Offer to God First

Sri Sarada Devi

Spiritual progress becomes easier if the husband and the wife agree in their views regarding spiritual practices.

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When asked by a disciple why she remained so busy doing all kinds of duties without taking anyone else’s help, the Mother replied: “My son, it’s good to be diligent.” And then she added solemnly, “Bless me so that I may work as long as I live.”

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Seeing a devotee placing her foot on the head of a cat while caressing it, the Mother said, “O my child, what are you doing? The head is the place of the Guru. One should not touch the head with the foot. Salute the cat.”

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First offer to God whatever you eat. One must not eat unoffered food. As your food is, so will be your blood. From pure blood, you get pure blood, pure mind and strength. Pure minds beget Prema-Bhakti (ecstatic love).

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God alone is true. Everything else is false.

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The goal of life is to realize God and to be always immersed in His thought.

General Instructions

Sri Sarada Devi

From time immemorial, innumerable people have worshipped images and thereby attained liberation. Does not that count for anything? Sri Ramakrishna never cherished such narrow ideas of differentiation. Brahman exists everywhere.

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Wherever virtue or vice is discussed, everyone present must take some share at least of that.

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One should not trifle with a thing, though it may be very insignificant. If you respect a thing, the thing also will respect you. One should perform even an insignificant work with respect.

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The power of the Guru is transmitted through the Mantra to the disciple. That is why the Guru at the time of initiation takes on himself the sins of the disciple and suffers so much from physical maladies. It is extremely difficult to be a Guru for he has to take the responsibility for the disciple’s sins.

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However spiritual a man may be, he must pay the tax for the use of the body to the last farthing.

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The difference between a great soul and ordinary man is this: The latter weeps while leaving this body, whereas the former laughs. Death is a mere play to him.

Surrender Saves

Sri Sarada Devi

You can practise Pranayama a little, but not much, otherwise the brain will get heated. If the mind becomes calm of itself, where then is the necessity to practise Pranayama? The practice of Pranayama and Asana often brings occult powers and occult powers lead one astray.

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Dreams regarding the Master are real, but he forbade his disciples to narrate, even to him, dreams regarding himself.

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It is true that He has become the animals etc. , but each is to suffer according to its past Samskara and Karma. The Sun is one, but its reflection is different in different places and on different objects.

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Q: Is it not true that God inspires man to every action?

A: Yes, it is true. But is man conscious of it? He thinks in his blind infatuation that he is the doer- he does not rely on God. Whoever surrenders himself to God is saved.

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Know that the service to your mother is your highest duty. But it is a different matter if she stands in the way of your spiritual progress.

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Repeating the name of God a number of times, telling the rosary or counting on fingers is calculated only to direct the mind to God. The natural tendency of the mind is to run this way and that. Through the above means, it is attracted to God.

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Is not a photograph His shadow? As you go on praying to Him, He manifests Himself through that picture.

HE does everything

Sri Sarada Devi

As long as a man has desires, there is no end to his transmigration. It is desires that make him take one body after another. There will be rebirth for a man if he has even a desire to eat a piece of candy.

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The rich should serve God and His devotees with money, and the poor should worship God by repeating His name.

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One’s love of God depends entirely upon one’s inner feelings. Love of God is the essential thing.

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Did the cowherd boys of Vrindavan get Sri Krishna as their own through Japa and meditation? They realized Him through ecstatic love.

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Our essential point is love. It is through love alone that the spiritual family of Sri Ramakrishna has grown and developed.

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One must have devotion towards one’s own Guru. Whatever may be the nature of the Guru, the disciple gets salvation by dint of his unflinching devotion towards his Guru.

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It is true that He is doing everything, but very few feel like that. Being maddened with pride, people think that they are doing everything and do not depend upon Him. God protects him from all dangers who depends upon Him.

Hands to Work, Mind to God

Sri Sarada Devi

He who is really anxious to cross the ocean of the world, will somehow break his bonds. No one can entangle him.

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Never fear. He is ever looking after you. Do His work and practise Sadhana. A little work daily drives away idle thoughts from the mind.

Call on the Lord who pervades the entire universe. He will shower His blessings upon you.

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Open your grief-stricken heart to the Lord. Weep and sincerely pray, “O Lord, draw me towards You, give me peace of mind.” By doing so constantly you will gradually attain peace of mind.

