I found them to be embodiments of the Divine Mother Herself.
One day I saw a woman in blue standing near the bakul-tree. She was a prostitute. But she instantly kindled in me the vision of Sita. I forgot the woman. I saw that it was Sita herself on her way to meet Rama after her rescue from Ravana in Ceylon. For a long time I remained in samadhi, unconscious of the outer world.
Another day I had gone to the Maidan in Calcutta for fresh air. A great crowd had assembled there to watch a balloon ascension. Suddenly I saw an English boy leaning against a tree. As he stood there his body was bent in three places. The vision of Krishna came before me in a flash. I went into samadhi.
Once, at Sihore, I fed the cowherd boys. I put sweetmeats into their hands. I saw that these boys were actually the cowherd boys of Vrindavan, and I partook of the sweetmeats from their hands.
At that time I was almost unconscious of the outer world. Mathur Babu kept me at his Janbazar mansion a few days. While living there I regarded myself as the handmaid of the Divine Mother. The ladies of the house didn't feel at all bashful with me. They felt as free before me as women feel before a small boy or girl.
Even now the slightest thing awakens God-Consciousness in me. Rakhal used to repeat the name of God half aloud. At such times I couldn't control myself. It would rouse my spiritual consciousness and overwhelm me.
9 November 2018
[Note: The date shows as "8 November 2018" in the message but timestamp is 09/11/2018]
(From M. The Apostle and the Evangelist)
A Young Man—All religions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism show the way to eternal peace by wiping out the sorrow of man for ever. The Hindu dharma, the Vedic dharma does the same. So, what is special about the Hindu dharma?
M.—One, in Hinduism the jiva is the image of God;
Two, every jiva will attain deliverance one day. This is not to be found in any other religions.
Three, the Hindus believe in Advaita (doctrine in which only the Brahman is true and real), Vishishta-advaita (doctrine that regards Brahman and universe as identical and real) and Dvaita (doctrine that regards the Brahman and universe different from each other and real), in all the three bhavas.
Four, the Vedic dharma broadly gives four paths for God-realization: Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga, Rajayoga and Jnanayoga. Five, the doctrine of re-birth.
Six, in Hinduism there are a lot of emotions for establishing relationship with God—shanta, dasya and so on. In other religions, it is one or at the most two. In Hinduism, sadhana can be carried out in so many bhavas.
Seven, Hinduism believes in the Law, not in the individual.
Eight, in Hinduism one believes that liberation can only come in a human body.
Mohan—They say that Thakur was the embodiment of Sanatana dharma. What is the significance of this?
M.—The set of eternal values of which the Sanatana dharma is composed has been fully manifested in Sri Ramakrishna. That is why he is called its embodiment. Take for example, truth. If Thakur once said that he would not take water he did not do so even when pressed a hundred times. Once he did not take water for six months. He said that he would go to Mani Mullick's house. So, he reached his house in Baranagore late at night and said, 'See I have come'. Once he said, 'I will go to answer the call of nature at three o'clock.' He went for it even when he felt no pressure. He was the solid embodiment of celibacy.
Once somebody brought sweets for him with the money he had earned by dishonest means. He could not touch them. A person brought a lemon without asking the master of the garden. Thakur would not put it in his mouth. He was never able to store. He could not carry even a clod of earth in his hand. He could not touch money. He never thought of harming even an ant.
"He always saw that it was the Mother Herself who was living as jiva-jagat (the living creatures and the world). Not even for a moment did he separate himself from the Mother."
10 November 2018
(From M. The Apostle and the Evangelist)
A Young Man—All religions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism show the way to eternal peace by wiping out the sorrow of man for ever. The Hindu dharma, the Vedic dharma does the same. So, what is special about the Hindu dharma?
M.—One, in Hinduism the jiva is the image of God;
Two, every jiva will attain deliverance one day. This is not to be found in any other religions.
Three, the Hindus believe in Advaita (doctrine in which only the Brahman is true and real), Vishishta-advaita (doctrine that regards Brahman and universe as identical and real) and Dvaita (doctrine that regards the Brahman and universe different from each other and real), in all the three bhavas.
