Section XIII

With Bhaktas in Dakshineswar

Chapter One

In Dakshineswar with Manmohan, Mahima and other bhaktas

Come on brother! Let us go again for his darshan. You will see the great man, the child who knows none but the Mother and who has come in a human body for us. He will tell how to solve the difficult problems of life. He will tell to the sannyasi, he will tell to the householder. His door is open. He is awaiting us in the Kali Temple of Dakshineswar. Come on, let us go to see him.

He is a man of infinite qualities, with happy looks, whose words bring tears to the eyes.

Let us go brother, let us realize the aim of human life by meeting Sri Ramakrishna who has a joyous face, who is intoxicated night and day with the love of the Lord, who is so sweet to look at and who is the ocean of motiveless grace.

It is Sunday, 26 October 1884 today, Hemant season (early winter). It is the 7th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik, time midday. The devotees are assembled in the same aforesaid room of Thakur. It has a semi-circular verandah to its west. The garden path runs north-south to the west of the verandah. There is a flower garden of Mother Kali to the west of the path. Next to it is the embankment, followed by the holy river Ganga flowing to the south.

A number of bhaktas are present. It is a mart of joy. Sri Ramakrishna is full of bliss and his love of God is reflected in the mirror of the faces of the devotees. What a wonder! This joy is not only in the mirror of the devotees’ faces, it is also reflected outside in the garden among the leaves of the trees, amidst various kinds of flowers, on the vast bosom of the Ganga, on the blue sky lit up by the sun rays, in the cool breeze carrying the drops of Ganga water flowing from the feet of Murari (Sri Krishna). What a wonder! Verily, verily even the particles of dust in the garden are filled with sweetness! I wish I could roll about on the dust alone secretly or along with the bhaktas! I wish I could stand aside in this garden the whole day and keep gazing at the sweetly flowing waters of the Ganga. I wish I could embrace and converse with the creepers, bushes, shrubs and bright and beautiful trees decorated with leaves and flowers taking them as my own. Doesn’t Thakur Sri Ramakrishna stroll on this dust? Doesn’t he walk amidst these trees, creepers and shrubs day and night? I wish I could gaze constantly at this illuminated cup of the sky! Don’t I see that the earth and the heaven are all swimming in the joy of love?

How is it that the priest, the doorkeeper and the attendants of the shrine all seem to be my very own? How is it that this place is looking as sweet as the native place seen after a long time? The sky, the Ganga, the temple of the deity, the garden path, the trees, the creepers, the bushes and shrubs, the attendants, the devotees seated there ­ it seems all are made of the same material. The material of which Sri Ramakrishna is made, it seems they will also be of the same material. It is like a garden of wax wherein the trees, the plants, the fruits, the leaves  are all  made of  wax. The garden path, the gardener,  the residents of  the garden, the residential quarters in the garden ­ all are made of wax. Everything of this place has been molded with joy!

Manmohan, Mahimacharan and M. are already there. Then gradually enter Ishan, Hriday and Hazra. There are many other devotees too besides them. Balaram and Rakhal are in holy Vrindavan. Some new devotees make visits these days. Narayana, Paltu, the Younger Narendra, Tejachandra, Vinod, Haripada and Baburam come and stay here sometimes. Rama, Suresh, Kedar, Devendra and other bhaktas also frequent this place ­ some after a week, some after two weeks. Latu stays here permanently. Yogen has his house nearby. He comes almost everyday. Sometimes comes Narendra and then it turns into a mart of joy. Narendra sings the glory and the name of God in his rare sweet voice, rare even for gods, sending Thakur immediately into various emotional moods and samadhi. It becomes as if a special festival. Thakur is very keen that some of the boys should stay with him night and day, for they are pure souls not bound by the worldly ties of marriage and worldly work. He asks Baburam (later Swami Premananda) to stay on and he does stay at times. Adhar Sen also comes frequently.

The devotees are seated in the room while Thakur Sri Ramakrishna stands there in a reflective mood like a child. The devotees glance at him.                      

 

The Undifferentiated and the Differentiated

Sri Ramakrishna (to Manmohan) — I see Rama (one of the incarnations of God) in all! You people are sitting here; I see Rama in all of you in different forms.

Manmohan — Rama has become all forms. But as you say ‘Apo Narayana’, water is Narayana; but some water is fit for drinking, the other is used for washing the face and yet another for washing utensils.

