Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part IX: Further Teachings

1. Disciple: "Those who are obtaining your blessings are fortunate indeed. What will happen to people in the future?" Mother: "What do you mean? Why won't they too succeed? God exists everywhere and at all times. The Master is always there. They will succeed through his grace. Are not people realizing God in other countries?"

2. To someone who asked if there is any truth in image worship, Mother said, "From time out of mind, innumerable people have worshipped images and thus attained spiritual knowledge. Can you deny this fact? The Master never cherished dogmatic views. Brahman exists everywhere. Prophets and Incarnations are born to show benighted humanity their way. They give different instructions to suit different temperaments. There are many ways to realize truth. So all these instructions have their relative value. For instance, many birds are perched on the branches of a tree. They are of different colours: white, black, red, yellow, and so on. Their sounds, too, are different. But when they sing we say that the sounds are made by the birds. We do not designate one particular sound only as the sound of the birds, and refuse to acknowledge the other sounds as such."

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Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part VIII: Love and Compassion

Holy mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings regarding “Love and Compassion” are presented below:

1. "I tell you one thing — if you want peace, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own."

2. "To err is human. One must not take that into account. It is harmful for oneself. One gets into the habit of finding fault. ... Do not look for faults in others, or your own eyes will become faulty."

Read the complete article "Love and Compassion"...

Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part VII: Advice to Householders

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings for householders are presented below:

1. "Those who belong to a very high plane of existence alone can take to the monastic life and free themselves from all bondages. Again there are some who are born to have a little taste of this worldly life. I say that one should see through worldly enjoyments. …Let X — marry and finish all enjoyments in this life; otherwise there is no knowing when he may fall a victim to some unfulfilled desire. But you may be sure of this, that so long as he remains under the Master's1 protection he can never slip."

2. When a young man, out of temporary dispassion, expressed unwillingness to marry, Mother said, "How is that? God has created things in pairs: two eyes, two ears, two legs — and likewise, man and woman."

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Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part VI: Renunciation

The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings on Renunciation are presented here:

1. "You are a living God. Who is able to renounce all for God's sake? Even the injunctions of Destiny are cancelled if one takes refuge in God. Destiny strikes off with her own hand what she has written about such a person."

2. "Will a man who has strong desires for worldly pleasures listen to me if I ask him to renounce them? But if a fortunate soul has realized the world to be the sport of Maya and God alone to be real, shall I not help him a little? Is there any end to the suffering in the world?"

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The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part VIII

This part presents the Sayings 350-395

350. As an unchaste woman, busily engaged in household affairs, is all the while thinking of her secret lover, even so, O you man of the world, do your round of worldly duties, but fix your heart always on the Lord.

351. As a wet-nurse in a rich family brings up the child of her master, loving the baby as if it were her own, but knows well that she has no claim upon it; so think you also that you are but trustees and guardians of your children whose real father is the Lord God in Heaven.

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The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part VII

This part presents the sayings 300-349:

300. The new-born calf looks very lively, blithe, and merry. It jumps and runs all day long, and only stops to suck the sweet milk from its darn. But no sooner is the rope placed round its neck than it begins to pine away gradually, and, far from being merry, wears a dejected and sorry appearance, and gets almost reduced to a skeleton. So long as a boy has no concern with the affairs of the world he is as merry as the day is long. But when he once feels the weight of the responsibilities of a man of family, by binding himself in time to the world by the indissoluble tie of wedlock, then he no longer appears jolly, but wears the look of dejection, care, and anxiety, and is seen to lose the glow of health from his cheeks, while wrinkles gradually make their appearance over the forehead. Blessed is he that remains a boy throughout his life, free as the morning air, fresh as a newly-blown flower, and pure as a dewdrop.

301. A boat may stay in the water, but water should not stay in the boat. An aspirant may live in the world, but the world should not live in him.

302. He who thinks his spiritual guide a mere man, cannot derive any benefit from him.

Read the complete article: The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part VII

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part VI

This part contains the Sayings 250-299.

250. As the young wife in a family shows her love and respect to her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and every other member of the family, and at the same time loves her husband more than these; similarly, be firm in your devotion to the Deity of your own choice (Ishta-Devatâ), do not despise other Deities, but honor them all.

251. A truly religious man should think that other religions also are paths leading to the truth. We should always maintain an attitude of respect towards other religions.

Read the complete article: The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part VI

Invaluable Values

Truth, Honesty, Courage, Faith, Marital fidelity – values that one must cherish – the basis for all these is mental strength and not physical strength.

There is so much talk these days about nourishing food –– that a healthy diet should contain vitamins, iron, lot of protein, fiber, etc. But nobody seems to be concerned about mental strength. Physical strength alone will produce only brutes, cowards.

Read the complete article: Invaluable Values

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part V

The Sayings 200-249 are given below:


200. Creeds and sects matter nothing. Let every one perform with faith the devotions and practices of his creed. Faith is the only clue to get to God.

201. He who has faith has all, and he who wants faith wants all.

Read the complete article: The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part V

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part IV

The sayings 150–199 are given below:

150. The Guru is a mediator. He brings man and God together.

151. Take the pearl and throw the oyster-shell away. Follow the mantra (advice) given to you by your Guru and throw out of consideration the human frailties of your teacher.

152. Listen not, if any one criticizes and censures your Guru. Leave his presence at once.

Read the complete article: The sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part IV

Conscious Living – Part III

I was thinking of Lord Krishna – according to mythology, he lifted a hill Govardhana with his finger; he tamed a highly poisonous snake Kaalinga; he killed powerful asuras Kamsa and Chanura – all this he did when he was a small boy. Later, he saved Draupati from humiliation by providing a continuous never-ending saree as Dushasana tried to disrobe her in the assembly of Kauravas.

To Arjuna’s request for help in the battle of Mahabharata, he agreed and, keeping up his decision not to wield a weapon, he acted as Arjuna’s charioteer.

In spite of his immense power – he can lift a mountain, tame a poisonous snake, kill powerful asuras, save Draupati from shame – he chose to be a simple charioteer for His friend.

In all his actions, there is one underlying motive – the desire to help, save, protect. That little cowherd boy was kindness personified. That young man was anxious to save, protect Draupati and his friend Arjuna.

Krishna did not conquer any kingdom for himself. Instead, he conquered the minds of all those helpless men and women. Therefore he is remembered and worshiped even today.

The same is true of Lord Shiva – he drank the poison that came out while churning the ocean so that the devas and others are safe.

Why mythology? Think of Mother Teresa. What a level of unselfishness? No parallels can be drawn.

What makes a God out of a man? It is the level of unselfishness.

As Swami Vivekananda says in Karma Yoga,
“Are you unselfish? Then God is with you.”

If you are unselfish in your actions, you have nothing to fear.

When you are confronted with doubt whether to perform an action or not, ask the question “Is this going to do good to anybody other than me?” If the answer is “Yes”, go ahead. You will be the winner.

R. Padma

Guru Tegh Bahadur - we are indebted to him

We have heard of people dying for their country, their religion, their family, etc. Have you heard of anybody who died for the freedom of others who are not his own community? Not of his own religion? That requires an extraordinary level of unselfishness, rarely seen in humans. The life of Guru Tegh Bahadur is one example where we see the remarkable courage and the ultimate limit of unselfishness.

Guru Tegh Bahadur (1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) became the 9th Guru of Sikhism on 20 March 1665, following the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan. The details regarding his early life and the achievements during his Guruship are available at wikipedia and sikiwiki. The aim of this article is slightly different: to highlight the immense level of unselfishness displayed by the Guru as he chose for his martyrdom at the hands of moghuls ruling India at that time.

Read the complete Article: Guru Tegh Bahadur - we are indebted to him

Conscious Living – Part II

In this part, we discuss about the importance of making conscious choices.

“He has bought a mobile for 12,000, I must buy one which costs 15,000.”

