Section X

Festivity in Surendra’s Garden

Chapter One

Thakur rejoices with bhaktas

Today Thakur has come to Surendra’s garden. It is Sunday, 15 June, 1884, the sixth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Jaishtha. Thakur has been making merry with the bhaktas since 9 a.m.

Surendra’s garden is in Kankurgachhi locality near Calcutta. Not far from there is Rama’s garden[1] where Thakur paid his benign visit some six months ago. Today, there is a festival in Surendra’s garden.

Sankirtan[2] has started since the morning. The devotional singers are singing Mathur[3]. They describe the ecstatic love of the gopis and the sorry plight of Srimati (Radha) due to separation from Sri Krishna. Every now and then, Thakur gets surcharged with bhava. The bhaktas stand in the middle of the garden house all around in rows.

The sankirtan is going on in the bigger hall of the garden house. A white sheet has been spread on the floor of this room with bolsters at different places. The hall is flanked to its east and west by rooms, one on each side, and there is a verandah to the north and south of it. In front of the garden house, that is to the south, there is a beautiful tank with a specially built brick ghat. Between the hall and the ghat of the tank runs a garden path east-west. On both sides of this path are flower bushes and trees of crotons etc. Another path runs from the eastern edge of the garden house to the northern gate, covered over with red brick dust. On both sides there are various flower bushes and trees of crotons etc. Near the gate and to the east of the path there is another tank with a cemented ghat. The common men of this locality take their bath here and carry away the drinking water. On the western side of the garden house, there is a garden path. To the south-west of this very path is the kitchen. There is a lot of activity here today in preparation for a feast to serve Thakur and the bhaktas. Suresh and Rama supervise it regularly.

The bhaktas have assembled in the verandah of the garden house too. Some of them are strolling on the bank of the tank mentioned earlier either alone or with friends while others come to the cemented ghat for rest in between.

The sankirtan goes on. A crowd of bhaktas has assembled in the hall of the sankirtan. Bhavanath, Niranjan, Rakhal, Surendra, Rama, Master, Mahimacharan, Mani Mullick and many others are there. Many Brahmo bhaktas are also present.

The Mathur song goes on. The devotional singers start with Gaur Chandrika (lines in adoration of Chaitanya Deva). Gauranga has taken sannyasa, he is mad in the love of Krishna. The bhaktas of Navadwip are weeping in distress to see him. The chorus is singing the same: “Gaur, please come to Nadia once.”

Thereafter, they are singing the state of separation of Srimati (Radha). Thakur is overwhelmed with bhava. He suddenly stands and adds lines full of pathos to the song, “Friend, either bring the Pranavallabha (beloved of my soul) to me or take me to him.” Thakur goes into Radha’s bhava (mood). He becomes speechless during the conversation; his body is still, his eyes half closed. He has lost all consciousness ­ Thakur has gone into samadhi.

After sometime he regains the normal state. Again in the same pathetic tone he says, ‘Sakhi[4]! You purchase me by taking me to him. I shall become a maidservant of all of you. It is you who have taught me this love of Krishna. Pranavallabha (beloved of my soul)!’

The chorus goes on singing. Radha says, “Friend, I shall not go to bring water from the holy Yamuna. I saw the beloved friend (Krishna) under the kadamba tree. When I go there, I become overwhelmed.”

Thakur is again getting surcharged with bhava. Taking a long breath he heaves a sigh: “Aha! Aha!”

The kirtan continues. Srimati says:

Song:

I see so longingly in front of me the still limbs in total disarray.

In between the musicians are adding words: Perhaps he will become yours. Do please let me see him for once, O friend! The jewel of the jewels is gone. What need now of other jewels? My good days are over. I have fallen again on evil days. Haven’t my evil days lasted too long?

Thakur adds this: “Has that time not yet arrived?”

The chorus adds in this way: So much of time has passed. Has that time not come even today?

Song:

O friend! I am surely going to die.

My Kanhai is a mine of qualities, whom shall I leave him to?

O Friend! Don’t cremate Radha’s body nor throw it in water.

This body has been enjoyed by Krishna, don’t drop it in water.

When I die, place it on the tamal tree.

Keep it tied to the tamal tree so that it may go on getting its touch.

