Keshab's reverence for the Master — Tasting divine bliss in different ways — Master's abhorrence of public preaching — Master instructs about humility — Renunciation of "woman and gold" — Yearning for God — Story of the fishwife and her basket — Personal God and Impersonal Reality — The pure mind sees God — Surendra's vanity curbed — Maya obstructs vision of God — Renunciation, true and false — God and worldly duties — Faith in the guru — Parable of pearl oyster — Company of holy men extolled — Concerning the ego.
Saturday, January 1, 1881
KESHAB CHANDRA SEN, the leader of the Brahmo Samaj, was
expected to
visit Sri Ramakrishna at the temple garden at Dakshineswar. With
the Master were many Brahmo celebrities — Pratap, Trailokya, Jaygopal,
and others. It was only a few days before the annual festival of the
Brahmo Samaj, and the Brahmos were eagerly awaiting the arrival of
their
leader, who was to come by steamer. They were restless and talking
rather
noisily. Ram, Manomohan, and several other devotees of the Master were
also there.
At last Keshab entered the Master's room with two fruits and a bouquet
of
flowers in his hands. Touching the Master's feet, he laid the offering
at his
side. Then he saluted Sri Ramakrishna with great reverence, bowing very
low before him. Sri Ramakrishna returned in like manner his
distinguished
visitor's salutation. Then he laughingly began the conversation.
MASTER: "You, Keshab, want me; but your disciples don't. I was saying
to
them: 'Let us be restless. Then Govinda will come.' (To
Keshab's disciples)
See, here is your Govinda!
"We have been showing signs of restlessness all this while to set the
stage
for your arrival. It isn't easy to have the vision of Govinda. You must
have
noticed in the Krishnayatra.1
that Narada enters Vrindavan and prays with
great yearning: 'O Govinda! O my soul! O Life of my life!', and then
Krishna comes on the stage with the cowherd boys, followed by the
gopis.
No one can see God without that yearning.
"Well, Keshab, say something! They are eager to hear your words."
KESHAB (humbly, with a smile): "To open my lips here
would be like
trying to 'sell needles to a blacksmith'."
MASTER (smiling): "But don't you know that the
nature of devotees is
like that of hemp-smokers? One hemp-smoker says to another, 'Please
take a
puff for yourself and give me one.'" (All laugh.)
It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. They heard the music from
the nahabat in the temple garden.
MASTER (to Keshab and the others): "Do you hear how
melodious that
music is? One player is producing only a monotone on his flute, while
another is creating waves of melodies in different ragas and raginis.
(Modes in
Indian music.) That is my attitude. Why should I produce only a
monotone when I have an
instrument with seven holes? Why should I say nothing but, 'I am He, I
am
He'? I want to play various melodies on my instrument with seven holes.
Why should I say only, 'Brahma! Brahma!'? I want to call on God through
all the moods — through santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhur. I
want
to make merry with God. I want to sport with God."
Keshab listened to these words with wonder in his eyes and said to the
Brahmo devotees, "I have never before heard such a wonderful and
beautiful
interpretation of jnana and bhakti."
KESHAB (to the Master): "How long will you hide
yourself in this way?
I dare say people will be thronging here by and by in great crowds."
MASTER: "What are you talking of? I only eat and drink and sing God's
name. I know nothing about gathering crowds. Hanuman once declared: 'I
know nothing about the day of the week or the position of the moon and
stars in the sky. I simply meditate on Rama.'"
KESHAB: "All right, sir, I shall gather the crowd. But they all must
come
to your place."
MASTER: "I am the dust of the dust of everybody's feet. If anyone is
gracious enough to come here, he is welcome."
KESHAB: "Whatever you may say, sir, your advent cannot be in vain."
In the mean time the devotees had arranged a kirtan. Many of them had
joined it. The party started at the Panchavati and moved toward the
Master's room. Hriday blew the horn, Gopidas played the drum, and two
devotees played the cymbals.
Sri Ramakrishna sang:
O man, if you would live in bliss, repeat Lord Hari's name;
Then you will lead a life of joy and go to paradise,
And feed upon the fruit of moksha evermore:
Such is the glory of His name!
I give you the name of Hari, which Siva, God of Gods,
Repeats aloud with His five mouths.
The Master danced with the strength of a lion and went into
samadhi.
Regaining consciousness of the outer world, he sat down in his room and
began to talk with Keshab and the other devotees.
