To Attain Happiness and Peace

[Letter] Written [by Holy Mother] in May 1918 in Calcutta to Kamala Bala Sengupta in Sadarpur:

My dear daughter,

I am pleased to receive your letter. Always try to lose yourself in the name of the Master. Make an effort to see him in everything and every being in this world. Try to know that both good and bad are the results of your karma, which come from God. When you understand this, you will attain happiness and peace. I hope you are doing well.

Please accept my blessings,

Your Mother 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P508

Superhuman Patience

 

Love God Alone

 

Master’s Hairs

After spending a year in the holy places of the north, they [Holy Mother and other devotess] proceeded to Calcutta by way of Allahabad, where at the sacred confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna, the Mother offered the remaining portion of the Master’s nails and hair. 

Of this the Mother said, ‘Is the Master’s hair an ordinary thing? When I went to Prayag (Allahabad) after his demise, I carried with me his hair for immersion in the holy water. As I took up the hair in hand with a view to offering it in the placid water of the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna, a wave leaped up unawares and took away the hair from my hand and hid itself again in the placid water around. That holy place snatched away that thing from my hand for it own sanctification.’  

                       - ‘Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’ by Swami Gambhirananda, P145

Master's Name and Food

 

Master as All

 

Equal Love for All

 

Free Atmosphere

 

Initiation on Platform

 

Joy to Another

 

Two Teardrops

Is there any easy way to keep the mind focused on God in the midst of worldly responsibilities? This is a universal question. A woman devotee asked: "Mother, we are doing our household duties day and night, and we become tired, fulfilling the orders and desires of everybody around us. We don't even get five minutes a day to call on the Master. What will happen to us? Will he not bestow any mercy on us?"

Holy Mother responded: "Surely the Master will bestow his grace on you, my child. He is all-knowing. He dwells in the hearts of all. He will definitely know if there is any sincere longing in you. Moreover, do you yourself do the household work, my child? It is the Master who makes you do everything. This world belongs to him. Nothing happens without his wish. Even the leaves of the tree do not move without his will. No action can be performed without the wish of Krishna. Know for certain that it is the will of God that such longing has dawned in your heart. Those who love God, He protects them. Whether you love Him or not, He loves you. In this world, there are monks and householders. God thinks more about householders. The Master used to say, 'A monk is supposed to call on God, but there is a heavy load of 20 maunds on the back of the householder.' So he thinks of the householder more. Have a little recollectedness of the Master. Call on him with a longing heart. Think of and reflect on him. At the end of the day call on him shedding two tears. My child, what do you have other than those two teardrops? Everything in this world belongs to him, but those two teardrops are yours. Please offer them to the Master. He will be tied by your love. My child, don't be afraid. This time the Master came to make an easy path to realizing God. 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ 

                              by Swami Chetanananda, P693-94

Mother of Universe

Lavanya Chakrabarty recorded in his reminiscences:

In 1912 at Lakhmi Niwas in Varanasi I met a woman with a veil near the main door. Looking at her face, I asked: “Are you the Mother?”

“Yes, my son, I am your mother.”

“My mother!”

“Yes, I am Mother of you all.”

“Our Mother!”

“Yes, my son, I am the Mother of the Universe.”

A devotee asked, “Mother, people call you Bhagawati.”

Holy Mother replied, “It does not matter what others say. I tell you myself that I am Bhagawati.” 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P594

Joyous like Child

 

The Source

 

Treating Children

A woman asked: "Mother, all children do not have the same desire to learn. Some children lack liveliness and eagerness. How can we enhance the natural curiosity in their minds so that they can develop normally?"

The Mother answered with a smile: "What do you mean? You have become a mother and now you expect me to know what is going on in your children's minds? Listen. One should communicate with them in a simple and intimate way. Chat with them. You should allow them to play with children of their own age. Never scold them too much and never physically abuse them. If you reprimand them severely or beat them, they may be frozen with fear and will run away from you. They will understand easily if you lovingly help them understand. Never refuse to answer their questions by rebuffing them or threatening them. If you scold and intimidate them, they will be afraid to ask questions, which will impede the natural development of their minds."

