Sri Ramakrishna

BASED ON

THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA

Life of Sri Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna was born at Kāmārpukur, a

village in the Hooghly District. It had lively

festivals, the observance of sacred days,

religious singing, and other innocent

pleasures. On February 18, 1836,

Ramakrishna, was born. He was given the

name of Gadādhar, the "Bearer of the

Mace", an epithet of Vishnu.

Bread-winning Education "Brother, what shall I do with a mere

bread-winning education? I would acquire

wisdom which will illumine my heart and

give me satisfaction for ever." He had

been impressed by the village sadhus’

devotion and purity, their self-control and

renunciation. He had learnt that the ideal

of life as taught by the ancient sages of

India was the realization of God.

The inner voice of the boy reminded him that the legacy of his ancestors - the legacy of Rāmā, Krishna, Buddha, Sankara, Rāmānuja, Chaitanya - was not worldly security but the Knowledge of God. Yet, as long as a man is bound by his human limitations, he cannot but worship God through human forms. He must use human symbols. Therefore Hinduism asks the devotees to look on God as the ideal father, the ideal mother, the ideal husband, the ideal son, or the ideal friend

But the name ultimately leads to the

Nameless, the form to the Formless, the

word to the Silence, the emotion to the

serene realization of Peace in Existence-

Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

The gods gradually merge in the one God.

But until that realization is achieved, the

devotee cannot dissociate human factors

from his worship.

Brahman & Totāpuri: One night the pain became excruciating.

Totapuri could no longer concentrate on Brahman. The body

stood in the way. He became incensed with its demands. A

free soul, he did not at all care for the body. So he

determined to drown it in the Ganges. Thereupon he walked

into the river. But, lo! He walks to the other bank. Is there

not enough water in the Ganges? Standing dumbfounded on

the other bank he looks back across the water.

The trees, the temples, the houses, are

silhouetted against the sky. Suddenly, in one dazzling

moment, he sees on all sides the presence of the Divine

Mother. She is the Brahman that Totāpuri had been

worshipping all his life.

Is it necessary to practice discipline all through life? Master: No. But one must be up and doing in the beginning. After that one need not work hard. The helmsman stands up and clutches the rudder firmly as long as the boat is passing through waves, storms, high winds or round the curves of the river; but he relaxes after steering through them. As soon as the boat passes through the curves and the helmsman feels a favourable wind he sits comfortably and just touches the rudder. Next he prepares to unfurl the sail and gets ready for a smoke. Likewise the aspirant enjoys peace & calm

after passing the waves of ’woman & gold’

In order to realize God, one must assume one of these attitudes:

S’antha, the serene attitude D’asya, the attitude of a servant toward his

master. Sakhya, the attitude of friendship V’atsalya, the attitude of a mother toward her

child Madhura, the attitude of a woman toward her

paramour. Radha had this attitude toward Krishna. The wife also feels it for her husband. This attitude includes all the other four.

Do good with a selfless attitude

Sri Ramakrishna said to VIDYASAGAR : "Your activities are inspired by sattva. Though they are rajasic, they are influenced by sattva. Compassion springs from sattva. Though work for the good of others belongs to rajas, yet this rajas has sattva for its basis, and is not harmful. Suka and other sages cherished compassion in their minds to give people religious instruction, to teach them about God. You are distributing food and learning. That is good too. If these activities are done in a selfless spirit they lead to God.

BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "Sir, can't we realize God

without complete renunciation?" MASTER (with a laugh):

"Of course you can! Why should you renounce

everything? You are all right as you are, following the

middle path-like molasses partly solid and partly liquid.

Do you know the game of nax? Having scored the

maximum number of points, I am out of the game. I

can't enjoy it. But you are very clever. Some of you have

scored ten points, some six, and some five. You have

scored just the right number; so you are not out of the

game like me. The game can go on. Why, that's fine! (All

laugh.)

"I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world. But you must direct your mind toward God; otherwise you will not succeed. Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over, you will hold to God with both hands.

Declared an Avatar: Pundit Gauri arrived, another

meeting was held, and he agreed with the view of

the Brāhmani and Vaishnavcharan. To Sri

Ramakrishna's remark that Vaishnavcharan had

declared him to be an Avatār, Gauri replied:

"Is that all he has to say about you? Then he has

said very little. I am fully convinced that you are

that Mine of Spiritual Power, only a small fraction

of which descends on earth, from time to time, in

the form of an Incarnation."

"Ah!" said Sri Ramakrishna with a smile, "You seem

to have quite outbid Vaishnavcharan in this matter.