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Banaras is permeated with the spirit of God. Any being that dies here- be it a devotee, an atheist, one belonging to another religion, or even an insect or a moth- will surely be liberated. Many great sinners who visit Banaras are redeemed of their sins by touching the symbol of Lord Viswanath.

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An unmarried person is half-free whether he prays to God or not. He will advance towards God with rapid strides when he feels a little drawn towards Him.

God is one’s very “own”. It is the eternal relationship. One realizes Him in proportion to the intensity of one’s feeling for Him. Don’t be afraid. Always remember that somebody is protecting you.

Surrender Powerful than Destiny

Sri Sarada Devi

Even the injunctions of destiny are cancelled if one takes refuge in God. Destiny strikes off with her own hands what she had written about such a person.
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Difficulties come, but they do not last for ever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge.
The Master used to say, “At the time of death I shall have to stand by those who pray to me.”
These are the words from his own lips.
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Lay the burden of your mind before Sri Ramakrishna. Tell him your sorrows with your tears. You will find that he will fill your arms with the desired object.
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Do you think that even when this body passes away, I can have any release unless every one of those, whose responsibility I have taken on myself, is out of bondage? I must constantly live with them. I have taken complete charge of everything, good or bad, regarding them. I cannot simply set aside those whom I have accepted as my own.

Words of Hope

Sri Sarada Devi

Don’t be afraid. Human birth is full of suffering and one has to endure everything patiently, taking the name of God. None, not even God in human form, can escape the sufferings of the body and mind. Even Avataras, saints and sages have to undergo the ordeal of suffering, for they take upon themselves the burden of the sins of omission and commission of ordinary human beings and thereby sacrifice themselves for the good of humanity.

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No one can suffer all the time. No one will spend all his days on the earth in suffering. Every action brings its own result, and one gets weal or woe accordingly.

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If my child gets covered with mud or dust, is it not my duty to cleanse him and take him on my lap?

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But child, don’t be worried. These earthly ties are transitory. To-day they seem to be the be-all and end-all of life and to-morrow they vanish. Your real tie is with God.

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Pray to the Lord to make your heart as pure as the star. As a result of sincere and regular Japa and meditation you will find that the Lord will speak to you. All your desires will be fulfilled and you will experience pure bliss. 

Beware!

Sri Sarada Devi

What little intelligence man possesses! He may require one thing but he asks for another. He starts to mould an image of Siva and often ends by making that of a monkey. It is best therefore to surrender all desires at the feet of the Lord. He will do whatever is good for us. But one may pray for devotion and detachment. These cannot be classed as desires.

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Be careful about these three things: first, a house situated on the bank of a river; at any time the river may destroy your house and sweep it away in its current. Second, a snake; you must be careful when you see one, for there is no knowing when it will come and bite you. Third, a Sadhu; you don’t know that one word or one thought of his may injure a householder. Whenever you see a Sadhu, you should show him respect. You should not show him disrespect by retorts or slighting remarks.

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You see, one may commit a fault while serving a great soul. It happens in this way: while he enjoys the privilege of such service, his egotism increases. He then wants control, like a doll, the person he serves. He wants to boss over the latter in everything-eating, sitting, or rising. He loses the spirit of service. Many great souls surround themselves with riches and splendour. This attracts many to come to them as attendants. Such attendants become intoxicated with the enjoyment of their position and thus pave the way of their own ruin. Tell me, how many there are who can render service in the proper spirit!

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Money always taints the mind. You may think that you are above money and that you will never feel any attraction for it. You may further think that you may leave it behind at any moment. No, my child, never harbour this thought in your mind. Through a tiny little loop-hole it will enter into your mind and then strangle you gradually quite undetected.

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Sri Ramakrishna could never bear the touch of money. Always remember his words. Money is at the root of all the disaster you see in the world. Money may lure one’s mind into other temptations. Beware!

Finding Fault Disrupts Peace of Mind

Sri Sarada Devi

One day the mother of a monk requested the Holy Mother to ask her son to go back to worldly life. The Holy Mother replied to her, “It is rare good fortune to be the mother of a monk. People cannot give up attachment even to a brass pot. Is it an easy thing to renounce the world? Why should you worry?”

