The mind keeps well when engaged in work. And yet Japa, meditation, prayer also are specially needed. You must at least sit down once in the morning and again in the evening. That acts as a rudder to a boat. When one sits in meditation in the evening, one gets a chance to think of what one has done-good or bad -during the whole day. Next one should compare the states of one’s mind in the preceding day and the present. ... Unless you meditate in the mornings and evenings along with work, how can you know what you are actually doing?
As wind removes the cloud, so the Name of God destroys the cloud of worldliness.
Once a devotee forgot how to count the repetitions of the Mantra on his fingers. Mother said, ‘What does it matter? The purpose of all this is to direct the mind towards God.’
One must live carefully. Every action produces its results. It is not good to use harsh words towards others or to be responsible for their suffering.
Should anyone ever utter a thing that hurts another’s feelings? An unpleasant truth, though true, must not be uttered. For that grows into a habit. By indulging in rude words one’s nature becomes rude.
One’s sensitivity is lost if one has no control over one’s speech. And once a man casts all consideration for other to the winds, he stops at nothing.
When a man sees defects in others, his own mind first gets polluted. What does he gain by finding faults in others? He only hurts himself by that.
One must be patient like the earth. What iniquities are being perpetrated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. Man, too, should be like that.
There is no treasure equal to contentment and no virtue equal to fortitude.
Early morning and evening, i.e., when night passes into day and day into night; these are the best hours for meditation. One should meditate regularly at fixed hours, for who knows when the auspicious moment will come when one will have a vision of the Divine. Such a moment comes suddenly without any premonition. So one should keep to the routine even if one’s mind is very disturbed.
Whenever you go from one place to another, observe the things around you, and also keep yourself well informed about what happens in the place where you live. But keep your lips shut.
Difficulties come. But they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge.
Austerities or worship, practice all these things right now. Will these things be possible later on? Whatever you want to achieve, achieve it now, this is the right time.
He who has a pure mind sees everything pure. Everything depends on the mind. Nothing can be achieved without purity of mind. It is said, “The aspirant may have received the grace of the Guru, the Lord and Vaishnavas; but he comes to grief without the grace of ‘one.’ That ‘one’ is the mind.
Always to discriminate. Try to realize that the outside object which is attracting your mind is impermanent, and turn your attention to God.
Don't relax your spiritual practice simply because you do not get His vision. Does an angler catch a big carp every day the moment he sits with the rod? He has to wait and wait, and many times he is disappointed.
The mantra purified the body. Man becomes pure by repeating the name of God. So repeat His name always. If you do good action, that will counteract your past evil actions. Past sins can be counteracted by meditation, japa, and spiritual thought. God is one's very own. The more intensely a person practices spiritual disciplines, the more quickly he attains to god.
He who has a pure mind sees everything as pure.
One should desire desirelessness. Desire is the obstacle to liberation.
The thought that is uppermost in the mind before one loses consciousness determines the course of one’s soul after death.
One attains to God by holding to the truth.
The path leading to Brahman is very difficult. It is quite natural for a man to forget God. Therefore whenever the need arises, God becomes incarnated on Earth and shows the path by practicing spiritual discipline himself.
God wants sincerity, truthfulness and love. Outward verbal effusions do not touch Him.
You must work, of course. Work keeps the mind in order. But Japa, meditation and prayer are quite essential. At least once at dawn and again at dusk one must sit down for spiritual practices. It is like the rudder of a ship. When you sit at dusk, you get to think of all that you have done and not done during the day. Then you have to compare the states of your mind yesterday and today. . . Along with this work, if you don’t meditate morning and evening, how can you understand whether you are working in the right lines?
Far better is it to work than to let the mind loose to indulge in riotous thinking. If the mind is allowed a little laxity, it will create such turmoil.
Reasoning, questioning, Japam and meditation—all are for purification of the mind. To withdraw the mind from unreal, to concentrate the mind, to purify the mind—all are for sincere hankering after God. But by love alone will you get His grace.
In this Kali Yuga, mental sin is no sin. Free your mind from all worries on that score. You need not be afraid. Practice japa. Through that you will achieve everything.
