God in all beings — Master and Hriday — Bhava and mahabhava — Discipline for God-vision — Futility of mere study — Yearning for God — Work hard for His realization — Favourable conditions for realization of God — See God in the world — Story of "the will of Rama" — Master's first meeting with Keshab — Master and Devendra Tagore— Colonel Viswanath — Essence of Vedanta — Qualified Advaita — Synthesis of Sankara and Ramanuja — Explanation of "Aum" — Duty to one's mother — God supplies the needs of devotees — Three classes of sadhus — Faith in guru — "I-consciousness" — Sincere and formal devotion — Sign of a true devotee — Advantage of a householder's life — Master and Narayan.
Sunday, October 26, 1884
IT WAS AFTERNOON, and many devotees were present in the
Master's room.
Among them were Manomohan, Mahimacharan, and M. They were
joined later by Ishan and Hazra. Balaram and Rakhal were still staying
at Vrindavan. The many young boys who at this time began to seek the
Master's company later became his intimate disciples. Latu lived with
the
Master, and Jogin,1
who lived in the village, was a frequent visitor.
Sri Ramakrishna, happy child of the Divine Mother that he was, radiated
a joy and peace that were reflected in the hearts of his devotees and
found
expression in their happy faces. They were seated on the floor and had
their eyes fixed on the Master, who was standing in a pensive mood,
like
a boy.
MASTER (to Manomohan): "I see Rama in all things.
You are all sitting
here, but I see only Rama in every one of you."
MANOMOHAN: "Yes, sir. It is Rama who has become everything. But, as
you say, though all water is Narayana, yet some water is fit for
drinking,
some for washing the hands and face, and some only for cleaning pots
and
pans."
MASTER: "It is true. But I see that it is God Himself who has become
everything — the universe and its living beings."
Presently the Master sat down on the small couch near his bed.
MASTER (to Mahimacharan): "There is no question of
my being
truthful; but must I develop a mania for it? If I once say that I shall
not eat, then
it is impossible for me to eat, even if I am hungry. Again, if I ask a
particular man to take my water-jug to the pine-grove, he alone must
carry it.
If another man carries it, he will have to take it back. What a fix I
am in!
Is there no way out of it?
"Besides, I can't carry anything with me, neither food nor betel-leaf;
for
that means laying up for the future. I can't carry a little clay in my
hand."
Just then a man entered the room and told the Master that Hriday was
waiting to see him in Jadu Mallick's garden, near the gate.
The Master said to the devotees: "I shall have to see Hriday. Please
don't
leave the room." He put on his slippers and went toward the east gate
of
the temple garden, M. accompanying him. The road through the garden
was covered with red brick-dust. The manager of the temple, who was
standing on the road, saluted Sri Ramakrishna. The Master passed the
north entrance of the temple compound, where the bearded sentries sat.
On
his left he passed the kuthi, the building used by the proprietors of
the
temple. Then he walked on down the road which was lined on both sides
with flowering trees, passing the reservoir on his right, and went
outside
the temple garden. He found Hriday waiting for him near the gate of
Jadu
Mallick's garden.
At the sight of the Master, Hriday, who had been standing there with
folded hands, prostrated himself before him. When the Master told him
to
get up, he rose and began to cry like a child. How strange! Tears also
appeared in the Master's eyes. He wiped them away with his hands.
Hriday
had made him suffer endless agonies, yet the Master wept for him.
MASTER: "Why are you here now?"
HRIDAY (weeping): "I have come to see you. To whom
else shall I tell my sorrows?"
Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said to him by way of consolation: "One
cannot avoid such sorrows in the world. Pleasure and pain are
inevitable in
worldly life. (Pointing to M.) That is why they come here now and then.
They get peace of mind by hearing about God. What is your trouble?"
HRIDAY (weeping): "I am deprived of your company and
so I suffer."
MASTER: "Why, was it not you who said to me, 'You follow your ideal
and let me follow mine'?"
HRIDAY: "Yes, I did say that. But what did I know?"
MASTER: "I shall say good-bye to you now. Come another day and we
shall talk together. Today is Sunday and many people have come to see
me.
They are waiting in my room. Have you had a good crop in the country?"
HRIDAY: ""It isn't bad."
MASTER: "Let me say good-bye. Come another day."
Hriday again prostrated himself before the Master, who started back to
his room with M.
MASTER (to M.): "He tormented me as much as he
served me. When my
stomach trouble had reduced my body to a couple of bones and I couldn't
eat anything, he said to me one day: 'Look at me — how well I eat!
You've just
taken a fancy that you can't eat.' Again he said: 'You are a fool! If I
weren't
living with you, where would your profession of holiness be?' One day
he
tormented me so much that I stood on the embankment ready to give up
my body by jumping into the Ganges, which was then at flood-tide."
M. became speechless at these words of the Master. For such a man he
had shed tears a few minutes before!
MASTER (to M.): "Well, he served me a great deal;
then why should he
have fallen on such evil days? He took care of me like a parent
bringing up
a child. As for me, I would remain unconscious of the world day and
night.
Besides, I was ill for a long time. I was completely at his mercy."
M. did not know how to answer Sri Ramakrishna; so he kept silent.
Sri Ramakrishna returned to his room and sat on the small couch. The
devotees had been waiting for him eagerly. Several devotees from
Konnagar
had arrived. One of them came forward to question the Master.
DEVOTEE: "Sir, we hear that you go into samadhi and experience ecstasy.
Please explain why and how you get into that mood."
MASTER: "Sri Radha used to experience mahabhava. If any of her
companions wanted to touch her while she was in that state, another of
them
would say: 'Please do not touch that body, the playground of Sri
Krishna.
Krishna is now sporting in her body.' It is not possible to experience
bhava
or mahabhava without the realization of God. When a fish comes up from
a great depth, you see a movement on the surface of the water; and if
it is a
big one there, is much splashing about. That is why a devotee 'laughs
and
weeps and dances and sings in the ecstasy of God'.
"One cannot remain in bhava very long. People take a man to be crazy
if he sits before a mirror and looks at his face all the time."
DEVOTEE: "Sir, we hear that you see God. If you do, please show Him to
us."
MASTER: "Everything depends on God's will. What can a man do? While
chanting God's name, sometimes tears flow and at other times the eyes
remain
dry. While meditating on God, some days I feel a great deal of inner
awakening, and some days I feel nothing.
"A man must work. Only then can he see God. One day, in an exalted
mood, I had a vision of the Haldarpukur. I saw a low-caste villager
drawing
water after pushing aside the green scum. Now and then he took up the
water in the palm of his hand and examined it. In that vision it was
revealed to me that the water cannot be seen without pushing aside the
green
scum that covers it; that is to say, one cannot develop love of God or
obtain
His vision without work. Work means meditation, japa, and the like. The
chanting op God's name and glories is work too. You may also include
charity, sacrifice, and so on.
