Ravishankar.G's Blog (137)

Japa, Japa, Japa,... Let the wheel of the name of the God go around in the midst of all activities. All the burning of the heart will be soothed. Don't you know how many sinners have become pure and free and divine by taking refuge in the name of God

 Swami Brahmananda

Question: I feel mind is like a monkey which wavers, making concentration difficult during prayers or chanting. How do I overcome this?

 Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

The elephant cannot keep its trunk stationary. It keeps swaying it always. In order to arrest its movement, the mahout gives it a huge chain to hold on to. Similarly, in order for the mind to concentrate, we have it focus on the divine Name and Form of the Lord. That is the basic…

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The parables of Sri Ramakrishna is world famous. With simple day-to-day illustrations he would explain high philosophies.

Mahendra Nath Gupta, the recoder of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, records in his second visit of the Master -- 

M: "Sir, suppose one believes in God with form. Certainly He is not the clay image!"

Master (interrupting): "But why…

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Keshab Chandra Sen the famous Brahmo leader of the time felt much drawn to this simple villager who had attained the summit of all religions. He published articles about Sri Ramakrishna which brought him to light. Many began to visit the Paramahamsa at Dakshineswar.

Sri Ramakrishna was frustrated with worldly talks. He would go up to the rooftop of the kuthi after the evening vesper service and cry out in an agonised voice, "Come to me, Oh, devotees!…

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In 1859 he returned to Kamarpukur where his mother chose Sarada Mukhopadhyay, a little girl of five from the village of Jayarambati, as his bride. Soon after Sri Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineswar where he was once again drowned in high spiritual experiences. Sri Ramakrishna has described…

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At the age of six or seven Gadadhar was walking along the narrow ridges of the fields when he had his first experience of samadhi. The sky was filled with dark rain bearing clouds. Just then a flock of cranes, white as milk, flew across. The beauty of the white cranes against the dark clouds filled his heart with such joy that he plunged into samadhi.

His father's death in 1843 when he was only seven years old made him more indrawn. He mingled with…

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Khudiram Chattopadhyay had gone on a pilgrimage to Gaya in the spring of 1835 in order to perform rites for his ancestors. While staying there Lord Vishnu appeared to him in a vision and declared that He would be born as his (Khudiram's) son. Filled with joy at first he suddenly realized his poor means and said to the Lord, "I am a very poor man. How can I take the responsibility of bringing you up?" 



The Lord said, "Whatever you give me to eat I shall…

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In this edition of 'Saint' Sketch', we take a look at the great saint from Bengal.



His whole life was literally an uninterrupted contemplation of God. Seekers of God of all religions feel irresistibly drawn to his life and teachings. Through his God-intoxicated life Sri Ramakrishna proved that the revelation of God takes place at all times and that God-realization is not the monopoly of any particular age, country, or people. 



In the present-day…

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Last of the Ten Commandments:

10. BRING WEALTH TO YOUR TEACHER TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATIONAL WORK (acharyayapriyam dhanam aaharitya :

To run an educational institution one needs funds support in many other ways. If students do not give back what they received from the teachers in the form of money or other type of help, It only proves that they have understood the true meaning of education. An educated person is one who has a…

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Ninth of the Ten Commandments:

 9)   Shraddhaya deyam - (Give liberally gifts with faith and humility) 

 Do not stand on a high pedestal and take cents in your hands and say, “Here my poor man”, but be grateful that the poor man is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence…

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Seventh of the Ten Commandments:

7. Look upon your Mother, Father, Teacher, and Guest as Living Gods.

(matru devo bhava, pitru devo bhava, acharya devo bhava, athithi devo  bhava):

 In today, s fast world, we seem to become too much money-centred.Our respect is based on the money or the position they have. This means we have reduced others and ourselves to mere economic or biological units.…

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Sixth of the Ten Commandments:

6)   Swadhyaya Pravachandaabhyam na pramaditavyam - ( Hold on to self study and teaching)

 These days one speaks of ‘Knowledge Workers’. It is interesting to note how the Upanishads, in the remote past of world history, gave so much importance to cultivation of love of knowledge and spread of knowledge to others. Self-study means always keeping ourself abreast of what is happening…

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Fifth of the Ten Commandments:

5)   Deva pitru Karyabhyam na pramaditavyam - (Hold on to worship of Gods and manes)

This means do not neglect your spiritual practices such as japa or prayers and medition.If one is spiritually strong; one can be always sure of never losing one’s calmness of the mind which is so essential to face the challenges of life.   This means having faith in a Transcendental Truth, in the…

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Forth of the Ten Commandments:

4. Acquire Wealth legitimately :( bhootyei na Pramaditavyam):

 Upanishads did not preach poverty. They spoke of a healthy and prosperous life. The ideal of renunciation is not the ideal of poverty and agony but learning to help others with whatever we acquire.

The Upanishadic was a prosperous society. It was not a consumerist’s society but it was full of wealth and meet one’s needs.…

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Every year, millions of people all over the world celebrate the Holy Christmas. There are festivities and joyous celebrations, a lot of merry-making. People rejoice that Lord Jesus took birth in our midst about two thousand years ago.

It is certainly an event over which all humanity ought to be proud and jubilant. But it is essential, too, to realise that Lord Jesus had a message to deliver. He laid with his own life and blood, a path for mankind to…

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Second of the Ten Commandments:

2) Dharman na pramaditavyam - ( Hold on to Righteousness )

This means being just and compassionate in everything one plans or does. This involves paying attention to what is righteous and being ever ready to do what is right. One should not be indifferent in this matter. As a well known saying has it, ‘The most worrying thing in keeping a family or society free from troubles is not the activity of…

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