What have you found in me that makes you

entertain such an idea?"

Gauri said: "I feel it in my heart and I have the

scriptures on my side. I am ready to prove it to

anyone who challenges me."

"Well," Sri Ramakrishna said, "it is you who say so;

but, believe me, I know nothing about it."

Thus, the insane priest was, by verdict of the great

scholars of the day, proclaimed a Divine

Incarnation.

"In meditation one must be absorbed in God. By

merely floating on the surface of the water, can

you reach the gems lying at the bottom of the

sea?"

"When you plunge in the water of the ocean, you

may be attacked by alligators. But they won't touch

you if your body is smeared with turmeric. There

are no doubt six alligators - lust, anger, avarice,

and so on - within you, in the 'heart's fathomless

depths'. But protect yourself with the turmeric of

discrimination and renunciation, and they won't

touch you.”

Master had said to M. privately: "Yes, there is no

hope for a worldly man if he is not sincerely devoted

to God. But he has nothing to fear if he remains in

the world after realizing God. Nor need a man have

any fear whatever of the world if he attains sincere

devotion by practising spiritual discipline now and

then in solitude.

Chaitanya had several householders among his

devotees, but they were householders in name

only, for they lived unattached to the world."

"He who is called Brahman by the jnanis is known as

Ātman by the yogis and as Bhagavan by the bhaktas.

The same brahmin is called priest, when worshipping

in the temple, and cook, when preparing a meal in the

kitchen.

But the Reality is one and the same. The difference

is only in name. He who is Brahman is verily Ātman,

and again, He is the Bhagavan. He is Brahman to the

followers of the path of knowledge, Paramatman to

the yogis, and Bhagavan to the lovers of God."

"Do you know my attitude? As for myself, I eat, drink,

and live happily. The rest the Divine Mother knows.

Indeed, there are three words that prick my flesh:

'guru', 'master', and 'father'.

"There is only one Guru, and that is Satchidananda. He

alone is the Teacher. My attitude toward God is that of a

child toward its mother. One can get human gurus by

the million. All want to be teachers. But who cares to be

a disciple?

After the realization of God one obtains an inner vision.

Only then can one diagnose a person's spiritual malady

and give instruction.

In the Kaliyuga the best way is bhaktiyoga, the path of

devotion-singing the praises of the Lord, and prayer. The path

of devotion alone is the religion for this age. (To the Brahmo

devotees) Yours also is the path of devotion. Blessed you are

indeed that you chant the name of Hari and sing the Divine

Mother's glories. I like your attitude. You don't call the world a

dream like the non-dualists. You are not Brahmajnanis like

them; you are bhaktas, lovers of God. That you speak of Him

as a Person is also good. You are devotees. You will certainly

realize Him if you call on Him with sincerity and earnestness."

"The Vedas speak of seven planes where the mind dwells.

When the mind is immersed in worldliness it dwells in the

three lower planes- at the naval, the organ of generation, and

the organ of evacuation. In that state the mind loses all its

higher visions-it broods only on 'woman and gold'. The fourth

plane of the mind is at the heart. When the mind dwells

there, one has the first glimpse of spiritual consciousness.

One sees light all around. Such a man, perceiving the divine

light, becomes speechless with wonder and says: 'Ah! What is

this? What is this?' His mind does not go downward to the

objects of the world.

"The fifth plane of the mind is at the throat. When the

mind reaches this, the aspirant becomes free from all

ignorance and illusion. He does not enjoy talking or hearing

about anything but God. If people talk about worldly

things, he leaves the place at once.

"The sixth plane is at the forehead. When the mind reaches

it, the aspirant sees the form of God day and night. But

even then a little trace of ego remains. At the sight of that

incomparable beauty of God's form, one becomes

intoxicated and rushes forth to touch and embrace it. But

one doesn't succeed. It is like the light inside a lantern.

One feels as if one could touch the light, but one cannot on

account of the pane of glass.

"In the top of the head is the seventh plane. When the mind

rises there, one goes into samādhi. Then the Brahmajnani

directly perceives Brahman. But in that state his body does

not last many days. He remains unconscious of the outer

world. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out. Dwelling

on this plane of consciousness, he gives up his body in

twenty-one days. That is the condition of the Brahmajnani.

But yours is the path of devotion. That is a very good and

easy path.”

"Let me tell you one thing. God can be seen. The Vedas say

that God is beyond mind and speech. The meaning of this is

that God is unknown to the mind attached to worldly

objects. Vaishnavcharan used to say, 'God is known by the

mind and intellect that are pure.' Therefore it is necessary to

seek the company of holy men, practise prayer, and listen to

the instruction of the guru. These purify the mind. Then one

sees God. Dirt can be removed from water by a purifying

agent. Then one sees one's reflection in it. One cannot see

one's face in a mirror if the mirror is covered with dirt.

