Swami Shivapadananda Daily Reading - Day 28
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA DAILY READINGS Taken from Mother Radha's notes.
Sadhana [spiritual practice] is forced evolution. We know God-realization is good for us and we want to get there as quickly as possible by sadhana. But if we do not look out this leads to attachment, unless we have satsang [group prayer services].
Look for the highest stage of life: Bhakti, devotion to God, or jnana, knowledge of the Self - that is to say the Self in the Absolute Form. Otherwise it leads to body consciousness, in the animal levels.
Rites definitely help us and lead to some degree of evolution, of upliftment of the soul. Action itself is a blessing to man. It has a result. If it is motiveless now, in the next birth we will be encouraged, we will be motiveless.
There are degrees of knowledge. Sattva mixed with less rajas and tamas leads to the 'northern path'. Tamas mixed with less rajas and sattva lead to the 'southern path.
Our gurus tell us: Never say anything to a person unless they want to know. Only a thirsty man wants water. Never tell a man unless he asks you.
If I know you want to watch TV and say, 'Ah, you want to watch TV,' and you say, 'No.' That seems to make me a liar. But how would I prove it?
My guru [Swami Nischalananda] was very, very full of compassion. When someone did not offer him guru dakshina [a traditional small offering], Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda] said, 'I think of him offering me flowers and gold. That exonerates him.' It made me cry when my guru told me that.
See Christ in your heart. See his face, his hands, his feet. See him playing with children. And let your ego melt away like this candle. He has given us the love and now he is running after the love he has given us.
Man cannot get rid of the ego completely. Become humble in front of the teacher. Surrender. Then the ego goes away and you find the answer.
Sadhana [spiritual practice] is forced evolution. We know God-realization is good for us and we want to get there as quickly as possible by sadhana. But if we do not look out this leads to attachment, unless we have satsang [group prayer services].
Look for the highest stage of life: Bhakti, devotion to God, or jnana, knowledge of the Self - that is to say the Self in the Absolute Form. Otherwise it leads to body consciousness, in the animal levels.
Rites definitely help us and lead to some degree of evolution, of upliftment of the soul. Action itself is a blessing to man. It has a result. If it is motiveless now, in the next birth we will be encouraged, we will be motiveless.
There are degrees of knowledge. Sattva mixed with less rajas and tamas leads to the 'northern path'. Tamas mixed with less rajas and sattva lead to the 'southern path.
Our gurus tell us: Never say anything to a person unless they want to know. Only a thirsty man wants water. Never tell a man unless he asks you.
If I know you want to watch TV and say, 'Ah, you want to watch TV,' and you say, 'No.' That seems to make me a liar. But how would I prove it?
My guru [Swami Nischalananda] was very, very full of compassion. When someone did not offer him guru dakshina [a traditional small offering], Gurudev [Swami Nischalananda] said, 'I think of him offering me flowers and gold. That exonerates him.' It made me cry when my guru told me that.
See Christ in your heart. See his face, his hands, his feet. See him playing with children. And let your ego melt away like this candle. He has given us the love and now he is running after the love he has given us.
Man cannot get rid of the ego completely. Become humble in front of the teacher. Surrender. Then the ego goes away and you find the answer.
Source...