Sri Ramakrishna — Yes, but I see that He alone is everything. He has become the world and its creatures.

Saying so, Thakur sits down on his smaller cot.

 

Sri Ramakrishna’s firmness on truth
and difficulty in accumulation

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahimacharan) — I say, am I now a fanatic in thinking that I have to speak only the truth? If I suddenly say that I shall not eat, I cannot eat even if I am hungry. If I say that so and so has to take my wash pot to the Jhautala, and if someone else accompanies, I have to send back that person. What has happened to me, brother? Is there no way out?

“And then I cannot carry anything with me. Neither a beetle-leaf nor any other eatable, for then it would mean accumulation. I cannot even carry a clod of earth in my hand.’’

At this moment somebody comes and says, “Mahashay, Hriday [1] has come to the Yadu Mullick’s garden. He is standing at the gate and wishes to see you.” Sri Ramakrishna says to the devotees, “Please keep sitting here. Let me meet Hriday for a while.” Saying so he puts on the black varnished slippers and proceeds towards the eastern gate. Only M. is with him. The garden path has red brick dust over it. Thakur walks on this path facing east. The treasurer is seen standing on the path. He bows to Thakur. Now comes the gate of the southern courtyard. Here sits a special bearded gatekeeper. To the left is Kuthi ­ the rest house of the Babus. Formerly there was Neelkuthi here. So, it is called Kuthi. Beyond it are flowering trees on both sides of the path. Not far from there, to the south of this path is Gazitala and the ghat of Mother Kali’s pond beautified with steps. Then comes the eastern gate, the quarters of the gatekeepers to the left and the Tulasi platform to the south. Coming out of the garden he finds Hriday standing near the gate of Yadu Mullick’s garden.         

Chapter Two

The attendant stands nearby

Hriday stands there with folded hands. As soon as he sees Sri Ramakrishna, he lies down to prostrate on the main road. Thakur asks him to stand up. Hriday folds his hands again and starts weeping like a child.

What a wonder! Thakur Sri Ramakrishna also begins to weep. One can see tears in the corners of his eyes. He wipes them with his hands as if he never shed tears. How is it? This fellow Hriday had troubled him so much and he has come running to him and is crying!

Sri Ramakrishna — Why have you come now?

Hriday (weeping) — I have come to see you. To whom shall I tell my sorrows?

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling, to console him) — In the household one has such problems. Happiness and sorrows are a part of the householder’s life. (Pointing at M.) These people also come at times just for this reason. They come here to hear a word or two of God and get peace. What is your problem?

Hriday (still weeping) — I have lost your company, this is my grief.

Sri Ramakrishna — But you yourself said, ‘You live with your bhava (state of mind) and let me live with mine.’

Hriday — Yes, I did say so. But what do I know?

Sri Ramakrishna — You may go back today. We shall sit and talk about it some other day. It is Sunday today. Many persons have come. They are waiting. What type of harvest did you have in the countryside this year?

Hriday — Yes, it has been not that bad.

Sri Ramakrishna — You may go today. Come again some other day.

Hriday again lies prostrate to offer his pranam. Thakur returns by the same path. M. is with him.

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.) — He served me, but also troubled me equally When I was reduced to a skeleton because of my stomach trouble, when I could eat nothing, he used to say, ‘Just see how I eat. You cannot eat because of the state of your mind.’ And then he would add, ‘Fool, had I not been here all your sainthood would have been knocked out.’ One day he troubled me so much that I went to the embankment to drown myself in the water of the flood tide.

M. is speechless on hearing this. He perhaps wonders how he (Thakur) could be shedding tears for such a man!

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.) — Well, he was serving me so much. How is it that he has come to such a pass? He has looked after me just as one brings up a child. I used to lie unconscious night and day. Besides, I was ill for so long. I used to live the way he wanted me to live.

What could M. say? He keeps silent. He is perhaps saying to himself: May be Hriday did not serve Thakur selflessly.

Thakur reaches his room while talking. The devotees are waiting. Thakur goes and sits upon the same smaller cot.

Chapter Three

With devotees ­ converses on varied topics ­ profound truths about bhava and mahabhava

Besides Mahimacharan and others a number of bhaktas of Konnagar have arrived. A person discussed with Sri Ramakrishna for a long time.

A Bhakta from Konnagar — Sir, I heard that you go into bhava, that you experience samadhi. Why does it happen and how? Please tell me.