Krishna is dark and so is tamal. Let it remain in touch with the dark one.

Since my childhood, I have been very fond of the dark colour.

My Kanhai is of the same hue. See that my body be not separated from my Kanhai.

The tenth state of Srimati ­ she faints and falls down.

Radha has fainted and she has lost all consciousness.

How has this mart of joy vanished while chanting His name?

At this very moment the eyes of the most beloved friend are closed.

Why this has happened to Radha? Just now she was talking.

Someone smears Radha’s body with sandal paste,

Some others cry in sorrow: ‘Such a beloved soul is departing!’

Some pour water over Radha’s body that she may revive somehow.

Can water save one, who is dying in the love of Krishna?

Seeing Radha in a swoon, her friends chant the name of Krishna. And lo! Hearing the name of Shyam[5] she regains consciousness. Seeing the tamal tree in front she thinks perhaps Krishna himself has come to her.

Hearing the name of Shyam, Radha looks around.

Not finding the moonlike face of Krishna she begins to sob.

Says she, ‘Where is Sri Dam1 whose name you were chanting?

Bring him here but once that I may see him.’

She sees the tamal tree in front.

Examining it all over she says, ‘There is my Krishna’s plumage.’

Seeing the peacock on the tamal tree, she says, ‘There, there you see His plume.’

The friends make a plan and send a woman messenger to Mathura. She goes and makes friends with a resident woman in Mathura.

Song ­

 A woman of the same age asks for her introduction.

Srimati’s messenger friend says, “I shall not have to give him a call. He will himself come out.’ The messenger friend goes with the Mathura woman at the same place where Krishna is. She calls out weeping with a longing heart.

“Where are you, O Hari, the life of the gopis! The beloved of my soul! Radha’s sweetheart, the allayer of shame come and show yourself for once. I have said with great pride that you will yourself grant your darshan.”

Song ­

The Mathura woman goes about laughing and saying,

‘Alas, you the maiden gopi, how do you wish to see him in these poor clothes?

The king is seated beyond the seventh gate.

How will you, O woman, reach him?

I am ashamed to see your boldness. Tell me how you will reach there?

‘Alas! Alas! you the life of gopis, the philanderer, where are you? Save the life of your maid by appearing before her.

Where are you the life of gopis, the philanderer!

O, the master of Mathura, save the life and heart of your maid by appearing before her.

Hari, alas! alas! The beloved of Radha.

Where are you the beloved of my heart, Hari, O Hari, the allayer of my shame? Give me your darshan, O Hari and save the pride of your maid.’

The messenger woman calls aloud, ‘You the life and soul of the gopis, you the philanderer!’

Where are you, the life and beloved of the gopis! Hearing this Thakur goes into samadhi. At the end of the kirtan, the chorus sings aloud the name of the Lord. Prabhu (Thakur) stands up again. In samadhi! Regaining a little sense-consciousness, he says in an indistinct voice, “Kittan, Kittan (Krishna, Krishna).” He is absorbed in bhava. So he cannot pronounce the name (of Krishna) properly.

Radha meets Krishna. The chorus sings this topic.

Thakur adds his lines ­

Lo, Radha stands up.

Radha turns round and stands.

To the left of Shyam stands Radha, I say.

Embracing the tamal tree Radha stands up.

Now they sing the name of the Lord. They sing with the drum and cymbals, “Victory to Radha Govinda! Victory to Radha Govinda!” All are seized with the madness of love for God.

Thakur dances. The bhaktas also dance forming a ring around him, uttering, “Victory to Radha Govinda, victory to Radha Govinda.”

Chapter Two

Freedom from guile and God-realization ­ service of God and service of the world

After the kirtan Thakur sits for a while with the bhaktas. Niranjan comes in now and offers obeisance by prostrating himself on the ground. As Thakur sees him, he stands up. With eyes wide open he smiles joyfully and says, “So you have come!”

(To M.) “Look here, this boy is remarkably simple. Such openness and simplicity does not come unless a lot of austerity has been practised in the previous births. When a person is cunning and calculative, he cannot attain the Lord.

“Do you not see that wherever Bhagavan incarnated Himself as an avatara, there was guilelessness. How simple was Dasharath[6]! Nanda, Sri Krishna’s father, was free from guile! So the saying goes, ‘What a nature he has! Exactly like that of Nanda Ghosh (the milkman).”

