Song

Meditate upon Hari, O my mind! He is the essence of consciousness. He is free from all impurity!
Without equal is His glory, beautiful is His shape, how very beloved is He in the hearts of His
devotees!
Behold, His beauty is enhanced by fresh manifestations of love! t casts into shadow the effulgence of a
million moons!
!erily, lightning flashes out of His glorious beauty! His blessed vision causes the hair to stand on end.
Worship His holy feet in the lotus of your heart. "a#e upon the matchless beauty of that beloved form.
$ow that the mind en%oys peace and the eyes are filled with love, be immersed in divine love. nspired
with your devotion, remain merged in the %oy of love.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Absolute Truth, Absolute Good and Absolute Beauty are one) manifests
tself in the temple of the heart.
When shall my mind remain immersed night and day in the sea of this Beauty& 'When shall that day
come, O (ord, dispenser of the destiny of the lowly&)
When, O (ord, will *nowledge divine grow in my heart, and this restless mind become dumbfounded
and ta*e shelter at +our feet&
,ust as the cha*ora, on seeing the moon, begins to frolic with %oy,
n the same manner, bliss-li*e embodied nectar will rise in the firmament of my heart and , too, O
(ord, will become into.icated in +our light.
When, O friend of my soul, will this mind rest at the holy feet of the /ing of *ings&
0t 1hy matchless feet of peace and 0bsolute good, the end of my life will be reali#ed!
0nd when shall be worthy of the delight of paradise in this very body, in this very life&
O (ord, seeing +our pure and sinless form, seeing +our radiance, the dar*ness of sin is dispelled li*e
dar*ness by light.
O the friend of the lowly, pray light in my heart a burning faith li*e the polestar and fulfill my desire.
When shall that day come when, constantly loo*ing on Him, my mind shall dive deep in the sea of that
2ivine Beauty&
Having attained +ou, will remain merged night and day in the %oy of love and forget myself.
But when will such a day dawn&
3epeat the sweet name of the (ord with %oy and gladness!
Waves will rise on the sea of the nectar of His name. 2rin* it ceaselessly and give it to others.
When your mind goes dry, falling into illusory things of the world, sing His name and glory and fill it
with the nectar of love.
1a*e care lest you forget that great mantra. 4all upon the all-compassionate 5ather in adversity.
4ome, shouting, 6!ictory to Brahman, victory to Brahman,7 and brea* the bonds of sin.
Becoming a practitioner of the yoga of love, become into.icated with the %oy of Brahman and attain
your goal.
Song
1he full moon of divine love rises on the firmament of divine wisdom.
1he ocean of love overflows8 O how full of %oy is the (ord!
'!ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! !ictory! !ictory!)
n all the four directions the planets of devotees twin*le.
1he (ord, the friend of the devotees, is %oyfully enacting His lila '2ivine sport) with them.
'!ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! !ictory! !ictory!)
Behold, the gate of heaven is wide open and the vernal, %oyful bree#e of new dispensation arises,
4arrying the fragrance of divine love all around. t ma*es yogis drun* with the %oy of communion.
'!ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! !ictory! !ictory!)
On the sea of the universe is the lotus of the new dispensation, upon which is seated in Her ma%esty the
2ivine Mother, the embodiment of all %oy!
1he devotees, li*e a swarm of bees, drin* its nectar with great fervour!
Behold the gracious countenance of the Mother! Behold, it delights the heart, it fascinates the universe!
5alling at Her feet are bands of holy men, singing and dancing, drun* with %oy.
What beauty unparalleled! 1he blessed vision restores life to the dying soul.
9remdas, holding the feet of all devotees, says, :;ing, O brothers. ;ing, 6!ictory to the Mother.7 <
Sri Ramakrishna's instructions to become absorbed in God
On wa*ing up in the morning, the devotees see ;ri 3ama*rishna, na*ed li*e a child, pacing up and
down, chanting the names of the various gods. ;ometimes he ga#es at the "anges, sometimes he goes
to the pictures of the gods hanging on the wall and offers his obeisance, and sometimes he sings hymns
in a very sweet voice.
At times he says, Thou art the Veda, the Purana, the Tantra, the Gita, the Gayatri, the Bhagavata,
the bhakta and Bhagavan.
!e"erring to the Gita, he says again and again, Tagi (!enoun#er), tagi, tagi, tagi.
And sometimes he says, Thou art Brahman, Thou art Shakti ($ivine Po%er)& Thou art Purusha
(The Sel", the Absolute, S'irit. Pure (ons#iousness, the %itness o" the #hanges o" Prakriti)& Thou art
Prakriti (Primordial )ature, #om'osed o" the gunas, the material o" the universe o" mind and
matter)& Thou art virat (Personi"ied vastness)& Thou art svarata (*ne %ho is sel"+illumined and
illumines others)& Thou art )itya (the Absolute)& Thine is the %hole lila& Thou art the t%enty+"our
#osmi# 'rin#i'les.
Sri Ramakrishna (to Narendra and others) Bhakti, or love of God, is the essence. hen !ou
develo" love for #im, discrimination and dis"assion come b! themselves.
$arendra = Well, the 1antra tal*s of sadhana in the company of women.
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is not a good path. t is very difficult and often brings about the downfall of the
aspirant. ;piritual disciplines can be practiced with the attitude of a hero, a maidservant, or even the
attitude of a mother to a child. have the attitude of a child to his mother. 1he attitude of a maidservant
is also good. 1he path of sadhana with the attitude of a hero is very difficult. 1he attitude of a child is
very pure.
;ri 3ama*rishna says, :$othing is impossible for "od. $obody can describe His real nature. 0ll is
possible for Him.<
:What will learning and lecturing avail one if he does not have dis#rimination (viveka) and dis'assion
(vairagya)& 1he (ord is the only 3eality and all else is transitory> only He is real, all else is unreal ?
this is called discrimination.<
:5irst install Him in the temple of your heart. ;peeches and lectures can be delivered later if you li*e.
What use is it to cry 6Brahman, Brahman,7 unless you have discrimination and dispassion& t is %ust li*e
blowing a conch shell.<
:What will the blowing of a conch shell avail you, if you want to install ,adhava (God) in the temple
of your heart and wish to attain Him& 9urify your mind first. When your mind is purified, "od will ta*e
His seat on that pure asana. When there are bat droppings, Madhava cannot be installed.<
:1here are eleven bats, the eleven organs8 5ive organs of perception, five of *arma @of wor* li*e hands,
feet, etc.A, and the mind. 5irst install Madhava> then if you li*e, deliver sermons and lectures. 1a*e a
plunge first. 2ive and pull out the gems. 1hen ta*e to any other wor*.<
:But nobody wants to dive. One practices no sadhana (Pra#ti#e o" s'iritual dis#i'lines) and no bha-an
(Singing o" devotional hymns)> one does not have discrimination and dispassion. However, one learns
a couple of things and begins to lecture!<
:t is the most difficult tas* to teach humanity. Only he who receives Bhagavan7s commandment after
reali#ing Him may teach man*ind.<
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mani and $arendra) = 1hat is why 4haitanya 2eva said, 6(isten, brother
$ityananda. 1here is no salvation for a man of the world.7
($lone to %ani) &'here is no salvation for him (ho doesn)t have "ure love for the *ord. #e (ho
lives a famil! life after God+reali,ation need have no fear. -f one "ractices s"iritual disci"lines at
times in a solitar! "lace and thus develo"s "ure love for God, there is no danger in famil! life for
him. .haitan!a /eva also had famil! men as his devotees. But the! lived as householders onl! in
name 0 for the! lived (ithout attachment.1
ith devotees
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to M.) = Oh, you have come! '1o the devotees) One does not succeed if one has the
feeling of shame, hatred and fear. How much %oy you will have today! But the rascals who do not sing
and dance, into.icated with the name of the (ord, will never attain Him. Why feel ashamed of tal*ing
about "od, why fear what others thin*& 4ome, sing together.
Song
Blessed is this day so full of %oy,
We are together spreading +our true religion in Bharat 'ndia).
Bvery heart is +our abode, everywhere +our holy name is ta*en.
1he community of devotees is singing +our glories,
(ord, we want neither wealth, nor friends, nor fame. We desire nothing.
Men and women pray to +ou with a longing heart.
O (ord, we have ta*en refuge at +our feet. Why fear& Why fear death&
;houting, 6!ictory, victory to +ou,7 we have attained the mine of immortality.
;ri 3ama*rishna listens to the song with full attention and his hands folded. While listening, he
suddenly goes into ecstasy. n fact, 1ha*ur7s mind is li*e a dry matchstic* ? stri*e it but once and it
lights. 1he mind of an ordinary man is li*e a wet matchstic* ? howsoever much you may stri*e it, it
doesn7t ignite. 1he reason is that it is attached to the ob%ects of sense en%oyment. ;ri 3ama*rishna
remains absorbed in meditation.
1he 3esident of 2a*shineswar = s the Anahata Shabda (.nstru#k sound o" *m) always sounding
within and without&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1his sound alone is not enough. 1here is something indicated by the sound. 4an
derive pleasure %ust from your name& Cnless see you, cannot be a hundred percent happy.
1he 3esident of 2a*shineswar = 1hat ;habda is Brahman, the 0nahata sound.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to /edar) = Oh, see. His belief is li*e that of the rishis. 1he rishis said to
3amachandra, 63ama, we *now you are the son of 2asharatha. Bharadva%a and other rishis may ta*e
you as an avatar and worship you. But we only want 0*handa ;achchidananda 'ndivisible B.istence-
/nowledge-Bliss 0bsolute).7 Hearing this, 3ama laughed and left.
/edar = 1he rishis did not accept 3ama as an avatar. 1hey were fools.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'gravely) = 9lease don7t say such things. We all have our own inclinations. Besides,
what one understands is what one can digest. We all have different dispositions.
:1he rishis were %nanis 'men of *nowledge), so they sought Akhanda Sa#h#hidananda (/ndivisible
01isten#e 2no%ledge Bliss Absolute).<
Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees) hen an avatar comes, an ordinar! man cannot recogni,e
him 0 he comes as if in secret. 'hree or four of his intimate devotees recogni,e him. Rama (as a
full manifestation of Brahman, he (as a "erfect avatar 0 but onl! t(elve rishis kne( this. 'he
other rishis said, 2Rama, (e onl! consider !ou as a son of /asharatha.)
:1he 0*handa ;achchidananda 'ndivisible B.istence-/nowledge-Bliss 0bsolute) cannot be *nown by
all, but he who attains )itya (the Absolute) and yet lives in His lila (s'ort) to en%oy himself with Him
has ripe bha*ti.<
:Bharadva%a and other rishis prayed to 3ama in these words8 63ama, you are that very 0*handa
;achchidananda. +ou have manifested +ourself before us in the form of 3ama. n fact, it is with the
help of +our maya that +ou have appeared as a human being.7 Bharadva%a and other rishis were great
devotees of 3ama. 1hey had ripe bha*ti.<
:On the other hand, devotees see* the avatar ? to en%oy his love. ;eeing Him, the dar*ness of the mind
is dispelled. 1he 9urana says, 6When 3amachandra entered the 4ouncil Hall, it was as if a hundred
suns were shining.7 1hen why were the councilors not burnt& 1he answer to this is that His light is not
physical light. 1he lotus of the heart of all the councilors opened their petals. +ou see, when the sun
rises, the lotus opens its petals.<
'he great im"ortance of name or love of God
1ha*ur addresses a !aishnava goswami '0 !aishnava guru or preceptor) seated there. Whenever he
sees a goswami, 1ha*ur bows his head in salutation. ;ometimes he even prostrates himself.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, what do you say is the way&
"oswami = ;ir, $ama 'repetition of the holy $ame) indeed ta*es one to Him. n the age of /ali,
$ame is of the greatest importance.
Sri Ramakrishna 3es, undoubtedl!. Name is of great im"ortance. 3et if there is no love, ho(
can it hel"4 /ee" !earning for the *ord is essential. hat (ill it avail me if - re"eat the Name but
m! mind remains tied to 2lust and greed)4
&hat use is it to (ash an ele"hant if it again smears its bod! (ith mud4 -t becomes its original
self. But before it enters its stable, if someone (i"es the dust off and gives it a bath, it remains
clean.1
&5ven if a "erson is "urified b! re"eating the Name, it is "ossible that he ma! be defiled later on
b! committing a number of sins. Such a "erson has no (ill "o(er. #e does not "romise to himself
that he (ill not commit another sin.1
&So, re"eat the Name and also "ra! at the same time that !ou ma! develo" love for the *ord. $nd
that all transitor! things, such as mone!, name and fame, and "leasures of the bod!, ma! have
less and less attraction for !ou. 3ou must "ra! thus.1
6aishnavism and sectarianism 0 harmon! of religions
;ri 3ama*rishna = When one develops sincere devotion to Him, one can reali#e the (ord by any
religion.
1he !aishnavas will attain Him, so will the devotees, the !edantists and also the Brahma%nanis. 0nd the
Muslims and the 4hristians shall also attain Him.
Bverybody will attain "od if they develop sincere devotion to Him.
But some people pic* a quarrel. 1hey say, 6Cnless you repeat the name of (ord /rishna, you will not
succeed.7 Others say, 6f you don7t repeat the name of Mother /ali, you will achieve nothing.7 +et
others say, 6B.cept through 4hristianity, you will reach nowhere.7
&Such intelligence is kno(n as 2dogmatic intellect). 'hinking that onl! m! religion is true and all
others are false is not right. 3ou can attain the *ord b! man! "aths.1
&Besides, some sa! that the *ord has a form, that #e is not formless, and the! 7uarrel (ith the
others. 'he 6aishnavas 7uarrel (ith the 6edantists. 8nless !ou see the *ord face to face, !ou
cannot talk of #im correctl!. #e (ho has seen #im, kno(s that the *ord has forms and #e is also
formless. hat else #e is cannot be talked about.1
&-t is no use 9ust sa!ing that the *ord has a form. -t is right that #e assumes a human bod!, as in
the case of, sa!, Sri :rishna. #e a""ears before the devotees in different forms. 'his is true. But
it is also true that #e is the formless $khanda Sachchidananda. 'he 6edas sa! that #e is both
(ith form and formless, (ith attributes as (ell as attributeless.1
1hat is why they pray in the ;rimad Bhagavata, 6(ord, +ou are with form, and +ou are also formless.
We see you wandering around li*e a human being, though the !edas say that +ou are beyond mind and
speech.7
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, "od is with form and He is also formless. 5urthermore, He is even beyond
form and formlessness. 1here is no limit to Him.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he sadhu who has renounced the world only repeats the name of Hari. He has no
other wor* to do. f he meditates on the (ord, there is nothing to wonder at. f he doesn7t contemplate
the (ord and doesn7t repeat the name of Hari, everybody will spea* ill of him.
But if a family man repeats the name of Hari, it is heroic. ,ust see8 /ing ,ana*a was a great hero. He
wielded a double-edged sword ? one of %nana and the other of *arma. On the one hand he was a perfect
*nower of Brahman> on the other, he engaged himself in worldly wor*.
&'he com"an! of hol! men is al(a!s essential. #ol! men bring !ou in contact (ith the *ord.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = 2id you have any conversation with Bhas*arananda&
Manilal = +es sir, we tal*ed for a long time. 0mong other things we discussed vice and virtue. He
said8 2on7t tread the path of sin. 2on7t even thin* of evil. 1his is what the (ord requires of you.
9erform only actions which bring you merit.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, that is true as far as worldly people are concerned.
But it is different for those who are illumined, who have reali#ed that the (ord is the only reality and all
else is unreal and ephemeral. 1hey *now that the (ord alone does everything and that we are all non-
doers.
1hey who are illumined never ta*e a wrong step, they don7t have to calculate before eschewing sin.
1hey have so much love for the (ord that all their actions are e.emplary.
But they *now that they are not the doers of their actions, they *now that they are only the servants of
the (ord ? that they are only the machines while the (ord is the operator of the machine. 1hey *now
that what they are doing is by His will, that what they spea* is what He ma*es them spea*, that they
move the way He ma*es them move.
&'he! (ho are illumined have gone be!ond vice and virtue. 'he! see that the *ord is indeed
doing ever!thing.1
Sri Ramakrishna and Brahmo devotees in /akshines(ar 0 the essence of "rema (ecstatic love)
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the Brahmo devotees and others) = +ou people tal* so much of prema. But is it
such an ordinary thing& 1here are two characteristics of ecstatic love. One is to forget the world, to
become unaware of everything e.ternal in the love of "od.
1he second characteristic is to have no attachment to the body one holds so dear. 1he conviction of the
body as the self fully disappears.
+ou cannot have prema till you have seen the (ord. 1here are some mar*s of "od-reali#ation. When
the splendour of love manifests within, "od-reali#ation is not far away.
&hat does the s"lendour of love mean4 /iscrimination, dis"assion, com"assion, service to the
hol!, com"an! of the hol!, chanting the name and glories of the *ord, truthfulness 0 all these.
hen one comes across these signs of love, one can kno( that the vision of God is not far a(a!.1
0 2evotee = ;ir, does one have to reason before being able to control the senses&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1hat is a path ? the path of discrimination. f you ta*e to the 'ath o" devotion
(Bhakti), the inner senses get controlled automatically. 0nd it is easier. 1he more you develop love for
the (ord, the less you care for the pleasures of the senses.
;ri 3ama*rishna = By repeating His name you rid yourself of all your sins. (ust, anger, desire for
creature comforts and the rest all disappear.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 9ray to "od with a longing heart that you may develop a taste for His name. He
always fulfills one7s wishes ... therefore, they tal* of taste for the $ame.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he (ord7s name must be repeated. 4all the (ord by any name8 2urga, /rishna,
;hiva or any other. f, while repeating the $ame, your love increases day by day, if you feel %oy, then
there is no danger. +ou are sure to be cured. His grace is sure to fall on you.
Sincere bhakti versus artificial bhakti 0 God cares onl! for the mind
0s the state of your mind, so is your gain.
1wo friends wal*ing together saw the Bhagavata being recited at a place on the way. One of them said,
64ome, friend, let7s go and listen to the recitation of the Bhagavata.7 His friend loo*ed in, but shortly
left for the red light area. He soon felt disgusted with himself and thought, 6;hame on me! While my
friend is listening to the story of (ord Hari, loo* where have brought myself!7 On the other hand, the
fellow who was listening to the Bhagavata was also feeling regret. He said to himself, 6What a fool
am! 1his fellow is tal*ing nonsense and sit here listening to it! How my friend must be en%oying
himself!7
$ow, when both these men died, he who was listening to the Bhagavata was ta*en away by a
messenger of death and he who had gone to a prostitute was ta*en to !ai*untha '!ishnu7s abode,
heaven) by a messenger of !ishnu.
:Bhagavan sees the mind. He doesn7t care who is doing what or where one is. 63anardhana (the all+
kno%ing God) *nows the innermost thought.7
While initiating a disciple in the /artabha%a sect, they tell him, 6$ow it is your mind.7 1hat is to say,
now it all depends on your mind.
1hey say that he who has the right *ind of mind acts correctly and achieves the right end.
Because of the powers of his mind, Hanuman could cross the ocean. 6 am a servant of 3ama, repeat
His name, what is impossible for me&7 He had this faith.
h! can)t one see the *ord4 Because of one)s egoism
0s long as one retains one7s -ness, one is ignorant. 0s long as egoism persists, there is no liberation.
4ows bellow, 6Hamba, hamba7 and goats bleat, 6Mein, mein.7 5or this reason, they have to suffer a lot.
1he butcher slaughters them and ma*es shoes, drums and hides out of their s*in. 1here is no end to
their suffering. n the Hindi language, hum and mein both mean 67. 1he uttering of mein, mein ', )
leads to more and more suffering. 0t last, the butcher ma*es strings with the guts of these animals.
When the carder uses the string in his bow, it produces the sound of tuhun, tuhun. 1hat is to say, 6+ou,
you.7
t is only when one says, 6+ou, +ou,7 that one is saved and there is no more suffering.
:Oh (ord, you are the 2oer and , a non-doer.< 1his is what constitutes %nana 'spiritual wisdom).
t is only when you become lowly that you can rise. 1he chata* bird has its nest near the ground, but it
can soar at high altitudes. 5arming is not possible at high elevations. +ou need low land to farm. Water
only collects on low land> only there is cultivation possible.
.om"an! of sadhus essential for the householders 0 (ho is trul! "oor4
One should ta*e a little trouble to see* the company of the holy. 0t home one only tal*s of worldly
matters. 1here is always one ailment or the other.
Money does not ma*e a man great. 0 sign of a wealthy man is light in every room. 1he poor do not
have money to spend on oil, so they can7t have that many lights. +ou see, one must not *eep this temple
of the body in dar*ness8 one must light the lamp of %nana '*nowledge) within.:(ight the lamp of %nana
in the house and see the face of the Mother Brahmamayi '0ll Blissful Mother of the Cniverse).<
Real meaning of "ra!er 0 marks of s"iritual a(akening
Bveryone can attain %nana. 1here is the individual self and the ;upreme Being. One must pray to "od.
Bveryone can be united with the ;upreme ;elf. Bvery house is fitted with gas pipes, but one must apply
to the gas company to receive the gas. When you file an application, the company will arrange for the
gas and your house will be lit.
;ome people may become illumined. 1hey have a special mar*8 they don7t li*e to hear anything but
words about the (ord. 1hey don7t li*e to tal* of anything but of the (ord. 1a*e, for e.ample, the seven
seas, the rivers of the "anges and the ,amuna ? they are all full of water. But the chata* bird wants only
the raindrop. t is dying of thirst, but it does not drin* any other water.<
1hey who live only with 6lust and greed7 ? who don7t thin* of "od even once ? are bound souls. What
great wor* can they perform& 1hey are li*e mangoes pec*ed by crows. ;uch mangoes cannot be
offered to the gods. Bating them yourself is also ris*y.
Bound souls, worldly people, are li*e sil*worms. 1hey could come out of their cocoons if they wished,
but they have built their own homes and maya does not allow them to escape. 0nd it all ends with
death.
(iberated souls are not under the control of 6lust and greed7. ;ome clever sil*worms cut their cocoons
and come out. But they are very few.
Because of maya (illusion + atta#hment), one remains forgetful. 5ew attain spiritual awa*ening, few
are not deluded by the magic of maya, are not sub%ect to the control of 6lust and greed.7
&'here are t(o classes of "erfect souls; one is sadhanasiddha ('er"e#ted by s'iritual dis#i'lines)
and the other kri'asiddha ('er"e#ted by the gra#e o" God). Some "eo"le go to great trouble to bring
(ater to their fields for a good harvest. <thers don)t have to struggle at all= rain(ater fills their
fields. <ne has to "ractice sadhana rigorousl! to save oneself from ma!a. 4e %ho is a kri'asiddha
doesn5t have to struggle. But there are only one or t%o su#h 'eo'le.
&$nd then there are the nityasiddhas (ever+'er"e#t ones). 'he! are alread! s"irituall! a(akened in
ever! life. 'ake the e>am"le of a "lugged fountain. 'he "lumber, (hile doing something else,
accidentall! removes the obstruction and lo? (ater gushes forth from the fountain. hen the! see
the love for God in an ever+"erfect "erson e>"ress itself for the first time, "eo"le are ama,ed.
'he! (onder (here such bhakti, such vairagya (non+atta#hment) and such intense love came
from.1
Song
O (ord, 1hou art my all, the support of my life, the Bssence of essences.
have none but 1hee as my own in the three worlds.
1hou art my %oy, peace, support, refuge, treasure, wealth, *nowledge, intelligence and strength.
1hou art my home, my rest, my rela.ation, friend and family.
1hou art my present, my salvation, my future and my heaven.
1hou art my scripture and in%unctions too, 1hou my wish-yielding guru, the fountainhead of my never-
ending bliss.
1hou art the means, the end. 1hou art the creator, the sustainer and the adorable one.
