MY OWN ONES, AWAKE !

MY OWN ONES, AWAKE !

Devotees of the Ramakrishna Mission, combine in the service of Thakur's cause. Such united effort full of fraternal feeling will conduce to the welfare of the world.

What are the things that you may do? 

1. Chant the Ishta mantra as long as possible twice a day seated on the mat (asana) kept for the purpose or on the bed if there be not such a facility at your disposal.

2. Throughout the day keep chanting mentally the mantra even while doing your work except when you are cooking, driving, crossing a road etc.

3. Read 'Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita' / 'Sri Sri Ramakrishna Vachanamrita' / 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' regularly a few pages.

4. Donate some amount of money on a monthly basis for the welfare causes of the Ramakrishna Mission and the spiritual causes of the Ramakrishna Math.

5. Associate with the monks and nuns of the Ramakrishna Order and the Sarada Order. 

6. Learn from the nuns of the Sarada Order how to be perfect children of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. No egotism there, no fault-finding, all sweetness of personality and goodwill towards all. Truly, the nuns of the Order are like our Mother.

7. Give voluntary service to the Math and Mission if you can.

8. Read copiously the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature.

9. Maintain self-respect and do not flatter monks by pretentious passive piety. That is not true devotion. Rather imbibe the virtues of the monks.

10. Hold on to Thakur-Ma-Swamiji through the vicissitudes of life, hold on to them as the core and cornerstone of your lives and never forget that you are but the instruments in their hands, not the instrumentalists by any stretch of imagination.

11. Celebrate in your houses the birthdays of Thakur-Ma-Swamiji and the remaining 16 direct disciples of Thakur including Swami Nirmalananda without fail. If you fail in celebrating Swami Nirmalananda's birthday, you are false devotees devoid of character and any station in truth. Hence, do not make that mistake.

12. Visit the places of pilgrimage associated with the lives of the Holy Trinity and the remaining 16 disciples. Along with it visit as many centres of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission as is possible.

13. Above all, adhere to truth through the thick and thin of life.

Thanking you, 
I remain ever yours, 
Sugata Bose