M. — Aha, please read the description of the age of Kali again.

The reader reads — Difficult this age of Kali – this age of Kali deprives the man of his strength and vigour. In this age, the whole strength of the mind is wasted in sensory enjoyments. The will power becomes very weak. Man forgets God and so on.

M. (to the devotees) — Last Saturday, I undertook an adventure. I left alone for Dakshineswar. Thakur’s birthday fell on Sunday. I was very excited to go to Dakshineswar.

"How many of his memories are connected with Dakshineswar! When I am reminded of them, I forget that I am old. I had him early in my youth, you know. So, I feel in my mind as though I am still the same young man. Such a big impression it has left on the mind.

"The mind has developed in such a way. At the end, it looses consciousness of the body. His memory is indeed life. It is nectar itself. It is joy, it is peace, it is happiness.

"I went by bus up to Alambazar. And then walked down. I felt a little nervous when I was in Alambazar.

"I saw the castor oil machine of Natavar Panja. Then I came to the Endedah Road, the mosque and the house of the Yadu Mullick. Next a big gate and Gazitala. Thereafter Ananda Niketan, Thakur’s (Devendra Nath Thakur’s) house.

"On the way, I became very nervous. A friend was going on cycle. He asked whether I had some companion with me.

"Then as soon as I saw Yadu Mallick’s garden and the main gate of the temple, I regained courage. I don’t know who came out of my mind. The past memory awakened in the mind. I was again the earlier young man. There was no body consciousness. I found that it was all in the mind.

"These spots are all old landmarks, you see. Earlier when I used to come I remembered them and leaving them behind one by one I would finally reach under the shelter of Thakur’s feet.

"How easy it is now! And how much trouble I would take to reach there earlier! If my youth returns now, I will tell how one should go.

(After a little thought) "Once I went there. I was perspiring. It was very hot. Seeing me Mani Mullick said, ‘Oh, you are perspiring so much!’ Thakur laughed and said, ‘Now that so many English men and others are coming, I feel there must be something in what I say.’ " (Laughter)."

M. (to the Elder Jiten) — I somehow reached there but could not muster the courage to come back. It was getting very late. Nakul Said, ‘Please stay on.’ I said, ‘All right, I can take prasad from the Radhakanta temple.’ Soon I saw a rickshaw. I said to Yogen Babu’s son, ‘Can you hire it? It has to leave me there.’ Yogen Babu is the treasurer of the Kali Temple.

"Two babus had gone there from Beleghara. No, no they were from some ‘Prince of Wales’ garden.’ (Remembering) Yes, yes from Belgechha.

"As soon as I asked, the babus said, ‘How is it possible! We are already late.’

"The rickshaw puller was half willing. But hearing them, he said, ‘No I can’t go.’ Now what to do? I said to Nakul, ‘Can you arrange a rickshaw for me?’ He made them understand. And lo! they at once made many apologies and said so many other things.

"As soon as he associated me with Thakur they began to beg pardon. And they said so many things – we have committed a sin. We did not know. We have committed a great crime. We beg pardon of you and of Thakur. They said to the rickshaw man, ‘Take care that you don’t accept him a pie.’ And they saw me off right up to the gate.

"Till I was not introduced in the name of Thakur, it did not happen. But as soon as this was done how much respect they gave. Anybody can round the whole of Bharat easily just by mentioning Thakur’s name. He will not have to face the least trouble.

"Earlier that day I was once nervous. That also did me good – I had its experience.

(After thinking for a while) "Dakshineswar is now very beautiful. Kiran Babu is a devotee, so is the treasurer.

"Whatever is the due of the sevaks (attendants, servants) must be given to them directly or indirectly.

"Pandas (men of priestly class) keep standing in the Puri temple with a light in their hand. They light the temple from inside for the visitors and accept some money from them. It is so dark inside, you see. I had put my hand in the pocket to give them a pice and I paid an eight anna pice (fifty pice)! Such is one’s instinct that I stretched my hand to take it back. But why should he give it back to me? I asked him twice or thrice whether that eight anna pice would be spent in the deity’s service. The panda said, ‘May be it is not. But we also serve him. By giving to us you have given to him.’ I was immediately reminded of , ‘O my friend, as long as I live, so long do I learn,’ this great saying of Thakur. There is no end to learning. The next day I offered a rupee offering obeisance by lying on the ground and I returned.