The bhaktas are free from guile. Is Thakur hinting that the Lord has again incarnated Himself?

Sri Ramakrishna (to Niranjan) — I say, it looks as if a dark shadowy film has spread over your face. This is because you work in the office. You have to keep accounts in the office and perform so many other duties there. So you are always worried.

 “Like other men of the world you also do a job, yet there is a little difference. You have accepted the job for the sake of your mother.

“The mother is venerable, she is the very image of the All-Blissful Mother. If you had taken up a job for your wife or son, I would have said, ‘Fie on you! You are accursed! A hundred times shame on you!’

(To Mani Mullick) “Just see, this boy is absolutely free from guile. He has but one fault, he is untruthful at times. That day he said that he would come, but he did not turn up. (To Niranjan) That is why Rakhal asked you, why you did not see me in spite of coming to Ariadaha.”

Niranjan — I came to Ariadaha just a couple of days ago.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Niranjan) — He is a headmaster. He went to see you. I had sent him. (To M.) Did you send Baburam to me the other day?      

Chapter Three

Radha and Krishna ­ the ecstatic love of gopis

Thakur is conversing with three or four bhaktas in the western room. A number of chairs and tables have been placed together in this room.

Thakur is leaning on a table, half standing and half sitting.

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.) — Aha! What devotion the gopis had! They would get seized with the madness of love just on seeing the tamal tree. Such was the fire of separation burning in the heart of Srimati that tears from her eyes would dry up with its heat ­ they would just evaporate. At times people wouldn’t even know of Radha’s bhava. When an elephant enters a big lake, nobody comes to know of it.

M. — Yes sir, it was the same with Gauranga (Chaitanya Deva). On seeing a forest he thought that he was in Vrindavan, on seeing the ocean he thought it was Yamuna.

Sri Ramakrishna — Aha! If just a drop of this prema could fall to the share of a person! What a devotion! What a love! Not only sixteen annas (full complement) love but five sikas[7] and five annas! This is called love intoxication. The basic thing is to love Him, to have longing for Him. Then you may take the path you like. Whether you believe in God with form or God without form, whether you believe that Bhagavan incarnates Himself as a man or not, it is enough if you have devotion for Him. He will then Himself tell you what He is like.

“If you must be mad, be not so with the things of this world. Be mad for the Lord?”      

Chapter Four

Conversation on Hari (the Lord) with Bhavanath, Mahima and other bhaktas

Thakur returns to the hall. They have placed a bolster near his seat. While sitting down, Thakur touches the bolster uttering the sacred words, “Om Tat Sat[8].” Worldly people often visit this garden. They all use this very bolster. This is perhaps why Thakur recites the sacred words to ward off its defilement. Bhavanath, M. and some others sit beside him. Though it is already dark they have not yet laid out the feast. Thakur has the nature of a child. Says he, “Why have you not given us meals? Where is Narendra?”

A Devotee (laughs and says to Thakur) — Sir! Rama Babu is the incharge. He is supervising all arrangements! (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna (laughing) — Rama is the incharge, so the delay!                                                    

A Devotee — Sir, wherever Rama Babu is the incharge it is always so.

Sri Ramakrishna (to the bhaktas) — Where is Surendra?

“Aha! What a fine temperament Surendra has developed! He is so very frank ­ not afraid of anybody while talking. Besides, how generous he is! He never turns away anybody who asks him for help. (To M.) Did you go to Bhagavan Das? How did you find him?”

M. — Sir, I went to Kalna. Bhagavan Das is very old now. I saw him in the evening, he was lying on a cotton bedsheet. Somebody came and began to feed him the prasad. He is able to hear only when one speaks to him aloud. On hearing your name he said, ‘Where is the worry for you people now?’

“There is worship of the name of Brahman in that house.”

Bhavanath (to M.) — You have not been to Dakshineswar for long. In Dakshineswar he was asking me about you. He said, ‘M. has perhaps developed a distaste.’

Saying so, Bhavanath begins to laugh. Thakur has been listening to this dialogue between them. With eyes full of affection, he says to M., “Yes, yes. Why have you not been there for so long? Just tell me.”