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The Holy Mother said to a woman disciple after her initiation:

“Look here my daughter, I do not usually initiate a woman who has just lost her husband, but I have made a departure in your case, as you have a spiritual temperament. See that I do not have to repent it. The guru suffers for the sin committed by the disciple. Always repeat the sacred word with regularity.”

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To a woman who was going to her father-in-law’s house:

“Don’t be familiar with anybody. Don’t take much part in the social functions of the family. Say, ‘O mind, always keep to yourself.’ Don’t be inquisitive about others! Gradually increase the period of meditation and prayer…”

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The Holy Mother warned another lady disciple as follows:

“Never be intimate with any man-not even with your own father or brother. What to speak of others then? Let me again repeat, don’t be intimate with a man, even if God comes to you in that form.”

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To a lady who wanted to adopt a child:

“Do not take such a step. Always do your duty to others, but you must love God alone. Worldly love always brings in its wake untold misery.”

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If you love any human being you will have to suffer for it. She is blessed indeed, who can love only God. There is no suffering in loving God.

BEWARE!

I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.

Do Not Wait To Do Good

Sri Sarada Devi

A Sadhu must be always alert. His path is very slippery, and a slippery path has to be trodden with exceedingly careful steps. Is it fun to become a Sannyasin? He must not even look at a woman and when he walks along the street, his eyes should be fixed on his big toes. Just as the collar of a dog saves it from being killed as a street dog, even so does the ochre-robe of a Sannyasin save him from harm.

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If one lives amidst objects of enjoyment one is naturally overcome by them. Do not cast your eyes even on a wooden representation of a woman or even go near it.

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Disciple: “Mother, no bad ideas come to my mind.”

With a start she stopped him and said,

“Don’t say that. One must not say such a thing.”

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One should not hurt others even by words. One must not speak even an unpleasant truth 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. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, “One should not ask a lame person how he went lame.”

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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.

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Beware, don’t involve yourself in worldliness on the plea of serving your mother.

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As death is always uncertain, one should carry out pious intentions whenever the opportunity presents itself, without waiting for a particular time. Death does not make any distinction of time. Give up this dry discussion, this hotch- potch of philosophy. Who has been able to know God by reasoning?

Namajapa is Powerful

Sri Sarada Devi

Even if you feel no attraction for the Lord, you will succeed by only repeating His name. Whether you jump into water or are pushed into it, your cloth will get drenched. Will it not? Meditate every day, since your mind is yet immature. The practice of meditation will make the mind one-pointed. Discriminate always between the real and the unreal and try to fix the mind on God.

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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 from his childhood is indeed blessed.

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The mind naturally tends to evil; it is disinclined to good deeds. It was my habit to rise early in the morning and meditate. But once I failed to get up so early through indisposition. Such is the natural indolence of the mind that for several days after. I was late in rising. Therefore, you must be up and doing if you want to achieve anything good and great.

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Q: I cannot concentrate my mind well during meditation. My mind is very fickle and unsteady.

A: Oh, that is nothing- that is the nature of the mind, just like that of the eyes and ears. Do it regularly. The name of God is more powerful than the senses. Always think of Thakur (Sri Ramakrishna) who is looking after you. Don’t be worried about your lapses.

I used to pray in the moonlit night, “O Lord, there is stain even in the moon. Let there be no stain in my mind!”

Desire Makes Mind Restless

Sri Sarada Devi

Even if the mind be not concentrated, do not give up the repetition of the holy word. Do your duty. While repeating the name the mind will be steady like a candle flame in a place protected from the wind. It is the wind alone that makes the flame flicker. In the same way, our fancies and desires make our mind restless.

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As the wind removes the cloud, so the name of the Lord destroys the cloud of worldliness that overcasts the mind.

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The mind gets purified after hard Tapasya (austerity). Without regular practice nothing can be attained. Both purity and impurity are in the mind. When a man sees defects in others, his mind first gets polluted. What does he gain by finding faults in others? He hurts himself by that. From my childhood I could not find faults in others. That one thing I have never learnt in life.

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Do the Master’s work and along with that practise spiritual discipline. Some amount of work keeps the mind free from idle thoughts. If one sits alone without any work, various thoughts may come into the mind.