1hou art the chastising father, the tender-hearted mother, the pilot who steers me across the sea of life.
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is seldom that worldly people show spiritual wisdom ? only occasionally, li*e
the flame of a lamp. $o, no, it is li*e the ray of the sun when it peeps through a chin* in the wall. t is
only possible for worldly people to repeat the (ord7s name ? not to feel His love. t is li*e a child
saying, 6 swear by "od.7 He has learnt these words from his quarreling aunts.
Worldly people have no grit. t does not matter to them whether they succeed or not. f they dig a well
for water but stri*e a roc*, they stop digging and loo* for another spot. f they find sand in the ne.t
spot, they give that spot up too. f they had continued to dig at the original spot, they would have found
water there.
0 human being reaps what he sows> as the song goes ? $obody is to be blamed, Mother. am drowning
in the water of the well have dug.
67 and 6mine7 constitute ignorance. f you thin* about it deeply, you will find that what you call 67 is
none other than the Atman (the S'irit). 1hin* about it. 0re you the body& 0re you bones, or flesh, or
something else& +ou will conclude that you are none of these.
0ll reasoning stops after "od-reali#ation. +et, some people do reason even after they have reali#ed
"od. 0nd some people chant "od7s name and glories out of love for Him.
&#o( long does a child cr!4 'ill he is "ut to the mother)s breast. 'hereafter, he sto"s cr!ing and
he is full of 9o!. #e takes his mother)s milk so 9o!full!? 3et, he ma! also "la! and smile (hile he
sucks. God has become all the forms there are. 5ven so, #e manifests most in the human being.
#e is es"eciall! "resent in the "erson (ho has the nature of a "urel! sattvic child 0 (ho laughs,
cries, dances and sings innocentl!.1
&God does three things; #e creates, #e "reserves, and #e dissolves. /eath is inevitable. $t the
time of universal dissolution, ever!thing (ill be destro!ed, nothing (ill survive. But the /ivine
%other (ill "reserve some seeds of creation. She (ill take them out again at the time of the ne(
creation.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou have this position by the (ord7s grace. 2on7t forget Him. But *now that
everybody has to tread the same path. +ou are here only for a few days.
1he world is your place of wor*. +ou have come here to wor*. t is %ust as one comes from one7s
country home and wor*s in 4alcutta.
;ome wor* is necessary ? you must practice some spiritual disciplines. +ou must finish your wor*
quic*ly. 1he goldsmith, while melting gold, uses bellows, blow pipes and a fan to blow air so that fire
may give more heat and the gold may melt. When the gold melts, he as*s for a smo*e. He has wor*ed
hard for a long time> he will now smo*e his pipe.
&3ou have to have grit, a firm resolve. <nl! then can !ou "ractice s"iritual disci"lines.1
1he mystic seed of His name is very powerful. t dispels ignorance. 0 seed is so soft, and so is its
sprout. +et it brea*s the earth and germinates.
When you live amid 6lust and gold,7 your mind is forcefully pulled to them. ;o you must be cautious.
But he who has renounced the world need not fear much. 1he genuine renouncer *eeps a proper
distance from 6lust and gold7. 1hat is how he can fi. his mind on the (ord while practicing spiritual
disciplines.
Who is a real renoun#er& He who can *eep his mind fi.ed on the (ord. (i*e the bee which only ta*es
honey from flowers. But he who is in the household, living amid 6lust and gold,7 can sometimes fi. his
mind on the (ord, and at other times it goes to 6lust and gold7. He is li*e the ordinary housefly who sits
on sweets one moment and on a sore or e.creta another.
&3ou must al(a!s fi> the mind on the *ord. -nitiall!, !ou have to make some effort. *ater !ou
en9o! a "ension.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = When a person tal*s of the (ord, people don7t believe him. f some spiritually
advanced person says that he has seen the (ord, even then ordinary people don7t believe him. 1hey say,
:f he has seen the (ord, he should show us too.<
1he Brahma%nanis sing about Him as the unchanging and unmoving entity. don7t li*e it. One who
sings li*e this apparently does not en%oy "od7s sweetness. When you are deluded by treacle, you don7t
thin* of syrup made with sugar candy.
&@ust see, ho( !ou "eo"le are having visions (ith !our s"iritual e!es and en9o!ing the sight. 'he!
(ho talk of the Aormless <ne get nothing 0 neither (ithin nor (ithout.1
God grants fearlessness
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to M.) = ;ome thin* that they will never gain %nana and bha*ti, that they are bound
souls. But when the "uru7s grace descends on someone, he need not fear.
0 tigress came into a floc* of goats. When it sprang on its prey, it gave birth to a cub. 1he tigress died,
but the cub grew up in the floc* of goats. 1he goats ate grass and so did the cub. 1hey bleated, so the
cub also began to bleat. 1he cub grew to become a big tiger. One day another tiger happened to come
into the floc* of goats. t was ama#ed to see a tiger eating grass. t ran toward it and grabbed it in its
paws. 1he latter began to bleat. 1he wild tiger dragged it to a pond and said, 6(oo* at your face in this
water. +ou are e.actly li*e me. Here is some meat, eat it.7 ;aying so, it forced the meat into the mouth
of the grass-eating tiger. t at first refused to ta*e it and began to bleat, but having tasted blood, it began
to eat the meat. 1he wild tiger said, 6Have you understood now& +ou are %ust li*e me. $ow accompany
me to the forest.7
&hen the grace of the Guru (God) da(ns, there is no fear. 'he Guru makes !ou understand (ho
!ou are, (hat !our real nature is.1
&-f !ou "ractice a little s"iritual disci"lines, the Guru tells !ou ever!thing; /o this no( and that
later. -n time, one begins to understand (hat is real and (hat is unreal. 'he *ord is the Realit!
and the (orld illusor!.1
Manilal 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = 0t what place should meditate during my daily worship&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he heart is a well-*nown place, meditate on "od there. By having faith in Him,
you can do anything! used to say that would believe only if saw such and such person ? if such and
such tal*ed to me. 0t that time, whatever used to come to my mind would come to pass.<
M. had studied logic. He had read that it is %ust coincidence that morning dreams tally with actual
events> that, in fact, it was %ust superstition. He had read this from a chapter on fallacies. ;o he as*s ;ri
3ama*rishna ? Well, did it ever happen that the actual event did not tally with what you thought&
;ri 3ama*rishna = t always tallied. would repeat His name and whatever believed would come to
pass. '1o Manilal) But do you *now the fact& Cnless you are guileless and generous, you cannot have
sincere faith.
Sri Ramakrishna and elements of !oga; !oga of 9nana and !oga of bhakti
,nana and bha*ti are both paths to "od-reali#ation. n the path of bha*ti, one has to observe more
religious rules and rites. 1he path of %nana is the path of reasoning, which sometimes ma*es one
become s*eptical. n the case of a devotee who sincerely see*s Him, even if he becomes s*eptical, he
does not give up meditation on the (ord.
&2- am 'hat, - am the "ure $tman) 0 this is the conviction of 9nanis (men of s"iritual (isdom). <n
the other hand, devotees sa!, 2-t is all the manifestation of the glorious (ealth of Bhagavan.)1
&-t is not right for an ordinar! man to sa! that he is the same as the *ord. 'he (ave comes from
(ater, not (ater from the (ave.1
1he fact is that unless your mind is steady, there can be no yoga, whatever path you may ta*e. 1he
mind of a yogi is under his control. 1he yogi is not controlled by the mind.
When the mind becomes steady, breathing stops and one e.periences *umbha*a. 1he same *umbha*a
is e.perienced in Bhakti 6oga ('ath o" devotion). 1he breath becomes suspended by following the path
of devotion, too. n the state of bhava (God+#ons#iousness& mood, "eeling, emotion), breathing is
suspended and one e.periences *umbha*a.
:t doesn7t help %ust to repeat ;oham ' am 1hat). :Besides, everybody is not at the same level. 1here
are four classes of human beings8 the baddha -ivas (bound ones), the mumukshu (seekers a"ter
liberation), the mukta (liberated) and the nitya -ivas (ever+"ree).
t is not that all these people have to ta*e to sadhana 'spiritual practice) ? there are nityasiddhas (ever
'er"e#t) and sadhanasiddhas ('er"e#ted by sadhana). ;ome people attain the (ord after practicing a
great deal of sadhana, while others are perfect from their birth
&'he nit!asiddhas, "ractice sadhana later in life. 'he! have alread! attained the *ord before the
"ractice of sadhana. -t is like the bottle gourd or the "um"kin (hich fruits before it flo(ers. $
nit!asiddha, even if he is born in a lo(er famil!, does not become less s"iritual than he (as. 'he
gram, even if it falls on a dung hea", still s"routs into a gram "lant.1
&God has granted more "o(er to some than to others. -n one there is the light of a single earthen
lam", (hile in another it is a bla,ing torch. -f one has not reali,ed the *ord, (hat does mere
learning avail one41
;ri 3ama*rishna = f you stic* to truth, you can attain Bhagavan (Personal God %ith divine
attributes& the beloved 7ord). 1here is a great difference between a learned man and a sadhu. 1he mind
of one who is a mere scholar remains attached to 6lust and gold,7 while the mind of a sadhu remains tied
to the lotus feet of Hari. 1he learned man says one thing and does another.
(eaving sadhus aside, even those whose minds are fi.ed on the lotus feet of Hari are very different in
their actions and words. saw a young sadhu belonging to the sect of $ana* in /ashi. He was the same
age as you. He would call me a premi 'loving) sadhu. His monastery is in /ashi. One day he invited me
there. 1he head mon* of the monastery was no different from a housewife. as*ed him, 6What is the
way&7 He replied, 6Bha*ti according to $arada is en%oined for the age of /ali.7 He was reading a holy
te.t. When he finished it, he said, 6!ishnu in water, !ishnu on land, !ishnu on the hill top> !ishnu
pervades the whole world.7 He ended with8 peace, peace and perfect peace.<
One day he was reading the "ita. He was so strict in his orthodo.y that he would not read it loo*ing at
a worldly man. Mathur Babu was present. 1he sadhu turned his bac* on him while reading. t was the
same sadhu of the sect of $ana* who said, 61here is a way8 it is the path of devotion as en%oined by
$arada.7
M. = 0ren7t these sadhus !edantists 'Believers in the non-dual Brahman)&
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, these people are !edantists, but they also believe in the path of bha*ti. 1he
fact is, in the age of /ali it is difficult to observe !edic rites and rituals. 5or the age of /ali you have
the 1antric path.
Sri Ramakrishna 'he eight fetters are hatred, shame, ancestr!, "ride, fear, secretiveness, caste
and grief. B! #is grace, these eight fetters fall off all at once. 3ou kno( (hat it is like4 @ust as all
darkness is dis"elled in a moment (hen a light is brought into a room that has been dark for a
thousand !ears. 'he darkness doesn)t go bit b! bit.
&#aven)t !ou seen the magician "erforming his feats4 %aking knots in a cord, he ties one of its
ends to something and holds the other end in his hand. 'hen he shakes the cord once or t(ice.
hen he gives a 9erk, all the knots in the cord untie. But others can)t untie a single knot,
ho(soever much the! tr!. $ll the knots o"en in a moment b! the grace of Bhagavan the Guru.1
-mmortalit! of the soul
1he body and the soul. 1he body has come and it will go. But the soul is immortal. t is %ust li*e the
betel-nut. f the nut is ripe, its shell does not adhere to the nut. n the unripe state, it is very difficult to
get the shell apart from the nut. When you have seen Her, when you have attained Her, body-
consciousness vanishes ? one feels that the soul is separate from the body.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0s long as one retains one7s u'adhis (Ad-un#ts& semblan#es& the limitations
im'osed on the Sel" through ignoran#e by %hi#h one is bound to li"e), one has the perception of
plurality, when one has attained ultimate %nana, one is aware that it is one 4onsciousness behind many
things.
Moreover, when one has acquired ultimate %nana, one sees that the same 4onsciousness has
differentiated into the world, its creatures and the twenty-four cosmic principles.
Bven so, there is a special manifestation of "od7s power in some. 1ruly He has become all ? but at
certain places there is greater manifestation of His power, in others less.
1here is more power of "od in that receptacle in which He manifests His lila 'divine sport).
1he landlord can be found anywhere in his estate but he is often to be seen in the drawing room. 1he
heart of the devotee is the (ord7s drawing room. He li*es to enact His lila in the heart of a devotee. His
power especially descends in the heart of a devotee.
What are the signs of it& Wherever much wor* is done, there His power is especially manifested.
1he Adyashakti (Primeval Po%er) is not different from the Parabrahman (Su'reme Brahman). +ou
cannot thin* of the one without thin*ing of the other. 5or e.ample, thin* of the gem and its lustre! f
you do not hold a gem, you cannot thin* of its effulgence. ;imilarly, you cannot thin* of the gem
without thin*ing of its brilliance.
Adyashakti (the Primordial Po%er o" Brahman) has differentiated into the phenomenal world, living
beings and the twenty-four cosmic principles. t is a case of involution and evolution. /nvolved, the
totality of creation lies dormant in its potential state> evolved, it is differentiated into all that is.
+ou go bac*wards to the ;upreme Being and your personality becomes lost in His personality. +ou
then retrace your steps. +ou get bac* your ego ("ersonalit!) and come bac* to the point where you
started only to see that the world and your ego or self were involved in the same ;upreme Being.
When a person comes down from samadhi, where can he rest his mind& He cannot help see*ing the
company of devotees endowed with the quality of sattva.
When a person is a spiritual aspirant, he should give his whole mind to "od, saying, 6$ot this, not this.7
t is different in the case of a perfected soul. 0fter attaining "od, one reali#es the fact of involution and
evolution. When the butter is ta*en out of the buttermil*, one reali#es that the butter is not essentially
different from the buttermil*, nor the buttermil* essentially different from the butter.
One has full reali#ation that "od has become everything. Only at some places He manifests Himself in
a greater degree than in others. 0fter "od-reali#ation, one sees that "od manifests Himself in all things.
However, there is a greater degree of His manifestation in the human being. 0nd He is manifested more
in devotees endowed with the quality of sattva (8ualities that lead God%ard) ? people who have no
desire at all to en%oy 6lust and gold7.
When a person comes down from samadhi, where can he rest his mind& He see*s the association of
pure devotees endowed with sattva guna, who have given up the en%oyment of 6lust and gold7.
Otherwise, with what will he engage himself&
He who is Brahman is indeed the 0dyasha*ti. When He is inactive, call Him Brahman, call Him
9urusha. When He creates, preserves, dissolves and performs such other actions, call Him ;ha*ti,
call Him 9ra*riti. 9urusha and 9ra*riti. He who is Purusha ((ons#iousness 9 the ,ale as'e#t o" God)
is indeed Prakriti (0nergy 9 the :emale as'e#t o" God). 1ogether they constitute the anandamaya
(All+Bliss"ul male as'e#t o" God) and anandamayi (All+Bliss"ul "emale as'e#t o" God).
He who is aware of manhood is also aware of womanhood. He who *nows the father also *nows the
mother. One who has a sense of dar*ness also has a sense of light. One who *nows the meaning of
night also *nows the meaning of day. One who has the feeling of %oy also has the feeling of grief. 2o
you see this&<
;ri 3ama*rishna = What Mother do mean& Why, the Mother of the Cniverse! ;he who has created
the Cniverse is preserving it. ;he who is always protecting Her children and providing them what they
want8 dharma (righteousness), artha (%ealth), kama ("ul"illment o" desires) and moksha (liberation).
0 true child cannot live apart from its mother. t is his mother who *nows everything. 1he boy %ust eats,
drin*s and plays> he *nows nothing.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to /eshab) = Why do the Brahmos dwell so much on the glory of "od& 6Oh (ord,
+ou have created the moon, you have made the sun and the stars!7 What is the need of all this& Many
people praise a garden when they see it. How many want to see the owner& What is greater, the garden
or its owner&
&/oes the *ord care for (ealth4 No, #e is under the control of bhakti. hat does #e value4 Not
mone! but a feeling heart for #im, intense love, devotion, discrimination and dis"assion for #is
sake.1
&$nd then there are the trigunatita devotees (Be!ond the three 7ualities of sattva, ra9as and
tamas). 'he! are like children. 'heir (orshi" consists "urel! of chanting #is name. 3es, the name
of God alone and nothing else.1
;ri 3ama*rishna 'laughing, to /eshab) = +ou are ill. Well, there is a reason for it. 1he intense
devotional feeling within you has disturbed your body. When one is emotionally surcharged, one
doesn7t understand what happens. Much later, you see that it has wrea*ed havoc on the body.
1he fire of spiritual wisdom first burns up lust, anger and other such enemies. (ater it destroys the
sense of -ness '1he false ego that says 6 am the doer7). (astly, it brings about a great turmoil in the
body.
:+ou may be thin*ing it is all over. But it isn7t ? as long as the least trace of disease remains uncured,
He does not release you. f your name has been entered as a patient in the hospital boo*s, you cannot
get away. 1he physician in charge '2octor ;ahib) doesn7t allow you to leave the hospital while the least
trace of disease remains. Why did you get your name entered in the hospital boo*s&< '0ll laugh.)
Bhakti 3oga 0 "rinci"le of samadhi 0 s"iritual states of Sri .haitan!a (%aha"rabhu)
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the devotees) = 4haitanya 2eva used to have these three states.
D. 1he conscious state ? in this state his mind would roam between the gross and the subtle.
E. 1he semi-conscious state ? in this state his mind was in the 2arana ((ausal) state, in the en%oyment
of the causal.
F. 1he innermost state ? his mind would merge into the ,ahakarana (Great (ause).
1his conforms beautifully to the five sheaths '*oshas) of the !edas.
1he gross body is concerned with the Annamaya (Gross 'hysi#al sheath sustained by "ood) and the
Pranamaya (Subtle, vital sheath consisting of five 'ranas: 'rana, a'ana, samana, vyana, and udana.
It vitalizes and holds together the body and mind for the continuation of life; its gross manifestation is
the breath) sheaths.
1he subtle body means the ,anomaya (Sheath o" mind %hi#h re#eives sense im'ressions) and the
Vi-nanamaya (Sheath o" intelle#t %hi#h dis#riminates or %ills) sheaths.
1he causal body corresponds to the Anandamaya (Body o" bliss, so+#alled be#ause it is nearest to the
Bliss"ul Atman) sheath. 1he "reat 4ause is beyond the five sheaths. When the mind merges in the
"reat 4ause, it results in what is called nirvikal'a or %ada samadhi.
When 4haitanya 2eva was in the conscious state, he would chant the name of "od. n the semi-
conscious state, he danced with the devotees. 0nd when he e.perienced the innermost state, he would
be absorbed in samadhi.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 4haitanya was an incarnation of bha*ti 'love and devotion). He came to teach love
of "od to man*ind. Have love for "od and everything else is done for you. 1here is no need at all for
Hatha +oga.
0 4ertain 2evotee = ;ir, what is Hatha +oga&
;ri 3ama*rishna = n Hatha +oga, one is more concerned with the body. 0ll these are the actions of
'rana (the vital breath).
n 3a%a +oga one unites with "od through the mind. One communes with "od by means of love and
reason. t is a good path of union with "od. Hatha +oga is not well-suited for the age of /ali in which
life depends on food.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well! ;o you are meditating here. +ou will soon succeed. ,ust practice a little and
someone will appear to tell you the right way.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he time is ripe for you. 1he bird doesn7t hatch its egg before the right hour. have
indicated your spiritual ideal 'abode). t is truly your 6abode7.
1hese days M. deliberates especially upon one instruction of 1ha*ur. 1ha*ur has said, :+ou can only
see the (ord if you ta*e to sadhana 'spiritual disciplines).< He also has said, :ndeed, the aim of human
life is "od-reali#ation.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is not that one must always wor*. When "od is reali#ed, there is no duty to
perform. When the fruit appears, the flower falls off by itself.
1here is no obligatory worship li*e sandhya (%orshi' and meditation 'er"ormed at da%n, noon, and
sunset by orthodo1 4indus) for him who has reali#ed "od.
;andhya ends in the Gayatri (A Vedi# mantra (sa#red te1t) %hi#h brahmins and other t%i#e+born
4indus re'eat everyday %hile meditating on the Su'reme Being. ,ay %e meditate on the e""ulgent
7ight o" 4im %ho is %orshi'"ul and %ho has given birth to all %orlds. ,ay 4e dire#t the rays o" our
intelligen#e to%ard the 'ath o" good.). 1he recitation of the "ayatri is enough.
"ayatri ends in *mkar (The Vedi# symbol "or the Su'reme Being). +ou don7t even have to chant the
"ayatri mantra ? %ust repeating Om is enough. How long are there such duties as sandhya& 0s long as,
at the name of Hari or 3ama, hair of the body does not stand on end, or tears of %oy flow. t is not right
to worship for the sa*e of wealth, or for winning a lawsuit.
0 9articular 2evotee = Bverybody is trying to earn money. see it. Hasn7t /eshab ;en given away his
daughter in marriage to a prince&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1o a true devotee, the (ord provides everything without any effort on his part. 1he
real son of a *ing gets a monthly allowance automatically. am not tal*ing of pleaders and advocates
who earn money by becoming slaves to others and wor*ing so hard. say, 6One should be the real son
of the *ing.7 He who has no desire, who never as*s for money, gets it automatically.
'he Gita sa!s; That %hi#h #omes %ithout e""ort (Gita B;CC)
&'he real brahmin is he (ho has no desire 0 he acce"ts food even from an outcast. #e does not
ask for an!thing. 5ver!thing comes to him b! itself.1
0 9articular 2evotee = ;ir, how should a householder lead his life&
;ri 3ama*rishna = He must live li*e a mudfish. He must develop love for the (ord by meditating on
Him in a solitary place away from home. He can then live with his family without attachment to it. He
lives in the mud but does not allow it to soil his body. ;uch a person leads a life of non-attachment in
the world. One can reali#e the (ord when one has developed deep dis'assion (vairagya).
'1o the devotees) :One cannot renounce by a mere wish. One has to consider the 'rarabdha (karma
%hi#h is stored u' and begun to bear "ruit) and the samskaras (tenden#ies o" 'ast li"e).
0ccording to one sect, vamachara spiritual disciplines 'religious practice, prescribed in the 1antra, to be
performed by a man in collaboration with a woman) must be practiced in the company of women. was
ta*en to a group of women by people of the /artabha%a sect.
0ll the women came and sat near me. When addressed them as mother, they said to each other, 6Oh,
he is only a beginner ? he doesn7t yet *now the 6ghat7 'the way).7 n their sect he who is unripe is a
beginner. 1hen he becomes an aspirant and lastly siddha of the siddhas 'supremely perfect).
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the teacher) = 1he !edanta holds that wherever there are 6e.istence, light and
love,7 "od manifests. 1hus, there is nothing but "od in all the ob%ects we see.
&<ne attains God (hen one develo"s intense love for #im. $ lot of !earning is necessar!. hen
one has great !earning, the (hole mind goes to #im. $ childlike faith is needed? Such as the
!earning of a child to see its mother. Such longing heralds the da(n. -t is follo(ed b! sunrise.
<ne sees the *ord after such intense longing.1
#umanit! and divinit!
9ran*rishna 'to 1ha*ur) = ;ir, what is the 0nahata ;habda&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he 0nahata ;habda goes on continuously by itself ? it is the sound of Om. t
originates in the ;upreme Brahman. Only yogis can hear it, not those who are attached to the sense
world. +ogis *now that this sound rises from the navel and that it also originates in the ;upreme
Brahman.
