Master's love for Narendra — Master's samadhi — Hazra's eccentricities — Goal of scriptural study — Occult powers — Go beyond duality — Advice to Surendra — Duties of householders — Master praises charity — Master and Girish — Selfless divine love — Knowledge of Brahman — Two paths of Brahmajnana — The ego of the Divine Incarnation — The path of bhakti — Meaning of liberation — Master warns against lust — Sannyasi's discipline — Householder's discipline — Different aspects of bhakti — Different kinds of samadhi — How to cultivate longing for God — Master at the theatre.
Sunday, February 22, 1885
SRI RAMAKRISHNA was sitting on the northeast verandah outside
his room
at Dakshineswar. It was about eight o'clock in the morning. Many
devotees, including Narendra, Rakhal, Girish, Baburam, and Surendra,
were present. They were celebrating the Master's birthday, which had
fallen on the previous Monday. M. arrived and saluted him. The Master
signed to him to take a seat near him.
Narottam was singing kirtan. Sri Ramakrishna was in partial ecstasy.
The
subject was Krishna's meeting with His cowherd friends in the meadow.
Krishna had not yet arrived. The cowherd boys were restless for Him.
One
of them said that Mother Yasoda was preventing Krishna from coming.
Balai said in a determined voice that he would bring Krishna with the
sound of his horn. Balai's love for Krishna knew no bounds. The music
went
on. The cowherd boys and girls heard Krishna's flute and were filled
with
spiritual emotion.
Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna's eyes fell on Narendra, who was sitting very
near him. He stood up and went into samadhi; he stood there touching
Narendra's knee with his foot. Regaining consciousness he took his seat
again. Narendra left the room. The music went on.
Sri Ramakrishna whispered to Baburam: "There is kshir in the room.
Give Narendra some."
Did the Master see Narendra as the embodiment of God?
After the kirtan Sri Ramakrishna returned to his room. Tenderly he
began to feed Narendra with sweets.
It was Girish's belief that God Himself had been born in the person of
Sri Ramakrishna.
GIRISH (to the Master): "Your ways are like
Krishna's. He too pretended
many things to His mother Yasoda."
MASTER: "True. It was because Krishna was an Incarnation of God. When
God is born as a man He acts that way. You see, Krishna easily lifted
the
hill of Govardhan with His hand, but He made Nanda believe that He
found it very hard to carry a footstool."
GIRISH: "Yes, sir, I have understood you now."
Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch. It was about eleven
o'clock. Ram and the other devotees wanted to dress him in a new cloth.
The Master said, "No, no." Pointing to an English-educated man, he
said,
"What will he say about it?" At the earnest request of the devotees he
said,
"Well, since you insist, I shall have to agree."
The devotees were arranging the Master's meal in the room. He asked
Narendra to sing.
Narendra sang:
In dense darkness, O Mother, Thy formless beauty sparkles;
Therefore the yogis meditate in a dark mountain cave.
In the lap of boundless dark, on Mahanirvana's waves upborne,
Peace flows serene and inexhaustible.
Taking the form of the Void, in the robe of darkness wrapped,
Who art Thou, Mother, seated alone in the shrine of samadhi?
From the Lotus of Thy fear-scattering Feet flash Thy love's lightnings;
Thy Spirit-Face shines forth with laughter terrible and loud!
As Narendra sang the line, "Who art Thou, Mother, seated alone
in the
shrine of samadhi?", Sri Ramakrishna went into deep samadhi and lost
all
outer consciousness. After a long time, when he was regaining partial
consciousness, the devotees seated him on the carpet and placed a plate
of food
before him. Still overcome with divine emotion, he began to eat the
rice
with both hands. He said to Bhavanath, "Feed me." Because of his
ecstatic
mood he could not use his own right hand. Bhavanath began to feed him.
Sri Ramakrishna could eat very little. Ram said to him, "Nityagopal
will
eat from your plate."
MASTER: "Why from my plate? Why?"
RAM: "Why not?"
Nityagopal was also in an ecstatic mood. The Master put a morsel or
two into his mouth with his own hand.
Some devotees from Konnagar arrived by boat. They entered Sri
Ramakrishna's
room singing kirtan; afterwards they went out to take some
refreshments.
Narottam was in the room. The Master said to him and the other
devotees: "The music of the Konnagar devotees was dull. Music should be
so lively as to make everyone dance. One should sing a song like this:
See how all Nadia is shaking
Under the waves of Gauranga's love!
And along with it these lines:
Behold, the two brothers1
have come, who weep while chanting Hari's name,
The brothers who, in return for blows, offer to sinners Hari's love. .
. .
And these too:
Gaur and Nitai, ye blessed brothers!
I have heard how kind you are,
And therefore I have come to you. . . ."
The devotees were taking the prasad. It was a sumptuous feast.
Sri
Ramakrishna said to M.: "Haven't you invited the Mukherjis? Ask
Surendra to
feed the musicians."