“He drives a bike of 40k, I should get one costlier than that.” Or, “He owns a Honda Civic, I must get an Audi.”

“He bought a 2 bed room flat, I must buy a 3 bed room flat.”

“Did he say that he spent 2 lacs for his daughter’s marriage? I must spend at least 3 lacs.”

How many more such things we hear day in and day out? It is a never ending list.

Every day, we come across people who pride over their possessions such as car, house, etc. The funniest thing is that once they have it they feel they are on top of the world until they find one of their friends/relatives owning something better than what they have. Immediately they are filled with jealousy.

We have heard another type of statements as well: “Oh, this jewel is so simple. I expected you to give your daughter a diamond-studded one.” Comments made out of jealousy, intended to hurt others. Taking delight or rejoicing over another person’s limitations. The one who is making such a comment may not be capable of making even that simple jewel for his/her daughter.

Where will this competition end or the jealousy fade out? Will it go on until the graveyard? May be their children will carry the competition forward with “I got the best funeral service done for my dad/mom.” Or, “I spent xxx thousands for performing the last rites of my mom/dad.”

In doing all these, you are letting the needs of your lives to be dictated by others.
Friend, wake up. In doing things just to boast off before your friend or relative, you have lost your freedom.

Please resolve to stop these foolish competitions. Buy only the essentials. Start making conscious choices.

A highly educated relative of mine travels to work in a bicycle. Same I have seen with a friend of mine. They have enough confidence in themselves. They have understood that saying “No” to a car (even when you have enough money to buy 2 cars) requires more courage than driving a brand new car.

There is nothing great if a person rides a bicycle if has no money to buy a car or bike of his own. Greatness is only when you have the power to buy them and instead of displaying your wealth in buying cars and other things, you choose to remain simple and you choose to donate all the extra wealth for some noble cause.

Donate, but how? Without publicizing it. Without letting anybody know about it. What the right hand gives, the left hand should not know. You help others because you think it is your duty, and not for getting awards.

I bow my head to that rare species of men and women who have chosen to live consciously.

R. Padma

Conscious Living – Part I

Quite often we find people saying things without being aware of their implications, without being aware that their unintentional utterances may hurt some people.

Under the topic ‘Conscious Living’, we wish to draw your attention to some issues to which you may be contributing without knowing that they may make some of your friends/colleagues unhappy. Here is the first issue.

Most of you must have read sardarji jokes. Have you ever thought why they are called so, or asked “Why are you calling them ‘Sardarji’ jokes?”

Have you ever come across any Sardarji who is as foolish as depicted in those jokes?

I have not. On the contrary, I have always seen them as the finest people, gentlemen, highly civilized, and in North India, why ‘north’, all over India, they command much respect. Our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is the best example. In spite of all that, there appears to be a carefully calculated effort to throw mud at them by propagating jokes against that community.

Here is my personal experience. Many years ago, I was travelling from Nagpur to Raipur by the Howrah Mail. Two of the passengers started talking to me, one was an elderly gentleman from Calcutta and the other was a young sardarji. Soon we were having a lively conversation and the young man suddenly observed that I have not eaten anything in the train. I was reluctant to eat the samosa or bhelpuri that were sold by hawkers as I had a sensitive stomach. Reluctant to reveal my problem, I simply said that I wasn’t hungry. The young sardarji said, “You won’t get your idli or dosa here.” However, when the train stopped at some station, he ran and brought some idlis, chutney and sambhar and handed over the parcel to me. Not only that, he refused to take any money. I was amazed by the kind gesture of the young sardarji as I was a total stranger and I had known him for only a few hours. The train reached Raipur at around 10 pm and I reached the guest house around midnight. I would have remained hungry until then but for the kindness shown by that sardarji.

Every time I remember that episode, my heart fills with pride “This is the country of such kind and good people.” But being a good and kind person is not enough, we all have to be aware of our responsibility towards others too. Hence the following request.

Jokes are good. Laughter is the best medicine, no doubt. If you can bring a smile on your friend’s face, it is really a good gesture. But please be aware of the fact that there is a very fine line between “having fun” and “making fun”. Whatever is the case, never forget this fine line. If you get sardarji jokes in your mailbox, read and enjoy. But if you want to forward it, modify the joke so that there is no mention of the word ‘sardarji’ anywhere in the joke.

For example, here is one from the internet:

A teacher asked her class for sentences using the word "beans".

"My father grows beans," said one student.

"My father cooks beans," said another.

Then a Little Sardarji spoke up: "We are all human beans."

In the above joke, why the phrase ‘Little Sardarji’? It is an unnecessary reference to a community. Modify the last sentence of the above joke as follows:

Another little boy spoke up: "We are all human beans."

Once modified, forward it to as many people as you wish. I can hear voices complaining ‘who has the time to do such modifications?’ If you don’t have time to modify, do not send such jokes.

Make a conscious effort to stop such references to “any community”. Always remember, if a similar comment were made about your community, you would not have enjoyed the joke. So, it is your responsibility to stop such demeaning of any community.

We have to be extremely careful about our words as well as our deeds and ensure that our freedom of speech should be utilized only for good purposes.

Live a good life. Live consciously. Remember “We reap what we sow.”

R. Padma

Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part V: Self-effort and Divine Grace

Holy mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings on “Self-effort and Divine Grace” are listed below:

1. Disciple: "How does one get the vision of God?" Mother: "It is only through His grace. But one must practice meditation and Japa. These remove the impurities of the mind. One must practice spiritual disciplines such as worship and so forth. As one gets the fragrance of a flower by handling it, or as one gets the smell of sandalwood by rubbing it against a stone, in the same way one gets spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God. But you can realize Him right now if you become desireless."

2. "The mind gets purified after hard Tapasya. Without regular practice nothing can be attained."

3. "The mind is rendered pure as the result of many austerities. 'God who is purity itself cannot be attained without austerities.' What else does one obtain by the realization of God? Does he grow two horns? No, his mind becomes pure, and through a pure mind one attains knowledge and spiritual awakening."

4. "The purpose of initiation is to try to realize God through sincere spiritual effort."

Read the complete article:  Self-effort and Divine Grace

Venkanna, the Diwan of Adoni

In a place called Adoni (near Humpi in Karnataka, India), there was a young brahmin boy who was more interested in playing with shepherd boys and gracing cattle, and refused to study the holy scriptures. This caused lot of anguish to his parents. When the holy saint Guru Raghavendra visited Adoni, the parents took the boy to him...

Read the complete article: Venkanna, the Diwan of Adoni

A Fine Management Lesson

Here below is a nice lesson.......

Old one but still interesting to read…

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well.

At the next stop, however, a big hulk like Pathan got in. Six feet four, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the conductor and said, "Pathan doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.

Conductor didn't argue with Pathan, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same thing happened, Pathan got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the next..

This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Pathan was taking advantage of poor conductor. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff.

By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself. So, on the next Monday, when Pathan once again got on the bus and said, "Pathan doesn't pay!"

The driver stood up, glared back at Pathan, and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, Pathan replied, "Pathan has a bus pass."

Management Lesson:

Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working.

Contributed by: Poonam

Contentment is a state of the mind

I had this personal experience many years ago. It happened at Bangalore, at the Raghavendra Swami Mutt on Bull Temple Road, to be precise.

One evening I went to the Mutt and before entering left my sandals at the entrance of the Mutt with the woman guarding the footwear of the visitors. As it was drizzling, I was carrying an umbrella and it was wet. I asked the woman whether she would take care of my umbrella until I return. She said, “Yes.”

When I came back, I gave the woman the fee for guarding my sandals and umbrella, i.e. I paid twice the regular amount usually given for guarding the footwear. The woman took only the fee for guarding my sandals. She said she took care of my umbrella as a gesture of help.

