The Gospel of Ramakrishna

ed. by Swami Abhedananda

[1907]

THE GOSPEL

OF

RAMAKRISHNA

Revised by

SWAMI ABHEDANANDA

CHAPTER IV

VISIT TO THE PANDIT VIDYÂSÂGARA *

Srî Râmakrishna desired to meet Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyâsâgara. One afternoon he was seen coming in a carriage with some of his disciples all the way from Dakshineswara, a distance of about six miles, to pay a visit to the Pandit at Bâdurbagan in Calcutta. As the carriage passed before Râjâ Râmmohun Roy's †
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house, the Bhagavân suddenly grew silent. His mind wais absorbed in meditation on the Divine Mother. One of his disciples, not perceiving the sudden change that had come over him, said: "This is Râmmohun Roy's house." The Bhagavân replied: "Ah! Now my mind is not on such things"; and immediately he entered into the ecstatic state (Bhâva).
Râmakrishna's childlike nature.The carriage, a short while after, drew up in front of the Pandit's house. Srî Râmakrishna alighted, supported by one of His disciples. Before reaching the staircase which led to the Pandit's study, which was also the drawing-room, the Bhagavân, putting his hand on His shirt, asked a disciple with some concern: "My shirt is unbuttoned; is it necessary to button it?" The disciple answered: "Do not trouble Thyself, Lord; none will find fault with Thee on that
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account." The Bhagavân, like a child, seemed to be satisfied and did not think about it again. The party was then led upstairs into a room where the Pandit was seated in a chair facing the south. A table after the European fashion, with books and papers lying about on it, was before him, and he was talking with some of his friends. As the Bhagavân Srî Râmakrishna entered the room, the Pandit rose to receive Him. The Lord stood with His face to the west and with one hand resting upon the table. He looked upon the Pandit intently as if he was an old acquaintance, and with a smile on His sweet, childlike radiant face, lost all sense-consciousness, and went into the ecstatic Samâdhi.
After a while, taking his seat on a bench, the Bhagavân in his semiconscious state uttered, "I wish some water to drink." Thereupon Vidyâsâgara inquired of a disciple whether the Bhagavân would also like some delicious sweetmeats which he had just received from Burdwân. * Finding no objection, the Pandit went into his inner apartments and returned with water and the sweetmeats. He placed them
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before the Lord. The disciples partook of the sweetmeats, but when they were offered to one young man, Vidyâsâgara said: "Oh, he is a child of the house; do not trouble about him."
The Bhagavân then said, referring to a young man who was sitting before him: "Yes, this young man is good. He is like the river Falgu, * covered with dry sand, but if you dig a little you will find a strong invisible current underneath. He has a spiritual current inside, although he does not show it on the outside."
Râmakrishna's love of humor.Then addressing Vidyâsâgara he continued: "To-day I have at last reached the ocean (referring to the literal meaning of  the word Vidyâsâgara,—the ocean of knowledge). So long I have seen only canals, lakes, or, at most, rivers, but now I see the ocean itself.
Vidyâsâgara: Then, Sir, Thou art welcome to take some salt water from it.
Bhagavân: No, my dear sir, why salt water? You are not the ocean of Avidyâ (ignorance),
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which leads away from God, but you are the ocean of milk, the ocean of Vidyâ, or true knowledge leading Godward.
Vidyâsâgara: Revered Sir, Thou mayest say that.
Good works and compassion for all.Bhagavân: Your Karma proceeds from the Sattwa element of nature. From it rises compassion. Whatever work is done for the good of others is absolutely free from fault. It may be called Râjasika, but it is the activity of Sattwa. There is no harm in such works. Sukadeva and others like him had compassion for all. They worked for humanity and helped mankind in the path of Divinity. You are giving free education and doing charitable works; that is good. He who performs good works through love, without seeking results, attains to God. But he who works for name, fame or any other selfish purpose remains bound. Further, I may say that you have already become Siddha (perfected).
Vidyâsâgara: Sir, how is that?
Bhagavân: You know that Siddha, or well-boiled potato, becomes soft and tender. Have you not become tender-hearted by your compassion for all?
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Vidyâsâgara: But the paste of Kalai (a kind of pulse) when boiled (Siddha) becomes harder. Is it not so?
Book-learned Pandits like vultures.Bhagavân, laughing: Yes, but you are not like that. Mere book-learned Pandits (scholars) are hard-hearted. They do good neither to themselves nor to others. They are like vultures who soar high in the sky, but always search after carrion-pits. They may talk about Divine truths, but their minds are attached to woman and wealth. Their attachment is to worldly things (Avidyâ). Compassion, Devotion (Bhakti), Dispassion (Vairâgya)—these are the manifestations of Vidyâ.
Vidyâsâgara was listening to the words of wisdom with whole attention, while the eyes of other gentlemen present were fixed upon the blissful face of Râmakrishna radiant with Divine glory.
Vidyâ and Avidyâ.The Bhagavân continued: The Absolute Brahman is beyond the reach of Vidyâ (knowledge) as well as of Avidyâ (ignorance), which keeps one away from the realization of the Absolute.
The absolute Brahman is beyond the reach of Mâyâ, while Mâyâ is either Vidyâ or Avidyâ.
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[paragraph continues] Vidyâ-Mâyâ and Avidyâ-Mâyâ both exist in this world. As there are knowledge (Jnâna) and Devotion (Bhakti), so also there are lust and greed for wealth. Good and evil, virtue and vice, are to be found in this world of relativity; but Brahman is unaffected by them. They exist in relation to Jiva (individual ego), but cannot touch the Absolute Brahman.
Brahman untouched by good and evil.Brahman may be compared to the light of a lamp. As by the same light one may read the Holy Scriptures and another may forge a document, while the light remains unaffected by the good and evil deeds, so is the Absolute Brahman untouched by the good and evil of the world. He is like the Sun who shines equally upon the virtuous and the wicked.
If you ask, misery, sin, suffering, unhappiness,—whose are these? I should answer, they are for the Jiva. They do not affect the Brahman. Evil to Jiva is not evil to Brahman any more than the venom in the fangs of a snake is poison to the snake. Others may die of snake-bite, but as the poison does not hurt the snake, so indeed is the existence of sin and evil in relation to Jiva alone. Who can describe what the absolute Brahman is? Whatever
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Brahman indescribable.can be uttered by the mouth has become defiled as it were, like the leavings of food. The Revealed Scriptures, Vedas, Tantras, Purânas and all Holy Books, have become defiled as it were, like leavings of food, for they have been uttered by human mouths. But there is one thing that is never defiled in this manner and that is the Absolute Brahman. No one has ever succeeded in describing the Absolute by words of mouth. Brahman is unspeakable, indescribable, unthinkable.
Vidyâsâgara, interrupting, said to his friends: This is a grand idea. To-day I have learned this truth, that the Brahman is the one substance that has never been defiled by the mouth.
Bhagavân: Yes, that is so.
Parable of the Vedic father and his two sons.A certain father had two sons. To instruct them in the knowledge of Brahman he sent them to an Âchârya (preceptor). After a few years they returned home and saluted their father. The father was anxious to know how far they had learned about Brahman, so he asked his eldest son: "My dear son, you have studied all the Scriptures and philosophies, tell me what is Brahman like?" The eldest son then tried to describe
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the Absolute Brahman by quoting various passages from the Vedas. The father kept silent.
Turning to his younger son he asked the same question. The younger son did not answer in words, but remained motionless and communed with the Brahman in silence. The father then exclaimed: "My dear child, thou hast approached the realization of the Brahman. Thy silence is a better answer than the recitation of a hundred texts of the Vedas, for Brahman is indescribable by words. It is indeed the Absolute Silence." The knowledge of the Absolute Brahman is attained in the state of Samâdhi. In that superconscious state Brahman is realized. Then all thoughts cease to rise and perfect silence prevails in the soul. Even the power of speech remains unmanifested. How can one describe Brahman by words of mouth? Man thinks that he has known the Absolute Brahman.
Parable of the ant and the sugar.An ant went to a mount of sugar. The ant did not realize how high was the mountain, but ate a small particle of sugar and was satisfied. It carried home another mount of particle in its mouth. On its way it thought: "Next time I will carry the whole mountain." Such, alas, is the thought of
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small minds. They think that they have known the Absolute, not realizing that Brahman is beyond the reach of mind and thought. However great the mind may be it cannot fully comprehend the Absolute Brahman. Sukadeva * and other great spiritual teachers may be compared to large ants. They could carry in their mouth at utmost eight or ten grains from the mountain of sugar. It is as absurd to say that Brahman has been fully comprehended by a great man as it is absurd to say that the whole mountain of sugar was carried away by a large ant.
What the Vedas and other Scriptures have said about the Absolute is like the description of the ocean given by a man who saw the vast ocean. When asked what the ocean was like, he exclaimed in utter amazement: "Oh! what I have seen; how vast is the expanse! How big are the waves! What a thundering roar!"
Like unto this is the talk about the Absolute Brahman. The Vedas declare that Brahman is
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the ocean of the Absolute Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. Sukadeva and other great
spiritual teachers stood on the shore of that Infinite Ocean, saw it and touched its waters.
Some believe that even those great souls did not go into the Ocean, for whoever enters into that ocean of Brahman does not return to this mundane existence.
Parable of a salt doll.A doll made of salt once went to the ocean to measure its depth. It had a desire to tell others how deep was the ocean. Alas! Its desire was never satisfied. No sooner had it plunged into the ocean than it melted away and became one with the ocean. Who would bring the news regarding the depth? Similar is the condition of the Jiva (individual ego) who enters into the Infinite Ocean of the Absolute Brahman.
Some one asked: Bhagavan, is it true that the man who has entered into Samâdhi, or who has acquired Brahma Jnânam, does not speak?
Brahman is silence.Râmakrishna to Vidyâsâgara: Yes, he who has realized Brahman becomes silent. Discussions and argumentations exist so long as the realization of the Absolute does not come. If you melt butter in a pan over fire, how long does it make a noise?
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[paragraph continues] So long as there is water in it. When the water is evaporated it ceases to make further noise. Again if you throw a piece of dough in that hot clarified butter (Ghee) there will be noise until the cake is thoroughly fried. The soul of a seeker after Brahman may be compared to fresh butter. It is mixed with the water of egoism and worldliness. Discussions and argumentations (Vichâra) of a seeker are like the noise caused during the process of purification by the fire of knowledge. As the water of egoism and worldliness is evaporated and the soul becomes purer, all noise of debates and discussions ceases and absolute silence reigns in the state of Samâdhi.
Egoism of a saint.Thus realizing the Absolute Brahman in silence, the soul comes down on the plane of relativity to help others and to teach mankind the highest wisdom of Brahman. Then he talks again and makes a noise again, as the hot Ghee does when in contact with a piece of dough. Such a soul retains the sense of "I" simply to help mankind. Sankarâchârya and other spiritual teachers kept the purified sense of "I" without which all teaching is impossible.
The bee buzzes so long as it is outside the
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Sages teach for the good of others.lotus and does not settle down in its heart to drink of the honey. As soon as it tastes of the honey all buzzing is at an end. Similarly all noise of discussion ceases when the soul of the neophyte begins to drink the nectar of Divine Love in the Lotus Feet of the Almighty. Sometimes, however, the bee after being intoxicated by the honey makes a sweet humming sound. So the God-intoxicated soul sometimes speaks for the good of others.
A pitcher makes a noise when it is being filled with water in a tank. But all noise stops as soon as the pitcher is full to the brim. The noise will be heard again if some water of the pitcher be poured into another pitcher. (Here water means the water of the Divine Wisdom, and the soul of a wise man is the pitcher.)
Relation between Guru and disciples.The question flow arises, how do we explain the relation between a perfect Guru and his disciples? The Guru must talk in order to drive away the ignorance of his disciples. This kind of discrimination, however, does no harm. The boiling butter after it is clarified ceases to make any noise; but if the raw cake made of flour is thrown into it, it will produce much noise because
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of the water in the cake. The noise will continue until the cake is properly fried. The unfried cake may be compared to the disciple, and the boiling butter to the Guru, the spiritual teacher. The sound of teaching is heard so long as the disciple is not perfectly enlightened.
Non-attachment.Srî Râmakrishna continued: So long as the individual soul has the slightest attachment to the world of senses and desires it cannot attain to Brahma-Jnâna. He is a Jnâni who relinquishes all worldly desires and sense-pleasures by saying, "not this, not this," and then realizes the Supreme Brahman in Samâdhi.
A Jnâni knows that all phenomena of the universe which are subject to evolution, whether physical or mental, are within the realm of Mâyâ; they are unreal and transitory like the objects of vision in a dream. Therefore as one climbs the stairway step by step until the roof is reached, so he rises above them step by step, saying "not this," until he reaches the Absolute Brahman, which is the roof of the phenomenal universe.
A Jnâni goes so far as to realize that Brahman is the Absolute Reality and all phenomena unreal. A Vijnâni, however, goes farther and
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All phenomena unreal.realizes more. He sees that the roof and the steps are all made of the same substance. Few can stay long on the roof (the realm of the Absolute). All those who reach this state of Samâdhi must return to lower planes, just as no one can sing on "Si," the highest note of the gamut, for a long time. The sense of "I" drags one down. But when a Vijnâni returns from Samâdhi to a lower plane of consciousness and perceives the world of relativity, he sees the Brahman everywhere, and that the same Absolute Being appears as Jiva and all the phenomena of the universe. He realizes, "I am Brahman," "I am He."
Jnâna-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga.There are various paths which lead to the realization of the Absolute Brahman. The path of a Jnâni is as good as that of a Bhakta. Jnâna-Yoga is true; so is Bhakti-Yoga. There is another path of Bhakti mixed with Jnâna which is equally true. So long as the sense of "I, me, mine" remains in the devotee, the path of Bhakti is easier for him.
A Vijnâni, however, realizes the Absolute Brahman as the unchangeable Reality of the universe, firm and immutable like the Mount Sumeru. It is beyond all activity of Mâyâ.
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[paragraph continues] He also sees that the world has evolved out of the three Gunas (Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas) of the Prakriti or Cosmic energy.
Mâyâ.Mâyâ or Prakriti consists of Vidyâ and Avidyâ. Vidyâ is that energy which leads Godward. It manifests itself as discrimination (Viveka), non-attachment (Vairâgya), devotion and love of God (Bhakti, Prema). But Avidyâ leads to worldliness. This energy expresses itself as various passions, desire for wealth and honor, ambition, work with attachment, selfishness. All these Vidyâ and Avidyâ forces rise from the Divine Energy of Brahman—they cannot affect the Brahman. Vijnâni and BhaktaThe Vijnâni realizes that the same Absolute. Brahman appears as the Personal God (Iswara), that He who is beyond all attributes is also the Personal God with all attributes and blessed qualities. The Vijnâni sees that Jiva (individual ego), phenomenal world, mind, intellect, Bhakti, dispassion, knowledge—all these are the glory of the supreme Personal Deity. If these manifestations of the Divine Glory did not exist, who would have worshipped Him as the Lord of the universe? If a rich man does not possess wealth and property, but becomes bankrupt, nobody will call him rich.
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[paragraph continues] Do you not see how beautiful is this world? How many varieties of phenomena—the Sun, moon, stars, various kinds of animals and vegetables, things large and small, good and bad, some men with great powers, others with few.
Vidyâsâgara: Is it then true, Revered Sir, that God has given to some greater powers than to others? Is the Lord partial?
Unity in diversity.Bhagavân: The Lord dwells as the all-pervading Being (Vibhu) equally within all living creatures great or small, nay, even in the smallest ant or animalcule. The difference lies in the manifestation of powers (Sakti), otherwise how will it be possible for one strong man to defeat ten men in a hand-to-hand fight, while a weakling will run away from the presence of an ordinary mortal?
If there were no difference in powers, why should people respect and honor you? You have no monstrosity, like two horns on the forehead, that people will come to see you out of curiosity. You have more compassion, more wisdom than others, therefore people come to see you and pay respects to you. Do you not think so?
There is nothing in mere book-learning.
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[paragraph continues] Book-learning.One should study books simply to find out the ways by which He (the Absolute Brahman) can be realized.
A holy man had a manuscript with him. Some one asked what it contained. The saint opened it and showed that on every page was written the sacred formula "Om Râma, "the holy name of the Lord.
True meaning of Gitâ.Take the sacred book of Bhagavad Gitâ. What does it teach? If you wish to know it repeat the name "Gitâ" ten times in quick succession—"Gi-tâ, gi-tâ, gi-," etc. It will sound like "tâgi, tâgi," which has the same meaning as the Sanskrit word "Tyâgi," that is, one who has renounced everything of the world for the sake of the Lord. One truth which Bhagavad Gitâ teaches is this: "O Jiva, giving up attachment to objects and pleasures of the world, struggle to realize God." The mind of a man (whether a saint or a householder) must be free from all attachment to the world. Then and then alone the heart will be purified and the Absolute will be realized.
Chaitanya Deva * (God Incarnate of Nuddea),
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when travelling on a pilgrimage in the Deccan (Southern India), saw in one place a man reading aloud the texts of the Gitâ. At a little distance another man, with unrestrainable tears running down his cheeks, was listening. Chaitanya Deva asked him whether he understood the meaning of the texts. The poor man replied: "My Lord, I do not understand one word of what the Pandit is reading." Chaitanya Deva questioned him: "Why are you weeping, then?" The devotee answered: "I see the chariot of Arjuna, and the Blessed Lord Krishna is speaking before him. This Divine vision brings tears of love to my eyes."
Srî Râmakrishna continued: You may ask why does a Vijnâni prefer to have Bhakti (love and devotion)? The answer is—Because it is difficult for one to be free from the sense of "I." In the state of Nirvikalpa Samâdhi, * it may vanish for the time being, but it comes back again; while for ordinary individuals it is almost impossible to eliminate this sense of "I, me and mine." However many times you may cut
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Sense of "I."off the branches of the Aswatthwa tree, so long as the root is alive new branches will sprout; similarly you may try to get rid of the sense of "I, "but so long as the root is alive it will sprout up again and again. Even after acquiring Brahma-Jnâna the emancipated soul is forced back to the plane of this "Aham" sense of "I."
If you dream of a tiger you will tremble in every limb and your heart will throb violently. When you wake up you may realize that it was a mere dream, but still your heart will go on palpitating all the same. Similarly the sense of "I" remains even after the realization of the Absolute.
Thus, if the sense of "I" is the cause of all troubles and it is impossible to he free from it, let it stay on as "I," the servant of the Lord.
Râma Chandra (the God Incarnate) once asked his great devotee Hanumân: "My son, in what relation do you regard me?" The devotee replied: "When I think of myself as embodied, I am Thy servant and Thou art the Lord. When I think of myself as the Jiva (Ego) I am Thy part and Thou art the Universal Whole; but when I think of myself as the
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[paragraph continues] Âtman, I am one with Thee. Then I realize 'I am Thou and Thou art I.'"
If the sense of "I" clings to one so persistently, let it remain like that of a true Bhakta who thinks of himself as the servant of the Lord.
Ajnânam and Jnânam"I" and "mine"—these two are the signs of Ajnânam, ignorance. My house, my wealth, my learning, my glory, all these are mine—this idea proceeds from ignorance of one's true Self, but Jnânam or divine knowledge means that state where Jiva realizes: "O Lord, Thou art the Master of all; house, family, children, friends, relatives, nay, whatever exists in the universe belongs to Thee." "Whatever is mine is Thine." "Nothing belongs to me"—such ideas rise from true knowledge.