MASTER: "God can be realized through all paths, it is like your coming
to Dakshineswar by carriage, by boat, by steamer, or on foot. You have
chosen the way according to your convenience and taste; but the
destination
is the same. Some of you have arrived earlier than others; but all have
arrived.
"The more you rid yourself of upadhis, the nearer you will feel the
presence of God. Rain-water never collects on a high mound; it collects
only in
low land. Similarly, the water of God's grace cannot remain on the high
mound of egotism. Before God one should feel lowly and poor.
"One should be extremely watchful. Even clothes create vanity. I notice
that even a man suffering from an enlarged spleen sings Nidhu Babu's
light
songs when he is dressed up in a black-bordered cloth. There are men
who
spout English whenever they put on high boots. And when an unfit person
puts on an ochre cloth he becomes vain; the slightest sign of
indifference to
him arouses his anger and pique.
"God cannot be seen without yearning of heart, and this yearning is
impossible unless one has finished with the experiences of life. Those
who live
surrounded by 'woman and gold', and have not yet come to the end of
their
experiences, do not yearn for God.
"When I lived at Kamarpukur, Hriday's son, a child four or five years
old, used to spend the whole day with me. He played with his toys and
almost forgot everything else. But no sooner did evening come than he
would say, 'I want to go to my mother.' I would try to cajole him in
various
ways and would say, 'Here, I'll give you a pigeon.' But he wouldn't be
consoled with such things; he would weep and cry, 'I want to go to my
mother.' He didn't enjoy playing any more. I myself wept to see his
state.
"One should cry for God that way, like a child. That is what it means
to
be restless for God. One doesn't enjoy play or food any longer. After
one's
experiences of the world are over, one feels this restlessness and
weeps for God."
The devotees sat in silence, listening to the Master's words. When
evening came, a lamp was lighted in the room. Preparations were being
made
for feeding Keshab and the devotees.
KESHAB (with a smile): "What? Puffed rice again
today?"
MASTER (smiling): "Hriday knows."
The devotees were served first with puffed rice, and then with luchi
and
curries on leaf-plates. All enjoyed the meal very much. It was about
ten
o'clock when supper was over.
The Master went to the Panchavati with Keshab and the devotees.
MASTER (to Keshab and the others): "One can very
well live in the world
after realizing God. Why don't you first touch the 'granny' and then
play hide-and-seek?
"After attaining God, a devotee becomes unattached to the world. He
lives like a mudfish. The mudfish keeps its body unstained though it
lives in mud."
About eleven o'clock the Brahmos became eager to go home. Pratap said,
"It would be nice if we could spend the night here."
MASTER (to Keshab): "Why not stay here tonight?"
KESHAB (smiling): "No, I have business to attend to.
I must go."
MASTER: "Why must you, my dear sir? Can't you sleep without your
fish-basket? Once a fishwife was a guest in a gardener's house. She was
asked to sleep in a room full of flowers. But she couldn't get any
sleep there.
(All laugh.) She was restless and began to fidget
about. The gardener called
to her: 'Hello there! Why aren't you asleep?' 'Oh, I don't know', said
the
fishwife. 'There are flowers here. The smell keeps me awake. Can't you
bring me my fish-basket?' She sprinkled a little water in the basket,
and
when she smelled the fish she fell fast asleep." (All laugh
heartily.)
Keshab took a few of the flowers that he had offered at Sri
Ramakrishna's
feet on his arrival. He and his Brahmo devotees cried out as they
saluted
the Master, "Hail, Navavidhan!" Thus they bade him adieu.
One day during the rainy season of 1881 Sri Ramakrishna and a number
of devotees visited Surendra's house. It was about dusk.
The Master entered the drawing-room on the second floor, where several
of Surendra's neighbours had already, gathered. Keshab had also been
invited but could not come. Trailokya and a few Brahmo devotees were
present. A mat covered with a white sheet was spread on the floor, and
on
it had been placed a beautiful carpet with a cushion. Surendra
requested
the Master to sit on the carpet; but Sri Ramakrishna would not listen
to
him and sat on the mat next to Mahendra Goswami, one of Surendra's
neighbours.
MAHENDRA (to the devotees): "For several months I
spent most of my
time with him [meaning Sri Ramakrishna]. I have never before seen such
a
great man. His spiritual moods are not of the ordinary kind."