Bepin Sarkar arrived. The devotees introduced him to the Master. Sri
Ramakrishna sat up and said to the devotees, "Give him a seat and some
betel-leaf." He said to Bepin humbly: "I am sorry not to be able to
talk
to you. There is a great crowd today."
Pointing to Girindra, Sri Ramakrishna said to Baburam, "Give him a
carpet."
Nityagopal was sitting on the floor. The Master asked a devotee to give
him a carpet too.
Physician Mahendra of Sinthi arrived. The Master, smiling, asked Rakhal
by a sign to have the physician examine his pulse.
Turning to Ramlal, the Master said, "Be friendly with Girish Ghosh;
then you will get a free ticket to the theatre."
Narendra had been talking a long time with Hazra on the porch. Since
his father's death Narendra had been having financial worries. He
entered
the room and took a seat.
MASTER (to Narendra): "Were you with Hazra? Both of
you are in the
same boat. You know the saying about the two friends: 'You are away
from
your country and he is away from his beloved.' Hazra, too, needs
fifteen
hundred rupees (laughter.)
"Hazra says: 'Narendra has acquired one hundred per cent sattva, though
still there is in him a pink glow of rajas. But I have one hundred and
twenty-five per cent pure sattva.' (All laugh.)
"I say to Hazra, 'You indulge in reasoning only: that is why you are so
dry.' He retorts, 'No, I am dry because I drink the nectar of the sun.'
"Speaking of pure bhakti, I say to Hazra, 'A real devotee does not pray
to God for money or riches.' Hazra replies: 'When the flood of divine
grace
descends, the rivers overflow; and further, the pools and canals are
filled. By
the grace of God one gets not only pure devotion but also the six
super-natural powers, and money too.'"
Narendra and many other devotees were seated on the floor. Girish
entered
the room and joined them.
MASTER (to Girish): "I look on Narendra as Atman. I
obey him."
GIRISH: "Is there anyone you don't obey?"
MASTER (smiling): "He has a manly nature and I have
the nature of a
woman. He is a noble soul and belongs to the realm of the Indivisible
Brahman."
Girish went out to have a smoke.
NARENDRA (to the Master): "I had a talk with Girish
Ghosh. He is indeed
a great man. We talked about you."
MASTER: "What did you say about me?"
NARENDRA: "That you are illiterate and we are scholars. Oh, we talked
in that vein!" (Laughter.)
MANI MALLICK
(to the Master): "You have become a pundit without
reading a book."
MASTER (to Narendra and the others): "Let me tell
you this: really and
truly I don't feel sorry in the least that I haven't read the Vedanta
or the
other scriptures. I know that the essence of the Vedanta is that
Brahman
alone is real and the world illusory. And what is the essence of the Gita?
It
is what you get by repeating the word ten times. Then it is reversed
into
'tagi', which refers to renunciation. The pupil should hear the essence
of
the scriptures from the guru; then he should practise austerity and
devotions.
A man needs the letter he has received from home as long as he has not
learnt its contents. After reading it, however, he sets out to get the
things
he has been asked to send. Likewise, what need is there of the
scriptures if
you know their essence? The next thing is the practice of spiritual
discipline."
Girish entered the room.
MASTER (to Girish): "Hello! What were you saying
about me? I eat,
drink, and make merry."
GIRISH: "What should we have been saying about you? Are you a holy
man?"
MASTER: "No, nothing of the sort. Truly I do not feel I am a holy man."
GIRISH: "I am not your equal even in joking."
MASTER: "I once went to Jaygopal Sen's garden house wearing a
red-bordered cloth. Keshab was there. Looking at the red borders Keshab
said:
'What's this? Such a flash of colour today! Such a display of red
borders!'
I said, 'I have to cast a spell on Keshab; hence this display.'"
Narendra was going to sing again. Sri Ramakrishna asked M. to take
down the tanpura from the wall. Narendra was a long time tuning it. The
Master and the devotees became impatient. Binode said, "He will tune it
today and sing another day." (Laughter.)
Sri Ramakrishna laughed. He said: "I feel like breaking the tanpura to
pieces! What is this? Only Tong — tong'! Then he will practise:
'Tana-nana-nere-num'!" (The sound of a stringed instrument.)
BHAVANATH: "Everybody feels annoyed like this before a musical
performance begins."
NARENDRA (still tuning): "If you don't understand
it."
MASTER (smiling): "There! He explains away our
complaints!"
Narendra began to sing. Sri Ramakrishna was seated on the small couch.
Nityagopal and the other devotees were on the floor.
Narendra sang:
O Mother, Thou my Inner Guide, ever awake within my heart!
Day and night Thou boldest me in Thy lap.
Why dost Thou show such tenderness to this unworthy child of Thine? . .
.
Then he sang:
O my lute of a single string!
Sing the blessed Mother's name,
For She is the solace of my soul. . . .
And again:
In dense darkness, O Mother, Thy formless beauty sparkles;
Therefore the yogis meditate in a dark mountain cave. . . .