It is good for everyone to remember that after death nothing of this world will remain with us. We have come here simply to perform certain Karma and gain some experience. Just as country people come to a big city like Calcutta to do some work, so we have come to fulfil our desires according to the tendencies with which we were born.
A rich man has given the charge of his beautiful
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Parable of the rich man and his Sircar.garden to his Sircar (steward). When visitors come to see the garden the Sircar waits on them attentively. He shows them the beautiful parts of the garden with luxurious fruit-trees, flower-beds, palace-like buildings, lakes, etc., saying. "These are, gentlemen, our mango-trees. This is our orchard; this is our lake; how beautiful are our flowers! Here you see is our drawing-room with most expensive furniture, fine paintings by the best artists—all these belong to us." The same Sircar may be found fault with and dismissed by his master at any time with peremptory order to leave the garden at once. He will not be allowed sufficient time to pack up his trunk and take his own baggage with him. Such is the miserable plight of those who lay claim upon things which do not in reality belong to them.
Everything belongs to the Lord. It is ridiculous for man to say, "I am Kartâ" (the doer), "All these things are mine."
The Lord smiles on two occasions.On two occasions the Lord cannot help smiling: A person is taken seriously ill and is about to die. The physician says to the mother of the patient: "Mother, there is no cause for fear. I shall save
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your son's life." The physician forgets that the will of the Lord is at the root of every event of life and death. The Lord then smiles, thinking: "How foolish this man must be who boasts of saving the life of his patient when the latter is dying under My will." The Lord smiles again when two brothers are engaged in partitioning their estate. They take a measuring-tape and, putting it out across the land, say: "This portion is mine, and that is yours." The Lord smiles, thinking: "The whole Universe belongs to Me, but these foolish brothers say: 'This portion is mine and that is yours.'"
"O Lord, Thou makest everything and Thou art my nearest and dearest One. This house, this family, these relatives, these friends of mine, nay, this whole universe belongs to Thee, O Lord." Such is the nature of true Jnâna (knowledge). But "I do everything, I am the doer. My house, my family, my children, my friends, everything belongs to me"; all this proceeds from Ajnâna (ignorance).
The Lord alone is thine own.A Guru was giving this instruction to his disciple: "The Lord alone is thine own and no one else belongs to thee." The disciple replied: "But my mother and my wife, who take such good care of me, who love
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me and feel extremely unhappy when they do not see me, are also my own, are they not?" The Guru answered: "In this you are mistaken. I will show you that none of them truly cares for you. Never believe for a moment that your mother or wife will sacrifice her life for your sake. You can try and see. Go home and feign excruciating pain and I will come and show you." The disciple acted accordingly. Doctors were called in, but no one could afford relief. The mother of the patient was sorrowing and sighing. The wife and children were weeping. At this moment the Sannyâsin (Guru) appeared. "The disease is of a serious nature," he said, "and I do not see any chance of the patient's recovery unless some one come forward to give his or her life for the patient." At this all of them looked aghast. The Sannyâsin, addressing the old mother of the sick man, said: "To live or to die will be the same thing to you, if in your old age you lose your son who earns for himself and for you all. If you can give your life in exchange for his, I can save your son. If you, as mother, cannot make this sacrifice for him, who else in the world will care to do it?" The old woman stammered through her tears: "Revered father, I am ready to do
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anything you order for the sake of my son. But the thing is, my own life—and what is my life in comparison to that of my son? The thought—what will become of my little ones after my death, makes me a coward. Unfortunate that I am, these little ones are in my way!"
While listening to this dialogue between the Sannyâsin and her mother-in-law, the wife wept bitterly and, addressing her parents, said: "For your sake, dear father and mother, I cannot make the sacrifice." In this way everyone found an excuse. Then the Sannyâsin turned to the patient and said: "Do you see, no one here is ready to sacrifice his life for you. Do you understand now what I meant by saying that there was no depending on anybody?" When the disciple saw all this, he abandoned his so-called home and followed the Sannyâsin, his Guru.
Self-surrender and prayer.Srî Râmakrishna continued: The Absolute Brahman cannot be known by reasoning. Be his servant and taking refuge with Him pray to Him with earnestness and sincerity. He will surely reveal Himself unto you. Book-learning or intellectual discussions cannot reveal the Divinity.
Thus saying the Blessed One sang:
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2. The Yogi ever meditateth upon Her at the Mulâdhâra and the Sahasrâra.
As the swans, male and female, commune with each other, so in this lotus (Lotus here is a symbol of Plexus) forest doth Kâli commune with Her consort (Shiva).
3. Kâli, the soul of Âtmârâma (Shiva), is as beloved as Sitâ is of Râma. The majesty of Kâli, Shiva (Kâla) alone can know, forsooth who else may know it?
4. For She giveth birth unto the universe; think how vast She is.
She dwelleth within all things as the will omnipotent.
5. The Psalmist (Prasâd) * singeth: "Mortals
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The Blessed One, referring to this song, said: See how Râmaprasâd describes that books and reasoning cannot reveal the Divine Mother. Faith is necessary.
The omnipotence of faith.Reason is weak. Faith is omnipotent. Reason cannot go far enough and must stop short of the goal. Faith will work wonders.
The parable of a Brahmin priest and his boy.There was a certain Brâhmin priest who served in a household chapel. Once he went away leaving the charge of the service to his son. He told the boy to place the daily offering of food before the Deity and see that He ate it. The boy, following the instructions of his father, placed the offering before the image and silently waited. But the image neither spoke nor ate. The boy watched for a long tinge. He had firm faith that the Deity would come down from the altar, take the seat before the offering and eat it. Then he prayed: "O Lord, come and eat. It is
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getting very late; I cannot wait any longer." But the Lord did not speak. Then the boy began to cry, saying: "Lord, my father told me to see that Thou didst eat the offering. Why dost Thou not come. Thou comest to my father and eatest his offering. What have I done that Thou dost not come to me and eat my offering?" He cried bitterly and for a long time. Then as he looked up at the seat, he saw the Deity in a human form eating the offering. When the service was ended and the boy came out, the members of the household said to him, "If the service is over, bring out the offering." The boy replied: "Yes, but the Lord has eaten everything." In amazement they asked: "What did you say?" With absolute innocence the boy repeated: "Why, the Lord has eaten all that I offered." Then they entered the chapel and were dumbfounded at the sight of the empty dishes. Such is the power of true faith and true yearning!
Yes, faith will enable a man to cross the mighty ocean itself without the least difficulty. In the epic Râmâyana it is said: Râma Chandra (God Incarnate) worked hard to throw a bridge over the part of the sea separating Lankâ (Ceylon) from the mainland of India. But as if
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to prove the majesty, the omnipotence of faith, He gave it to His Bhakta, the great Hanumân, * to jump across the ocean by the unaided power of faith.
It is also told that once a Bhakta, a friend of Vibhishana, † wanted to go across the sea. Vibhishana, to whom he appealed for help, had the name of Râma (God) written on a leaf, without the knowledge of his friend. He then said to the Bhakta: "Take this and be careful that you have it tied to the end of your cloth. It will enable you to walk across the ocean in safety. But mind, never look inside, for you will go under the water if you open it." The Bhakta put faith in his friend's words and walked on the ocean in safety for some time, but unfortunately his curiosity became his enemy. He wanted to see what precious thing Vibhishana had given him that had the power
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of taking him unhurt over the mighty deep. When he opened it he discovered a leaf with the name of Râma written on it. He thought what a trifling thing it was; no sooner did that thought arise in his mind than he was drowned.
Those who belong to this class of Jivas cannot easily have faith in God, but those who are born with Divine qualities possess the highest faith naturally. When Prahlâda * tried to write the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, "K," it brought up before his mind the name Krishna, and he began to cry. The natural tendency of a Jiva is to doubt and to become sceptical. Hâzrâ † will not believe in the truth that Brahman and Divine Mother, the Absolute and His Energy, are one and the same. Yet, faith is omnipotent. Before it all the powers of nature shrink and give way. It carries one over seas and mountains with perfect ease. Sin and
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iniquity, worldliness and ignorance all vanish before true faith.
The Bhagavân sang:
2. I might have slain a cow or a Brâhmin or an unborn child!
I might be a drunkard, nay more, the slayer of a woman!
But of all these dire sins I have not the slightest fear.
Through faith in Thy Holy Name I can reach the highest bliss of Brahman.
Yes, faith is at the root of all spiritual progress. Thou canst do without all other things, only thou must have faith. Have but faith in the Lord and thou shalt become at once free from the vilest, the blackest, of all sins.
The one thing needed is faith and Bhakti—love, devotion, prayerfulness, self-surrender. It
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is exceedingly difficult, especially in this age, for a man with his limited faculties to come to my Mother through Vichâra (discrimination of the Real Brahman from the unreal phenomenal universe), unaided by the Divine Person. Verily has Prasâd, the "Sweet Psalmist" of Bengal, laid stress on this difficulty in his well-known song:
2. The moon of desire still shineth in thy secret chamber.
First bring it under control with all thy might. It will hide itself at the dawn of Divine wisdom.
3. Holding this as the ideal, the great Yogi practiseth meditation for ages. When realization cometh it attracts the soul as a, magnet draws unto itself a piece of iron.
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5. Prasâd says: O mind, shall I disclose in public (Châtor) the true nature of that which I worship as my Divine Mother? Guess and understand it from these hints.
There was a deep silence at the close of this song, which had been listened to with rapt attention. Everyone was moved.
Ramakrishna's samâdhi.At the end of this song the Bhagavân was once more found to be in that indescribable state of Samâdhi. His sweet divine voice became still. His eyes remained fixed and steadfast. But his spiritual eye was feasting on the beatific Vision of the Divine Glory! There was left just enough of self-consciousness to bring the soul face to face with the Divine Mother. This blessed Vision the Bhagavân enjoyed for a long time. His face was radiant with celestial light and expressed by sweet smiles the unbounded happiness which He was enjoying within Himself, and
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in His semiconscious state He uttered these words:
What is Bhakti?Bhakti, or devotion, means whole-hearted love for the Lord. The Absolute Brahman is called "Divine Mother" by the Psalmist. Prasâd asks his mind to understand it by hints; He who is described in the Vedas as the Absolute Brahman is my Divine Mother; I am praying to Her.
Brahman impersonal and personal.That which is the Absolute (Nirguna), impersonal beyond all attributes, is also the same as the Personal God who is with all attributes and blessed qualities. The Absolute Brahman again is inseparable from the Divine energy (Sakti).
The term "Brahman" refers to that aspect of Divinity which is impersonal and which is beyond all activity. But when we think of Him as creating, preserving and destroying all phenomena, then we call Him the Personal God, Divine Mother or Kâli.
Brahman and Sakti are one.In reality there is no distinction between "Brahman," or the Impersonal Absolute, and "Sakti," the Divine Mother. The Brahman and the Sakti are one just as fire and its burning power are one. As by the word fire we understand its power of burning,
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so by the latter we know that it is the same as fire. By realizing the one both are realized.
They are one just as much as milk and its whiteness are one. We cannot conceive the milk without the whiteness.
They are one just as a gem and its brightness are one. We cannot conceive a gem without the brightness.
They are one just as the serpent and its sinuous motion are one. We cannot conceive of the serpent without the serpentine movements.
He who knows what "light" is has the knowledge of darkness also. He who has the conception of the phenomenal world must have also some conception of the Absolute Noumenon. He who knows the Sakti, or the Personal aspect of the Absolute Being, knows also the Impersonal Brahman. Again, he who has realized the Absolute Noumenon has also realized the phenomenon. He who has realized Brahman has also realized the Personal God or Divine Mother (Sakti).
The power the Divine Mother.This Divine Mother bestows the highest of knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-jnâna) by bringing her devotee into the state of Samâdhi. She it is who brings him down on the plane of sense-consciousness
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and allows him to retain the sense of "I" and "me."
By the power of my Divine Mother all mortals (Jiva) possess the sense of "I" and "mine." She again reveals to the soul of one who is in Samâdhi, that all living beings, nay, the whole universe, is but the manifestation of the Divine Energy.
It is She who makes one reach the Brahma-jnâna, the highest knowledge of the Absolute, and She again makes another Her beloved devotee who surrenders himself to Her omnipotent Will. This truth is the great secret of all secrets. Therefore the Psalmist says: "Shall I disclose it in the Châtor?"
Vidyâsâgara asked his friend who was sitting near by: "Do you understand the meaning of Châtor?" The friend replied: "I know that 'Chattara' means a courtyard within a house."
Vidyâsâgara: Exactly. It may also mean a public market-place. So Râma Prasâd does not want to make this secret known to the public.
Bhagavân with his smiling face spoke to Vidyâsâgara: "Oh, you are a Pandit, a great scholar, you must know all this." When I sing the praise of my Divine Mother I refer to the
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same Absolute Brahman. The term "Mother" is very sweet. Therefore I like to call Him "Mother." We must learn to love the Personal God (Iswara). Through love He can be easily attained. Love, devotion and faith are the most valuable. Listen to another song. The Bhagavân sang again:
2. If the mind diveth into the sea of Bliss at the feet of my Mother, then is there no further need of worship, rituals, sacrifice or repetition of the Lord's name.
3. The devotee of the Divine Mother is free even in this life and doth enjoy everlasting Bliss.
The Lord, the Ocean of Immortality.He who can dive into the sea of Bliss becomes immortal. The Lord is described in the Vedas as the Ocean of Immortal Bliss. Whosoever enters into it becomes free from death. Some people have a wrong idea that too much meditation upon
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the Absolute will unbalance the mind. No one becomes unbalanced by meditating upon the Absolute.
Devotional exercises, rituals, ceremonials, sacrifices or the pouring of oblations into the sacred fire—such works are needless when true love for the Lord comes in the heart of the devotee. A fan is needed so long as there is no breeze. So when the breeze of Divine Love blows all ritualistic works become unnecessary.
selfless works purify the heart.Referring to Vidyâsâgara the Bhagavân continued: The works which you are doing are good works. If you can perform them without seeking their result and without thinking that you are the "doer, "then it will he still better. The highest result of works done in this selfless manner is the attainment of true love for God. Such works purify the heart and bring God-consciousness in the end. But as your love for the Lord becomes more and more intense, your religious works will become less and less. A married woman diligently performs the household duties, but she is not allowed to do any heavy work when she is about to give birth to her child. You are doing charitable works and other works for the good of humanity. In
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Doing good to the world.reality, however, they are of great help to yourself. They will purify your heart and bring unselfish love for God. Man has no power to do good to the world; the Lord doth everything. He who hath made the Sun and the moon, He who hath given affection in the hearts of parents, He who hath bestowed compassion upon the great souls, He who hath brought unselfish love and devotion in the hearts of saints and sages, doth everything for the good of His world; who else hath the power to perform any good act? Whosoever performeth good works without holding any desire for their fruits will do good for himself.
There is gold inside, under the cover of earth. You have not discovered it yet. If you once realize this secret treasure your worldly duties will vanish and you will not care for other works, just as a mother loves nothing better than to fondle and kiss her new-born baby. Go onward and do not stop in one place. Remember the parable * of the wood-cutter and stop not until the goal is reached. The goal is the realization of God. By His grace His true
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devotee can see Him and can talk with Him just as I am talking with you.
Absolute silence prevailed when the Blessed Lord spoke these words with fire and eloquence. Everyone's heart was moved by that divine love which was flowing with mighty force within the soul of Bhagavân Srî Râmakrishna.
With a smiling face the Bhagavân said: You know all that I have told, but you do not realize how much you possess, in the same manner as Varuna, the Lord of the ocean, does not care to know how many beautiful and valuable jewels there are in His boundless treasury of the deep.
Vidyâsâgara: Revered Sir, Thou canst say so.
Bhagavân: Yes; do you not know that very often a millionaire Bâbu does not know even the names of his own attendants? He does not remember in what places his valuable things are kept.
Everyone was listening to this interesting conversation when Bhagavân suddenly asked Vidyâsâgara: "Will you not come to the Temple garden? It is a beautiful place."
Vidyâsâgara: O yes; certainly. Thou hast been so kind as to come to me, shall I not return my visit to Thee?
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Bhagavân: A visit to me! Oh, for shame! for shame!
Vidyâsâgara: My dear Sir, this from Thee! I wish to know why dost Thou say so?
Humility of Râmakrishna.Bhagavân: Well, we are like fishing-boats, small and light enough to row about on ponds, narrow canals or even on large rivers, but you are like a big steamer. Who can tell?—you might founder on the sand-bank if you venture too far up the stream; but now at this season steamers may go up without much danger.
Vidyâsâgara: Oh I see; this is the rainy season.
At about eight in the evening it was announced that the carriage was ready to take Srî Râmakrishna back to the Thâkurbâdi at Dakshineswara. The Bhagavân became absent-minded for a while; perhaps His mind was fixed upon the Divine Mother, or perhaps He was asking Her blessing upon His kind host. The Bhagavân then rose to bid him farewell and Vidyâsâgara, with a lighted candle in his hand, led the way down-stairs and through the compound of his house to the gate. Outside the gate a carriage was waiting to receive the honored guest and His devoted companions from the Thâkurbâdi. An unexpected sight greeted the eyes of the
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party as they came out. It was a man who might have been a little under forty standing before the gate with folded hands. He was dressed in white and wore a white turban on his head. He had a fair complexion and expressive eyes and a smile was on his face. No sooner did he see the Bhagavân than he fell at His feet with his head touching the ground.
The Bhagavân said: Is it you, Balarâm? How is it that I find you here?
Balarâm * replied, smiling: O Revered Sir, I have been waiting for some time here at the gate to see Thee.
Bhagavân: Why did you not come in?
Balarâm: I came late, so I would not interrupt Thee, but thought it better to stay here.
The Bhagavân then stepped into the carriage with His companions.
Vidyâsâgara asked a disciple: Shall I see the carriage hire paid?
The disciple replied: No, Sir, you need not
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trouble yourself. It has already been paid by a friend.
Ramakrishna leaves Vidyâsâgara.The Pandit then folded his hands and bent his held and body to make his Pranâma (Salutation) to the Bhagavân. All assembled about the carriage did the same.  The little group at the gate, with the venerable Vidyâsâgara at their head still holding the lighted candle in his hand, stood for a while looking in the direction of the carriage, wondering who this God-intoxicated Man might be, so wise yet so child-like, so full of joy, so sweet, so godly! Verily a Light come down to set ablaze the dry bones of a workaday world! Embodied Love, like the dew of heaven falling on the dry thirsty heart of man! A Voice crying unto sunken, self-weary man, "Thou must be born again and love!" A Healer from another clime of this strange disease of modern life! A Man among men, eager to solve for them the enigma of the universe!