MASTER (to Mahendra): "How dare you say that? I am
the most
insignificant of the insignificant, the lowliest of the lowly. I am the
servant of the
servants of God. Krishna alone is great.
"Krishna is none other than Satchidananda, the Indivisible Brahman.
The water of the ocean looks blue from a distance. Go near it and you
will
find it colourless. He who is endowed with attributes is also without
attributes. The Absolute and the Relative belong to the same Reality.
"Why is Krishna tribhanga, bent in three places? Because of His love
for Radha.
"That which is Brahman is also Kali, the Adyasakti, who creates,
preserves,
and destroys the universe. He who is Krishna is the same as Kali. The
root
is one — all these are His sport and play.
"God can be seen. He can be seen through the pure mind and the pure
intelligence. Through attachment to 'woman and gold' the mind becomes
impure.
"The mind is everything. It is like a white cloth just returned from
the
laundry. It will take any colour you dye it with. Knowledge is of the
mind,
and ignorance is also of the mind. When you say that a certain person
has
become impure, you mean that impurity has coloured his mind."
Surendra approached the Master with a garland and wanted to put it
around his neck. But the Master took it in his hand and threw it aside.
Surendra's pride was wounded and his eyes filled with tears. He went to
the
west porch and sat with Ram, Manomohan, and the others. In a voice
choked with sadness he said: "I am really angry. How can a poor brahmin
know the value of a thing like that? I spent a lot of money for that
garland,
and he refused to accept it. I was unable to control my anger and said
that
the other garlands were to be given away to the devotees. Now I realize
it
was all my fault. God cannot be bought with money; He cannot be
possessed by a vain person. I have really been vain. Why should he
accept my
worship? I don't feel like living any more." Tears streamed down his
cheeks
and over his chest.
In the mean time Trailokya was singing inside the room. The Master
began to dance in an ecstasy of joy. He put around his neck the garland
that he had thrown aside; holding it with one hand, he swung it with
the
other as he danced and sang. Now Surendra's joy was unbounded. The
Master had accepted his offering. Surendra said to himself, "God
crushes
one's pride, no doubt, but He is also the cherished treasure of the
humble and lowly."
The Master now sang:
Behold, the two brothers have come, who weep while chanting Hari's name,
The brothers who, in return for blows, offer to sinners Hari's love!
Behold them, drunk with Hari's love, who make the world drunk as well,
Embracing everyone as brother, even the outcaste shunned by men.
Behold, the two brothers have come, who once were Kanai and Balai of
Braja. . . .
Many of the devotees danced while Sri Ramakrishna sang this song. When the kirtan was over, everyone sat around the Master and became engaged in pleasant conversation. Sri Ramakrishna said to Surendra, "Won't you give me something to eat?" Then he went into the inner apartments, where the ladies saluted him. After the meal Sri Ramakrishna left for Dakshineswar.
Saturday, December 3, 1881
In the afternoon Sri Ramakrishna paid a visit to his
householder disciple
Manomohan, at 23 Simla Street, Calcutta. It was a small two-storey
house
with a courtyard. The Master was seated in the drawing-room on the
first
floor. Ishan of Bhawanipur asked him: "Sir, why have you renounced the
world? The scriptures extol the householder's life as the best."
MASTER: "I don't know much about what is good and what is bad. I do
what God makes me do and speak what He makes me speak."
ISHAN: "If everybody renounced the world, they would be acting against
God's will."
MASTER: "Why should everybody renounce? On the other hand, can it be
the will of God that all should revel in 'woman and gold' like dogs and
jackals? Has He no other wish? Do you know what accords with His will
and what is against it?
"You say that God wants everybody to lead a worldly life. But why don't
you see it as God's will when your wife and children die? Why don't you
see His will in poverty, when you haven't a morsel to eat?
"Maya won't allow us to know the will of God. On account of God's
maya the unreal appears as real, and the real as unreal. The world is
unreal.
This moment it exists and the next it disappears. But on account of His
maya it seems to be real. It is only through His maya that the ego
seems to
be the doer. Furthermore, on account of this maya a man regards his
wife
and children, his brother and sister, his father and mother, his house
and
property, as his very own.
"There are two aspects of maya: vidya and avidya. Avidya deludes one
with worldliness, and vidya — wisdom, devotion, and the company of holy
men — leads one to God.