In an ecstatic mood Sri Ramakrishna came down and sat by
Narendra's
side. He began to talk, still in ecstasy.
MASTER: "Shall I sing? Fie! (To Nityagopal) What do
you say? One
should listen to singing to awaken the inner spirit. Nothing matters
afterwards.
"He has kindled the fire. That is nice. Now all is silence. That's nice
too.
I am silent; you be silent too. The thing is to dive into the Elixir of
Bliss.
"Shall I sing? Well, I may. Water is water whether it is still or in
waves."
Narendra was seated near the Master. He was constantly worried about
his financial difficulties at home. He was now twenty-three years old.
Sri
Ramakrishna looked at him intently.
MASTER (to Narendra, smiling): "Undoubtedly you are
'Kha'. But you
have to worry about 'taxes'; that's the trouble."
By "taxes" the Master meant Narendra's financial difficulties at home.
MASTER: "Krishnakishore used to say that he was 'Kha'. One day I
visited
him at his home and found him worried. He wouldn't talk to me freely. I
asked him: 'What's the matter? Why are you brooding like this?'
Krishnakishore
said: 'The tax-collector came today. He said my pots and pans would
be sold at auction if I didn't pay my taxes. That's what I am worrying
about.'
I laughed and said: 'How is that? You are surely 'Kha', the akasa. Let
the
rascals take away your pots and pans. What is that to you?'
(To Narendra) "So I am saying that you are 'Kha'.
Why are you so
worried? Don't you know that Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, 'If you have
one
of the eight siddhis, you may get a little power, but you will not
realize Me.'
By siddhis one may acquire powers, strength, money, and such things,
but
not God.
"Let me tell you something else. Go beyond knowledge and ignorance.
People say that such and such a one is a jnani; but in reality it is
not so.
Vasishtha was a great jnani, but even he was stricken with grief on
account
of the death of his sons. At this Lakshmana said to Rama: 'This is
amazing,
Rama. Even Vasishtha is so grief-stricken!' Rama said: 'Brother, he who
has
knowledge has ignorance as well. He who is aware of light is also aware
of
darkness. He who knows good also knows bad. He who knows happiness
also knows misery. Brother, go beyond duality, beyond pleasure and
pain,
beyond knowledge and ignorance.' (To Narendra) So I
am asking you to go
beyond both knowledge and ignorance."
Sri Ramakrishna went back to his small couch. The devotees were seated
on the floor. Surendra sat by his side. The Master cast an affectionate
look
on him and began to give him advice.
MASTER (to Surendra): "Come here every now and then.
Nangta used
to say that a brass pot must be polished every day; otherwise it gets
stained.
One should constantly live in the company of holy men.
"The renunciation of 'woman and gold' is for sannyasis. It is not for
you.
Now and then you should go into solitude and call on God with a
yearning
heart. Your renunciation should be mental.
"Unless a devotee is of the heroic type he cannot pay attention to both
God and the world. King Janaka lived a householder's life only after
attaining
perfection through austerity and prayer. He fenced with two swords, the
one of Knowledge and the other of action."
The Master sang:
This very world is a mansion of mirth;
Here I can eat, here drink and make merry.
Janaka's might was unsurpassed;
What did he lack of the world or the Spirit?
Holding to one as well as the other,
He drank his milk from a brimming cup!
MASTER: "For you, as Chaitanya said, the disciplines to be
practised are
kindness to living beings, service to the devotees, and chanting the
name of God.
(To Surendra) "Why do I say all this to you? You
work in a merchant's
office. I say this to you because you have many duties to perform there.
"You tell lies at the office. Then why do I eat the food you offer me?
Because you give your money in charity; you give away more than you
earn.
The seed of the melon is bigger than the fruit', as the saying goes.
"I cannot eat anything offered by miserly people. Their wealth is
squandered
in these ways: first, litigation; second, thieves and robbers; third,
physicians; fourth, their wicked children's extravagance. It is like
that.
'"Your giving money away in charity is very good. Those who have money
should give in charity. The miser's wealth is spirited away, but the
money
of the charitable person is saved. He spends it for a righteous
purpose. At
Kamarpukur I have seen the farmers cutting channels to irrigate their
fields. Sometimes the water rushes in with such force that the ridges
around
the fields are washed away and the crops destroyed. For this reason the
farmers make holes here and there in the ridges. Since the water
escapes
through the holes, the ridges are not destroyed by the rush of the
water.
Furthermore, the escaping water deposits soft clay in the fields, which
increases their fertility and gives a richer crop. He who gives away in
charity
achieves great results. He achieves the four fruits; dharma, artha,
kama, and
moksha."
The devotees listened with great attention to Sri Ramakrishna's words.
SURENDRA: "I cannot meditate well. I repeat the Divine Mother's name
now and then. Lying in bed, I repeat Her name and fall asleep."
MASTER: "That is enough. You remember Her, don't you?