Footnotes

99:* Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyâsâgara was the greatest Hindu scholar of his time in Calcutta. He was a true philanthropist, a patriot, an educationalist, and the founder of the Metropolitan Institution in Calcutta. The word Vidyâsâgara is a Sanskrit title which he acquired on account of his vast erudition. It means "ocean of knowledge."
99:† Râjâ Râmmohun Roy was a great Hindu reformer who lived between 1774 and 7833 A.D. He was the first earnest-minded investigator of the science of comparative religion that the world has produced. He studied the Vedas in Sanskrit and the Buddhist Scriptures in the original Pâli, p. 100 the Koran in Arabic, the Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek. He denounced the practice of Suttee which was abolished in 1829. He established the Hindu Unitarian Theistic movement known as the "Brâhmo Samâj." He was the first Hindu Brahmin of rank and influence who visited Paris and England. After nearly two years’ stay in England Râjâ Râmmohun Roy died at Bristol in 1833.
101:* Burdwân, an old city in Bengal, famous for delicious sweetmeats.
102:* Falgu is the name of a sacred river near the holy city of Gayâ in India. It was on the hank of this river that Buddha attained to the highest enlightenment. Its bed is covered with sand like a desert, but a strong current of pure water flows underneath.
108:* Sukadeva was the son of Vyâsâ, the author of the Vedanta Sutras and many of the Purânas. He was born with the Brahma Jnâna, or the knowledge of the Absolute. He, in his childhood, renounced the world with all its pleasures and attractions. He is regarded by the Hindus as the Ideal Jnâni, or Knower of Brahman.
116:* Chaitanya Deva, see note page 7.
117:* Nirvikalpa Samâdhi is described in the Râja Yoga as the highest state of Samâdhi in which the soul rises above the sense of "I" and the plane of all thoughts, ideas and emotions, and reaches the realm of the Absolute.
124:* Prasâd is the abbreviated form of the full name of the Hindu Psalmist, Râma Prasâd Sen. He was a great Yogi and a true devotee of the Divine Mother of the universe. His songs have deep spiritual meanings and Râmakrishna was very fond of them.
127:* Hanumân was a great devotee of Râma who, by the power of his absolute faith in the Lord, jumped across the ocean from India to Lanka. He is regarded by the Hindus as the Ideal Bhakta of India.
127:† Vibhishana was the brother of Râvana, the King of Lankâ, (Ceylon) who was defeated by Râma, as described in the Hindu epic Râmâyana. He became a devoted disciple of Râma and followed His instructions as long as he lived.
128:* Prahlâda was a great Bhakta who, front his childhood, showed his extreme faith, love and devotion for the Supreme Lord of the universe. He is the Ideal Bhakta among the Hindus. His life is described in the Purânas.
128:† Hâzrâ was a moral householder who afterwards devoted his life in search after God. He became an ascetic and preferred to travel along the path of Jnâna.
137:* See page 243.
140:* Balarâm Basu was a Hindu Zemindar in Calcutta. He was a true householder disciple of Râmakrishna. His house was blessed many a time by a visit of Râmakrishna and His beloved disciples. His whole family regard Râmakrishna as the Divine Incarnation in a human form. See Chapter XII.