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P693

Secret of Spiritual Life

 

Blazing Light

 

Teaching as per Heart

Holy Mother could see the sincerity in the hearts of devotees, so she taught each one differently.

One day, finding the Mother alone, Sarajubala asked her: "Is it permissible to perform worship to the Master during a woman's monthly cycle?"

Holy Mother told her what the Master had suggested: 'If your mind is distraught if you do not perform the worship, then do it; there will be no transgression in it. But if you have any compunction, then don't do it. If you are at all hesitant, don't perform worship.”

However, some days later she answered the same question differently from another woman:

“How is it possible to serve the deities under such a condition? Don't perform any ritual at that time."

- ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P483

New Place

 

Effect of Japa

 

One God

Sabina Bibi, an elderly Muslim woman, purchased mangoes and jack-fruits in Kotalpur and sold them in Jayrambati. Holy Mother often bought fruit from her. Holy Mother called her “aunt”. During Muslim festivals, the Mother would send offerings to the darga (a tomb of a Muslim saint) in Shiromanipur. One day Mapheti [a Muslim cart-driver whom Mother hired frequently] asked: “Mother, you are a Hindu. Why do you send sweets and other offerings during Muslim festivals?”

She repled: “My son, is God different? All are one. You see, the Master practised Islam sadhana and prayed like the Muslims. Names of God are many but He is one.”

Mapheti once had a divine vision of the Mother. From then on he believed the Holy Mother was a pir, or saint. 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P431

Refuge of Fallen

Once a fallen woman came to Udbodhan House and fell at the Mother’s feet. Holy Mother embraced her and said: “Come to me, my daughter. Now you have realized what sin is. You are repentant. I shall initiate you with a mantra. Offer yourself at the feet of the Master. Don’t be afraid.” 

Some aristocratic women from Baghbazar, including Krishnabhavani, Balaram’s wife, heard that the Mother had given shelter to a woman of questionable character, so they decided to stay away. Krishnabhavani told this to Golap-ma, and she reported it to Holy Mother. She remarked: “Those who have taken refuge in me will come here. What can I do if someone’s coming to me stops other’s coming?” Later Krishnabhavani came to the Mother and apologized for her wrong judgement. 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P444

 

Right Path

The sister from Navasan now said, "Mother, for you all children are equal. But to those who want to know the desirability of marriage, you give permission to marry. To those who want to renounce the world, you give instruction praising renunciation. Should you not take them all on the one path that is good for all?" 

To that the Holy Mother said in reply, "Will they abstain because of my prohibition if their desire for enjoyment is strong? And to those who have understood by virtue of great merit that all this is Maya's play, and believe that God alone is the reality, should I not offer a little help and encouragement? Is there any end to the miseries of the world?" 

- The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P393

Lila

 

Soothing Benediction

Those who had the rare blessing of living with the Holy Mother learned that religion was a sweet, natural, joyous thing; that purity and holiness were tangible realities; that the odour of sanctity was literally a sweet perfume overlaying and destroying the foulness of material selfishness. Compassion, devotion, God-union were her very nature; one scarcely knew that she possessed them. It was through the soothing benediction of a word or touch that one sensed their presence.

Such lives are like the lake or river. The sun may draw up its waters, but they fill again to refresh the earth. So these saintly ones in body may be lifted from our sight, but their holy influence falls back upon us to revive our fainting hearts and give us new spiritual life, new strength of purpose. 

                    - Sister Devmata (Laura Glenn) on Holy Mother, 

                         ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P226

Japa for Disciples

Holy Mother demonstrated how to lead a spiritual life by continually practising japa. Even when she was sick in bed, she repeated her mantra mentally. She slept very little. One night Brahmachari Barada asked, “Mother, don’t you get any sleep?” 

She replied: “What can I do, my child? All these children come to me with great longing for initiation, but most of them do not repeat the mantra regularly. Why regularly? Many do not repeat it at all. But since I have taken responsibility for them, should I not see to their welfare? Therefore I do japa for their sake. I constantly pray to the Master saying, ‘O Master, awaken their spiritual consciousness. Give them liberation. There is a great deal of suffering in this world. May they not be born here again!” 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P468