"He who has gone beyond maya, through the grace of God, views alike
both vidya and avidya. Worldly life is a life of enjoyment. After all,
what
is there to enjoy in 'woman and gold'? As soon as a sweetmeat has gone
down the throat, one doesn't remember whether it tasted sweet or sour.
"But why should everybody renounce? Is renunciation possible except in
the fullness of time? The time for renunciation comes when one reaches
the
limit of enjoyment. Can anybody force himself into renunciation? There
is
a kind of renunciation known as 'monkey renunciation'. Only
small-minded
people cultivate it. Take the case of a fatherless boy. His poor
widowed
mother earns her livelihood by spinning. The boy loses his
insignificant
job and suddenly is seized with a fit of renunciation. He puts on the
ochre
cloth of a monk and goes to Benares. A few days later he writes home,
'I
have secured a job for ten rupees a month.' In the mean time he tries
to buy
a gold ring and beautiful clothes. How can he stifle his desire for
enjoyment?"
Keshab arrived with some Brahmo devotees and respectfully saluted the
Master. He took a seat on Sri Ramakrishna's left, Ram on his right. For
some time a reader recited from the Bhagavata and
explained the text.
MASTER (to the devotees): "It is very difficult to
do one's duty in the
world. If you whirl round too fast you feel giddy and faint; .but there
is no
such fear if you hold on to a post. Do your duty, but do not forget God.
"You may ask, 'If worldly life is so difficult, then what is the way?'
The
way is constant practice. At Kamarpukur I have seen the women of the
carpenter families flattening rice with a husking-machine. They are
always
fearful of the pestle's smashing their fingers; and at the same time
they go
on nursing their children and bargaining with customers. They say to
the
customers, 'Pay us what you owe before you leave.'
"An immoral woman goes on performing her household duties, but all
the time her mind dwells on her sweetheart.
"But one needs spiritual discipline to acquire such a state of mind;
one
should pray to God in solitude every now and then. It is possible to
perform worldly duties after obtaining love for God. If you try to
break a
jack-fruit, your hands will be smeared with its sticky juice. But that
won't
happen if, beforehand, you rub them with oil."
The kirtan began. Trailokya was singing. The Master danced, Keshab
and the other devotees dancing with him. Though it was winter the
Master
became hot and perspired. After the music he wanted something to eat. A
plate of sweetmeats was sent from the inner apartments. Keshab held the
plate before Sri Ramakrishna and the Master ate. When he had finished,
Keshab poured water on his hands and then dried the Master's hands and
face with a towel. Afterwards he began to fan the Master.
MASTER (to Keshab and the other devotees): "They are
heroes indeed
who can pray to God in the midst of their worldly activities. They are
like
men who strive for God-realization while carrying heavy loads on their
heads. Such men are real heroes. You may say that this is extremely
difficult.
But is there anything, however hard, that cannot be achieved through
God's
grace? His grace makes even the impossible possible. If a lamp is
brought
into a room that has been dark a thousand years, does it illumine the
room
little by little? The room is lighted all at once."
These reassuring words gladdened the hearts of Keshab and the other
householder devotees.
KESHAB (to Rajendra Mitra, the uncle of Ram and Manomohan):
"Wouldn't it be nice if you could arrange a festival like this at your
house one day?"
RAJENDRA: "Very good, I will. Well, Ram, you'll have to take charge of
everything."
Sri Ramakrishna was asked to go to the inner apartments, where
Manomohan's mother had prepared his meal. A glass of ice-water, of
which the
Master was very fond, was placed near his plate.
Keshab and the other devotees sat in the courtyard and were treated to
a
sumptuous feast. The Master joined them and watched them eat. He
danced and sang to entertain the guests.
When it was time for Sri Ramakrishna to leave for Dakshineswar, Keshab
and the other devotees took the dust of his feet and saw him off in a
hired carriage.
Saturday, December 10, 1881
At Keshab's request Rajendra Mitra arranged a religious
festival at his
home in Calcutta and invited Sri Ramakrishna and the devotees,
including
the members of the Brahmo Samaj.
Two days before, Aghorenath, a prominent member of the Brahmo Samaj,
had suddenly passed away in Lucknow. Keshab and the other Brahmo
devotees were in mourning, and Rajendra thought they could not possibly
join
in the festival at his house. This worried him. But Ram, the Master's
devotee,
said to him: "Why are you so sad? If Keshab can't come, let him stay
away.