CHAPTER V

DAY ON THE RIVER WITH KESHAB CHUNDER SEN *

It was the day of the festival of Lakshmi. † Srî Râmakrishna was seated in His room talking with Bijoy and Haralal, when a gentleman entered and announced that Keshab Sen had
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Râmakrishna goes on board the steamer.come on board a steamer which had just landed and was lying at anchor before the Ghât. A short while after Keshab's disciples came in and bowed down before the Bhagavân, saying: "Keshab Bâbu has sent us to Thee with the request that Thou wilt kindly join him, if it so please Thy Holiness." Srî Râmakrishna consented and, accompanied by several of His devotees, was taken by Keshab's disciples to the steamer.
Râmakrishna's ecstasy.As the small boat which carried the Bhagavân came alongside, everybody was eager to have a glimpse of the Blessed One and crowded to the gangway. Keshab was anxious to see that He got on board in safety. Mahendra, * who had been there for some time, looked at Him and noticed that He was in Samâdhi and as motionless as a statue. It was with great difficulty that He was brought back to sense-consciousness once more in order to be taken into the cabin on the upper deck. The state of Divine ecstasy had not entirely left Him even then. He leaned on a disciple as He was led to the cabin. His body moved
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mechanically, but His mind was fixed on God. When He had entered the cabin, Keshab and others bowed at His feet. But what little sense-consciousness remained now began to leave Him. Inside the cabin were a bench, a table and a few chairs. The Bhagavân was seated on one of the chairs; Keshab also took a chair and Bijoy, another. Other devotees, most of them Brâhmos, sat on the bare floor. The cabin being a small one, many remained standing at the door or at the windows looking in eagerly. The Bhagavân was absolutely devoid of outer consciousness. Everybody was watching His face. Keshab noticed that so large a number of people had come together in the cabin that the Bhagavân was in need of air. The devotees all gazed with fixed eyes. After a time the Bhagavân came down from His Samâdhi, but the consciousness of the Divine Presence was as intense as before. He talked to the Mother of the universe in words that were scarcely articulate, saying: "O Mother, why hast Thou brought me here? They are hedged around and are not free! Is it indeed possible for me to save them out of their prison house?"
A Brâhmo said to the Bhagavân: Sir, these
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Powhâri Bâbâ of Gâzipur.gentlemen have been fortunate enough to see  Powhâri Bâbâ * at Gâzipur. The bâbâ is another holy man like Thy revered self.
Srî Râmakrishna had not yet recovered the power of speech. His heart was full and He could not speak, but only smiled on the good man who talked of the Bâbâ. The Brâhmo continued: Sir, Powhâri Bâbâ has Thy photograph, which he has put up in his room.
Devotee's heart the temple of the lord.The Bhagavân smiled again, pointing to His body with His finger and in a subdued tone said: A pillow-case! It is nothing but a pillow-case. But there is one thing to be borne in mind: the heart of the devotee is the temple of the Lord. It is indeed a fact that the Lord is more or less manifest in all things, but He is manifest in a special sense in the heart of a devotee (Bhakta). Thus a Zemindar may be met at any of the houses of which he is the owner;
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yet people will say that he is usually to be seen in some particular drawing-room. The heart of the devotee is the Lord's drawing-room. If one wishes to meet the Lord, one would better seek an audience in the drawing-room.
Various aspects of the Brahman.The same Being whom the followers of non-dualistic (Advaita) Vedânta call Brahman, the Absolute, is called Âtman (Self) by the Yogis, and Bhagavân, or the Personal God with Divine attributes, by the devotees, or Bhaktas (lovers of God). The high-caste Brâhmin is always the same person; but when he worships the Lord, he is called a priest; and when the same man is employed in the kitchen, he is called a cook.
Discrimination of an Advaitin.The follower of monistic (Advaita) Vedânta, who seeks to realize the Absolute Brahman, discriminates, saying: "Not this, not this." That is, the Absolute is not this, not that, not any finite object, not the individual soul, not the external world. When, as the result of this kind of reasoning, the heart ceases to be moved by desires; when, in fact, the mind is merged in superconsciousness, then Brâhma-jnâna is reached. One who has truly attained to this. Brâhma-jnâna realizes that Brahman the Absolute alone is real, and the
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world is unreal, and that all names and forms are like dreams. What Brahman is cannot be described by word of mouth nor can one even say that He is personal. Such is the point of view of a non-dualist.
Bhakta's attitude.The dualistic devotees and lovers of the Personal God (Bhaktas), on the contrary, accept all states as real. Unlike the non-dualists, they look upon the waking state as a reality and they do not hold that the external world is like a dream. They say that the external world is the glory of the Lord. The heavens, stars, moon, mountains, ocean, men, birds and beasts, all these He has created. He manifests His glory by these. He is both within and without. He dwells in our hearts. The most advanced Bhaktas say that the Lord Himself manifests as the twenty-four categories of the Sânkhya philosophy, that He appears as the individual soul and the external world. A Bhakta wishes to enjoy communion with his Lord and not to become one with Him. His desire is not to become sugar, but to taste of it. The innermost feelings of a true Bhakta.Do you know what are the innermost thoughts and feelings of a true devotee? He says: "O Lord! Thou art the Master, I am Thy servant.
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Raja Yogi.[paragraph continues] Thou art my Mother, and I am Thy child"; or again: "Thou art my Child and I am Thy father or Thy mother"; or thus: "Thou art the Whole and I am Thy part." The dualistic devotee does not wish to say, "I am Brahman." A Râja Yogi also seeks to realize the Universal Being. His object is to bring the finite human soul into communion with the infinite Spirit. He tries first to collect his mind which is scattered in the world of senses, and then seeks to fix it on the Universal Spirit; hence the necessity of meditating on Him in solitude and in a posture which causes no distraction.
Different aspects of God.But all these various ideals are of one and the same Brahman, the difference being only in the names. It is the same Being whom men call by the name of the Absolute (Brahman), the Universal Spirit, the Impersonal God, or the Personal God with Divine attributes.
The steamer had already started and was on its way to Calcutta. Many there were who looked on Srî Râmakrishna with eyes that did not move, and who drank the nectar of the words
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that dropped from His hallowed lips. They did not perceive that the steamer was in motion. The Temple garden of Kâli had faded from sight. Beneath were the sacred waters which reflected the blue firmament above, but the murmur of the waves fell unheeded on the ears of the devotees. The magic of the blessed vision had thrown a charm over them. They beheld before them a wonderful Being, a God-in-Man and a Man-in-God, with smiles playing on His sweet face, radiant with the joy of the Lord, and with eyes enhanced in beauty by the collyrium of Divine Love. They gazed as if spell-bound, on One who had given up the world and its pleasures, on One intoxicated with the Love of the Lord and who looked not for anything except the Lord.
The world as a dream.Srî Râmakrishna: The followers of Advaita Vedânta maintain that creation, preservation, and dissolution, the individual ego, the external world, all these are manifestations of the Eternal Energy (Sakti). They also say that when these are properly analyzed, they appear as dreams, that the Absolute Brahman alone is the Reality, and all else is unreal. Even eternal Energy (Sakti) is like a dream, unreal; but you may analyze and discriminate
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The realm the Divine Energy.of thousands of times, you cannot transcend the realm of Divine Energy (Sakti) unless you have reached the highest state of Samâdhi, superconsciousness. The very thoughts like: "I am meditating," "I am thinking on the Absolute," are within the realm of Sakti. They are the manifested powers of that Eternal Energy. Therefore the Absolute Brahman and the Eternal Energy are inseparable and one. The existence of one implies that of the other; as fire and its burning power. If you admit the existence of fire, how can you deny its burning power? Relation between Brahman and Sakti.No one can think of fire without thinking of its burning power. Again, the power of burning cannot be conceived as separate from fire. In the same manner, we cannot think of the rays of the sun, without thinking of the sun himself. Again, we cannot think of the sun without thinking of his rays. Therefore, no one can think of Brahman as apart from Sakti, or Sakti as separate from Brahman. Likewise, no one can conceive of the phenomenal as independent of the Absolute, or of the Absolute as apart from the phenomenal. The same Eternal Energy, the Mother of all phenomena, is creating, preserving, and
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destroying everything. She is called Kâli, the Divine Mother. Kâli is Brahman, Brahman is Kâli, one and the same Being. I call Him Brahman when He is absolutely inactive; that is, when He neither creates, nor preserves, nor destroys phenomena; but when He performs all such actions, I call Him Kâli, the Eternal Energy, the Divine Mother. They are one and the same Being, the difference is in name and form, just as the same substance water is called by different names in different languages, such as jal, aqua, pâni, etc. One God has many names.Yes, the Being is the same, only the names are different under different aspects—like the same sub- stance expressed in different languages, such as jal, water and pâni. A tank may have four Ghâts (landing-places with steps). The Hindus drink at one Ghât and call it jal; the Mohammedans drink at another and call it pâni; while the English who drink at a third call it water. Similarly, God is One, only His names are different. Some call Him by the name of Allah, some God, some Brahman, others Kâli, others again Râma, Hari, Jesus, Buddha.
Keshab, smiling: Please tell us once more, Revered Sir, in what different ways Kâli, the
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[paragraph continues] Mother of the Universe, is making Herself manifest in this world of Her sports.
The Mother of the universe and Her sports.Srî Râmakrishna, smiling: Oh, the Mother sports with the world, Her toy, under various aspects and names. Now She is the God Unconditioned, Absolute, Formless (Mahâ-Kâli): now the Everlasting as distinguished from Her works (Nitya-Kâli). Under another aspect She is the Goddess of burning Ghâts or crematories, the dreaded Being who presides over death (Smasân-Kâli); now again does She stand before us ready to bless, to preserve Her children (Rakshyâ-Kâli); under another aspect She appears pleasing to the eye of Her devotees as the Mother with the dark blue color, Consort of the God of Eternity and Infinity. Mahâ-Kâli and Nitya-Kâli are described in the sacred books, the Tantras: "When nothing was—neither sun, nor moon, nor planets, nothing but Darkness Deep, there was alone my Divine Mother, Formless, the Eternal Consort of the Infinite." As Mother with the dark blue color (Syâmâ), She is tender and loving. She is the bestower of all blessings and makes Her children fearless; She is worshipped in the Hindu household. As Preserver She appears in times of plague, famine, earthquake,
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drought or flood. At cemeteries, burning Ghâts or crematories She appears in the form of the Destroyer. The dead body, the jackal, the spirits of destruction are Her terrible companions. She lives in the midst of those horrible scenes, of those fearful environments. Streams of blood, a garland of skulls thrown round Her neck, a girdle made of the hands of those that are dead, are the symbols that mark Her as the dread Mother, as the All-Destroyer.
Creation of the world.Now look at Her mode of creation. At the end of a cycle, upon the destruction of the world, my Mother, good Matron that She is, puts together the seeds of creation. The mistress of a house has a hodgepodge pot of her own in which to keep sundry things for household use. (Râmakrishna, smiling) Yes, my friends, that is indeed so. The mistress of a house has such a pot in her possession. In it are kept the "sea-foam" in a solid state, small parcels containing seeds of the cucumber, gourd, and so on. She brings them out when wanted. In much the same way my Mother keeps the seeds of creation after the destruction of the world at the end of a cycle.
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Divine Mother omnipresent.My Mother, the Primal Divine Energy, is both within and without this phenomenal world. Having given birth to the world, She lives within it. In the Vedas we find the illustration of a spider and its web. Divine Mother, the material and the instrumental cause.She is the spider and the world is the web that She has woven. The spider brings the phenomenal web out of herself and then lives on it. My Mother is both the Container and the Contained. Is Kâli, the Divine Mother, black? She looks black from a distance, but when realized, Kâli, why black?She is not black. The sky looks blue from a distance, but look at it near you, it has no color. The water of the ocean is blue from a distance. Take a little up in the hand, and it has no color. Saying this, the Bhagavân became intoxicated with Divine Love, and began to sing:
Bondage and freedom, of both She is the maker. Through Her inscrutable power of
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The Power of the Divine Mother.[paragraph continues] Mâyâ a man of the world becomes bound by woman and gold. Again, through Her grace he becomes free. She breaks all fetters and takes Her children across the ocean of the world; and the Bhagavân sang in His divine voice:
2. Ribs, nerves and bones make up its frame,
Of Thine own qualities hast Thou made the Kite, to display Thine art.
3. Thou hast rubbed the string with the Mânjâ (paste with powdered glass) of worldliness, and it has become sharp.
Among hundred thousand Kites one or two have their strings cut, and are freed;
Then with a laugh Thou clappest Thy hands.
4. Prasâd says, The Kite thus set free will fly swiftly on fair winds and drop beyond the ocean of this world.
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Divine Mother's will.Srî Râmakrishna continuing: My Divine Mother is playful. The world indeed is Her sport. She does what She will and is blissful. It is Her pleasure to give freedom to one among a hundred thousand of Her children.
A Brâhmo: Sir, She can, if She pleases, set every body free. Why is it then that She has bound us hand and foot with the chains of the world?
Srî Râmakrishna: Well, I suppose it is Her will. Her will is to play with all these things. In the game of Hide-and-Seek, whoever touches the Grand-dame is out. He no longer runs about. If all the players touch the Grand-dame at the same time, how can there be any game? The Grand-dame would not like it; for she is pleased to have the play go on.
And the Bhagavân, placing Himself in the position of a man of the world laying the trouble of his heart before the Mother, sang:
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3. Thou hast not given, so Thou hast not received aught to eat or to keep. Am I to be blamed for this?
Hadst Thou given, Thou wouldst surely have received; and I would have offered Thy gifts to Thee.
4. Fame or calumny, sweet or bitter—all is Thine.
O Ruler of all feelings, abiding in them, why dost Thou hinder when I enjoy sweet ecstasy?
5 Prasâd says: Thou hast given me a mind, but by a glance of Thine eye Thou hast so bent it, that I roam through this world, Thy creation, seeking joy but mistaking bitter for sweet (unreal for Real).
Delusive power of Mâyâ.Man has forgotten his true Self and has become worldly by the delusive power of Mâyâ. Therefore Prasâd says: "Thou hast given me a mind, but by a glance of Thine eye Thou hast so bent it that
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[paragraph continues] I roam through this world, Thy creation, seeking joy but mistaking bitter for sweet."
A Brâhmo: Revered Sir, is it true that God cannot be realized without giving up the world?
Renunciation not necessary for all.The Bhagavân, smiling: Oh no! You do not have to give up everything. You are better off where you are. By living in the world you are enjoying the taste both of the pure crystallized sugar and of the molasses with all its impurities. You are indeed better off. Verily I say unto you, you are living in the world, there is no harm in that; but you will have to fix your mind on God, otherwise you cannot realize Him. Work with one hand and hold the Feet of the Lord with the other. When you have finished your work, fold His feet to your heart with both your hands.
Power of the mind.Everything is in the mind. Bondage and freedom are in the mind. You can dye the mind with any color you wish. It is like a piece of clean white linen; dip it in red and it will be red, in blue it will be blue, in green it will be green, or any other color. Do you not see that if you study English, English words will come readily to you? Again,
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if a Pandit studies Sanskrit, he will readily quote verses from Sacred Books. If you keep your mind in evil company, your thoughts, ideas and words will be colored with evil; but keep in the company of Bhaktas, then your thoughts, ideas and words will be of God. The mind is everything. On one side is the wife, on the other side is the child; it loves the wife in one way and the child in another way, yet the mind is the same.
By the mind one is bound; by the mind one is freed. If I think I am absolutely free, whether I live in the world or in the forest, where is my bondage? I am the child of God, the son of the King of kings; who can bind me? When bitten by a snake, if you assert with firmness, "There is no venom in me," you will be cured. In the same way, he who asserts with strong conviction "I am not bound, I am free," becomes free.
Sense of sin.Some one gave me a book of the Christians. I asked him to read it to me. In it there was only one theme—sin and sin, from the beginning to the end. (To Keshab) In your Brâhmo-Samâj the main topic is also sin. The fool who repeats again and again, "I am bound, I am bound," remains in bondage.
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[paragraph continues] He who repeats day and night, "I am a sinner, I am a sinner," becomes a sinner indeed.
Saving power of God's name.It is necessary to have absolute faith in the Name of the Lord. "What! I have uttered His Holy Name, can there still be sin in me? Can I still be in bondage?" Kristo Kishore was a pious Hindu, a Brâhmin of Brâhmins, who worshipped the Lord with single-minded devotion. He went to Vrindâvan. One day, while visiting the shrines, he felt very thirsty. He went to a well, and finding a man standing there, he asked him: "My man, can you draw some water for me?" The man replied: "O holy sir, I belong to a low class, that of a cobbler." Kristo Kishore thereupon said to him: "It matters not. You say 'Shiva' (the Holy Name of the Lord) and draw the water for me."
By repeating the blessed Name of God, man's body, mind and soul become absolutely pure. Why talk of sin and hell-fire? Repeat but once, "I shall never again do the evil deeds that I have committed in the past," and by thy faith in His Hallowed Name thou shalt be freed from all sins.
I used to pray to my Divine Mother for true