"If you want butter, you must let the milk turn to curd. It must be
left in
a quiet place. When the milk becomes curd, you must work hard to churn
it.
Only then can you get butter from the milk."
MAHIMACHARAN: "That is true, sir. Work is certainly necessary. One must
labour hard. Only then does one succeed. There is so much to read! The
scriptures are endless."
MASTER (to Mahimacharan): "How much of the
scriptures can you read?
What will you gain by mere reasoning? Try to realize God before
anything
else. Have faith in the guru's words, and work. If you have no guru,
then
pray to God with a longing heart. He will let you know what He is like.
"What will you learn of God from books? As long as you are at a
distance
from the market-place you hear only an indistinct roar. But it is quite
different when you are actually there. Then you hear and see everything
distinctly. You hear people saying: 'Here are your potatoes. Take them
and
give me the money.'
"From a distance you hear only the rumbling noise of the ocean. Go near
it and you will see many boats sailing about, birds flying, and waves
rolling.
"One cannot get true feeling about God from the study of books. This
feeling is something very different from book-learning. Books,
scriptures,
and science appear as mere dirt and straw after the realization of God.
"The one thing needful is to be introduced to the master of the house.
Why are you so anxious to know beforehand how many houses and gardens,
and how many government securities, the master possesses? The servants
of
the house would not allow you even to approach these, and they would
certainly
not tell you about their master's investments. Therefore, somehow or
other become acquainted with the master, even if you have to jump over
the fence or take a few pushes from the servants. Then the master
himself
will tell you all about his houses and gardens and his government
securities.
And what is more, the servants and the door-keeper will salute you when
you are known to the master." (All laugh.)
DEVOTEE: "Now the question is how to become acquainted with the
master." (Laughter.)
MASTER: "That is why I say that work is necessary. It will not do to
say
that God exists and then idle away your time. You must reach God
somehow
or other. Call on Him in solitude and pray to Him, 'O Lord! reveal
Thyself to me.' Weep for Him with a longing heart. You roam about in
search of 'woman and gold' like a madman; now be a little mad for God.
Let people say, 'This man has lost his head for God.' Why not renounce
everything for a few days and call on God in solitude?
"What will you achieve by simply saying that God exists and doing
nothing about it? There are big fish in the Haldarpukur; but can you
catch
them by merely sitting idly on the bank? Prepare some spiced bait and
throw
it into the lake. Then the fish will come from the deep water and you
will
see ripples. That will make you happy. Perhaps a fish will jump with a
splash and you will get a glimpse of it. Then you will be so glad!
"Milk must be turned to curd and the curd must be churned. Only then
will you get butter. (To Mahima) What a nuisance!
Someone must show
God to a man, while he himself sits idly by all the while! Someone must
extract the butter and hold it in front of his mouth! (All
laugh.) What a
bother! Someone else must catch the fish and give it to him!
"A man wanted to see the king. The king lived in the inner court of the
palace, beyond seven gates. No sooner did the man pass the first gate
than
he exclaimed, 'Oh, where is the king?' But there were seven gates, and
he
must pass them one after another before he could see the king."
MAHIMACHARAN: "By what kind of work can one realize God?"
MASTER: "It is not that God can be realized by this work and not by
that.
The vision of God depends on His grace. Still a man must work a little
with longing for God in his heart. If he has longing he will receive
the
grace of God.
"To attain God a man must have certain favourable conditions: the
company
of holy men, discrimination, and the blessings of a real teacher.
Perhaps
his elder brother takes the responsibility for the family; perhaps his
wife has
spiritual qualities and is very virtuous; perhaps he is not married at
all or
entangled in worldly life. He succeeds when conditions like these are
fulfilled.
"In a certain family a man lay seriously ill. He was at the point of
death.
Someone said: 'Here is a remedy: First it must rain when the star Svati
is
in the ascendant; then some of that rain-water must collect in a human
skull; then a frog must come there and a snake must chase it; and as
the
frog is about to be bitten by the snake, it must jump away and the
poison
of the snake must drop into the skull. You must prepare a medicine from
this poison and give it to the patient. Then he will live.' The head of
the
family consulted the almanac about the star and set out at the right
moment.
With great longing of heart he began to search for the different
ingredients.
He prayed to God, 'O Lord, I shall succeed only if You bring together
all
the ingredients.' As he was roaming about he actually saw a skull lying
on
the ground. Presently there came a shower of rain. Then the man
exclaimed:
'O gracious Lord, I have got the rain-water under Svati, and the skull
too.
What is more, some of the rain has fallen into the skull. Now be kind
enough to bring together the other ingredients.' He was reflecting with
a
yearning heart when he saw a poisonous snake approaching. His joy knew
no bounds. He became so excited that he could feel the thumping of his
own heart. 'O God,' he prayed, 'now the snake has come too. I have
procured
most of the ingredients. Please be gracious and give me the remaining
ones.' No sooner did he pray thus than a frog hopped up. The snake
pursued
it. As they came near the skull and the snake was about to bite the
frog, the
frog jumped over the skull and the snake's poison fell into it. The man
began to dance, clapping his hands for joy. — So I say that one gets
everything
through yearning.
"A man cannot realize God' unless he renounces everything mentally. A
sadhu cannot lay things up. 'Birds and wandering monks do not make
provision
for the morrow.' Such is the state of my mind that I cannot carry even
clay in my hand. Once, when Hriday tormented me, I thought of leaving
this place and going to Benares. I thought of taking some clothes with
me.
But how could I take money? So I could not go to Benares. (All
laugh.)
(To Mahima) "You are a householder. Therefore you
should hold both
to 'this' and to 'that' — both to the world and to God."
MAHIMA: "Sir, can one who holds to 'that' also hold to 'this'?"
MASTER: "Once, sitting on the bank of the Ganges near the Panchavati,
holding a rupee in one hand and clay in the other, I discriminated,
'The
rupee is the clay — the clay is verily the rupee, and the rupee is
verily the
clay', and then threw the rupee into the river. But I was a little
frightened.
'How foolish of me to offend the goddess of fortune!' I thought. 'What
shall I do if she doesn't provide me with food any more?' Then, like
Hazra,
I sought help in a ruse. I said to the goddess, 'Mother, may you dwell
in my
heart.' Once the Divine Mother was pleased with a man's austerities and
said to him, 'You may ask a favour of Me.' 'O Mother,' said he, 'if You
are
so pleased with me, then grant that I may eat from a gold plate with my
grandchildren.' Now, in one boon the man got everything: grandchildren,
wealth, and gold plate. (All laugh.)
"When the mind is freed from 'woman and gold', it can be directed to
God and become absorbed in Him. It is the bound alone who can be freed.