9ran*rishna = ;ir, what is the afterlife li*e&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0s long as a man lives in ignorance ? in other words, as long as he doesn7t reali#e
the (ord ? he has to be born in this world. But when he has attained %nana, he does not have to come to
the world any longer, to the earth or to any other world. When a man has been ba*ed 'perfected) in the
fire of %nana, he is not used for new creation ? he attains salvation.<
&$ccording to the Duranas, the devotee is one entit! and Bhagavan is another. - and !ou are
se"arate entities. 'he bod! is onl! a small earthen bo(l. -nside the bod! there is the mind, the
intellect and the (ater of ego. Brahman is like the sun. #e is reflected in the (ater. 'hus the
devotee sees the form of the *ord.1
n the !edanta, only Brahman is real> all else is maya, li*e a dream, a nonentity. 1he stic* of -ness lies
on the ocean of ;achchidananda. (isten to this carefully. f you ta*e out this stic* of ego, there remains
only one ocean of ;achchidananda. But as long as there is the stic* of ego in it, it loo*s split into two ?
one part of the water here, and the other part there. When one attains the *nowledge of Brahman one
goes into samadhi. 1hen this -ness vanishes.
5or this reason, ;han*aracharya preserved his 6 of *nowledge7 ? to teach man*ind.
But a %nani 'man of spiritual *nowledge) has certain characteristics. One may thin* that he has attained
%nana, but what are the signs& He cannot harm anybody, he becomes childli*e. When the philosopher7s
stone touches a steel sword, its steel turns into gold. 1his gold cannot in%ure. Outwardly you may see
anger and egoism in him, but in reality the %nani has none.
0ccording to !edanta, even the state of wa*ing is not of any significance.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 3eaching the 0tman through the path of 6neti, neti7 'not this, not this) is %nana. By
reasoning 6neti, neti,7 one goes into samadhi and attains the 0tman.
What is vi%nana& +ou must *now "od in a special way. One person has heard of mil*, another has seen
it, and yet another has drun* it. He who has only heard of mil* is an a-nani (a man o" ignoran#e), he
who has seen it is a -nani (a man o" s'iritual kno%ledge), and he who has drun* it has attained
vi%nana. 1hat is to say, he has *nown "od in a special way.
&hen one sees the *ord and talks to #im as a near and dear one, it is vi9nana.1
nitially one must start discriminating 6neti, neti7. "od is not the five vital elements, nor the senses. He
is neither the mind, nor the intellect nor the ego. He is beyond all cosmic principles.
He who is the ;upreme Brahman has become the universe and all its living beings. He has also become
the twenty-four cosmic principles. 1hat which is 0tman has become the five vital elements. 1hen why
is the earth so hard if it is made out of the 0tman& 0ll is possible by His will. 5lesh and bones have
resulted from blood and semen. How hard is sea foam!
&.an a householder attain vi9nana4 #e needs to "erform sadhana, it all de"ends on one)s mind.
/t is God %ho grants assuran#e and "earlessness.
1he attitude of the pure mind is very different from the impure. t is this pure mind with which one sees
the (ord in the household. +ou need to practice sadhana 'spiritual disciplines) for it<.
<n Sectarianism
1he Brahmos insist that "od is formless. (et them say so. t is enough to call on Him sincerely. f you
are sincere, He, being antaryamin (God as the /nner (ontroller ), will surely ma*e you *now, ma*e
you understand, what His real nature is.
+et it is not good to say that only what you *now of Him is right and others are wrong. 1hat since we
ta*e Him as formless, He is formless and can7t have form. Or that He has a form and so cannot be
formless. 4an a man reach the end of "od&
n the same way, the !aishnavas and ;ha*tas are opposed to each other. 1he !aishnavas say, 6He is our
;ri /rishna.7 1he ;ha*tas say, 6He is our Bhagavati, the only giver of liberation.7
see that all those who harp on religion are actually quarrelling among themselves. 1he Hindus, the
Mohammedans, the Brahmos, the ;ha*tas, the !aishnavas, the ;haivites are all quarreling with each
other. 1hey haven7t gained the intelligence to understand that He who is called /rishna is ;hiva, and
also the 9rimeval 9ower. He is the same Being who is *nown as 4hrist or 0llah.
&'here is but one !ama (God), and #e is kno(n b! a thousand names. 'here is one Substance= it
is called b! different names. 5ver!bod! is asking for the same one Substance. 3et there is a
difference of "lace, "erson and name.1
1hat is the reason why there are different groups, ill will and quarrels. 3esorting to fights with staves,
and scuffling and *illing in the name of religion is not good. Bverybody is going toward "od. When
one is sincere and yearns for Him, one attains Him.
(isten to this. 1he !edas, the 9uranas, the 1antras, all these religious te.ts see* Him alone and none
else. Whom the !edas call ;achchidananda Brahman, the 1antras call ;achchidananda ;hiva and the
9uranas call ;achchidananda /rishna.
One becomes a *uticha*a after being a vahuda*a. 1he sadhu who visits many holy places is a
vahuda*a. One who doesn7t desire to move around, who settles down peacefully at one place on an
asana is *nown as a *uticha*a.
0 bird was sitting on the mast of a ship. t did not *now when the ship came out of the holy "anges and
entered the blac* waters of the ocean. When it became aware of the ocean, it wanted to *now where the
land was. 5lying to the north and finding no shore, it returned. Having rested for awhile, it flew south,
but found no shore there either. Out of breath, it returned. 1hen it flew to the west and to the east after
resting awhile on the same mast. When it found land or shore nowhere, it perched peacefully on the
mast.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0s long as one thin*s that the (ord is somewhere 6there7, one is ignorant. But
when one thin*s that "od is definitely 6here7, that is %nana.
;omebody wanted a smo*e. He went to his neighbour7s home to get a light. t was quite late at night,
so the neighbours were all asleep. When he had *noc*ed for a long time, somebody came downstairs to
open the door. ;eeing the caller, he as*ed, 6What is the matter&7 1he former said, 6$othing more than
this8 am addicted to smo*ing, you already *now about that. ;o have come for a light.7 1hen the man
said, 6+ou are a fine man indeed! +ou have ta*en the trouble to come here and *noc*ed so long. But
you have a lantern in your hand!7 '0ll laugh.)
&hat man desires, it is alread! (ith him. 3et, he (anders from "lace to "lace?1
$ow understand why the guru as*s some disciples to visit all the four dhams 'places of pilgrimage).
When he goes from place to place and sees that what he sees 6here7 is what he sees 6there,7 he returns to
his guru. 0ll this is done so that the disciple may have firm faith in the words of the guru.
0 genuine devotee has no desire. He merely prays for pure love for "od. He doesn7t as* for occult
powers, or any other power.<
:eligion is a very delicate matter. Bven the smallest trace of desire can stop you from attaining
Bhagavan. 0 thread does not pass through the eye of a needle if its end has any fibres stic*ing out.
/rishna said to 0r%una8 :Brother, if you wish to attain Me, even one of the eight occult powers will
obstruct your reaching Me.<
1he fact is that one becomes proud if one possesses occult powers. 0nd this ma*es one forget the (ord.
9ride stops you from attaining the (ord. 2o you *now what it is to be proud& ;ay, there is a high
mound. +ou will see that it cannot hold rainwater> the rainwater %ust runs off. On the other hand, low
land holds water. t helps plants to germinate and grow into trees. 1he trees later bear fruits.<
0 2evotee = How will a householder be able to go on with his duties of the world, if he e.periences
such madness of bha*ti, or of prema 'intense love), or of %nana&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1here are two classes of yogis8 vyakta (one %ho #an be seen out%ardly as a yogi)
and the other, gu'ta (%ho hides his yoga). 0 householder is a gupta yogi, he doesn7t let others *now of
it. 1he householder renounces mentally, not e.ternally.
3am = 1his is li*e comforting a young boy. One can be a %nani in the household, but not a vi%nani.
;ri 3ama*rishna = f he wants finally to be a vi%nani, he can become so. t is not right to renounce the
household by forcing yourself.
;ri 3ama*rishna = But say everybody is calling upon "od. One should give up %ealousy and
antagonism. ;ome people say that "od is with form, others say that He is formless. say that he who
has faith in "od with form should meditate on Him as such, and he who believes in the formless "od
should meditate on "od without form.
&3et dogmatism is not good; to sa! that m! faith is correct and others are (rong. -t is good to
believe that one)s faith is right 0 but that one does not kno( (hether the faith of others is right or
(rong, true or untrue. 'he reason is that until !ou have God)s vision, it is not "ossible to kno(
#is true nature.1
/abir said, 6"od with form is my mother, the 5ormless is my father. With whom can find fault&
Whom can worship& Both pans of the scale are equally heavy.7
0ll of you ? Hindus, Mohammedans, 4hristians, ;ha*tas, ;haivites, !aishnavas, the ancient
Brahma%nanis of the era of the rishis and the present day Brahma%nanis among you ? are as*ing for the
same Substance.
&/o !ou kno( ho( it is4 /ifferent religions are based on different times, "laces and "eo"le. But
all the religions are onl! different "aths. 'he "aths are themselves not the *ord, though if !ou
have sincere bhakti and tread an! "ath, !ou can reach #im. -f there is an error in a "articular
"ath !ou choose, #e (ill correct it if !ou are sincere.1
Sri Ramakrishna -t is the *ord alone (ho blesses. #e (ho meditates on the *ord has
substance and God)s "o(er in him.
&'he devotees of God must have a firm and steadfast understanding (2utastha intelle#t) 0 like the
blacksmith)s anvil. -t receives hammer blo(s unceasingl!, but it remains unchanged.1
Cnfriendly people may find fault with you and spea* ill of you, but if you sincerely love Bhagavan
(Personal God %ith divine attributes& the beloved 7ord), you will bear all this. s it not possible to
meditate on the (ord while living with the wic*ed& 3emember the rishis who used to meditate on the
(ord in forests with tigers, bears and other wild animals around them. ;ome people have the nature of a
serpent. +ou have to decide on a strategy to face their attac*. f you don7t consider carefully what to do
and you become angry, you may feel li*e harming him in return to a greater e.tent.
&So it is essential that !ou associate (ith the hol! from time to time. -t is onl! b! kee"ing the
com"an! of hol! men that !ou can discriminate bet(een the real and the unreal.1
"ross, subtle, causal and "reat 4ause. When one reaches the "reat 4ause, it is all quiet. One cannot
utter a word.
/shvarakotis (Godmen) can return from the state of Maha*arana. 1he incarnations of "od are
shvara*otis. 1hey ascend to high spiritual states and come down. 1hey climb up onto the roof and
come down again by the staircase to move around on lower floors. t is the case of involution and
evolution. 1here is a seven-storied building. ;ome have access to the outer apartments only, but the
prince can roam about on all seven stories. shvara*otis need no proof for their belief, they have
unsha*able faith.
&But then there is the class of the nityasiddhas (s'iritually 'er"e#t sin#e birth) 0 the! seek the *ord
from birth and nothing (orldl! attracts them. 'he! see nothing else.'hose (ho accom"an! an
incarnation of God are either nit!asiddhas, or in their last birth.1
+ou people have both yoga and bhoga 'spiritual inclination and worldly en%oyment). $arada was a
devarshi (a godly 'erson endo%ed %ith Su'reme 2no%ledge) while ;hu*adeva was a brahmarishi (a
sage %ho had attained Brahman).
;hu*adeva was a brahmarishi. He was not a %nani ? he was the very manifestation of %nana. Who is a
%nani& He who has attained %nana 'spiritual wisdom) through the practice of religious disciplines.
;hu*adeva was the embodiment of %nana, in other words a storehouse of %nana. He became a %nani
effortlessly ? not by the practice of spiritual disciplines.
What is %nana and what is a%nana& t is a%nana 'ignorance) when you thin* that the (ord is far away
from you. When you *now Him to be here @within youA, that is %nana.
When you have gained the right %nana 'spiritual *nowledge), everything seems to be full of divine
consciousness. used to tal* to ;hibu when he was very small, four or five years old. He was in the
countryside . 1here was thunder and lightening in the clouds. ;hibu said, 6Cncle, "od is stri*ing flints!7
'0ll laugh.) One day saw him catching a grasshopper. 1he leaves of a nearby tree were sha*ing. He
said to them, 6Be still, have to catch the grasshopper.7 1he child was seeing divine consciousness in
everything! 1he simple faith of a child! f you don7t have childli*e faith, you can7t attain Bhagavan.
Sri Ramakrishna *ove !ou must, for God abides in all. But (hen !ou come across a (icked
"erson, salute him from a distance. .haitan!a /eva did the same thing. #e (ould restrain his
s"iritual feelings in the "resence of those of a different nature.
Song
O my mind! 3est assured that there is the stainless 9rimal 9urusha.
He is the beginningless 1ruth and cause of all causes. He pervades the moving and the unmoving world
as prana 'vital breath).
He is ever living, resplendent, the haven of all. 1he man of faith alone beholds Him.
He is beyond the senses, the eternal, the essence of consciousness, and dwells in the cave of the hearts
of all.
He is adorned by the different qualities of %nana and prema. Man is rid of all grief by meditating on
Him.
He has numberless qualities, He is of ever-serene countenance. $one can reach His depths.
But He reveals Himself by His grace to those who ta*e shelter at His feet, *nowing them to be humble
and helpless by His grace.
Bver-forgiving and the source of all good, He is ever the giver of help in the sea of sorrows.
He is ever %ust and He bestows fruit in accordance with our good and bad deeds.
He is the most loving, the ocean of mercy and the treasure house of grace. By hearing of His glories
one7s eyes are filled with tears.
Behold Him and be blessed. He is the haven of all hungry hearts.
Wonderful is His nature, of peerless beauty without stain, which no human speech can describe.
O my brother! Become a beggar at His door and worship Him alone day and night.
How can you, O my mind, *now "od, groping as you are li*e a mad man in a dar* room&
He can be grasped only through ecstatic love> it is impossible to grasp Him otherwise.
1he great yogi communes with "od from age to age to attain ecstatic love.
0s soon as love arises, He draws the soul as a magnet draws a piece of iron.

/is"assion since 3outh
1hey who have felt dispassion since their youth, they who wander about yearning for Bhagavan, they
who have not entered family life, indeed belong to a separate class. 1hey are pure aristocrats. 1hey who
have the right *ind of dispassion from an early age belong to a higher spiritual ideal '6abode7). 1hey
have an e.tremely pure attitude. 1hey never allow a single stain to touch them.
But it is different in the state of a siddha (man o" s'iritual 'er"e#tion). 1here is no danger after one has
attained Bhagavan7s vision.
&<ne becomes fearless to a great e>tent.1
Once you have reached the roof, you have reached the goal> you can dance there. But you must not
dance on the steps. 0nd he who has climbed up to the roof, no longer needs to renounce what he
formerly renounced. 1he roof is made of bric*s, lime and bric* dust> the steps are made of the same
material.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'laughing) = One can also meditate with eyes open. 0nd it is also possible while
tal*ing. magine the painful twinge of a toothache! When you have a toothache you attend to all your
duties, but your mind remains attached to the toothache. n similar fashion, you can meditate with your
eyes open ? and also while tal*ing.
Sri Ramakrishna Bhakti is the one thing needed 0 love for the *ord. /o the! (the
'heoso"hists) seek bhakti4 -f so, it is good. -f their ideal is God+reali,ation, it is good. @ust b!
believing in the lunar, the solar and the stellar regions, and in great souls, does not mean that one
is seeking the *ord. <ne should "ractice s"iritual disci"lines to gain bhakti for #is lotus feet= one
must call for #im (ith a longing heart.
&God is not to be found in an! religious te>t, "hiloso"h!, or in the 6edanta. 3ou (ill not succeed
unless !ou are restless for #im.1
Sadhana (s'iritual dis#i'lines) is essential. 4an one see the (ord quic*ly, without any effort&
;omebody as*ed, 6Why can7t have the vision of the (ord&7 1he answer to his question came to my
mind. f you want to eat butter, how will it help you to go on repeating, 61here is butter in the mil*.7
+ou will have to wor* hard churning the mil* to get the butter. +ou can7t have the vision of the (ord
%ust by repeating that the (ord e.ists. +ou have to practice sadhana.
&So the right thing is to act u"on that (hich endears #im to !ou, that (hich develo"s bhakti for
#is lotus feet. 3ou see, this (orld is e"hemeral. 'here is no real stuff in it.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = Why renounce& +ou people should renounce the world mentally. (ive in your
household with a spirit of non-attachment.
0nd loo* here, it is futile to %ust reason. Be restless for Him and learn to love Him. 3easoning and
%nana are li*e men who can only enter the outer rooms. But bha*ti is li*e women who can go into the
inner apartments.
+ou have to establish a specific *ind of relationship with the (ord to attain Him. ;ana*a and other
rishis nurtured the shanta 'peaceful) attitude, while Hanuman had the dasa 'servant) attitude. ;ridama,
;udama and the cowboys of Bra%a too* up the sa*hya attitude 'of a friend), while +ashoda had the
vatsalya 'filial) attitude ? she too* the (ord as her son. ;rimati '3adha) too* up the madhura attitude
'that of a sweetheart).
&<h, God? 3ou are the *ord, - am !our servant. 'his bhava (God+consciousness= mood, feeling,
emotion) is the dasa (servant) attitude. -t is a ver! good attitude for a s"iritual as"irant.1
Bhakti 3oga and :arma 3oga 0 signs of 9nana
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is no use repeating, 6,nana, %nana.7 1here are two signs that mar* the attainment
of spiritual *nowledge.
One is anuraga, that is, love "or God. +ou may reason and discuss, but if you have no love for the
(ord, no devotion for Him, it is all futile.
1he second sign is the awa*ening of the /undalini power. 0s long as the /undalini lies dormant, one
does not gain %nana. +ou may read boo* after boo* and reason them out but have no restlessness for
"od. 1hat is not a sign of %nana.
&hen the :undalini "o(er a(akens, one e>"eriences bhava (ecstas!), bhakti (/evotion and love
for God) and "rema (-ntense love for God). 'his is called Bhakti 3oga.1
/arma +oga is an e.tremely difficult path. By practicing /arma +oga, one gains many occult powers ?
power to perform miracles.
&B! leisurel! "la!ing the drum at a slo( beat, !ou cannot attain much. $ dee" dis"assion
(vairag!a) is needed. Stretching the !ear to fourteen months is futile. /t seems you have no "irm
determination, no grit. 6ou are like "lattened ri#e soaked in milk. Be u' and doing; Gird your loins;
&'hat is (h! - don)t like the song, 2Aasten th!self to #ari, < Brother. 3ou (ill sooner or later
succeed.) - don)t like this 2!ou (ill sooner or later succeed). - (ant dee" dis"assion. Airm
determination and grit.1
+ou may be practicing %apa 'repetition of "od7s name) and austerities, but at the bac* of your mind,
you have desires for sense en%oyments. 5rom the outlets of desire, everything lea*s out.
One catches fish with a bamboo trap. Ordinarily bamboo is straight, but when bent to the ground, it acts
as a fish trap. 2esire for sense en%oyments is the fish, so the mind remains bent toward the world. f
there is no desire, the mind naturally orients upward, toward the (ord.
2o you *now how& (i*e the needles of a scale. Because of the weight of 6lust and greed,7 the upper
needle does not align itself with the lower needle. 1hus one strays from the path of yoga.
&#aven)t !ou seen the flame of a lam"4 -t flickers b! 9ust a "uff of air. 'he state of !oga is like
the flame of a lam" (here there is no (ind.1
Our mind is spread out in different directions. +ou have to collect this mind and concentrate it to a
point. Bven if there is a slight obstacle, yoga is not possible. f the telegraph wire is bro*en, howsoever
small the brea* may be, it will not convey your message.<
'he "o(er of faith 0 (ork (ithout e>"ectation of re(ard
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou are living a householder7s life. What harm is there in that& But one has to
surrender the fruit of one7s actions completely to the (ord. One must not e.pect any reward
whatsoever. Bven so, the fact is that the desire for bha*ti is not to be counted as desire. t is all right to
desire bha*ti and to pray for it.
;he is your own Mother. 4ompel Her! f you are a part of someone, you are also attracted by him.
Because am a part of the 2ivine Mother, ;he attracts me. He who is a genuine worshipper of ;hiva
receives a portion of ;hiva. ;ome of ;hiva7s characteristics enter into him. He who is a genuine
!aishnava is endowed with some of elements of $arayana. Besides, you have no worldly duties now.
1a*e to meditation for some days. +ou have seen that there is no real substance in the world.
;ri 3ama*rishna = *now, it is the Mother7s game. Her sport indeed! Mahamaya wants to *eep
everybody bound to the world. +ou *now how it is& :Many boats float on the ocean of the world. How
many of them sin*!< 0gain, :Out of a hundred-thousand *ites, only one or two have their strings cut
through and are thus set free> oh, how then +ou laugh and clap +our hands!< ;imilarly, out of a million
people, only one or two attain liberation. 0ll the rest remain bound by the Mother7s will.
+ou see, in large shops big sac*s of rice are placed as high as the roof. Besides rice, lentils are also
stored there. 1o save them from mice, the shop*eeper puts some sweetened puffed rice in a straw
bas*et. 1hey taste sweet and have their own smell, so all the mice busy themselves eating from the
bas*et, not *nowing about the big sac*s. ;imilarly, man is enchanted with 6lust and greed7 and does not
see* the (ord.<
1he 0dhyatma '3amayana) says this8 (a*shmana as*ed 3ama, 63ama, you live in so many bhavas
(s'iritual states) and aspects. On which aspect should meditate&7 3ama said, 6Brother, *now for
certain that wherever you find ur-ita (e#stati#, dee') bhakti, my presence is there.7 n ur%ita bha*ti one
laughs, weeps, dances and sings. f you see such bha*ti developed in a person, *now for certain that the
(ord has manifested in him. 4haitanya 2eva reached that state.
1here is no real substance in worldly people. 1hey are li*e a heap of cow dung. 5latterers come to them
and say, 6+ou are so generous and wise. +ou are so devout.7 1hese are not %ust words, but bamboo
stic*s thrust at them. What folly! ;o many householders *eep the company of brahmins and pundits
day and night %ust to hear their flattery!
&'here is no real substance in (orldl! "eo"le. 'he! are like a hea" of co( dung. orldl! men are
slaves of these three; 'he! are the slaves to their (ives, to mone!, and to their masters. hat real
substance do the! have in themselves4 But he is a slave to his (ife. #e rises (hen she orders him
to rise, and he sits do(n at her bidding.1
What is the use of being a leader, or an arbitrator& +ou have engaged yourself in enough acts of
*indness and welfare wor*. t is quite another class of people who engage in such activities. t is the
time for you to give your mind to the lotus feet of the (ord. 0ttaining Him, nothing remains to be
attained. "od comes first. 0cts of *indness, welfare wor*, doing good to the world, emancipating
man*ind ? all these are secondary. Why worry about them&
&-t is the same (ith !ou. -t (ould be nice if an all+renouncing "erson im"arts to !ou s"iritual
instructions. But it (ould not be right to take the advice of a (orldl! man, (hether he be a
brahmin, a "undit, or an!bod! else.1
:Be inebriated! Be mad in the ecstatic love of the (ord! (et people say that shan has gone mad and
that he cannot attend to anything now. When you become inebriated in this way, they will not approach
you for leadership, or arbitration. 1hrow away your koshakushi (utensils "or ritualisti# %orshi'). (ive
up to the name of shan 'an appellation of ;hiva).<
Sri Ramakrishna %adness, or other(ise4 Shivanath said, 2'oo much contem"lation on the
*ord makes one lose one)s head.) - re9oined, 2hat do !ou mean4 .an one ever become
unconscious b! thinking of .onsciousness4 #e is the nature of 5ternit!, Durit! and
.onsciousness, through (hose "o(er of "erce"tion one "erceives ever!thing and through (hose
.onsciousness all is made conscious.)
;ri 3ama*rishna = am an instrument, ;he is the Being who uses the instrument> am the house and
;he the dweller> am the chariot, while ;he is the charioteer> move the way ;he drives me> spea*
the way ;he ma*es me spea*. n the /aliyuga 'age of /ali) one does not hear celestial voices from
above. But ;he certainly tal*s through the lips of a child, or a mad person.
