Two kinds of devotion — Vision of God — How a liberated soul lives in the world — Detachment of a child — "I-consciousness" after God-realization — Master warns Narendra about householders — Worldly people have no time for spiritual practice — Akbar and the holy man — Master talks about his young disciples — Master's eagerness for a spiritual companion — False piety — Genuine bhakti — Nature of Atman — Jivanmukta — Separation of body and soul — Revelation about himself — About Girish — Master warns Tarak.
Sunday, March 1, 1885
SRI RAMAKRISHNA was seated on the small couch in his room,
absorbed
in deep samadhi. Mahimacharan, Ram, Manomohan, Nabai Chaitanya,
M., and other devotees were sitting on a mat spread on the floor. They
were watching the Master intently.
It was the day of the Dolayatra, a Hindu religious festival. Sri
Krishna
and Radha are the central figures of this celebration, their images
being
placed on a swing which is rocked now and then. A red powder is
showered
on the images. Later, friends and relatives throw the powder at one
another.
This festival is celebrated when winter passes into spring, on a
full-moon
day rendered doubly sacred by its association with the birth of Sri
Chaitanya.
The devotees saw that the Master was returning to consciousness of the
world, though his mind still lingered in the realm of God-vision.
The Master said to Mahimacharan, "My dear sir, please tell us something
about love of God."
Mahimacharan chanted the following lines from the Narada
Pancharatra:
What need is there of penance if God is worshipped with love?
What is the use of penance if God is not worshipped with love?
What need is there of penance if God is seen within and without?
What is the use of penance if God is not seen within and without?
O Brahman! O my child! Cease from practising further penances.
Hasten to Sankara, the Ocean of Heavenly Wisdom;
Obtain from Him the love of God, the pure love praised by devotees,
Which snaps in twain the shackles that bind you to the world.
Mahima said, "Once while the great sage Narada was practising
austerity,
he suddenly heard a heavenly voice repeating those lines."
MASTER: "There are two classes of devotees: jivakotis, or ordinary men,
and Isvarakotis, or Divine Messengers. The jivakoti's devotion to God
is
called vaidhi, formal; that is, it conforms to scriptural laws. He
worships God
with a fixed number of articles, repeats God's holy name a specified
number
of times, and so on and so forth. This kind of devotion, like the path
of
knowledge, leads to the Knowledge of God and to samadhi. The jivakoti
does not return from samadhi to the relative plane.
"But the case of the Isvarakoti is different. He follows the process of
'negation' and 'affirmation'. First he negates the world, realizing
that it is not
Brahman; but then he affirms the same world, seeing it as the
manifestation
of Brahman. To-give an illustration: a man wanting to climb to the roof
first
negates the stairs as not being the roof, but on reaching the roof he
finds
that the stairs are made of the same materials as the roof: brick,
lime, and
brick-dust. Then he can either move up and down the stairs or remain on
the roof, as he pleases.
"Sukadeva was absorbed in samadhi — nirvikalpa samadhi, jada samadhi.
Since Suka was to recite the Bhagavata to King Parikshit, the Lord sent
the sage Narada to him. Narada saw him seated like an inert thing,
absolutely unconscious of the world around him. Thereupon Narada sang
four
couplets on the beauty of Hari, to the accompaniment of the vina. While
the first couplet was being sung the hair on Suka's body stood on end.
Next
he shed tears; for he saw the form of God, the Embodiment of Spirit,
within himself, in his heart. Thus Sukadeva saw the form of God even
after
jada samadhi. He was an Isvarakoti.
"Hanuman, after having the vision of God both with form and without,
remained firmly devoted to the form of Rama, the Embodiment of
Consciousness and Bliss.
"Prahlada sometimes realized, 'I am He'; sometimes he felt that he was
the servant of God. How can such a person live without love of God?
That
is why he must accept the relationship of master and servant, feeling
that
God is the Master and himself the servant. This enables him to enjoy
the
Bliss of Hari. In this attitude he feels that God is the Bliss and he
himself
is the enjoyer.
"The 'ego of Devotion', the 'ego of Knowledge', and the 'ego of a
child'
do not harm the devotee. Sankaracharya kept the 'ego of Knowledge'. The
'ego of a child' is not attached to anything. The child is beyond the
three
gunas; he is not under the control of any of them. One moment you find
him angry; the next moment it is all over. One moment you see him
building his play house; the next moment he forgets all about it. Now
you see him love his playmates; but if they are out of his sight a few
days
he forgets all about them. A child is not under the control of any of
the
gunas — sattva, rajas, or tamas.
"The bhakta feels, 'O God, Thou art the Lord and I am Thy devotee.'
This
'I' is the 'ego of bhakti'. Why does such a lover of God retain the
'ego of
Devotion'? There is a reason. The ego cannot be got rid of; so let the
rascal
remain as the servant of God, the devotee of God.
"You may reason a thousand times, but you cannot get rid of the ego.
The ego is like a pitcher, and Brahman like the ocean — an infinite
expanse
of water on all sides. The pitcher is set in this ocean. The water is
both
inside and out; the water is everywhere; yet the pitcher remains. Now,
this
pitcher is the 'ego of the devotee'. As long as the ego remains, 'you'
and 'I'
remain, and there also remains the feeling, 'O God, Thou art the Lord
and
I am Thy devotee; Thou art the Master and I am Thy servant.' You may
reason a million times, but you cannot get rid of it. But it is
different if
there is no pitcher."