I was taken aback. In this world, where we meet everyday people who want to make money by any means and by all means, I was surprised to see a poor woman with such an attitude towards life. I don’t know how much money that woman earned everyday, as I had seen most of the visitors leaving their footwear away from her, to save those few coins. Her earning may not even be sufficient to take care of a day’s meal of hers. I don’t know how many children she had to feed by her earnings. In spite of all that, she offered me help, knowing very well that her act may not bring any award or reward to her.

This act of that poor woman whose name I know not, whose face I don’t remember, but whose simplicity and love I will remember forever, made me understand that contentment is a state of the mind. It may be found even among the poorest of the poor. On the other hand, it may never be found in the well off or the richest.

R. Padma

Swami Vivekananda on Love

Here is a beautiful interpretation of love by Swami Vivekananda:

"I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: 'You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love.' This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to possess it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds. This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love... they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you. For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect. Advise, but don't order. Ask, but never demand. It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those whom you love, and yet an unconditional caring."

Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away... Life is beautiful!!!
Keep the faith !

Contributed by Poonam

Suggested reading: "On Love" by Khalil Gibran in The Prophet.

Forbear, forgive - Guru Arjan Dev

Guru Arjan Dev (born in Amritsar, Punjab, India on 15 April 1563 and martyred in 1606 at Lahore, Punjab) is the fifth of the Ten Sikh Gurus. He embraced martyrdom against mughal tyranny on 16 June 1606.

Guru Arjan Dev was head of Sikhism for a quarter of a century and accomplished a lot during his regime. He completed the construction of the temple at Amritsar and founded other cities such as Taran Taran and Kartarpur. He constructed a Baoli at Lahore. The most important work of Arjan Dev was the compilation of Adi Granth. He collected all the work of the first four Gurus and dictated it in the form of verses in 1604.

Read the complete article: Forbear, forgive - Guru Arjan Dev

A good story

Friends: I read the following story at www.citehr.com. There you may generate your user ID and password and get several such stories. Now the story...

Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, ” Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions? Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me? Tell me is there any mantra?”

All the wise men were puzzled by the King’s question. They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper, with a condition that the king was not to see it out of curiosity.

Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he can see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

Some time later, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee on his horse. The enemies were following him. getting closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road…the sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. The King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was - ” THIS TOO SHALL PASS”

The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes ! This too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. Like those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm came on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom.

The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were near him.

The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fanfare. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory.

Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being showered on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself,” I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me. With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”.

He became silent. His face went through a total change - from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by. We are witnesses of all this. We are the perceivers. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away.

Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Everything changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. The problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away.

You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it, and enjoy the present moment - this too shall pass........!!!

Poonam

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part III

Sayings: 100-149


100. A man who finds all the hairs of his body standing on end at the bare mention of Srî Hari's name, through sheer ecstasy, and who sheds tears of love on hearing the name of God, he has reached his last birth.

101. The more you scratch the ringworm, the greater grows the itching, and the more pleasure do you find in scratching. Similarly, the devotees once beginning to sing His praises, never get tired of it, but continue for hours and hours together.

102. When grains are measured out to the purchaser in the granary of a rich merchant, the measurer unceasingly goes on measuring, while the attending women supply him with basket-fulls of grain from the main store. The measurer does not leave his seat, while the women incessantly supply him with grain. But a small grocer has neither such attendants, nor is his store so inexhaustible. Similarly, it is God Himself who is constantly inspiring thoughts and sentiments in the hearts of His devotees, and that is the reason why the latter are never in lack of new and wise thoughts and sentiments; while, on the other hand, the book-learned, like petty grocers, soon find that their thoughts have become exhausted.

Read the complete article: The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part III

Work, we must!

Until we have the strength to work, we must work.

Work is worship.

Life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,

And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,

And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,

And all work is empty save when there is love;

And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.   – Khalil Gibran

Read complete blog: Work, we must 

Manifest the Divinity in You

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within, by controlling nature, external or internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary – Swami Vivekananda

My mother used to say, “There is both God and devil in every human. We have to let the God occupy the whole of our self and keep the devil at the tip of our toe.” The truth is that we have to use all our strength to push the devil to the tip of our toe. Otherwise the devil will take control of our self.

Controlling the devil, in other words, controlling the good and bad in us is the first step. We must suppress the evil thoughts and evil qualities, and manifest the divinity within us. For this, we have to constantly think of good things.

Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals; place them day and night before you. Out of that will come great work – Swami Vivekananda

One method to fill the brain with high thoughts will be to read the lives of great people. In course of time, good thinking will become a natural habit.

PS: We wish to present the lives of such great people in this blogsite very soon – Team Ganappa

Valmiki

Valmiki, in his early life, was an unnamed highway robber. Once, the robber tried to rob the divine sage Narada for the benefit of his family. Narada asked him if his family would share the sin he was incurring due to the robbery. The robber replied positively, but Narada told him to confirm this with his family. The robber asked his family, but none agreed to bear the burden of sin. Dejected, the robber finally understood the truth of life and asked for Narada's forgiveness. Narada taught the robber to worship God. Narada gave him the mantra “Rama” and asked him to meditate on this mantra. Valmiki was not able to repeat the word “Rama.” He uttered it as “Mara.” Sage Narada asked him to continue reciting it as “Mara” itself. When uttered continuously, Mara Mara Mara…, it becomes Rama Rama Rama. The robber meditated for many years, so much so that ant-hills grew around his body. Finally, a divine voice declared his penance successful, bestowing him with the name "Valmiki": "one born out of ant-hills".

That is the power of Japa and Meditation. Through sincere devotion to God and faith in his Guru (Narada), a highway robber who used to kill people indiscriminately and rob their wealth, became a great saint Valmiki and composed the epic Ramayana, the story of Ram and Sita.

Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part IV: Meditation and Japa

Japa is repetition of God’s name. Meditation is concentrating the mind on God or any chosen object of worship.

Japa can be performed all through the day without discrimination of place and time, as we walk from one room to another, while getting ready to go to a place of study or work, while eating, while performing any mechanical work like cutting vegetables, cooking, watering plants, driving, and also while lying down on bed before getting up after sleep, or before falling asleep. In contrast, meditation requires concentration and hence one has to find a proper place to sit peacefully and focus one’s mind on God. Both japa and meditation should be performed regularly.

We frequently hear about children indulging in bad habits and spoiling their life. If the practice of japa and meditation are inculcated in the minds of children at a very young age, it will have immense impact1 when they grow up.

Do you have a chosen deity?

If you are a worshipper of Vishnu, start reciting “Sri Krishnaaya namah!” or “Om namo Narayanaya!” or “Sri Ramajayam!”

If you are a worshipper of Shiva, start reciting “Om namah Shivaaya!”

If you are a Sikh, start reciting “Wahe Guru!”

If you are a believer of God, you might have special attraction towards a specific God. It need not be Ram or Krishna or Shiva. Whoever is your chosen God, repeat that God’s name as many times as possible, wherever and whenever possible. You will soon realize the strength that you derive from this good habit. If you have somebody younger than you at home (younger brother or sister, or children), share your experiences and make them understand the goodness of this habit. (If they laugh at you or express disinterest, do not try hard to convince them. It only means the time has not come for them to take up this good habit.)

Read the complete blog: Meditation and Japa

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part II

Sayings:  50-99

50. On the tree of Sat-chit-ânanda there are innumerable Râmas, Krishnas, Christs, etc.; one or two of them come down into this world now and then, and produce mighty changes and revolutions.

51. The Avatâra or Saviour is the messenger of God. He is like the Viceroy of a mighty monarch. As when there is some disturbance in a far-off province the king sends his viceroy to quell it, so whenever there is any waning of religion in any part of the world, God sends His Avatâra there.

52. It is one and the same Avatâra that, having plunged into the ocean of life, rises up in one place and is known as Krishna, and diving again rises in another place and is known as Christ.

53. In some seasons water can be obtained from the great depths of the wells only and with great difficulty, but when the country is flooded in the rainy season, water is obtained with ease everywhere. So ordinarily, God is reached with great pains through prayers and penances, but when the flood of Incarnation descends, God is seen anywhere and everywhere.

