No activity for some time. So giving some quotes from an article of conversations with Swami Turiyananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

“This world is a bad place. But if one does not worry about himself but thinks of others and acts accordingly, one finds some meaning to this life”

 Turiyananda

“You should know that realization of the Atman is a state of attainment beyond all logic and reason. He who attains that state feels compassion for all beings. A holy man is freed from all samskaras [tendencies of the mind], but the thought-wave of compassion stays with him to the last moment of his life. Never give up the ideal of a holy man!”

 Ramakrishna

“At one time I felt that my life was unbearable because of my sense of ego. How was I to get rid of it? By committing suicide? Of course not! But this very thought—how to overcome the sense of ego—made me restless. Then it disappeared. This was a sort of crisis that I passed through.”

 Turiyananda

“To be completely selfless—that is the ideal which everybody understands. Selfishness is the root of lust. Lust will decrease as you become unselfish. People become restless by thinking of themselves. The more you renounce your ego the greater will be your spiritual unfoldment. Cling to your little self and you will remain little.”

 Turiyananda

“In the beginning of monastic life do not accept gifts from just anyone. If you do, it is only natural that you will be influenced by that person. You will lose your independence. Who can accept gifts from others? One who feels no obligation, whose mind is not affected. One will accept the gift as coming from God himself. Of course you may accept gifts from good people, who would not interfere with your independence or try to control you.”

 Turiyananda

“How many want the truth? Very few can bear the full light of truth; most people close their eyes and try to reject it. They want a comfortable religion. We all want comfort and happiness for ourselves. There is nothing wrong with that. I don’t mean to say that we should court misery. But our attitude should be: Let happiness or misery come; I want the truth. How many feel this way? Only a few great souls seek truth for its own sake.”

 Turiyananda

“As a general rule, spiritual aspirants stop after having reached a certain level of growth. They remain satisfied with what they have attained and do not struggle for greater unfoldment. Only a highly spiritual soul can understand the workings of the mind. The mind plays tricks on us and deludes us in many ways. If someone points out the fallacies, we make excuses.”

 Turiyananda


“We do not realize how much self-love there is within us. To become humble—not outwardly for show, but inside, in spirit—is very difficult. One who has genuine humility is truly a man of character. Think of Sri Ramakrishna, how humble he was! When a visitor who came to the temple garden mistook him for a gardener and ordered him to pick a flower, the Master humbly fulfilled the request.”

 Turiyananda

“When I was young I disliked to think that I would grow old. I thought I would rather die than face old age. But later I learned to surrender myself to the higher will.”

 Turiyananda

“The wish to retaliate is a very worldly desire. Look at Sri Ramakrishna—how people criticized him! Yet he bore it ungrudgingly. Forbearance must be our ideal. How long do we live in this world? Only a few days. So, why bother to avenge ourselves?”

 Turiyananda

“There are two creators: one is God, the other is man. God creates this world. This is the universal creation, and man is recreating it with his individual attitude. For instance, God has created woman, and man looks upon woman with different attitudes—as mother, or wife, or daughter. It is not possible to live in this creation without a particular attitude toward it. You may say, ‘Why, I can remain indifferent to any object in this creation.’ But is not indifference also a particular attitude?”

 Turiyananda

“There are two viewpoints regarding injury that may be done to use by others. If somebody harms us, the right attitude is to think that this is the effect of our own past karma. Why create new karma by reacting to it? The other attitude is that of the worldly man: ‘I must retaliate, otherwise you will do me greater harm in the future.”

 Turiyananda

“Know that all forms of God are the forms of your Chosen Ideal.”

 Turiyananda

“I like the rainy season very much. I like to walk in the rain all by myself. Also, I like to meditate while it is raining. Rain is conducive to yoga.”

 Turiyananda

SWAMI TURIYANANDA mentioned Swami X—and remarked: “He has some desire to do the work of the Lord. But Sri Ramakrishna used to say: ‘First earn something, let it accrue in value, and then spend.’ ”

 Turiyananda

“Sri Ramakrishna used to scold anybody who was careless. Carelessness is a defect of character. The Master was never slow in anything, but at the same time he did not like to hurry or bustle."

 Turiyananda

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India

Thank you, Ankur Ji, for sharing those helpful and enlightening quotes.

I would like to share with everyone, today's posting
from Nahabat Guestbook



A READING from: "In The Company of The Holy Mother"
(available at all Vedanta Centres)

Page 107

Swami Arupananda:

Udbodhan, 25 June, 1912:

We were sitting near Mother's cot in the room next to the prayer room.

Mother: "Desire is the source of all. What has one to care for if one has no desire? Look at me who am among all these things, and still I have no desire - not a bit!"

"As to that," I said, 'how can you have any desire, Mother? But what a lot of desires rise in our minds! How will these be removed?"

"These desires that you have are no desires at all, they are nothing," Mother replied. "They come and go as mere fancies. The more they push out, the better."

I said, "Yesterday, I thought, 'Unless God saves me, how can I go on fighting with the mind indefintely? If one desire goes, another crops up.'"

"Desire will continue as a matter of course, so long as you have your 'I'," Mother explained. "But these desires will not harm you; God will protect you. Anyone who depends on Him - he who has taken refuge with Him after leaving away everything, he who wants to be good - if He should not protect him, it will be a guilt for Him alone. One must have faith in Him. Let Him make us sink or swim. But one must continue doing good alone, and that too just as He grants the power."

"Do I have that faith?" I asked....."How can there be any way out, unless He saves me?..."

"What fear need you have, my son?" Mother said. "Don't be afraid. You are not going to have a worldly life with wife, children, and all that. So why should you fear?"

(to be continued....)

Thank you, Respected web admin. Mother's messages are a perennial source of inspiration, peace and hope.

Regards,

Ankur

Location: Guwahati