Satchidananda :

1.

It is Satchidananda that comes to us in the form of the guru.

If a man is initiated by a human guru, he will not achieve anything if he regards his guru as a mere man.

The guru should be regarded as the direct manifestation of God.

Only then can the disciple have faith in the mantra given by the guru.

Once a man has faith he, achieves all.

The sudra Ekalavya learnt archery in the forest before a clay image of Drona; He worshipped the image as the living Drona; that by itself enabled him to attain mastery in archery.

2.

One becomes as one thinks.

They say that by constantly thinking of a particular kind of insect (Bhramarakita), a cockroach is transformed into the insect.

Similarlv, he who constantly thinks of the Bliss Absolute himself becomes full of bliss.

3.

The worldly minded practise devotions, japa, and austerity only by fits and starts.

But those who know nothing else but God repeat His name with every breath.

Some always repeat mentally, 'Om Rama'.

 Even the followers of the path of knowledge repeat, 'Soham', 'I am He'. There are others whose tongues are always moving, repeating the name of God.

One should remember and think of God constantly.

4.

When an unbaked pot is broken, the potter can use the mud to make a new one; but when a baked one is broken, he cannot do the same any longer.

So when a person dies in a state of ignorance, he is born again; but when he becomes well baked in the fire of true knowledge and dies a perfect man, he is not born again.

Sri Ramakrishna

A portion of Belur math