Narendra entered the room and saluted the Master. They began to talk
together. Presently the Master came down from the couch and sat on the
floor, on which a mat had been spread. In the mean time the room had
become filled with people, both devotees and visitors.
MASTER (to Narendra): "Are you well? I hear
that you often visit Girish Ghosh at his house. Is it true?"
NARENDRA: "Yes, sir, I go there now and then."
Girish had been visiting Sri Ramakrishna for some months. The Master
said that none could fathom the depth of Girish's faith. And his
longing for
God was as intense as his faith was deep. At home, he was always
absorbed
in the thought of Sri Ramakrishna. Many of the Master's devotees
visited
him; they talked only about Sri Ramakrishna. But Girish was a
householder
who had had varied experiences of worldly life, and the Master knew
that
Narendra would renounce the world, that he would shun "woman and gold"
both mentally and outwardly.
MASTER: "Do you visit Girish frequently? No matter how much one
washes a cup that has contained a solution of garlic, still a trace of
the smell
will certainly linger. The youngsters who come here are pure souls —
untouched by 'woman and gold'. Men who have associated a long time with
'woman and gold' smell of the garlic, as it were. They are like a mango
pecked by crows. Such a fruit cannot be offered to the Deity in the
temple,
and you would hesitate to eat it yourself. Again, take the case of a
new pot
and another in which curd has been made. One is afraid to keep milk in
the second pot, for the milk very often turns sour.
"Householder devotees like Girish form a class by themselves. They
desire
yoga and also bhoga. Their attitude is that of Ravana, who wanted to
enjoy
the maidens of heaven and at the same time realize Rama. They are like
the asuras, the demons, who enjoy various pleasures and also realize
Narayana."
NARENDRA: "But Girish has given up his old associates."
MASTER: "Yes, yes. He is like a bull castrated in old age. In Burdwan
I once saw an ox moving about the cows. I asked a bullock-cart driver:
'What is this? An ox? How strange!' He said to me: 'True, sir. But it
was
castrated in old age, and so it hasn't altogether shaken off the old
tendencies.'
"In a certain place there sat some sannyasis. A young woman happened to
pass by. All continued as before to meditate on God, except one of
them,
who cast sidelong glances at her. Before becoming a monk he had been
the
father of three children.
"If you make a solution of garlic in a cup, won't it be hard to remove
the smell from it? Can a worthless tree like the babui produce mangoes?
Of
course such a thing may become possible through the occult powers of a
yogi; but can everyone acquire such powers?
"When have worldly people time to think of God? A man wanted to
engage a pundit who could explain the Bhagavata to
him. His friend said:
I know of an excellent pundit. But there is one difficulty: he does a
great
deal of farming. He has four ploughs and eight bullocks and is always
busy
with them; he has no leisure.' Thereupon the man said: 'I don't care
for a
pundit who has no leisure. I am not looking for a Bhagavata
scholar burdened
with ploughs and bullocks. I want a pundit who can really expound the
sacred book to me.'
"There was a king who used to listen daily to a pundit's exposition of
the
Bhagavata. Every day at the end of their study the
pundit would ask the
king, 'O King, have you understood what I have read?' To this question
the
king would daily give the same reply: 'Sir, you had better understand
it first
yourself.' Each day, when the pundit returned home, he would ponder the
meaning of the king's words. He was a pious man, devoted to prayer and
meditation. Gradually he came to his senses and realized that the only
real
thing in the world is the Lotus Feet of God, and that all else is
illusory. He
felt dispassion for the world and took up the life of a monk. As he was
leaving
the world he sent a man to the king with the message: 'Yes, O King!
Now I have understood.'
"But do I look down on worldly people? Of course not. When I see
them, I apply the Knowledge of Brahman, the Oneness of Existence.
Brahman
Itself has become everything; all are Narayana Himself. Regarding all
women as so many forms of the Divine Mother, I see no difference
between
a chaste woman and a streetwalker.
"Alas! I find no customers who want anything better than kalai pulse.
No one wants to give up 'woman and gold'. Man, deluded by the beauty of
woman and the power of money, forgets God. But to one who has seen the
beauty of God, even the position of Brahma, the Creator, seems
insignificant.
"A man said to Ravana, 'You have been going to Sita in different
disguises;
why don't you go to her in the form of Rama?' 'But', Ravana replied,
'when I meditate on Rama in my heart, the most beautiful women —
celestial
maidens like Rambha and Tilottama — appear no better than ashes of the
funeral pyre. Then even the position of Brahma appears trivial to me,
not to
speak of the beauty of another man's wife.'
"Alas! I find that all the customers here seek worthless kalai pulse.
Unless
the soul is pure, it cannot have genuine love of God and single-minded
devotion to the ideal. The mind wanders away to various objects.
(To Manomohan1)
"You may take offence at my words, but I said to
Rakhal, 'I would rather hear that you had drowned yourself in the
Ganges
than learn that you had accepted a job under another person and become
his servant.'
"One day a Nepalese girl came here. She sang devotional songs to the
accompaniment of the esraj. When someone asked her if she was married,
she said sharply: 'What? I am the handmaid of God! Whom else could I
serve?'
"How can a man living in the midst of 'woman and gold' realize God? It
is very hard for him to lead an unattached life. First, he is the slave
of his
wife, second, of money, and third, of the master whom he serves.