Advice to Women - 2

Sri Sarada Devi

My child, you have been extremely fortunate in getting this human birth. Have intense devotion to God. One must work hard. How can one achieve anything without effort? You must devote some time for prayer even in the midst of the busiest hours of the day. I used to be very busy during my stay at Dakshineswar; yet I did my prayer and meditation…. Let my sister-in-law, who complains of mental worry, do likewise. Let her get up from bed at 3o’clock in the morning and sit for meditation. Let me see whether she can still have any worry of mind. She will not, however, do that, but only talk about her troubles! What is her suffering? I never knew, my child, what mental worry was.

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The husband, so and the body- all are Maya (illusory). These are all shackles of illusion. Unless you can free yourself from them, you will not attain salvation. Even the attachment to the body, the identification of the self with the body, must ultimately go. What is this body, my child? It is nothing but three pounds of ashes (after it is burnt). Why then so much vanity about it? However big the body may be, its culmination is those three pounds of ashes only. And still people are so attached to it.

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To a woman who was accusing the Holy Mother for encouraging someone to become a Sadhu and saying, “to marry and settle down in life is also a form of religion”:

“Look here M-, these are all divine children. They will live in the world immaculate like un-smelt flowers. What can be nicer than that? You have seen for yourself what kind of happiness worldly life can give! What have you learnt all these days from me? Why is one attracted to the worldly life? Why so much animal propensity? What sort of happiness do you derive from it? Can you not conceive even in a dream the pure ideal of life? Can’t you live with your husband even now as brother and sister? Why this desire to live a piggish life? This misery of the world has been gnawing into my bones.

Advice to Women - 1

Sri Sarada Devi

You see, the best ornament of a woman is her modesty. The flower feels itself most blessed when it is offered at the feet of the divine image. Otherwise it is better for it to wither away on the plant. It pains me very much to see a dandy make a bouquet of such flowers and smell saying, “Ah, what a nice smell!”

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Women should not get angry so easily. They must practise forbearance. In infancy and childhood their parents are their only protection and in youth their husbands. Women are generally very sensitive. A mere word upsets them. And words also are so cheap now-a-days. They should have patience and try to put up with parents or husbands in spite of difficulties.

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One day a woman devotee requested the Holy Mother to order her daughter to marry. At this the Holy Mother replied:

“Is it not misery to remain in lifelong slavery to another and always dance to his tune? Though there is some risk in being a celibate, still, if one is not inclined to lead a married life, one should not be forced into it and subjected to lifelong worldliness. Those girls that are drawn to the ideal of complete renunciation should be encouraged to lead a celibate life.”

Purity of Mind

Sri Sarada Devi

Everything depends on the mind. Nothing can be achieved without purity of the mind. It is said, “The aspirant may have received the grace of the Guru, the Lord and the Vaishnavas; 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.

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What else does one obtain by the realization of God? Does he grow two horns? No, his mind becomes pure, and through a pure continuous meditation will make the mind so steady that you will not want to give it up. When the mind is not in a mood to meditate, do not force it to do so. In such conditions get up from the seat of meditation after making prostrations. Real meditation is of a spontaneous nature.

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Q: Mother, my mind becomes restless now and then. It craves for enjoyment and that frightens me.


A: Don’t be afraid. I tell you that in this Kali Yuga mental sin is no sin. Free your mind from all worries on this account. You need not be afraid.

Namasmarana Steadies the Mind

Sri Sarada Devi

My child, this mind is just like a wild elephant. It races like the wind. Therefore one should discriminate all the time. One should work hard for the realization of God. What a wonderful mind I had at that time! Somebody used to play on a flute at night at Dakshineswar. As I listened to the sound, my mind would be extremely eager for the realization of God. I thought that the sound was coming directly from God, and I would enter into Samadhi.

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The mind is rendered pure as a result of much austerities. God who is purity itself cannot be attained without austerities.

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The mind will be steadied if one repeats the name of God fifteen or twenty thousand times a day. It is truly so…. I myself have experienced it. Let them practise it first; if they fail, let them complain.

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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.

