Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi

If Ou want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see Our own faults.

Learn to make the whole world Our own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is Our own.

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 the outcast.

Continue to pray without losing heart. Everything will happen in time. If anOne surrenders himself totally at his feet, the Master will see that everything is set right.

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

"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. The mind of the aspirant should be gracious to him.

"When a person takes refuge with God, life's goal changes-- God Himself reverses his destiny. Does he grow a pair of horns? No, but he can distinguish good from evil, discover knowledge and pass beOnd the reach of life and death. You must find Him in Our meditations. Who has seen more than this, to whom has He actually spoken?... it is in spiritual transports one sees Him, talks with Him, and so on..." God alone is true. Everything else is false. The goal of life is to realize that. Always discriminate. Try to realize that the external object, which is attracting Our mind, is impermanent and turn Our attention to God. As one gets the fragrance of a flower by

handling it, as one gets the scent of sandalwood by rubbing it on stone, in the same way one gets spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God. But if Ou become desireless, Ou realize him immediately.

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. It is the nature of water to flow downwards, but the sun's rays lift it up towards the sky. Likewise it is the very nature of the mind to go to lower things, to objects of enjoyment; but the grace of God can make the mind go towards higher objects.

Sri Ramakrishna left me behind to manifest the Motherhood of God to the world. I shan't be able to turn away anybody if he addresses me as Mother. I can't contain myself when one draws near me and calls me Mother. If my son wallows in the dust or mud, it is I who have to wipe all the dirt off his body and take him to my lap.

The aim of life is to realize God and remain immersed in contemplation of Him. 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 Outh. Through japa and austerity the bondage of karma is cut asunder, but God cannot be realized except through love and devotion.

One should desire of God desirelessness. For desire alone is at the root of all suffering. As wind removes the cloud, so the name of God destroys the cloud of worldliness.

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 rude. One's sensibility is lost if one has no control over one's speech.

My son, if a thorn pricks Our foot, it hurts me like a spear entering my heart. I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Whenever Ou are in distress, just say to Ourself, 'I have a mother.'

You see, my son, it is not a fact that Ou will never face danger. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge. After someone finished her sweeping and threw the broom into a corner, Mother said, "How strange, my dear! The work is finished, and Ou throw it away carelessly. It takes almost the same time to put it away slowly and carefully as to throw it away. Should Ou despise a thing just because it is insignificant? 'Him that Ou save, saves Ou in turn.' Won't Ou need it again? Besides, this thing too forms a part of our household. From that point of view also it deserves some consideration. You must give each one his due share of honour. Even a broom must be shown some honor. The smallest work must be done with reverence.

"Try to remember the Master always and perform Our japa, whenever Ou can; at least Ou can salute him mentally, can't Ou?" "The mind will be steadied if one repeats the Name of God fifteen or twenty thousand times a day. It is truly so." How can the mind be kept well without work? Is it possible to meditate for all twenty-four hours of the day? So one has to take up some work. That keeps the mind in good shape.

One should always be active. One should never be without work. For when one is idle, all sorts of bad thoughts crop up in one's mind.

On karma, The Holy Mother taught: "The result of karma, is inevitable. But by repeating the Name of God, Ou can lessen its intensity. If Ou were destined to have a wound as wide as a ploughshare, Ou will get pinprick at least. The effect of karma, can be counteracted to a great extent by japa and austerities." "If Ou do good action, that will counteract Our past evil action. Past sin can be counteracted by meditation, japa, and spiritual thought."