"When Akbar was Emperor of Delhi there lived a hermit in a hut in the
forest. Many people visited the holy man. At one time he felt a great
desire
to entertain his visitors. But how could he do so without money? So he
decided to go to the Emperor for help, for the gate of Akbar's palace
was
always open to holy men. The hermit entered the palace while the
Emperor
was at his daily devotions and took a seat in a corner of the room. He
heard
the Emperor conclude his worship with the prayer, 'O God, give me
money;
give me riches', and so on and so forth. When the hermit heard this he
was
about to leave the prayer hall; but the Emperor signed to him to wait.
When the prayer was over, Akbar said to him, 'You came to see me; how
is
it that you were about to leave without saying anything to me?' 'Your
Majesty need not trouble yourself about it', answered the hermit. 'I
must
leave now.' When the Emperor insisted, the hermit said, 'Many people
visit
my hut, and so I came here to ask you for some money.' 'Then', said
Akbar,
'why were you going away without speaking to me?' The hermit replied:
'I
found that you too were a beggar; you too prayed to God for money and
riches. Thereupon I said to myself, "Why should I beg of a beggar? If I
must beg, let me beg of God."'"
NARENDRA: "Nowadays Girish Ghosh thinks of nothing but spiritual
things."
MASTER: "That is very good. But why is he so abusive? Why does he use
such vulgar language to me? In my present state of mind I cannot bear
such
rudeness. When a thunderbolt strikes near a house, the heavy things
inside
the house are not much affected; but the window-panes rattle. Nowadays
I
cannot bear such roughness. A man living on the plane of sattva cannot
bear noise and uproar. That is why Hriday was sent away. It was the
Divine Mother who sent him away. During the later part of his stay he
went to extremes; he became very rough and abusive. (To
Narendra) Do
you agree with Girish about me?"
NARENDRA: "He said he believed you to be an Incarnation of God. I
didn't
say anything in answer to his remarks."
MASTER: "But how great his faith is! Don't you think so?"
The devotees listened intently to the Master's words. He was still
seated on
the mat spread on the floor, with M. by his side and Narendra in front
of
him. The devotees were sitting around.
After a few minutes' silence he said to Narendra tenderly, "My child,
you
will not attain God without renouncing 'woman and gold'." As he said
this, great emotion welled up in his heart. Fixing on Narendra an
earnest
and tender look, he sang:2
We are afraid to speak, and yet we are afraid to keep still;
Our minds, O Radha, half believe that we are about to lose you!
We tell you the secret that we know —
The secret whereby we ourselves, and others, with our help,
Have passed through many a time of peril;
Now it all depends on you.
Sri Ramakrishna seemed to be afraid lest Narendra should leave
him.
Narendra looked at the Master with tears in his eyes.
A visitor who was there for the first time heard and saw all this. He
said
to the Master, "Sir, if one must renounce 'woman and gold', then what
shall
a householder do?"
MASTER: "You may enjoy 'woman and gold'. What has passed between
us is no concern of yours."
Mahimacharan, a householder devotee, heard everything and sat
speechless.
MASTER (to Mahima): "Go forward. Push on. You will
discover the
forest of sandal-wood. Go farther and you will find the silver-mine. Go
farther still and you will see the gold-mine. Do not stop there. Go
forward,
and you will reach the mines of rubies and diamonds. Therefore I say,
go forward."
MAHIMA: "But, sir, something holds us back. We can't move."
MASTER (with a smile): "Why? Cut the reins. Cut them
with the sword
of God's name. 'The shackles of Kala, Time, are cut by Kali's name.'"
Every now and then the Master cast his gracious look on Narendra. He
said, "Have you now become an experienced physician?" Quoting a
Sanskrit
verse he said, "He who has killed only a hundred patients is a novice
in
medicine; but he becomes an expert after killing a thousand!"
Was the Master hinting that Narendra, even though still young, had
had many painful experiences of life?
Narendra smiled and kept silent.
It was afternoon. The devotees were seated around the Master, listening
to Nabai Chaitanya's singing. Suddenly the Master left the room, but
the
music continued. M. accompanied the Master.
Sri Ramakrishna walked across the courtyard and entered the temple of
Radhakanta. He bowed down before the images, M. following him. There
was some red powder in a tray. The Master offered a little powder to
the
images and bowed down again.
Next he proceeded to the Kali temple. Passing up the seven steps, he
stood on the open porch and looked at the image. Then he entered the
shrine, offered red powder to the Divine Mother, and saluted Her. As he
left the temple he asked M., "Why didn't you bring Baburam with you?"
Sri Ramakrishna returned to his room accompanied by M. and another
devotee carrying the tray of red powder. He offered a little of it to
all the
pictures of gods and goddesses in his room, but not to those of Jesus
Christ
and himself. Then he threw the powder on the bodies of Narendra and
the other devotees. They all took the dust of his feet.
In the cool shade of the late afternoon the devotees walked about in
the
temple garden, leaving the Master and M. in the room. The Master
whispered
to M.: "All say that they meditate well. But why is it different with
Paltu? What do you think of Narendra? He is utterly guileless. Just now
he is faced with many difficult family problems and so his spiritual
progress
is a little checked; but it will not be so for long."
Narendra was arguing on the verandah with a Vedantist. Now and then
the Master went out to look at them. As the devotees gathered in the
room
he asked Mahima to recite a hymn. Mahima chanted a verse from the
Mahanirvana Tantra:
We worship the Brahman-Consciousness in the Lotus of the Heart,
The Undifferentiated, who is adored by Hari, Hara, and Brahma. . . .