"There are two kinds of yoga: manoyoga and karmayoga. To perform,
following the guru's instructions, such pious acts as worship,
pilgrimage, and
service to living beings is called karmayoga. The duties that Janaka
performed
are also called karmayoga. The meditation and contemplation of the
yogis is called manoyoga.
"Sometimes I say to myself in the Kali temple, 'O Mother, the mind is
nothing but Yourself.' Therefore Pure Mind, Pure Buddhi, and Pure Atman
are one and the same thing."
It was about dusk. Many of the devotees saluted Sri Ramakrishna and
started to go home. The Master went to the west porch. Bhavanath and M.
were with him.
MASTER (to Bhavanath): "Why do you come here so
seldom?"
BHAVANATH (smiling): "Sir, I visit you once in a
fortnight. I saw you in
the street the other day, so I didn't come here."
MASTER: "What do you mean? What can you gain by mere seeing?
Touch and talk are also necessary."
The evening worship had begun in the temples. It was the eighth day of
the bright fortnight of the moon; the temple domes, the courtyard, the
gardens, and the trees were shining in the moonlight. The Ganges was
flowing north with a murmuring sound. Sri Ramakrishna sat on the small
couch in his room absorbed in contemplation of the Divine Mother.
The evening worship was over. One or two devotees were still in the
temple garden. Narendra had left. Sri Ramakrishna was pacing the
verandah
northeast of his room. M. stood there looking at him. Suddenly he said
to
M., "Ah, how sweet Narendra's music is!"
M: "Yes, sir. That song beginning with 'In dense darkness' is
particularly
beautiful."
MASTER: "You are right. That song has a deep meaning. A part of my
mind is still drawn to it."
M: "Yes, sir."
MASTER: "Meditation in darkness is prescribed in the Tantra."
Girish Ghosh came and stood by Sri Ramakrishna, who had started to sing:
Is Kali, my Mother, really black?
The Naked One, of blackest hue,
Lights the Lotus of the Heart. . . .
Sri Ramakrishna was filled with divine fervour. Standing with one arm resting on Girish's body he sang:
Why should I go to Ganga or Gaya, to Kasi, Kanchi, or Prabhas,
So long as I can breathe my last with Kali's name upon my lips?
What need of rituals has a man, what need of devotions any more,
If he repeats the Mother's name at the three holy hours?
Rituals may pursue him close, but never can they overtake him. . . .
Then he sang:
Once for all, this time, I have thoroughly understood;
From One2
who knows it well, I have learnt the secret of bhava.
A man has come to me from a country where there is no night,
And now I cannot distinguish day from night any longer;
Rituals and devotions have all grown profitless for me.
My sleep is broken; how can I slumber any more?
For now I am wide awake in the sleeplessness of yoga.
O Divine Mother, made one with Thee in yoga-sleep3
at last,
My slumber I have lulled asleep for evermore.
I bow my head, says Prasad, before desire and liberation;
Knowing the secret that Kali is one with the highest Brahman,
I have discarded, once for. all, both righteousness and sin.
As Sri Ramakrishna looked at Girish, his ecstatic fervour
became more intense.
He sang:
I have surrendered my soul at the fearless feet of the Mother;
Am I afraid of Death any more?
Unto the tuft of hair on my head
Is tied the almighty mantra. Mother Kali's name.
My body I have sold in the market-place of the world
And with it have bought Sri Durga's name. . . .
Intoxicated with God, Sri Ramakrishna repeated the lines:
My body I have sold in the market-place of the world
And with it have bought Sri Durga's name.
Looking at Girish and M. he said, "'Divine fervour fills my
body and
robs me of consciousness.'
"Here 'consciousness' means consciousness of the outer world. One needs
the Knowledge of Reality and Brahman.
"Bhakti, love of God, is the only essential thing. One kind of bhakti
has
a motive behind it. Again, there is a motiveless love, pure devotion, a
love
of God that seeks no return. Keshab Sen and the members of the Brahmo
Samaj didn't know about motiveless love. In this love there is no
desire; it is
nothing but pure love of the Lotus Feet of God.
"There is another kind of love, known as urjhita bhakti, an ecstatic
love
of God that overflows, as it were. When it is awakened, the devotee
laughs
and weeps and dances and sings'. Chaitanyadeva is an example of this
love.
Rama said to Lakshmana, 'Brother, if anywhere you see the manifestation
of
urjhita bhakti, know for certain that I am there.'"
GIRISH: "Everything is possible through your grace. What was I before?
And see what I am now."
MASTER: "You had latent tendencies; so they are manifesting themselves
now. Nothing happens except at the proper time. Take the case of a
patient
Nature has almost cured him, when the physician prescribes a herb and
asks
him to drink its juice. After taking the medicine he is completely
cured.
Now, is the patient cured by the medicine, or does he get well by
himself?
Who can tell?