The moment the mind turns away from God, it is bound. When does the
lower needle of a pair of scales move away from the upper one? When one
pan is pressed down by a weight. 'Woman and gold' is the weight.
"Why does a child cry on coming out of its mother's womb? With its cry
it says, as it were: 'Just see where I am now! In my mother's womb I
was
meditating on the Lotus Feet of God; but see where I am now!'
(To Mahima) "You should renounce mentally. Live the
life of a
householder in a spirit of detachment."
MAHIMA: "Can a man live in the world if his mind is once directed to
God?"
MASTER: "Why not? Where will he go away from the world? I realize
that wherever I live I am always in the Ayodhya of Rama. This whole
world
is Rama's Ayodhya. After receiving instruction from His teacher, Rama
said
that He would renounce the world. Dasaratha sent the sage Vasishtha to
Rama to dissuade Him. Vasishtha found Him filled with intense
renunciation.
He said to Rama: 'First of all, reason with me, Rama; then You may
leave the world. May I ask You if this world is outside God? If that is
so,
then You may give it up.' Rama found that it is God alone who has
become
the universe and all its living beings. Everything in the world appears
real
on account of God's reality behind it. Thereupon Rama became silent.
"In the world a man must fight against passions like lust and anger,
against many desires, against attachment. It is convenient to fight
from
inside a fort — from his own home. At home he gets his food and other
help
from his wife. In the Kaliyuga the life of a man depends entirely on
food. It
is better to get food at one place than to knock at seven doors for it.2
Living at home is like facing the battle from a fort.
"Live in the world like a cast-off leaf in a gale. Such a leaf is
sometimes
blown inside a house and sometimes to a rubbish heap. The leaf goes
wherever the wind blows — sometimes to a good place and sometimes to a
bad. Now God has put you in the world. That is good. Stay here. Again,
when He lifts you from here and puts you in a better place, that will
be
time enough to think about what to do then.
"God has put you in the world. What can you do about it? Resign
everything
to Him. Surrender yourself at His feet. Then there will be no more
confusion. Then you will realize that it is God who does everything.
All
depends on 'the will of Rama'."
A DEVOTEE: "What is that story about 'the will of Rama'?"
MASTER: "In a certain village there lived a weaver. He was a very pious
soul. Everyone trusted him and loved him. He used to sell his goods in
the
market-place. When a customer asked him the price of a piece of cloth,
the
weaver would say: 'By the will of Rama the price of the yarn is one
rupee
and the labour four annas; by the will of Rama the profit is two annas.
The
price of the cloth, by the will of Rama, is one rupee and six annas.'
Such
was the people's faith in the weaver that the customer would at once
pay the
price and take the cloth. The weaver was a real devotee of God. After
finishing his supper in the evening, he would spend long hours in the
worship hall meditating on God and chanting His name and glories. Now,
late one night the weaver couldn't get to sleep. He was sitting in the
worship
hall, smoking now and then, when a band of robbers happened to pass
that
way. They wanted a man to carry their goods and said to the weaver,
'Come
with us.' So saying, they led him off by the hand. After committing a
robbery
in a house, they put a load of things on the weaver's head, commanding
him to carry them. Suddenly the police arrived and the robbers ran
away.
But the weaver, with his load, was arrested. He was kept in the lock-up
for
the night. Next day he was brought before the magistrate for trial. The
villagers learnt what had happened and came to court. They said to the
magistrate, 'Your Honour, this man could never commit a robbery.'
Thereupon the magistrate asked the weaver to make his statement.
"The weaver said: 'Your Honour, by the will of Rama I finished my meal
at night. Then by the will of Rama I was sitting in the worship hall.
It
was quite late at night by the will of Rama. By the will of Rama I had
been
thinking of God and chanting His name and glories, when by the will of
Rama a band of robbers passed that way. By the will of Rama they
dragged
me with them; by the will of Rama they committed a robbery in a house;
and by the will of Rama they put a load on my head. Just then, by the
will
of Rama the police arrived, and by the will of Rama I was arrested.
Then by
the will of Rama the police kept me in the lock-up for the night, and
this
morning by the will of Rama I have been brought before Your Honour.'
The magistrate realized that the weaver was a pious man and ordered his
release. On his way home the weaver said to his friends, 'By the will
of
Rama I have been released.'
"Whether a man should be a householder or a monk depends on the will
of Rama. Surrender everything to God and do your duties in the world.
What
else can you do? A clerk was once sent to prison. After the prison term
was
over he was released. Now, what do you think he did? Cut capers or do
his
old clerical work?
"If the householder becomes a jivanmukta, then he can easily live in
the
world if he likes. A man who has attained Knowledge does not
differentiate
between 'this place' and 'that place'. All places are the same to him.
He
who thinks of 'that place' also thinks of 'this place'.
"When I first met Keshab at Jaygopal's garden house, I remarked, 'He is
the only one who has dropped his tail.' At this people laughed. Keshab
said
to them: 'Don't laugh. There must be some meaning in his words. Let us
ask him.' Thereupon I said to Keshab: 'The tadpole, so long as it has
not
dropped its tail, lives only in the water. It cannot move about on dry
land.
But as soon as it drops its tail it hops out on the bank; then it can
live both
on land and in water. Likewise, as long as a man has not dropped his
tail of
ignorance, he can live only in the water of the world. But when he
drops
his tail, that is to say, when he attains the Knowledge of God, then he
can
roam about as a free soul, or live as a householder if he likes.'"
Mahimacharan and the other devotees remained spellbound, listening to
the Master's words.
MASTER: "Once I visited Devendranath Tagore
(The father of Rabindranath Tagore.) with Mathur Babu. I
said to Mathur: 'I have heard that Devendra Tagore thinks of God. I
should
like to see him.' 'All right,' said Mathur, 'I will take you to him. We
were
fellow students in the Hindu College and I am very friendly with him.'
We
went to Devendra's house. Mathur and Devendra had not seen each other
for a long time. Devendra said to Mathur: 'You have changed a little.
You
have grown fat around the stomach.' Mathur said, referring to me: 'He
has
come to see you. He is always mad about God.' I wanted to see
Devendra's
physical marks and said to him, 'Let me see your body.' He pulled up
his
shirt, and I found that he had very fair skin tinted red. His hair had
not yet turned grey.
"At the outset I noticed a little vanity in Devendra. And isn't that
natural?
He had such wealth, such scholarship, such name and fame! Noticing that
streak of vanity, I asked Mathur: 'Well, is vanity the outcome of
knowledge
or ignorance? Can a knower of Brahman have such a feeling as, "I am a
scholar; I am a jnani; I am rich"?'
"While I was talking to Devendra, I suddenly got into that state of
mind
in which I can see a man as he really is. I was convulsed with laughter
inside. In that state I regard scholars and the book-learned as mere
straw. If
I see that a scholar has no discrimination and renunciation, I regard
him as
worthless straw. I see that he is like a vulture, which soars high but
fixes its
look on a charnel-pit down below.