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Prayer to the Divine Mother.devotion (Bhakti) alone. With flowers in my clasped hands, I prayed: "Do Thou, O Mother, grant that I may have pure and unalloyed devotion. Here is sin, here again is virtue; I lay them at Thy feet; Oh take them both. Here is knowledge (of many things), here again is ignorance; Oh take them both and grant that I may have devotion alone. Here is purity and here again is impurity; I desire neither of them. Here are good works, here are bad; both I lay at Thy feet; Oh grant that I may have devotion alone and love for Thee."
Example of Janaka.One living in the world may also see God. It was the case with Râjâ Janaka, the great royal devotee, who realized while on the throne that the world was a structure of dreams. For a lover of God, however, such is not the feeling. And the Bhagavân sang:
He who has attained to Bhakti or true devotion to the Lord says:
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Value of solitude.No one can suddenly become like Janaka. Râjâ Janaka performed great penances and austerities in solitude for many long years. Even when living in the world one should occasionally go into solitude. It will bring great good to one who can sincerely and earnestly cry for God three days and three nights in solitude, alone. Indeed, one day passed in that way would be a great gain. People will shed a jarful of tears for wives and children, but who weeps one tear for the Lord? It is necessary to practise every now and then devotional exercises in solitude. A worldly-minded aspirant absorbed in various works and duties finds in the first stage of his spiritual life a great number of obstacles in the path of self-control and devotion. As a young tree planted on the foot-path needs a fence around it that it may not be eaten up by sheep and cattle, so in the first stage of a spiritual aspirant, a fence is necessary, but when the tree grows large and the trunk and roots are thicker and stronger. no fence is required. Then it is not injured even if an elephant be tied to it.
The disease of a worldly man is of a serious type; his organs with their functions are entirely out of order. Would you keep a large
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Solitude a remedy for Worldliness.water-jar and savory pickles in the same room in which a patient with typhoid fever was lying? If you wish to cure such a patient, you must have him removed from that room, in case it is impossible to send away the jar and the pickles. A man of the world is like unto such a thirsty patient; worldly attractions are like the jar of water; sense objects are like the savory pickles; desire to enjoy those things is the patient's thirst. The mouth waters at the mere thought of the pickles. We should not therefore remain near them all the time. Hence solitude is the best remedy for worldliness. First acquire right discrimination and true dispassion and then live in the world. In the sea of the world there are crocodiles of passions and desires. Rub the body with turmeric-paste if you wish to bathe in the sea, for then crocodiles will do no harm to you. The turmeric is discrimination (of the Real from the unreal) and true dispassion. God is the only Reality, the phenomenal universe is unreal.
Along with this another thing is needed, that is intense devotion to God. The Gopis * of
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Intense devotion necessary.[paragraph continues] Vrindâvan had such devotion. They had an intense love for Srî Krishna, God Incarnate.
The Bhagavân then said to Keshab and other devotees with great feeling: You are Brâhmos; you believe that God is formless and you do not believe in God Incarnate. Well, it matters not. You need not accept Râdhâ and Srî Krishna as Incarnations of the Supreme Being; hut the intense love and yearning which the Gopis felt for Srî Krishna is a thing which you may well make your own, for yearning is the next step leading to God-vision.
It was ebb-tide. The steamer was going fast down-stream towards Calcutta. It had got to the other side of the Howrah Bridge within sight of the Botanical Gardens. The Captain had orders to go a little farther down. How
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far the steamer had actually proceeded was not known to those who were listening to Srî Râmakrishna and watching His movements. They listened with such rapt attention that they had no idea either of time or of distance.
Keshab now offered the Bhagavân puffed rice with the kernel of the cocoanut. All present were invited to partake of these. They took them in the folds of their cloth, ate and were very happy. It seemed as if a festival were being held on board the steamer. The Bhagavân noticed that Bijoy and Keshab were not quite at home in each other's pretence. He wished to see them make up their difference, for was not His mission to bring peace and goodwill among men? He said to Keshab:
Look, my dear sir, here is Bijoy. As to your quarrels, well, do not worry yourselves on their account. There was fighting even between Shiva and Râma. Shiva was Râma's spiritual Guru. After a little fighting, they made it up and became once more as good friends as ever. But the fighting went on among their followers. The gibbering of the ghosts and the chattering of the monkeys could not so easily be quieted down. You too will be very good friends, once again. But your followers,
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[paragraph continues] I dare say, will follow your example. These differences, you know, are things that. cannot be avoided. There was the tug of war even between father and son. Take the case of Râma and his sons Laba and Kusha. Take another case: The mother fasts on Tuesday for the welfare of her daughter, but the daughter, quarrelling with the mother, fasts on Tuesday for her own welfare, as if her welfare were different from that gained by her mother's fasting. In the same way, you, Keshab, have a religious society (Samâj) of your own, and Bijoy, too, must have a separate society of his own. Well, there is room for all kinds of things under Providence—even for quarrels and differences. When God-Incarnate (Krishna) Himself appeared at Vrindâvan, the question may well be asked: Why did Jatilla and Kutilla stand in the way of His mission of love? I suppose His sport as a Divine Lover would have died a natural death from want of nourishment but for these obstructions, the Jatillas and Kutillas. Opposition adds zest to a thing. Râmânuja * held the doctrine of Vishishtâdvaita (qualified non-dualism). His Guru (spiritual guide), however,
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was an Advaitist (non-dualist without any qualification). They had their differences. Master and disciple disputed and refuted each other's opinions. This is natural. Be it so; still to the master the disciple is always his own.
The nature of disciples must be examined.They all rejoiced. Srî Râmakrishna said to Keshab: You do not study and examine the nature of your disciples. For that reason they drop away. All men look alike, but they differ in their nature. In some the Sattwa quality is predominant, in others Rajas, and in the rest Tamas. Pooli (cakes) all look alike on the outside, but the contents vary; some may contain sweet thickened cream, others cocoanut sweetened with sugar, while others may have boiled Kalai (pulse) with no sweetening.
God the one master.Do you know how I feel about it? Like a child I eat, drink and play, depending on my Divine Mother, who knows everything. These three words prick me: Guru (spiritual master), Kartâ (the Lord), and Bâbâ (father). I cannot bear them. The infinite Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is the one Guru for all. He will teach everybody. I am only His child.
It is a difficult task to teach others. One
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Who is a true spiritual teacher?can become a true spiritual teacher only when one has realized God and received a Divine commission from Him. So commissioned were Nârada, * Sukadeva and Sankarâchârya: † If you are not commissioned, who will listen to you? You know Calcutta and her fondness for the latest sensation. Milk puffs up so long as it is over burning wood; but when the wood is withdrawn, the puffing ceases instantly. The people of Calcutta are fond of new sensations. They say they want water and they begin to dig a well at one place; but they give it up as soon as they find that the earth is hard and stony. They then set to work to dig at another place. Suppose the soil is sandy there; they will as readily give up digging at that spot. They will look about for another locality. That is the way with these people. Their good opinion is by no means worth having.
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Divine commission.Divine commission cannot be obtained by mere imagination. Verily I say, the Lord can be realized and He will speak to thee. Then thou mayest receive His commission. What great power lies in such Divine command! By it mountains may be shaken to their foundation. What can a mere ordinary lecture do? People may listen to it for a time, but they will soon forget it. It will not produce a lasting impression and they will not live according to it.
Ordinary spiritual teachers are blind.For the teaching of Divine truths a badge of authority is indispensable. A man who tries to teach others without it will be laughed at. He cannot get realization himself and he tries to show the way to others. It is like the blind leading the blind. In this way more harm is done than good. When God is realized the inner spiritual sight opens and it is then that the true teacher can perceive the sickness of the soul and can prescribe the proper remedy. Without God's command a man easily becomes egotistic and thinks, "I have the power to teach others." Such egotism is the result of ignorance. In ignorance one feels, "I am the doer;" but when one realizes that "God is the Lord and doer of all, I cannot
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do anything," then one becomes absolutely free even in this life. All misery and restlessness proceed from the sense of "I" and "me," "I am the doer," "I am the actor."
You talk glibly of doing good to the world.
First see God, then help the world.Is the world contained in a nutshell? Besides, who are you to do good to the world? First practice devotional exercises and realize God. Attain to Him. If He graciously gives you His powers (Sakti), then you can help others, and not till then.
A Brâhmo devotee: Revered Sir, are we to give up all works until we have seen God?
Srî Râmakrishna: No, why will you give up all works? Meditation upon God, chanting His Holy Name, and other devotional exercises are daily works which you should have to perform.
The devotee: But what about household works and business affairs?
Pray that worldly work may grow less.Srî Râmakrishna: Oh! you will also perform those, but only so far as is absolutely necessary for living in the world; and you should at the same time pray in solitude unto the Lord with tears in your eyes for His grace, and for strength to do your duties without seeking any reward. Say when you pray: "Lord, grant that my work in
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the world and for the world may grow less and less day by day, for I see that my work growing manifold only makes me lose sight of Thee. Sometimes I think that I do my duties unattached to the world, but I know not how I deceive myself and do them through attachment instead. I give alms to the poor, and behold, I seek for fame, Oh I know not how!"
Shambhu (Mullik) * talked of founding hospitals and dispensaries, schools and colleges, of God-vision and building roads, sinking wells and philanthropic digging tanks for the good of all. I works. said to him: "Yes, whatever comes in your way and is absolutely necessary you will do; even that, without seeking any reward. Do not seek more work than you can well perform. If you do you will forget the Lord. A man desired to see the shrine of the Divine Mother. On his way he stopped and spent all
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the day in distributing alms to the poor. When he went to the shrine, the door was closed and he could not see the Holy of Holies. The wise ones should first see the Holy Mother, by pushing their way through the crowd assembled at the gate of the Temple, and after seeing Her, they may then turn their attention to alms-giving and other good works, if they so desire." All good works are for the realization of God. Works are the means and God-vision is the end.
God-vision the end of all performance of duty.Therefore I said to Shambhu: "Suppose you see God, or that God manifests Himself to you, will you say to Him: 'Lord, do Thou grant that I may have lots of dispensaries and hospitals, schools and colleges!'" A true devotee shall rather pray in this wise: "Grant, O good Lord, that I may have a niche in the Lotus of Thy Feet, that it may be my privilege to live always in Thy Holy Presence and that I may have deep and unalloyed devotion unto Thee."
Path of Bhakti Yoga best for us in this age.Karma Yoga is very difficult. It is difficult in this materialistic age (Kâli-yuga) to get through all the works, all the duties laid upon by the Sacred Books. Verily this age, earthly life depends entirely upon material food. Works and duties, there is
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scarcely time enough for them. It will be all over with the patient suffering from the burning fever of this world if he is allowed to go through the slow process of treatment practised by the old-fashioned Hindu physicians. People are short-lived and the malaria carries one off in a few days. The specific for the present day is Dr. D. Gupta's patent fever mixture, which produces a miraculous effect at once. Yes, in this age the one means of realizing God is Bhakti or sincere devotion and love for Him, and earnest prayer and the chanting of His Holy Name and Divine attributes. (To Keshab and other devotees) Your path, too, lies through devotion and self-surrender to the Lord (Bhakti Yoga). Blessed are ye who sing the Name of Hari and chant the praises of my Divine Mother. Your path is right. Unlike the non-dualists, you do not believe that this world is only a dream. You are not Jnânis, but Bhaktas; you believe in a Personal God, that is good. You are Bhaktas. If you can sincerely and earnestly cry for Him, you will surely obtain Him.
(To Keshab) You talk against child marriage and the caste system, about female emancipation and female education. I say one thing is needful,—the realization of God and devotion
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to Him. First realize God and all other things shall be added unto you. Jadu Mullik is a rich man. If you wish to cultivate his acquaintance, do not trouble yourself as to how much wealth he has, how many houses he owns, how many country-houses and gardens. First, be introduced to him and he will furnish you with all the necessary information afterwards.
Parable of the deserted temple.There was a young man named Podo in a certain village. In that village was an old dilapidated temple. The holy image of God once worshipped there had disappeared and it was now the home of small bats. One day at nightfall the villagers were surprised to hear the sound of bells, gongs, and conch-shells issuing from the deserted temple. Men, women and children all flocked to the place. They thought that some devotee must be worshipping some image of God newly set up within the temple by performing the Ârati, the evening ceremony of waving the lights and offering flowers, fruits and holy water. With folded hands they all stood listening to the sacred sounds before the temple. One of them, more curious than the rest, had the courage to go inside. To his surprise he saw that Podo was ringing the bell and blowing
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the shell; but the floor was as dirty as before with impurities of all kinds and there was no image of God on the altar! He then called out, saying: "O Podo, thou hast no Mâdhava (Srî Krishna, God-Incarnate) in the temple; how is it, then, that thou hast raised all this clamor by blowing the conch-shell? And behold! thou hast not even taken the trouble to cleanse the temple by removing the impurities and dirt of years and washing the floor with the holy water of the Ganges!"
First cleanse the heart.First realize God in the temple of your heart. With that in view, you must cleanse it of all impurities, all sin and iniquity, all attachment to the world caused by the power of the senses. It is then that the time comes for blowing the shell, if need be. Talk of social reforms! You may well do so after realizing God. Remember, the Rishis of old gave up the world in order to attain to God. This is the one thing needful. All other things shall be granted unto you.
The steamer had come back to Koylâghât (Calcutta). All on board held themselves in readiness to land. As they came out of the
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cabin they saw that the full moon had bathed the bosom of the Holy Ganges and the adjoining banks with her mellow light. The Bhagavân with two or three disciples got into a cab which had been kept waiting for Him on the shore. Nandalâl, Keshab's nephew, also got in. He wished to go with the Bhagavân for some distance. When all had seated themselves in the cab, Srî Râmakrishna asked: "Where is Keshab?" In a few moments Keshab came up smiling and inquired who were going with Him. Being satisfied with the answer, he bowed down to the ground before the Bhagavân, who affectionately bade him adieu.
The cab set out. The Bhagavân was filled with supreme joy as the carriage drove along. Suddenly He said: "I am thirsty; what is to be done?" Nandalâl stopped the carriage before the gates of the India Club and went upstairs to bring water. It was brought in a glass tumbler. The Bhagavân, smiling, asked, "Is the glass well washed?" Nandalâl replied, "Yes." The Bhagavân drank the water. He was childlike in His simplicity. He put forward His face to look at the various objects on both sides. His joy knew no bounds as He saw men, animals, carriages, houses, the moonlight, the lighted streets!
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Nandalâl got out at Colutolâ. The cab came to a stop before the door of Suresh Mitra's * house. Suresh was very much attached to the Bhagavân, but he was not at home. He had gone to visit a newly-purchased garden at Kânkurgâchi. His people opened a room on the ground floor and invited the party to be seated there. The cab-fare was to be paid. Who was there to pay it? Had Suresh been at home, he would have done so. The Bhagavân said to a disciple: "Ask the ladies of the house for the fare. I suppose they know well enough that their husbands are in the habit of coming to our place."
Narendra (Vivekânanda) lived in the same neighborhood, so the Bhagavân sent for him. Meanwhile the inmates of the house led Him upstairs into the drawing-room. The matting of the floor was covered with a carpet and a white sheet. Three or four pillows were lying about. On the walls there hung a beautiful oil-painting which Suresh intended to be a representation of the harmony of all religions.
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[paragraph continues] In the painting Srî Râmakrishna was represented as pointing to Keshab that all religions lead to one goal—be it Hinduism, Mahometanism, Buddhism, Christianity, or their various sects.
The Bhagavân was conversing with smiles on His lips when Narendra carne up. His joy redoubled. He said to Narendra as He talked: We enjoyed such a pleasant trip on board the steamer with Keshab Sen. Bijoy also was there, and many of those present here. You may ask Mahendra how I talked to Keshab and Bijoy about the mother and her daughter both observing fast on Tuesday each for her own welfare, and how God's Sports in this world would suffer for want of nourishment in the absence of obstructions like Jatilla and Kutilla.
It was getting late. But Suresh had not come home as yet. The Bhagavân asked to go back to the Temple at Dakshineswara. It was about half-past ten and He wished to leave for the garden. The streets were flooded with moonlight. The cab was at the door. The Bhagavân got in. Narendra and Mahendra bowed low to the Master and started for their homes.

