1.

M. (to Jagabandhu) — Now you may go. Take Rajani with you. You will show him everything in Dakshineswar - all places and all people associated with Thakur. You see Gadadhar’s primary school as soon as you land at the steamer point in Erendah to the North beyond the maidan. Gadadhar, a sadhu, was a pupil of Nityananda. He used to practise tapasya there. And there he breathed his last. He had his samadhi there. Thakur often used to visit there accompanied by his bhaktas. Above the temple of gate, there is a big picture - Sri Chaitanya, intoxicated with God is dancing in a singing party of the city in Navadwipa. The cows seeing Chaitanya Deva stop eating and are earnestly staring at his divine face. The boatman holding the oar in his hand looks at his moon like face and is dumbstruck. The young daughter-in-law of the house is bathing in the stream. But her eyes are fixed on the sweet person of Gaur. Her brass pot is floating away from her but she is indifferent to it. Thakur showed this picture to Vijaykrishna Goswami.

"Everything about Dakshineswar is holy. For thirty years he (Thakur) sported his lila there. The dust of his feet has sanctified the whole garden there. The touch of his body has purified the whole atmosphere, the grove, all. The gods and rishis in the form of trees enjoy the sweetness of the lila of the avatara there. Religion resides in every particle of dust in a living form.

"On the way from the steamboat point one sees the house of Sadhan Chaudhuries which was earlier an ashrama of Yogin Swami. Thakur used to visit all these places.

"Everything about the Kali Temple is sacred. Oh, what great things that happened there! What a lila has been enacted there! For thirty years the avatar-lila was performed on this holy spot. One must meditate in the Kali Temple, also in the Natamandir, Thakur’s room and the Panchavati. All these places are like a dry match-stick. Rub it but once, it begins to burn. Didn’t Thakur himself meditate in all these places? His power still resides there - it is there in the atmosphere. By sitting and meditating there this power gets awakened - it helps the sadhak; it concentrates his mind. If one falls into the Ganga the body is bound to touch the water. It is the same here. When one enters that sublime atmosphere one immediately sinks into it - one doesn’t have to make any effort. This is what is known as a centre of pilgrimage. How much meditation did Thakur do there! How much darshan he had of God’s presence and what not! In all the manners in which it is possible to enjoy the bliss of Brahman was experienced by Thakur in his body in that one life. These are all different bhavas. But man does not know how to enjoy such priceless wealth. God himself came down in a human body to give all this to the bhaktas. The moment you enter there your mind is inspired by it. Those who come to this climate through the burning fire of worldly life, have their mind cooled as by a bath in the water of the Ganga. And they will be able to live comfortably with this cooled mind for a long time in the world. The more frequently they go there the more of peace they bring with them.

"One should also visit Ramlal Dada’s house in Dakshineswar. The Holy Mother lived there, also Lakshmi. One should also go to Jadu Mullick’s garden as well as to Shambhu Mullick’s. Thakur frequently went there. In Jadu Mullick’s garden Christ entered Thakur’s body. Thakur also used to meet Jugal Babu. He had his house near Alam Bazar. Thakur was fond of him. Natwar Panja’s house is also there. He was poor during his childhood and used to graze cows in the Dakshineswar garden. Thakur loved him too. Later on he became very wealthy and had a house and so on. He installed an oil press and earned a lot. You must find out who are there in his family. He loved Thakur when almost nobody knew him. So he is worthy of our love and respect.

"Please go and see the Alam Bazar Math. Swami Vivekananda lived there, on his return from the triumphant tour of America. The first Math came into being at Baranagore. Go and see that place too. This was the first ideal Math. Day and night the inmates remained absorbed in meditation and devotion with nothing more than a loin-cloth on their bodies. There were also a dhoti, a chadar and a pair of slippers. Whosoever went out of the Math would just put them on. Thakur had departed only recently. Everybody was full of intense vairagya the world didn’t exist for them -such an intense vairagya they had! You must also take him to the Cossipore garden. Thakur was there for ten months. It was there that a group of devotees was formed during Thakur’s illness. Thakur used to have darshan of Sarva-mangala of Cossipore. The bhaktas must also do the same. And the Cossipore cremation ground - it was there that Thakur’s physical body was consigned to flames. In the times to come, all these places will become centres of pilgrimage for the men of the world. You must always visit them all. I am old, cannot go there myself. You will visit them and talk to me about them. You will go and see them. And then come and tell me about them. Thakur used to say that those who had very strong imagination could see these places almost ‘fourteen annas in a rupee,’ (almost wholly) with their mind’s eye, by just hearing about them. I have now adopted this means."