&No "erson can become a guru. 5ver!thing ha""ens b! the (ill of the *ord. hen #is grace
da(ns, the vilest sin, a long+lasting sin, or long+lasting ignorance is dis"elled in a moment. hen
a light is suddenl! brought into a room that (as dark for a thousand !ears, does the darkness
vanish little b! little, or does it disa""ear instantl!4 Surel!, the moment the light is brought in, all
darkness is dis"elled.1
What can a man do& He can tal* a great deal ? but eventually everything rests with the (ord. t is li*e
the lawyer, who says, 6 have said all have to say. 1he rest is in the hands of the %udge.7
Brahman is inactive. When, however, He creates, preserves and dissolves, or performs any activity, He
is called Adyashakti (Primeval Po%er). We have to please this 0dyasha*ti. 2on7t you *now what the
4handi says& 1he gods sang a hymn in praise of 0dyasha*ti, for it is only when ;he is pleased that
Hari will wa*e up from His slumber of yoga.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he avatar incarnates for the devotees and not for the %nani.
/ am born age a"ter age "or the 'rote#tion o" the good, "or the destru#tion o" the %i#ked, and "or the
establishment o" dharma.
(Gita <=>)
1he 9undit = :1he avatar comes, first, for the %oy of the devotees, and second, to sub%ugate the
wic*ed. But the %nani is free from all desires.<
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = But am not free from all desires. have the desire for bha*ti.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well! What is your understanding of bhava ($ivine "ervour) and what is bha*ti&
1he 9undit = Meditation on the (ord ma*es the mind tender. 1his is called divine fervour. t is li*e ice
melting when the sun rises.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, what is prema& 9rema means loving "od in such a way that one forgets the
world. 1o such an e.tent that one even forgets the body which is so dear. 4haitanya 2eva had prema.
1he 9undit = +es, sir. t is the state in which one acts li*e a mad man.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, some people develop bha*ti, but others don7t. Why is this&
1he 9undit = 1he (ord is impartial. He is the 2al'ataru (The %ish+"ul"illing tree o" heaven). He
gives whatever one as*s. Bven so, one has to approach the /alpataru to as*.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well tell me, how does one go into samadhi&
1he 9undit = 1here are two *inds of samadhi8 Savikal'a (/n Savikal'a samadhi the as'irant retains
the distin#tion bet%een sel" and God) and )irvikal'a. n $irvi*alpa samadhi the mind ceases to thin*.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es. 1he mind ta*es the form of the 3eality. 1here is no distinction between the
meditator and the ob%ect of meditation. 0nd then there are two *inds of samadhi8 (hetana (/n (hetana
samadhi the as'irant retains #ons#iousness o" his /+ness as he #ommunes %ith God) and 3ada
samadhi (/n 3ada samadhi the as'irant a''ears like an inert ob-e#t as he #ommunes %ith God).
$arada and ;hu*adeva attained 4hetana samadhi. What do you thin*&
1he 9undit = 1hat is so.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0nd then there are .nmana samadhi (/n .nmana samadhi the "un#tioning o"
the mind does not totally #ease as the as'irant #ommunes %ith God ) and Sthita samadhi (/n Sthita
samadhi the as'irant gets "ully established in the Sel"). What about them&
1he 9undit *eeps silent. He says nothing.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, is it possible to gain occult powers by performing %apa and austerities& 5or
e.ample, wal*ing over the "anges on foot&
1he 9undit = t is indeed possible to attain occult powers, but the devotee doesn7t want them.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0fter some study of $yaya, the !edanta and other systems of philosophy, one
understands the ;rimad Bhagavata better. What do you thin*&
1he ;on = 1rue, sir. t is essential to study the Samkhya philosophy
(*ne o" the si1 systems o" orthodo1 4indu 'hiloso'hy "ounded by 2a'ila. Samkhya 'ostulates t%o
ultimate realities, Purusha and Prakriti. $e#laring that the #ause o" su""ering is man5s
identi"i#ation o" Purusha %ith Prakriti and its 'rodu#ts, Samkhya tea#hes that liberation and true
kno%ledge are attained in the su'reme #ons#iousness, %here su#h identi"i#ation #eases and Purusha
is reali?ed as e1isting inde'endently in its trans#endental nature.).
#indu -deal 0 the Sanatana /harma
1he upcountry people of ndia have such great devotion to "od! Have you noticed& 1hey possess the
real bhava 'spirit) of the Hindus. ndeed theirs is the Sanatana $harma (0ternal !eligion). 2id you
notice the immense %oy with which they carried the divine image& t was %oy at the thought of carrying
the throne of Bhagavan on their shoulders.
&'he #indu ideal indeed is Sanatana /harma. $ll the religions that !ou see no( have come about
b! God)s (ill. $nd b! #is (ill the! (ill disa""ear, the! (ill not last. So - sa!, 2Salutations at the
feet of even the devotees of toda!.) 'he #indu ideal has ever been and (ill last forever.1
3oga is the (a! to God+vision 0 marks of a !ogi
1he nityasiddhas (ever+'er"e#t ones) have no fear of the world. Worldly life is li*e a game of chess for
them> as in the game, they do not fear what the ne.t move will bring.
1he nityasiddha may live a worldly life if he so desires. ;ome people can wield two swords at the same
time. 1hey become such an e.pert that if a sword stri*es against a stone, the latter flies away at its
blow.
1he 2evotee = ;ir, in what state of mind does one have the vision of the (ord&
;ri 3ama*rishna = One can attain nothing unless one concentrates the mind to a point. 1he Bhagavata
mentions that ;hu*adeva would wal* around loo*ing li*e a soldier with a bayonet. He would see
neither this way nor that ? his eyes were glued to his goal, Bhagavan. 1his is called yoga.
1he chata* bird drin*s only rainwater. (et the "anges, the ,amuna, the "odavari and other rivers be
full of water. (et the seven seas also be full of water. But it will not ta*e water from any of these. t will
only drin* the rainwater from the cloud of swati na*shatra '0 particular con%unction of stars).
He who has attained such yoga can have the (ord7s vision. 1ill the curtain rises in a theatre, the
audience tal*s of their homes, their offices, their schools and so on. 0s soon as the curtain rises, all tal*
stops at once. 1hen all eyes are fi.ed on the play. Bven if one spea*s a word or two after a long time,
one tal*s only about the play.
:;ir, can one *now the (ord7s attributes through *nowledge&<
'hakur sa!s, &Not through ordinar! kno(ledge. 3ou cannot kno( #im b! that. 3ou need to
"ractice s"iritual disci"lines. $nd !ou must adhere to one attitude, for instance that of a servant.
'he rishis have the shanta bhava (of "eace and serenit!).1
2o you *now the attitude of the %nani& 1o meditate on one7s own real ;elf. '(aughing to a devotee)
What is your attitude&<
1he devotee doesn7t reply.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = +ou have both attitudes8 you want to meditate on your own real ;elf ?
and you certainly have the attitude of the servant toward his master. 0m not right&
1he 2evotee 'smiling, but diffidently) = +es, sir.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = :But practice of any attitude requires one to perform *arma. 0 person
pric*s his hand with a thorn of the plum tree and his hand bleeds profusely. But he says, 6$othing has
happened to me, it hasn7t pric*ed me.7 On further enquiry, he says, 6t is all right, am fine.7 What use
is merely saying it& One has to develop this attitude by practice.<
-shvarakoti
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1here are the 3ivakoti (The ordinary human being) and the /shvarakoti
(0ternally "ree and 'er"e#t souls, born on earth "or the good o" mankind). 1he bha*ti of the %iva*oti
is ritualistic8 t consists of worshipping with a prescribed number of articles, or repeating the name of
"od so many times, or performing so much purashcharana. 3itualistic worship leads one to *nowledge
of "od, when the self merges in the Cniversal ;oul never to return.
&-shvarakotis sometimes lived in the attitude of Soham (/ am That) and at other times in the
attitude of a servant of God. #o( can such a "erson live (ithout love of God41
&<ne should, therefore, cherish the attitude of the servant and master 0 @Thou art the ,aster, /
am Thy servant5 0 to taste the bliss of the *ord.1
&'he attitude of the lover is; Thou, oh 7ord, art the rasa (Bliss, s%eet like ne#tar) and / the en-oyer
o" the rasa.
Surely by gras'ing the "lavour (rasa), the individual soul be#omes blessed. Aho indeed, %ould
breathe, %ho %ould remain alive, i" this Bliss %ere not in the ether.
(Taittiriya .'anishad B.C)
1here is no harm in *eeping the 6ego of devotion,7 or the 6ego of *nowledge,7 or the 6ego of a child.7
;han*aracharya retained the 6ego of *nowledge7 for the purpose of teaching man*ind.
1he self or ego of the child is not attached to things of the world. 1he child is beyond all gunas ? he is
not sub%ect to any guna. He gets out of temper, but soon there is not a trace of anger left in him. He
builds a playhouse now, and forgets all about it the ne.t moment. His fondness for his playmates *nows
no bounds, but if he loses sight of them for awhile, he forgets all about his old friends. 1he child is not
sub%ect to any of the three gunas ? sattva, ra%as and tamas.
&'he devotee cherishes the attitude; 2'hou art m! *ord, and - 'h! devotee.) Such -+ness is the
2ego of devotion.) h! does the devotee retain the 2ego of devotion)4 -t has a meaning. Since one
cannot get rid of one)s -+ness, let the rascal remain the 2- of a servant) or the 2- of a devotee) or
the 2- of a child.)1
&3ou ma! reason a thousand times, but the ego cannot be shaken off. 'he ego is like a (ater 9ar
and Brahman is the shoreless ocean in (hich the (ater 9ar is merged. 'here is (ater inside the
(ater 9ar as (ell as outside 0 all (ater ever!(here. 'he (ater 9ar that !ou cannot shake off is the
self or ego of the devotee.1
&$s long as there is the (ater 9ar Eor egoF there are both - and 3ou= one feels 2'hou art m!
Bhagavan, - 'h! devotee,) 2'hou art the *ord, - am the servant of the *ord.) 3ou ma! carr! !our
reasoning to the highest "oint, but the self or ego still remains. But, of course, if there is no (ater
9ar, it is a different matter.1
5ligibilit! for sann!asa 0 dis"assion at a !oung age
;ri 3ama*rishna = 2oes a man of the world, a householder, have enough time to spare for "od& 0
certain man wanted to engage a Bhagavata 'undit (A s#holar %ell+versed in s#ri'tures) to e.plain the
Bhagavata to him. His friend said, 6Well, *now a good Bhagavata pundit, but there is one problem
with him. He has some lands under cultivation which he has to loo* after every day. 1here are four
ploughs and eight bulloc*s always at wor*. He has to loo* after them every day and has no time to
spare.7 1he man who wanted the pundit said, 6 am not loo*ing for a Bhagavata 9undit with ploughs
and bulloc*s to loo* after, who has no time to spare. am in quest of a learned pundit who can recite
and e.plain the Bhagavata to me.7
0 certain *ing used to hear a pundit recite the Bhagavata everyday. 0t the end of the lesson for the day,
the pundit would say to the *ing, 6;ir, do you understand&7 1he *ing would only reply, 6t is for you,
first of all, to understand its meaning.7 Bvery day when he got home, the pundit would thin* about what
the *ing had said, if he understood the meaning himself. 1his fellow used to practice sadhana and
bha%an. He felt an awa*ening of spirit within himself in the course of a few days. 1hen he saw that the
only real thing was the worship of the lotus feet of "od, that all else is illusion. Being sic* of the world
and its pleasures, he gave it up. He sent a message to the *ing, saying, 6Oh, *ing, have indeed
understood at last the true meaning 'of the Bhagavata).7
But do not, therefore, thin* that loo* down upon them @men of the worldA. Oh, no. bring the
*nowledge of Brahman to use8 that everything is but a manifestation of "od. 1hat all are $arayana.
0las, loo* in vain for customers who want something higher than *alai pulse 'lentils). Bverybody runs
after 6lust and gold.7 1hey are attracted by female beauty and power of wealth. But even the seat of
Brahma '(ord the 4reator) appears not worth striving for after the vision of the (ord.
&6eril! these customers, ever! one of them, seek for kalai "ulse. -t is given to "ure souls alone to
attain "ure love for the *ord, to have one aim and to have the mind fi>ed on the *ord.1
'1o Manomohan) must tell you, though you may ta*e offense. said to 3a*hal, 6 would be more
pleased to hear that you have plunged yourself into the "anges and have been drowned than to have
heard that you have been anybody7s servant for the sa*e of money or worldly goods!7
&ith 2lust and greed) al(a!s around !ou, ho( is it "ossible to reali,e God4 -t is ver! hard
indeed to live unattached in their midst. -n the first "lace, one is a slave of one)s (ife. -n the
second "lace, one is a slave to mone!. $nd in the third "lace, one is a slave to him (hom one
serves for the sake of his living.1
Sri Ramakrishna &God grants fearlessness and encouragement to the householder devotee1
Mahimacharan sits speechless, holding his peace.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahimacharan) = "o on! "o deeper! +ou will get sandalwood. "o deeper still
and you will come upon a silver mine! +es, deeper still and you shall come upon a gold mine! Move on
still further and you shall be placed in the midst of diamonds, rubies and sapphires! +es, go forward!
Mahimacharan = ;ir, something holds us bac* and *eeps us from moving on.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'laughing) = Why& (et the reins be cut asunder by the sword of His holy name! His
name is capable of cutting in twain the bonds of 2eath.
/n the lotus o" my heart do / %orshi' God the Absolute %hom 4ari (God, the 'reserver), 4ara
(God, the destroyer) and VidhiBrahma (God, the #reator) all desire to kno% and u'on %hom yogis
meditate %ith a vie% to reali?ation. 4e is attributeless, undi""erentiated, destroyer o" the "ear o" birth
and death, o" the nature o" 01isten#e and 2no%ledge and the 'rimal seed o" the entire universe.
,ahanirvana Tantra, third ullas (#ha'ter)
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahima) = Why do you say that the world is a well or a deep dense forest& 1hese
epithets are all very good for a beginner. 0way with all fear when you are fastened to "od! 1hen you
may say8
!erily is this world a mansion of %oy.
(et me pass my days eating, drin*ing and re%oicing.
,ana*a, the royal sage, how great was his power! Was there anything in which he was found wanting ?
spiritual, or temporal&
0h, no! He was loyal to both matter and spirit and dran* his cup of mil* at the same time!
Sri Ramakrishna Aear of (hat4 #old him fast? Never mind that it is 2a dee", dense forest
overgro(n (ith (eeds and thorns)? Dut on a "air of shoes and (alk on in the thorn! forest. $(a!
(ith fear? #e (ho touches the Grand /ame (the /ivine %other) in the game of hide and seek is
s"ared from the necessit! of taking an! further "art in this "la!.
&:ing @anaka (ielded t(o s(ords; one of 9nana (true kno(ledge), the other of karma ((ork). #e
(ho is an e>"ert in handling these s(ords has nothing to fear.1
&.hanting of the *ord)s name (ith love is the one thing needed. $ll the rest is of little value.
Drema and bhakti is the realit!, all else is unreal.1
Sri Ramakrishna (to %.) - used to cr! to the /ivine %other, 2<h, %other, one man sa!s, 2-t is
thus, it is thus,) another man sa!s, 2-t is something else.) Reveal to me, %other, (hat the truth is?)
Song
f "od is worshipped with devotion, what is the need for asceticism&
f He is not worshipped, what again is the need for asceticism&
f the (ord is worshipped within and without, what is the need of asceticism&
f He is not so reali#ed, asceticism will be of little avail.
2esist, O my child, desist from the practice of further austerities.
"o your way at once to ;hiva ? the ocean of divine *nowledge.
5rom Him you learn how to love the (ord. ;uch love has been spo*en of by the worshippers of Vishnu
(God the 'reserver) ? a love that never fails.
0 love that, li*e a dagger, cuts asunder the fetters of the world.
"irish 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = ;ir, what is meant by ekangi 'rema&
;ri 3ama*rishna = B*angi is one-sided love. 5or instance, water doesn7t care for the swan, but the
swan loves water. Besides e*angi, there are sadharani, saman-asa and samartha *inds of love.
;adharani prema is that in which the lover desires his own happiness irrespective of whether or not it
ma*es the other person happy.
0s for saman%asa love, you want to ma*e your counterpart as well as yourself happy. 1his is a superior
*ind of love.
But the highest love of all is samartha. t is li*e 3adha7s love. ;he was happy only if /rishna was
happy. n this *ind of love one feels that the other person must be happy, whether or not oneself is
happy. 1his bhava of the gopis is the highest *ind of love.
0 2evotee = ;ir, who is an antaranga (intimate dis#i'le)&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 2o you *now how it is& 1here are inner pillars and outer pillars in the natmandir.
1hey who remain ever close to their master are the intimate disciples.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahimacharan) = 1he %nani neither wants "od with form nor His avatar ($ivine
in#arnation).
While wandering in the forest, 3amachandra came across a number of rishis. 1hey received 3ama in
their ashrama (4ermitage) with great respect. 1hey said, 63ama, our lives are blessed to see you today.
But we *now you as 2asharatha7s son. Bharadva%a and the other rishis say that you are an avatar. But
we do not hold this view. We only meditate on that very Akhanda Sa#h#hidananda (/ndivisible
01isten#e+2no%ledge+Bliss Absolute).7 3ama was happy and smiled at this.
.an one return from the state of samadhi
Mahimacharan 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = ;ir, can one return to the normal plane from samadhi&
Sri Ramakrishna (to %ahima) - (ill tell !ou (hen !ou are alone. 3ou are the onl! one (ho
deserves to kno(. &'here is a great difference bet(een /shvara (the 7ord) and -iva (the embodied
soul). $ 9iva can at most attain samadhi b! "racticing sadhana (s'iritual dis#i'lines) and bha-an
(singing o" devotional songs). But (hen the *ord incarnates #imself as a human being, #e can
return to the normal "lane even after samadhi.1
1he %iva, you may say, belongs to the class of a *ing7s officer. He can go only to the outer court of the
*ing7s palace. 1he *ing7s palace is a seven-storied building. His son can move up and down all the
seven stories> he can also come out of the palace.
Bverybody says that no one returns after samadhi. 1hen what about ;han*aracharya, 3amanu%a and
other sages& 1hey retained their 6 of *nowledge7 after coming down from samadhi.<
Mahimacharan = 1hat is so. Otherwise, how could they have written holy boo*s&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0nd then there were 9rahlada, $arada and Hanuman. 1hey, too, retained bha*ti
after samadhi.
Mahimacharan = 1rue, sir.
;ri 3ama*rishna = ndulging in philosophical discussions, some people feel that they have become
very great. 9erhaps they have studied a little !edanta.
When you have attained true *nowledge, your -ness disappears. n other words, you attain samadhi,
you become one with Him and lose all your egotism. Without attaining samadhi, you do not develop
true *nowledge. +ou become one with Him on attaining samadhi. 1hen your ego vanishes.
2o you *now what it is li*e& ,ust as at midday when the sun shines directly overhead, a man does not
see his shadow anywhere around him. When you have gained true *nowledge, attained samadhi, the
shadow of egotism disappears.
&-f, after attaining true kno(ledge, one)s -+ness "ersists, kno( it to be either the @/ o" kno%ledge,5
or the @/ o" devotion,5 or the @/ o" a servant.5 'his is not the 2- of ignorance.)1
&Besides, there are t(o "aths, one of 9nana and the other of bhakti. Go b! either "ath and !ou
(ill reach #im. 'he 9nani looks at #im in one (a!, the devotee in another. 'he God of the 9nani
is all s"lendour, (hile that of the devotee is all s(eetness.1
Soham and attitude of a servant 0 9nana and bhakti
Bhaduri = +ou *now what it7s li*e& t7s all li*e a dream!
1he 2octor = s it all a delusion& 1he question is, whose delusion is it, and why& Besides, if you *now
that it7s all delusion, why do you tal* about it& can7t believe that "od is real and creation is unreal.
Sri Ramakrishna 23ou are the *ord and - am 'h! servant.) 'his is a ver! nice attitude. $s
long as !ou take !our bod! to be real, !ou have the feeling of 2-) and 23ou). 'hen the attitude of a
servant to the *ord is the right attitude. 'he "erce"tion that - am #e is not right.
:0nd what7s more& Whether you loo* at a room from one side or from the middle, it is all the same.<
Bhaduri 'to the 2octor) = 0ll the things have said are in the !edanta. One can *now them only when
one studies the scriptures.
1he 2octor = But has he @;ri 3ama*rishnaA become so learned after studying the scriptures& He says
the same thing that7s written in the scriptures. 4an7t one be wise without reading the scriptures&
;ri 3ama*rishna = But brother, have heard so much!
2octor = Mere hearing can bring about many misunderstandings. t is not that you have only heard.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 2octor) = 4ertain ob%ects have more light. have already told you that the
rays of the sun fall one way on the ground, another way on trees, and quite another way on glass. On a
mirror there is more light. 0nd then thin* about this8 are there devotees here at the same level as
9rahlada& 1he heart and soul of 9rahlada were dedicated to "od.
1he 2octor remains silent, as do the others.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou *now, he @2r. ;ar*arA is following the path of involution by saying, 6$ot this,
not this.7 He is discriminating in this way8 the (ord is neither the embodied soul, nor the world. "od is
there even without His creation. When he @2r. ;ar*arA follows the path of evolution, he will accept
everything.
f you peel off the sheaths of a banana tree, one after the other, you reach its pith. 1he layers of sheath
are different from the pith. $either is the pith the sheath, nor the sheath the pith. 0t the end, the man
sees that the sheath cannot e.ist without the pith and the pith cannot e.ist without the sheath.
"od has Himself become the twenty-four cosmic principles, He Himself has become man.
'1o the 2octor) 1here are three *inds of devotees8 inferior, mediocre and superior. 1he inferior class of
devotee says, God is out there. !e sees the "ord se#arate from !is creation.
1he devotee of the mediocre class says, $he "ord is antaryami (Inner %ontroller). He sees the (ord in
the heart of all beings.
1he su#erior devotee sees that God !imself has become everything. 1hat He alone has become the
twenty-four cosmic principles. He sees that everything is filled with "od, above and below.
9lease study the "ita, the Bhagavata and the !edanta. 1hen you will understand all this.
Sri Ramakrishna &/oesn)t God e>ist (ithin #is creation41
1he 2octor = $o, he doesn7t e.ist in a particular ob%ect. He e.ists everywhere. ;o he can7t be sought
after.
1he topic of conversation turns to something else. ;ri 3ama*rishna remains in an ecstatic mood. 1his
can lead to the aggravation of his disease.
1he 2octor 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = +ou must control your bhava. also e.perience deep bhava. can
dance longer than you.
1he +ounger $aren 'laughing) = What will you do if your bhava increases a little more&
2octor = My controlling power will also increase with it.
;ri 3ama*rishna and M. = +ou say so.
M. = 4an you tell what one e.periences in bhava&
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 2octor) = have no desire for it @moneyA, you already *now that. 0m
pretending& $o, that is not the case.
1he 2octor = Bven don7t want it! *eep money in an unloc*ed bo.. 0s for you, of course, there is
no question.
;ri 3ama*rishna = ,adu Mallic* is absent-minded. When he sits for a meal, he absent-mindedly eats
anything that is placed before him, whether the food is coo*ed deliciously or is bad. Bven when
somebody tells him not to ta*e some article of food because it doesn7t taste good, he says, 62oes it
really taste bad& +es, you are right!7
1ha*ur is perhaps hinting that it is one thing to be absent&minded after contem#lation on the "ord and
'uite another thing to be absent&minded after thin(ing of )orldly things.