"Lakshmana said to Lava and Kusa: (Rama's two sons.) "You are mere
children; you don't
know Rama's power. At the touch of His feet, Ahalya,4
who had been turned into a stone, got back her human form.' Lava and
Kusa said: 'Revered
sir, we know that. We have heard the story. The stone became Ahalya
because of the power of the holy man's words. The sage Gautama said to
her: "In the Tretayuga, Rama will pass this hermitage. You will become
a
human being again at the touch of His feet."' Now, who can tell whether
the miracle happened in order that the sage's words should be fulfilled
or
on account of Rama's holiness?
"Everything happens by the will of God. If your spiritual consciousness
has been awakened at this place, know that I am only an instrument.
'Uncle
Moon is everybody's uncle.' All happens by the will of God."
GIRISH (smiling): "Did you say 'by the will of God'?
What I am saying
is the very same thing." (All laugh.)
MASTER (to Girish): "By being guileless one can
speedily realize God.
There are several kinds of people who do not attain divine knowledge.
First,
a man with a perverse mind; he is not guileless. Second, one who is
very
fastidious about outer purity. Third, a doubting person."
Sri Ramakrishna spoke highly of Nityagopal's ecstasy.
Three or four devotees stood near Sri Ramakrishna on the verandah and
listened to his words about the exalted state of the paramahamsa. The
Master said: "A paramahamsa is always conscious that God alone is real
and
all else illusory. Only the swan has the power to separate milk from a
mixture
of milk and water. The swan's tongue secretes an acid that separates
the milk from the mixture. The paramahamsa also possesses such a juice;
it
is his ecstatic love for God. That separates the Real from the mixture
of the
Real and the unreal. Through it one becomes aware of God and sees Him."
Wednesday, February 25, 1885
Sri Ramakrishna was at the house of Girish Ghosh in Bosepara
Lane,
Calcutta. It was about three o'clock when M. arrived and prostrated
himself
before him. The Master was going to see a play at the Star Theatre. He
was
talking with the devotees about the Knowledge of Brahman.
MASTER: "Man experiences three states of consciousness: waking, dream,
and deep sleep. Those who follow the path of knowledge explain away the
three states. According to them, Brahman is beyond the three states. It
is also
beyond the gross, the subtle, and the causal bodies, and beyond the
three
gunas — sattva, rajas, and tamas. All these are maya, like a reflection
in a
mirror. The reflection is by no means the real substance. Brahman alone
is
the Substance and all else is illusory.
"The knowers of Brahman say, further, that it is the identification of
the soul with the body that creates the notion of duality. In that
state of
identification the reHection appears real. When this identification
disappears,
a man realizes, 'I am He; I am Brahman.
A DEVOTEE: "Then shall we all follow the path of reasoning?"
MASTER: "Reasoning is one of the paths; it is the path of the
Vedantists.
But there is another path, the path of bhakti. If a bhakta weeps
longingly
for the Knowledge of Brahman, he receives that as well.5
These are the two paths: jnana and bhakti.
"One may attain the Knowledge of Brahman by either path. Some retain
bhakti even after realizing Brahman, in order to teach humanity. An
Incarnation of God is one of these.
"A man cannot easily get rid of the ego and the consciousness that the
body is the soul. It becomes possible only when, through the grace of
God, he
attains samadhi — nirvikalpa samadhi, jada samadhi.
"The ego of the Incarnations returns to them when they come down from
the plane of samadhi; but then it is the 'ego of Knowledge' or the 'ego
of
Devotion'. Through the 'ego of Knowledge' they teach men. Sankaracharya
kept the 'ego of Knowledge'.
"Through the 'ego of Devotion' Chaitanyadeva tasted divine love and
enjoyed the company of the devotees. He talked about God and chanted
His name.
"Since one cannot easily get rid of the ego, a bhakta does not explain
away the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep. He accepts all the
states.
Further, he accepts the three gunas — sattva, rajas, and tamas. A
bhakta sees
that God alone has become the twenty-four cosmic principles, the
universe,
and all living beings. He also sees that God reveals Himself to His
devotees
in a tangible form, which is the embodiment of Spirit.
"The bhakta takes shelter under vidyamaya. He seeks holy company, goes
on pilgrimage, and practises discrimination, devotion, and
renunciation. He
says that, since a man cannot easily get rid of his ego, he should let
the
rascal remain as the servant of God, the devotee of God.
"But a bhakta also attains the Knowledge of Oneness; he sees that
nothing
exists but God. He does not regard the world as a dream, but says that
it is
God Himself who has become everything. In a wax garden you may see
various objects, but everything is made of wax.
"But a man realizes this only when his devotion to God has matured. One
gets jaundice when too much bile accumulates. Then one sees everything
as yellow. From constantly meditating on Krishna, Radhika saw
everything
as Krishna; moreover, she even felt that she herself had become
Krishna.