2.

M. (to the bhaktas) — The Navavidhan Brahmo Samaj has sent us an invitation for the Bhadra festival. It is to start tomorrow. All of you will please attend it. Isn’t Thakur’s divine touch still there? It has become a place of pilgrimage. Its darshan is so inspiring. How much affection Thakur had for Keshab Babu! He had himself injected in Keshab his catholic ideas, It’s because of this that the bhaktas worship Para-brahman uttering ‘Ma, Ma’ in the Navavidhan Brahmo Samaj. The visit of Thakur’s bhaktas, you people, awakens that bhava further. Thakur said, ‘Throw the bait. When you do so, the big red-eyes rohu fish will come up from deep waters.’ That is to say the fish of divine inspiration will emerge and you will be filled with God.

"The man asks, ‘Where is God?’ He is there before his eyes but he cannot see Him. How many marks of God there are in the world! First of all, the avatara is none else but He. Second, his companions are still living. They have his bhava alive. Due to this touch of bhava, they are blessed and are worthy of world’s respect. Third, the places of His divine play such as Dakshineswar. The people of the world go there because of this divine attraction. The samaj and such other holy places are also the spots of His divine sport. Possibly, after some five hundred years, people will take it as a subject of research whether Thakur came there or not. People will be surprised saying, ‘What, God came as a man to this place!’ Our contemporaries don’t express any surprise being too near his advent. Besides, everybody cannot recognise an avatara. Even when He is so near, they go on repeating - ‘Where is God? Does He exist at all?’ Fourth, we have the Kathamrita - Thakur’s mahakavya (great epic) - we have so many proofs, all living ones and yet we have no faith. This is what is known as maya.

"Those who have firm faith are able to see His hand and His mark in all these. They are great, of the same class as that of the Paramahansa.

"There is such an abundance of divine emotion - everything is illumined by it, yet one tires oneself out going here and there and shouting, `Where is God, where is He?’ It’s only a few years ago that he departed - just thirty eight years. Such a holy place is Dakshineswar - his room, his bedding, his cots etc. They are all there. Besides there are so many sadhus and bhaktas. Had he not been God himself who could have made those moon-like golden faced boys give up their parents, their home and what not? Those diamonds of boys were able to feel his touch of love within their hearts. They heard his call - ‘Come on, where are you all? I have come for you. Come and hold me. I shall take you right across this sea of the world to the other shore, where constant happiness, peace and bliss exist.’ Like bees attracted by honey, the new yogis of the new age have taken refuge at his feet, having given up their all. They have lost all their taste for the world, so the new sannyasis of the new age have come out in search of immortal bliss, giving up their all and facing every hardship. This is the greatest proof - that Thakur was God Himself."

M. (to himself) — The celebrations are being held so close to us. Will you not attend them? What does it matter whether there is an invitation or not? (Referring to the Elder Jiten) Thakur said to Ram Babu, ‘One goes to all places where these is talk on God or where celebrations are held in His name, even without an invitation.’ The Lord Himself said : ‘I live neither in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the yogis. I am there where my devotees sing My name.’

The Elder Jiten — I don’t like their (Brahmins’) talk. They don’t interpret correctly.

M. (excitedly) — Who can talk of Him correctly? I challenge it. Who can do so? Only He can correctly reveal Himself. None else in the three worlds can do so. Brahman has never been defiled by the touch of the mouth, so said Thakur to Vidyasagar Mahashaya.

"Everybody gets covered in the same way. The influence of the home, body, mind, intellect desires, earlier sanskaras, education, environment etc. tells upon all. So it becomes impossible to have a correct understanding. The intellect gets covered by a shadow. This veil is the work of Mahamaya. One has the correct realization only in samadhi. The veil covers the moment one begins to tell - it is like the light within a bulb which one sees but cannot touch. However through a hole whatever comes out is a flood (of bhava) if one knows how to use it.

"This is not an intellectual discussion. Because they are highly rational, people say that they are very nice - these matters are beyond the intellect. They cannot be expressed correctly even by pure intellect. ‘Only he has understood whose has realized it in his soul.’

"The divine sparks of Thakur entered into Keshab Babu. From him they have come to his disciples - even though they are dim, they are the sparks of the same immortal bliss."

3.

