Spirituality and Ethics for Everyday Life

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The above book has been published online as Kindle e-book at Amazon.com. Paperback version is also available.

This book is a collection of morals, good thoughts, and great ideals. These are the seeds to be planted in our minds. Sowing one or as many seeds as time permits, every day, will strengthen one’s belief in being good and doing good.

Here are some excerpts from the book....

The book emphasizes the importance of spirituality, secular thinking, and virtues such as purity, truth, honesty, and kindness.

The struggles of life put to test our strength of character, our spirit of philanthropy, and whether we have the courage of a lion. People of truly great character will never succumb to the tests of life.

The purpose of this book is to highlight the path as well as the methods to be followed to strengthen character.

...

If you want to judge the character of a man, look not at his great performances. Every fool may become a hero at one time or another. Watch a man do his most common actions; those are indeed the things which will tell you the real character of a great man. Great occasions rouse even the lowest of human beings to some greatness, but he alone is the really great man whose character is great always, the same wherever he be.  – Swami Vivekananda

Messages of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda have been used throughout the book to highlight the ideas.

Pain and Misery

On 6th February this year, we received a comment on the blog titled, Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part 1: The Mystery of Life and God Consciousness (posted on 10 June 2010). That blog contains Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi's answer to the question "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 says: "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?"

I was reminded of the words of Swami Vivekananda:

It is misery that teaches more than happiness;
It is poverty that teaches more than wealth;
It is blows that bring out the inner fire, more than praise.

My personal experiences so far have been such that every time I experienced intense misery I turned to God and got immediate solace. Miracles happened. And they strengthened my faith in the Almighty.

God hears our call. And it is 100% true that He comes running towards us as Sri Ramakrishna explains through the child-mother parable: 

So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties.  But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother,  then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.

Pain and misery are temporary as also happiness and peace. May the God give us the wisdom not lose heart in the case of the former nor get carried away by the latter. 

Message from the Gospel – 2. Call by Any Name, But Call

Some people recite long verses and worship God, while some others sing devotional folk songs in not so sweet voices and dance. Those not capable of either of these may simply shout the holy name of God, who no doubt is equally pleased with all of them. It is the depth of the devotion that matters more than the procedure of worship. In my case, I, sometimes, recite verses and at other times sing devotional songs. When neither is possible, I scream the name of God inside my heart without letting the sound out. Nobody around me might know what I am doing.

The most important point is that we must call God in whatever way it is possible for us. That all-pervading and in-dwelling spirit knows very well who is being called, understands our suffering and earnestness, and will surely respond without fail.

Sri Ramakrishna explains this with a beautiful analogy: "It is enough to have yearning for God.  It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him: Don't you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul.  Suppose a man has several sons.  The older boys address him distinctly as 'Baba' or 'Papa', but the babies can at best call him 'Ba' or 'Pa'.  Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well.  All children are the same to the father.  Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names.  They call on one Person only.  God is one, but His names are many."¹

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi had also emphasized the same point. Once, a devotee asked her, “Mother, how should we worship you?” To this she replied, “Just call me as ‘mother’. Always remember, you have a mother.”

When trials of life tear us apart, when we feel we have no refuge, when we lose all hope, let us not forget the one unfailing divine existence, and just scream inside our heart, “Maa, I can’t bear this” or “Paa, I can’t take this suffering anymore” as loudly as possible. The call will be surely answered.

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¹This has been already quoted in Part 35 of ‘From the Gospel.’ 

Pride is a Cancerous Disease

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi had great reverence towards monks.

Once a monk asked the Mother, “Are not all equal who have taken refuge in the Master [Sri Ramakrishna], irrespective of their being monks or householders, inasmuch as they will all be freed [from rebirth]?”

The Mother replied, “Good gracious! Can the monk and householder be equal? The householders are a prey of passions and desires, while the monks have come away leaving everything behind. How can they be compared?”

Although she revered the monks, she cautioned them against pride. Once Swami Arupananda said to her, “Mother, sanyasa brings with it a great conceit,” she replied, “Yes, a great conceit – ‘I have not been saluted, I am not honoured, I have not been treated with the respect due to me!’ Compared with all that, I am much better as I am (pointing to her white saree, and implying her internal renunciation).”