Four, the Vedic dharma broadly gives four paths for God-realization: Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga, Rajayoga and Jnanayoga. Five, the doctrine of re-birth.
Six, in Hinduism there are a lot of emotions for establishing relationship with God—shanta, dasya and so on. In other religions, it is one or at the most two. In Hinduism, sadhana can be carried out in so many bhavas.
Seven, Hinduism believes in the Law, not in the individual.
Eight, in Hinduism one believes that liberation can only come in a human body.
Mohan—They say that Thakur was the embodiment of Sanatana dharma. What is the significance of this?
M.—The set of eternal values of which the Sanatana dharma is composed has been fully manifested in Sri Ramakrishna. That is why he is called its embodiment. Take for example, truth. If Thakur once said that he would not take water he did not do so even when pressed a hundred times. Once he did not take water for six months. He said that he would go to Mani Mullick's house. So, he reached his house in Baranagore late at night and said, 'See I have come'. Once he said, 'I will go to answer the call of nature at three o'clock.' He went for it even when he felt no pressure. He was the solid embodiment of celibacy.
Once somebody brought sweets for him with the money he had earned by dishonest means. He could not touch them. A person brought a lemon without asking the master of the garden. Thakur would not put it in his mouth. He was never able to store. He could not carry even a clod of earth in his hand. He could not touch money. He never thought of harming even an ant.
"He always saw that it was the Mother Herself who was living as jiva-jagat (the living creatures and the world). Not even for a moment did he separate himself from the Mother."
M. (to all present)—Thakur did not like dry discussions, academic discourses. His effort was always to see how a man's mind could be tied to the feet of the Lord. He would say, 'I don't even want to know what is there in the Vedas, in the puranas, what is where. Grant me pure devotion at Your Lotus feet.'
"Seeing the bhaktas in discussion he would sometimes apologise to the Mother, 'Mother, what else can they do but discuss at times?'
As the saying goes, just by talking one cannot cook rice, so one has to carry out spiritual practice. He used to ask us to practise tapasya, austerity. When one has gained true faith in God, when one loves Him with one's heart and soul, all intellectual doubts disappear themselves. Why did they who were known as great intellectuals behave like earthworms at Thakur's feet? His was a direct knowledge, the knowledge of others was born of intellect. There is difference of heaven and earth between the two. By keeping the company of sadhus, by living alone by calling Him with a yearning heart, one gains love for Him. Loving Him brings liberation."
Morton School, the staircase room on the fourth level. M. is talking about God to the bhaktas surrounding him all around. When questioned by the Elder Jiten, M. explains different aspects of the Sanatana dharma or the Vedic dharma.
M. (to the bhaktas)—The rishis earned everlasting joy after God-realization. They made a durable arrangement for transmitting that joy to the society. Their socio-religious arrangement is also everlasting in a way—the supreme joy and peace from God-realization. So they would not let man turn away from God in any situation. Just note, what a beautiful arrangement this is: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
Dharma, that is, truth and so on. Taking recourse to it to earn wealth (artha). Fulfil desire (kama) according to the scriptures and attain liberation (moksha) that is God-realization. It is like having mother on one side, the father on the other and the children in between. When that is so the children cannot fall. This is an incomparable discovery.
"This arrangement is as deep as it is broad, and it is equally lasting. So many cycles of Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali come and go, this arrangement lasts unbroken.
They say, 'Son, Just don't live as a worldly man, giving up dharma, that is, God and His basic law. Rather, adopt them and do what you like.'
The Hindu view of life holds true amidst the endless whirlpools of time—this is the first arrangement.
The second, the discovery of the four paths—Jnanayoga, Rajayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga. First, they placed the man behind a fence; then they put him on one of the paths suited to his nature. By treading this path he will finally attain his goal. He will then rid himself of all sorrows and gain lasting happiness and peace.
The End is also infinite, ever existing i.e. sanatana; and the means also the same. The former truly sanatana, the latter relatively true."