1.

M. (to Antevasi) – Swamiji writes: Some will curse and some will reward you on reading the Kathamrita. Just think, the one whose interests are hampered shall curse. It contains words of renunciation, you see. Those who have their mind in sensory enjoyments shall get annoyed. The mother will perhaps say, ‘Oh! my son has left on becoming a sadhu. That very person has turned him insane by writing the book (Kathamrita).’ Some woman shall perhaps say, ‘That very man has ruined my well decorated and beautiful garden.’ The husband can also say, ‘My wife has spoiled on reading that very book.’

"Those whose desire for sensory enjoyments has ended shall say absolutely otherwise. They will say, ‘The Kathamrita is assuredly the nectar — the nectar of life. It indeed has given us peace; it was burning.’ Only they will only give their mind to God. Their desire for sensory enjoyments has ended. They don’t have liking for anything else.

"Swamiji went through the same state (of curses), you see. So, he warned me beforehand that you will also have to go through it. After writing the Kathamrita, some people cursed me through so many letters.

"If one does works of merit, renders selfless service, it is bound to happen. One must go to work after gaining the power to bear all this. Just see, Christ was crucified. Is it a small matter to work for God, to render selfless service? The world shall stand in front to stop you. If you can bear all this, you must serve God. It is possible only when you surrender your mind, soul and body to God.

"So, Swamiji has warned beforehand. ‘Cet Bon,’ in other words, that’s good — ‘Sir, such indeed is happening since eternity.’ "

M. (to Lalit) – Yesterday we went to Kankurgachhi Yogodyan. It was a beautiful festivity there. So many people partook of the prasad. In coming years all these will become highly renowned places — all will be great centres of pilgrimage. All these will become like there are Vrindaban, Ayodhya and Dwarika. God has come in a human body, you see. All these are indeed the spots of salvation. On coming to such a place one is reminded of salvation, Godly matters come to the mind. This shall bring liberation from the bonds of attachment. All these are now centres of pilgrimage.

The newly arrived person – I have started an ashrama. Human welfare activities in the name of Thakur shall be performed there.

M. – One must first frequent the sadhus. One shall be able to thus form acquaintance with them, and then take to holy work at their instruction. Otherwise, it happens like one falls into a certain movement. It does not last till the end.

"Earlier the kings would go to the rishis, you see; though they were younger rishis. (Showing his folded hands) They would go and stand in this way with firewood i.e. articles of puja in their hand. The elder rishis would say, ‘Yes, I have followed son, you people want to ask something. It is good, do ask. But, first perform penance for one year. Take to truthfulness, brahmacharya and non-violence.’

"Did they (the rishis) disgraced them? No, it is not like this. They conducted themselves in this way for their good. Without penance, one can’t put the right question. One has to say one thing, one says something else, that too unmindfully.

"When one makes an effort to meditate on God with a concentrated mind, one understands one’s doubts. Otherwise, with a restless mind one resolves one thing today and an another thing tomorrow.

"One must associate with the sadhus. Then take to penance. Thereafter, take to work on receiving instructions from the sadhus.

"An ashrama has been founded at Sarshe. A brahmachari has started it. He performed a lot of penance. So, that day the sadhus of the math went there and established Thakur.

"You too take to penance. Do you agree with this, what do you say? Perform penance for one year. Then see, what do you decide upon."

M. (to the bhaktas) – His renunciation is like that of the Buddha Deva. But will he be able to bear such hardships all of a sudden, at such an age? On the one hand, he is leading a hard life and on the other, a constant struggle for independence against the British Government! Such a push might break down his health. I have this worry. There is no well-wisher who can forcefully take him to retirement for some days. It would be good if this comes about. It seems there is none. The longer such people live, the better it is. Such things come in human calculations. Just see, Ashu Babu was such a genius. But his body went in such a helpless state. He went to Patna for two lakh rupees. There he met with this trouble. How much work such people do. But the money brought about all the confusion.

M. (to the bhaktas) – Who are great in the eyes of worldly people? Those who have so much of wealth and money — houses and buildings, people, coaches, name and honour. And who is great in the eyes of Thakur? He who knows nothing else but God, like Narada and Sukadeva.