While discussing the above comments of the Holy Mother in a discourse,¹ Swami Purushottamananda² quoted a Kannada 4-liner by DVG,³ a rough translation of it may be given as follows:

Miserable is the craving for food

More so is the man-woman attraction

Craving for recognition is worse than the previous two

As it eats away the very soul, my ignorant friend

Swami Purushottamananda further narrated an episode from his life to drive home the importance of humility. One day, he was walking in the Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore with a senior monk from Belur Math, Calcutta. A devotee saw them and came towards them to pay his respects. As Swami Purushottamananda was more familiar to the devotee than the other monk, he tried to prostrate to Swami Purushottamananda first. Stopping him and pointing to the senior monk, Swami Purushottamananda told the devotee, “Pay your respects to him, first. He is much elder.” Hearing this, the senior monk replied it seems, “Where is the question of elder and younger among monks? A Tulsi plant whether big or small is equally sacred.”

What a great level of humility! How many people can think like that? What a beautiful example he chose! And how true is that example! Tulsi plant whether big or small is indeed sacred. So are the world-renouncing monks.

Let us remember Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s words regarding pride and a craving for recognition. Let us keep a close watch on our own behaviour and do not let this cancerous disease called ‘pride’ eat away our soul.   

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¹ I heard this recently from a CD, whereas the original talk was given probably around 1985.

² Swami Purushottamananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He was with the Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore for more than 30 years and later was the President of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Belgaum. See Wikipedia to know more about him. I would like to write more about him, if God permits, as soon as possible.
³  DVG stands for Padma Bhushan DV Gundappa, a great writer of Karnataka, India. See Wikipedia to know more about him.

Lessons to learn from the lives of Sri Ramakrishna’s disciples – Part 3

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna quotes Sri Ramakrishna’s words regarding sin: “He who says day and night, ‘I am a sinner, I am a sinner’ verily becomes a sinner.” “One should have such burning faith in God that one can say, ‘What? I have repeated the name of God, and can sin still cling to me?” “If a man repeats the name of God, his body, mind, and everything becomes pure.”

Swami Brahmananda upheld his master’s views regarding sin and sinners. Once he said to a monk, “If you can’t make a bad man good, why did you become a monk?” He was a friend and savior of the dejected, fallen, and lowly. Tara, an actress, described in her memoirs how Brahmananda’s love and blessings changed her life. Once she was depressed and restless, and life seemed unbearable to her. In such an unhappy state of mind, she went to Belur Math with Binodini, another actress of Bengal. It was past noon when they reached the Math. Swami Brahmananda had finished his lunch and was about to go to his room to rest. At that moment, the two ladies went and prostrated before him. Maharaj (Swami Brahmananda was referred that way) said, “Hello, Binode! Hello, Tara! So you have come! You are too late. We have finished our lunch. You should have let us know that you were coming.”

They could see how worried he was about them. He immediately ordered fruit prasad, and arrangements were made to fry luchis for them. They first went to the shrine and then had prasad, and afterwards were shown around the Math by a swami. Maharaj did not have his rest that day.

Tara wrote that although she had reverence for holy men, faith and respect, the thought that she was impure – a fallen woman, put fear in her heart. Hence when she touched Swami Brahmananda’s feet, she did it with much hesitation. Maharaj asked her, “Why don’t you come here often?” She replied, “I was afraid to come to the Math.” Maharaj said with great earnestness, “Fear? You are coming to Sri Ramakrishna. What fear can there be? All of us are his children. Don’t be afraid. Whenever you wish, come here. Daughter, the Lord does not care about the externals. He sees our inmost heart. There should be no fear in approaching Him.” She could not hold back her tears. Her lifelong sorrow melted as the tears fell from her eyes, and she realized: “Here is my refuge. Here is someone to whom I am not a sinner, I am not an outcast.”

Once Swami Brahmananda told a young man who had committed an immoral act [probably adultery] and was ashamed to show his face, “Look, if a mosquito sits on the horn of a buffalo does it feel it or register any pain? Know us to be like that.”

Another time he said, “Remove all fear and weakness from your mind. Never debase yourself by thinking about sin. Sin, however great it may seem in the eyes of man, is nothing in the eyes of God. One glance of His can uproot the sins of millions of births in a moment. In order to divert human beings from the path of sin, scriptures mention heavy punishments for the sinner. Of course every action bears a result, and evil actions disturb one’s peace of mind.”

Let us always remember these precious words of Sri Ramakrishna, “God is our Father and Mother. Tell Him, ‘O Lord, I have committed sins, but I won’t repeat them.’ Chant His name, and purify your body and mind. Purify your tongue by singing God’s holy name.”

And pray earnestly as Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi had said, “If a child dirties up the floor or the clothes of its mother, will the mother discard the child as bad? She will only clean the child and lifts it up. The same holds true of God as well. God will forgive you for all your mistakes if only you pray earnestly.”

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."

Read the complete article "Further Teachings" ...

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."

Read the complete article Advice to Householders

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?"

Read the complete article Renunciation

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

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

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

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