Our Master will be here. He is always in communion with God. He enables
one to see God. And his presence will make the festival a success."
Rajendra, accompanied by Ram and a few others, paid Keshab a visit to
express their condolence for the death of Aghorenath. Keshab said to
Rajendra: "Why, I haven't said I shall not join in the festival at your
house. Sri
Ramakrishna will be there; so how can I stay away? I am in mourning, it
is true, but I shall come."
On the wall in Keshab's room hung a picture of Sri Ramakrishna absorbed
in samadhi.
RAJENDRA (to Keshab): "Many people say that he (pointing
to the
picture) is an incarnation of Chaitanya."
KESHAB (looking at the picture): "One doesn't see
such samadhi. Only
men like Christ, Mohammed, and Chaitanya experienced it."
About three o'clock in the afternoon Sri Ramakrishna arrived at
Manomohan's house. He rested there awhile and had some refreshments.
Surendra
took the Master in a carriage to the studio of the Bengal Photographer.
The
art of photography was explained to him, and he was shown how glass
covered with silver nitrate takes the image. As the Master was being
photographed he went into samadhi.
A little later Sri Ramakrishna arrived at Rajendra Mitra's house.
Keshab
had not yet come, and Mahendra Goswami was reading from the Bhagavata.
The Master conversed with the devotees.
MASTER: "Why shouldn't one be able to lead a spiritual life in the
world?
But it is extremely difficult. While coming here I passed over the
bridge at
Baghbazar. How many chains it is tied with! Nothing will happen if one
chain is broken, for there are so many others to keep it in place. Just
so,
there are many ties on a worldly man. There is no way for him to get
rid
of them except through the grace of God.
"One need not be afraid of the world after one has had the vision of
God.
Both vidya and avidya exist in His maya; but one becomes indifferent to
them after realizing God. One understands it rightly after attaining
the state
of a paramahamsa. Only a swan can discard the water and drink the milk
from a mixture of milk and water. A robin cannot do so."
A DEVOTEE: "Then what is the way for a householder?"
MASTER: "Faith in the guru's words. You should depend on his
instruction. Do your duties in the world, holding fast to his words,
like a person
whirling round and holding fast to a pillar.
"One must not look on one's guru as a mere human being: it is
Satchidananda Himself who appears as the guru. When the disciple has
the vision
of the Ishta, through the guru's grace, he finds the guru merging in
Him.
"What can one not achieve through simple faith! Once there was an
annaprasana ceremony2
in a guru's house. His disciples volunteered, according
ing to their powers, to supply the different articles of food. He had
one
disciple, a very poor widow, who owned a cow. She milked it and brought
the guru a jar of milk. He had thought she would take charge of all the
milk and curd for the festival. Angry at her poor offering, he threw
the
milk away and said to her, 'Go and drown yourself.' The widow accepted
this as his command and went to the river to drown herself. But God was
pleased with her guileless faith and, appearing before her, said: 'Take
this
pot of curd. You will never be able to empty it. The more curd you pour
out, the more will come from the pot. This will satisfy your teacher.'
The
guru was speechless with amazement when the pot was given to him. After
hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he went to the river,
saying to
her, 'I shall drown myself if you cannot show God to me.' God appeared
then and there, but the guru could not see Him. Addressing God, the
widow
said, 'If my teacher gives up his body because Thou dost not reveal
Thyself
to him, then I too shall die.' So God appeared to the guru — but only
once.
"Now you see, because of faith in her guru the disciple herself had the
vision of God and also showed Him to her teacher. Therefore I say,
'Even
though my guru frequents a grog-shop, still to me he is the embodiment
of
Eternal Bliss.'
"All want to be the guru, but very few indeed want to be the disciple.
But you know that rain-water doesn't collect on a high mound; it
collects
in low land, in a hollow.
"One should have faith in the holy name given by the guru and with it
practise spiritual discipline. It is said that the pearl oyster makes
itself ready
for the rain that falls when the star Svati is in the ascendant. Taking
a drop
of that rain, it dives into the fathomless depths of the ocean and
remains
there until the pearl is formed."
At the sight of the many Brahmo devotees assembled there, the Master
said: "Is the meeting of the Brahmos a real devotional gathering or a
mere
show? It is very good that the Brahmo Samaj holds regular devotions.
But
one must dive deep; mere ceremonial worship or lectures are of no
avail.