Sri Ramakrishna — Srimati (Radha) used to experience mahabhava. When a sakhi (friend) wanted to touch her, the other said, ‘Her body is in enjoyment with Krishna. Don’t touch her. Krishna is sporting within her person.’ One does not have bhava or mahabhava without experiencing God. When the fish comes out of the deep water, the water surges up in motion. The bigger the fish, the greater the motion. So in bhava the man laughs, weeps, dances and sings.

“One cannot remain in bhava for long. If [in that state] one just looks at himself in the mirror, he is taken as crazy.”

The Bhakta from Konnagar — Sir, we hear that you often have the vision of God. Please let us also see Him.

 

Vision of God not possible without karma and sadhan

Sri Ramakrishna — Everything is under God. What can a man do? While repeating His name tears flow out of the eyes at times, and sometimes they do not. While meditating on Him there is beautiful inspiration at times, and at other times nothing happens.

“One has to do karma. Only then one can have His vision. One day I saw Haldarpukur [2] in bhava. I saw that a person of low caste was taking water after removing the water plant from its surface. Each time he took water in his palm and examined it. It was as if he was telling me that you cannot see water unless you remove the water plant. Without karma (work for God) one cannot gain devotion, one cannot see God. Meditation and japa are all karma; singing His name and glory is also work. And then, charity and yajna are also work.

“If you want butter you have to make curd from milk and then keep it in a solitary corner. When the milk gets curdled, you have to make the effort to churn it and take out the butter.”

Mahimacharan — Yes Sir, no doubt one has to do karma. What can one gain without work? A lot of effort is needed. Then alone one achieves something. How much study is needed! Endless holy books are there!

 

What comes first: Study or God-realization

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahimacharan) — How much will you read holy books? What does it avail only to reason? Try first of all to attain Him. Putting your faith in the words of the Guru do some karma. If the Guru is no more, pray to Him (the Lord) with a longing heart. He will Himself tell you what He is like.

“What will you know by reading books? Till you have reached the market place, you can only hear noises like ‘ho-ho’ from a distance. It is quite different when you reach the market. Then you will clearly see, you will clearly hear, ‘Take these potatoes, pay for them.’

‘‘From a distance there is a sound of ‘ho-ho’ from the sea. When you come near to it, you are able to see that so many ships are sailing, the birds are flying and the waves are rising.

“One does not gain the right kind of experience by reading books. It is quite distant. After realizing Him books, scriptures, science all seem to be ‘khadkuto’  (dry straw, grass, twigs, etc.).

“You have to introduce yourself to the master of the house. Before that why are you so eager to know how many houses, gardens and scrips of companies he has? If you approach the servants, they will not even let you stand there. What information they will give you of the company shares? On the other hand, try somehow to meet the master even if you are pushed aside or you have to jump over the fence. Then he will himself tell you how many houses and gardens and shares he has. When you know the master, the servants, the doorkeeper and all others will salute you*.’’ (Everybody laughs.)

The Devotee — Now, how to meet the master of the house? (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna — That’s why karma is needed. It does not avail if you say, ‘God is’ and keep sitting where you are. You have somehow to approach Him. Call upon Him secretly, pray to Him, ‘Grant me Thy vision, grant please.’ Say this and cry with a longing heart. Just as you roam madly for ‘woman and gold’, be a bit crazy for Him too. Let people say that such and such person has gone mad for God. Give up everything for some days and only call upon Him secretly.

“What will it avail just to say ‘He exists’ and do nothing? There are big fish in Haldarpukur. Can you catch fish just by sitting on its bank? To attract it, you have to prepare its food and put it in the pond. The fish will come slowly from the deep water and agitate it. You will then feel happy. Maybe you are able to see a bit of a fish at times. A fish suddenly jumps up and you see it. You are then happier when you see it.

‘‘Turn the milk into curds, churn it and only then you will get butter.

 (To Mahima) “What a great trouble it is! Let somebody show him God while he keeps sitting at ease! Let somebody take butter and bring it to his mouth. (All laugh.) What a trouble! Let somebody else catch the fish and hand it over to him!

“Somebody wants to meet the king. The king is beyond the seven gates. He just passes through the first gate and asks, ‘Where is the king?’ The way is to pass through all the gates one by one.’’

 

The way to attain God ­ long for Him

Mahimacharan — What should we do to attain Him?