"Thakur renounced that money and fame for which the tongue of the worldly begins to water. He would say with the pungency of red chilies, in other words forcefully, ‘I sweep name and fame with the broom.’ On hearing the Marwari’s proposal to give him ten thousand rupees, he became absolutely unconscious and fell down. Has anyone heard such a thing like absolute unconsciousness anywhere! He had such a deep-seated aversion!

"The other people become unconscious for want of money, and he became unconscious on the matter of receiving money. What an amazing character!

"When he regained consciousness, he said, ‘Mother, do You want to enchant me during my last days with money? Mother, do that which shall fix my mind on Your holy feet.’

"He said, ‘On hearing about his giving the money, I received as if a blow of axe on my head. This made me fall unconscious.’

"He could not even bear the breeze coming from the touch of a woman’s body. So, he said, ‘The sannyasis must not even see the picture of a woman. Even if she is a very great bhakta, one must not stay in her company.’

"Prabhu, please be gracious enough and grant your darshan to the king (King Pratap Rudra) for once — the king’s minister and a great bhakta Rai Ramananda, and Vasudeva Saurvbhaum made this request to Chaitanya Deva. Hearing this, Chaitanya Deva said with a surprise, ‘What do you people say? The king is the greatest of worldly man. Meeting him and enjoying sensory enjoyments are one and the same. Have I come to do all this forsaking everything behind?’ The bhaktas requested him an another day. At this, he replied, ‘If that be so, I leave for Alalnath.’ Saying so, he immediately left.’ Then they all went, humbly prayed to him and brought him back. Such is the affair. Is it a small matter?

"Alalnath is a beautiful place — there is forest and solitude. I went to see it. It is five kosas (about ten miles) from the temple."

2.

M. (to the bhaktas) – How much Thakur loved Keshab Sen! What a great man! He said (about Keshab), ‘He is a divine man.’ To such a person he said on his face, ‘I cannot accept your words, you live with money, fame and honour.’ Keshab Babu had said to Thakur, you see, ‘You have attained sixteen annas (full complement) jnana.’

M. (to the new person) – Is there a way for us other than the holy company?

"I am reminded of something. A Nanakpanthi sadhu said it. He used to frequent Thakur at that time. It is forty two years back. I remembered one out of the two things and forgot the other. That too came to my mind just few days back. It is this. Somebody was performing the yajna of birds at Mansarovar. He hoped that this would bring all kinds of birds to him. So, the hansa (swan) would also come. The ParamahansaIt would also definitely be accompanied by the Paramahansay it. Paramahansa, in other words Narayana, you knowsee. It means this: By keeping company of sadhus, one can have darshan of God.

"The other is this. Two men were partners. One of them died. He left behind one son and his wife. The wife took the son to the house of the partner. There was a diamond worth rupees one lakh in the house. She also carried it with her. She said to the partner, ‘Who is now our own besides you? Before his demise, he left a diamond in the house. I hear, it is worth rupees one lakh.’ The partner on seeing it came to know that it is worth five thousand rupees, or at the most ten thousand. It can’t be rupees one lakh in any way. He said, ‘You may now keep it with you. Let the boy stay out in the office.’ Four or five years passed. The boy learnt to do the work well. One day he told his mother, ‘Mother, where is the diamond? Bring it and show it to me. Let me see and examine it. I have learnt how to examine.’ On seeing it, he said, ‘Its worth is at the most rupees ten thousand. It is not one lakh.’

"It means this. The guru does not say all the things to the disciple immediately. Reason? The disciple shall get frightened. So, he leads him slowly.

"If the partner had said that it is worth ten thousand rupees, the (other) partner’s wife would not have believed him. She would think that he iswas deceiving her. She had faith only when he made the son say so."

M. (to the bhaktas) – That is why, Thakur would say: One cannot say to the people of Calcutta to renounce everything. By doing so, they will stop coming at all. So I say, ‘You people do this and that too. With one hand hold on to God and with the other live in the world.’ I tell them, ‘You people renounce mentally.’ Then bBy coming heregoing there frequently, when one oneself understandsrealizes that all these — wife, son and relations — are nothing, one shall leave of one’s own accord.’