"I found that Devendra had combined both yoga and bhoga in his life.
He had a number of children, all young. The family physician was there.
Thus, you see, though he was a jnani, yet he was preoccupied with
worldly
life. I said to him: 'You are the King Janaka of this Kaliyuga.
Holding to one as well as the other,
He drank his milk from a brimming cup!
I have heard that you live in the world and think of God; so I
have come
to see you. Please tell me something about God.'
"He recited some texts from the Vedas. He said, 'This universe is like
a
chandelier and each living being is a light in it.' Once, meditating in
the
Panchavati, I too had had a vision like that. I found his words agreed
with my
vision, and I thought he must be a very great man. I asked him to
explain
his words. He said; 'God has created men to manifest His own glory;
otherwise,
who could know this universe? Everything becomes dark without the
lights in the chandelier. One cannot even see the chandelier itself.'
"We talked a long time. Devendra was pleased and said to me, 'You must
come to our Brahmo Samaj festival.' 'That', I said, 'depends on the
will of
God. You can see the state of my mind. There's no knowing when God will
put me into a particular state.' Devendra insisted: 'No, you must come.
But
put on your cloth and wear a shawl over your body. Someone might say
something unkind about your untidiness, and that would hurt me.' 'No,'
I
replied, 'I cannot promise that. I cannot be a babu.' Devendra and
Mathur laughed.
"The very next day Mathur received a letter from Devendra forbidding
me to go to the festival. He wrote that it would be ungentlemanly of me
not
to cover my body with a shawl. (All laugh.)
"There is another big man: Captain. Though a man of the world, he is a
great lover of God. (To Mahima) Talk to him some
time. He knows the
Vedas, the Vedanta, the Bhagavata, the Gita,
the Adhyatma Ramayana, and
other scriptures by heart. You will find that out when you talk to him.
"He has great piety. Once I was going along a street in Baranagore and
he held an umbrella over my head. He invites me to his house and shows
me
great attention. He fans me, massages my feet, and feeds me with
various
dishes. Once at his house I went into samadhi in the toilet; and he
took
care of me there though he is so particular about his orthodox habits.
He
didn't show any abhorrence for the place.
"He has many expenses. He supports his brothers who live in Benares.
His
wife was a miserly woman at first. Now she is so burdened by the
expenses
of the family that she cannot spend all the money she would like to.
"Captain's wife said to me: 'He doesn't enjoy worldly life. That is why
he
once said he would renounce the World.' True, every now and then he
expressed that desire.
"Captain was born in a family of devotees. His father was a soldier. I
have heard that on the battle-field he would worship Siva with one hand
and hold a naked sword in the other.
"Captain is a strong upholder of orthodox conventions. Because of my
visiting Keshab Chandra Sen, he stopped coming here for a month. He
said
to me that Keshab had violated the social conventions: he dined with
the
English, had married his daughter into another caste, and had lost his
own
caste. I said to Captain: 'What do I care for such things? Keshab
chants
the name of God; so I go to him to hear about God. I eat only the plum;
what do I care about the thorns?' But Captain remained stubborn. He
said
to me, 'Why do you see Keshab?' I answered him rather sharply: 'But I
don't go to him for money; I go there to hear the name of God. And how
is
it that you visit the Viceroy's house? He is a mlechchha. How can you
be
in his company?' That silenced him a little.
"But he is a great devotee. When he worships he performs arati with
camphor. When he recites hymns he becomes a totally different person.
He
becomes absorbed.
(To Mahimacharan) "In the light of Vedantic
reasoning the world is
illusory, unreal as a dream. The Supreme Soul is the Witness — the
witness
of the three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep. These things are
in your
line of thought. The waking state is only as real as the dream. Let me
tell
you a story that agrees with your attitude.
"There was a farmer who lived in the countryside. He was a real jnani.
He earned his living by farming. He was married, and after many years a
son was born to him, whom he named Haru. The parents loved the boy
dearly. This was natural, since he was the one precious gem in the
family.
On account of his religious nature the farmer was loved by the
villagers. One
day he was working in the field when a neighbour came and told him that
Haru had had an attack of cholera. The farmer at once returned home and
arranged tor treatment for the boy. But Haru died. The other members of
the family were grief-stricken, but the farmer acted as if nothing had
happened. He consoled his family and told them that grieving was
futile. Then
he went back to his field. On returning home he found his wife weeping
even more bitterly. She said to him: 'How heartless you are! You
haven't
shed one tear for the child.' The farmer replied quietly: 'Shall I tell
you
why I haven't wept? I had a very vivid dream last night. I dreamt I had
become a king; I was the father of eight sons and was very happy with
them.
Then I woke up. Now I am greatly perplexed. Should I weep for those
eight
sons or for this one Haru?'
"The farmer was a jnani; therefore he realized that the waking state is
as
unreal as the dream state. There is only one eternal Substance, and
that is
the Atman.
"But for my part I accept everything: Turiya and also the three states
of
waking, dream, and deep sleep. I accept all three states. I accept all
—
Brahman and also maya, the universe, and its living beings. If I
accepted less I
should not get the full weight."
A DEVOTEE: "The full weight? How is that?" (All laugh.)
MASTER: "Brahman is qualified by the universe and its living beings. At
the beginning, while following the method of 'Not this, not this', one
has to
eliminate the universe and its living beings. But as long as
'I-consciousness'
remains, one cannot but feel that it is God Himself who has become
everything.
He alone has become the twenty-four cosmic principles.
"When a man speaks of the essential part of the bel-fruit, he means its
flesh only, and not the seeds and shell. But if he wants to speak of
the total
weight of the fruit, it will not do for him to weigh only the flesh. He
must
accept the whole thing: seeds and shell and flesh. Seeds and shell and
flesh
belong to one and the same fruit.
"The Nitya and the Lila belong to the same Reality. Therefore I accept
everything, the Relative as well as the Absolute. I don't explain away
the
world as maya. Were I to do that I should get short weight."
MAHIMACHARAN: "It is a good synthesis: from the Absolute to the
Relative, and from the Relative to the Absolute."
MASTER: "The jnanis regard everything as illusory, like a dream; but
the
bhaktas accept all the states. The milk flows only in dribblets from
the jnani.
(All laugh.) There are some cows that pick and
choose their fodder; hence
their milk flows only in dribblets. But cows that don't discriminate so
much,
and eat whatever they get, give milk in torrents. A superior devotee of
God
accepts both the Absolute and the Relative; therefore he is able to
enjoy the
Divine even when his mind comes down from the Absolute. Such a devotee
is like the cows that give milk in torrents." (All laugh.)
MAHIMA: "But the milk of a cow that eats without discrimination smells
a little." (Laughter.)
MASTER (with a smile): "That's true, no doubt.