If a piece of lead is kept in a lake of mercury a long time, it turns
into
mercury. The cockroach becomes motionless by constantly meditating on
the kumira worm; it loses the power to move. At last it is transformed
into a
kumira. Similarly, by constantly meditating on God the bhakta loses his
ego;
he realizes that God is he and he is God. When the cockroach becomes
the
kumira everything is achieved. Instantly one obtains liberation.
"As long as God retains the ego m a man, he should establish a definite
relationship with God, calling on Him as Master, Mother, Friend", or
the
like. I spent one year as a handmaid — the handmaid of the Divine
Mother,
the Embodiment of Brahman. I used to dress myself as a woman. I put on
a
nose-ring. One can conquer lust by assuming, the attitude of a woman.
"One must worship the Adyasakti. She must be propitiated. She alone has
assumed all female forms. Therefore I look on all women as mother. The
attitude of looking on woman as mother is very pure. The Tantra
mentions
the vamachara6
method also. But that is not a good method; it causes the
aspirant's downfall. A devotee keeping an object of enjoyment near him
has
reason to be afraid.
"Looking on woman as mother is like fasting on the ekadasi day without
touching even a drop of water; in this attitude there is not the
slightest trace
of sensual enjoyment. Another way of observing the ekadasi allows the
taking
of fruit and the like. One can also observe the day by eating luchi and
curries!
But my attitude is not to touch even a drop of water while I observe
the fast.
I worshipped the Shorasi7
as my mother; I looked on all parts of her body as
those of my mother. This attitude of regarding God as Mother is the
last
word in sadhana. 'O God, Thou art my Mother and I am Thy child' — this
is the last word in spirituality.
"The sannyasi's way of living is like observing the ekadasi fast
without
taking even a drop of water. If he clings to enjoyment, then he has
reason
to be afraid. 'Woman and gold' is enjoyment. If a monk enjoys it, he is
swallowing his own spittle, as it were. There are different kinds of
enjoyment: money, wealth, name, fame, and sense pleasures. It is not
good for a
sannyasi to sit in the company of a woman devotee, or even to talk to
her.
This injures him and others as well. Then others cannot learn from him;
he
cannot set an example to humanity. A sannyasi keeps his body in order
to
teach mankind.
"To sit with a woman or talk to her a long time has also been described
as
a kind of sexual intercourse. There are eight kinds. To listen to a
woman
and enjoy her conversation is one kind; to speak about a woman is
another
kind; to whisper to her privately is a third kind; to keep something
belonging
to a woman and enjoy it is a fourth kind; to touch her is a fifth.
Therefore a
sannyasi should not salute his guru's young wife, touching her feet.
These
are the rules for sannyasis.
"But the case is quite different with householders. After the birth of
one
or two children, the husband and wife should live as brother and
sister. The
other seven kinds of sexual intercourse do not injure them much.
"A householder has various debts: debts to the gods, to the fathers,
and to
the rishis. He also owes a debt to his wife. He should make her the
mother
of one or two children and support her if she is a chaste woman.
"Householders do not know who is a good wife and who is a bad wife,
who is a vidyasakti and who is an avidyasakti. A vidyasakti, a good
wife, has
very little lust and anger. She sleeps little. She pushes her husband's
head
away from her. She is full of affection, kindness, devotion, modesty,
and
other noble qualities. Such a wife serves all, looking on all men as
her
children. Further, she helps increase her husband's love of God. She
doesn't
spend much money lest her husband should have to work hard and thus not
get leisure to think of God.
"Mannish women have different traits. These are bad traits: squint eyes
and hollow eyes, catlike eyes, lantern jaws like a calf's, and
pigeon-breast"
GIRISH: "What is the way for people like us?"
MASTER: "Bhakti is the only essential thing. Bhakti has different
aspects:
the sattvic, the rajasic, and the tamasic. One who has sattvic bhakti
is very
modest and humble. But a man with tamasic bhakti is like a highwayman
in his attitude toward God. He says: 'O God, I am chanting Your name;
how
can I be a sinner? O God, You are my own Mother; You must reveal
Yourself to me.'"
GIRISH (smiling): "It is you, sir, who teach us
tamasic bhakti."
MASTER (smiling): "There are certain signs of
God-vision. When a man
sees God he goes into samadhi. There are five kinds of samadhi. First,
he
feels the Mahavayu8
rise like an ant crawling up. Second, he feels It rise
like a fish swimming in the water. Third, he feels It rise like a snake
wriggling along. Fourth, he feels It rise like a bird flying — flying
from one branch
to another. Fifth, he feels It rise like a monkey making a big jump;
the
Mahavayu reaches the head with one jump, as it were, and samadhi
follows.
"There are two other kinds of samadhi. First, the sthita samadhi, when
the
aspirant totally loses outer consciousness: he remains in that state a
long time,
it may be for many days. Second, the unmana samadhi: it is to withdraw
the
mind suddenly from all sense-objects and unite it with God.
(To M.) "Do you understand this?"
M: "Yes, sir."
GIRISH: "Can one realize God by sadhana?"