The aim of life is to realize God and to be absorbed uninterruptedly in his consciousness is the aim.
Reasoning does not disappear as long as one has not attained to perfect knowledge.
Desires are bound to come. We should not keep our desires unfulfilled. By satisfying them, they will fall off slowly in course of time.
Everything depends on the mind. Nothing can be achieved without purity of mind. It is said, “the aspirant may have received the grace of the Guru,…but he comes to grief without the grace of ‘one’. That ‘one’ is the mind. The mind of the aspirant should be gracious to him.
By the realization of God the mind becomes pure, and through a pure mind one attains knowledge and awakening.
The mind is everything. It is in the mind alone that one feels pure and impure.
As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst of material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord’s name.
The mantra purifies the body. Man becomes pure by repeating the name of God. So repeat His name always.
You should work, no doubt. Work saves the mind from going astray. But prayer and meditation also are necessary. You must sit for meditation at least once in the morning and once in the evening. That will be like the helm of a boat. When one sits in meditation in the evening, there is self-examination in respect of the work done in the course of the day.
Ordinary human love results in misery. Love for God brings blessedness.
Many take the name of God after receiving blows in life. But he who can offer his mind like a flower at the feet of the Lord right up from childhood is indeed blessed.
If you want peace, make the whole world your own.
In the fullness of spiritual realization, a person finds that the God who resides in his heart resides in the hearts of all.
Forgiveness is a great religious austerity. There is no higher virtue that forbearance.
The goal of life is God-realization and the way is self surrender.
One should not hurt others even by words. One must not speak even an unpleasant thought unnecessarily. By indulging in rude words, one's nature becomes coarse. One's sensibility is lost if one has not control over one's speech.
Even the injunctions of destiny are canceled if one takes refuge in God. Destiny strikes off with her own hands what she had written about such a person.
One's love of God depends entirely upon one's inner feelings. Love of God is the essential thing.
Our essential point is love. It is through love, alone, that the spiritual family of Sri Ramakrishna has grown and developed.
The goal of life is to realize God and to be always immersed in His thought.
The mind is rendered pure as a result of many austerities. God, who is purity itself, cannot be attained without austerities.
Repeating the name of God once, when the mind is controlled is equivalent to a million repetitions when the mind strays from God. You may repeat the name of God for the whole day, but if the mind be elsewhere, that does not produce much result. The repetition of the name must accompany concentration.
As the wind removes the cloud, so the name of the Lord destroys the cloud of worldliness that overcasts the mind.
I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults.
Many think of God only after receiving blows from the world. But blessed indeed is he who can offer his mind, like a fresh flower, at the feet of the Lord from his very childhood. One should practice renunciation in youth. In old age the body deteriorates and loses strength. The mind does not possess vigour. Is it possible to do anything then? … Today the human body is, tomorrow it is not; even the shortest span of life is beset with pain and misery.
Everything is illusory—husband, wife, even this body. These are the great shackles of maya. Unless you can free yourself from these shackles you will never be able to cross to the other shore of the world. Attachment to the body, this identification of the self with the body, must go. What is this body, after all, my child? It is nothing but three pounds of ashes when it is cremated. However strong or beautiful this body may be, it ends up in those three pounds of ashes. Yet people are attached to it. What maya!
Never fear. He is ever looking after you. Do His work and practice Sadhana. A little work daily drives away idle thoughts from the mind.
One should always discriminate and strive hard for the realization of God.
As you smell the fragrance of a flower by handing it or the smell of sandalwood by rubbing it against a stone, so you obtain spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God.
Man finds faults in others after bringing down his own mind to that level. Does anything ever happen to another if you enumerate his faults? It only injures you. This has been my attitude. Hence I cannot see anybody's faults. If a man does a trifle for me, I try to remember him even for that.
Spiritual practices are meant to keep the mind steady at the feet of God, to keep it immersed in His thought.
Even water, which has a natural tendency to flow downwards, is drawn up to the sky by the sun's rays. In the same way, God's grace lifts up the mind which has got a tendency to run after sense objects.
All teachers are one. The same power of God works through them all.
Through spiritual disciplines the ties of past karma are cut asunder. But the realization of God cannot be achieved without ecstatic love for him.