Therefore that milk
should be boiled. One should boil such milk over the fire a little
while;
there will be no smell whatever if you boil the milk over the fire of
Knowledge. (All laugh)
(To Mahima) "You explain 'Aum' with reference to
'a', 'u', and 'm' only."
MAHIMA: "'A', 'u', and 'm' mean creation, preservation, and
destruction."
MASTER: "But I give the illustration of the sound of a gong: 'torn',3
t—o—m. It is the merging of the Lila in the Nitya: the gross, the
subtle,
and the causal merge in the Great Cause; waking, dream, and deep sleep
merge in Turiya. The striking of the gong is like the falling of a
heavy
weight into a big ocean. Waves begin to rise; the Relative rises from
the
Absolute; the causal, subtle, and gross bodies appear out of the Great
Cause;
from Turiya emerge the states of deep sleep, dream, and waking. These
waves arising from the Great Ocean merge again in the Great Ocean. From
the Absolute to the Relative, and from the Relative to the Absolute.
Therefore
I give the illustration of the gong's sound, 'tom'. I have clearly
perceived
all these things. It has been revealed to me that there exists an Ocean
of
Consciousness without limit. From It come all things of the relative
plane,
and in It they merge again. Millions of Brahmandas rise in that
Chidakasa
and merge in It again. All this has been revealed to me; I don't know
much
about what your books say."
MAHIMA: "Those to whom such things were revealed did not write the
scriptures. They were rapt in their own experiences; when would they
write?
One needs a somewhat calculating mind to write. Others learnt these
things
from the seers and wrote the books."
MASTER: "Worldly people ask why one does not get rid of attachment to
'woman and gold'. That attachment disappears after the realization of
God.
If a man once tastes the Bliss of Brahman, then his mind no longer runs
after the enjoyment of sense pleasures or wealth or name and fame. It
the
moth once sees the light, it no longer goes into the darkness.
"Some friends said to Ravana: 'You have been assuming different forms4
for Sita. Why don't you go to her in the form of Rama?' Ravana replied:
'When I contemplate Rama, even the position of Brahma appears
insignificant
to me, not to speak of the company of another man's wife! How
could I take the form of Rama for such a purpose?'
"All worship and spiritual discipline are directed to one end alone,
namely,
to get rid of worldly attachment. The more you meditate on God, the
less
you will be attached to the trifling things of the world. The more you
love
the Lotus Feet of God, the less you will crave the things of the world
or
pay heed to creature comforts. You will look on another man's wife as
your
mother and regard your own wife as your companion in spiritual life.
You
will get rid of your bestial desires and acquire godly qualities. You
will be
totally unattached to the world. Though you may still have to live in
the
world, you will live as a jivanmukta. The disciples of Sri Chaitanya
lived
as householders in a spirit of detachment.
"You may quote thousands of arguments from Vedanta philosophy to a
true lover of God, and try to explain the world as a dream, but you
cannot
shake his devotion to God.5
In spite of all your efforts he will come back to his devotion.
"A man born with an element of Siva becomes a jnani; his mind is always
inclined to the feeling that the world is unreal and Brahman alone is
real.
But when a man is born with an element of Vishnu he develops ecstatic
love of God. That love can never be destroyed. It may wane a little now
and
then, when he indulges in philosophical reasoning, but it ultimately
returns.
to him increased a thousandfold."
After the devotees had left the Master, Mahimacharan brought Hazra to
the room. M. was present. Mahima said to Sri Ramakrishna: "Sir, I have
a
complaint against you. Why have you asked Hazra to go home? He has no
desire to return to his family."
MASTER: "His mother has told Ramlal how much she is suffering on
account of his being away from home; so I have asked Hazra to go home,
at least for three days, and see her. Can anyone succeed in spiritual
discipline
if it causes suffering to his mother? While visiting Vrindavan I had
almost made up my mind to live there, when I remembered my mother. I
said to myself, 'My mother will weep if I stay away from her.' So I
returned
here with Mathur Babu. Besides, why should a jnani like Hazra be afraid
of
going back to the world?"
MAHIMA (with a smile): "Sir, that would be a
pertinent question if
Hazra were a jnani."
MASTER (smiling): "Oh, Hazra has attained
everything. He has just a
little attachment to the world because of his children and a small
debt. As
people say, my aunt is now in perfect health, only she is slightly ill!"
MAHIMA: "Where, sir, is Hazra's knowledge?"
MASTER (smiling): "Oh, you don't know! Everybody
says Hazra is quite
a man. Everybody knows that he lives in the Dakshineswar temple garden.
People talk of nothing but Hazra. Who would bother to mention my name?"
(All laugh.)
HAZRA: "You, sir, are incomparable. You have no peer in the world.
Therefore nobody understands you."
MASTER: "There you are! To be sure, no one can have dealings with the
incomparable. So why should people mention me at all?"
MAHIMA: "What does he know, sir? He will do your bidding."
MASTER: "That is not so. You had better ask him about it. He said to
me,
'You and I are on even terms.'"
MAHIMA: "He argues a great deal."
MASTER: "Now and then he teaches me a lesson. (All laugh.)
Sometimes
I scold him when he argues too much. Later, when I am lying in bed
inside
the mosquito curtain, I feel unhappy at the idea of having offended
him.
So I leave the bed, go to Hazra, and salute him. Then I feel peace of
mind.
(To Hazra) "Why do you address the Pure Atman as
'Isvara'? The Pure
Atman is inactive and is the Witness of the three states. When I think
of the
acts of creation, preservation, and destruction, then I call the Pure
Atman
'Isvara'. What is the Pure Atman like? It is like a magnet lying at a
great
distance from a needle. The needle moves, but the magnet lies
motionless,
inactive."
Toward evening Sri Ramakrishna was pacing the room. M. was sitting
alone, thinking. Suddenly the Master said to him tenderly: "Please give
me
a couple of linen shirts. As you know, I cannot use everybody's things.
I
thought of asking Captain for the shirts, but you had better give them
to
me." M. felt highly gratified and said, "As you please, sir."
At dusk incense was burnt in Sri Ramakrishna's room, and, as usual, he
bowed before the pictures of gods and goddesses on the walls and
chanted
their names softly. From outside one could hear the murmuring of the
Ganges and the music of the evening worship in the temples of Kali,
Vishnu,
and Siva. Through the door one could see the priest at a distance
moving
from one temple to another, a bell in his left hand and a light in his
right,
an attendant carrying the gong. The evening melody was in harmony with
the spirit of the hour and place and with the innermost thoughts of the
worshippers. For the time being the sordid things of daily life were
forgotten.
Later Sri Ramakrishna was seated in his room in his usual blissful
mood.
Ishan had come from Calcutta. He had burning faith in God. He used to
say, "If a man leaves the house with the hallowed name of Durga on his
lips, then Siva Himself protects him with His celestial weapons."