Read complete article: Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna - Part II

On Good & Evil

Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil.

For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?

Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.

You are good when you are one with yourself.

Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.

For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.

And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.

You are good when you strive to give of yourself.

Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself.

For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.

Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance."

For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech,

Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose.

And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.

Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping.

Even those who limp go not backward.

But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good,

You are only loitering and sluggard.

Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you.

But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest.

And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.

But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"

For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"


Note: This article is extracted from Khalil Gibran's The Prophet.

Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part III: Mind Control

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings regarding mind control are listed below:

1. "Everything depends on one's mind. Nothing can be achieved without purity of mind. It is said, 'The aspirant may have received the grace of the Guru, the Lord, and the Vaishnava; but he comes to grief without the grace of "one.'" That 'one' is the mind. The mind of the aspirant should be gracious to him."

2. "My child, this mind is just like a wild elephant. It races with the wind. Therefore one should discriminate all the time. One should work hard for the realization of God." 1

3. Disciple: "I cannot concentrate my mind well during meditation. My mind is fickle and unsteady."

Mother: "Don't worry! Restlessness is the nature of the mind, as it is of the eyes and ears. Practise regularly. The Name of God is more powerful than the senses. Always think of the Master, who is looking after you. Don't be troubled about your lapses." 2

Read complete blog: Mind Control

Sri Ramakrishna: An Introduction

SRI RAMAKRISHNA [18 February1836 – 16 August 1886]

We present here the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the saint who lived in Calcutta - India, in the mid-19th century.

In the words of Swami Adiswarananda (Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York), Sri Ramakrishna represents the very core of the spiritual realizations of the seers and sages of India. His whole life was literally an uninterrupted contemplation of God. He reached a depth of God-consciousness that transcends all time and place and has a universal appeal.

The ultimate choice to read and understand the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna will be “The GOSPEL of SRI RAMAKRISHNA” published by Ramakrishna Math, Madras, India. However, for a first-time reader, to get a glimpse of the teachings, to get a taste of the feast, we present the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna in 8 parts, each part comprising 50 messages, with the hope that there is enough time to read the messages and also assimilate them thoroughly.

Read complete article: Sri Ramakrishna-An introduction

The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna

Here's the priceless collection: (1 to 49)

1. You see many stars at night in the sky, but find them not when the sun rises. Can you say that there are no stars, then, during the day? So, O man, because you are not able to behold the Almighty in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.

2. As one and the same material, viz. water, is called by different names by different people – one calling it 'water,' another 'vâri,' a third 'aqua,' and another 'pani' – so the one Sat-chit-ânanda, the Everlasting-Intelligent-Bliss, is invoked by some as God, by some as Allah, by some as Hari, and by others as Brahman.

3. Two persons were hotly disputing regarding the color of a chameleon. One said, 'The chameleon on that palm-tree is of a beautiful red color.' The other, contradicting him, said, 'You are mistaken, the chameleon is not red, but blue.' Not being able to settle the matter by argument, both went to the person who always lived under that tree and had watched the chameleon in all its phases of color. One of them said, 'Sir, is not the chameleon on that tree of a red color?' The person replied, 'Yes, sir.' The other disputant said, 'What do you say? How is it? It is not red, it is blue.' That person again humbly replied, 'Yes, sir.' The person knew that the chameleon is an animal that constantly changes its color; thus it was that he said 'yes' to both these conflicting statements. The Sat-chit-ânanda likewise has various forms. The devotee who has seen God in one aspect only, knows Him in that aspect alone. But he who has seen Him in His manifold aspects, is alone in a position to say, 'All these forms are of one God, for God is multiform.' He has forms and has no forms, and there are many of His forms that no one knows.

Read the complete article: Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna (1 to 49)

All power is within you

All power is within you. You can do anything and everything. Believe in that  - Swami Vivekananda.

You will be what you want to be. You will be what you believe yourself to be. So, believe that you are good. Believe that you are healthy. Have trust in yourself first. To advance, we must have trust in ourselves.

Inculcate good thoughts. Be kind. Look for an opportunity to help others. Before you go to sleep, ask yourself: “Did I help anybody today? Did I bring a smile on anybody’s face?” If the answer is “Yes,” be assured that your day had been spent usefully.

Donate. Be charitable. You need not be a millionaire to help others. If you look around, you will always find someone poorer than you, weaker than you. Even the smallest help to that person will do good to you.

When you help anyone, always be thankful to that person for providing you an opportunity to help. On the other hand, if you start feeling proud and expect the person whom you helped to be grateful to you, you are a loser. Guard yourselves against egoistic thoughts.

Little words of kindness
And little acts of love
Will make our Earth an Eden
Like the heaven above

Think positive, Act positive

Thoughts act like waves. You must have studied about the ‘resonance’ phenomenon in your high school physics course. Thoughts behave very similar to waves. If you have a positive thought, it will gather all the positive thoughts from your surroundings and you will become more positive. Positivity is strength. On the other hand, if you have a negative thought, it will gather all the negativity from the surroundings and you will become more negative. Negativity is weakness.

Positive thinking will make you work, will make you perform not only your daily activities but also push you to perform great deeds. Even if you are weak, even if you are not 100% healthy, if you firmly believe that you can perform a task, you will perform. On the other hand, even if you are 100% healthy, have lot of energy, but still think that you will not be able to complete a task, it will happen that way.

You are what you think you are. So, think positive. Your thoughts influence your actions. If your thoughts are positive, soon your actions will be positive.

Jadabharata

The story of Jadabharata is a story from Indian Mythology with deep insights into Indian Philosophy of the reality of the self. The story appears in the Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana.

Bharata was born in the Solar Dynasty, in the line of Manu Svayambhuva, the eldest of a hundred sons of a saintly king by the name of Rishabha Deva, who ruled over the earth. When Rishabha Deva became old he entrusted the rule of his kingdom to Bharata and retired to the forest to perform tapas.

Read complete article: Jadabharata

Discipline and Punctuality

If you think discipline and punctuality are practiced only in the armed forces, you will be surprised on reading the following account from the biography of Swami Vivekananda that mentions how he inculcated strict discipline and punctuality at the main branch of Ramakrishna Math at Belur near Calcutta, India.

He kept a stern watch on the practice of daily meditation on the part of the inmates of the monastery. The bell sounded at fixed hours for meals, study, discussion, and meditation. About three months before his death he made it a rule that at four o'clock in the morning a hand-bell should be rung from room to room to awaken the monks. Within half an hour all should be gathered in the chapel to meditate. But he was always before them. He got up at three and went to the chapel, where he sat facing the north, meditating motionless for more than two hours. No one was allowed to leave his seat before the Swami set the example. As he got up, he chanted softly, 'Siva! Siva!' Bowing to the image of Sri Ramakrishna, he would go downstairs and pace the courtyard, singing a song about the Divine Mother or Siva. Naturally his presence in the chapel created an intense spiritual atmosphere. Swami Brahmananda said: 'Ah! One at once becomes absorbed if one sits for meditation in company with Naren! I do not feel this when I sit alone.'

Once, after an absence of several days on account of illness, he entered the chapel and found only two monks there. He became annoyed; in order to discipline the absentees he forbade them to eat their meals at the monastery. They had to go out and beg their food. He did not spare anyone, even a beloved brother disciple for whom he cherished the highest respect and who happened to be absent from the chapel that morning.

Another day, he found a brother disciple, Swami Shivananda, in bed at the hour of meditation. He said to the latter 'Brother! I know you do not need meditation. You have already realized the highest goal through the grace of Sri Ramakrishna. But you should daily meditate with the youngsters in order to set an example to them.'

From that day on, Shivananda, whether ill or well, always communed with God during the early hours of the morning. In his old age, when it became physically impossible for him to go to the chapel, he used to sit on his bed for meditation.