Work helps one to keep off idle thoughts. If one is without work, such thoughts rush into one's mind.
Such is the fascination of money that if you are too much involved in it, you will not be able to resist its attraction. You may think that any moment you may leave your money behind. No, my child, never harbour any such foolish thought. Through a tiny loophole the attachment to money will enter into your mind and then strangle you gradually, without your knowing about it. Always remember Sri Ramakrishna’s saying that money is at the root of all disasters you see in the world. Money can lure one’s mind into other temptations. Beware!
If you practice spiritual disciplines for some time in a solitary place, you will find that your mind has become strong, and then you can live in any place or society without being in the least affected by it. When the plant is tender it should be hedged around. But when it has grown big not even cows and goats can injure it. Spiritual practices in a solitary place are essential.
He who eagerly prays to God will see Him.
Love alone is the essential thing.
There is no place of demand in the realm of love. If you make demands, you will love more those who give you more and less those who give you less. So your love will not be the same for all.
You must give each one his/her share of honour. Even the smallest work must be done with reverence.
The purpose of one’s life is fulfilled only when one is able to give joy to another.
Can you call him a man who is devoid of compassion? He is a veritable beast.
From desire this body comes into being. When there is no desire at all, the body falls away. With complete cessation of desire there comes the final end.
God is one's very own. It is an eternal relationship.
One must perform work. It is only through work that the bondage of work will be cut asunder and one will acquire a spirit of non-attachment.
If my son wallows in the dust or mud, it is I who have to wipe all the dirt and take him on my lap.
Everything – husband, wife, even the body – is only illusory. Unless you free yourself from these bondages, you will never be able to go to the other shore of the world. Even the identification of the self with the body must go. What is this body? It is nothing but three pounds of ash when it is cremated. Why so much vanity about it?
Is it ever possible for a man to free himself unaided from the clutches of Maya? It was for this that the Master performed austerities to the utmost extent and gave the results thereof for the redemption of mankind. Therefore do you duty and keep the mind on God. Don’t pay attention to whether the blemishes of the mind are persisting or not, for we are behind you. You will have to come to me because you are all my own. If one is the very own of another, they remain inseparably connected in successive cycles of time.
If you fall into water, whether willingly or unwillingly, your cloth will get wet all the same. Constantly practice meditation. Your mind is unripe—unsteady—now. But constant meditation will make it steady and calm. And always discriminate.
Whenever the mind goes after anything other than God, consider it as transient and surrender the mind at the sacred feet of the Lord.
Be like the man who, while angling for fish, became so absorbed in it that he did not hear the least of the din and bustle of a marriage procession passing by.
It is easy to break. How many can build? How many can show others the right path? Mankind is prone to weakness. He who warns in time is a true friend. What is the use in saying ‘Ah’ when the right time has passed.
The moment that one’s karma comes to an end one realizes God. That is one’s last birth. This plus practice of spiritual disciplines and time are the factors in the attainment of spiritual knowledge. Yet since God is our own, He can reveal Himself to His devotees by His mere will. But who has this faith that He is one’s own? All practice discipline because they think it is their duty to do so. But how many seek God?
What good are asanas and breathing exercises if the mind becomes concentrated on its own?Asanas and Pranayama endow one with occult powers and these lead a man astray. If you practice asana too much then the mind becomes attached to the body.
As to those who surrender to God but practice no spiritual disciplines, that they surrender themselves to God, placing implicit trust in Him, that is their spiritual discipline.
I tell you one thing – if you want peace, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.
All teachers are one. The same power of God works through them all.
Everyone can break down some thing, but how many can build it up.
As none knows when death may come, one should carry out pious intentions whenever the opportunity presents itself, without waiting for a particular time.
You must give each one his due share of honor. Even a broom must be shown some honor. The smallest work must be done with reverence.
What does one obtain by realizing God? – Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
What does one obtain by realizing God? Does he develop a pair of horns? No. He gains discrimination between the real and the unreal, gets spiritual consciousness, and passes beyond life and death.
In spiritual realization, one will find that He who resides in one's heart, resides in the hearts of others as well — the oppressed, the persecuted, the untouchable and the outcast. This realization makes one truly humble.