Spiritual Practice - 3

Sri Sarada Devi

The conjunction of the day and the night is the most auspicious time for calling on God. The mind remains pure at this time.
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Even in the midst of the most intense activities, one should at least remember God and adore Him. Gradually increase the time of meditation and prayer.
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The Mantra purifies 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.
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The moon in the sky is covered by a cloud. The cloud has to be removed by the wind by degrees; then only one can see the moon. Does it pass all of a sudden? Similarly with spiritual perfection. The effects of past work are exhausted slowly. When one realizes God, He grants knowledge and illumination from within one knows it oneself. In the fullness of one’s 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 outcast. This realization makes one truly humble.
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God is one’s very own. The more intensely a person practises spiritual disciplines, the more quickly he attains God.
God has given us fingers that they may be blessed by repeating His name with them.
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The almanac makes a forecast of rain. But you do not get a drop by squeezing its pages. Besides, the Scriptures are filled with many useless things. One cannot observe, to the letter, the injunctions of the Scriptures. In this Kali Yuga one attains to God if one simply sticks to truth. The Master used to say, “He who speaks nothing but truth is lying on the lap of God."

Spiritual Practice - 2

Sri Sarada Devi

While performing Japa, take the name of God with the utmost love, sincerity and self-surrender. Before commencing your meditation daily, first think of your utter helplessness in this world and then slowly begin the practice of Sadhana as directed by your Guru.
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Through the spiritual disciplines the ties of past Karma are cut asunder. But the realization of God cannot be achieved without Prema-Bhakti (ecstatic love) for Him. Do you know the significance of Japa and spiritual practices? By these the power of the sense-organs is subdued.
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My child, austerities or worship, practise 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.
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Don’t relax 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 a time he is disappointed.
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To pray to God and meditate on Him for even two minutes with full concentration is better than doing for so long hours without that.
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All perform this or that discipline because they think it their duty to do so. But how many seek God? No doubt you must do your duties. It keeps one’s mind in good condition. But it is also very necessary to practise Japa meditation and prayer. One must practise these disciplines at least in the morning and in the evening. Such practice is like the rudder of a boat. When one sits in the evening for prayer, one can discriminate whether one has done good or bad things in the course of the day. Then one should compare the mental state of that day with that of the previous one. Next, while performing Japa, one should meditate on one’s Chosen Ideal. In meditation one first sees the face of one’s Chosen Deity, but one should try to meditate on the entire body from the feet upward. Unless you practise meditation side by side with your work, how will you know whether you are doing the desirable or the undesirable thing? 

Spiritual Practice - 1

Sri Sarada Devi

Spiritual practice means to keep the mind steady at His lotus feet and to be absorbed in His thoughts.
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It is essential to perform spiritual practices in a secluded place. When the plant is young, fencing is necessary, but when it grows big, the cattle cannot do any harm; so after some years of meditation when the mind is formed, you can remain anywhere and can mix with any person and the mind will not be affected.
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When the desire arises in the mind to know anything, then pray to Him alone in a lonely place with tears in your eyes. He will remove all dirt and sorrow from your mind and will make you understand everything.
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Always discriminate. Try to realize that the outside object which is attracting your mind is impermanent, and turn your attention to God.
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Always try to do the Lord’s work and at the same time try to practise Japa and meditation. If you do such work, your mind will not be obsessed with evil thoughts. If you sit alone idly, all sorts of thoughts may come and disturb your mind.
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You are fortunate, as you have got this human body. Pray to the Lord as much as you can. You must labour hard. It is difficult to attain anything without labour. Some time must be daily set apart for prayer and spiritual practices, even though one is in the midst of worldly activities.

God Real, World Illusory

Sri Sarada Devi

The Master has predetermined what he is going to accomplish. If anyone surrenders himself totally at his feet, the Master will see that everything is set right. One must bear everything.

The Master used to say, “A person may have no relatives anywhere but Mahamaya may cause him to keep a cat and thus make him worldly. Such is Her play!”

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Q: Why do I not see the Master?

A: Continue to pray without losing your heart. Everything will happen in time. For how many cycles did the Munis and the Rishis of old practise austerities to realize God, and do you believe you will attain to Him in a flash? If not in this life, you will attain to Him in the next. If not in the next, it will be after that. Is it so easy to realize God? But this time the Master has shown an easy path: therefore it will be possible for all to realize God.

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Don’t worry, my child. Our Master alone is Maheswara (Supreme God) and Maheswari (Supreme Goddess) as well. He alone is the embodiment of all deities. He alone is the embodiment of all mystic syllables. One can worship through him all Gods and Goddesses. You can address him as Maheswara and Maheswari.

Does one get faith by mere study of books? Too much reading creates confusion. The Master used to say that one should learn from the scriptures that God alone is real and the world illusory.