"lancing at the devotees and pointing at the 2octor, ;ri 3ama*rishna laughs and says, :+ou see that
when an article is siddha (Siddha also means to become #erfect) - boiled, it becomes soft. He @the
2octorA was so hard. $ow he is softening a little inside.<
1he 2octor = When an article is siddha 'boiled), its e.terior also softens. But in my case, that hasn7t
happened so far in this birth. '0ll laugh.)
6arious instructions to householders
;hyam Basu, 2r. 2u*ari, and one or two other devotees have arrived. 1ha*ur is now tal*ing to them.
;hyam Basu = Oh, what a wonderful thing you told us the other day!
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = What was that&
;hyam Basu = 0bout what remains when one goes beyond %nana '*nowledge) and a%nana 'ignorance).
Sri Ramakrishna (smilingl!) 6i9nana? 'he kno(ledge of man! things is ignorance. @nana
consists of kno(ing that the *ord d(ells in all beings.
2no%ing the 7ord intimately is vi-nana. Talking %ith the 7ord, kno%ing 4im as your near and
dear one, is #alled vi-nana.
&'here is the element of fire in (ood, and fire is the essence. :no(ing this is 9nana. Burning this
"ire+%ood, #ooking ri#e over it, eating it, and then be#oming strong is vi-nana.
;hyam Basu 'smiling) = 0nd you said something about the thorn.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = +es, when a thorn pric*s your foot, you loo* for another thorn to ta*e it
out. With the latter thorn you ta*e out the former one and then throw both of them away. n the same
way, to ta*e out the thorn of a%nana, you have to acquire the thorn of %nana. When ignorance is
dispelled, you throw away both *nowledge and ignorance.
:1hen comes vi%nana.<
1ha*ur is pleased with ;hyam Basu. ;hyam Basu is quite an elderly person and is now *een to
meditate on the (ord for some days. Hearing of the 9aramahamsa 2eva @meaning ;ri 3ama*rishnaA, he
has come to see him. He had seen him once before.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to ;hyam Basu) = "ive up worldly matters completely. 1al* of nothing else but
"od. When you come across worldly people, leave quietly.
+ou have lived a worldly life for so long. +ou have seen that it is all hollow within, that the (ord is the
only substance. Bverything else is non-substance. 1he (ord is the only 3eality, all else is ephemeral.
What is this worldly life& t is li*e the fruit of the hog-plum tree. +ou feel li*e eating it, but what
substance has it inside& f you eat *ernel and rind, it gives you indigestion.
;hyam Basu = 1rue, sir. What you say is indeed true.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou have engaged in worldly matters for so long. f you give your mind to this
confusion any more, you will not be able to contemplate the (ord. 9assing some days in solitude is
essential. 1he mind will not settle down unless you live in solitude. +ou should arrange for a place of
meditation a little away from your home.
;hyam Basu remains silent for awhile. 9erhaps he is reflecting on something.
Sri Ramakrishna (smiling) -n (orldl! life sugar and sand are mi>ed together. *ike an ant, !ou
must leave the sand and sift out the sugar. <nl! the ade"t can sift the sugar out. $rrange for a
solitar! "lace to contem"late #im 0 a "lace for meditation. /o "lease arrange it. - shall visit !ou
there once.
;hyam Basu = ;ir, is there birth after death& What will happen at the end of this life&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0s* the (ord about it and call on Him sincerely. He will tell you. He will certainly
ma*e you understand. t7s not right to try to *now all this beforehand. 5irst attain the (ord. He will
ma*e you understand what you want to *now.
;hyam Babu = ;ir, how many misdeeds a man does while leading a worldly life! How many sins he
commits! 4an this man attain the (ord&
;ri 3ama*rishna = f a man practices spiritual disciplines before quitting his body, if he casts off his
body while calling upon the (ord, while practicing spiritual disciplines, sins can never touch him. 1he
elephant7s nature is to smear itself again with dust after being bathed, but if the mahut pushes it inside
its stable %ust after washing it, the elephant cannot soil itself.
1ha*ur is suffering enormous pain! 1he devotees are ama#ed how he, the compassionate one, the sea of
motiveless grace, grieved at the sufferings of man*ind, night and day thin*s of the welfare of humanity.
He is encouraging the devotee, he grants him fearlessness, by telling him, :f one quits one7s body
while calling upon the (ord, one is never touched by sins.<
"irish = Well sir, which way is more difficult8 to renounce the world painfully, or to call upon Him
while living in the household&
Sri Ramakrishna (to %.) /on)t !ou kno( (hat the Gita sa!s4 *ne truly attains the 7ord i" one
attends to %orldly %ork in a deta#hed s'irit, i" one lives the %orldly li"e a"ter kno%ing everything to
be illusory.
9eople who renounce the world painfully belong to an inferior class.
2o you *now what a householder %nani is li*e& t is as if he is in a glass house from where he can see
inside as well as outside.<
"irish 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = Well sir, at times the mind rises so high ? and then it falls so suddenly!
Why is this&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1his does happen when one leads a worldly life. 1he mind is first up, then down.
5irst you feel so strong ? and then so wea*. +ou see, it is because one has to live amidst 6lust and
greed7. n worldly life the devotee contemplates the (ord and repeats His name ? but then he gives his
mind to 6lust and greed7. He is li*e a housefly. ;ometimes it sits on sandesh, at other times on a
festering wound ? and even on e.creta.
t is different with tyagis (those %ho have renoun#ed the %orld). 1a*ing their mind from 6lust and
greed,7 they give it to the (ord and only sip the sweetness of Hari7s name. 0 genuine man of
renunciation doesn7t li*e anything but the (ord. When he hears worldly tal*, he gets up and leaves. He
only listens to "odly matters. 1he genuine renouncer tal*s of nothing but the (ord.
:1he bee sits only on flowers, for it drin*s honey. t li*es no other thing.<
Sri Ramakrishna (to %.) God)s grace is essential. <nl! (ith God)s grace can one fi> one)s
mind full! on #im.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to "irish) = 3a*hal and others *now very well what is right and what is wrong,
what is real and what is unreal. f they lead a family life, they do so intentionally. 3a*hal has a wife and
a son has been born to him too, but he has understood that all this is illusory and perishable. 3a*hal and
others will not get attached to the world.
:1hey are li*e mud fish. t lives in mud but its body is not stained by the mud.<
"irish = ;ir, do not understand all this. f you want, you can ma*e everybody unattached and pure.
+ou can transform everyone, whether one is worldly or a man of renunciation. say that when the
Malaya bree#e blows, it transforms ordinary wood into sandalwood.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Cnless there is substance inside, it cannot turn into sandalwood. 1he cotton tree
and a few others do not turn into sandalwood.
"irish = never heard of that.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1his is the law.
"irish = $othing in you is according to law!
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, it is possible. When the river of bha*ti overflows, there is pole deep water in
the fields. When a man is inebriated with "od7s love, he does not accept in%unctions of the !edas.
'1o M.) :$othing more is needed after one has attained bha*ti!<
M= 1rue, sir.
;ri 3ama*rishna = One should adopt one particular attitude toward "od. "od in His incarnation as
3ama demonstrated the attitudes of shanta (Attitude o" 'ea#e and serenity as 'ra#ti#ed by rishis o"
yore), dasya (Attitude o" a servant to%ard his master), vatsalya (Attitude o" a mother to%ard her
#hild) and sakhya (Attitude o" "riendshi').
n the incarnation as /rishna, you have all these attitudes, as well as madhura (Attitude o" a lover).
Song
Om, am not the mind, the intellect, the ego, or the chitta (*ind&stuff; it is the instrument that ta(es
hold of some thought )aves, absorbs them and sends them out as thoughts.) $or am the ear, the
tongue, the nostrils, nor the eyes. am not the s*y, nor land, nor light, nor air. am pure /nowledge and
Bliss, the image of ;hiva, the all-good.
am neither #rana ($he vital breath), nor #ancha vayu (the five vital airs), nor the seven elements, nor
#ancha (osha (the five sheaths). $or speech, nor hands, nor feet, nor genital organ, nor anus. am pure
/nowledge and Bliss, the image of ;hiva, the all-good.
have neither attachment, nor antipathy. $either have greed nor infatuation. have neither vanity nor
pride. am not dharma (righteous )or(s), artha ()ealth), (ama (desires) and mo(sha (salvation). am
pure /nowledge and Bliss, the image of ;hiva, the all-good.
$either am virtue or vice, neither happiness or sorrow. am not mantra, nor place of pilgrimage, not
!eda or ya%na. am not food or an edible article, neither am the eater. am pure /nowledge and Bliss,
the image of ;hiva, the all-good.
$either have death, nor doubt, nor distinction of caste. have neither father nor mother. have no
birth. have neither friend nor relation, neither master nor disciple. am pure /nowledge and Bliss, the
image of ;hiva, the all-good.
am changeless, formless, and present in all the senses as the all-pervading power. am beyond a
companion, beyond salvation. am pure /nowledge and Bliss, the image of ;hiva, the all-good.
3emember Him who is full of bliss, the support of this universe and the 5ormless one.
He is the Bar of the ear, the Mind of the mind and the ;peech of speech.
He who is beyond speech, (ife of life, Him you must adore.
;ri 3ama*rishna = "ive me one and will give you a million 'by putting 6Gs7 '#eros) after the figure
one). +ou are indeed , am indeed +ou, there is nothing else besides '1he microcosm is a perfect
reflection of the macrocosm> the same ;pirit animates both you and me).
1he path of the %nani is one way to attain "od. 1he path of *nowledge combined with devotion is
another way. ;o also is there the path of devotion 'bha*ti). 1he path of ,nana +oga is as true as the path
of Bha*ti +oga. One can reach "od through various paths. But as long as one retains the ego, it is
easier and more straightforward to follow the path of love and devotion.
1he vi%nani sees that Brahman is immovable and actionless, li*e Mount ;umeru. 1he entire universe is
made of His three gunas ? of sattva, ra%as and tamas ? but He is unattached to them.
&'he vi9nani sees that #e (ho is Brahman (God the Absolute) is also Bhagavan (The Personal
God). #e (ho is be!ond attributes is also the *ord of si> su"ernatural "o(ers. #is "o(ers are the
(orld and its living beings, the mind and intellect, love (Bhakti), dis"assion (6airag!a) and divine
kno(ledge.1
%ere learning and book learning are in vain 0 love and devotion for God is the one thing needful
;ri 3ama*rishna = Mere learning is of no avail. t is for finding the means for attaining Him and
*nowing Him that one reads boo*s. 0 sadhu had a boo* with him. ;omebody as*ed him what it was
about. 1he sadhu opened it and on every page was written, 6Om, 3ama7. $othing else.
&hat is the message of the Gita4 hat !ou hear (hen !ou sa! the (ord ten times. B! re"eating
it ten times, Gita becomes @tyagi5 (*ne %ho has given u' the %orld "or the sake o" God 9 ri#hes,
honours, %ork %ith atta#hment, sensual 'leasures et#.). $nd this is (hat the Gita teaches; <h man,
giving u" ever!thing, strive to reali,e God. hether one is a sadhu or a householder, one must
get rid of all attachments in the mind.1
4haitanyadeva, in the course of his pilgrimage through ;outh ndia, came across a person reading the
"ita. 0nother man sat a little away from him, listening and shedding tears. How bitterly he was
weeping! 4haitanyadeva as*ed him, 62o you understand all this&7 He replied, 6$o, Master, do not
understand these verses.7 1he former then as*ed why he was in tears. 1he devotee said, 6 see 0r%una7s
chariot> in it the (ord and 0r%una are tal*ing. 1his is what fills my eyes with tears of %oy and love.7
Sri Ramakrishna h! does the vi9nani "ractice love and devotion to God4 'he ans(er is that
one cannot get rid of -+ness. 'hough one)s ego disa""ears in the state of samadhi, it rea""ears.
'he ego of an ordinar! man does not leave him.
&5ven after attaining kno(ledge, -+ness rea""ears, nobod! kno(s from (here. $ll of man)s
trouble is due to this -+ness. -t is onl! (hen he sa!s 23ou, !ou) that he is s"ared. 2<h *ord, - am
3our servant, 3ou are m! %aster. - am !our son, !ou are m! %other.) .an #e be kno(n b!
reasoning4 Be #is servant, take refuge in #im and call u"on #im.1
Sri Ramakrishna (smiling) #e cannot be kno(n b! learning and reasoning.
Sri Ramakrishna Aaith and bhakti (7ove, devotion, 'rayer"ulness and sel"+surrender)? <ne can
attain #im easil! through love and devotion. #e can be gras"ed through the ecstas! of love
(Bhava).
Song
O my mind! What are you doing to reali#e that Being& +ou are groping about li*e a mad man in a dar*
room!
He can be grasped only through ecstatic love> it is impossible to grasp Him otherwise.
2o try your best to bring under your control the moon, which is the door*eeper at the house 'the
Microcosm).
n a house are various rooms, among them a vault where the 2ivine treasure is *ept hidden.
Once the moon is under your control, you may, secretly li*e a thief, wor* your way to the treasure in
the vault and ma*e it your own.
But when the moon is beyond your control and it is daybrea*, the treasure in the vault is hidden from
you.
"o to the si. schools of philosophy. +ou will not find that Being there! $or in the $antras (+eligious
#hiloso#hy identified )ith the )orshi# of Sha(ti for the attainment of the Godhead) or the !edas!
1hat Being is fond of the sweet syrup of love and dwells within as everlasting %oy.
With a view to that love a great yogi practices, one decade after another, meditation for reunion with
the Cniversal ;oul.
Once this love springs up in his @the yogi7sA heart, he draws the ;upreme Being near, much as the
loadstone draws the iron.
'he aim of selfless (ork is God+reali,ation
;ri 3ama*rishna = Worship, oblations, sacrifices and such !edic rites are of no use whatever. When
you develop love for Him, all these actions of worship are mostly unnecessary. 0s long as there is a
lac* of bree#e, there is the need of a fan. But if the southern wind blows, the fan may be put aside.
What need is a fan then&
0ll the activities you are performing are good. But if you can give up the idea that you are the doer, if
you can perform these actions in a selfless way, it would be very good. By performing wor* in a
selfless manner, one gradually develops love and devotion for "od. 0nd by continuing to do wor*
without e.pectation of any reward, one reali#es Him.
However, the more you develop love and devotion for Him, the less wor* you will have to perform. 0ll
the wor* you have underta*en is good. 9erforming wor* without any e.pectation of reward purifies the
mind and increases your love for "od. t is only by loving Him that you can reali#e Him.
t is not man who does good to the world, it is "od Himself who does it. He has created the sun and the
moon> He has given affection to the hearts of parents> He has given compassion to the great> He has
given devotion to sadhus and devotees. He who wor*s without any selfish desire does good to himself.
1here is gold buried within your heart, but you do not yet *now it. t is covered by a little mud. Once
you discover it, all other activities will be lessened.
&Go for(ard, ork (ithout e>"ectation of an! re%ard ()ishkama karma) develo"s love for God
(ithin. 'hen one attains #im b! #is grace. <ne can see the *ord, one can talk to #im the (a! -
am talking to !ou.1
ill one al(a!s have to "erform s"iritual "ractices4
;ri 3ama*rishna =1o *now what is inside, a little spiritual practice is needed.
M = Will one always have to perform spiritual practices&
;ri 3ama*rishna = $o, in the beginning you must be up and doing, but you don7t have to wor* so hard
later on. 0s long as there are storms, tempests and rough water, the boat has to be steered along #ig#ag
routes> so long does the boatman stand and hold the rudder ? but he no longer does so when he is past
them. When the boat rounds a bend and a favourable wind blows, he can sit down and rela. and %ust
touch the rudder. 1hen he prepares to hoist the sail and sits down for a smo*e. 1here is peace when the
storm and tempest of 6lust and greed7 pass.
Mani = ;ir, now understand that. t7s not meditation on a transitory ob%ect. How can a man become
unconscious by meditating on the real ;elf of eternal 4onsciousness&
Sri Ramakrishna (ha""il!) 'hat)s #is grace. ithout #is grace, one)s doubts do not vanish.
&ithout the vision of the $tman, doubts are not dis"elled.1
&'here is no fear (hen #is grace da(ns. $ son holding his father)s hand can fall do(n. But if the
father holds the son)s hand, there is no fear. $ll difficulties are resolved if, out of #is grace, #e
dis"els one)s doubts and grants #is vision.1
&$nd if one continues to call u"on #im (ith a heart full of !earning, and continues to "ractice
s"iritual disci"lines to attain #im, #is grace da(ns. hen a mother sees her child running
around restlessl! Eseeking herF, she feels com"assion for it. She (ho (as hiding herself, no(
comes and reveals herself.1
Mani is wondering why "od ma*es one run around restlessly. 1ha*ur immediately says, :t is Her will
that there should be some running around. Only then is there fun. He has created this universe in sport.
1hat is what Mahamaya is. One must, therefore, ta*e refuge in that Mother, the embodiment of ;ha*ti
'9ower). One has been bound in the meshes of maya. By tearing its net, one can have the vision of the
(ord.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1o obtain His grace, one must *eep the 9rimal Bnergy, ;ha*ti, pleased. ;he
Herself is indeed Mahamaya. By enchanting the world, ;he creates, preserves and dissolves. t is ;he
who has deluded our spiritual awareness. One can enter the door only when ;he allows us through.
When one is outside, one can see only outer ob%ects ? one cannot *now the ;upreme Bternal 9erson,
;at-chit-ananda.
;ha*ti is at the root of the universe. ;he includes both kno%ledge (vidya) and ignoran#e (avidya).
gnorance deludes and enchants ? it leads to 6lust and greed7. On the other hand, love and devotion,
compassion, %nana and prema, which ta*e one to the (ord, come from *nowledge.
+ou have to placate avidya. 1hat is the purpose of the worship of ;ha*ti.
n order to please Her, there are different attitudes with which to worship Her ? the attitude of a
handmaid, the heroic attitude, and the attitude of a child.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0fter "od-reali#ation one forgets His e.ternal riches, the glories of His world. On
seeing Him, one no longer remembers His riches. When a devotee has lost himself in the Bliss of the
(ord, he is rid of all calculation.
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is enough to have the faith that everything is possible in His creation. 2on7t
allow the idea to come to your mind that what you thin* is the only truth and that what everyone else
thin*s is false. 1hen "od Himself will ma*e you understand.
How can a man understand His activities& 1hey are limitless. 2on7t even try to understand them. have
heard that anything is possible in His creation. ;o instead of worrying about these things, only
meditate on "od. One day Hanuman was as*ed the date. He said, 6 don7t *now either the day or the
position of the stars. only contemplate 3ama.7
4an one ever understand His wor*s& "od is so near to us ? yet we don7t *now Him.
;ri 3ama*rishna = "od has hidden everything with His maya. He doesn7t let you understand
anything. 6(ust and greed7 constitute maya. Only he who removes the veil of maya can behold His
vision. was e.plaining to somebody that "od is truly ama#ing, when He suddenly showed me a pond
in the countryside '/amarpu*ur). 0 person pushed aside the green scum covering the surface and dran*
the water below. 1he water was as clear as crystal. 1his showed that ;at-chit-ananda is covered by the
maya of 6green scum7. Only he who can remove the scum can have His vision.
1he universe is conscious on account of "od7s 4onsciousness. 0t times see His 4onsciousness
flashing in small fish. ;ometimes see the universe permeated with 4onsciousness %ust as the earth is
soa*ed with rain water.
Mani = Bducation does one good thing in that one reali#es8 *now nothing and am nothing.
;ri 3ama*rishna = ;tic* to truth. t will lead to "od-reali#ation.
Sri Ramakrishna)s harmon! of religions 0 the Religion of *ove
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the !aishnava devotee and others) = t7s not right to thin* that only my religion is
right and all others are wrong. 1here is but one "od, one without a second. 2ifferent people call Him
by various names. ;ome call Him "od, others 0llah, some call Him /rishna, some ;hiva, and some
Brahman. ;ay there is a reservoir containing water. 0t one of its bathing ghats people call it %al, at
another water, and at yet another pani. Hindus call it %al, 4hristians call it water, and Muslims call it
pani. +et there is only one substance. 0s many religions, so many paths ? every religion is a path which
leads to the (ord. t is li*e rivers coming from different directions but uniting in the same ocean.
;at-chit-ananda is the only truth established in the !edas, the 9uranas and the 1antras. n the !edas, He
is ;at-chit-ananda Brahman> in the 9uranas ;at-chit-ananda /rishna, 3am and so on> and in the 1antra,
He is ;at-chit-ananda ;hiva. ;at-chit-ananda Brahman, ;at-chit-ananda /rishna and ;at-chit-ananda
;hiva are one and the same.<
1he !aishnava 2evotee = ;ir, why should meditate on "od&
;ri 3ama*rishna = f one truly has this understanding, one is already liberated in his lifetime. But not
everybody has such faith. 1hey only tal*. Worldly people have heard that "od e.ists and everything
happens by His will. But they don7t have faith in it.
2o you *now what the "od of worldly people is li*e& (i*e children who swear by "od while
quarrelling. 1hey have heard the word from their elderly aunts who are quarrelling.
4an everybody understand Him& He has created good people as well as bad, devotees as well as non-
devotees. He has created believers in "od and non-believers. 1here is such variety in His sport! 1here
is a greater manifestation of His 9ower at one place than another. 1here is a greater reflection of the
light of the sun on water than on the earth, and again there is more of its reflection in a mirror than on
water.
Besides, there are classes of devotees8 superior devotees, mediocre devotees and inferior devotees. 1he
"ita spea*s of all this.
1he !aishnava = 1rue, sir.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he inferior devotee says, 6"od e.ists up there in the s*y very far away.7 1he
mediocre devotee says, 6"od is present in all beings as 4onsciousness, as life.7 1he superior devotee
says, 6"od Himself has become everything. 0ll that see are the different forms of "od. He Himself
has become maya, the universe and living beings ?nothing e.ists apart from Him.7
Sri Ramakrishna <ne does not attain this state unless one has seen God. But there are signs of
(hether a man has attained #is vision. Sometimes he laughs, (ee"s, dances, or sings like a mad
man. Sometimes he behaves like a child 0 like a five+!ear old child; guileless, generous, (ithout
vanit!, not attached to an!thing, not sub9ect to an! of the gunas and al(a!s blissful. $t other
times he behaves like a ghoul; he does not discriminate bet(een "urit! and im"urit!= he sees no
difference bet(een right conduct and (rong. <r at times he becomes inert, as if he had the
glim"se of something uni7ue. So he cannot do an! (ork= he is not able to strive for an!thing.
s ;ri 3ama*rishna referring to all the states he has gone through&
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the !aishnava devotee) = 6+ou and +ours7 comes from s'iritual kno%ledge
(-nana)> the feeling of 6 and mine7 is ignorance.
:Oh (ord, +ou are the doer, am a non-doer ? this is /nowledge. Oh (ord, all belongs to +ou ? body,
mind, home, family, the universe and its living beings ? they are all +ours, nothing belongs to me.<
1his feeling is /nowledge.
0n ignorant man says, 61he (ord e.ists there, very far away.7 1he man of 2no%ledge (-nani), on the
other hand, *nows that the (ord e.ists 6here, here indeed,7 so very near, within the heart, as the
antaryami (The /nner (ontroller). 0nd that He has assumed each of the various forms that are.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to M.) = was meditating inside the mosquito net. thought to myself that "od is
only a form one imagines during meditation, so didn7t en%oy it. One is successful when "od reveals
Himself all of a sudden ? in a flash. ;o then said to myself, 6Who is it that meditates, and on whom
does he meditate&7
M. = +es, sir. +ou said that He Himself has become everything ? the universe and its living beings.
1hat even he who meditates is also "od.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0nd one cannot do anything unless He ma*es one do it. One meditates only when
"od ma*es it possible for one to meditate. What is your opinion&
M. = ;ir, there is no 6-consciousness7 in you, that is why you feel this way. Only he who has no ego
has this understanding.