Mahima recited a few more hymns and at last one to Siva, by
Sankaracharya, that compared the world to a deep well and a wilderness.
Mahima
was a householder.
The hymn ran thus:
O Great God! O Thou Auspicious One, with the moon shining in Thy crest!
Slayer of Madana! (The god of love.) Wielder of
the trident! Unmoving One! Lord of the Himalayas!
O Consort of Durga, Lord of all creatures! Thou who scatterest the
distress of the fearful!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O Beloved of Parvati's heart! O Thou moon-crested Deity!
Master of every being! Lord of hosts! O Thou, the Lord of Parvati!
O Vamadeva, Self-existent One! O Rudra, Wielder of the bow!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O blue-throated God! Siva, whose ensign is the bull! O Five-faced One!
Lord of the worlds, who wearest snakes upon Thy wrists! O Thou
Auspicious One!
O Siva! O Pasupati! (Lord of beings.) O Thou, the Lord of Parvati!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O Lord of the Universe! O Siva Sankara! O God of Gods!
Thou who dost bear the river Ganges in Thy matted locks!
Thou, the Master of Pramatha and Nandika! (Attendants of Siva.) O Hara,
Lord of the world!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O King of Kasi, Lord of the cremation ground of Manikarnika!
O mighty Hero, Thou the Destroyer of Daksha's (Siva's father-in-law.)
sacrifice! O All-pervasive One!
O Lord of hosts! Omniscient One, who art the sole Indweller in every
heart! O Lord!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O Great God! Compassionate One! O Benign Deity!
O Byomakesa! (A name of Siva.) Blue-throated One! O Lord of hosts!
Thy body is smeared with ashes! Thou art garlanded with human skulls!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
O Thou who dwellest on Mount Kailas! Thou whose carrier is the bull!
O Conqueror of death! O Three-eyed One! Lord of the three worlds!
Beloved of Narayana! Conqueror of lust! Thou, Sakti's Lord!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
Lord of the Universe! Refuge of the whole world! O Thou of infinite
forms!
Soul of the Universe! O Thou in whom repose the infinite virtues of the
world!
O Thou adored by all! Compassionate One! O Friend of the poor!
Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this
miserable world.
MASTER (to Mahima): "Why do you call the world a deep well or a track-less forest? An aspirant may think so in the beginning; but how can he be frightened by the world if he holds fast to God? Then he finds that —
This very world is a mansion of mirth;
Here I can eat, here drink and make merry.
"Why should you be frightened? Hold fast to God. What if the
world is
like a forest of thorns? Put on shoes and walk on the thorns. Whom
should
you fear? You won't have to play again the part of the 'thief in the
game of
hide-and-seek, once you touch the 'granny'.3
"King Janaka used to fence with two swords — the one of Knowledge and
the other of action. Nothing can frighten an expert player.
(To M.) "My mind is still drawn to what he just
recited."
Sri Ramakrishna referred to the hymns chanted by Mahima.
Nabai Chaitanya and the other devotees began to sing. They were joined
by the Master, who danced, drunk with divine love. Afterwards he said:
"This is the one thing needful, the chanting of God's name. All else is
unreal. Love and devotion alone are real, and other things are of no
con-
sequence."
Later Sri Ramakrishna went out in the direction of the Panchavati. He
asked M. about Binode, a student in M.'s school, who now and then
experienced ecstasy while thinking of God. The Master loved him dearly.
As he was returning to his room with M., he asked: "Well, some speak
of me as an Incarnation of God. What do you think about it?" The Master
came back to his room and sat on the small couch. He repeated the
question
to M. The other devotees were seated at a distance and could not follow
the conversation.
MASTER: "What do you say?"
M: "I think so too. You are like Sri Chaitanya."
MASTER: "Is it a full manifestation of God, or a part? Tell me how
much."
M: "I don't know, sir. But it is true that there is in you an
Incarnation
of the Divine Power. There is no doubt that God alone dwells in you."
MASTER: "That is true. Chaitanya also wanted to realize Sakti, the
Divine Power."
Narendra was engaged in a heated discussion. Ram, who had recently
recovered from an illness, joined him.
MASTER (to M.): "I don't like such discussions. (To
Ram) Will you stop
that? You haven't been well. All right, go on softly; don't get so
excited.
(To M.) I don't like these discussions. I used to
weep and pray to the
Divine Mother saying: 'O Mother, one man says it is this, while another
says it is that. Do Thou tell me, O Mother, what is the truth.'"
Saturday, March 7, 1885
At three o'clock in the afternoon Sri Ramakrishna was in his
room at
Dakshineswar conversing happily with his devotees. Baburam, the younger
Naren, Paltu, Haripada, Mohinimohan, and others were. present. A young
brahmin who had been staying with the Master a few days was also there.
The Holy Mother, Sri Ramakrishna's wife, was living in the nahabat.
Occasionally she would come to Sri Ramakrishna's room to attend to his
needs. Mohinimohan had brought his wife and Nabin's mother with him
to the temple garden from Calcutta. The ladies were with the Holy
Mother;
they were waiting for an opportunity to visit the Master when the men
devotees would leave the room.
Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch. As he looked at the
young devotees his Face beamed with joy.