One should pray to God that one's attachment to worldly enjoyment may
disappear; that one may have pure love for His Lotus Feet.
"The elephant has outer tusks and inner grinders as well. The tusks are
mere ornaments; but the elephant chews its food with the grinders. The
inner enjoyment of 'woman and gold' injures the growth of one's
devotion.
"What will you achieve through mere public lectures? The vulture
undoubtedly soars high, but its eyes are fixed on the charnel-pit. The
rocket
undoubtedly shoots up into the sky, but the next moment it falls to the
ground.
"He who has renounced his attachment to worldly enjoyments will
remember nothing but God in the hour of death. Otherwise he will think
only
of worldly things: wife, children, house, wealth, name and fame.
Through
practice a bird can be trained to repeat 'Radha-Krishna'; but when a
cat
catches it, it only squawks.
"Therefore one should constantly practise the singing of God's name and
glories, and meditation and contemplation as well. And further, one
should
always pray that one's attachment to the world may disappear and one's
love
for God's Lotus Feet may grow.
"Householders devoted to God live in the world like a maidservant, who
performs her duties for her master but always keeps her mind fixed on
her
own native village; that is to say, they do their duties in the world
keeping
their minds on God. Anyone leading a worldly life is sure to come in
contact
with its dirt; but a householder who is a true devotee of God lives
like the
mudfish, which, though remaining in the mud, is not stained by it.
"Brahman and Sakti are identical. One acquires love and devotion,
quickly
by calling on God as Mother."
Saying this, the Master sang:
High in the heaven of the Mother's feet, my mind was soaring like a
kite,
When came a blast of sin's rough wind that drove it swiftly toward the
earth.
Maya disturbed its even flight by bearing down upon one side,
And I could make it rise no more.
Entangled in the twisting string of love for children and for wife,
Alas! my kite was rent in twain.
It lost its crest of wisdom soon and downward plunged as I let it go;
How could it hope to fly again, when all its top was torn away?
Though fastened with devotion's cord, it came to grief in playing here;
Its six opponents (The six passions) worsted it.
Now Nareschandra rues this game of smiles and tears, and thinks it
better
Never to have played at all.
He sang again:
O Mother, for Yasoda Thou wouldst dance, when she called Thee
her precious "Blue Jewel":3
Where hast Thou hidden that lovely form, O terrible Syama?
Dance that way once for me, O Mother! Throw down Thy sword and take the
flute;
Cast off Thy garland of heads, and wear Thy wild-flower garland. . . .
As Sri Ramakrishna sang, he left his seat and began to dance.
The
devotees, too, stood up. Every now and then the Master went into
samadhi and
the devotees gazed at him intently. Dr. Dukari touched the Master's
eyeballs
with his finger to test the genuineness of his samadhi. This disgusted
the devotees.
When the music and dancing were over, the devotees took their seats.
Just then Keshab arrived with some of his Brahmo disciples. Rajendra
told
him about their great joy in the Master's kirtan and requested
Trailokya to
sing again. Keshab replied, "Since Sri Ramakrishna has taken his seat,
the
kirtan will sound flat."
Trailokya and the Brahmo devotees sang:
Chant, O mind, the name of Hari,
Sing aloud the name of Hari,
Praise Lord Hari's name!
And praising Hari's name, O mind,
Cross the ocean of this world.
Hari dwells in earth, in water,
Hari dwells in fire and air;
In sun and moon He dwells.
Hari's ever living presence
Fills the boundless universe.
While preparations were being made to give the guests
something to eat,
Sri Ramakrishna talked with Keshab.
MASTER (with a smile): "Today I enjoyed very much
the machine by
which a man's picture is taken. One thing I noticed was that the
impression
doesn't stay on a bare piece of glass, but it remains when the glass is
stained
with a black solution. In the same way, mere hearing of spiritual talk
doesn't
leave any impression. People forget it soon afterwards. But they can
retain
spiritual instruction if they are stained inside with earnestness and
devotion."
The Master was conducted to the second floor of the house and was
asked to sit on a beautiful carpet. The ladies waited on him while he
ate his
meal. Keshab and the other devotees were also sumptuously fed.
Sunday, January 1, 1882
Sri Ramakrishna arrived with his devotees at the house of Jnan
Choudhury,
in Calcutta, to join the annual festival of the Simla Brahmo Samaj.