;ri 3ama*rishna = But it is good to retain this much ego8 6 am His servant.7 0s long as one thin*s that
one does anything, the attitude 6 am your servant and you are my Master7 is good. t is good to cherish
the relationship of servant and Master when one feels that one is performing activities.
Manimohan @M.A continually reflects on the nature of the ;upreme Brahman. 1ha*ur tal*s to him about
it.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Brahman (The Absolute) is li*e akasa (ether), without any modification. t is li*e
fire, which has no colour. Only by His 9ower has He ta*en up various forms. ;attva, ra%as and tamas
are the three qualities of "od7s 9ower. f you put something white in fire, it appears white> if you put
something red, it appears red> if blac*, the fire appears blac*. Brahman is beyond the three qualities of
sattva, ra%as and tamas. What He is cannot be e.pressed in words ? He is beyond speech. What remains
when you continue the practice of saying, 6$ot this, not this7 is the essence of Bliss, is Brahman.
:1he husband of a young girl has arrived and is sitting with other young men of his age in the outer
room. 1he girl and her companions of the same age are peeping through the grill of a window. 1he
companions don7t *now her husband, so they as* her, 6s that your husband&7 1he girl smiles a little
and says, 6$o.7 9ointing to another person, the girls as*, 6s that one your husband&7 ;he again says,
6$o.7 0gain they point at a third person and as* her, 6s that your husband&7 ;he again says, 6$o.7 0t
last they point to her husband and as*, 6s that your husband&7 1hen the girl says neither 6yes7 nor 6no7 ?
she only smiles suddenly with a short catch of her breath> she remains silent. Her companions then
*now that he is her husband. When one attains the *nowledge of Brahman, one becomes silent.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = 2o you *now what the nature of a saintly person is& He doesn7t hurt anybody, he
doesn7t harass anybody. ;ome people have such a nature that, when invited to a feast, they say they
would li*e a special seat. f one has genuine love and devotion for the (ord, one does not ta*e a false
step, does not give trouble to others for nothing.
t is not right to *eep the company of bad people. +ou must *eep some distance from them. +ou must
save yourself from them. '1o Mani) What do you say&
Mani = ;ir, the company of wic*ed people brings the mind way down. But, as you say, it is different
with heroes.
;ri 3ama*rishna = How is that&
Mani = f you throw a stic* into a fire burning feebly, it goes out. But when the fire is bla#ing, you
may throw a plantain tree into it and nothing happens to the fire ? though the tree is burnt to ashes.
;ri 3ama*rishna = went to 4alcutta the other day. While going along in the carriage, saw that
everyone7s attention was on lower things. 1hey were all worried for their stomachs ? they were running
around to earn a living. 1hey all had their minds on 6lust and greed7. Only one or two people had fi.ed
their sight on higher things, had their minds turned toward "od.
Mani = 1he present times add to our worry about the up*eep of the stomach. mitating the Bnglish,
people are drawn more and more to creature comforts. 1hus their wants have increased.
;ri 3ama*rishna = What do the Bnglish thin* about "od&
Mani = 1hey believe in the formless "od.
;ri 3ama*rishna = We, too, have the same belief.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mani) = 0nother day the devotees who visit me here ? my intimate disciples, my
very own ? were revealed to me. 1hereafter, as soon as the conch shell and the bells of the evening
worship sounded, would climb to the roof of the /uthi and cry aloud with yearning, 6 say, where are
you people& 9lease, come here! am dying to see you!7
Well, what do you feel about all these visions of mine&
Mani = "od is playing His sport in your body. have understood that you are the instrument and He
the Being who uses the instrument. He has created every other creature as if with a machine, but He has
created you with His own hands.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, Ha#ra says that one acquires the si. divine powers after "od-reali#ation.
Mani = 1hey who want pure love and devotion for "od do not care for these powers.
Mani = +ou have said several times that the pure devotee does not want to see His grandeur. 1he pure
devotee li*es to see "od as "opala 'Baby /rishna). 5irst, "od becomes the magnet and the devotee the
needle. n the end the devotee becomes the magnet and "od the needle. n other words, "od becomes
small to the devotee.
;ri 3ama*rishna = t is li*e the sun at dawn. One can loo* at it easily ? it doesn7t da##le the eyes.
nstead, the eyes are satisfied. "od becomes tender for the sa*e of His devotees. He appears before
them, leaving His powers behind.
Both of them are silent.
Mani = Why should your visions not be real& f they are not real, then the whole world is all the more
unreal ? for it is the same mind that is the instrument of perception. 0ll these visions come to your pure
mind, and our minds see worldly things.
;ri 3ama*rishna = $ow see you understand well that the world is ephemeral.
'antrik disci"lines
;ri 3ama*rishna = have the attitude of a child. 0chalananda used to stay here at times. He would
drin* a lot of consecrated wine. Hearing that had the attitude of a child, he insisted, 6Why don7t you
practice heroic disciplines with a woman& 2on7t you believe in ;hiva7s school of thought& ;hiva
authored the 1antra ? it includes spiritual disciplines in all the different attitudes. 1he disciplines of the
attitude of a 6hero7 is also prescribed.7
replied, 6 don7t *now, my dear sir. don7t li*e such things at all. have the attitude of a child.7
1o practice spiritual disciplines to win a lawsuit, or to earn a lot of money ? or to help somebody win a
lawsuit, or to procure property! 1hese are matters of very low intelligence!
Money should be utili#ed to buy food and a home to live in> in the service of deities, sadhus and
devotees> and to help a poor man one may meet. 1his is ma*ing the right use of money. Money is not
meant to be used for en%oying lu.uries, or to provide bodily comforts, or to earn name and fame.
9eople practice the disciplines of the five ingredients of the 1antri* school '1he use of meat, fish, wine,
money and se.ual intercourse) to attain occult powers. But it is an act of very low intelligence!
:rishna said to $r9una, 2Ariend, even if !ou attain one of the eight occult "o(ers, !ou (ill add to
!our "o(er 0 but !ou (ill not attain %e b! it.)
Occult powers don7t free you from maya. Maya begets egotism. What low intelligence! What use is it
to ta*e three glasses of wine from a contemptible place, or to win a lawsuit @with the use of occult
powersA&<
What use is it to practice hatha yoga to increase the span of life&
1he body, money and so on are all ephemeral. Why worry so much about them& (oo* at the hatha
yogis. 1heir only concern is how to add years to their lives. 1hey don7t aim at reali#ing "od. 1hey
practice hatha yoga e.ercises li*e neti and dhoti ? they merely ta*e mil* through a tube and clean their
stomachs.
He who has genuine love and devotion to "od does not care for wealth, health and such things. He
reflects that the austerities and repetition of "od7s name are not for creature comforts, for name and
fame, or for wealth. 0ll these are ephemeral ? %ust a matter of two days.
%ani 3ou said that he (ho thinks too much of sin becomes a sinner and can)t lift himself u".
'hat / am the son o" God 0 (ith this faith one makes 7uick "rogress in s"iritual life.
Sri Ramakrishna 3es, faith indeed?
hat is God)s S"irit Aorm4 $fter Brahma9nana comes vi9nana 0 God alone is the substance
Mani = ;ir, if it is "od Himself who has become everything, then why are there so many different
feelings&
;ri 3ama*rishna = He dwells in all beings as the 0ll-pervasive Being. But there is a special
manifestation of His power in some. n some, there is more power of *nowledge> in others, more power
of ignorance. Moreover, some have more of His 9ower than others.
Sri Ramakrishna God and #is Do(er 0 nothing else e>ists e>ce"t Brahman and #is Do(er.
Mani = 0nd what is "od7s ;pirit form li*e&
;ri 3ama*rishna reflects for awhile and then says in a whisper, :2o you *now what it7s li*e& t7s li*e
water. +ou can *now it only if you practice spiritual disciplines.<
+ou must believe in "od7s form. When you attain the *nowledge of the Absolute ( Brahma-nana), you
reali#e that there is nothing separate ? Brahman and His 9ower are one, li*e fire and its power to burn.
1he moment you thin* of fire, its burning power comes to mind. 0nd the moment you thin* of the
burning power, you thin* of the fire. t is li*e mil* and its whiteness, water and its wetness.
But there is something beyond *nowledge of the 0bsolute. 0fter %nana, comes vi%nana. He who is
aware of *nowledge is also aware of ignorance.
Mani = ;hould one throw away both *nowledge and ignorance&
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, that is why vi%nana is necessary.
,ust see, he who is aware of light is also aware of dar*ness. He who *nows happiness also *nows
sorrow. He who is aware of virtue is also aware of vice. He who *nows good also *nows bad. He who
*nows what purity is, also *nows impurity. He who is conscious of 67 is also conscious of 6you7.
&Vi-nana means kno(ing God in a s"ecial (a!. 'he a(areness, the belief, that there is fire in
(ood is kno(ledge. 'o cook rice on the fire, eat it and be strong is called vi9nana. 'o have the
inner e>"erience of the real nature of Atman (Bodhebodha) is kno(ledge. 'o talk (ith #im, to
en9o! !ourself (ith #im 0 in the attitude of a son, a friend, a servant, or a lover 0 this is vi9nana.
Being able to see that God has become the universe and its creatures is kno(n as vi9nana.1
0ccording to one school of thought, "od cannot be seen. s "od outside you, that you can see Him&
One can only see oneself. When a ship enters the 6blac* waters7, it does not return. t does not come
bac* to report what it e.perienced.
;ri 3ama*rishna = "od alone is the ;ubstance> all else is meaningless.
-nstructions to a householder 0 karma !oga of "ractice and s"iritual disci"line in a solitar! "lace
;ri 3ama*rishna = Why, what about the yoga of practice& n the countryside @/amarpu*urA, the
women of carpenter families sell flattened rice. (et me tell you how alert they are when they attend to
their wor*. 1he pestle of the hus*ing-machine falls constantly into the mortar. With one hand, the
woman pushes paddy into the mortar and with the other, suc*les a baby in her lap. n the meantime, a
customer arrives and she attends to the sale while the pestle goes on pounding the paddy in the mortar.
;he says to the customer, 6(oo*, you owe me so much money. 9ay me and you can ta*e your stuff.7,ust
see, she attends to all these things at the same time8 suc*ling the child, pushing the paddy into the
mortar while the pestle is pounding it, separating flattened rice from the powdered hus* and ta*ing it
out of the mortar ? and then tal*ing to the buyer. 1his is what is *nown as the yoga of practice. 5ifteen
annas of her mind are tied to the falling pestle of the hus*ing-machine lest it should pound her hand.
With one anna of her mind she suc*les the baby and attends to the buyer. ;imilarly, those who lead a
family life, a householder7s life, must give fifteen annas of the mind to "od. Otherwise, they will face
complete ruination and fall into the hands of 2eath. One must attend to worldly duties with one anna of
the mind.
One can lead a family life after attaining *nowledge. But one must first attain it. f you *eep the mil* of
your mind in the water of the world, it will get mi.ed with water. +ou must first turn the mil* of your
mind into curd by placing it in a solitary noo* and churn it to ta*e out the butter. 1hen you can put it in
the water of the world.
t is enough if that much is done. ;piritual practice is needed. t is essential that an aspirant live in
solitude in the initial stages of practice. When an 0shwattha tree is only a plant, it must be fenced,
otherwise a goat or a cow may eat it. But when it grows a thic* trun*, the fence can be removed. 1hen
even if an elephant is tied to it, no harm can be done to the tree.
&So in the earl! stage of s"iritual life, one must go a(a! and live in solitude from time to time.
S"iritual disci"line is needed. <ne (ants to eat rice. -s it "ossible to get cooked rice b! 9ust sa!ing
there is fire in the (ood and rice is cooked over this fire4 Aire is "roduced (hen one rubs one
"iece of (ood against another.1
&<ne becomes into>icated and feels 9o! (hen one smokes hem". /oes one become into>icated
and feel 9o!, if one doesn)t smoke it, if one does nothing but mutter, 2#em", hem")41
God+reali,ation is the aim of life 0 (orldl! and s"iritual kno(ledge 0 drinking milk
However much one may have studied boo*s, it is all futile unless one has love and devotion (bhakti)
for "od, unless one has the desire to reali#e Him. 0 mere pundit without dis#rimination (viveka) and
non+atta#hment (vairagya) has his attention fi.ed on 6lust and greed7. 0 vulture soars high in the s*y
but its eyes remain fi.ed on the charnel pits where carcasses of animals are burnt.
&'he kno(ledge (hich leads one to the reali,ation of God is real kno(ledge. $ll else is futile.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, what is your idea of "od&
;hrish = have only understood this much ? that there is an 0ll-*nowing 9erson, by seeing whose
creation one can *now how much wisdom He has. ,ust ta*e this illustration ? what s*ill "od shows to
save the lives of fish and other aquatic creatures in a cold country! 1he colder it is, the more the water
contracts. But how wonderful! 0 little before it turns into ice, the water becomes lighter and e.pands.
1hus fish can survive in the coldest of seasons in the water of a la*e. 1he whole of the upper layer turns
into ice, but underneath the water remains liquid. f a very cold wind blows, it only affects the upper
surface of ice. 1he water below it remains warm.
Sri Ramakrishna 'hat God e>ists ma! be kno(n b! looking at the universe. But it is one thing
to hear about #im, another to see #im, and !et another to talk to #im. Some have heard of milk,
others have seen it, and !et others have drunk it. <ne is ha""! to see milk, one becomes strong
and nourished b! drinking it. <ne attains "eace onl! (hen one sees God= one feels bliss and
becomes strengthened onl! b! talking to #im.
;hrish = don7t get time to call on "od.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = t is true that unless the time is ripe, nothing comes to pass. 0 boy said to
his mother before going to sleep, 6Mother, please wa*e me up when feel need to pee.7 1he mother
said, 6;on, its pressure will wa*e you up. don7t have to wa*e you.7
"od has already decided what each one shall receive. 0 mother-in-law used to give a certain amount of
rice to her daughters-in-law, measuring it with an earthen cup. 1he girls did not get enough rice. One
day, to the great %oy of the girls, the cup bro*e. 1he mother-in-law then said, 6+ou may dance and
shout, my children, but can measure the amount very well with the palm of my hand.7
'1o ;hrish) What else can you do& ;urrender everything at His feet and give Him the general power of
attorney. (et Him do what He considers best for you. f you place your responsibility on a great man,
he will never do you any harm.
Of course, spiritual practice is needed. But there are two *inds of spiritual aspirants. One has the nature
of a young mon*ey, and the other the nature of a *itten. 0 young mon*ey somehow manages to cling to
its mother. (i*ewise, some aspirants thin* that in order to attain "od, they have to repeat the $ame so
many times, meditate for a certain period, and perform a certain amount of penance. 1his *ind of
aspirant tries to hold "od by his own effort.
On the other hand, the *itten itself cannot hold onto its mother. 0ll it does is lie where it is and mew to
call its mother ? let the mother do what she li*es. 1he mother cat sometimes puts it on a bed ? or she
may put it ne.t to a woodpile. 1he mother will put it in her mouth and place it anywhere she li*es. 1he
*itten doesn7t *now how to hold its mother.
(i*ewise, there are some aspirants who do not calculate how much spiritual practice they do8 how
many times to repeat the $ame, how long to meditate, and so on. 1hey only weep and call upon Him
with great yearning. Hearing their cries, "od cannot stay away, but appears before them to grant His
vision.
/eshab, the musician = ;o "od is both the 6instrument7 and the 6cause7. 2uryodhana said, 6Oh
/rishna! act as +ou, seated within my heart, ma*e me act.7
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = +es, it is He who ma*es us do everything. He indeed is the 2oer> man is
only an instrument.
But this, too, is true8 one has to reap the fruit of one7s actions. Bat red chilies and you will feel a
burning in your stomach. t is "od who has ordained that eating red chilies should give the burning
sensation. f you do an evil deed, you will bear the result.
But he who has attained "od, who has gained the (ord7s vision, can commit no sin. 0n e.pert musician
cannot sing a false note. 0n e.pert musician sings only the correct notes of the octave8 do, re, mi, fa.
;ri 3ama*rishna = What is your attitude& s it the attitude of ;oham, or of the Master and the servant&
s %nana yoga or bha*ti yoga better for the householder&
1he attitude of the Master and servant is very good for householders. One must act. How can one have
the attitude 6 am He7 in that state& He who says, 6 am He7 considers the world a dream, his body and
mind also a dream, even his -ness a dream. 1hat is why, with this attitude, he is unable to perform
worldly duties. 5or him the attitude of a servant of the (ord is very good.
;hrish = 1rue, sir. With the feeling of being the servant of "od, a man is free from all an.ieties and
worries. He is fully dependent on the (ord. 0 dog is very devoted to its master, so it lives in peace by
surrendering itself completely to him.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Well, which do you li*e ? "od with form or the formless "od& 2o you *now the
truth& He who is formless also ta*es a form. 1o a devotee, He appears as a form. t is li*e a boundless
e.panse of water, a mighty ocean, without any shore or ban*. ;ome of the water is fro#en into ice at
some places ? the water turns into ice due to e.treme cold. ;imilarly, a devotee has the vision of "od
with form with the cooling influence of his love and devotion for Him. 0nd when the sun rises, the ice
melts and becomes the same water as before.
;imilarly, when a devotee treads the path of Sel"+kno%ledge (3nana), or the path of discrimination, he
does not see the aspect of "od with form any longer. 1hen all is formless. When the sun of ;elf-
*nowledge rises, the ice of "od7s form melts away.
But see, the Being who is formless has Himself ta*en up a form.
;omeone remar*s that repeating "od7s $ame does not always seem to bear fruit.
shan says, :What do you mean& 1hough the seed of the 0shwattha tree is tiny, it contains within it a
very big tree. t is only that the tree is not visible for a long time.<
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, yes. t ta*es a long time to see the effect.
;ri 3ama*rishna = $ot everybody is touched by sin. 1he /shvarakoti (0ternally "ree and 'er"e#t
souls, born on earth "or the good o" mankind, %ith at least some o" the #hara#teristi#s o" an avatar)
is not affected by sin.
f a boy holds his father7s hand while he wal*s on the bal* of a field, he can fall into the ditch. But if
the father holds the boy7s hand, he can never fall.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou should pay respect to all religions. But there is something called single+
minded devotion ()ishtha bhakti). +ou may salute everybody, but when you love someone with your
heart and soul, it is *nown as single-minded devotion.
0 wife renders service to her husband7s younger and elder brothers, li*e washing their feet and setting
places for them to eat. But the way she serves her husband, she serves nobody else. ;he has a special
relationship with her husband.
Song
O Hari, +ou are the destroyer of my shame.
'9lease fulfill my wish.)
Who but +ou can save the honour of +our devotee, O (ord 'Bhagavan)&
+ou are the Master of my soul, the support of my life. am +our slave forever.
Bigger measure of *irtan
have made +our feet my haven. "iving up all ideas of caste and ancestry, have given up all fear and
shame.
1ell me, O (ord, where can this wayfarer go&
$ow have lost reputation for +our sa*e. How people in the world find frivolous fault with me!
Because love +ou, am reprimanded at home.
0ll my shame and mista*es are now +ours. 1a*e them or leave them, they are +our responsibility.
O (ord Hari! 1he honour of +our slave is +our honour.
O (ord of my heart, derive all honour from +ou. 2o as +ou will, O (ord.
1a*ing me from home, enchant me with +our love, O (ord Hari! "ive me shelter at +our feet.
5eed me with the honey of +our divine love day after day. O friend of my soul, redeem your 9remdas.
O (ord, +ou sing and +ou dance and +ou +ourself *eep the beat.
Man is only a witness to it> foolishly does he thin*, 6Me and mine.7
1he life of man is only the shadow of a puppeteer7s marionette. Only if he wal*s +our path can he
become a god.
+ou are the driver of the machine of this body. +ou are the charioteer of the chariot of the 0tman. 0
human being ma*es mista*es, thin*ing he has free will.
+ou are the (ord of the heart, the ;oul of the soul, and the Mainstay of all. +ou can transform an
unholy person into a saint by the 9ower of your holiness.
'he $bsolute is identical (ith the "henomenal (orld 0 "erfect kno(ledge or vi9nana
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to 1railo*ya and others) = t is (ord Hari who is the Master, and he himself is the
servant ? this is the attitude of a man of perfect *nowledge. 5irst following the path of 6not this, not
this,7 one reali#es that the (ord is the only 3eality and all else is illusory. 1hen one sees that it is the
(ord Himself who has become everything ? that the (ord Himself has become maya8 living beings and
the universe. 1he 9uranas say that evolution is followed by involution.
One must first reach the ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda and then, coming down, observe these things.
t is "od alone who has become everything. 1he world does not e.ist apart from "od. Having studied
the !edas from his guru, 3amachandra felt a spirit of dispassion. He said, 6f the world is li*e a dream,
one might as well renounce it.7 2asharatha @his fatherA became frightened at this. He sent guru
!aishishtha to dissuade 3ama. !aishishtha said, 63ama, why do you tal* of giving up the world& 9lease
tell me, does the world e.ist apart from "od& f you can convince me that the world is not born of "od,
you may renounce it.7 3ama was silenced> he could give no reply.
0ll elements are finally dissolved into the ether (Akasa& the subtlest o" the "ive elements). 0t the time
of creation, ether evolves into mahat ((osmi# /ntelligen#e), and from mahat emerges the ego. 1he
world is created in this order. t is the process of involution and evolution. 1he devotee accepts
everything. He accepts not only the ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda, but also the phenomenal world and its
creatures.
1he yogi, however, treads another path. He reaches the Su'reme Atman (Paramatman) but does not
return. He becomes united with the ;upreme 0tman.
He who sees the (ord in one limited area only is a man of 6partial wisdom7. He believes that "od does
not e.ist beyond that particular thing.
Sri Ramakrishna $ll doubts vanish (hen one sees God. -t is one thing to hear about God and
7uite another thing to have #is vision. 'hrough hearing alone, one cannot have one hundred
"ercent faith. #o(ever, b! having a direct vision of God, one is (holl! convinced. /oubts vanish
after God+vision leading to renunciation of (ork. <ne reali,es that God is *mni'resent& the Virat
(the all+'ervading S'irit in the "orm o" the universe).
0fter "od-reali#ation one gives up formal worship. have given up that *ind of worship. used to
worship in the /ali 1emple. t was suddenly revealed to me that everything is made of pure ;pirit ?
everything made of ;pirit> men, birds and beasts all made of ;pirit. ;o began to shower flowers all
around li*e a cra#y man. began to worship anything and everything saw.
One day when was offering bel-leaves on the head of ;hiva, it was revealed to me that the vast
universe itself, !irat, is ;hiva. 1hen stopped worshipping the image of ;hiva. 0nd when was pic*ing
flowers, it was suddenly revealed to me that every flowering plant is li*e a bouquet.<
1railo*ya = Oh, how beautiful "od7s creation is!
;ri 3ama*rishna = Oh no, it was revealed to me in a flash, not through calculation. t was shown to
me that every flowering plant is a bouquet decorating the .niversal :orm o" God (Virat). stopped
pic*ing flowers from that day. see men in the same way. "od indeed moves around in the form of a
human body. see it li*e a pillow floating on a wave, rising and falling to and fro. (ifted by the wave, it
rises> and it descends again with the tide.
1he body is momentary> "od is the only 3eality. 1he body now is and the ne.t moment it is not.
Why this desire to live&
f one has no desires, the body does not last.
';miling) : had one or two desires. said, 6Mother, grant me the company of those who have
renounced 6lust and greed7.7 also said, 6 would li*e to *eep the company of +our %nanis and devotees.
;o grant me a little strength that may be able to move around a little and visit people here and there.