Footnotes

142:* Keshab Chunder Sen was the third great Brâhmo Samâj leader after Râjâ Râmmohun Roy. He was born in 1838 and died in 1884 A.D.
In 1858 he became a member of the Âdi Brâhmo Samâj. In 1866 he founded a new branch under the name of Bhâratavarshiya Brâhmo Samâj, which was afterwards known as the church of the "New Dispensation."
In 1870 he came to England to propagate his mission. He was all eloquent preacher anti orator. He accepted a great many of the teachings of Râmakrishna and regarded Him as one who had constant communion with Brahman.
142:† Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and prosperity.
143:* See note page 33.
145:* Powhâri Bâbâ was a great Vaishnava Saint who lived for many years in an underground cave near Gâzipur. The name "Powhâri," which literally means "one who lives on air," was given to him because he could live for months without eating or drinking anything. He was regarded by all as the greatest Vaishnava Saint of the age.
163:* The milkmaids of Vrindâvan who loved the Lord Srî p. 164 Krishna, then living among them as a shepherd-boy. When eleven years old He left Vrindâvan. Srî Krishna is looked upon as an Incarnation of God. He loved and was loved by everyone. He is the Impersonation of Divine Love. Vrindâvan is the sacred forest near Mathurâ in India where the shepherd Krishna played his boyish sports with boys and girls and performed many miracles.
166:* See note page 370.
168:* Nârada. In the Hindu Scriptures Nârada is described as the Ideal lover of God. He communed with the Lord under all conditions. The Lord Vishnu selected him as His most beloved messenger.
168:† Sankarâchârya was the commentator of the "Vedânta Sutras" and the greatest exponent of the Advaita (monistic) Vedânta. He lived in India in the eighth century A.D.
171:* Bâbu Shambhu Charan Mullik was a Hindu multimillionaire of Calcutta. He had a large garden-house near the Temple of Dakshineswara where many a time he entertained Bhagavân Râmakrishna. It was in this garden-house Râmakrishna had the vision of Christ who entered into His body and remained with Him for three days and three nights. Râmakrishna said to His disciples that during that time He was not conscious of His being a Hindu and that He could not enter into the Temple compound.
177:* Bâbu Suresh Chunder Mitra was a devoted householder disciple of Râmakrishna. The Bhagavân used to call him Surendra. See Chapter VIII.