Rakhal was not then living at Dakshineswar with the Master. Since his
return from Vrindavan he had been living at home.
MASTER (smiling): "Rakhal is now enjoying his
pension'. Since his
return from Vrindavan he has been staying at home. His wife is there.
But
he said to me that he would not accept any work even if he were offered
a
salary of a thousand rupees.
Rakhal would lie down here and say to me that he didn't care even for
my company. He was then passing through such an exalted state.
Bhavanath is married; but he spends the whole night in spiritual
conversation with his wife. The couple pass their time talking of God
alone. I
said to him, 'Have a little fun with your wife now and then.' 'What?'
he;
retorted angrily. 'Shall we too indulge in frivolity?'"
Sri Ramakrishna began to talk about Narendra.
MASTER (to the devotees): "I haven't felt the same
strong longing for the
younger Naren that I felt for Narendra.
(To Haripada) "Do you go to Girish Ghosh's house?"
HARIPADA: "Yes, I go there very often. He is our neighbour."
MASTER: "Does Narendra, too, go there?"
HARIPADA: "Yes, I see him there occasionally."
MASTER: "What does he say in reply to Girish?" [Girish Ghosh spoke of
Sri Ramakrishna as an Incarnation of God.]
HARIPADA: "Narendra has been defeated in the argument."
MASTER: "No, Narendra says, 'Girish Ghosh has such strong faith; why
should I contradict him?'"
The brother of Judge Anukal Mukhopadhyaya's son-in-law was in the
room. The Master asked him, "Do you know Narendra?"
BROTHER: "Yes, sir. He is a very intelligent young man."
MASTER (to the devotees): "He must be a good man
because he speaks
highly of Narendra. Narendra was here the other day and sang with
Trailokya Sannyal. But that day his singing seemed flat to me."
Baburam was a student in the Entrance Class in the school where M.
taught.
MASTER (to Baburam): "Where are your books? Aren't
you attending
to your studies? (To M.) He wants to stick to both.
(God and the world.)
"That is very difficult. What will you gain by, knowing God partially?
Vasishthadeva, great sage that he was, was overcome at the death of his
sons. That amazed Lakshmana and he asked Rama the reason. Rama said:
'Brother, what is there to wonder at? He who has knowledge has
ignorance
also. Brother, go beyond both knowledge and ignorance.' If a thorn
enters
the sole of your foot, you get another thorn to take out the first one.
Afterwards you throw both away. Likewise, one procures the thorn of
knowledge
to remove the thorn of ignorance; then one goes beyond both knowledge
and ignorance."
BABURAM (smiling): "That's what I want."
MASTER (smiling): "But, my child, can you attain it
by holding to both?
If you want that, then come away."
BABURAM (smiling): "Take me away from the world."
MASTER (to M.): "Rakhal lived with me, but that was
different; his father
agreed to it. If these boys stay here there will be trouble.
(To Baburam) "You have no strength of mind; you
haven't much courage.
Just see how the younger Naren says, 'I will come away for good.'"
Sri Ramakrishna came down from the small couch and sat among the
youngsters on the floor. M. sat by his side.
MASTER (to M.): "I have been seeking one who has
totally renounced
'woman and gold'. When I find a young man, I think that perhaps he will
live with me; but everyone raises some objection or other.
"A ghost sought a companion. It is said that a man who dies on a
Saturday
or Tuesday becomes a ghost. Therefore, whenever the ghost saw anybody
fall from a roof or stumble and faint on the road on either of those
days, he
would run to him, hoping that the man, through an accidental death,
would
become a ghost and be his companion. But such was his ill luck that
everyone
revived. The poor thing could not get a companion.
"Just see, Rakhal always gives his wife as an excuse. He says, 'What
will
become of her?' When I touched Narendra on the chest, he became
unconscious;
then he cried out: 'Oh, what have you done to me? Don't you know
that I have a father and mother?'
"Why has God made me lead this kind of life?4
Chaitanyadeva became a sannyasi so that all would salute him. Whoever
salutes an Incarnation,
even once, obtains liberation."
Mohinimohan had brought a basket of sweetmeats for Sri Ramakrishna.
MASTER: "Who has brought these sweets?"
Baburam pointed to Mohinimohan.
Sri Ramakrishna touched the sweets, uttering the word "Om", and ate a
little. Then he distributed them among the devotees. To the surprise of
the
others, he fed the younger Naren and a few of the boys with his own
hand.
MASTER (to M.): "This has a meaning. There is a
greater manifestation
of God in men of pure heart. In former years, when I used to go to
Kamarpukur, I would feed some of the young boys with my own hand.
Chine Sankhari would say, 'Why doesn't he feed us that way?' But how
could I? They led an immoral life. Who would feed them?"
Sri Ramakrishna was in the happiest mood with his young and
pure-souled devotees. He was seated on the small couch and was doing
funny
imitations of a kirtani. The devotees laughed heartily. The kirtani is
dressed
lavishly and covered with ornaments. She sings, standing on the floor,
a
coloured kerchief in her hand. Now and then she coughs to draw people's
attention and blows her nose, raising her nose-ring. When a respectable
gentleman enters the room, she welcomes him with appropriate words,
still
continuing her song. Now and then she pulls her sari from her arms to
show off her jewels.
The devotees were convulsed with laughter at this mimicry by Sri
Ramakrishna.