Keshab,
Ram, Manomohan, Balaram, Kedar, Narendra, Rakhal, and other devotees
were present. Narendra had met the Master only a few days before at the
temple garden at Dakshineswar. He used to participate now and then in
the worship of the Simla Brahmo Samaj and sing for the congregation.
The worship was arranged according to the usual custom of the Samaj.
First the scripture was read; then Narendra sang. It was dusk. The
devotees
made merry. The Master looked at the householder devotees seated around
him and said with a smile: "Why shouldn't it be possible for a
householder
to give his mind to God? But the truth is that he no longer has his
mind
with him. If he had it, then he could certainly offer it to God. But,
alas, the
mind has been mortgaged — mortgaged to 'woman and gold'. So it is
necessary
for him constantly to live in the company of holy men. When he gets
back
his own mind, then he can devote it to spiritual practice; but first it
is
necessary to live constantly with the guru, wait on him, and enjoy the
company
of spiritual people. Either he should think of God in solitude day and
night,
or he should live with holy men. The mind left to itself gradually
dries up.
Take a jar of water, for instance. If the jar is set aside, the water
dries up
little by little. But that will not happen if the jar is kept immersed
in the Ganges.
"The iron becomes red in the furnace of a smithy. Take it out and it
becomes black as before. Therefore the iron must be heated in the
furnace
every now and then.
"Do you know what ignorance means? It is the feeling: This is my
house; these are my relatives; I am the doer; and the household affairs
go on
smoothly because I manage them.' But to feel, 'I am the servant of God,
His
devotee, His son' — that is a good attitude.
"The 'I' cannot be effaced altogether. You may explain it away through
reasoning, but the next moment it reappears, nobody knows from where.
It
is like a goat that still bleats faintly and jerks its legs even after
its head has
been cut off.
"But the 'I' that God retains in His devotee after he has seen Him is
called the 'ripe I'. It is like a sword turned into gold by touching
the
philosopher's stone; you cannot hurt anybody with it."
Thus the Master talked, seated in the worship hall, and Keshab and the
other devotees listened with rapt attention. It was about eight o'clock
in the
evening. The bell rang three times for the worship.
MASTER (to Keshab and the others): "What's this? I
see you haven't yet
begun your regular worship."
KESHAB: "What further worship do we need? We are having all this."
MASTER: "Oh no, my dear sir! Let the worship be performed according
to your custom."
KESHAB: "Why? We are getting on very well."
At the Master's repeated request Keshab began the worship. In the midst
of it Sri Ramakrishna suddenly stood up and went into samadhi. The
Brahmo devotees sang:
Chant, O mind, the name of Hari,
Sing aloud the name of Hari,
Praise Lord Hari's name!
And praising Hari's name, O mind,
Cross the ocean of this world. . . .
The Master still stood there absorbed in ecstasy. Keshab led
him down
very carefully from the. temple to the courtyard. The music went on.
The
Master danced to the music, the devotees dancing around him.
After the refreshments Sri Ramakrishna again talked with Keshab. Soon
he began to sing. Keshab sang with the Master:
The black bee of my mind is drawn in sheer delight
To the blue lotus flower of Mother Syama's feet,
The blue flower of the feet of Kali, Siva's Consort;
Tasteless, to the bee, are the blossoms of desire.
My Mother's feet are black, and black, too, is the bee;
Black is made one with black! This much of the mystery
My mortal eyes behold, then hastily retreat.
But Kamalakanta's hopes are answered in the end;
He swims in the Sea of Bliss, unmoved by joy or pain.
Again they sang:
High in the heaven of the Mother's feet, my mind was soaring like a
kite,
When came a blast of sin's rough wind that drove it swiftly toward the
earth. . . .
Both Keshab and the Master were in a state of divine fervour.
The other
devotees joined them and sang and danced till midnight.
The Master rested a few minutes and then said to Keshab: "Why did
you send me presents when your son was married? What shall I do with
them? Take them back."
Keshab smiled a little, and the Master continued: "Why do you write
about me in your paper? You cannot make a man great by writing about
him in books and magazines. If God makes a man great, then everybody
knows about him even though he lives in a forest. When flowers bloom in
the deep woods, the bees find them, but the flies do not. What can man
do?
Don't look up to him. Man is but a worm. The tongue that praises you
today will abuse you tomorrow. I don't want name and fame. May I always
remain the humblest of the humble and the lowliest of the lowly!"