Sri Ramakrishna — It is not that you can attain Him by doing this and not by doing that. It depends upon His grace. Yet you have to take to some action with a longing heart. Longing for Him brings His grace.

“One needs some right opportunity ­ company of sadhus, discrimination, or the meeting of a sadguru (divine preceptor). Maybe that one’s elder brother takes up the responsibility of the household, or the wife is vidya shakti and very religious, or maybe one hasn’t married, has not got entangled in the household. It comes about when there is a situation like this.

“There was somebody who was very ill in a man’s house ­ he was in a critical condition.  Somebody said, ‘When it begins to rain in the swati nakshatra (a particular conjunction of stars), and this water falls into a skull, and if a poisonous snake while chasing a frog pounces upon it and (in the process) the frog jumps away and the (snake’s) poison falls into the skull, then if a medicine prepared with this poison is given to the patient, the patient can be cured. Now the person of the family of the patient set out for the journey after consulting for the right day, time and conjunction of stars. He began looking for the above situation with a yearning heart. He prayed to God in his heart: ‘Lord, if You let me procure all these, my objective will be fulfilled.’ Roaming about in this way he actually saw the skull of a dead body and then came a shower of rain in no time. The man then said, ‘O Master, I have found the skull of a dead person and it has also rained during the swati nakshatra, the water of which has also fallen into the skull. Now, O Thakur, bestow Your grace and procure the rest of the articles too.’ He was reflecting over it with a longing heart when he saw a poisonous snake coming there. The man was extremely happy. He was so excited that his heart began to thump. He said, ‘O Master, now the snake has also come and so many articles have been procured. Now please get me the remaining articles too.’ While he was praying thus, lo! there came a frog too. And the snake began to chase it. As soon as it approached the skull to pounce upon the frog, the latter jumped over and fell to the other side while the poison of the snake at once fell in the skull. The man then began to clap and dance in joy.

“So, I say that anything can happen if one has the longing for it.”  

                                                                        Chapter Four

Sannyasa and household ashrama ­ God-realization and renunciation ­ who is real sannyasi?

Sri Ramakrishna — Till you have completely renounced in the mind, you cannot attain God. The sadhu does not accumulate. ‘The bird and the darvesh (sadhu) do not hoard.’ The bird and the sadhu do not accumulate. As for me, I cannot carry even a clod of earth to clean my hands. I cannot carry the beetle-leaf in my bag (a small bag made of cloth). When Hriday was troubling me so much, I wanted to go to Kashi from here. I said to myself that I would be able to take a dhoti with me, but how to carry money. So I did not go to Kashi. (Everybody laughs.)

(To Mahima) “You people are householders, you have this as well as that ­ live in the household and also stick to the spiritual path.”

Mahima — Is it possible to live with this as well as that?

Sri Ramakrishna — I threw money in the Ganga water at the bank of Ganga, near Panchavati, saying, ‘Money and earth, earth is money, money is earth.’ But then I felt a fright. I said to myself, ‘Have I become a wretch given up by Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth)?’ If Mother Lakshmi stops giving me food, what will happen to me? I then calculated like Hazra. I said,   ‘Mother, please dwell in my heart!’ The Mother Bhagavati, happy with the austerity practised by a person, said to him, ‘Ask for a boon.’ He said, ‘Mother, if you have to grant me a boon, grant that I may eat rice in a gold plate with my grandson.’ Thus in one boon he asked for everything ­ grandson, prosperity and a gold plate! (Everybody laughs.)

“When you have renounced ‘woman and gold’ from the mind, your mind goes to God and gets absorbed in Him. They who are bound also attain liberation. One is bound when one is away from God. When does the lower needle not point at the upper needle of the goldsmith’s scale? The moment there is load of ‘woman and gold’ in one of its pans.

“Why does the infant cry after coming out of the womb? ‘I was in the womb, in yoga.’ After taking birth he cries and says, ‘Where, where am I? Where have I come? I was meditating on God’s lotus feet, and now where am I?’

“For you people what is required is renunciation in the mind. Live in your family without attachment.’’

 

Is it necessary to renounce the world?

Mahima — When the mind has gone up to Him, does one then stay with the family any more?