M. only stammers out some lame excuses.

Just then arrives Mahimacharan. Mahima-charan, a resident of Cossipore, has great reverence and bhakti for Thakur. He often visits Dakshineswar. He belongs to a brahmin family and has some ancestral property. He lives independently and has not taken a job under anybody. He mostly talks of scriptures and meditates on the Lord. He is also a man of some learning. He has studied a number of books in English and Sanskrit.

Sri Ramakrishna (laughing, to Mahima) — I say, what is this! The ship has arrived here! (All laugh.) Here only a canoe could have come. But lo! this is a ship.  (All laugh.) Even so one thing is there ­ it is the month of Ashadha (month of rains). 

He converses for a long time with Mahimacharan.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahima) — Well, if you feed others, that too is a service in one way. What do you say? God is there in all beings in the form of fire (fire of hunger). Feeding someone means making an offering to Him.

“Even so one should not feed a wicked person. The place where persons who have committed adultery, fornication and such other vilest sins, where people who are drowned in sensuality sit to eat, the earth there is polluted more than seven cubits below.

“Once Hriday fed people in Seor, many amongst whom were wicked. I said to him, ‘Look here Hriday, if you feed these people, I shall leave your house immediately.’ (To Mahima) Well, I heard that you used to serve so much of meals to people earlier. Perhaps now it has become too expensive.”

 Chapter Five

With Brahmo bhaktas

The leaf plates are now being laid in the southern verandah. Thakur says to Mahimacharan, “Please go there once and see what they are doing. And I cannot say to you to help a little in serving meals.” Mahimacharan says, “Let them bring first. I shall see what is to be done then.” Saying so and making the sound of ‘hum, hum’ (as if tired) he goes a little towards the vestibule, but returns in a short while.

Thakur sits down for meals with the bhaktas. He is filled with supreme joy. After the meals he comes to the room to take rest. The bhaktas go to the cemented ghat of the southern tank, wash their mouth and hands and again assemble near Thakur while still chewing beetle leaves. They all take their seats. Pratap comes after two o’clock. He is a Brahmo devotee. As he comes, he salutes Thakur. Thakur salutes him back bowing down to him. He talks on various topics with Pratap.

Pratap — Sir, I went to the hills (Darjeeling).

Sri Ramakrishna — But you don’t look that healthy. Did you fall ill?

Pratap — Sir, I am also suffering from the same disease as his (Keshab’s).

Keshab also suffered from the same disease. Now they begin to talk on other matters concerning Keshab. Pratap says, “Keshab’s vairagya[9] was apparent since his childhood. He was seldom seen enjoying himself and making merry. He was a student of the Hindu College. He became great friend of Satyendra at this time and thus he came in contact with Devendra Nath Tagore. Keshab had both yoga as well as bhakti. At times, due to excessive bhakti he would sometimes go into a swoon. The main aim of his life was to bring religion in family life.”

 

Ego and esteem ­ ‘I the doer,’  ‘I the guru’ ­ signs of God-vision

The conversation turns on a lady from Maharashtra.

Pratap — Some women of this province have gone to the West. A lady from Maharashtra was very learned. She went to the West. But she has embraced Christianity. Sir, have you heard about her?

Sri Ramakrishna — No, but from what you say it appears that she had a desire for name and fame. Egotism of this kind is not good. ‘I am the doer,’ it comes out of ignorance. O Lord, You are the doer ­ this alone is jnana.   

 

The Lord alone is the doer and all others are non-doers

“You come to such a bad pass if you say, ‘I, I.’ Consider the state of a calf, you can understand it. The calf bleats, ‘Hamma, hamma.’ See, what troubles befall it. Perhaps it is yoked to a plough from morning till evening alike in the sun and the rain. Or perhaps a butcher kills it so that people may eat its meat. And its skin will be tanned into a hide. This hide is used to make shoes and other things. People will put their feet into it and walk. Even then its troubles don’t end. With its skin the drum is made. That drum is beaten constantly with a stick. In the end, its intestines are used to make gut. When this gut is used on the bow of the carder, it utters, ‘Tuhum, tuhum.’ Then it no longer says, ‘Hamma, hamma.’ Only the uttering of ‘Tuhum, tuhum,’ redeems, only this brings its liberation. Then it does not have to return to the field of activity.