MASTER (to Ishan): "You nave great faith. But I
haven't so much. (All
laugh.) God can be realized only through faith."
ISHAN: "Yes, sir."
MASTER: "You practise religious rites — japa, fasting, and the like.
That is
very good. If a man feels sincerely drawn to God, then God makes him
practise all these disciplines. The devotee will certainly realize God
if he
practises them without desiring their results. A devotee observes many
rites
because of the injunctions of the scriptures. Such devotion is called
vaidhi-bhakti. But there is a higher form of devotion known as
raga-bhakti, which
springs from yearning and love for God. Prahlada had such devotion.
When
the devotee develops that love, he no longer needs to perform
prescribed
rites."
November 9, 1884
Sri Ramakrishna was in his room, seated on the small couch and
facing
the east. The devotees were sitting on the floor. It was about midday
when
M. arrived and took a seat after saluting the Master. Gradually other
devotees
began to gather. Vijaykrishna Goswami was there with several Brahmo
devotees. The priest Ram Chakravarty was present also. Mahimacharan,
Narayan, and Kishori arrived a few minutes later.
It was the beginning of winter. Sri Ramakrishna had felt the need of
some
shirts and had asked M. to bring them. Besides two broadcloth shirts,
M.
had brought another of a heavy material, for which Sri Ramakrishna had
not
asked.
MASTER (to M.): "You had better take that one back
with you. You can
use it yourself. There is nothing wrong in that. Tell me, what kind of
shirt
did I ask you to bring?"
M: "Sir, you told me to get you plain ones. You didn't ask me to buy
the heavier one."
MASTER: "Then please take that one hack. (To Vijay and the
others)
You see, Dwarika Babu gave me a shawl. The Marwari devotees also
brought
one for me. I couldn't accept —"
Vijay interrupted the Master, saying: "That is right, sir. If a man
needs
a thing, he must accept it. And there must be a man to give it. Who but
a
man will give?"
MASTER: "The giver is the Lord Himself. The mother-in-law said to her
daughter-in-law: 'My child, I see that everybody has someone to render
him
a little personal service. It would be so nice if you could find
someone to
massage your feet.' The daughter-in-law said: 'Mother, God Himself will
massage my feet. I don't need anyone else.' She spoke thus because she
was
a sincere lover of God.
'Once a fakir went to the Emperor Akbar to ask for money. The Emperor
was saying his prayers. He prayed, 'O Lord, give me money; give me
wealth.'
The fakir started to leave the palace, but the Emperor motioned to him
to
wait. After finishing his prayers, Akbar came to the holy man and said,
'Why were you going away?' The fakir replied, You yourself were begging
for money and wealth; so I thought that if I must beg, I would beg of
God
and not of a beggar.'"
VIJAY: "I saw a sadhu at Gaya. He did not take the initiative in
anything.
One day he wanted to feed some devotees. Suddenly we found that butter,
flour, fruits, and other food-stuff had arrived from no one knew where."
MASTER (to Vijay and the others): "There are three
classes of sadhus:
good, mediocre, and bad. The good sadhu makes no effort to get his
food.
The dandis, among others, belong to the mediocre and bad classes. To
get
food the mediocre sadhu will knock at the door of a house and say,
'Namo
Narayana'.6
The bad sadhu starts a quarrel if he doesn't get his alms.
"The good sadhu behaves like a python. He sits in one place and the
food
comes to him. The python doesn't move from where it is. A young sadhu,
who had been a brahmachari from his boyhood, went out to beg. A young
girl offered him alms. The sadhu saw her breasts and thought she had
abscesses. He asked about them. The elderly women of the family
explained
that she would some day be a mother and that God had given her breasts
to give milk to her children; God had provided for all this beforehand.
At
these words the sadhu was struck with wonder. He said: 'Then I don't
need
to beg. God must have provided for me too.'"
Some of the devotees thought that in that case they should not take any
initiative either.
MASTER: "But those who think that an effort is needed must make the
effort."
VIJAY: "There is a nice story about that in the Bhaktamala."
MASTER: "Tell it to us."
VIJAY: "Please tell us yourself."
MASTER: "No, you tell it. I don't remember it very well.
"One should hear these things at the beginning. That is why I listened
to them years ago. But now I am no longer in that mood. Hanuman said:
'I don't know the position of the stars or the phase of the moon. I
only think of Rama.'
"The chatak bird craves only rain-water. Even when it is dying of
thirst,
it turns its beak upward and wants only water from the sky. The Ganges,
the Jamuna, and the seven oceans are filled to the brim, but still it
will not
touch the water of the earth.
"Rama and Lakshmana visited Pampa Lake. Lakshmana saw a crow very
eager for water. Again and again it went to the edge of the water but
would
not drink. Lakshmana asked Rama about it. Rama said: 'Brother, this
crow
is a great devotee of God. Day and night it repeats the name of Rama.
Its
throat is parched with thirst, but still it won't drink for tear of
missing a
repetition of Rama's name.'
"On a full-moon night I said to Haladhari, 'Brother, is it the night of
the
new moon?' (All laugh.)
(Smiling) "Yes, it is true. Once I was told that a
characteristic of a man
of Perfect Knowledge is that he cannot distinguish between the full
moon
and the new moon. But how could one convince Haladhari of that? He
said: 'This is certainly the dark Kaliyuga. He cannot distinguish the
full
moon from the new moon! And people respect him!'"
Mahimacharan entered the room.
MASTER (respectfully): "Come in. Come in, sir.
Please take a seat.
(To Vijay and the other devotees) "In the ecstatic
state of mind I cannot
remember a date. The other day there was a religious festival at Beni
Pal's
garden. I forgot the date. I can no longer remember the last day of the
month, when it is very auspicious to repeat the name of God."
Sri Ramakrishna remained thoughtful a few minutes.
MASTER: "But I remember if a man makes an engagement to visit me.
"A man attains this state when his mind is one hundred per cent
absorbed
in God. When Hanuman returned from Ceylon, Rama said to him: 'You
have seen Sita. Tell me, how did you find her?' Hanuman said: 'O Rama,
I saw that only the body of Sita lay there; it held neither her mind
nor her
soul. She has indeed consecrated her mind and soul to Your Lotus Feet.
Therefore I saw only her body in Ceylon. Further, I saw the King of
Death
prowling about. But what could he do? It was only a body; it had
neither
mind nor soul.'
It you meditate on an ideal you will acquire its nature. If you think
of
God day and night, you will acquire the nature of God. A salt doll went
into the ocean to measure its depth. It became one with the ocean. What
is
the goal of books or scriptures? The attainment of God. A man opened a
book belonging to a sadhu. He saw the word Rama written on every page.
There was nothing else.