Paltu rolled on the ground. Pointing to him, the Master said to M.:
"Look at that child! He is rolling with laughter." He said to Paltu
with a
smile: "Don't report this to your father, or he will lose the little
respect he
has for me. You see, he is an 'Englishman'."
MASTER (to the devotees): "There are people who
indulge in all kinds of
gossip at the time of their daily devotions. As you know, one is not
permitted
to talk then; so they make all kinds of signs, keeping their lips
closed. In
order to say, 'Bring this', 'Bring that', they make sounds like 'Huh',
'Uhuh'.
All such things they do! (Laughter.)
"Again, there are some who bargain for fish while telling their beads.
As they count the rosary, with a finger they point out the fish,
indicating,
'That one, please.' They reserve all their business for that time! (Laughter.)
"There are women who come to the Ganges for their bath and, instead
of thinking of God, gossip about no end of things. 'What jewels did you
offer at the time of your son's marriage?' — 'Has so-and-so returned
from her
father-in-law's house?' — 'So-and-so is seriously ill.' — 'So-and-so
went to see the
bride; we hope that they will offer a magnificent dowry and that there
will
be a great feast.' — 'Harish always nags at me; he can't stay away from
me
even an hour.' — 'My child, I couldn't come to see you all these days;
I was
so busy with the betrothal of so-and-so's daughter.'
"You see, they have come to bathe in the holy river, and yet they
indulge
in all sorts of worldly talk."
The Master began to look intently at the younger Naren and went into
samadhi. Did he see God Himself in the pure-souled devotee?
The devotees silently watched the figure of Sri Ramakrishna motionless
in samadhi. A few minutes before there had been so much laughter in the
room; now there was deep silence, as if no one were there. The Master
sat
with folded hands as in his photograph.
After a short while his mind began to come down to the relative plane.
He heaved a long sigh and became aware of the outer world. He looked at
the devotees and began to talk with them of their spiritual progress.
MASTER (to the younger Naren): "I have been eager to
see you. You will
succeed. Come here once in a while. Well, which do you prefer — jnana
or bhakti?"
THE YOUNGER NAREN: "Pure bhakti."
MASTER: "But how can you love someone unless you know
him? (Pointing
to M., with a smile) How can you love him unless you know
him? (To M.)
Since a pure-souled person has asked for pure bhakti, it must have some
meaning.
"One does not seek bhakti of one's own accord without inborn
tendencies.
This is the characteristic of prema-bhakti. There is another kind of
bhakti,
called jnana-bhakti, which is love of God based on reasoning.
(To the younger Naren) "Let me look at your body;
take off your shirt.
Fairly broad chest. You will succeed. Come here now and then."
Sri Ramakrishna was still in the ecstatic mood. He spoke tenderly to
the
other devotees about their future.
MASTER (to Paltu): "You will succeed, too, but it
will take a little time.
(To Baburam) "Why don't I attract you to me? It is
just to avoid trouble.
(To Mohinimohan) "As for you, you are all right.
There is a little yet to
be done. When that is achieved, nothing will remain — neither duty nor
work
nor the world itself. Is it good to get rid of everything?"
As Sri Ramakrishna spoke these words he looked at Mohini
affectionately,
as if scanning his inmost feelings. Was Mohini really wondering whether
it would be wise to renounce all for God? After a while Sri Ramakrishna
said, "God binds the Bhagavata pundit to the world
with one tie; otherwise,
who would remain to explain the sacred book? He keeps the pundit bound
for the good of men. That is why the Divine Mother has kept you in the
world."
Now Sri Ramakrishna spoke to the young brahmin.
MASTER: "Give up knowledge and reasoning; accept bhakti. Bhakti alone
is the essence. Is this the third day of your stay here?"
BRAHMIN (with folded hands): "Yes, sir."
MASTER: "Have faith. Depend on God. Then you will not have to do
anything yourself. Mother Kali will do everything for you.
"Jnana goes as far as the outer court, but bhakti can enter the inner
court.
The Pure Self is unattached. Both vidya and avidya are in It, but It is
unattached. Sometimes there is a good and sometimes a bad smell in the
air,
but the air itself is unaffected.
"Once Vyasadeva was about to cross the Jamuna. The gopis also were
there. They wanted to go to the other side of the river to sell curd,
milk, and
cream. But there was no ferry at that time. They were all worried about
how to cross the river, when Vyasa said to them, 'I am very hungry.'
The
milkmaids fed him with milk and cream. He finished almost all their
food.
Then Vyasa said to the river, 'O Jamuna, if I have not eaten anything,
then
your waters will part and we shall walk through.' It so happened. The
river
parted and a pathway was formed between the waters. Following that
path,
the gopis and Vyasa crossed the river. Vyasa had said, 'If I have not
eaten
anything'. That means, the real man is Pure Atman. Atman is unattached
and beyond Prakriti. It has neither hunger nor thirst; It knows neither
birth
nor death; It does not age, nor does It die. It is immutable as Mount
Sumeru.
"He who has attained this Knowledge of Brahman is a jivanmukta,
liberated
while living in the body. He rightly understands that the Atman and the
body are two separate things. After realizing God one does not identify
the
Atman with the body. These two are separate, like the kernel and the
shell of
the coconut when its milk dries up. The Atman moves, as it were, within
the
body. When the 'milk' of worldly-mindedness has dried up, one gets
Self-Knowledge. Then one feels that Atman and body are two separate
things.