CHAPTER VI

SUNDAY AT THE TEMPLE

The nineteenth of August, 1883, fell on Sunday and was the first day after the full moon, so the devotees had leisure to come and see their beloved Master at Dakshineswara. Everyone had free access. He talked with everybody who came. His visitors were from all classes of people,—Sannyâsins * and Paramahamsas, † Hindus, Christians and Brâhmos, Sâktas, Vaishnavas and Shaivas,—women as well as men. It was noon. Srî Râmakrishna was seated in His usual place in His room. A disciple came and saluted Him, falling at His
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hallowed feet. The Bhagavân made him sit down and kindly inquired after the welfare of himself and of his family. A short while after the Bhagavân began to talk to him upon the Vedânta. He said:
Non-dualistic Vedantins.The Astâvakara Samhitâ * deals with the knowledge of the Âtman (Self). The knowers of the Self declare: "I am He, I am that Supreme Self." This is the view of all the Sannyâsins belonging to the non-dualistic (Advaita) school of Vedânta. But it is not meet that a man of the world should hold such a view. He is doing all kinds of work; how at the same time can he be that Highest Self, the Absolute Brahman, who is beyond all actions? The Non-dualistic Vedantins hold that the Self has no attachment to anything. Pleasure, pain, virtue, vice, can never affect the Self in any way; but they do affect men who think that their soul is the same as the body. Smoke can blacken only the wall, but not the space through which it moves. There was a certain devotee named Krishna Kisore, who used to say that he was Kha, or empty space. He
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meant that he was the same as the Highest Self, Brahman the Absolute, who is sometimes likened to Âkâsa (infinite space) because nothing can be predicated of It. A true philosopher has some right to say this. As for others, such a sentiment is altogether out of place.
Thought of freedom brings freedom. But it is good for everyone to cherish the idea that he is free. "I am free," "I am free"; if a man constantly says this, he is sure to be free. On the other hand, he who always thinks that he is in bondage brings bondage on himself in the end. The weak-minded man who always says, "I am a sinner," "I am a sinner," is sure to have a fall. A man should rather say: "I repeat the Holy Name of God; how can there be any sin in me, or bondage of the world?"
Then turning towards the disciple, the Bhagavân said:
To-day my mind is not at ease. I hear from Hridai * that he has been ailing much. Is this
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Mâyâ and Dayâ.anxiety due to Mâyâ (attachment) or Dayâ (compassion) towards him?
The disciple did not know what to reply and remained silent.
Srî Râmakrishna: Do you know what is Mâyâ? Love towards one's own father, brother, sister, wife, child, nephew, niece, is called Mâyâ, and compassion means loving all beings equally. Now what is this, my anxiety, due to—Mâyâ or compassion? But Hridai did a great deal for me. He served me much. He never hesitated to do all sorts of menial services for me. My mind will be set at rest if he can get the money he needs. Now whom am I to ask for money? And how can I ask, being a Sannyâsin?
At two or three o'clock in the afternoon two great devotees, Adhar * and Balarâm, came and prostrated themselves before Him and took their seats. They asked Him how He was doing. The Bhagavân replied: "Well, my body is all right, but not so is the mind." He did not mention anything about Hridâya's illness.
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In the course of the conversation, when the talk was about the Goddess Simhavâhini * (seated upon a lion) belonging to the Mullik family of Barabâzâr, He said: Once I went to see the Simhavâhini. She was then staying in one Mullik's house at Châshâdhopâpârâ. The house was almost a deserted one. The family had become very poor. In some places there was filth, in other places mosses were growing undisturbed. The cement upon the wall was crumbling down, and brick-dust and sand were slowly falling. Other houses belonging to the Mulliks are very neat and clean, but this was not so. Can you explain why this was the case? The truth is that everyone must reap the fruit of his past actions. Law of Karma.We should believe in the law of Karma. One thing, however, I saw in that deserted house,—that the face of the Goddess was beaming with glory. The Divine Presence in images.We should believe in the Divine Presence infilling the images of the Deity.
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I went to Vishnupura. * The Râjâ has several good temples. In one of the temples there is the image of a Goddess named Mrinmayi. A big tank is before the temple. But how was it that I smelled in the tank the spices that women use to perfume their hair? I did not know that they offered such spices to the Goddess when they went to worship her. I had not seen her image near the tank, but in Samâdhi I saw her Divine form down to her waist. The Divine Mother of the universe appeared to me in the form of Mrinmayi.
By this time other devotees had arrived. The talk then turned on the Kabul war and the civil war that came after. One gave the news that Yâkub Khân † had been deposed from his throne, adding: Sir, Yâkub Khân is a great devotee.
Trials of a devotee.Srî Râmakrishna: Well, pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, are things one cannot separate from the body. We read in Kavi Kankana's ‡ "Chandi" that Kâluvira, a great devotee, was shut up in prison.
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[paragraph continues] They placed a heavy stone upon his breast. Yet Kâlu was the favorite child of the Mother of the universe. Pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, come with the body. How great a devotee was Srimanta! How fondly the goddess loved his mother Khullanâ! But what an amount of trouble he had to go through! They took him to the scaffold to be executed. A certain woodman, a great devotee, was fortunate enough to see the goddess, and the goddess loved him very much and showed her kindness towards him; but he had to go on with the trade of woodcutter all the same. He had to sell firewood to get his livelihood. It does not follow that a devoted lover of God must be very well off in the world. A devotee is rich in spirit.But he is rich in spirit, though he may be poor in worldly things. Devaki in prison saw God in the form of a human being holding the conch-shell, discus, mace and lotus in His four hands; but she could not get out of the prison for all her God-vision.
Disciple: But she should have got rid, not only of imprisonment, but of her body, that being the source of all her troubles.
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Body result of past actions.Bhagavân: One's body is the result of one's past actions. Therefore one must bear with it so long as the past actions are not cleared up. A blind man taking a bath in the holy water of the Ganges has his sins washed off, but his blindness continues all the same. It is the result of the actions of his previous life. But however the body may be under the influence of pleasure and pain, however the body may be happy or miserable, the true devotee is all the same rich in spirit, rich in knowledge (Jnâna) and the love of God (Bhakti). Take for instance the Pândavas. How many dangers and difficulties they had to face! What wants and miseries to bear! But amidst all these they never lost their wisdom. Can you find others equally wise and devoted to God?
At this time Narendra (Swâmi Vivekânanda) and Visvanâtha Upâdhyâya, * the Nepaulese Resident in Calcutta, entered. Bowing down to Srî Râmakrishna, they took their seats. Srî Râmakrishna asked Narendra to sing. There
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was hanging on the western wall of the room a Tânpurâ (a stringed musical instrument). Narendra took it down and began to tune it. Everyone was intently looking upon his face, eager to listen to his songs.
Bhagavân to Narendra: This instrument no longer sounds as before.
Visvanâtha: It is filled, therefore there is no sound, as with a vessel filled with water.
Srî Râmakrishna: But how do you explain the life of Nârada and of other Divine Teachers? They had realized God, but still spoke. They were filled, but they gave forth sounds.
Visvanâtha: They spoke for the good of mankind.
Bhagavân: Yes, Nârada and Sukadeva came down from the highest state of Samâdhi. Their hearts went out to those who were weary and heavy-laden and knew not God. They spoke for the good of others.
Narendra began to sing:
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3. At Thy sight we shall be mad with joy even as the Chakora * is maddened at the sight of the moon.
4. O King of kings, there is none like Thee, all good and all peaceful.
At Thy feet, O Beloved, I shall offer myself and thus fulfil the aim of my life.
5. Even here shall I enjoy heavenly bliss, so great a privilege where could I find?
6. O Lord, beholding Thy pure and perfect form, all sins will take flight, even as darkness vanishes before light.
7. O kindle in my heart the light of burning faith, fixed firm like the polar star, and thus, O Friend of the meek, fulfil ray one desire. Day and night merged in the
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Samâdhi of Râmakrishna.Srî Râmakrishna had lost Himself in deep Samâdhi as soon as He had heard the words "Immortal bliss like embodied nectar." There He sat with clasped hands, turning His face toward the East. He was diving deep into the Ocean of Beauty of the All-Blissful One. No external consciousness, no sign of breathing, no motion in any of His limbs, no quiver of the eye,—like one drawn in a picture! He had gone away somewhere from this kingdom, from this world of the senses.
Returning from Samâdhi, the Bhagavân murmured in an indistinct voice: "Thou art I, I am Thou. Thou eatest, Thou and I eat. What is this? Have I jaundiced eyes? I see Thee everywhere. Wherever I cast my eyes, I see Thy form." Then He repeated the holy name of Krishna: "O Friend of the meek and gentle! O Lord of my heart! O Divine Shepherd!" After repeating this a few times, He again went into Samâdhi. Coming back to sense-consciousness, He opened His eyes and found that the room was full of people of every
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class. Narendra, seeing that the Bhagavân was in Samâdhi, had left the room and gone to the eastern veranda, where Hâzrâ * was seated on a blanket telling his beads. Narendra began to talk with him. In the meanwhile the Bhagavân looked for Narendra in the room, but he was not there. The Tânpurâ (musical instrument) was lying on the ground. The devotees all had their eyes fixed upon the Bhagavân, who began thus, referring to Narendra: He has lighted the fire. It matters not whether he remains in the room or leaves it!
Bliss comes in meditation.Then turning towards Visvanâtha and His numerous devotees, He said: Meditate upon God, the sole Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Eternal, and you also shall have bliss. That Being of Knowledge and Bliss is always here and everywhere, only It is covered and obscured by ignorance. The less is your attachment towards the senses, the more will be your love for God.
Visvanâtha: The more we near our home at Calcutta, the farther we are from Benares, and the more we near Benares, the farther we are away from our home.
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Lover of God.Bhagavân: As Srimati (Râdhâ) * neared Srî Krishna, she perceived more and more the charming fragrance of His sweet person. The more one approaches God, the more does one's love toward Him increase. The more the river nears the sea, the more it is subject to ebb and flow. The Ganges of knowledge flowing in the soul of a wise man runs only in one direction. To him the whole universe is a dream. He always lives in His own True Self (Âtman). But the Ganges of love in a devotee's heart does not run in one direction. It has its ebb and flow. A devotee laughs, weeps, dances, sings. He wants sometimes to enjoy his Beloved, to merge into his Beloved! He swims in Him, dives, rises up in his joy as merrily as a lump of ice floats upon the water. God the Absolute  and God the Creator one.But in fact God the Absolute and God the Creator are one and the same Being. The Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is the All-knowing, All-intelligent and All-blissful Mother of the Universe. The precious stone (Mani) and its brightness cannot be separated in thought, for
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we cannot think of the stone without its brightness, nor can we think of the brightness apart from the stone. The Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss, the Undifferentiated, appears as differentiated into many. He has various names applied to Him according to the various powers manifested. That is the reason of His having many forms. Hence a devotee has sung: "O my Mother Târâ, * Thou art even all that." Wherever there is action, such as creation, preservation and destruction, there is Sakti or Intelligent Energy. But water is water whether it is calm or disturbed. That One Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is also the eternally Intelligent Energy which creates, preserves and destroys the universe. Thus it is the same Visvanâtha whether he does nothing or performs his worship or visits the Governor-General. In all cases it is the same Visvanâtha, only these are his different Upâdhis or states.
Visvanâtha: Yes, Sir, that is so.
Bhagavân: I said this to Keshab Chandra Sen.
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Visvanâtha: Well, Sir, Keshab Chandra Sen does not respect our orthodox Hindu manners, customs and laws. How can he be a real saint?
The Bhagavân (turning towards His devotees): Visvanâtha never wants me to go to see Keshab Sen.
Visvanâtha: But Thy Holiness will go. What can I do?
Bhagavân: You go to see the Governor-General, who according to your Shâstras * is a Mleccha (unclean), and for money, too; and may I not go to see Keshab Sen? It does not become you to speak in this way. You often say: "It is God who has manifested Himself as the human soul and the world itself." What you say you must mean; what you mean you must say!
After this Râmakrishna abruptly left the room and went to the northeastern veranda. Visvanâtha and other devotees remained waiting for Him in the room. Narendra was found talking with Hâzrâ on the veranda. Srî Râmakrishna knew that Hâzrâ was an out-and-out non-dualist and a dry logician. He upheld that all the universe was a mere dream; that all
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kinds of worship and offerings were mental delusions; that God was the one changeless Entity; and that a man should only meditate upon his Âtman (Self), and do nothing else.
Bhagavân (laughing): What are you talking about?
Narendra: We are discussing themes all too big for ordinary mortals.
Pure Bhakti and pure Jnâna one.Bhagavân. (laughing): But however you may talk, know that pure selfless devotion (Bhakti) and pure selfless knowledge (Jnâna) are both one; their goal is the same Smooth and easy is the path of devotion leading to God.
Narendra: There is no use in reasoning like a philosopher; make me, O Mother, mad with Thy love. I have been reading Hamilton's Philosophy, and he writes: "A learned ignorance is the end of philosophy and the beginning of religion."
Bhagavân: What does that mean?
Narendra explained it in Bengali. Srî Râmakrishna laughed and thanked him in English, saying, "Thank you!" Everyone laughed at this, for the Bhagavân's knowledge of English was confined to a few such expressions.
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Soon twilight began to fall. The devotees one after another took leave of the Bhagavân, and so did Narendra.
Evening at the Temple.The day was drawing to a close. The Temple-servant was arranging the lights. The priests were busy saying their prayers as they stood waist-deep in the sacred waters of the Ganges, purifying themselves body and soul. They were shortly to go to their respective temples to perform the Ârati, the evening ceremony. The young men of Dakshineswara had come with their friends to take a walk in the garden. They were strolling about the rampart, enjoying the sweet evening breeze made fragrant by the flowers and watching the slightly undulating breast of the swiftly-flowing Ganges. Some of them, perhaps the more thoughtful, could be found going about by themselves in the solitude of the sacred trees called the Panchavati.
Bhagavân Srî Râmakrishna also looked at the Ganges for some time from the western veranda.
It was evening. The lamp-lighter had lighted all the lamps of the big temple. The old maid-servant
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came and lit the lamp in the Bhagavân's room and burned incense there. In the meantime the Ârati ceremony had begun in the twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva. It began soon after in the temples of Kâli, Mother of the Universe, and of Srî Vishnu. The united and solemn sound of gongs, bells, cymbals, grew more solemn and sweet as it was echoed back by the murmuring Ganges below.
It was the first lunar day after the full moon. A short while after nightfall the moon rose. Gradually the tops of the trees in the garden, as well as the big temple compound, were bathed in her balmy light. At the magic touch of her radiance the waters of the Ganges shone bright like silver and flowed on dancing with great joy.
When at nightfall Srî Râmakrishna bowed down to the Divine Mother, He repeated the Holy Names of God, keeping time all the while by clapping his hands. In His room there were pictures of various Incarnations of God. He bowed before each picture, repeating the Holy Name of each. He also repeated His favorite mantrams, each having some lofty, unifying principle running through it, such as:
(1) Brahma-Âtmâ-Bhagavân. (The Absolute Brahman of the Vedânta, True Self and the
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[paragraph continues] Personal God of the Bhakta are three in one and one in three.)
(2) Bhâgavata-Bhakta-Bhagavân. (The Word, the devotee and the Personal God are three in one and one in three.)
(3) Brahma-Sakti, Sakti-Brahma. (God the Absolute and the Creative Energy are one and the same.)
(4) Veda-Purâna-Tantra-Gitâ-Gâyatri. (God of the Scriptures and Holy texts.)
(5) Saranâgata, Saranâgata. (I take refuge in Thee. I am Thine, I am Thine.)
(6) Nâham-Nâham, Tuhu-Tuhu. (Not I, not I, but Thou, but Thou.)
(7) Ami Yantra, tumi yantri. (I am the machine; Thou art the One who runs the machine.)
After all these repetitions were ended, He meditated upon the Mother Divine with clasped hands.
A few of the devotees had been walking about in the garden during the evening. When the Ârati ceremonies were over in the temples, one after another they came together in Srî Râmakrishna's room.
He was sitting on His seat with devotees before Him on the floor. He said: Narendra,
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[paragraph continues] Râkhâl and Bhavanâtha—these are Nityasiddhas (perfect even from their birth). They need no training. What training they go through is more than they need. You see that Narendra never cares for anyone. He was with me in Visvanâtha's carriage the other day. When he was requested to sit upon the better seat, he paid no heed at all. Moreover, he never shows to me that he knows anything, lest I praise him before men. He has no Mâyâ, no attachment. He looks as if he were free from all bondage. For a single individual he has many gifts and many noble qualities. He is also very courteous in his manners. He knows how to control his senses; he has said that he will not marry, but will live a pure life. That is good. I always go into Samâdhi when I see him.
Character and associations.We mould our character according to the company we keep; and we keep such company as is in harmony with our character. For this reason the Paramahamsas (perfected souls) like to keep the company of innocent children because their minds are pure, simple and unstained by worldliness.
As Srî Râmakrishna was speaking these words, a worthy Brahmin entered the room and bowed
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down at His feet. The Bhagavân had known him before and loved him because he was sincere and simple. He had studied Vedânta in Benares, the seat of great learning. Râmakrishna said to him: Well, you have not been here for a long time. How are you?
The Brâhmin, smiling, replied: "Revered Sir, the duties of the world, as Thou knowest, take most of my time."
He then took his seat and Râmakrishna continued: You remained in Benares for a long time. Tell us what you saw there. Let us hear something about Dayânanda. *
Brahmin: Yes, I met Dayânanda. Thou hast also seen him.
Râmakrishna: Yes, I went to see him once. He was staying in a garden-house not very far from here. That day he had an appointment with Keshab Sen. He was a great scholar; he also believed in the Devas (perfected spirits), but Keshab did not, whereupon he said: "If
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[paragraph continues] God created all these phenomena, could He not create Devas?" He believed in one God, but without form. Visvanâtha was repeating the Holy Name of the Lord, "Râma, Râma"; at this he said: "Better repeat the name 'Sandesha, Sandesha' (sweetmeat, sweetmeat)."
Brâhmin: In Benares, Dayânanda had long theological discussions with the other pandits. In the end all the pandits unanimously stood on one side, while he stood alone on the other; and then the pandits drove him from the city by raising the outcry: "Dayânanda's position is false and must not be accepted!" I also saw Colonel Olcott, the Theosophist. The theosophists believe in the existence of the Mahâtmâs, the realm of the moon, the realm of the sun and the astral realms. They believe that the astral bodies go to these places and so on. Revered Sir, what dost Thou think of Theosophy?
Devotion to the Supreme.Râmakrishna: Bhakti, devotion to the Supreme, is the only thing worth having. Do they seek Bhakti? Then it is good. If their aim be the realization of God, then they are all right; but by simply dwelling upon these realms and Mahâtmâs one cannot search after God. One should practise Sâdhana (devotional exercises) to attain true Bhakti.
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[paragraph continues] One should have extreme longing for realization. One should gather up all the mental activities and concentrate them upon Him. Realization of God does not come so easily; it requires a great deal of Sâdhana. A man asked: "Why can I not see God?" I replied: "If you wish to catch a big fish, which lives in deep water, you will have to make many preparations to attract him. You must get the line, rod, hook and float; you must put on savory bait; then when you see bubbles in the water, you may know that he has come near. Similarly, if you wish to see God, devote yourself to the practice of true Bhakti."
Bhakti and Jnâna.A devotee: Which is better, Bhakti or Jnâna?
Râmakrishna: The highest form of Bhakti comes through extreme love for God. Three friends were walking through a forest. A tiger appeared. One of them cried out: "Brother, we shall be devoured by the tiger"; the second said: "Why shall we be devoured? Come, let us pray to the Lord." Hearing this, the third one replied: "Oh no, why trouble the Lord? Let us climb this tree." The man who said, "We shall be devoured," did not know that the Lord is the protector of all; he who wished to pray to the Lord
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was a Jnâni; he knew that the Lord is the Creator, Protector and Destroyer of all phenomena; but the third man, who said, "Why trouble the Lord, let us climb the tree," was a true lover of God. He had had the taste of Divine Love, the highest form of Bhakti. In one aspect of Divine Love (Prema) the lover thinks of himself as greater than the object of love; he has the constant desire to protect the Beloved and make Him happy by removing all troubles and anxieties. The Gopis had true Prema, or Divine Love.
Divine Love and its various aspects.In Divine Love the sense of "I" and "mine" exists, as was shown by the mother of the Divine Incarnation, Krishna. For her, Krishna was only a son and not the Lord of the universe. She loved to nurse Him and take care of Him, always calling Him "my Krishna," and feeling the same anxiety about Him that an earthly mother would feel about her son. When a certain saint spoke to her, saying: "Your Krishna is the absolute Master of the world; He is not human"; Yasodâ, the mother of Krishna, replied: "Oh no, He is not the Lord of the universe; He is my child. I cannot think of Him as other than my child." Divine Love is manifested
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by various relations; the closer the relation, the stronger the tie of love. The relation of a servant to his master was manifested by Hanumân; the relation of a friend to his friend was shown by Arjuna to Krishna; while the Gopis were devoted to the Lord as their Divine husband.
Some people think that they are bound (Baddha), that they will never attain to Divine Wisdom, or to Divine Love. But all this fear vanishes from the heart of a true disciple if his Guru, or spiritual guide, be gracious to him. Parable of the tiger.There was a flock of sheep in the woods; suddenly a tigress jumped into their midst. At that moment she gave birth to a cub and died on the spot. The kindhearted sheep took care of the cub, and brought it up among them. They ate grass, the cub followed their example; they bleated, the cub also learned to bleat. In this manner the cub grew up not as a young tiger but like a sheep. One day a full-grown tiger came that way and watched with wonder the grass-eating tiger. The real tiger drew nearer, but the cub began to bleat. Then the real tiger dragged him to the edge of a lake and said: "Look here! Compare your face with mine. Is there any
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difference? You are a tiger like me; grass is not your food; your food is animal flesh." But the grass-eating tiger could not believe it. After a long time the real tiger convinced him that he was of the same species. Then he gave him a piece of flesh to eat, but he would not touch it; 'he began once more to bleat and to seek for grass. At last, however, the real tiger forced him to eat animal flesh; at once he liked the taste of the blood, gave up his grass-eating and bleating, and realized that he was not a sheep but a tiger. He then followed the real tiger and became like him.
Human soul, the child of God.The human soul is the child of God, but it does not know it, and therefore it lives like an ordinary mortal (sheep); but when, by the grace of the Guru, he realizes his true nature, he becomes free from all fear and attains to perfection. Therefore I say, when the grace of the Guru comes, all fear vanishes. He will make you know who you are and what you are in reality. You will have to do very little for yourself after you have received that grace. You will then be able to distinguish between the Real and the unreal and to realize that God is Truth and the world is unreal.
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  Parable of the false Sâdhu.A fisherman came to a garden at night and threw his net in the pond to catch some fish. Hearing the noise, the owner sent his men to capture him. The men came with torches in their hands to discover the thief. In the meantime the fisherman dropped his net, covered his face with ashes and sat under a tree, pretending to be a holy man absorbed in meditation. The men could not find the thief; they simply noticed that a holy man was meditating under a tree, so they returned to the owner and told him what they had seen. Everybody then brought flowers, fruits, and sweets to the holy man and paid him great honor and respect. Next morning crowds of people came to see the Sâdhu and offered to him money and various other things. The fisherman thought: "How strange it is! I am not a holy man, still people have so much respect for me and I have received so many gifts. If I become a genuine Sâdhu (Anchoret), how much more I shall get! Undoubtedly I shall see God." If merely feigning to be a holy man could so far awaken him, what can be said of him who has practised all virtues in order to become a true holy man! He will realize what is Real and what is
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unreal, that God is Truth and the world is unreal.
A devotee: Where shall I meditate on God? Râmakrishna: The heart is the best place. Meditate on Him in your heart.