1hen why do try to ta*e care of my body& ;o that may en%oy myself with "od. ;o that may repeat
His name and sing His glories. ;o that may move about here and there to associate with His devotees
and %nanis.<
:"od revealed to me that the 9aramatman, which is described as the pure 0tman in the !edas, is
immutable, li*e Mount ;umeru, unattached and beyond happiness and sorrow. 1here is great confusion
about the wor*ing of His maya. $o one can say what event will come after this, or if this will produce
that.<
Song
have planted the )ish&fulfilling tree (,al#ataru), the name of Mother /ali, in my heart.
am waiting to open my heart to -ama (,ing of .eath) to show him the name of /ali residing there.
have thrown out the si/ bad beings (Si/ #assions, namely lust, anger, avarice, delusion, #ride and
envy) that were dwelling in my body.
;ays 3amprasad, am prepared to start my %ourney of life, ta*ing the name of 2urga.
O my mind, abide by yourself,
2o not go to any other7s house.
;earch within yourself,
+ou will find there all you see*.
Bha*ti is better than mu(ti (liberation)
am not hesitant to grant mu*ti 'liberation)> hesitate to grant pure bha*ti.
Who wins pure love surpasses all. He is served by all.
He triumphs over the three worlds.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 9undit) = 4ertainly there are the !edas and other scriptures. But unless one
practices spiritual disciplines and austerities, it is not possible to reali#e "od.
One cannot see "od in the si. systems of philosophy, or in the !edas, or the 1antras.
Bven so, one should understand the scriptures and act according to their in%unctions.
Higher than reading is hearing and higher than hearing is seeing. One internali#es more when one hears
from the lips of the guru, or from a holy man. 1hen one doesn7t have to thin* about the non-essential
part of the scriptures.
&Seeing is far better than hearing. $ll doubts vanish (hen !ou see. 'he scri"tures talk of so man!
things. -t is all futile (ithout having the direct vision of God, (ithout having love and devotion
for #is lotus feet, (ithout "urification of the heart. 'he almanac forecasts t(ent! measures of
rainfall. But s7uee,e the almanac and not a single dro" of (ater falls out. Not even one dro"
falls.1
How long does one have to reason& 1ill one reali#es "od ? till one is a vi%nani.
How long does one have to reason about the te.t of the scriptures& 0s long as one does not have the
direct reali#ation of "od. How long does the bee hum& 0s long as it does not sit on a flower. When it
sits on a flower to drin* honey, it doesn7t ma*e any sound.
1he truth is that one may tal* with others even after "od-reali#ation. But this conversation only
revolves around the divine Bliss of "od ? it is li*e a drun*ard crying, 6!ictory to /ali.7Besides, even a
bee hums indistinctly after sipping honey from a flower.
s 1ha*ur perhaps hinting of his own state by referring to a vi%nani&
1he %nani reasons, 6$ot this, not this.7 3easoning in this way, he reaches a point of 2ivine Bliss, and
that is Brahman.
What is the nature of a %nani& He follows the in%unctions of the scriptures.
0 %nani does not tal* about spiritual things unless you broach the sub%ect of "od. He will normally as*
you, 6How are you doing now& s all well in the family&7
But the vi%nani conducts himself differently. He doesn7t care about anything ? maybe his wearing cloth
is off, or held under his arm as children will do.
He who *nows that the (ord e.ists is a %nani. He who *nows that there is fire in firewood is a man of
*nowledge. But the vi%nani is he who ma*es fire with the wood, coo*s his food over it, and eats to his
fill.
1he eight "etters (4atred, shame, "ear, lineage, 'ride o" good #ondu#t, se#retiveness, #aste and grie")
fall off the vi%nani. He only retains the semblance of lust, anger and the rest.
1he 9undit = 6bhidyate hradayagranthi chidyante sarvasaHIayJK.7 1he *nots of the heart are cut and all
doubts vanish.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es. 0 ship was sailing on the ocean. ;uddenly all its iron %oints, nails, and screws
began to fall out. t was passing a mound of magnetic stone, so all the iron began to loosen.
n this state @of vi%nanaA, passions li*e lust, anger and the rest are burnt up, though the physical body
remains the same. One loo*s %ust li*e anybody else. But inside one has become hollow and absolutely
pure.
Sri Ramakrishna 'he vi9nani al(a!s sees the "resence of God. 'hat is (h! he is in such a
rela>ed state of mind. #e sees God even (ith his e!es o"en. $t times he comes do(n from the
Absolute ()itya) to the 'henomenal %orld (7ila), and at other times he goes u" from the
"henomenal (orld to the $bsolute.
1he 9undit = don7t understand this concept.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he %nani reaches the Bternal and ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda by discriminating,
6$ot this, not this.7 He reasons, saying to himself, 6"od is not the embodied being, He is neither the
universe nor the twenty-four cosmic principles.
(They are the "ollo%ing, vi?. 9 the "ive gross elements (earth, %ater, "ire, air, s'a#e)& the "ive 'ranas
(vital airs) ('rana, udana, samana, vyana, a'ana)& the "ive organs o" sense& the "ive organs o" %ork&
the mind& the determinative "a#ulty (buddhi)& the ego& #hitta (mind+stu"")).5
3easoning thus, he reaches the 0bsolute and sees that "od has become everything and dwells in all ?
embodied beings, the universe, and the twenty-four cosmic principles.
1herefore, when you accept the 0bsolute, you have also to accept the phenomenal world. t is a case of
involution and evolution. One attains this state after having the direct reali#ation of both aspects of
"od8 9ersonal and mpersonal. 1he 9ersonal "od is symbolic of 4onsciousness and the mpersonal
"od is the ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda.
"od indeed has become everything. 1herefore, 6the world is a mansion of %oy7 for the vi%nani. 5or the
%nani, however, this world is 6a veil of deception7. 3amprasad called it 6a veil of deception7.
1hat is why somebody re%oined ? :1his world is indeed a thing of %oy> let me eat and drin* and be
merry. O physician, you are a fool! +ou only see things on the surface ? and have understood the
secret.<
/ing ,ana*a, the great royal sage, was he inferior in any respect to the holy man who has given up the
world&
Oh no, it was he who was loyal to both matter and ;pirit, who reali#ed "od and at the same time dran*
his cup of mil*. '(aughter.)
&'he vi9nani has en9o!ed the Bliss of God in a s"ecial (a!. Some have heard of milk, others have
seen it, and !et there are some (ho have drunk it. 'he vi9nani has drunk milk, en9o!ed it, and
been nourished b! it.1
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 9undit) = say this to you. 1here are three *inds of %oy8 the -oy o" %orldly
en-oyment (Vishyananda), the -oy o" %orshi' (Bha-anananda) and the bliss o" Brahman
(Brahmananda). 1he %oy of 6lust and gold7 is the %oy of worldly en%oyment, it is the %oy in which
worldly people always remain occupied. 1he %oy of worship is that which one en%oys when chanting
the name and glories of "od. 0nd the bliss of Brahman is the -oy o" the vision o" God (Bhagavan). 1he
rishis became free-willed '1hat is, they could step beyond rules and regulations) after e.periencing the
bliss of Brahman.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 9undit) = What is samadhi& n samadhi, the mind becomes merged with the
0bsolute. 1he %nani passes into ,ada ;amadhi ? in it, -consciousness vanishes. 'he samadhi
e>"erienced in bhakti !oga is called .hetana Samadhi. n it, one retains the ego of the servant and
Master relationship, the ego of lover and Beloved, or the ego of en%oyer and Bliss. 1he (ord is the
Master and the devotee is the servant> the (ord is the Beloved and the devotee the lover> the (ord is the
5ountain of Bliss and the devotee its en%oyer. 1he devotee does not want to become sugar> he wants to
eat and en%oy it.
1he 9undit = What will happen if "od dissolves the ego completely, if He ma*es sugar of the
devotee&
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = 5eel free to say what you have on your mind. 2on7t the scriptures tal* of
$arada, ;ana*a, ;anatana, ;ananda and ;anat*umara&
1he 9undit = +es sir, the scriptures mention them.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1hough they were %nanis, they retained their ego of devotion. Haven7t you read the
Bhagavata&
Sri Ramakrishna Dra! to God. #e is com"assionate. ill #e not listen to the (ords of #is
devotee4 #e is the (ish+fulfilling tree. $""roach #im and ask; #e (ill grant !our (ish.
Sri Ramakrishna $fter one attains kno(ledge of the $bsolute, God "ermits a little ego to
remain. 'his ego is the 2- of the devotee,) or the 2- of kno(ledge). -t is (ith this 2-) that one en9o!s
#is infinite "la!. 'hat is (h! the vi9nani kee"s the 2- of devotion) or the 2- of kno(ledge), to en9o!
the Bliss of God and to teach mankind. The rishis %ere timid and easily "rightened. $o you kno%
%hat their attitude %asD @7et me someho% get my o%n salvation& %ho kno%s %hat %ill ha''en in the
"uture4
&So (ho can think for others4) $ "iece of dr! or rotten (ood someho( is able to float on (ater,
but if even a bird sits on it, it sinks. $ heav! log not onl! floats, but also carries a number of
animals. $ steamshi" crosses the ocean and also takes "eo"le across.1
&Religious teachers like Narada are vi9nanis= they are more #ourageous than other rishis. 'he! are
like e>"ert checker "la!ers (ho call out, 2hat do !ou (ant, a si> or a five of the dice4) $nd lo?
5ach time he thro(s the right number? hat an e>"ert "la!er? $nd this fello( t(irls his
mustaches as he "la!s?1
&3nanis are a"raid. 'he! are like amateur chess "la!ers (ho are an>ious to move a "iece to the
safet! ,one. 'he vi9nani, on the other hand, has no fear of an!thing. #e has had a direct vision of
both as"ects of God, Dersonal and -m"ersonal. #e has talked, communed, (ith God 0 he has
en9o!ed the Bliss of God.1
:1he vi%nani feels Bliss when, through contemplating "od, his mind merges in the /ndivisible
(Akhanda). 0gain he is in Bliss when he *eeps his mind on the divine play, the phenomenal world,
without his mind being merged in the 0bsolute.
&A mere -nani is monotonous. #e onl! discriminates, 2Not this, not that= all this is like a dream.) 2-
have raised both m! hands). 'hat is (h! - acce"t ever!thing Eboth the $bsolute and the
"henomenal (orldF.1
:0 woman went to see her weaver friend who was spinning yarn of different *inds of sil*. 1he weaver
friend was very happy to see her. ;he said, 65riend, am so happy that you have visited my home>
cannot e.press my %oy. (et me get some refreshments for you.7 1he weaver friend went out of the
room. While she was away, her visitor was tempted by multi-coloured yarn of sil*. ;he hid a bundle of
it under her arm. 1he weaver came bac* with the refreshments and served them to her with great
enthusiasm. But loo*ing at her sil* yarn, she understood that her friend had pinched a bundle of it. ;he
thought of a stratagem to recover her yarn.<
:;he said, 65riend, we have not seen each other for a long time. 1his is a very happy day. (et7s dance
together.7 1he visitor friend said, 6+es friend, , too, feel great %oy.7 ;o they began to dance. 1he hostess
saw that her friend was dancing without raising her arms. ;he said, 64ome, friend, let7s dance with our
arms raised, it7s such a happy day today!7 1he visitor friend began to dance, but *eeping one arm raised
and the other pressing her side. 1he hostess said, 6My dear, what is this, dancing with only one arm
raised! (et us dance with both hands raised. ;ee how am dancing with both hands raised&7 But the
visitor laughed, still danced pressing one arm to her side, with the other raised. ;he continued to dance
and said, 6One dances as one *nows, friend.7<
don7t press one arm to my side. Both of my hands are free. have no fear. accept both the 0bsolute
and the phenomenal world, the $itya and the lila.<
2oes 1ha*ur mean that the %nani cannot dance with both hands raised because of his desire for name
and fame, and desire for liberation& 2oes he mean that the %nani cannot accept both the 0bsolute and
the phenomenal world and fears that he might get bound, but that the vi%nani has no such fear&
;ri 3ama*rishna = said to /eshab ;en that he could not succeed spiritually without renouncing his
ego. He said, 6f do that, won7t be able to *eep my organi#ation intact.7 1hen said to him8 am only
as*ing you to renounce the 6unripe 7, the 6rascal 7. 1here is no harm in retaining the 6ripe 7, the 6 of a
child7, the 6 of "od7s servant7 and the 6 of *nowledge7.
;ri 3ama*rishna = "od retains the 6 of *nowledge,7 or the 6 of a devotee7 in many people, even after
they attain the *nowledge of the 0bsolute.
0 2evotee = 2oes this 6 of a devotee7 ever disappear altogether&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he 6 of a devotee7 does disappear completely at times. Having attained the
*nowledge of the 0bsolute, one merges into samadhi. , too, lose -consciousness, but not all the time.
2o, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti ? one cannot stay long at ti @the highest noteA. One has to come down again to
the lower notes.
say to the 2ivine Mother, 6Mother, please don7t give me the *nowledge of the 0bsolute.7 5ormerly
many believers in the 9ersonal "od used to visit me. ;ince then the Brahma-nanis (%ho believed in
the :ormless Brahman) have started arriving. 2uring that period would remain in samadhi most of
the time, having lost all e.ternal consciousness. 0nd when would regain outer consciousness, would
pray to the 2ivine Mother, 6Mother, please don7t give me the *nowledge of the 0bsolute.7
1he 9undit = 2oes "od listen to our prayers&
Sri Ramakrishna 'he *ord is a kal"ataru, the (ish+fulfilling tree. 3ou (ill certainl! receive
(hatever !ou ask of #im. But !ou have to stand near the kal"ataru (hen !ou ask for something.
<nl! then is !our (ish fulfilled.
&But then there is something s"ecial. God kno(s one)s inner feelings. hatever one cherishes
(hile "racticing s"iritual disci"lines indeed comes to "ass 0 as one desires, so one gains.1
: would cry and say to the 2ivine Mother, 6Mother, destroy my tendency to reason!7 <
1he 9undit = 2id you, too, have it 'the tendency to reason)&
;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, at one time.
1he 9undit = f you tell us how you got rid of this tendency to reason, we might also free ourselves.
How did you get rid of it&
;ri 3ama*rishna = t %ust happened, somehow.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he (ord is a *alpataru, a wish-fulfilling tree. One should pray standing near it.
1hen one receives whatever one as*s of Him.
&#o( man! things has the *ord created? #e has created the limitless universe= (h! do - need to
kno( of #is limitless s"lendours4 -f !ou have the desire to kno( them, first attain God, then #e
#imself (ill tell !ou about them.1
Bha*ti yoga and ,nana +oga are both paths to reali#e "od. 9ath of ,nana +oga is very difficult,
however, avataras and the li*e are ever-perfect '$ityasiddhas). +ou may ta*e any path and you will
reach Him. 1he path of bha*ti is an easy path. 1he path of %nana and discrimination, however, is
difficult.
Why should one not attain the direct reali#ation of the formless Brahman& But it is e.ceedingly
difficult. When one renounces all sense-ob%ects ? of form, taste, smell, speech and touch ? and the mind
is merged, only then one attains the inner e1'erien#e o" God (Bodhebodha). But then one *nows only
this much about Brahman, that t e.ists.
1he 9undit = 6astLtyopalabdhavya7 ? "od is e.perienced as B.istence.
;ri 3ama*rishna = One must establish a relationship with "od to attain Him ? either the attitude of a
hero, or of a female lover of the (ord, or of a handmaid, or of a child.
Mani Mallic* = Only then can one be steadfast in one7s spiritual life.
:1here are some who reali#e "od without practicing spiritual disciplines. 1hey are *nown as
)ityasiddhas, or 0ver+Per"e#t.
On the other hand, those who reali#e "od after practicing s'iritual dis#i'lines (Sadhana), such as
repetition of the $ame and other austerities, are called Sadhanasiddha, perfected by spiritual
disciplines.
4o%ever, there are some devotees %ho are 'er"e#ted by God5s Gra#e& they are #alled 2ri'asiddha.
5or e.ample, when a lamp is brought inside a room that has been lying dar* for a thousand years, it is
illuminated in a moment.
0nd then there are some devotees %ho suddenly attain God+Vision> they are called 4athatsiddha. 5or
e.ample, a poor man7s son is suddenly noticed by a rich man. 1he aristocrat gives him his daughter in
marriage, along with land, house, carriage, servants and maids ? he now owns them all.
0nd then some devotees are perfected in a dream> they are called Sva'nasiddha. 1hey attain the vision
of "od in a dream.
1he nityasiddha is of an altogether different class. He is, for instance, li*e tinder stic* '0rani wood> a
special *ind of wood that produces fire by rubbing). 3ub it a little and it produces fire. Bven without
rubbing, it gives fire. 1he nityasiddha reali#es "od with very little spiritual disciplines, sometimes
without performing any spiritual practices at all.
&#o(ever, the nit!asiddha, does "ractice s"iritual disci"lines after attaining God. #e is like the
"um"kin or the gourd "lants (hich first bear fruit, and then flo(ers.1
1ha*ur seems very happy to see the humility of the 9undit. He tal*s to the devotees about the 9undit7s
good nature.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the devotees) = He has a very fine nature. t is not difficult to drive a nail into a
mud wall. But when you try to drive it into a stone wall, its point brea*s and no hole appears in the
stone.
1here are people whose spiritual consciousness is not awa*ened, though they may hear about "od a
thousand times. 1hey are li*e a crocodile whose hide remains unaffected even when hit by a sword.
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = What use is it to read so many scriptures& t is philosophy! '0ll laugh.)
1he 9undit 'smiling) = +es, it is mere philosophy.
Sri Ramakrishna hat use is it to talk a lot4 hen learning archer!, one first aims at a
banana tree, then at a reed, ne>t a (ick, and then at a fl!ing bird. 'hat is (h! one should first
concentrate the mind on the Dersonal God.
&$nd then there are devotees (ho have gone be!ond the three gunas. 'he! are called trigunatita
devotees. Aor e>am"le, Narada and others like him are nit!a devotees, devoted to God eternall!.
Such devotees consider :rishna as the embodiment of S"irit (.hinma!a), #is $bode as S"irit,
and #is devotee as S"irit too. 'o them the *ord is eternal, #is devotee is eternal and #is abode is
eternal too.1
1hose who reason and discriminate, saying, 6$ot this, not this,7 don7t believe in "od-incarnate 0vatar.
Ha#ra says well8 the 2ivine ncarnation is for the devotee and not for the %nani. 1he %nani is content
with the attitude of 6;oham ' am He).7
;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = 1hat is why $arayan ;hastri used to say that studying scriptures has its
pitfalls. 0rguing and reasoning may bring about a downfall.
1he 9undit = ;ir, is there no way out& 9lease clarify a little.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1here is a way out. t is discrimination. 0 song says ? 0s* ? about the (ord ? the
son called vive*a who *nows the 3eal '"od) from the unreal phenomenal world.
1he way is8 discrimination, non-attachment, and love for "od. Without practicing discrimination, one
cannot ma*e a correct statement.
;ri 3ama*rishna = +ou see, there is no need to read the scriptures a lot. 1oo much reading inclines one
to reason and argue. 1he $a*ed One '1otapuri) taught me that the essence of the "ita is what you hear
when the word "ita is repeated ten times. n other words, by repeating 6"ita7 ten times, it becomes
6tyagi,7 renunciation.
:1he path is to cultivate discrimination, non-attachment, and love for the (ord. What *ind of love&
;uch love that you yearn for Him with heart and soul, the way a cow runs longingly after her calf.<
1he 9undit = 1he !edas say e.actly the same thing8 6We call on +ou the way the cow bellows for its
calf.7
;ri 3ama*rishna = Weep with yearning for "od. f one can renounce everything through developing
discrimination and non-attachment, one can have the direct vision of "od. 1hat yearning brings about
"od-into.ication, whether you follow the path of *nowledge, or of love and devotion.
1here is a great deal of difference between the %nana of a householder and that of an all-renouncing
sannyasin. 1he *nowledge of the householder is li*e the light of an earthen lamp that only lights the
room. 1he householder cannot understand beyond his body, home and family. But the *nowledge of an
all-renouncing sannyasin is li*e the radiance of the sun. One can see both inside and outside the room
with its light. 4haitanyadeva7s *nowledge was li*e that of the sun ? the radiance of the sun of
*nowledge. 5urther, he was also endowed with the soothing light of the moon of love and devotion. He
had both the /nowledge of the 0bsolute and ecstatic love for "od.<
&A""irmation (Bhavamukha #haitanya) and negation (Abhavamukha #haitanya).1
7ove, devotion and "eeling "or God (Bhakti) is a positive path> the negative path '/nowledge and
discrimination) is different.
+ou are tal*ing of the path of negation. But it creates a difficult situation in that the guru and the
disciple do not see one another as different. ;hu*adeva went to ,ana*a for instruction about the
*nowledge of Brahman. ,ana*a said, 65irst you have to ma*e an offering of the teacher7s fee. When
you have attained the *nowledge of Brahman, you will not ma*e any offering because then there will
remain no difference between guru and disciple.7
Both the path of affirmation and negation are ways to reali#e the same goal ? there are numberless
beliefs and numerous paths. But there is a special point. 0ccording to $arada, bha*ti is the in%unction
for the age of /ali. On this path one first develops love and devotion to "od, then it matures into
bhava (,atured bhakti, a state o" e#stasy). Higher than bhava is mahabhava (The highest
mani"estation o" divine love) and 'rema (0#stati# love& a state in %hi#h the devotee "orgets the %orld
and his o%n body). 0n ordinary mortal does not attain mahabhava and prema. He who has attained it
has attained the ;ubstance, namely reali#ed "od.<
1he 9undit = ;ir, when one teaches, one must e.plain in different ways.
;ri 3ama*rishna = When you preach, eliminate the 6head and tail '1hat is, focus on the essential
thing)7, the heroic attitude. 1his too is needed. One should not *eep quiet at the sight of in%ustice and
untruth.
#o( to remain in one)s real Self4 h! is the "ath of union (ith God through kno(ledge (9nana)
difficult4
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahima) = 1he goal of the %nani is to *now the nature of his own real ;elf. 1his
is %nana. 0nd it is this that is also called liberation. One7s own real ;elf is Parabrahman (The Su'reme
Brahman). 9arabrahman and 67 are one. But one does not *now this because of the veil of maya.
said to Harish, 6One does not have to do more than this8 some bas*etfuls of earth are lying over gold>
all you have to do is remove the earth. 1hat is all.7
2evotees retain their -consciousness, but not %nanis. 1he $a*ed One '1otapuri) used to teach how to
live in one7s own real ;elf8 merge the mind in the intellect and the intellect in the 0tman. 1hen you will
be established in the real nature of the 0tman.
&But one)s 2-) continues to "ersist. Aor instance, think of a limitless sheet of (ater. 'here is (ater
all around 0 above, belo(, in front, behind, right and left. ithin this sheet of (ater is a "ot full
of (ater. 'hough there is (ater outside and inside, the "ot still remains 0 one)s 2-) is like this "ot.1
;ri 3ama*rishna = 0 %nani7s body does not undergo any change after attaining /nowledge. 1he fire of
spiritual *nowledge, however, does burn up enemies li*e lust and the other passions. 0 %nani only li*es
spiritual tal*. He is greatly troubled to hear about worldly things. 0 man of the world is in a different
class. His turban of ignorance never disappears. He resumes the same worldly tal* after having ta*en a
detour for awhile.
1he !edas tal* of the seven spiritual planes. When the mind of the %nani rises to the fifth plane, he li*es
to hear nothing but tal* on "od. He cannot tal* of anything else ? only words of *nowledge come as
instruction from his mouth.
Sri Ramakrishna <ne attains God b! develo"ing an intense atta#hment (!aga Bhakti), or b!
cultivating love for #im. /evotion ac7uired through ritualisti# %orshi' (Vaidhi bhakti) goes as
easil! as it comes.