The tradition he set up is followed even today in all branches of Ramakrishna Math. The evening prayer always starts at 7 pm sharp as also the other programs at the Math.

Suka

Śuka, also known as Suka Deva, was the son of the sage Vyasa (author of the Vedas and Puranas) and was the main narrator of the Bhagavata Purana. Most of the Bhagavata Purana consists of Śuka reciting the story to the dying king Parikshit. Śuka is depicted as a sannyasi, renouncing the world in pursuit of moksha (liberation), which most narratives state that he achieved.


According to the Mahabharata, after one hundred years of austerity by Vyasa, Śuka was churned out of a stick of fire, born with ascetic power and with the Vedas dwelling inside him, just like his father.

As a child, he used to spend all of his time meditating in the forest near his father’s ashram. By inquiring into the ways of the world, he was awakened to truth in his heart. By inquiring himself with his own intelligent mind, he obtained the eternal truths. In spite of gaining such knowledge about truth, his mind remained restless. He could not develop faith in his finding `that this is the truth'.

One day while he was meditating, a desire arose in his mind to go to Vaikuntha to see Lord Vishnu. However, when he reached there the gatekeepers informed Lord Vishnu who declined to met him. The gatekeepers came and told him, “We are very sorry, but you have no Guru and those without a Guru can never enter here.” Suka returned to his father and told him what had happened. He was a bit vain and proud, thinking that he was the son of a great rishi, that he had already done so many years of tapas, and so there was no need of a Guru. However, as Lord Vishnu Himself had said that a Guru was necessary, Suka sought his father’s advice as to who he should select as his Guru.

He asked his father, Krishnadvaipayana (Vyasa) – who was residing in solitude on a peak of Meru – thus: “O sage, how did this vain display of `samsara' arise? Where is it going? When will it subside?” Having been questioned thus, by his son, the great Vyasa who knows the Self, gave appropriate reply. However, Suka could not give respectful attention to his father's words thinking that he knew all that already. Bhagwan Vyasa understood the conceited opinion of his son and told him: “There is only one Guru for you and that is King Janaka of Videha. I do not know more than this. The great king Janaka knows everything about Self. Please learn from him all that is to be known.”

“Father, have you lost your mind? What is there in common between a king and a sannyasi? How can I take him as my Guru?” asked Suka.

“There is nobody else who could be your Guru,” replied the sage.

Twelve times the sage sent the boy to King Janaka and twelve times he returned even before reaching there due to his doubts and misgivings.

Once he even reached the palace, but on seeing the richness of the palace and the great assemblage of worldly people, he thought that the king must be one who is given up to sensual pleasure, and so he was not prepared to accept him as his Master. The more doubts and suspicions one has about a Realized Soul, the more one harms oneself.

Suspecting or slandering a Mahatma destroys one’s merits (punyam). When Suka was being sent back to the king for the thirteenth time, the sage Narada took pity on him. He disguised himself as an old brahmin and was carrying a basket of earth on his head. As he approached a small river that was flowing nearby, he would throw the earth into it and it would get washed away. Seeing this, Suka accosted him and said, “Look here, old man. First put some sticks across the stream and then some large lumps of earth on them and then only throw the earth on that. Otherwise it will be only fruitless labour if you are trying to build a dam across the river the way you are doing it.”

“I am only losing my day’s effort,” said Narada, “but there is a young man who is a bigger fool than I am, and he is Suka Deva, the son of Vedavyasa. For he has already lost 12 of the 14 merits that he possessed. He has only two left.” When Suka heard this, he fell down in a faint. When he regained consciousness, he was all alone, but he remembered the words of the old man and rushed to the king’s palace.

Still having some pride that he was the son of Vedavyasa, he thought that the king would come and meet him on the way. But no one came to meet him. When the king was informed of his arrival, he gave the orders, “Let him stand right where he is.” Suka just happened to be standing on the spot where the palace garbage was thrown over the wall, and as a result, it was not long before he was buried under the refuse.

Four days passed in this way when the king enquired, “What happened to Suka who had come to see me?” “He has been standing in the same spot, Maharaj,” replied the servant.” Let him be extricated from the heap of rubbish, bathed, dressed and brought here,” ordered the king.

When Suka was brought to his presence as told, Janaka said to Sukadeva, "Give me my dakshina before I teach you anything, because after you learn this teaching, you will reject everything, including me (the Guru)." The Guru Janaka was already a Videha (one who had renounced all attachment to the body. Suka, after getting the brahma jnana would also become a videha (losing sense of his body). When both the Guru and disciple lose their sense of their body, it will neither be possible for the disciple to give dakshina to the Guru nor for the Guru to receive it. Hence Janaka asked Suka to give Gurudakshina before revealing the brahma jnana. No teaching is beneficial to the student unless the Gurudakshina is given, and hence the emphasis by Janaka for Gurudakshina.

King Janaka’s test of Suka

King Janaka, knowing that Suka was proud of his renunciation, created an illusion. Just after Suka entered the room, a servant came running in with a report that the entire town was on fire. “It’s all God’s Will,” said Janaka cooly. After a short while another report came that all of the king’s courts were reduced to ashes. “God’s Will,” said the king. Then the news came that the king’s own palace was on fire. “All God’s Will,” repeated the king. Suka was thinking what a fool the king was not to do anything about the fire. Suka grabbed his bag and started to run away to save himself from the approaching fire, but the king caught hold of his arm.

“Look,” said the king, “all of my wealth and possessions have been burnt to ashes, but I haven’t bothered about them. Now that the fire has reached the palace, you have taken hold of this small bundle of your possessions with the intention of saving them. After all, what are your things worth? Now, who exactly is the greater renunciate – you or I?”

Next, the king ordered that a great festival be held in honour of Suka’s visit to the city. Festivities, dances, plays and various stalls were set up. All was to entertain Suka. When everything was ready, the king asked Suka to go through the city and enjoy everything, “But,” said the king, “please carry this full cup of milk with you wherever you go.” He then bade the soldiers who were to accompany Suka, “Take Suka through every part of the city. Let him see everything and miss nothing. But if he should spill a single drop of milk from this cup, my orders are that you should behead him on the spot.”

Suka went out with the soldiers and came back in the evening. “I am sure that you had a nice time? How did you enjoy everything?”

“O king, as it turned out, I saw nothing, for at every moment all of my thoughts were concentrated on this cup, lest I should spill a drop and lose my life,” said Suka.

“Suka, that is how I live in the midst of all this luxury and grandeur. I see nothing. For at every moment my thoughts are centered on the Lord lest I too should lose my life,” said the king.

“Imagine that the cup is death, the milk is your mind, and the festivities are the ephemeral pleasures and splendors of the world. I pass through this world with great caution, so that the milk of the mind is not spilled, or agitated, and all attention is concentrated every moment on God. For even a moment spent in not thinking of Him would be death to me.”

The king could now see that Suka’s mind was cleansed of pride and was ready, so he initiated him. When Śuka asked Janaka about the way to liberation, Janaka recommended the traditional progression of the four stages recommended for human life (Brahmacharya, Grihasta, Vanaprasta and Sanyasa), which included the householder stage (Grihasta). After expressing contempt for the householder life, Śuka questioned Janaka about the real need for following the householder path. Seeing Śuka's advanced state of realization, Janaka told him that there was no need for the householder stage in his case.

King Janaka asked Suka : ` You have done everything that is to be done in this world. You have obtained whatever you wanted. What do you want now?'

Suka: ` O Guru, How did this vain display of samsara arise? How will this subside? Please tell me everything?

Asked thus by Suka, Janaka gave the same reply as given earlier by Vyasa.

Suka: My father also gave me the same reply. I have known this myself earlier through my intelligent inquiries. O best of the knowers of the word, these are elaborated in the same way in the scriptures. All this is self-deception. It will vanish when this self-deception vanishes. This wasteful world is sapless (and uninteresting). This is evidently true. `But why is it so.? O mighty king, please tell me the firm truth. Let my wandering, unstable mind gain repose'.