One must live very carefully. Every action produces its results. It is not good to harass others or use harsh words towards others.
God is realized in spirit. How else can one see God? Has God talked to anybody devoid of ecstatic fervour?
One sees God in spiritual vision, talks to Him, and establishes relationship with Him in Spirit. . . What else is spiritual life besides praying to the Master, repeating his Name, and contemplating on him? . . . What is there after all in him? He is our own eternally!
Mother Sarada Devi on Compassion
If one is without kindness, how can one be called a human being?
One must live carefully. Every action produces its results. It is not good to use harsh words towards others or be responsible for their suffering.
Should anyone ever utter a thing that hurts another’s feelings? An unpleasant truth, though true, must not be uttered. For that grows into a habit. By indulging in rude words one’s nature becomes rude. One’s sensitivity is lost if one has no control over one’s speech. And once a man casts all consideration for others to the winds, he stops at nothing. The Master would say, ‘If you have to ask a lame man how he became lame, then you have to speak thus: ‘‘How did your leg come to such a condition?”
On God Realization – Holy Mother Sarada Devi
Be sincere in your practice, words and deeds. You will feel blessed! His blessings are always showered on all creatures on the earth. It is needless to ask for it. Practice meditation sincerely and you will understand His infinite grace. God wants sincerity, truthfulness and love. Outward verbal effusions do not touch Him.
Devotees who come nowadays simply keep on saying ‘Show us God. They have no spiritual practice, no prayer, no austerity-and past sins must be many. These have to be removed step by step, and then only God can be seen. The moon in the sky is covered with clouds; wind will blow away the clouds, and then only can you see the moon. Do the clouds scatter away all of a sudden? Exactly the same here. The Karmas get exhausted slowly. When God is realized. He illumines the soul internally - one knows this internally.
Mother Sarada Devi – On the Need of Spiritual Practice
If you do not pray to God, what is that to Him? It is only your misfortune.
The mantra purifies the body. Man becomes pure by repeating the name of God. So repeat His name always.
Practice meditation, and by and by your mind will be so calm and fixed that you will find it hard to keep away from meditation.
One cannot escape from the effect of one’s past karma. But if a person lives a prayerful life, he gets off with only the prick of a thorn in the leg where he was to suffer from a deep cut.
Holy Mother Sarada Devi Thoughts on Japa
Japa will eventually bring spiritual realization.
Do not give up Japa even if the mind is unwilling and unsteady. You must go on with the repetition. And you will find that the mind is getting gradually steadier – like a flame in a windless corner. Any movement in the air disturbs the steady burning of the flame; even so the presence of any thought or desire makes the mind unsteady. The Mantra must be correctly repeated. An incorrect utterance delays progress.
A single utterance of Lord’s name is as effective as a million repetitions of it, if only you do it with a steady, concentrated mind. What is the use of repeating a million times with an absent mind? You must do this wholeheartedly. Then only can you deserve His Grace.
Mother Sarada Devi – How to Love all Equally?
There was a child in Calcutta who gave a great deal of trouble to her family and always demanded attention. She used to visit Holy Mother with her own mother.
Whenever she entered the Mother’s room she clung to her. The Mother always gave her plenty of sweets to eat. Once Holy Mother was about to leave for Jayrambati and said to the little girl: ‘Darling, you have been visiting me a long time. Do you love me?’
‘Yes, I love you very much.’
‘How much?’
The girl stretched her arms as wide as she could and said: ‘That much.’ The Mother asked: ‘Will you still love me when I am away at Jayarambati?’
‘Yes, I will love you just the same. I shall not forget you.’
‘How shall I know it?’
‘What should I do to make you know?’
‘I shall be sure of your love for me if you can love everyone at home.’
‘All right, I will love all of them. I will not be naughty anymore.’
‘That’s very good. But how shall I know that you will love all equally, and not some more and some less?’
‘What should I do to love all equally?’
‘Let me tell you how to love all equally. Do not demand anything of those you love. If you make demands, some will give you more and some less. In that case you will love more those who give you more and less those who give you less. Thus your love will not be the same for all. You will not be able to love all impartially.
History of Tiruvannamalai