       “Similarly, when the jiva (embodied soul) says, ‘O Lord! I am not the doer, you are the Doer; I am an instrument, you are the Being who uses the instrument,’ his trials and tribulations in the world cease. Only then the jiva is liberated, he doesn’t have to return to this field of activity.”

A Devotee — How can a jiva get rid of his ego?

 Sri Ramakrishna — It disappears only when one has realized the Lord. When a person is rid of his ego, he surely has had vision of the Lord.

A Devotee — Sir, how to know whether a person has seen the Lord?

Sri Ramakrishna — There are signs of the vision of the Lord. According to Srimad Bhagavata there are four signs of God’s vision. One becomes: (1) Like a child  (2) Like a pishacha (unclean spirit) (3) Like an insentient being (4) Like a mad man.

“He who has had the vision of the Lord develops the temperament of a child. He goes beyond the three gunas[10]. He does not get bound by any guna (quality). Besides, he seems to make no distinction between purity and impurity ­ thus he is like a pishacha (an unclean spirit). And then like a mad man he sometimes laughs, sometimes weeps, now he may dress himself like a gentleman but soon after he may strip himself naked and begin to roam about with his dhoti under his armpit. Thus, his is the state of a mad man. And sometimes he may sit quiet at one place like an insentient being ­  the condition of an inert, lifeless, material body.”

A Devotee — Does one get rid of one’s ego totally after the vision of the Lord?

Sri Ramakrishna — Sometimes He completely erases one’s ego, as in the state of samadhi. But generally He retains a trace of ego. However, there is no harm in this ego. It is like the ego of a child. A five years old child keeps on saying, ‘I, I,’ but he does not harm anybody.

“Iron becomes gold by touching the philosopher’s stone. The steel sword becomes a sword of gold. It keeps the shape of a sword, but does not hurt anybody. You cannot cut or kill with the sword made of gold.”

Chapter Six

Worship of ‘gold’ in the West. Is aim of life work or God-realization?

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — You went abroad. What did you see there? Do tell me all about it.

Pratap — In the West people are worshippers of what you call ‘gold.’ Still there are some good people, those who are unattached to worldly life. However, generally speaking, from end to end rajas (worldly work, activity) reigns supreme there. It is the same in America.

 

The West and Karma Yoga ­ Karma Yoga or Bhakti Yoga, which one for the age of Kali?

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — That attachment to worldly work is only to be found in the West is not true. It is all over the world. Even so, do you know what it is? Karmakanda[11] is a mark of the earliest stages of life. Without the sattvaguna (devotion, discrimination, dispassion, kindness and so on) one cannot attain the Lord. In the rajoguna work occupies the chief place. So it brings tamoguna with it. Too much work makes one forget the Lord, leading to added attachment to ‘woman and gold’.

“However, it is not possible to give up work all of a sudden. Your nature will lead you on to it, whether you want it or not. So, the instruction is: Work without attachment. Work without attachment means work without the expectation of any reward. For example, you take to worship, japa (recitation of the Name) and religious austerities not for name and fame, or for earning merit.

“Working unattached in this way is called Karma Yoga. But it is very difficult. On the one hand, you are in Kali Yuga ­ attachment creeps in so easily. You may resolve to work without attachment, but attachment enters from somewhere, you do not even come to know of it. Say, you have celebrated a big holy feast, or served a number of poor and paupers. You may have thought, ‘I am doing all this without any attachment.’ Yet the desire for name and fame enters from somewhere and you do not even come to know of it. Thus it is possible to be completely unattached only for those who have had the vision of the Lord.”

A Devotee — What is the way for those who have not attained the Lord? Should they renounce all worldly work?

Sri Ramakrishna — For the age of Kali there is Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion), the path of bhakti enjoined by Narada ­ to chant the name and glory of the Lord and pray with a longing heart, ‘O Lord, grant me jnana and bhakti, grant me Your vision.’ Karma Yoga is very difficult. That is why you must pray to God, ‘O Lord, lessen my work. Besides, whatever the work you have left for me, grant me that I should be able to perform it without attachment by Your grace. Moreover, grant that I may not have any desire to engage myself in more work.’

“It is not possible to give up work. I think I am meditating ­ this too is work. When you have gained bhakti, your worldly work decreases by itself. And then you begin to dislike it. Who would like to take water sweetened with molasses after having tasted water sweetened with ole sugarcandy?”

A Devotee — The Westeners are only exhorting to work more and more. Work, however, is not the aim of life.

Sri Ramakrishna — The aim of life is to attain the Lord. Work is only the first chapter of human life, it cannot be the aim of life. Even nishkama karma (selfless work) is only a means, not the end.

“Shambhu said, ‘Please bless me now that the money I have may be spent in a good cause ­ in building hospitals, dispensaries, roads, wells and so on.’ I said, ‘It is good to do all this work unattached, but it is very difficult. And you must remember by all means that the aim of your human life is to attain the Lord, not building hospitals and dispensaries. Suppose the Lord appears before you and tells you to ask for a boon. Will you then ask Him to build for you some hospitals and dispensaries, or will you say to Him: O Bhagavan, grant me somehow pure love at your lotus feet. And may I always see Your presence.’ Hospitals, dispensaries and so on, all these are transitory things. The Lord is the only Reality, all else is unreal. When He is attained, one realizes that He alone is the doer and that we are non-doers. Why must I then give Him up and perish by increasing so much of work? When He is attained, a number of hospitals and dispensaries will come up if He so wills. So I say: Work is the first chapter of human life, it is not the end of life. Take to spiritual practice and advance. As you practise and advance further, you will in the end know that the Lord is the only Reality and all else is unreal, and that the aim of life is indeed to attain the Lord.

“A woodcutter went to the forest to cut wood. There he happened to meet a brahmachari[12]. The brahmachari said to him, ‘I say brother, go ahead.’ On returning home, the woodcutter began to think why the brahmachari had asked him to go ahead.

“Thus passed away some days. One day while he was sitting, he was reminded of the words of the brahmachari. So he said to himself, ‘Let me go ahead today.’ As he went deep into the forest he found numberless sandalwood trees there. Full of joy, he brought sandalwood. And by selling it in the market he became very rich.

“In this way some days passed when he was again reminded of the words of the brahmachari, ‘Go ahead.’ Now, as he went further into the forest he found a mine of silver near the bank of a river. This he could have never dreamt. Now he picked up only silver from the mine and began to sell it. He earned so much money that he became a very wealthy man.

“Some more days passed. One day as he was seated he said to himself, ‘The brahmachari did not ask me to go only up to the silver mine. He asked me to go ahead.’ This time he crossed the river and saw a gold mine. Said he then to himself, ‘Nice indeed! That is why the brahmachari asked me to go ahead.’

“After a few days, he again went further and lo! he found heaps of diamonds and jewels lying there. Now he became as rich as Kuber[13].

“So I say, whatever you may be doing if you go ahead you will find something better. If you receive inspiration after reaching a particular stage, don’t think that you have come to the end. Yet work is not the end of life. Go ahead, you will be able to work selflessly. But selfless work is very difficult. So pray to Him with a longing heart, ‘O Lord, grant me bhakti at your lotus feet and reduce my work. And whatever work you leave for me to do, grant that I may be able to do it selflessly.’

“When you go further, you will find the Lord. You will have His vision and gradually you will have intimate talk with Him.”

The conversation now turns on the controversy about the pulpit in the temple after the demise of Keshab.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — I hear that there has been some controversy over the pulpit with you. They who have started this controversy are Hare, Pela and Pancha (men of ordinary calibre)! (All laugh.)

(To the bhaktas) “You see, Pratap, Amrit and some others ­ they do blow on the conchshell. And  the others which you hear do not produce any sound at all.”

Pratap — Sir, so far as the musical sound is concerned, a mango stone also gives sound.

Chapter Seven

Brahmo Samaj and Sri Ramakrishna ­ instruction to Pratap

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — Listen, on hearing the lectures of your Brahmo Samaj, one can very well know the bhava of the people there. Once they took me to a Hari Sabha. The preceptor there was a Pundit, Samadhyayi by name. He said, ‘The Lord has no rasa (sweetness), we have to make Him saras (succulent) with our loving devotion.’ I was flabbergasted on hearing this and was then reminded of a story. Once a boy said that his maternal uncle had a cowshed full of horses at his home. No horse can live in a cowshed, only the cows can. Hearing such absurdity what could one conclude? Just this that there are no horses or anything of the kind there. (All laugh.)

A devotee — Not that there is no horse there, there is not even a cow. (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna— Just see that He who is Rasaswaroop[14] was termed by him as neeras[15]! It only shows that he has never experienced what the Lord is.

 

‘I am the doer,’ ‘this is my house’ ­ all this is ignorance.
‘Diving deep’ is the aim of life

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — Listen, I tell you that you are well read, intelligent as well as grave and serious. You and Keshab were two brothers like Gaur and Nitai. You have had enough of lecturing, discussions, quarrels, disputes and the rest. Do you still like all these? Gather your whole mind and concentrate it on the Lord ­ just jump into the Lord.

Pratap — Yes sir, there is no doubt about it. This indeed is the duty. Even so, I should do all this so that his (Keshab's) name may be preserved.

Sri Ramakrishna  (laughing) — You say that you are doing all this to preserve his name. But after sometime even this spirit will not be there. Listen to a story.

“A person had his house on the top of a hill. It was a small thatched house. He had laboured hard to build it. After a few days there was a terrible storm. The thatched house began to shake. The man got very worried how to save the house. Said he, ‘O, Pavana Deva (the god of wind), please don’t break the house, O Father.’ But the god of wind turned a deaf ear to his words. The house began to shake violently. Then an idea came to his mind. He remembered that Hanuman was the son of Pavana Deva. As soon as this thought entered his mind, he cried out, ‘O Father! don’t break this house. It is Hanuman’s house. I beseech you.’ But the house was still shaking. Nobody was listening to him. When he had repeated ‘Hanuman’s house, Hanuman’s house’ so many times and nothing happened, he began to say, ‘Father, it is Lakshman’s house, it is Lakshman’s house.’ This too carried no weight. Then he began to call out, ‘Father, it is Rama’s house, it is Rama’s. I say Father, don’t break it. I beseech you.’ Even now nothing happened. The house began to crumble down. Now the question was to save his own life. So running out of the house the man said, ‘It is devil’s own house.’

(To Pratap) “You don’t have to save Keshab’s name. Take it that it all happened by the Lord’s will. It was there by God’s will and is coming to an end by His will. What can you do? Now your duty is simply to give your whole mind to the Lord, to dive deep into His sea of love.”

Saying so Thakur began to sing a sweet song in his divinely peerless voice.

Song ­

Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep, O my mind into the sea of Beauty.

Make a search in the regions lower and lower down under the sea;

You will come by the jewel, the wealth of prema (intense love of God).

Within your heart is Vrindavan, the abode of God who is love.

Search and look; search and look; search and look. You will find it.

Then shall burn without ceasing the lamp of divine wisdom.

Who is that Being that does steer the boat on land ­ on land, on solid ground?

Kabir says, ‘Listen, listen, listen! Meditate on the hallowed feet of the Guru (Divine preceptor).’

(To Pratap) “Did you hear the song? Enough of lectures, quarrels and so on. Now dive deep. In diving into this sea there is no danger to life. It is the sea of immortality. Don’t think that it will turn your head and don’t also think that a person becomes mad by calling long on the Lord. I said this to Narendra.”

Pratap — Who is Narendra?

Sri Ramakrishna — He is a young man. I said to Narendra, ‘Look here, the Lord is the sea of rasa (nectar; liquid sweet). Don’t you want to dive into this sea? Well, just imagine there is a bowl of nectar. And you are a fly. Where will you sit to drink the nectar?’  Narendra said, ‘I will sit on the edge of the bowl and sip by projecting my mouth towards it.’ I asked, ‘Why? Why sit on the edge?’ He said, ‘If I go further, I shall be drowned and lose my life.’ I then said, ‘My boy, there is no such danger in the sea of Sachchidananda. It is the sea of amrita (immortality). By diving into this sea nobody dies. On the other hand, one becomes immortal. By going mad after the Lord one does not lose one’s head.’