Janaka: “O sage, there is nothing else other than what you yourself have understood and what your father told you.” “There is no other existence other than that undifferentiated consciousness – Self. He is bound by self-will. He is unbound without that will.” “With your disinterest in pleasures of this phenomenal world, you have very clearly known all that is to be known by great souls.” “Even at a very young age you have become a great conqueror of sickening pleasures. What else do you want to know or hear?' `Even your father, the great storehouse of all knowledge and an embodiment of `tapas', has not attained the fullness and perfection as you have.” “I am greater than Vyasa. You are his son and disciple. Having conquered the desire for pleasure, you have exceeded me even.” You have gained whatever is to be gained, you have become one with perfect mind. O knower of Brahman, you will never slip into this phenomenal world. You are liberated. Throw away the illusion.” Having been declared thus, by the great Janaka, Suka fell silent and rose to abide in the supreme state. Having dispelled of all doubts, desires and being free from fear and sorrow, Suka went to meru peak to sit in samadhi. There he remained in nirvikalpa samadhi for ten thousand years and attained nirvana like a lamp without oil. Sukadeva attained oneness with Brahman, having become completely pure devoid of all deformations, fancies and imaginations. He was totally free from all vasanas. His unity was like a waterdrop merging in the ocean waters.

Stories recount how Śuka surpassed his father in spiritual attainment. Once, when following his son, Vyasa encountered a group of celestial nymphs who were bathing. Śuka's purity was such that the nymphs did not consider him to be a distraction, even though he was naked, but covered themselves when faced with his father. Śuka is sometimes portrayed as wandering about naked, due to his complete lack of self-consciousness.

However, Devi-Bhagavata gives an entirely alternate version of the later life of Śuka. In this account, Śuka is convinced by Janaka to follow the ashrama tradition, and returns home to marry and follow the path of yoga. He had five children from his wife Pivari – four sons and a daughter. The story concludes in the same vein as the more common tradition, with Śuka achieving moksha.

Source: 1. Wikipedia; 2. Sri Yoga Vasishtam

Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part I: The Mystery of Life and God Consciousness

In this Part I, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s teachings on THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS are presented.

1. Mother: "The world is the Lord's. He created it for His own play. We are mere pawns in His game. Wherever He keeps us and in whatever way He does so, we have to abide by it contentedly. We suffer as a result of our own actions; it is unfair to blame anybody for it. We have to surrender ourselves completely to the Lord with faith and devotion in Him, serve others to the best of our capacity, and never be a source of sorrow to anybody."

2. Disciple: "If there is a God, why is there so much misery in this world? Does He not see? Or hasn't He the power to remove these evils?"

Mother: "The creation itself is full of grief. How can one understand joy if there is no sorrow? And how can everyone be happy at the same time? There is a story that once Sita said to Rama, 'Why do you not remove everybody's miseries? Make everyone in your kingdom—all your subjects—happy. You can do it if you like.' Rama answered, 'Can everyone be happy at the same time? Well, they can, if you so desire. Why not satisfy all their needs from the royal treasury? Just as you wish.'

"Then Rama called Lakshmana and said, 'Go and tell everyone in my kingdom that all their needs will be supplied from my treasury.' When the people heard this, they came and explained their needs. The treasury was laid open. Everyone lived in happiness. But such was the dispensation of Rama that soon the roof of the royal palace showed cracks and water seeped through. Masons were sent for to repair the crack. But there were none to be found. Where was any labourer to be found? The subjects also came and complained that because there were no masons or workmen, their houses and buildings were falling to pieces. Then, seeing no other way, Sita said to Rama, 'We cannot suffer in the wet like this! Let everything be as it was. Then we can get workmen again. Everybody cannot be happy at the same time.' 'So be it,' answered Rama. In the twinkling of an eye everything was as it used to be. One could get workmen again. 'Lord, it is true that this life is only a game of yours!' said Sita.

"No one can suffer for all time. No one will spend all his days on this earth in suffering. Every action brings its own result, and one gets one's opportunities accordingly."

Disciple: "Then is everything the fruit of Karma?"

Mother: "What else, if not Karma?"

3. "Each has to get the results of the actions for which he earned this life. A pin at least must prick where a wound from a sword was due."

4. "Such is life, here today, gone tomorrow! Nothing goes with one, except one's merit and demerit; good and evil deeds follow one even after death."

5. "One suffers as a result of one's own actions. So, instead of blaming others for such sufferings, one should pray to the Lord and depending entirely on His grace, try to bear them patiently and with forbearance under all circumstances.

6. "My son, forbearance is a great virtue; there's no other like it.”

7. "One must be patient like the earth. What iniquities are being perpetrated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. Man, too, should be like that."

8. "There is no treasure equal to contentment and no virtue equal to fortitude." 1

9. "You see, my son, it is not a fact that you will never face dangers. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge."

10. "Don't be afraid. Human birth is full of suffering and one has to endure everything patiently, taking the Name of God. None, not even God in human form, can escape the sufferings of the body and mind. Even Avataras, saints, and sages have to undergo the ordeal of suffering, for they take upon themselves the burden of sins of omission and commission of ordinary human beings and thereby sacrifice themselves for the good of humanity."

11. "People complain about their griefs and sorrows and how they pray to God but find no relief from pain. But grief itself is a gift from God. It is the symbol of His compassion. ... Tell me, who is there in the world who has not had to bear sorrow? Vrinda once said to Krishna, 'Who said you are merciful? As Rama you filled Sita's life with sorrow; as Krishna you fill Radha's life with sorrow. In Kamsa's prison your parents weep for you night and day. Yet we call upon you, because he who takes your Name has no fear of death.'

12. "The Mother of the universe is the Mother of all. From Her have come out both good and evil."

13. Disciple: "Where does this initiative for good and evil originate? You may say from our previous life; but where is the source of it all?"

Mother: "Even a blade of grass cannot stir without the will of God, my son. When a creature falls on good times, his thoughts turn to prayer; when he falls on bad times, all is evil. It is all according to God's will. It is God alone who expresses His will through the actions of man. What powers did Naren (Swami Vivekananda) have by himself? It was because God acted through him that he achieved what he did. The Lord knows what He is about to perform. But should a man surrender himself totally at His feet, He will do everything for him. One must bear with everything, because it is all due to cause and effect, according to one's Karma. And Karma counteracts the effects of one's previous Karma…. If you do a good act, it cancels the effects of your evil deeds. If one prays, takes the Name of God and thinks of Him, the effects of evil are cancelled."

14. Disciple: "If God is the father and mother of all, then why does He make us commit sin?"

Mother: "No doubt, God alone has become all these objects, animate and inanimate, but in the relative world all beings act and suffer according to their past Karma and innate tendencies. The sun is one, no doubt, but his manifestation differs according to objects and places."

15. Disciple: "If everything happens according to the will of God, then why does He not annul the law of Karma?"

Mother: "Yes, if He wills, He can shorten the period of evolution. But we do not know His will."

16. "Let me tell you one thing. There is great complexity in this creation. The Master does one thing through one man and another thing through another person. Oh, it is so inscrutable!" 2

17. "Does it matter in the least to God whether you believe or not? Even the sage Suka Deva was to Him like a big ant at the most. Infinite is He. How much can you understand of Him. 3

18. "Pray to God with tears in your eyes whenever you want illumination or find yourself faced with any doubt or difficulty. The Lord will remove all your impurities, assuage your mental anguish, and give you enlightenment."

19. "He who thinks always of the Lord, which way can evil come to him?"

20. "Open your grief-stricken heart to the Lord. Weep and sincerely pray, 'O Lord, draw me towards You; give me peace of mind.' By doing so constantly you will gradually attain peace of mind."

21. "Certainly you will have doubts. There will be questionings and faith will return again. That is how faith is established."

