Spiritual Practices – Sarada Devi

Holy Mother: “Do you know the significance of japa and other spiritual practices? By these the power of the sense organs is subdued and the ties of past karma are cut asunder. But realization of God cannot be achieved without ecstatic love (prema bhakti) for Him.”

Disciple: “But how can one yearn for God without seeing the manifestation of His love?”

Holy Mother: “Yes, you can do so. There lies the grace of God.”

You see, 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 mind to go to lower things, to objects of enjoyment, but the grace of God can make the mind go towards higher objects.

Lay the burden of your mind before Sri Ramakrishna (Paramahamsa). Tell him your sorrow with your tears. You will find that he will fill your arms with the desired object.

Referring to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother once said, “Really and truly he was God himself. He assumed this human body to remove the sorrows and sufferings of others. He moved about, as a king walks through his city in disguise. He disappeared the moment he became known.”

He who has really prayed to Sri Ramakrishna, even once, has nothing to fear. By praying to him constantly one gets ecstatic love through his grace. This ecstatic love, my child, is the innermost thing of spiritual life. The gopis of Vrindavan attained it. They were not aware of anything else in the world except Sri Krishna.