Swami Smaranananda Teachings

A collection of quotes and teachings of Swami Smaranananda of Ramakrishna Mission.

Ask yourself whether what you are doing is selfish or selfless. This will be the criterion to judge whether what you are doing is spiritually and morally right or wrong.

If peace and harmony are there the human being can evolve spiritually, which is the ultimate goal of all humanity.

A little relaxation is not laziness. Actually, you should work better after a day’s relaxation.

If you dedicate all your actions and the fruits of actions to God, your responsibility ends; the Lord takes them up. That is karma yoga. This way you can conquer your ego.

One thinks of spiritual life when one fails to think of higher things in materialistic life, is totally wrong. One has not to fail in worldly life in order to think of God. This is a very negative attitude. The rishis were very positive. Their search was for knowing the truth behind this phenomenal world.

The only way to purify the mind is to think pure thoughts.

If there is a genuine quest, answers can be got from your mind itself.

To aim to be desireless is not dangerous. In this mortal world, all things are fraught with fear; only dispassion and renunciation, leads to fearlessness.

If you can free your mind from desires and negative thoughts, it is possible to solve all problems.

If you get rid of pleasures, the mind would become free from pain. A person who is free from pleasure or pain will be calm and serene under all circumstances.

Get rid of attachment; then you need not fear rejection by anything or anybody.

-------------

One common misconception is that a turn toward spiritual life only occurs when one experiences failure or dissatisfaction in their materialistic pursuits. This perspective suggests that people seek God or spiritual understanding only as a consolation for their inability to succeed in the worldly realm. However, this notion is fundamentally flawed. One does not need to experience failure in worldly life to turn their thoughts to God or to embrace spiritual endeavors. Adopting such a view is inherently negative and undermines the profound and proactive nature of spiritual exploration.

In Hindu philosophy, the rishis—ancient sages and seers—embodied a very different approach. They were not driven to spirituality by any sense of defeat or lack in their material lives. Instead, their quest was a deliberate and positive pursuit of truth. Their intention was to comprehend the deeper, underlying realities of existence that transcend the apparent, transient phenomena of the physical world. The rishis were seekers of ultimate truth, not escapists from material failure.

Hindu teachings emphasize that spiritual inquiry is a noble and proactive journey. It is a quest for understanding the ultimate principles and truths that govern life and the universe. This spiritual pursuit is seen as complementary to, rather than a retreat from, engagement with the world. By integrating spiritual wisdom with worldly responsibilities, one can lead a more balanced, harmonious, and fulfilled life.

The rishis, through their disciplined practices, meditative insights, and profound teachings, demonstrated that spiritual awakening and material success are not mutually exclusive. They showed that one can engage fully with the world, excel in various endeavors, and simultaneously seek and attain spiritual enlightenment. Therefore, turning to spirituality should not be viewed as a fallback from worldly failure but as a positive, intentional choice to seek deeper understanding and truth.