MASTER: "People have realized God in various ways. Some through much
austerity, worship, and devotion; they have attained perfection through
their
own efforts. Some are born perfect, as for example Narada and Sukadeva;
they are called nityasiddha, eternally perfect. There are also those
who have
attained perfection all of a sudden; it is like a man's unexpectedly
coming
into a great fortune. Again, there are instances of people's realizing
God in
a dream and by divine grace."
Saying this, Sri Ramakrishna sang, intoxicated with divine fervour:
Can everyone have the vision of Syama? Is Kali's treasure for everyone?
Oh, what a pity my foolish mind will not see what is true! . . .
Sri Ramakrishna remained in ecstasy a few moments. Girish and
the
other devotees were seated before him. A few days earlier Girish had
been
very rude to the Master at the Star Theatre; but now he was in a calm
state of mind.
MASTER (to Girish): "This mood of yours is very
good; it is peaceful. I
prayed about you to the Divine Mother, 'O Mother, make him peaceful so
that he won't abuse me.
GIRISH (to M.): "I feel as if someone were pressing
my tongue. I can't talk."
Sri Ramakrishna was still in an indrawn mood; he seemed to be gradually
forgetting the men and the objects around him. He tried to bring his
mind
down to the relative world. He looked at the devotees.
Looking at M., he said: "They all come to Dakshineswar. Let them.
Mother knows everything." To a young man of the neighbourhood he said:
"Hello! What do you think? What is the duty of man?" All sat in
silence.
To Narayan he said: "Don't you want to pass the examinations? But, my
dear
child, a man freed from bondage is Siva; entangled in bondage, he is
jiva."
Sri Ramakrishna was still in the God-intoxicated mood. There was a
glass
of water near him. He drank the water. He said to himself, "Why, I have
drunk water in this mood!"
It was not yet dusk. Sri Ramakrishna was talking to Atul, who was
seated
in front of him. Atul was Girish's brother and a lawyer of the High
Court
of Calcutta. A brahmin neighbour was also seated near him.
MASTER (to Atul): "All I want to tell you is this.
Follow both; perform
your duties in the world and also cultivate love of God."
BRAHMIN: "Can anyone but a brahmin achieve perfection?"
MASTER: "Why should you ask that? It is said that in the Kaliyuga the
sudras achieve love of God. There are the instances of Savari, Ruhidas,
the
untouchable Guhaka, and others."
NARAYAN (smiling): "Brahmins and sudras — all are
one."
BRAHMIN: "Can a man realize God in one birth?"
MASTER: "Is anything impossible for the grace of God? Suppose you bring
a light into a room that has been dark a thousand years; does it remove
the
darkness little by little? The room is lighted all at once. (To
Atul) Intense
renunciation is what is needed. One should be like an unsheathed sword.
When a man has that renunciation, he looks on his relatives as black
cobras
and his home as a deep well.
"One should pray to God with sincere longing. God cannot but listen to
prayer if it is sincere."
All sat in silence, pondering Sri Ramakrishna's words.
MASTER (to Atul): "What is worrying you? Is it that
you haven't that
grit, that intense restlessness for God?"
ATUL: "How can we keep our minds on God?"
MASTER: "Abhyasayoga, the yoga of practice. You should practise calling
on God every day. It is not possible to succeed in one day; through
daily
prayer you will come to long for God.
"How can you feel that restlessness if you are immersed in worldliness
day and night? Formerly Jadu Mallick enjoyed spiritual talk; he liked
to
engage in it himself. But nowadays he doesn't show that much interest.
He
surrounds himself with flatterers day and night and indulges in worldly
talk."
It was dusk. The lamp was lighted in the room. Sri Ramakrishna chanted
the divine names. He was singing and praying. He said, "Chant the name
of
Hari, repeal the name of Hari, sing the name of Hari." Again he said,
"Rama! Rama! Rama!" Then: "O Mother! Thou dost ever enjoy Thine
eternal sports. Tell us, O Mother, what is the way? We have taken
refuge
in Thee; we have taken shelter at Thy feet."
Finding Girish restless, Sri Ramakrishna remained silent a moment. He
asked Tejchandra to sit near him. The boy sat near the Master. He
whispered to M. that he would have to leave soon.
MASTER (to M.): "What did he say?"
M: "He said he would have to go home."
MASTER: "Why do I attract these boys to me so much? They are pure
vessels untouched by worldliness. A man cannot assimilate instruction
if his
mind is stained with worldliness. Milk can be safely kept in a new pot;
but
it turns sour if kept in a pot in which curd has been made. You may
wash
a thousand times a cup that has held a solution of garlic, but still
you cannot
remove the smell."
Sri Ramakrishna arrived at the Star Theatre, on Beadon Street, to see a
performance of Vrishaketu.9
He sat in a box, facing the south. M. and other devotees were near him.
MASTER (to M.): "Has Narendra come?"
M: "Yes, sir."