"If a man loves God, even the slightest thing kindles spiritual feeling
in him. Then, repeating the name of Rama but once, he gets the fruit of
ten million sandhyas. At the sight of a cloud the peacock's emotion is
awakened: he dances, spreading his tail. Radha had the same experience.
Just the
sight of a cloud recalled Krishna to her mind.
"Chaitanyadeva was passing a village. He heard that drums were made
from the earth of that place. At once he was overwhelmed with ecstasy
because drums are used in kirtan.
"But who can have this spiritual awakening? Only he who has renounced
his attachment to worldly things. If the sap of attachment is totally
dried up
in a man, the slightest suggestion kindles, his spiritual emotion.
Though
you strike a wet match a thousand times, it will not produce a spark.
But
if it is dried, the slightest rubbing will set it aflame.
"Pain and pleasure are inevitable in a body. He who has realized God
dedicates his mind and life, his body and soul, to God. When Rama and
Lakshmana went to take their bath in Pampa Lake, they thrust their bows
into the ground. Coming out of the water, Lakshmana took out his bow
and
found its tip stained with blood. Rama said to him: 'Look, brother!
Look.
Perhaps we have hurt some creature.' Lakshmana dug in the earth and
found a big bullfrog. It was dying. Rama said to the frog in a
sorrowful
voice: 'Why didn't you croak? We should have tried to save you. You
croak
lustily enough when you are in the jaws of a snake.' The frog said: 'O
Lord, when I am attacked by a snake I croak, saying: "O Rama, save me!
O Rama, save me!" This time I found that it was Rama who was killing
me; so I kept still.'"
Sri Ramakrishna remained silent a few moments watching the devotees.
He had heard that Mahimacharan did not believe in following a guru. He
began the conversation again.
MASTER: "A man should have faith in the words of his guru. He doesn't
have to look into his guru's character. 'Though, my guru visits the
grog-shop,
still he is the Embodiment of Eternal Bliss.'
"A man who used to give recitals of the Chandi and
the Bhagavata
once said, 'A broomstick is itself unclean, but it cleans dirty
places.'"
Mahimacharan studied the Vedanta. His aim was to attain Brahmajnana.
He followed the path of knowledge and was always reasoning.
MASTER (to Mahima): "The aim of the jnani is to know
the' nature of
his own Self. This is Knowledge; this is liberation. The true nature of
the
Self is that It is the Supreme Brahman: I and the Supreme Brahman are
one. But this Knowledge is hidden on account of maya.
"I said to Harish, 'This is the whole thing: the gold is hidden under a
few basketfuls of earth, and you must remove the earth.'
"The bhaktas retain 'I-consciousness'; the jnanis do not. Nangta used
to
teach how to establish oneself in the true Self, saying, 'Merge the
mind in
the buddhi and the buddhi in the Atman; then you will be established in
your true Self.'
"But the 'I' persists. It cannot be got rid of. Imagine a limitless
expanse
of water: above and below, before and behind, right and left,
everywhere
there is water. In that water is placed a jar filled with water. There
is water
inside the jar and water outside, but the jar is still there. The 'I'
is the jar.
"Even after attaining Knowledge, the jnani keeps his body as before.
But
the fire of Knowledge burns away his lust and other passions. Many days
ago, during an electric storm, a thunderbolt struck the Kali temple. We
saw
that no injury had been done to the doors; only the points of the
screws were
broken. The doors are the body, and the passions — lust and so forth —
are
the screws.
"A jnani loves to talk only about God. He feels pained if one talks
about
worldly things. But a worldly man belongs to a different class. He
always
has the turban of ignorance on his head. He always comes back to
worldly
topics.
"The Vedas speak of the 'seven planes' of mind. When the jnani's mind
ascends to the fifth plane, he cannot listen to anything or talk of
anything
but God. At that stage only words of wisdom come from his lips.
"The Vedas speak of Satchidananda Brahman. Brahman is neither one
nor two; It is between one and two. It cannot be described either as
existence
or as non-existence; It is between existence and non-existence.
"When the devotee develops raga-bhakti, passionate love of God, he
realizes
Him. But one loses vaidhi-bhakti, formal devotion, as easily as one
gains it.
This is formal devotion: so much japa, so much meditation, so much
sacrifice
and homa, so many articles of worship, and the recitation of so many
mantras before the Deity. Such devotion comes in a moment and goes in
a moment. Many people say: 'Well, friend, we have lived on havishya for
so many days! How many times we have worshipped the Deity at our home!
And what have we achieved?' But there is no falling away from
raga-bhakti.
And who gets this passionate love for God? Those who have performed
many meritorious deeds in their past births, or those who are eternally
perfect.
Think of a dilapidated house, for instance: while clearing away the
undergrowth
and rubbish one suddenly discovers a fountain fitted with a pipe. It
has been covered with earth and bricks, but as soon as they are removed
the water shoots up.
"Those who have passionate love for God do not say any such thing as:
'O brother, how strict I have been about food! But what have I
achieved?'
New farmers give up cultivating if their fields do not yield any crops.
But hereditary farmers will continue to cultivate their fields whether
they get
a crop or not. Their fathers and grandfathers were farmers; they know
that
they too must accept farming as their means of livelihood.
"Only those who have developed raga-bhakti for God may be called His
sincere devotees. God becomes responsible for them. If you enter your
name
in a hospital register, the doctor will not discharge you until you are
cured.
Those who are held by God have nothing to fear. The son who holds to
his father, while walking along the narrow ridge of a paddy-field, may
slip
if he absent-mindedly lets go his father's hand; but if the father
holds the
son by the hand, there is no such danger.
"Is there anything that is impossible for faith? And a true devotee has
faith in everything: the formless Reality, God with form, Rama,
Krishna,
and the Divine Mother.
"Once, while, going to Kamarpukur, I was overtaken by a storm. I was in
the middle of a big meadow. The place was haunted by robbers. I began
to repeat the names of all the deities: Rama, Krishna, and Bhagavati. I
also repeated the name of Hanuman. I chanted the names of them all.
What does that mean? Let me tell you. While the servant is counting out
the money to purchase supplies, he says, These pennies are for
potatoes,
these for egg-plants, these for fish.' He counts the money separately,
but
after the list is completed, he puts the coins together.
"When one develops love of God, one likes to talk only of God. If you
love a person, you love to talk and hear about him. A worldly person's
mouth
waters while he talks about his son. If someone praises his son, he
will at
once say to the boy, 'Go and get some water for your uncle to wash his
feet.'
"Those who love pigeons are highly pleased if you praise pigeons before
them. But if you speak ill of pigeons, they will at once exclaim, 'Has
anyone
in your line for fourteen generations ever raised pigeons?'"
Sri Ramakrishna now addressed Mahimacharan, who was a householder.
MASTER: "What need is there of renouncing the world altogether? It is
enough if you can rid yourself of attachment. But you must have
sadhana;
you have to fight the sense-organs.
