Tinkling Sound of Coins

The mailman came with a money order. The Mother affixed her left thumb impression on the receipt and someone attested it: ‘Left thumb impression of Sri Sarada Devi.' Then the mailman counted the money and handed it over to the Mother, who put it in a box in her room. She then gave some refreshments to the mailman, talked to him a little, and bade him good-bye. No one knew who had sent the money or how much. Later, at her leisure, she gave the money order coupon to her attendant and asked him to write a letter of acknowledgement with her blessings to the sender. If the attendant received the money order, she asked him not to count the money, saying: "My child, the tinkling sound of the coins generates greed in the minds of human beings. And the money has such power that even a wooden doll opens its mouth to take it.' 

                    - ‘Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play’ by Swami Chetanananda, P525

 

Malaya Breeze

Another day Swami Keshavananda said to her, "Either rectify the wrong attitudes of the people of our locality or relieve me of my urge for philanthropic work. None is there to build; they know only how to destroy." At this the Mother replied, "The Master used to say, 'The Malaya breeze transforms all trees with substance into sandal wood.' Since the breeze of divine grace has come, now all trees (meaning aspirants), excepting bamboo and banana, will turn into sandal wood." 

Disciple: Mother, there are very poor people who cannot afford to travel to Varanasi or any such holy place. How can they gain the merit which others visiting those places obtain?   

Mother: Why, they can gain the same merit by visiting Dakshineswar or Belur Math, provided they have such genuine faith! He for whom one visits Varanasi is present at Dakshineswar and Belur Math. 

                                   - The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P307

Last Birth

 

Presumptuous

 

Embodiment of Service

Her [Holy Mother's] motherly love obliterated every vestige of the vanity of position from her and endowed her with a readiness to do even menial services to others and to silently forgo her own comforts and conveniences so as to save troubles for others. It has already been already seen how forgetful of self she was in the service of her disciples and relatives. 

Once Akshay Kumar Sen, a disciple of hers and the author of the metrical biography of Sri Ramakrishna entitled Ramakrishna Punthi, sent some vegetables to Jayrambati with a coolie woman. As it was evening when she arrived, she was allowed to spend the night at the Mother’s house. Being a malaria patient, she got at night high fever with vomiting. Before others had got up, the Holy Mother went into her room early in the morning and saw the place strewn with the vomit. At once she herself removed the dirt and washed the room with water. There were others in the house to do this work, but she knew that they would scold the woman severely and she wanted to save her from it.   

        - ‘Sri Sarada Devi The Holy Mother’ by Swami Tapasyananada, P204-05

Mind as Guru

In 1910 at Jayrambati the Mother told a monk regarding spiritual practices, 

"Every morning and evening perform Japa and meditation with a cool brain. It is not an easy task. Compared to meditation, it is easier to till a plot of land." 

Pointing to a picture of Sri Ramakrishna, she further said, "Nothing can be attained without his grace." When the monk submitted that the work of the monastery kept one too busy to find time for regularly performing Japa and meditation, the Mother said, "Whose work are you doing? It is His work only." She continued, saying, "In time to come, your mind itself will turn into your Guru and advise you." 

                      - The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P305

Jagannatha