Forgiveness is Tapasya

 

Initiation

Another day I told her, "Mother, you give initiation to so many people, but you never enquire about them. You don't even give a thought about what is happening to them. A Guru keeps a keen eye on his disciple, seeing whether he is developing spiritually. It would be better if you did not give initiation to so many people. You should initiate only as many as you can keep touch with." 

The Mother replied, "But the Master never forbade me to do so. He explained so many things to me. Could he not have told me something about this as well? I entrust the Master with their responsibility. I pray to him every day, 'Please look after them wherever they may be.' Besides, do you know that the Master himself taught me these Mantras? He gave me Mantras possessing great power." 

                                 - The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P309

 

Bear Everything

 

God Our Own

Mother: … Everything depends upon Karma (one's past actions). The moment one's Karma comes to an end, one realizes God. That is one's last birth.   

Disciple: I admit that the cessation of actions (Karma-kshaya); spiritual disciplines and time are the factors in the attainment of spiritual knowledge and consciousness. But if God be our very 'own', then can't He reveal Himself to His devotees by His mere will?   

Mother: That is right. But who has this faith that He is his 'own'? All practise these or those disciplines because they think it their duty to do so. But how many seek God? 

                         - The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P114

Nature of Mind

 

Nivedita

Look at Nivedita, a Western girl who came to our country and worked happily, forbearing insults and harassment; and also enduring so much discomfort. She tried to educate our children. When she visited some homes to register their children for her school, she was humiliated; some did not allow her to go inside their homes; and some allowed her to go inside but later purified the place by sprinkling Ganges water. She saw everything but did not mind. She left each place with a smiling face. 

There was not bounden necessity for her to educate the girls of our country by enduring such insults and ill-treatment and ruining her life little by little. You see, my daughter Nivedita had such a wonderful mind that she took on the responsibility of teaching our girls on her own shoulders because her Guru Naren wanted it and asked her to do it. She did not care for physical suffering and discomfort, or for the insults and incivility of our people. Those for whom she dedicated her life, they treated her contemptuously. Under such circumstances, could the women of our country sacrifice to such a great extent for the sake of their guru? They would say, “We don’t care!” 

So I say that except for the Master no one knows or understands how, when, what, or through whom he makes one work. 

                    - Holy Mother, 

                    ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P224

I Am Maya

 

Unconditional Devotion

One day after meditation Golap-ma remarked: “Mother, the Master said, ‘Only Ishwarkotis [godlike souls] can have unconditional devotion, not jivakotis [ordinary souls].”

Holy Mother replied: “Ishwarkotis have fulfilled all their desires. Because they are devoid of desire, they become recipients of unconditional devotion. Jivakotis have innumerable desires, so they cannot have unconditional devotion.”

“It seems that I shall never achieve unconditional devotion,” Golap-ma said.

“Why not, Golap? If you can give up desire, you will attain it.”

“Can a jiva [individual soul] give up all desires?”

 “Yes, one can give up desire. That is why one is supposed to practise japa, meditation, and other spiritual practices. The mantra purifies the body. A man becomes pure by repeating the mantra. When a man gets rid of desires by discriminating between the real and the unreal, then he does not remain a jiva anymore. He becomes eligible for liberation. Moreover, one can attain unconditional devotion by God’s will.” 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P179

Suddenly Perfect

 

Nirvasana

 

Renunciation

A devotee asked the Mother, "The Master said, 'Those who come here (meaning those who accept Sri Ramakrishna as the spiritual ideal) will not be born again.' Again, Swamiji said, 'None can have liberation without being initiated into Sannyasa.' Then what is the way for householders?" 

The Mother replied, "Yes, what the Master said is true, and what Swamiji said is also true. Householders need not have external renunciation. Internal renunciation will come to them of itself. But some people need external renunciation also. Why do you fear? Surrender yourself' to the Master and always remember that he is behind you." 

                         - The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P305

Behind All

 

Nivedita’s Letter

Beloved Mother,

This morning, early, I went to church – to pray for Sara. All the people there were thinking of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and suddenly I thought of you. Your dear face, and your loving look and your white Sari and your bracelets. It was all there. And it seemed to me that yours was the Presence that was to soothe and bless poor S. Sara’s sickroom. And – do you know? – I thought I had been very foolish to sit in your room, at the evening service to Sri Ramakrishna, trying to meditate. Why did I not understand that it was quite enough to be a little child at your dear feet? 

Dear Mother! You are full of love! And it is not a flushed and violent love, like ours, and like the world’s, but a gentle peace that brings good to everyone and wishes ill to none. It is a golden radiance, full of play. What a blessed Sunday that was, a few months ago, when I ran in to you, the last thing before I went on the Ganges – ran back to you for a moment – as soon as I came back! I felt such a wonderful freedom in the blessing you gave me, and in your welcome home! 

Dearest Mother! I wish we could send you a wonderful hymn, or a prayer. But somehow even that would seem too loud, too full of noise! Surely you are the most wonderful thing of God – Sri Ramakrishna’s own chalice of His Love for the world – a token left with His children, in these lonely days, and we should be very still and quiet before you – except indeed for a little fun! Surely the ‘wonderful things of God’ are all quiet – stealing unnoticed into our lives – the air and the sunlight and the sweetness of gardens and of the Ganges. These are the silent things that are like you! 

Do send to poor S. Sara the mantle of your peace. Isn’t your thought, now and then, of the high calm that neither loves nor hates? Isn’t that a sweet benediction that trembles in God, like the dewdrop on the lotus-leaf, and touches not the world?

Ever, my darling Mother, your foolish KHOOKI (baby),

Nivedita 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ 

                         by Swami Chetanananda, P216-217

Aim of Life

 

Divine Maya

 

Only Happiness

 

Duty

Swami Asitananda said, “One day in the Jagadamba Ashrama, the Mother was seated on a cot under a tamarind tree. At that time a woman belonging to the dome caste came to her weeping. She complained that her paramour had given her up untimely, whereas she had come after renouncing everything for the sake of that person. Hearing her sorrowful tale the Mother summoned that man and rebuked him affectionately, but in strong manner, ‘For your sake she has left everything; moreover, all this time you have been accepting her services. Now if you give her up, you will be committing a grave sin – you will find no place even in hell.’ Hearing the Mother’s words the person came to his senses and went home along with the woman.”   

                        - ‘The Compassionate Mother’ by Br Akshayachaitanya, P188-89

Depending on Him