"It is a great advantage to fight from inside a fort. You get much help
from the fort. The world is the place for enjoyment. After enjoying
different
things, you should give them up one by one. Once I had a desire to put
a
gold chain around my waist. I obtained one at last and put it on, but I
had
to take it off immediately.
"Once I ate some onion.7
While eating it I discriminated, 'O mind, this is
onion.' Then I moved it to different places in my mouth and at last
spat it out."
A musician was expected. He was to sing with his party. Sri Ramakrishna
asked the devotees every now and then, "Where is the musician?"
MAHIMA: "We are quite all right as we are."
MASTER: "No, sir. You get this all through the year."
A devotee outside the room said, "The musician has come."
Sri Ramakrishna was filled with joy and said, "Ah! Has he?"
Mats were spread on the floor of the long verandah northeast of the
Master's room. Sri Ramakrishna said: "Sprinkle a little Ganges water on
the
mats. Many worldly people have sat on them."
The ladies of Pyari Babu's family, from Bali, had come to visit the
temples. They wanted to listen to the kirtan. A devotee said to Sri
Ramakrishna: "These ladies have been inquiring whether there would be
any
place in the room for them. Can they have seats?" The kirtan had
already
begun. The Master said, "No, no! Where is any room here?"
Narayan arrived and saluted Sri Ramakrishna. The latter said tenderly:
"Why have you come? Your people at home have beaten you so much!" He
signed to Baburam to give Narayan something to eat. Narayan entered the
Master's room. Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna followed him. He wanted to feed
Narayan with his own hands. Afterwards he returned to the verandah.
Many devotees were present, including Vijay, Mahimacharan, Narayan,
M., and the younger Gopal. Soon Narayan came back to the verandah and
took his seat by the Master.
About three o'clock Adhar arrived. At the sight of him Sri Ramakrishna
appeared excited. The devotee saluted the Master and sat on the floor.
Sri
Ramakrishna beckoned to him to come nearer.
When the music was over the gathering of devotees broke up. Some
began to stroll in the garden and some went to the temples to watch the
evening service.
In the evening arrangements were made for kirtan inside the Master's
room. Sri Ramakrishna eagerly asked a devotee to have an extra lamp.
The
two lamps lit the room brightly.
Sri Ramakrishna said to Vijay: "Why are you sitting there? Come nearer
to me." This time the kirtan created an intense atmosphere. The Master
danced in an ecstasy of joy; the devotees also danced encircling him.
While
Vijay was dancing his cloth dropped. He was unconscious.
When the music was over, Vijay began to look for his key, which had
fallen somewhere. The Master said to him with a laugh, "Why bother
about
it any more?" He meant that Vijay should have nothing more to do with
boxes and keys.
Kishori saluted Sri Ramakrishna and was about to take his leave. The
Master blessed him, touching his chest tenderly, and bade him good-bye.
His words were full of love. M. and Gopal saluted the Master. They too
were about to take their leave. He said to them with the same
affection:
"Couldn't you go tomorrow morning? You may catch cold at night."
M. and Gopal decided to spend the night with Sri Ramakrishna. They sat
on the floor with a few other devotees.
Sri Ramakrishna had had no rest the whole day: the devotees had been
with him all the time. He went out for a few minutes. Returning to the
room he saw M. taking down a song from Ramlal.
MASTER: "What are you doing?"
M. said that he was writing down a song. On being told what the song
was, the Master remarked that it was a rather long song. M. wrote a
line
or two and then stopped writing.
A little later Sri Ramakrishna took his supper of farina pudding and
one
or two luchis. A lighted lamp stood on a stand by his side. M. sat near
him.
The Master asked if there were any sweets in the room. M. had brought
some sandesh which he had put on the shelf. Sri Ramakrishna asked M. to
give him a sweet. M. searched for the sweets but could not find them.
He
was embarrassed. They had been given to the devotees.
After finishing his supper, Sri Ramakrishna sat on the small couch and
M. seated himself on the foot-rug. The Master, talking about Narayan,
was
overcome with emotion.
MASTER: "I saw Naran today."
M: "Yes, sir. His eyes were moist. When I looked at his face I felt
like weeping."
MASTER: "The sight of him arouses a mother's love in me, as it were.
His
relatives beat him at home because he comes here. There is none to
defend him."
M: "The other day he left his books at Haripada's house and fled to
you."
MASTER: "It was not good for him to do that."
Sri Ramakrishna was silent. After a few minutes he continued.
MASTER: "You see, he has much substance in him. Otherwise, how could
I be attracted to him even though I was listening to the kirtan at the
time?
I had to leave the music and go into the room. That never happened
before."
Again Sri Ramakrishna fell silent. A few minutes later he began to talk.
MASTER: "In an ecstatic state I asked him how he was feeling. He just
said he was happy. (To M.) Feed him now and then—as
parents do their child."
Sri Ramakrishna then spoke about Tejchandra.
MASTER (to M.): "Please ask him what he thinks of
me. Does he think
of me as a jnani? Or what does he say about me? I understand that he is
very reticent. (To Gopal) Ask Tejchandra to come
here Saturdays and
Tuesdays. (To M.) Suppose I go to your school and
look for —"
M. thought that Sri Ramakrishna wanted to go to his school to see
Narayan. He said to the Master, "You might as well wait at our house."
MASTER: "No, I have something else in mind. I should like to see
whether
there are other worth-while boys in the school."
M: "Of course you can go. Other visitors come to the school. You can
come too."
Sri Ramakrishna was smoking. M. and Gopal finished their supper. They
decided to sleep in the nahabat. M. again sat on the floor near Sri
Ramakrishna.
MASTER (to M.): 'There may be some pots and pans in
the nahabat.
Why not sleep here in this room?"
M: "Very well, sir."
Who is there that can understand what
Mother Kali is?
Even the six darsanas are powerless to reveal Her.
It is She, the scriptures say, that is the Inner Self
Of the yogi, who in Self discovers all his joy;
She that, of Her own sweet will, inhabits every living thing. . . .
Then he sang:
All creation is the sport of my mad Mother Kali;
By Her maya the three worlds are bewitched. . . .
He continued:
O Kali, who can know Thee? Numberless are Thy forms. . . .
Again he sang:
O Mother, redeem me speedily!
From terror of the King of Death I am about to die. . . .
M. said to himself, "I wish he would sing:
Mother, Thou canst not trick me any more,
For I have seen Thy crimson Lotus Feet."
Strangely enough, no sooner had the thought passed through
M.'s mind
than Sri Ramakrishna sang the song. A few minutes later he said to M.,
"What do you think of the present state of my mind?"
M. (smiling): "It is your simple and natural state."
Sri Ramakrishna sang to himself the following refrain of a song:
Unless a man is simple, he cannot recognize God, the Simple One.