Sunday, October 12, 2008

Teachings of Holy Mother

Do you know the significance of Japa and other spiritual practices?
By these, the power of the sense-organs is subdued.

TN290 Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Nikhilananda. Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother; Life and Conversations. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1977

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Excerpts from Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Volume 5/Notes from Lectures and Discourses/Evolution

Patanjali says that these struggles remain only through our ignorance, and are not necessary, and are not part of the evolution of man. It is just our impatience which creates them. We have not the patience to go and work our way out. For instance, there is a fire in a theatre, and only a few escape. The rest in trying to rush out crush one another down. That crush was not necessary for the salvation of the building nor of the two or three who escaped. If all had gone out slowly, not one would have been hurt. That is the case in life. The doors are open for us, and we can all get out without the competition and struggle; and yet we struggle. The struggle we create through our own ignorance, through impatience; we are in too great a hurry. The highest manifestation of strength is to keep ourselves calm and on our own feet.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Teachings of Holy Mother Sarada Devi

You make some progress in this life, a little more in the next, and so on.
It is the body alone that changes ; the Atman remains the same.

TN330 Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Nikhilananda. Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother; Life and Conversations. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1977.

Teachings of Swami Vivekananda

It is good to love God for hope of reward in this or the next world, but it is better to love God for love's sake.
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume I p.12

Teachings of Holy Mother Sarada Devi

Whenever people discuss good or evil, all those who are present have to take a little share of the good or evil.
In the Company of the Holy Mother.  By Her Direct Disciples.   Calcutta : Advaita Ashrama, 1980

Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

"Yes, sir. The disease has indeed become chronic"[Then what is the, way?]

Sri Ramakrishna: "Give God the power of attorney. Let Him do whatever He wants. Be like a kitten and cry to Him with a fervent heart. The mother cat puts the kitten wherever she wants to. The kitten doesn't know anything. It is left sometimes on the bed and sometimes near the hearth." P. 344 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna