Section V

Conversation with Amrit, Trailokya and other Brahmos in Kali Temple at Dakshineswar

Chapter One

In samadhi

The fifth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Falgun, Thursday, 19 Chaitra, March 29, 1883. After his midday meal, Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna is taking some rest. The same room in the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar. The Ganga is flowing in front; to the west. The flood tide has started at 2 o’clock. A few bhaktas have arrived. Among them are Brahmo bhaktas ­ Amrit and sweet singer Trailokya who has charmed the minds of the young and the old so many times by singing the glories of divine sport in Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj.

Rakhal is not well. Sri Ramakrishna tells the bhaktas about it.

Sri Ramakrishna — Look here, Rakhal is not well. I say, could soda water be of any help? O Father, what shall happen! Rakhal, you take some prasad of Jagannath.

While speaking thus, Sri Ramakrishna goes into a peculiar state of bhava. It looks as if he is seeing in Rakhal Narayana Himself appearing in the body of a child in front of him. On one hand is Rakhal a young bhakta, pure in spirit, who has renounced ‘woman and gold’ and on the other are the loving eyes of Sri Ramakrishna who remains inebriated with the love of the Lord day and night, in whose eyes is seen a natural vatsalya[1] bhava.  He sees the same young boy Rakhal with the vatsalya bhava and begins to utter ‘Govinda, Govinda’ lovingly. It seems that it is the same bhava that Yashoda used to have when she would see Sri Krishna. The bhaktas are seeing this amazing scene. At this moment everything is still. Uttering the name of Govinda, Thakur Sri Ramakrishna, the God-incarnate for the bhakta, goes into samadhi. His body is still like a picture, his sense organs as if have ceased working and his sight is fixed towards the tip of the nose. One can’t say whether he is breathing or not. Only his body is lying on the earth while the bird of his soul is perhaps soaring in the sky of God-consciousness. Whither has gone he who was for so long worrying for the child with a mother’s tenderness? Is this amazing transformation of bhava known as samadhi?

Just then dressed in gerua (ochre) clothes, an unknown Bengali enters the room and sits on the floor.

Chapter Two

Karmendriyani samyamya ya aste manasa smaran,

Indriyarthan vinudhatma mithyacarah sa veyate. Gita 3:6

 [He who controlling the organs of action sits with his mind dwelling on sense objects is a fool and is known as a hypocrite.]

  

Gerua (ochre) clothes and sannyasi ­ untruth is not good even in acting

The Paramahansa Deva’s samadhi is gradually coming to an end. He speaks in divine bhava. He converses on his own.

Sri Ramakrishna (at the sight of the gerua) — And why this gerua? What can be achieved by merely wearing the cloth? (Laughter.) Somebody said, ‘Giving up the Chandi, he has taken to the drum ­ previously he used to sing the hymns of Chandi, now he beats the drum!’  (All laugh.)

“Vairagya (dispassion) is of three or four kinds: Having got scalded by the fire of the world, one puts on the gerua ­ such a dispassion does not last long. A man is perhaps out of work. So, putting on the gerua, he leaves for Kashi. After three months his family gets a letter, ‘I have a job now, I shall return home after a few days. Please don’t worry.’ And there is a man who has everything, who lacks nothing, but does not have liking for anything. Sitting alone, he weeps for Bhagavan. This kind of dispassion is genuine dispassion.

“Untruth is not at all good. Not even a false garb. If one’s garb does not correspond to one’s mind, it gradually brings complete ruin. By uttering lies or practising falsehood one gradually loses the fear of it. It is rather better to put on white clothes. There is attachment in the mind and also there is a fall within; but outwardly there is gerua. This is highly dreadful.”

  

Visit to Keshab’s house and witnessing the ‘Nava Vrindavan’

“The point is that even while acting in a play, the virtuous persons should not use false words or do anything unworthy. I went to Keshab Sen’s house to witness the play ‘Nava Vrindavan’. A person brought something on the stage ­ a cross ­ and then he began to sprinkle water, saying, ‘It is the water of peace.’ I also saw a man acting mad as if intoxicated.”

A Brahmo Bhakta — It was Ku-Babu.

Sri Ramakrishna — It’s not good for a bhakta even to play a part in this way. Keeping the mind on such matters for long brings harm. The mind is like a white laundered cloth, whichever colour you dye it in it takes up the same.  By keeping the mind in falsehood for long it will take up the colour of falsehood.

“Another day, I went to witness the play. ‘Nimai sannyasa[2]’ in Keshab’s house. Some flattering disciples of Keshab spoilt this folk drama. One of them said to Keshab, ‘You are the Chaitanya of the Kali.’ Keshab then looked at me and said laughing, ‘And what about him?’ I said, ‘I am the servant of your servants, the dust of the dust.’ Keshab had the desire for name and fame.”     

  

Narendra  and others are ever-perfect ­ they have bhakti since birth

(To Amrit and Trailokya) — Narendra, Rakhal and all these boys are ever-perfect. They are bhaktas of the Lord in every birth. Many attain a little devotion after practicing spiritual discipline and austerities but these boys have love for the Lord ever since their birth. For example, the idol of Shiva emerging from the earth and not an installed one.

“The ever-perfect are a class by themselves. Every bird doesn’t have a bent beak. They are never attached to the world. For example, Prahlada.

“Ordinary people practise spiritual discipline, they also have bhakti for the Lord. Along with it they get attached to the world too ­ they are enchanted by ‘woman and gold’. For example, a fly sits on the flower, on sandesh (a Bengali sweetmeat) and yet also on filth. (All are still and silent.)

“The ever-perfect are like a bee ­ it sits only on the flower and sips honey. The ever-perfect drink the nectar of Hari, they never go towards worldly pleasures.

“The bhakti of these (the ever-perfect ones) is not like the bhakti acquired by practicing spiritual discipline and austerities. So much of japa and so much of meditation is to be performed, worshipping in a prescribed manner — all these constitute ritualistic bhakti. It is like when there is paddy in a field, one has to go around along the ridge of the field to reach the other side of it. And again, suppose you have to go to a village in front, you will have to go around zigzag along the river.

“When raga bhakti[3], prema bhakti[4], or love for the Lord as one’s near and dear develops one doesn’t have to practise rituals any more. It is like crossing a harvested rice field. One doesn’t have to walk along the ridge of the field. One can go straight in one direction.

“When the river is flooded, you don’t have to walk around zigzag along with it. Then there is pole deep water in the field, the boat can go straight.

“You cannot attain the Lord without such raga bhakti, such devotion, such love.”

 

The essence of samadhi ­ savikalpa  and Nirvikalpa

Amrita — Sir, what do you experience in the state of samadhi?

Sri Ramakrishna — Have you not heard that the cockroach by meditating on the beetle itself becomes the beetle. Do you know how it is? It is like a fish released from a pot into the Ganga.

Amrit — Does even the least trace of ego is not left then?

Sri Ramakrishna — Yes, usually a little of ego remains in my case. Howsoever much you may rub a little piece of gold on a gold-stone, even then a small grain of it remains behind. Another example: A big fire and its spark. Outer consciousness disappears but usually He retains a bit of I-ness for enjoyment. It is only ‘I’ and ‘you’ that gives enjoyment. Sometimes He effaces even this I-ness. This is called jada samadhi ­ Nirvikalpa samadhi. What this experience is cannot be described by the word of mouth. A salt doll went to fathom the sea, as it went a little down it got dissolved. ‘Became just like it.’ Who would then come back to give the account ­ about how deep the ocean is? 

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