&hat is ritualistic (orshi"4 -t consists of re"eating the Name so man! times a da!, meditating
for a certain "eriod of time, "erforming so man! sacrifices and homa for a certain duration,
(orshi""ing (ith so man! articles, and re"eating a certain mantra during "u9a 0 it is as eas! to
lose as to get. But intense devotion (!aga Bhakti) is never lost.1
&ho gains such "assionate devotion4 #e (ho has "erformed man! austerities in an earlier life,
or he (ho is ever+'er"e#t ()ityasiddha). -t is like, (hile clearing (eeds and rubbish in a
dila"idated house, one comes across a fountain fitted (ith a "i"e. -t (as l!ing covered b! earth
and red dust but as soon as the! are removed, (ater begins to gush out.1
1hey who ta*e up farming for the first time, give up their land if they fail to get a crop. But a hereditary
farmer will persist in farming, whether there is a crop or not. 1heir ancestors have practiced farming, so
they *now that farming will bring them food.
&'he! (ho have intense devotion have real and sincere love for God. #e takes their burden on
#imself. hen !ou are admitted to a hos"ital, the "h!sician does not discharge !ou until !ou are
cured.They %ho are held by the 7ord need have no "ear. A boy %ho holds his "ather5s hand %hile
%alking on the balk o" a "ield may "all i" he loosens his gri' "or la#k o" #aution. But i" the "ather is
holding the hand o" his son, he does not "all.
&hat is not "ossible (hen one has faith in God4 #e (ho has genuine faith believes in God (ith
form and the Aormless <ne 0 Rama, :rishna, and Bhagavati (%other of the 8niverse) 0 in all of
them.1
When one develops love for "od, one li*es to tal* only of Him. One begins to spea* and to hear only
of one7s beloved.
0 worldly person7s mouth begins to water if somebody praises his son. 1he father immediately says, 6
say, bring some water for your uncle to wash his feet.7
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahima) = Why renounce the world altogether& t is enough if one gets rid of
attachment. But you need to practice spiritual disciplines. +ou have to fight with your senses.
Besides, it is more convenient to fight a battle from within the fort. One receives a lot of help from the
fort. 1he world is a place for en%oyment. One should en%oy it, and then quic*ly give up one article of
en%oyment after the other.
Mani = 0s long as one is conscious of 6the pot,7 the idea that 6 am a pot7 persists. 0s long as one is
conscious of one7s 6,7 one cherishes the idea, 6 am a devotee, +ou are Bhagavan.7
Sri Ramakrishna No. hether !ou are conscious of 2the "ot) or not, 2the "ot) continues to
e>ist. 'he 2-) doesn)t leave !ou. Reason it out a thousand times, one)s 2ego) does not vanish.
;ri 3ama*rishna = He Himself has become all. But whether or not one has genuinely seen "od is
indicated by certain signs.
One such sign is that one is in bliss ? he shows no hesitancy. ;uch a person is li*e an ocean that has
waves on its surface, but deep, still waters below.
He who has attained the vision of "od acts sometimes li*e a mad man and sometimes li*e an unclean
spirit. He doesn7t distinguish between purity and impurity.
;ometimes he acts li*e an inert ob%ect, for he becomes speechless when he sees "od both within and
without.
;ometimes he is li*e a child wandering around freely with no attachment, @na*edA with his cloth under
his arm. He sometimes frolics li*e a boy, at other times he conducts himself as a young man, wor*ing
or teaching man*ind with the strength of a lion.
0n embodied being (-iva) cannot see the (ord because of his ego. When the s*y is overcast, one cannot
see the sun. But because one cannot see the sun does not mean that there is no sun. 1he sun certainly
e.ists.
But there is no harm in the ego of a child> on the contrary, it is beneficial. 1here is no harm in the 6ego
of a child,7 or the 6ego of a servant7.7
1hose who have reali#ed "od see that it is "od who has become the universe and its living beings. He
has become all. 1hey are superior devotees.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1his little bit of ego e.ists to en%oy "od. t is only when there is the distinction
between me and you that one can en%oy ? li*e in the attitude of the Master and the servant.
"irish = ;ir, since am not really doing anything 'it is "od who wor*s), why should wor* at all&
;ri 3ama*rishna = $o, my dear, wor* is good. f you have prepared the soil, it will grow whatever
you sow in it. But %ork must be 'er"ormed %ithout any e1'e#tation o" re%ard ()ishkama karma).
1here are two *inds of paramahamsas8 one follows the path of %nana, the other follows the path of
intense love "or God (Prema). ,nanis are self-see*ing ? their goal is their own reali#ation.
1he paramahamsa who follows the path of love, li*e ;hu*adeva, first attains "od and then teaches
man*ind.
1here are some who wipe their mouths after eating a mango, and then there are those who share it with
others. 1here are people who bring bas*ets and spades to dig a shallow well, and when they have dug
it, they throw the spades and bas*ets in the well.
1here are others who save their bas*ets and spades so that others of the community may use them.
;hu*adeva and others li*e him preserve their 6bas*ets and spades7 for the use of others. '1o "irish) +ou
must *eep them for the use of others.<
"irish = have only one special desire8 s'ontaneous love "or God (Ahetuki bhakti).
;ri 3ama*rishna = Only shvara*otis have such love. t is not for ordinary men.
Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish) <ne attains God (hen one has develo"ed intense dis"assion.
<ne)s heart and soul must !earn for #im. $ disci"le asked his guru ho( he could attain God. 'he
guru told him to come (ith him. #e took him to a "ond and held him under (ater. $fter a(hile
he released him and asked, 2#o( did !ou feel under (ater4) 'he disci"le ans(ered, 2- (as
"anting for breath 0 as though - (ere going to die?) 'he guru said, 2No( listen, !ou (ill attain
God (hen !our heart and soul are 9ust as restless for #im.)
;ri 3ama*rishna = ;o say that "od can be attained when one combines the force of these three
attractions8 the worldly man7s attraction for his possessions, the chaste wife7s attraction for her
husband, and the attraction of a mother for her child. One immediately attains the vision of "od when
one loves Him with the combined force of these three attractions.
&God (ill certainl! grant #is vision if !ou call on #im (ith real longing.1
1he other day told you the meaning of bha*ti ? to worship "od with your body, mind and speech.
6With the body7 means to worship and serve Him with your hands, to go to His shrine with your feet, to
hear the chanting of His name and glories with your ears, and to see His image with your eyes. 6With
the mind7 means to contemplate and meditate on Him constantly, and to remember and thin* about His
divine sport. 6With speech7 means to sing hymns and chant His name and glories.
Bha*ti, according to $arada, is suited for the age of /ali8 One must constantly chant His name and
glories. 1hose who have no time should single-mindedly chant His name morning and evening,
repeating, @4aribol, 4aribol (A Vaishnava e1'ression meaning (hant the 7ord5s name),) while
clapping their hands.
1here is no pride in the ego of devotion. t does not create ignorance> on the contrary, it helps one to
reali#e "od. 1his ego is not to be counted as an ordinary ego.
Single+minded devotion ()ishtha bhakti) leads to love for "od. When love for "od matures, one goes
into bhava (0cstasy). When it becomes intense, one goes into ,ahabhava (4ighest mani"estation o"
divine love). 0nd lastly one develops 'rema (A state in %hi#h the devotee "orgets the %orld and his
o%n body).
&Drema is a cord (hich ties one to the *ord 0 #e cannot esca"e (hen one develo"s "rema. $n
ordinar! man can onl! attain bhava. <nl! an -shvarakoti can have %ahabhava and "rema.
.haitan!adeva attained it.1
What is ,nana +oga& t is the path by which one reali#es the nature of one7s own real ;elf ? the
awareness that Brahman is one7s own real ;elf.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Why can7t one attain "od in family life! But one must develop discrimination and
non-attachment. 1he (ord is the 3eality and all else is ephemeral ? for two days only. 1his idea must
become firmly established in the mind. ;wimming on the surface will not do. One must dive deep.
Only a few attain the *nowledge of "od in family life. 1wo *inds of yogis are mentioned8 the hidden
yogi and the visible yogi. 1hose who have renounced the world are visible yogis> everyone can
recogni#e them. 1he hidden yogi cannot be recogni#ed.
One attains the vision of "od only when ,ahamaya (The Great Po%er o" illusion, or nes#ien#e) steps
aside from the door. What you need is the grace of Mahamaya. 1hat is why God5s Po%er (Shakti) is
worshipped. +ou see, "od is so very near, and yet one does not *now Him because Mahamaya stands
between.
One must cherish a particular attitude toward "od while worshipping Him. 1he attitude of a child is
very good.
:1he 6heroic7 attitude 'of a lover) is dangerous. 1he shaven-headed Vaishnava monks and nuns
()edas and nedis), and #ou'les in Tantrik %orshi' (Bhairavas and Bhairavis) practice the 6heroic7
attitude ? in other words, the male aspirant loo*s upon the female as 9ra*riti, and tries to please her
through intercourse with her. 1his *ind of attitude often brings a downfall.<
Song
have learned divine fervour (1hava) from one well-versed in it.
O Mother, have found a man from the country which has no night.
0nd now can no longer distinguish day and night.
have rendered barren all ritualistic devotions.
My sleep is bro*en. Why should sleep anymore&
am awa*e in the sacrifice of yoga.
Having received the sleep of yoga from +ou, have put sleep to sleep.
;ri 3ama*rishna = '1o the devotees) ;o many tal* about worldly things during their daily prayers and
devotions.
Without uttering a word, *eeping their mouths shut, they spea* by signs8 bring this, ta*e that away,
7Ch, Huh7. 1hey do all these *inds of things. '(aughter.)
0nd some bargain for fish with fishermen while counting their beads. 2oing %apa, with a finger they
point out a particular fish. 0 ripe time indeed to settle their accounts! '0ll laugh.)
;ome of them go for a bath in the "anges, but instead of thin*ing of "od, they gossip about different
worldly matters8 6+our son has been married, what %ewelry did they give as a dowry&M ;o-and-so is
very ill... Has so-and-so returned from her father in-law7s house&M ;o-and-so came to see the girl 'for
matrimonial purposes). ;he would give a lot in dowry and have a very festive wedding ceremony...
Harish is such a loving boy. He can7t live without me for even a moment... couldn7t come these many
days because had to settle the marriage of such-and-such girl. was so busy, you see.7 0ll this gossip.
,ust see, they have come for a holy dip in the "anges and tal* only about worldly things.
+ou will attain the goal. 2o come here once in awhile. Well, what do you prefer& /nowledge, or love
and devotion for "od 'Bha*ti)&<
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1o whom will he offer his love, if he doesn7t *now Him& '9ointing at M. and
laughing) f you don7t *now him, how can you offer him your love& '1o M.) But since a pure soul has
said that he wants only love and devotion, it certainly has some meaning.
Without inborn tendencies, love and devotion for "od does not come spontaneously. 1his is the mar*
of prema-bha*ti. ,nana-bha*ti is love of "od based on reasoning.
0fter awhile ;ri 3ama*rishna adds, :"od *eeps a teacher of the holy word '1he Bhagavata 9undit) tied
by a single string. Otherwise, who would propagate the holy word& He *eeps this bond to enable him to
teach humanity. 1he 2ivine Mother has *ept you in the world %ust for this.<
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the young man) = "ive up *nowledge and reasoning. 1a*e up bha*ti instead.
Bha*ti is the essence. Have you already been here for three days&
1he +oung Brahmin 'folding his hands) = +es, sir.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Have faith. 2epend on Her. Having done this, you will not have to do anything.
Mother /ali will do everything.
/nowledge can go to the outer gate. But love and devotion can enter the palace. 1he pure soul is
unattached. He has both *nowledge and ignorance within him, but he is not attached to either. 1here is
fragrance in the air, sometimes good and sometimes foul, but the air is free from both.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Be a pure soul - the pure soul is unattached ? it is beyond nature. t has neither
hunger nor thirst, neither birth nor death> it is deathless, it never grows old ? li*e mount ;umeru.
He who has attained this *nowledge of Brahman is liberated in this very life. He rightly reali#es that
the body and the ;oul are separate.
0fter "od-reali#ation one7s identification with the body disappears. One reali#es that the body and the
;oul are separate ? li*e a dry coconut. When the mil* inside it dries up, the *ernel becomes separate
from the shell. 1he 0tman continues to move about in the body. 0s soon as the water of worldliness
dries up, one reali#es the ;elf ? one *nows that the 0tman is separate from the body.
0n unripe betel nut and an unripe almond cannot be separated from their shells.:But when they are
mature, the betel nut and the almond are separate from their shells. When ripe, the %uice is dried up.
;imilarly, on reali#ing Brahman, the water of worldliness dries up.
&But this kno(ledge is ver! difficult to attain. Brahma9nana is not attained b! 9ust talking. Some
"eo"le "retend to have attained it. (*aughing) $ certain "erson used to tell lies, but he said, 2-
have attained Brahma9nana.) hen re"rimanded, he retorted, 2But (h! not4 'his (orld is like a
dream. -f it is all illusion, is the truth other(ise4 Aalsehood is, of course, false 0 but truthfulness
is also false.) 1 ($ll laugh.)
Dundits and hol! men im"art different instructions 0 com"an! of sadhus
M. = Well, !idyasagar7s boo* ;election says the same8 love the (ord with body, mind and soul 'With
all thy soul love "od above, 0nd as thyself thy neighbour love). f we instruct our students in this way,
the proprietors of the school are displeased. What should we do then&
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1here are many ideas written in boo*s. But the authors of the boo*s do not
assimilate the ideas themselves. t is only by *eeping the company of holy men 'sadhus)one can
internali#e them. t is only when a holy man with genuine renunciation instructs them that people listen.
When a mere pundit writes a boo* or lectures, people do not assimilate much. f a doctor with a pot of
treacle by his side says to a patient, 62on7t eat treacle,7 the patient doesn7t listen to him.
2uring the practice of spiritual disciplines when meditated, would thin* of the flame of a lamp set in
a windless place ? the flame did not flic*er in the least.
n deep meditation the awareness of the outside world completely vanishes. 0 hunter was aiming at a
bird while a bridal procession was passing nearby. What lights, bands, carriages and horses were in the
procession! 1hey all passed close to him, but the hunter was quite unaware of them. He did not *now
that a bridegroom had passed that way in a procession.
;uch concentration is developed in meditation that a person sees nothing and hears nothing. He is not
even aware of touch. 0 sna*e can wriggle over his body, but he does not *now it ? neither the one who
is meditating, nor the sna*e, are aware of each other.
1he sense organs cease to function during deep meditation. 1he mind does not loo* outward. t is as if
the door of the outermost room of the house is shut. 1here are five organs of sense ? form, taste, smell,
touch and speech ? they are left outside.
Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees) The -oy that one "eels a"ter that e1'erien#e e8uals the 'ain o"
se'aration be"ore it. ,ahabhava 9 that is, divine e#stasy 0 disturbs the bod! and the mind
violentl!. -t is like a big ele"hant "ushing its (a! into a stra( cottage. 'he (hole house is shaken.
-t ma! even fall to "ieces.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 9ray to Him with intense longing, pray that you develop the faculty of
discrimination. "od is the only 3eality and all else is transitory ? this is discrimination. One must
purify water by passing it through a fine sieve. 1he dirt in the water remains on one side and the clean
water passes to the other side of the sieve.
0pply the sieve of discrimination to the world. /now Him and live a family life. t will then be the
world of spirituality.
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1here are so many views. Bvery belief is a path to reach "od. But everybody
thin*s that only his belief is right, that only his watch is giving the right time.
M. = Bverybody thin*s that his watch gives the right time. But watches of different people seldom say
the same.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Bven so, howsoever the watches may give incorrect time, the sun always moves
correctly. One should match the time of the watch with the sun.
;ri 3ama*rishna = ncarnations of "od or those born with some of their characteristics are called
Ishvarakotis (0ternally "ree and 'er"e#t souls). Ordinary men are called %ivas, or %iva*otis. 1he latter
can attain "od by practicing spiritual disciplines, but they don7t return to normal consciousness after
attaining samadhi.
1he shvara*oti is li*e the son of a *ing. He has the *eys to all seven stories of the palace ? he can
climb to all seven floors and come down at his will. 0 %iva*oti is li*e a %unior official. He can only go
to a small area in the seven-storied palace ? that is all.
0 2evotee = f all your e.periences are %ust e.amples for us, what should we do&
;ri 3ama*rishna = ntense dispassion is essential to attain "od. +ou must renounce immediately what
you thin* is an obstacle in your way to "od. +ou cannot pass over it, saying, 6t can be dealt with later.7
6(ust and greed7 are hurdles on the way. +ou must ta*e your mind off them.
t will not do to lac* enthusiasm or diligence. 0 person with a small towel on his shoulder was going
for a bath. His wife said, 6+ou are worthless. +ou are getting old and yet you have not been able to give
up anything. +ou cannot live without me even for a day. (oo* at such-and-such person. What a man of
renunciation he is!7
Husband = Why, what has he given up&
Wife = He has si.teen wives and he is renouncing them one by one. +ou will never be able to
renounce.
Husband = 3enouncing one by one! Oh, silly woman, he will not be able to renounce. f a man
genuinely wants to renounce, does he do it bit by bit&
Wife 'smiling) = Bven so, he is better than you.
Husband = ;illy woman, you don7t understand. He cannot renounce. But can. ;ee& am leaving.
1his is intense dispassion. $o sooner does one attain discrimination than one renounces. He left with
%ust a hand towel on his shoulder. He didn7t come bac* to settle household affairs. He did not turn bac*
even once to loo* at his home.
0 person who wishes to renounce must have great will power. He must be rec*less. What should you
do& 4ultivate love and devotion for "od and so pass your days.
;ri 3ama*rishna = Having en%oyed 6this7 %oy, one doesn7t li*e the 6other7 %oy. Having tasted divine
bliss, the %oy of the world appears to be tasteless. f a man gets a shawl, he doesn7t care for broadcloth.
Sri Ramakrishna Deo"le (ho har" on 2(orldl! duties,) if once taste the bliss of God do not
like an!thing else. 'heir duties are reduced. Graduall!, as the! derive more bliss from s"iritual
life, the! sim"l! cannot "erform their (orldl! duties. 'he! seek that divine bliss alone. hat are
(orldl! "leasures and se>ual 9o! com"ared to the bliss of God4 #aving once tasted the bliss of
God, one runs after it madl! 0 (hether one can "reserve one)s (orldl! life or not.
&#e sa!s, 2- shall hold to both God and the (orld.) 'aking a small 7uantit! of (ine, a man ma!
be "leasantl! into>icated and also conscious of the (orld. But can he be both after getting (ell
drunk41
&<ne likes nothing else after e>"eriencing the bliss of God. $n! matter relating to 2lust and greed)
then falls like a stone on the chest. ('hakur chants to the tune of the kirtan) 2-t is different (ith
others, but - like nothing else.) hen one becomes mad (ith love for God, he is not attracted b!
mone! and the rest.1
1railo*ya = One certainly requires money to live in the world. One even has to hoard. 1here are so
many things to spend money on ? charity...
;ri 3ama*rishna = What do you mean& 1hat you have to accumulate money first, and then see* "od&
0nd you tal* of charity and compassion! One spends thousands of rupees on the marriage of one7s
daughter ? while his neighbours may be starving. How difficult he finds it to give them two fistfuls of
rice! He calculates so much before giving them anything. He says to himself, 69eople may be starving,
but what can do& (et the rascals live or die. What care about is whether the members of my family
are living comfortably.7 One merely tal*s of compassion for all living beings!
;ri 3ama*rishna 'to 1railo*ya) = Why do you bother yourself with infinity& 2o need to touch your
whole body to touch you& f you wish to ta*e a dip in the "anges, do you have to touch the water of the
"anges from Hardwar to "angasagar&
60ll troubles cease when the ego dies7. 0s long as one retains the feeling of 67, so long one is
conscious of differentiation.
$obody can *now, nobody can e.press by word of mouth, what remains after the ego vanishes. Only
that which e.ists remains. One cannot tell by word of mouth that this much power is manifested in this
man and the remainder in another.
Sri Ramakrishna -magine the ocean of Sat+chit+ananda in (hich an earthen "ot of ego is
immersed. $s long as there is the earthen "ot, so long is the (ater divided into t(o "arts 0 the
(ater inside the "ot and the (ater outside. 'he moment the "ot breaks, it is all one stretch of
(ater. <ne cannot even sa! this. ho remains to tell4
&*et it be. -t is not their fault. .an ever!bod! conceive of -ndivisible 5>istence+:no(ledge+Bliss
$bsolute4 <nl! t(elve rishis (ere able to recogni,e Ramachandra as an incarnation of God 0
others could not understand. Some took him as an ordinar! human being, others as a sadhu.
<nl! a fe( kne( him as an avatar.1
:0 person values an article according to his own wealth. 0 gentleman as*ed his servant to ta*e a
diamond to the mar*et. 6When you come bac*,7 he said, 6tell me how much each trader is willing to pay
for it. 5irst ta*e it to an egg-plant seller.7 1he servant went to a trader in egg-plants. He e.amined it to
evaluate it and said, 6Brother, can give you nine seers of egg-plants for it.7 1he servant said, 6Brother,
ma*e it a little more. "ive me ten seers of egg-plant.7 1he egg-plant seller said, 6 have already offered
more than the mar*et rate. +ou may give it to me if the price suits you.7 1he servant laughed. He
returned the diamond to his master and told him, 61he egg-plant seller will not give more than nine
seers of egg-plants, not one more. He said that he had already offered more than the mar*et rate.7
:1he gentleman laughed and said, 6Well, ta*e the diamond now to a cloth merchant. 1his fellow deals
in egg-plant. What does he *now& 1he cloth merchant is wealthier. (et7s see what he says.7 1he servant
went to the cloth merchant and said, 6;ir, would you care to buy this diamond& How much would you
pay for it&7 1he cloth merchant said, 6Well, you have brought something very nice. t can be made into
a beautiful piece of %ewelry. Brother, can pay nine hundred rupees for it.7 1he servant said, 6f you
give a little higher quote, can give it to you. (et it be a thousand rupees, if not more.7 1he cloth
merchant said, 6Brother, don7t bargain any more. have already quoted higher than the mar*et price.
can7t pay a rupee higher than nine hundred rupees.7 1he servant returned to the master and said,
laughing, 61he cloth merchant could not give a rupee more than nine hundred. He even said that he has
already offered more than the mar*et rate.7 1he master laughed and said, 6$ow ta*e it to a %eweler. (et
us see what he says.7 1he servant went to a %eweler and the moment the %eweler glanced at it, he said, 6
can offer a hundred thousand rupees.7 <
;ri 3ama*rishna = 1hese people tal* of practicing religion while leading a worldly life. t is li*e a
person who has shut himself in a room ? with all the doors and windows closed ? with %ust a small hole
for a little light to come in from the roof. 4an one see the sun with a roof overhead& What will he do
with only a little light& 6(ust and greed7 constitute the roof. 4an one see the sun unless the roof is
removed& Worldly people have, as it were, shut themselves inside a room.
ncarnations of "od are /shvarakotis (Godmen). 1hey wal* freely in the open ? they are never bound
to the world, they never imprison themselves. 1heirs is not a gross 67 ? li*e that of worldly people. 1he
67 of worldly people is bound ? it is bound within the four walls, with a roof overhead. 1hey can see
nothing outside.
1he 67 of an incarnation of "od is the subtle 67. One can always see "od through this 67. t is as if a
person is standing within a four-walled enclosure. 1here is a limitless field on all sides. f there is a
hole in the wall, one can see everything on the other side. f the hole is big enough one can even go out
and return through it. 1he 67 of the avatar is li*e this wall with a hole. Bven while he remains on this
side of the wall, he can see a limitless space beyond it. t means that he can always live in communion
with "od, even when he is in a human body. 0nd then when he wills, he can merge into samadhi,
having gone out of the big hole in the wall. f the hole is big enough, he can even visit and revisit. He
can come down to the worldly plane even after passing into samadhi.<