22. "Does one get faith by mere studying of books? Too much reading creates confusion. The Master used to say that one should learn from the scriptures that God alone is real and the world illusory."

23. "Why do people argue? Even the wisest of men have not found God through argument! Is God a subject for argument?"

24. "Give up this dry discussion, this hodge-podge of philosophy. Who has been able to know God by reasoning? Even sages like Suka and Vyasa are at best like big ants trying to carry away a few grains of sugar from a large heap."

25. Disciple: "How can one stop reasoning?"

Mother: "Reasoning does not disappear as long as one has not attained to perfect knowledge.”

26. Disciple: "All I want to know is whether there is anyone whom I may call my own."

Mother: "Yes, such a One exists…. He Himself has become our father and mother. He Himself brings us up as our parents. It is He alone who looks after us. Otherwise where were you and where are you now? Your parents brought you up, but at last you realized that you did not belong to them".

27. "God is one's very own. It is the eternal relationship. He is everyone's own. One realizes Him in proportion to the intensity of one's feeling for Him."

28. "God cannot be realized without love. Yes, sincere love."

29. Disciple: "How does one get love of God?"

Mother: "The grace of God is the thing that is needful. One should pray for the grace of God."

30. "If one can regard God as one's own and call on Him without seeing Him, that is God's grace."

31. "He who will pray to God eagerly will see Him."

32. "If one calls upon Him repeatedly, He becomes compassionate; and so a devoted attachment comes into being. This love for love's sake should be hidden from all eyes."

33. "He who has really prayed to the Master, even once, has nothing to fear. By praying to him constantly one gets ecstatic love (Prema Bhakti) through his grace. This Prema, my child, is the innermost thing of spiritual life. The Gopis of Vrindavan attained to it. They were not aware of anything in the world excepting Sri Krishna. A line in one of Nilakantha's songs says, 'One should cherish with great care this precious jewel of Prema.' "

34. "Call on the Lord who pervades the entire universe. He will shower His blessings upon you."

35. "What does a man become by realizing God? Does he grow two horns? No, what happens is that he develops discrimination between the real and unreal, obtains spiritual consciousness, and goes beyond life and death. God is realized in spirit. How else can one see God? Has God talked to anyone who is devoid of spiritual fervour? One envisions God in spirit, talks to Him and establishes a relationship with Him in spirit.”

36. "In the course of time one does not feel even the existence of God. After attaining enlightenment one sees that gods and deities are all Maya. Everything comes into existence in time and disappears in time. Deities and such things really disappear at the dawn of enlightenment. The aspirant then realizes that the Mother alone pervades the entire universe. All then become one. This is the simple truth."


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1 fortitude (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary): strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

2 Master: Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

3 Read the story of sage Suka in the Mythological stories section.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi - an Introduction

Dear friends

Recently, we had the good fortune of reading “Teachings of SRI SARADA DEVI, THE HOLY MOTHER” at saradadevi.info.

Sri Sarada Devi, the consort of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was born on December 22, 1853, at Jayrambati in West Bengal, India. She started meditating from her childhood and she is said to have had mystic visions and experiences. In May 1859, at the age of 5 years, she was betrothed to Sri Ramakrishna, a priest at that time in a temple at Dakshineshwar near Calcutta. After marriage she was left with her parents as it was the custom in those days. In 1872, when she was 18 years old, she went to Dakshineshwar to live with Sri Ramakrishna. By then Sri Ramakrishna had already embraced the life of a sanyasin and hence their marriage was never consummated. She lived at Dakshineshwar till 1885.

After Sri Ramakrishna's death in August 1886, Sarada Devi stayed most of the time either at Jayrambati or at the Udbodhan office, Calcutta. The disciples of Sri Ramakrishna regarded her as their own mother, and after their guru's passing looked to her for advice and encouragement. The followers of the Ramakrishna movement regard Sarada Devi as an incarnation of the Divine Mother.

Sri Sarada Devi’s words of reassurance, to her devotees from far and near, "I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Whenever you are in distress, only speak this to yourself, 'I have a mother'.”

Has anybody said anything more meaningful or more powerful? Has anybody ever given such an assurance?

As rightly mentioned by Swami Vireswarananda in his Foreword to the book titled “Teachings of SRI SARADA DEVI THE HOLY MOTHER” (published by SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, India), “There is, however, a need for knowing about the teachings of the Holy Mother, because there one finds a proper guidance for decent living here in this world and finally for realizing God. In Her teachings I sincerely feel there is more practical value because Her instructions are so clear, detailed, beyond all ambiguity and backed by Her own life. She stands as an exemplar, not as a mere instructor. As She once said when someone asked Her, ‘Mother, will you please tell something in the way of instruction?’ Mother replied, ‘Don't you see me doing? What else can I say?’ That is it. She did everything She said, and that gives more inspiration and guidance for our lives here.”

We have tried to segregate her teachings under various topics with the sole purpose of adding clarity. Each topic has to be read and re-read several times to grasp the depth of the precious messages, before proceeding to the next topic. We sincerely hope that our efforts will immensely benefit the readers. After reading any of these topics, if you feel you got something valuable, if you feel more positive towards life, or satisfied that your precious time was spent in reading something good / constructive, please let us know. That will energize us to work harder. Also, share this, talk about this, with as many like-minded people as possible.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Team Ganappa

That which exists is One; sages call It by various names

If we watch the growth and development of religions in different races, we shall always find this that each tribe at the beginning has a god of its own. In course of time, you will find that one of these tribes becomes superior to the rest, and lays claim to its own king as the king over all. Therefrom it naturally follows that it also wants to preserve its own god as the god of all the races.
In India also the same competing gods had been struggling with each other for supremacy, but the great good fortune of this country and of the world was that there came out in the midst of the din and confusion a voice which declared:एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति — "That which exists is One; sages call It by various names."

It is not that Shiva is superior to Vishnu, not that Vishnu is everything and Shiva is nothing, but it is the same God whom you can call either Shiva, or Vishnu, or by a hundred other names. The names are different, but it is the same one God. The whole history of India you may read in these few words. The whole history has been a repetition, with tremendous power, of that one central doctrine. It was repeated in the land till it had entered into the blood of the nation, till it began to tingle with every drop of blood that flowed in its veins, till it became one with the life, part and parcel of the material of which it was composed; and thus the land was transmuted into the most wonderful land of toleration, giving the right to welcome the various religions as well as all sects into the old mother-country.

This explains the most remarkable phenomenon that is only witnessed in India— all the various sects, apparently hopelessly contradictory, yet living in such harmony. You may be a dualist, and I may be a monist. You may believe that you are the eternal servant of God, and I may declare that I am one with God Himself; yet both of us are good Hindus. How is that possible? Read then एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति — "That which exists is One; sages call It by various names." This is the one grand truth that India has to teach to the world. Even the most educated people of other countries call Hinduism as idolatry. They never stop to think what a mass of superstition is there in their own heads. It is still so everywhere, this tremendous sectarianism, the low narrowness of the mind. The thing which a person has is the only thing worth having; the only life worth living is their own little life of dollar-worship or devil-worship; the only little possession worth having is their own property, and nothing else. That is the case over the whole world in spite of education and learning. We may hear of toleration in religion and all that, but very little of it is there yet in the world. Ninety-nine per cent do not even think of it. There is tremendous religious persecution yet in every country. It is in India that Hindus build temples for Mohammedans and Christians. It is here that Mohammedans or people of other religions will build a temple for Hindus. (The wooden table on which I have kept the idols of my Hindu Gods in my house was made by a muslim, named Shahid. He took special care to make this table when we told him the purpose for which the table was made.)

The one great lesson, therefore, that the world wants most, that the world has yet to learn from India, is the idea not only of toleration, but of sympathy. Well has it been said in the Mahimnah-stotra: "As the different rivers, taking their start from different mountains, running straight or crooked, at last come unto the ocean, so, O God (Shiva), the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead unto These." (highlighted is author’s change)

Though different people may take various roads, all are on the way. Some may run a little crooked, others may run straight, but at last they will all come unto the Lord, the One.