(To the bhaktas) “I and mine this is what is called ignorance. Rasmani built the Kali Temple ­ everybody says this. Nobody says that the Lord has built it. So and so founded the Brahmo Samaj ­ everybody says so. Nobody says that it came into being only by the will of the Lord. I am the doer, this is called ignorance. O Lord, You are the doer, I am the non-doer; You are the machine man, I am the machine, this is called jnana. O Lord! Nothing is mine. This temple is not mine, the Kali Temple is not mine, the Samaj is not mine ­ these are all Yours. Wife, son, family ­ none of these is mine. They are all Yours, this is jnana.

“People say: ‘This is mine, it belongs to me. Loving all such things is called maya[16]. When you love all, that is daya[17]. I love only the members of the Brahmo Samaj, or I love only my family ­ this is maya. Only to love your compatriots is maya. To love people of all countries, to love followers of all religions, this results from kindness and bhakti.

“Maya binds man. It takes one away from Bhagavan. Kindness makes one attain the Lord. Sukadeva and Narada both had kindness.”

Chapter Eight

Instructions to Pratap ­ Brahmo Samaj and ‘woman and gold’

Pratap — Sir, those who come to you are they progressing gradually?

Sri Ramakrishna — I say, where is the harm in leading the family life? Even so, one must live in family like a maidservant.

 

Spiritual practice in the family

“The maidservant while talking of her master’s house says, ‘Our house.’ But perhaps she has her own home in some village. On seeing her master’s house, she says, ‘Our house.’ But in her mind she knows that this house is not her’s and that her own home is in the village. Again she rears her master’s son and says, ‘My Hari has become very naughty, my Hari doesn’t like to eat sweetmeats.’ Though she says, ‘My Hari,’ but she knows that Hari is not her’s and that he is her master’s son.

      “Therefore, I ask those who come here, ‘Why do you not live a family life? There is no harm in it. Only you must keep your mind in the Lord when you live in family. Know it that the house or the family, nothing is mine. It is all God’s. My home is with the Lord.’ And I say, ‘Always pray earnestly for bhakti at His lotus feet.’ ”

Now the conversation again turns to the foreign countries. A devotee says, ”Sir, nowadays the learned men of the West don’t accept even the existence of the Lord.”

Pratap — One may be saying anything but none of them, as it seems to me, is an atheist at heart. Many have admitted that there is some Supreme Power behind the affairs of the world.

Sri Ramakrishna — This is enough if they believe in Power. How are they atheist then?

Pratap — Besides, the western scholars also believe in a moral government (which rewards good actions and punishes evil ones).

After a long conversation Pratap rises to take his leave.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Pratap) — What more can I tell you! I only say, don’t live amidst quarrels and controversies.

“And one thing more ­ it is ‘woman and gold’ which take a man away from the Lord. They don’t let him go to Him. You see that everybody praises his wife. (All laugh.) Whether she is good or not, if you ask what kind of a wife he has, he will immediately say, ‘Sir, she is good indeed.’ ”

Pratap — May I now leave?

Pratap leaves. Thakur’s nectarine words about renunciation of ‘woman and gold’ have not yet completed. The leaves of the trees in Surendra’s garden are shaking and murmuring by the blow of the southern breeze. All these words get mixed up with their sound. They strike the hearts of the bhaktas just once and in the end lose themselves in the infinite space.

But have these words not resounded in Pratap’s heart?

After sometime Manilal Mullick says to Thakur, “Sir, you must now depart for Dakshineswar. Keshab Sen’s mother and other ladies of the house are going there to have your darshan. Not finding you there, they may go back disappointed.”

Many months ago Keshab departed from this mortal world. So his venerable mother, wife and other ladies of his household will visit Thakur.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mani Mullick) — Wait a little, brother. I haven’t had my nap and rest. Besides, I cannot do anything in a hurry. If those persons have gone there, what can I do about it? There they will stroll in the garden, and derive great enjoyment from it.

 After a little rest Thakur is ready to leave for Dakshineswar. Before leaving he prays for the welfare of Surendra ­ he visits all the rooms one by one repeating sweetly the name of God. He does not want to leave anything unfinished. So he says as he stands, “I did not take luchis (fried bread) then. Bring me some now.”

He takes a small piece of luchi, eats it and says, “This has a lot of significance. On remembering that I had not eaten the luchi, I will again have the desire of coming here.”

Mani Mullick  — It would have been nice since we too could have come with you.

 

All the devotees laugh.