M. (to the Elder Jiten) — They say that one may go even uninvited to a place where God is being talked about. This is for one’s own benefit, one feels blessed. Thakur used to go to Keshab Sen to talk and hear about God. The Captain did not like it. He used to say that Keshab Sen was a defiled individual, not a sadhu. Hearing this Thakur immediately retorted and silenced the Captain. Said he, ‘You can go to the Laat Sahib (the Governor) for money, there is nothing wrong in that. And I go to Keshab to talk of God because he meditates on God, repeats His name. This is what is needed wherever the name of God is meditated upon, sang or discussed, it is a place to visit without any hesitation - even though the worldly people may not like it.

M. (to the bhaktas) — Thakur asked a bhakta (M.) to read the Ashtavakra-Samhita. But the bhakta was inclined towards pure devotion. He also wanted jnana. Bhakti and jnana in one. That day Thakur himself refers to the Ashtavakra-Sanhita and removed all doubts said he, ‘Both knowledge and devotion can co-exist in one person. Krishna Kishore used to repeat God’s name. He who has the knot of his mind untied can practise jnana though he may be a bhakta.’ For the ordinary devotee he prescribed the yoga of bhakti. Jnana yoga does not suit the householder, for whom it is bhakti yoga. How beautifully he combined both the aspects. Said he, ‘Smoke can soil a wall but it do nothing to the sky.’

The Reader — What does it mean ?

M. — Ordinary householder has a small mind - it is bound from all sides. It is concerned with himself, son, daughter, near ones and so on. Jnana yoga will be harmful to him, like smoke soiling the wall. But ideas like ‘I am Brahman,’ or ‘I am That’ cannot harm the spiritually high who has his mind absorbed in the Lord even though he may be living as a householder. For example Krishna Kishore and the Pandavas. He said, ‘Prahlad had both bhakti and jnana. Just as a competent sannyasi can practise both jnana yoga and bhakti yoga together, similarly the competent bhaktas can also practise bhakti yoga and jnana yoga together. If his bhakti can break the knot so can jnana. The yogis are both bhaktas as well as jnanis.

Mohan — Those who love their country love all their countrymen. Is it compassion ?

M. — No compassion consists in living with the knowledge that God resides in all. This is what Thakur said. There is a shade of ignorance in ‘my country, my countrymen.’ God resides in every creature - this is compassion. So and so is one’s relation - wife, son or daughter, such an idea comes through ignorance. God resides in all of the relations - this idea comes from compassion. When one looks after them or renders service to them with the feeling of God-in-man, it can purify one’s mind. Love of God will gradually grow. Compassion is higher than maya, and service with the feeling of God-in-man is still higher than compassion.

"Service to all my country men is higher than service to one’s family. And higher to service of one’s countrymen is the service with the feeling that God resides in all.

"Thakur went to see Vidyasagar Just because of this - the reason was that the latter going beyond the lower idea of serving one’s kith and kin, was serving the common man. But then there is a service higher to it. It is nothing else than serving god in every creature. the medium is all creatures but the ideal is service to God. It was to say this to Vidyasagar Mahashaya that Thakur went to him. Said he, ‘If you render all this service to humanity selflessly knowing that it is service to God, it will purify your mind, you will be able to realise God.’ Vidyasagar could not understand it. The service being rendered by Mahatma Gandhi is the service knowing that it is a service to God. So it is great. He is not so much a lover of his country as that of ‘Ram’ residing in his country men. The lover of God is greater than the lover of the motherland."

Antevasi — Thakur used to say, the more the veil of darkness and ignorance is lifted from the mind, the less will he be one’s distraction and more the mind will go towards God. One finds the ebb and tide in the river near the sea. How to lift this veil?

M. — By keeping the company of sadhus and rendering service to them. And also by chanting God’s name and His glory. In the case of sadhus this veil is partly lifted. By keeping their company and serving them one becomes like them.

The Elder Jiten — I don’t understand when one says that the Ganga is flowing constantly within a jnani?

M. (laughs loudly) — So you have understood everything except this? It means that the jnanis declare that Brahman is true and the world, an illusion. Besides, they connect themselves to Him - ‘I am Brahman, I am That.’ The idea That Brahman is true is firmly held by them. Thakur used to say: ‘Somebody plays a monotone on his flute - bhon...on...on.. And the other plays various ragas and raginis on it. The latter illustrates bhakti yoga. The bhakti enjoys sharing the lila with Bhagavan. He swims in the Ganga - sinking now, coming out. And then he becomes a piece of ice in the ocean of Brahman and crackles causing bubbles on the surface.’

Calcutta,

Wednesday, 13th August 1924.

28th Shravana 1331 (B.Y.)

The 13th day of the lunar month, 1 danda/18 palas.

Next day, the 14th of the lunar month, 54 dandas/56 palas.