Sri Ramakrishna — What are you saying? Where will you go if you don’t stay in family? I clearly see that I am in Rama’s Ayodhya wherever I may be. This family life, this worldly life is Rama’s Ayodhya. Having received spiritual knowledge from his guru Ramachandra said, ‘I will renounce the family life (world).’ Dasharath called Vaishishtha to make Rama change his mind. Vaishishtha saw that Rama was under deep dispassion. He then said, ‘Rama, first reason it out with me; you may renounce the world later. Well, tell me, is this world without God? If that be so, you may renounce it.’ Rama understood that God Himself has become the world, its creatures ­ everything. It is because of His power that one perceives everything as real. Ramachandra became silent then.

“You have to fight against lust, anger and so on in the worldly life; you have to fight against various desires. You have to fight against attachment. If the fight is given from inside the fort, it is convenient ­ it is better to fight living in the household. Here you get food, the wife helps you in so many ways. In Kaliyuga life depends on food. It is better to be at one place than to roam about from place to place for food. This is as if fighting from inside the fort of household.

“And you should live in the world like a scrap leaf in a storm. The storm takes the scrap leaf sometimes inside the house, sometimes it is carried to a heap. The leaf is carried away in the direction of the wind ­ sometimes at a neat place and sometimes at a dirty place. He has kept you in the family life; it is good, you rather stay there. Again when He lifts you from there and carries to a better place, it will be what it may.”

 

Resignation in family life ­ Rama’s will

“What can you do if you are kept in the world? Resign (surrender) everything to Him. Then there will be no trouble. You will then realize that it is He who is doing all. Everything depends on Rama’s will.”

A Devotee — ‘Rama’s will’ ­ what is that story?

Sri Ramakrishna — There was a weaver in a village. He was very religious. Everybody trusted him and loved him. The weaver would go to the market to sell dhotis. When the customer asked the price, he would say, ‘By Rama’s will, cotton thread costs one rupee; by Rama’s will labour charges is four annas; by Rama’s will, profit two annas. So, the price of the dhoti by Rama’s will is one rupee six annas.’ People had so much faith in him that they would immediately pay and buy the cloth. This fellow was a great devotee. After his dinner he would sit in the Chandi-mandap* till late in the night, meditate on God and sing His glories. One night it was very late but this fellow did not feel sleepy. He was smoking in between. Just then a group of dacoits was passing that way to commit dacoity. They needed a porter. So, they came to the weaver and said, ‘Come along with us.’ Saying so, they pulled him by the hand and took him along. Then they committed dacoity in a house. They placed so many articles on the weaver’s head to carry. Just then the police arrived. The dacoits ran away but the weaver was caught with all those articles on his head. He was kept in the police lockup that night. The next day he was tried by a magistrate. When the villagers came to know of it, they all came there. They all said, ‘Sir, this fellow can never commit a dacoity.’ The magistrate then asked the weaver, ‘I say, tell me how it all happened with you?’ The weaver replied, ‘Sir, by Rama’s will, I took rice at night. By Rama’s will, then I sat in the Chandi-mandap. By Rama’s will, it was very late at night. By Rama’s will I was meditating on Him and was singing His glories when by Rama’s will a group of dacoits was going that very way. By Rama’s will, they pulled me and took me along with them. By Rama’s will, they committed dacoity in a house. By Rama’s will, they placed a load on my head. Then by His will I was caught. By Rama’s will, the police put me in the lockup. And now this morning by Rama’s will I have been brought before you.’

“Seeing that the fellow was so religious, the magistrate discharged him. On the way the weaver said to his friends, ‘By Rama’s will, I have been discharged.’

‘‘Whether one is living in the household or one has taken sannyasa, all is Rama’s will. So, resign yourself to His will and do your duties living in the world.

“Except for this what can you do?

“A clerk is sent to jail. Period of his sentence ends, he is released from the jail. Now shall he dance joyfully to the beat of drum or would he return to his profession of clerkship?

‘‘A person who is jivanmukta (liberated in this very life), may live the family life if he so wills. For a man who has attained jnana, there is nothing like ‘here’ and ‘there’. It is all the same for him. Everything ‘here’ as well as ‘there’ belongs to Him.”

 

The earlier story of his life ­ conversation with   Keshab Sen ­ jivanmukta in the world

“When I saw Keshab Sen for the first time in the garden house, I said, ‘He has cast off his tail.’ Everybody in the assembly laughed. Keshab said, ‘Please don’t laugh. His words have some meaning. Let me ask him.’ I said: So long the frog does not shed off its tail, it has to live only in water. It cannot climb the edge and roam about on dry land. As soon as it casts off its tail, it jumps up and comes to the dry land. Then it can live both in the water as well as on the land. Similarly, till the man sheds the tail of his ignorance, he lies in the water of worldliness. When he casts off the tail of ignorance, when he attains jnana he is liberated and can move about everywhere ­ and if he likes, he can live even in family.’’              