M. (to the Elder Jiten) – That what is in one’s nature shall come about. Sri Krishna said the same thing to Arjuna. Said he — ‘I shall not fight,’ vain is this, your saying? Your very nature has war within! Your nature shall compel you to fight — ‘prakriti stvam niyokshyati,’ (Gita (18:59).

"There is no way out without doing it. So, one must take God with oneself and do it. This is the way. If He is with you, you always remember that one’s nature makes one act. That being so, one keeps oneself separate thinking thus — I am His child, His servant. Then the work can’t bind him."

M. (to Jagabandhu) – Where is the complete program of yesterday’s theatre? Well, please read out both of these: ‘Sudama’ and ‘Nandavidai’ (separation from Nanda) — scene after the scene.

Jagabandhu reads – Sudama. First scene — the hut of Sudama. Second scene — Dwarika. Sri Krishna, Rukmini and Narada. Third scene — Krishna in the guise of child fisherman and Sudama. Fourth scene — the palace of Dwarika, gatekeepers and Sudama. Fifth scene — the royal court of Dwarika. Sri Krishna, Rukmini, Narada, the king’s assembly, Sudama and others.

"Nandavidai. First scene — royal apartments. Existence, attainment, Kansa and Akrur. Second scene — the house of Nanda, Sri Krishna, Balaram, Yashoda and Rohini. Third scene — pasture land, Sri Krishna, Balaram, Akrur, the cowherd boys and others."

M. – We have also been able to see everything. These people have witnessed it; we must take its benefit. One gains even by hearing. Those who have power of imagination, they attain up to fourteen annas by hearing. Two annas remain the rest.

"So, Thakur would say, ‘Hearing is better than reading and seeing is better than hearingHigher than reading is hearing and higher than hearing is seeing.’ These people have witnessed it and we have heard it. This has enabled us to see, hear and read. Hearing is next best. We too have been able to do this."

M. (to Antevasi) – Let us do some reading of the Kathamrita.

M. – Thakur says — One does gain ultimate jnana. But Haladhari said, ‘Man becomes capricious.’ Haladhari’s point of view is that of a worldly man having attachment for sensory objects. Those who have their aim as God-realization, who want to gain the state of Shiva (divinity) from that of jiva, should take Thakur’s opinion alone. When the mind enters samadhi, when the salt-doll gets dissolved into the sea, one’s awareness of the sea vanishes. It is this that the Vedas call the highest aim of man’s life. Thakur also said the same from his life’s experience. When the mind that entered samadhi comes down, it sees as if God Himself has become all — the world, its creatures and the twenty four principles. When it descends a little lower, it is in the state he told — amavasya and purnima become the same. In other words, the mind is held back. The outside affairs proceed of their own accord. Hanuman also had the same state — he could not remember the day, the date, the lunar date, the position of stars; he would only think upon Rama. The mind of the avatara descends lower than this. Rama rules the kingdom. Krishna is engaged in warfare.

"But Thakur was kept in that very state by the Mother. She would not let him descend lower. All his states are there to serve as an example. The whole world is covered with a thick fog of materialism. It is Thakur had such a state to show to the world the ideal of the eternal truth at this point of time that Thakur had such a state — that God-realization is the highest ideal of man. The divine character of Thakur is like a lifeb boat for the bhaktas in this sea of the world.

"People don’t put faith in all these states. To understand it, faith in the words of the Guru is essential. Guru means God, avatara — like Thakur. Those people who have visited Kashi, their words are the last words about Kashi. One must hear about Kashi from their lips. Kashi means God-realization.

"Mahimacharan does not accept the gGuru. He (Thakur) said this aiming at him. He reasons, talks of jnana — he is an egoistic fellow. So, he (Thakur) told him the marks of a jnani.

"But Sankracharya has called the Gguru as God. Said he, ‘Advaitam trishu lokeshu. Nadvaitam guruna saha.’ (There is none other than Me in the three worlds. But as far as the Guru is concerned, the Advaitam Philosophy does not hold good).’ The Veda also says, ‘Yasya deve bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau (he who has the greatest devotion in Him and equally in the Guru).’ Thakur says, ‘He who has firm determination, he has all. One puts faith in such a person.’ "

Calcutta, Saturday, 23 August 1924

7th Bhadra, 1331 (B.Y.)

9th day of the dark fortnight

60 Dandas.