Footnotes

179:* Sannyâsins are those who have renounced the world and its pleasures for the sake of the Lord.
179:† Paramahamsas are those who have attained to Nirvikalpa Samâdhi, or Brahma-Jnâna.
180:* Astâvakra Samhitâ is a work containing the highest exposition of the Advaita Vedânta, written by the ancient sage Astâvakra, who was the preceptor of King Janaka.
181:* Hridâya Mukerji was an old servant of Srî Râmakrishna and served Him for nearly thirty years in the Temple of Dakshineswara—till 1881. He was a remote nephew of Srî Râmakrishna. His birthplace was in the village of Siore, in the district of Hughly. He breathed his last towards the end of April, 1889. "Hridai" was a pet abbreviation of his name used by Srî Râmakrishna.
182:* Adhar was the first name of Bâbu Adhar lâl Sen, a rich Hindu Deputy Magistrate of Calcutta. He was a devoted householder disciple of Râmakrishna, who often sanctified his home by His holy visits.
183:* In Hindu mythology the Goddess Durgâ destroyed the Demons, riding upon a wild lion. Hence Her name is "Simhavâhini."
184:* The name of an ancient city in Bengal.
184:† Yâkub Khân was the Amir of Afghanistan who was deposed by the British after the Kabul war of 1870.
184:‡ Kavi Kankana was a great poet of Bengal, whose famous p. 185 work is entitled "Chandi," or the exploits of the Divine Mother. Kâluvira and Srimanta were the heroes of this poem.
186:* Visvanâtha Upâdhyâya was a Brâhmin scholar and a devotee of Srî Râmakrishna. He was like a consul of the Nepaul Government to the British.
188:* Chakora is the name of a kind of aquatic bird.
190:* See note page 128.
191:* Srimati Râdhâ was the beloved consort of Srî Krishna, the greatest of the Saviours among the Hindus.
192:* Târâ is another name of the Divine Mother of the universe.
193:* Hindu Sacred Books are called Shâstras.
199:* Dayânanda Saraswati was a Sannyâsin of the Advaita Vedânta School. He was a great Vedic scholar, speaker and a Hindu reformer of the nineteenth century. He wrote Sanskrit Commentaries on the Vedas and was the founder of a reformed Hindu Sect known as the "Ârya Samâj," which is now in a flourishing condition. He died in 1883 A.D.