The kernel of a green almond or betel-nut cannot be separated from the
shell; but when they are ripe the juice dries up and the kernel
separates
from the shell. After the attainment of the Knowledge of Brahman, the
'milk' of worldly-mindedness dries up.
"But it is extremely difficult to attain the Knowledge of Brahman. One
doesn't get it by merely talking about it. Some people feign it. (Smiling)
There was a man who was a great liar; but, on the other hand, he used
to
say he had the Knowledge of Brahman. When someone took him to task
for telling lies, he said: 'Why, this world is truly like a dream. If
everything
is unreal, then can truth itself be rea1? Truth is as unreal as
falsehood.'"
(All laugh.)
Sri Ramakrishna sat with the devotees on the mat on the floor. He was
smiling. He said to the devotees, "Please stroke my feet gently." They
carried
out his request. He said to M:, "There is great significance in this."
(The stroking of his feet) Placing
his hand on his heart, the Master said, "If there is anything here,
then
through this service the ignorance and illusion of the devotees will be
completely destroyed."
Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna became serious, as if about to reveal a secret.
MASTER (to M.): "There is no outsider here. The
other day, when Harish
was with me, I saw Satchidananda come out of this sheath. (Sri
Ramakrishna's body.)
It said 'I incarnate Myself in every age.' I thought that I myself was
saying these
words out of mere fancy. I kept quiet and watched. Again Satchidananda
Itself spoke, saying, 'Chaitanya, too, worshipped Sakti.'"
The devotees listened to these words in amazement. Some wondered
whether God Himself was seated before them in the form of Sri
Ramakrishna.
The Master paused a moment. Then he said, addressing M., "I
saw that it is the fullest manifestation of Satchidananda; but this
time the
Divine Power is manifested through the glory of sattva."
The devotees sat spellbound.
MASTER (to M.): "Just now I was saying to the
Mother, 'I cannot talk
much.' I also said to Her, 'May people's inner consciousness be
awakened
by only one touch!' You see, such is the power of Yogamaya that She can
cast a spell. She did so at Vrindavan. That is why Subol (One of the
companions of Sri
Krishna.) was able to unite Sri Krishna and Radhika. Yogamaya, the
Primal Power, has a power of
attraction. I applied that power myself.
(To M.) "Well, do you think that those who come here
are realizing anything?"
M: "Yes, sir, it must be so."
MASTER: "How do you know?"
M. (smiling): "Everyone says, 'Whoever goes to him
doesn't return to the world.'"
MASTER (smiling): "A bullfrog was caught by a
water-snake. The snake
could neither swallow the frog nor let it go. As a result the frog
suffered
very much; he croaked continuously. And the snake suffered too. But if
the
frog had been seized by a cobra, he would have been quiet after one or
two
croaks. (All laugh.)
(To the young devotees) "Read the Bhaktichaitanyachandrika
by Trailokya.
Ask Trailokya for a copy. He has written well about Chaitanyadeva."
A DEVOTEE: "Will he give it to us?"
MASTER (smiling): "Why not? If a farmer has a good
crop of melons he
can easily give away two or three. (All laugh.)
Won't Trailokya give you
the book free?
(To Paltu) "Come here now and then."
PALTU: "I shall come whenever I can."
MASTER: "Will you see me in Calcutta when I go there?"
PALTU: "Yes, I shall try."
MASTER: "That's the answer of a calculating mind."
PALTU: "If I don't say, 'I shall try', I may be a liar."
MASTER (to M.): "I don't mind the lies of these
boys. They are not free.
(To Haripada) "Why hasn't Mahendra Mukherji come
here lately?"
HARIPADA: "I'm not quite sure why."
M. (smiling): "He's practising jnanayoga!"
MASTER: "No, it's not that. The other day he promised to send me in his
carriage to the theatre to see a play about the life of Prahlada; but
he didn't
send the carriage. Perhaps that is why he doesn't come."
M: "One day I saw Mahima Chakravarty and had a talk with him. It
seems that Mahendra visits him."
MASTER: "But Mahima talks about bhakti also. He loves to recite the
hymn: 'What need is there of penance if God is worshipped with love?'"
M. (smiling): "He says that because you make him say
it."
Girish Chandra Ghosh was always talking to the devotees about the
Master.
HARIPADA: "Girish Ghosh sees many visions nowadays. After going home
from here he remains absorbed in spiritual moods and sees many things."
MASTER: "That may be true. Coming to the Ganges, one sees many things
— boats, ships, and what not."
HARIPADA: "Girish Ghosh says: 'From now on I shall occupy myself only
with my work. In the morning, on the stroke of the clock, I shall sit
down
with my pen and ink-pot and write for the whole day.' He makes the
resolve, no doubt, but cannot carry it out. No sooner do we visit him
than
he begins to talk about you. You asked him to send Narendra here in a
carriage. He said, 'I shall hire a carriage for Narendra.'"
At five o'clock the younger Naren was ready to go home. Sri Ramakrishna
stood by his side on the northeast verandah and gave him various
instructions.
Then the boy saluted the Master and departed. Many of the devotees
also took their leave.
Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch talking to Mohini.
Mohini's
wife was almost mad with grief on account of her son's death. Sometimes
she laughed and sometimes she wept. But she felt peaceful in Sri
Ramakrishna's presence.
MASTER: "How is your wife now?"
MOHINI: "She becomes quiet whenever she is here; but sometimes at
home she becomes very wild. The other day she was going to kill
herself."