MASTER: "Remember that daya, compassion, and maya,

attachment, are two different things. Attachment means the

feeling of 'my-ness' toward one's relatives. It is the love one

feels for one's parents, one's brother, one's sister, one's wife

and children. Compassion is the love one feels for all beings

of the world. It is an attitude of equality. If you see anywhere

an instance of compassion, as in Vidyasagar, know that it is

due to the grace of God. Through compassion one serves all

beings. Maya also comes from God. Through maya God

makes one serve one's relatives. But one thing should be

remembered: maya keeps us in ignorance and entangles us

in the world, whereas daya makes our hearts pure and

gradually unties our bonds.

"One cannot see God without purity of heart. Through

attachment to 'woman and gold' the mind has become

stained-covered with dirt, as it were. A magnet cannot attract

a needle if the needle is covered with mud. Wash away the

mud and the magnet will draw it. Likewise, the dirt of the mind

can be washed away with the tears of our eyes. This stain is

removed if one sheds tears of repentance and says, 'O God, I

shall never again do such a thing.' Thereupon God, who is like

the magnet, draws to Himself the mind, which is like the

needle. Then the devotee goes into samādhi and obtains the

vision of God.

"But the universe and its created beings, and the twenty-four

cosmic principles, all exist because God exists. Nothing remains

if God is eliminated. The number increases if you put many

zeros after the figure one; but the zeros don't have any value if

the one is not there."

"God is realized as soon as the mind becomes free from

attachment. Whatever appears in the Pure Mind is the voice of

God. That which is Pure Mind is also Pure Buddhi; that, again,

is Pure Ātman, because there is nothing pure but God. But in

order to realize God one must go beyond dharma and

adharma."

DEVOTEE: "Sir, why has God put us in the world?"

MASTER: "The world is the field of action. Through action

one acquires knowledge. The guru instructs the disciple to

perform certain works and refrain from others. Again, he

advises the pupil to perform action without desiring the

result. The impurity of the mind is destroyed through the

performance of duty. It is like getting rid of a disease by

means of medicine, under the instruction of a competent

physician.

"Why doesn't God free us from the world? Ah, He will free us

when the disease is cured. He will liberate us from the world

when we are through with the enjoyment of 'woman and

gold'. Once a man registers his name in the hospital, he

cannot run away. The doctor will not let him go away unless

his illness is completely cured."

"You may ask, 'How is it possible for these boys, born of

worldly parents and living among the worldly-minded, to

develop such knowledge and devotion?' It can be explained. If

a pea falls into a heap of dung, it germinates into a pea-plant

none the less. The peas that grow on that plant serve many

useful purposes. Because it was sown in dung, will it produce

another kind of plant?

Suffering men’s prayer for Grace

O Mother, I have no one else

to blame:

Alas! I sink in the well these

very hands have dug.

With the six passions for my

spade, I dug a pit in the sacred

land of earth;

And now the dark water of

death gushes forth!

How can I save myself, O my

Redeemer?

Surely I have been my own

enemy;

How can I now ward off this

dark water of death?

Behold, the waters rise to my

chest! How can I save myself?

O Mother, save me!

Thou art my only Refuge; with

Thy protecting glance

Take me across to the other

shore of the world.

continued

What a delirious fever is this

that I suffer from!

O Mother, Thy grace is my

only cure.

False pride is the fever that

racks my wasted form; "I" and

"mine" are my cry.

Oh, what a wicked delusion!

My quenchless thirst for wealth

and friends is never-ceasing;

How, then, shall I sustain my

life?

Talk about things unreal, this is

my wretched delirium,

And I indulge in it always, O Giver

of all good fortune!

My eyes in seeming sleep are

closed, my stomach is filled

With the vile worms of cruelty.

Alas! I wander about absorbed in

unmeaning deeds;

Even for Thy holy name I have no

taste,

O Mother! I doubt that I shall ever

be cured of this malady.

Spiritual inspiration comes from God

MASTER (to the devotees): "Both worldliness and

liberation depend on God's will. It is God alone who has

kept man in the world in a state of ignorance; and man

will be free when God, of His own sweet will, calls him to

Himself. It is like the mother calling the child at meal-

time, when he is out playing. When the time comes for

setting a man free, God makes him seek the company of

holy men. Further, it is God who makes him restless for

spiritual life."