(To the Elder Jiten) "Love me, love my dog!

"I feel that it is enough to feed the paupers and the helpers. Even if one does not offer food to Jagannath it is alright."

M. (to the devotees) — So, one should feed the beggars when one goes to a place of pilgrimage. The educated perhaps do not do so. If one does not wish to do a thing, one can always find so many excuses. It is a very different thing to give out of love.

"What my dear friends do? They go to the sea shore for a walk. So many sevaks and beggars stand there. If they were to give a pie or a pice how much will it come to? (To a person) How many pies are there in a pice. (Somebody said three pies). Yes, three pies. How much happiness it brings, how much they are satisfied! Instead of doing so, one throws a cop coin with a flourish to Jagannath and thinks that it is done."

M. (to a devotee) — He said the same when Guhaka invited him to his house. Guhaka said, ‘Please come to my house. I shall serve you. I have been calling on you for so many days.’ Rama said, ‘Brother, I cannot go there. I am in exile. But you may do this. Both of my two horses are very tired. Please feed them. Feeding them will be feeding me.’ The horses had been pulling [the chariot] and brought him there, you see.

"The babus say so many things: ‘The Pandaspandas create so much nuisances. They are not good people. They treat cruelly and do so many other things.’ I say, what if they do a little of it. How much service they render. A stranger comes to an unknown place all of a sudden. He knows nobody. He (the Pandapanda) greets him with so much respect. And he obeys his various orders – I say man, we want such and such prasad to eat. Immediately he brings it carrying on his head. And with how much respect and effort he entertains him. What if he does a little nuisance."

M. (to all present) — A zemindar (landlord) had served food to the sadhus in Puri. One of them got a little less in his leaf-plate. He at once shouted, ‘I shall go away, I shall not eat. You have served me so little.’ (Laughter). Immediately many persons intervened, saying, ‘You are going to get, you are going to be served more.’ They cooled him saying thus.

"Yes, if he doesn’t demonstrate his self respect to a bhakta to whom else can he do so? They don’t get everything to eat.

"See, there are some who angrily drive them away. However, several persons cooled the anger of that sadhu."

M. (to the devotees) — Another scene was enacted in Puri. The maharaja of Dharbhanga had pitched a tent on the seashore for carrying out japa, austerities and so forth. One day, he worshipped all unmarried girls. Rows and rows of these maids were seen going there. One of them was carrying a girl child in her arms. The maharaja gave each one of them a piece of cloth and a rupee. He belonged to a very highly spiritual ancestry. That is why, he did so. He did a lot in this way. They who are beginning their spiritual life talk otherwise.

"One should stay a little away from a the place of pilgrimage. One remembers one’s visit to it if it involves some inconvenience. The place where I lived in Puri (he lived in Shashi Niketan) is at some distance from the temple."

The Elder Amulya — The raja of Vardhaman also gives in charity.

M. — This is very good.

The Elder Amulya — Even so, he is a little westernized.

M. — Never mind about it. He has no other defects, you see. How much they worships the deity – in Kalna, Vardhaman and so many other places.

The Elder Amulya — He himself has not done anything. He is only doing what his father did.

M. — But this shows that he is a good man. When he allows all this, how is he not a good man?

"On the one hand, he has learnt statecraft. Besides, he is a poet and also a philosopher. He will do all that when time comes.

"When a bhakta called Balaram Babu a miser, Thakur scolded him and said, ‘Why, what did you say? How much service to the deity he renders!’ Himself sometimes he would poke him. (Laughter). But if somebody else said it, he would immediately reprimand him."

Morton School

Tuesday, 16 September 1926

4th of Falgun, 1331 (B.Y.)

The 14th day of the bright fortnight.