If I am a worshiper of Shiva, I must see Him not only in the Linga, but see Him everywhere, then and then alone is my Bhakti of Shiva complete.

You are a sage, you are a lover of Hari if you see Hari in everything and in everyone. If you are a real lover of Shiva, you must see Him in everything and in everyone.

You may call God by any name or imagine any form, but you must see that every worship is given unto the same God; that all knees bending towards the Mecca, or kneeling in a Christian church, or in a Buddhist temple are kneeling to the same God whether they know it or not, whether they are conscious of it or not; that in whatever name or form they are offered, all the flowers are laid at the feet of the same God; for God is the one Lord of all, the one Soul of all souls. God knows infinitely better what this world wants than you or I.

Do you have difficulty in understanding this? Consider this simple example: There is a lake containing water. Some call the water in the lake as ‘pani’, some call it ‘jal’ and others say ‘water’. Whatever way it is called, it is the same H2O. The same way, by whatever name we may refer to, God is One.

It is impossible that all difference can cease; it must exist; without variation life must cease. It is this clash, the differentiation of thought that makes for light, for motion, for everything. Differentiation, infinitely contradictory, must remain, but it is not necessary that we should hate each other therefore; it is not necessary therefore that we should fight each other. Therefore we have to learn this one central truth.

The lessons of mildness, gentleness, forbearance, toleration, sympathy, and brotherhood, everyone may learn, whether man, woman, or child, learned or unlearned, irrespective of race, caste, or creed.

"O God! They call You by various names; You are One."

PS: The above is the essence of the first public lecture delivered by Swami Vivekananda at Colombo on January 15, 1897.

Englishmen who died for Indians!

Surprised?

We have studied in our history books that many Indians died in India’s freedom struggle and also in the World Wars (43,000 Indian soldiers died in the First World War fighting for Britain). We have read how badly the Englishmen treated the Indians when they ruled India and also about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in which British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children that killed more than 350 and wounded more than 1500. All these remind us of the sufferings of people during the British rule in India before Independence.

This is our understanding of pre-Independence India that Indians were made to suffer lot of hardships by the Britishers. Therefore I was surprised when I read the biography of Swami Vivekananda, which mentions about some Englishmen who died for India. Here is the passage:

When Swami Vivekananda returned to India from Europe on December 9, 1900, he was told about the passing away of his beloved disciple Mr. Sevier at Mayavati in the Himalayas. He was greatly distressed, and on December 11 wrote to Miss MacLeod: 'Thus two great Englishmen (The other was Mr. Goodwin.) gave up their lives for us – us, the Hindus. This is martyrdom, if anything is.' Again he wrote to her on December 26: 'He was cremated on the bank of the river that flows by his ashrama, a la Hindu, covered with garlands, the brahmins carrying the body and the boys chanting the Vedas. The cause has already two martyrs. It makes me love dear England and its heroic breed. The Mother is watering the plant of future India with the best blood of England. Glory unto Her!'

On reading this passage, I got curious to know more about the two Englishmen, Mr. Sevier and Mr. Goodwin. My search provided me with the following details:

J.J. Goodwin (born 1870, died 1898) was inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda during the latter’s visit to Europe and America. He became Swami Vivekananda’s disciple and came to India. Goodwin was a fast and accurate stenographer and most of Swami Vivekananda's lectures were reported by him. He was simple as a child and wonderfully responsive to the slightest show of kindness. He died, due to enteric fever, at the young age of 28 years.
Swami Vivekananda – on the death of Mr. J. J. Goodwin May 1898 – wrote to Goodwin's mother:

“With infinite sorrow I learn the sad news of Mr. Goodwin's departure from this life, the more so as it was terribly sudden and therefore prevented all possibilities of my being at his side at the time of death. The debt of gratitude I owe him can never be repaid, and those who think they have been helped by any thought of mine ought to know that almost every word of it was published through the untiring and most unselfish exertions of Mr. Goodwin. In him I have lost a friend true as steel, a disciple of never-failing devotion, a worker who knew not what tiring was, and the world is less rich by one of those few who are born, as it were, to live only for others.”

"It is entirely due to his efforts that the Swami's utterances in those countries (England and India) have been preserved." – Sara Ellen Waldo

The other Englishman mentioned in the biography of Swami Vivekananda is Captain James Henry Sevier. The founding of Advaitha Ashrama at Mayavati in the heart of the Himalayas, near Almora, is credited to Mr. Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. They had met Swami Vivekananda on his second visit to England in 1895, and at once a close relationship formed between them and the Swami. Earlier, Mr. Sevier had served in India for 5 years in the British Indian Army. Almost on the first occasion when he saw Mrs Sevier, the Swami addressed her by the sweet name of "Mother” and to Mr. Sevier he at once manifested a most kind and intimate bond. With these two he felt very much at home, discussing with them all his plans and his troubles, as though he were their own child, for both Mr. and Mrs Sevier were considerably older than him. From the very beginning he chose them, among his other followers of London, as his confidents and future helpers.

When Swami Vivekananda confided in them, in Switzerland, his desire to found a monastery in the Himalayas, they readily consented, and they came to India to carry out his intention. They renounced their worldly life to settle in India, virtually as Sannyasins. The Sevier couple along with Swami Swaroopananda identified a place, purchased it and built an ashram that eventually came to be known as Advaitha Asrama, where the principles of advaitha philosophy are followed and idol (or image) worship is strictly prohibited.

After the sudden death of its first editor, 24-year old B. R. Rajam Iyer at Chennai, the publication of the English journal Prabuddha Bharata was halted for a few months in May 1898. Meanwhile in Almora, Swami Vivekananda asked Mr Sevier and his wife to revive the magazine, and the editorship was given to Swami Swarupananda.

It was the good fortune of Mr. Sevier to pass away while occupied with his heart and soul in his great work, and before his death he had the satisfaction of seeing a monastery started and in efficient working order. On his death, he was cremated according to Hindu traditions, as per his wish.

On reading about Mr Goodwin and Mr Sevier, we are reminded that there are good and bad people in every civilization, every country and every group of people.

Every day we hear about terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, and death of innocents. It is time to understand that these are the handiwork of a very small group of people, misled to the wrong path or who have chosen the wrong path due to misfortune or for monetary gains. It is not right to extrapolate such incidents and nurture bitterness towards any community as such. Discriminating people on the basis of religion, caste, language, wealth, or education is cowardice.

Let the following message of Swami Vivekananda guide our thinking in the right direction:

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within, by controlling nature, external or internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary.”

Stars and God.

Thou seest many stars at night in the sky, but findest them not when the sun rises. Canst thou say that there are no stars, then, in the heaven of day? So, O man, because thou beholdest not the Almighty in the days of thy ignorance, say not that there is no God. - Sri Ramakrishna

Read those lines again, word-by-word, aren’t they having deep meaning? Yes! We know they are deep thoughts; full of love. You must be feeling a bit surprised the way I am feeling right now, the word “Ignorance” is not expected from the kind mouth of a great soul like Sri Ramakrishna. We all will agree that this word is full of negativity, then why such a blessed soul used this word? Before talking about anything else I would like to think first about the reason why Sri Ramakrishna used such a negative word.

I believe it’s the anger which might have made appear that this word is best and most appropriate word to be used at that time when he said those enlightened thoughts. Leaving all things behind, can u accept that the kindest soul like Sri Ramakrishna can be angry? Yes he can be, because due to their ignorant behavior people are insulting the almighty by ignoring his inevitable existence. Can you now feel that magnitude of anger which might have touched Sri Ramakrishna at that time when he saw that the “God” whom he loves like anything is a matter of doubt of those ignorant people?

Read complete article: Stars and God