The performance began. Karna and his wife Padmavati sacrificed their
son to please God, who had come to them in the guise of a brahmin to
test
Karna's charity. During this scene one of the devotees gave a
suppressed
sigh. Sri Ramakrishna also expressed his sorrow.
After the play Sri Ramakrishna went to the recreation room of the
theatre.
Girish and Narendra were already there. The Master stood near Narendra
and said, "I have come."
Sri Ramakrishna took a seal. The orchestra was playing in the
auditorium.
MASTER (to the devotee): "I feel happy listening to
the concert. The
musicians used to play on the sanai at Dakshineswar and I would go into
ecstasy. Noticing this, a certain sadhu said, 'This is a sign of the
Knowledge
of Brahman.'"
The orchestra stopped playing and Sri Ramakrishna began the
conversation.
MASTER (to Girish): "Does this theatre belong to
you?"
GIRISH: "It is ours, sir."
MASTER: "'Ours' is good, it is not good to say 'mine'. People say 'I'
and
'mine'; they are egotistic, small-minded people."
NARENDRA: "The whole world is a theatre."
MASTER: "Yes, yes, that's right. In some places you see tlie play of
vidya
and in some, the play of avidya."
NARENDRA: "Everything is the play of vidya."
MASTER: "True, true. But a man realizes that when he has the Knowledge
of Brahman. But for a bhakta, who follows the path of divine love, both
exist — vidyamaya and avidyamaya.
"Please sing a little."
Narendra sang:
Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness waves of ecstatic love arise:
Rapture divine! Play of God's Bliss!
Oh, how enthralling!
Wondrous waves of the sweetness of God, ever new and ever enchanting,
Rise on the surface, ever assuming
Forms ever fresh.
Then once more in the Great Communion all are merged, as the barrier
walls
Of time and space dissolve and vanish:
Dance then, O mind!
Dance in delight with hands upraised, chanting Lord Hari's holy name.
As Narendra sang the words, "Then once more in the Great
Communion
all are merged", Sri Ramakrishna said to him, "One realizes this after
attaining the Knowledge of Brahman; then all is vidya, Brahman, as you
said."
As Narendra sang the line, "Dance in delight with hands upraised,
chanting
Lord Hari's holy name", the Master said to him, "Sing that line twice."
After the song Sri Ramakrishna resumed the conversation.
GIRISH: "Devendra Babu hasn't come. He says in a mood of wounded
pride: 'We haven't any stuff inside us, no filling of thickened milk.
We
are filled only with worthless lentil-paste. Why should we go there?'"
MASTER (surprised): "Does he say that? He never said
so before."
Sri Ramakrishna took some refreshments and handed some to Narendra.
JATIN DEVA
(to the Master): "You always say: 'Narendra, eat
this! Eat
that!' Are the rest of us fools? Are we like straw washed ashore by the
flood-tide?"
Sri Ramakrishna loved Jatin dearly. Jatin visited the Master now and
then at Dakshineswar and occasionally spent the night there. He
belonged
to an aristocratic family of Sobhabazar. The Master said laughingly to
Narendra, "He is talking about you."
Sri Ramakrishna laughed and showed his affection to Jatin by touching
his chin. He said to Jatin, "Come to Dakshineswar; I'll give you plenty
to eat."
The Master went into the auditorium to see a farce. He sat in a box. He
laughed at the conversation of the maidservant. After a while he became
absent-minded and whispered a few words to M.
MASTER (to M.): "Well, is what Girish Ghosh says
true?"
Girish had lately been speaking of Sri Ramakrishna as an Incarnation of
God.
M: "Yes, sir, it must be true. Otherwise why should it appeal to our
minds?"
MASTER: "You see, a change is coming over me. The old mood has
changed. I am not able to touch any metal now."
M. listened to these words in wonder.
MASTER: "There is a very deep meaning in this new mood."
Was the Master hinting that a God-man cannot bear any association with
worldly treasure?
MASTER (to M.): "Well, do you notice any change in
me?"
M: "In what respect, sir?"
MASTER: "In my activities."
M: "Your activities are increasing as more people come to know about
you.
MASTER: "Do you see? What I said before is now coming true.
After a few moments he said, "Can you tell me why Paltu can't meditate
well?"
Sri Ramakrishna was ready to leave for Dakshineswar. He had remarked
to a devotee about Girish, "You may wash a thousand times a cup that
has
held a solution of garlic; but is it ever possible to get rid of the
smell
altogether?" Girish was offended by this remark. When the Master was
about to
leave, Girish spoke.
GIRISH: "Will this smell of garlic go?"
MASTER: "Yes, it will."
GIRISH: "So you say it will."
MASTER: "All smell disappears when a blazing fire is lighted. If you
heat
the cup smelling of garlic, you get rid of the smell; it becomes a new
cup.
"The man who says he will not succeed will never succeed. He who feels
he is liberated is indeed liberated; and he who feels he is bound
verily
remains bound. He who forcefully says, 'I am free' is certainly free;
and he
who says day and night, 'I am bound' is certainly bound."