Vedanta Society of Ottawa
THE TEACHINGS OF VEDANTA: MA SARADA DEVI
"There is no treasure equal to contentment and no virtue equal to fortitude."
- Ma Sarada Devi
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MA SARADA DEVI
The message of Ma Sarada Devi to
the disciples and devotees, as compiled by a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission:
DEVOTION AND SELF-SURRENDER
• 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.
• One who makes a habit of prayer will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life.
• As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord's name..
MAYA (ILLUSION) AND MEDITATION
• What an illusion Mahamaya has conjured up! Here is this infinite world, and what one claims as his possession will be left behind at death. Still men cannot understand this simple truth.
• My child, this mind is just like a wild elephant. It races with the wind. Therefore one should discriminate all the time. One should work hard for the realization of God.
• Don't puzzle the mind with too many inquiries. One finds it difficult to put one single thing into practising, but dares invite distraction by filling the mind with too many things.
ON WORK AND PURITY
• One must do some work. Through work alone one can remove the bondage of work, not by avoiding work. Total detachment comes later on. One should not be without work even for a moment.
• Let me 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.
The message of Ma Sarada Devi to the disciples and devotees, as compiled by a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission:
DEVOTION AND SELF-SURRENDER
• 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.
• One who makes a habit of prayer will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life.
• As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord's name..
MAYA (ILLUSION) AND MEDITATION
• What an illusion Mahamaya has conjured up! Here is this infinite world, and what one claims as his possession will be left behind at death. Still men cannot understand this simple truth.
• My child, this mind is just like a wild elephant. It races with the wind. Therefore one should discriminate all the time. One should work hard for the realization of God.
• Don't puzzle the mind with too many inquiries. One finds it difficult to put one single thing into practising, but dares invite distraction by filling the mind with too many things.
ON WORK AND PURITY
• One must do some work. Through work alone one can remove the bondage of work, not by avoiding work. Total detachment comes later on. One should not be without work even for a moment.
• Let me 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.