When Sri Ramakrishna heard this he appeared worried. Mohini said to
him humbly, "Please give her a few words of advice."
MASTER: "Don't allow her to cook. That will heat her brain all the
more.
And keep her in the company of others so that they may watch her."
It was dusk. Preparations were going on in the temples for the evening
worship. The lamp was lighted in the Master's room and incense was
burnt.
Seated on the small couch, Sri Ramakrishna saluted the Divine Mother
and
chanted Her name in a tender voice. There was nobody in the room except
M., who was sitting on the floor.
Sri Ramakrishna rose from the couch. M. also stood up. The Master asked
him to shut the west and north doors of the room. M. obeyed and stood
by Sri Ramakrishna on the porch. The Master said that he wanted to go
to
the Kali temple. Leaning on M.'s arm, he came down to the terrace of
the
temple. He asked M. to call Baburam and sat down.
After visiting the Divine Mother, the Master returned to his room
across
the court, chanting, "O Mother! Mother! Rajarajesvari!"
Sri Ramakrishna entered his room and sat on the small couch. He had
been passing through an extraordinary state of mind: he could not touch
any metal. He had said a few days before, "It seems that the Divine
Mother
has been removing from my mind all ideas of possession." He had been
eating
from plantain-leaves and drinking water from an earthen tumbler. He
could not touch a metal jar; so he had asked the devotees to get a few
earthen
jars for him. If he touched metal plates or pots, his hand ached as if
stung by
a horned fish.
Prasanna had brought a few earthen pots, but they were very small. The
Master said with a smile: "These pots are too small. But he is a nice
boy.
Once I asked him to take off his clothes, and he stood naked in front
of me.
What a child he is!"
Tarak of Belgharia arrived with a friend and bowed low before Sri
Ramakrishna, who was sitting on the small couch. The room was lighted
by
an oil lamp. A few devotees were sitting on the floor.
Tarak was about twenty years old, and married. His parents did not
allow
him to come to Sri Ramakrishna. He lived mostly at his home near
Bowbazar.
The Master was very fond of him. Tarak's friend had a tamasic nature;
he
rather scoffed at the Master and religious ideas in general.
MASTER (to Tarak's friend): "Why don't you go and
visit the temples?"
FRIEND: "Oh, I've seen them before."
MASTER: "Is it wrong for Tarak to come here?"
FRIEND: "You know best."
MASTER (pointing to M.): "He is a headmaster."
FRIEND: "Oh!"
Sri Ramakrishna asked about Tarak's health and talked with him at
length. Tarak was ready to leave. Sri Ramakrishna asked him to be
careful
about many things.
MASTER: "My good man, beware. Beware of 'woman and gold'. Once
you sink in the maya of a woman, you will not be able to rise. It is
the
whirlpool of the Visalakshi. (A stream near Kamarpukur)
He who has fallen into it cannot pull himself out again. Come here now
and then."
TARAK: "My people at home don't let me."
A DEVOTEE: "Suppose someone's mother says to him, 'Don't go to
Dakshineswar.' Suppose she curses him, saying, 'If you go there you
will be
drinking my blood!'"
MASTER: "A mother who says that is no mother; she is the embodiment of
avidya. There is no sin in disobeying such a mother. She obstructs her
son's
path to God. There is no harm in disobeying your elders for the sake of
God.
For Rama's sake Bharat did not obey his mother Kaikeyi.5
The gopis did not obey their husbands when they were forbidden to visit
Krishna. Prahlada
disobeyed his father for God. Vali disregarded the words of
Sukracharya, his
teacher, in order to please God. Bibhishana went against the wishes of
Ravana, his elder brother, to please Rama. But you must obey your
elders
in all other things. Let me see your hand."
Sri Ramakrishna took Tarak's hand into his own and seemed to feel its
weight. A few moments later he said: "There is a little crookedness in
your
mind; but that will go. Pray to God a little and come here now and
then.
Yes, that twist will go. Is it you that have hired the house at
Bowbazar?"
TARAK: "Not I, sir, but my parents."
MASTER (smiling): "They or you? Is it because you
are afraid of the 'tiger'?"
Tarak had a young wife. Did the Master mean that a woman is like a
tiger to a man?
Tarak saluted Sri Ramakrishna and took his leave. The Master lay down
on the small couch. He seemed worried about Tarak. Suddenly he said to
M., "Why do I worry so much about these young boys?" M. kept still. He
was thinking over a reply. The Master asked him, "Why don't you speak?"
Mohini's wife entered the room and sat at one side. Sri Ramakrishna
spoke
to M. about Tarak's friend.
MASTER: "Why did Tarak bring that fellow with him?"
M: "Perhaps he wanted a companion for the road. It is a long way from
Calcutta; so he brought a friend with him."
The Master suddenly addressed Mohini's wife and said: "By unnatural
death one becomes an evil spirit. Beware. Make it clear to your mind.
Is
this what you have come to after hearing and seeing so much?"
Mohini was about to take his leave. He saluted Sri Ramakrishna. His
wife also saluted the Master, who stood near the north door of the
room.
Mohini's wife spoke to him in a whisper.
MASTER: "Do you want to stay here?"
MOHINI'S WIFE: "Yes, I want to spend a few days with the Holy Mother
at the nahabat. May I?"
MASTER: "That will be all right. But you talk of dying. That frightens
me. And the Ganges is so near!"