Chapter Five

In the context of household life ­ the unattached householder

Mahimacharan and other devotees are sitting and drinking the nectar of the story of God from Sri Ramakrishna. His words are like jewels of varied colours. The devotees are picking up as much as they can. But the lap of their dhoti is already full. It is so heavy that they can’t pick it up. Their capacity is limited, they cannot contain more. He is solving all the problems on diverse subjects that have risen since the creation of the world to this day in the hearts of men. Padmalochan, Narayana Shastri, Gauri Pundit, Dayananda Saraswati and such other scholars of scriptures sit silent in wonder. When Dayananda saw Sri Ramakrishna and witnessed him
in the state of samadhi, he lamented, “We people have just studied so much of the Veda and Vedanta but in this great man we see its manifestation. On seeing him it is proved that the learned only take buttermilk when they churn the scriptures. Such great men as he only eat butter.” Besides, learned men like Keshab Chandra Sen, educated in English, are also amazed at seeing Sri Ramakrishna. They think: What a wonder, how this illiterate person explains such matters. This is very much like Jesus Christ. Language rustic! He explains the same way by parables so that men, women and boys ­ all may understand easily. Jesus repeated, ‘Father, Father’ like a mad person. He is mad uttering, ‘Mother, Mother.’ He has not merely the inexhaustible treasure of spiritual wisdom, he is also spilling endlessly pots and pots of divine love and still it does not exhaust. He is also a man of renunciation like Jesus and also has the same burning faith. That is why his words are so powerful. When the worldly people talk, such conviction cannot be there because they have no renunciation, because they have no burning faith in them. The learned like Keshab Sen think further, “How has this illiterate person developed such broad-mindedness! What a wonder! There is no ill will in him. He respects followers of all religions, he does not quarrel with anybody.”

Today, hearing Thakur’s conversation with Mahimacharan some bhaktas say to themselves, “Thakur hasn’t asked anybody to renounce the family life. On the other hand, he said that the household is like a fort; you can fight against lust, anger, etc. while staying in this fort.” He also said, “Where else will you go if you do not live in family? The clerk only resumes clerkship when he is freed from the jail.” In a way he says that a jivanmukta (liberated person) can live in the family also. Keshab Sen ­ the ideal. To him he said, “Only you have shed your tail, none else has.” But Thakur has said something very special, “You have to live from time to time in solitude. You have to fence round the young plant otherwise, it will be eaten up by the goat or the cow. When the plant has grown a big trunk, you may or may not remove the fence. Even if an elephant is tied to it, the tree will not come to any harm. There is no danger if you live with family after having lived in solitude and after having attained jnana and bhakti.” That is why he only talked of living in solitude.

The devotees are reflecting thus. After talking of Keshab, Sri Ramakrishna talks of one or two other devotees.

 

 

Devendra Nath Tagore ­ yoga and bhoga (sensory enjoyments)

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahimacharan and others) — I once went with Sejo Babu* to meet Devendra Tagore. I said to Sejo Babu, ‘I have heard that Devendra Tagore meditates on God. I wish to see him.’ Sejo Babu said, ‘Alright baba (father), I shall take you to him. We were class fellows in the Hindu College. He has special affection for me.’ After many days I had the opportunity of meeting him with Sejo Babu. Seeing Sejo Babu Devendra said, ‘You have changed a bit. You have developed a ponch.’ Sejo Babu introduced me to him saying, ‘He has come to meet you. He is mad after God.’ To see Devendra’s trait I said to him, ‘Well, let me examine your body.’ Devendra took off his shirt. He was fair and his body (roughed) as if sprinkled with vermilion.

“Initially I noticed that there was some pride in him. And why not? He had so much wealth, so much learning, name and fame. Seeing his pride I said to Sejo Babu, ‘Well, does pride come from jnana or ajnana? Does a person who has attained the knowledge of Brahman has the pride of learning, of jnana or wealth?’

‘‘Suddenly I went into that very state while talking to Devendra. When I am in that particular state, I can see what kind of person one is. A peculiar laughter, ‘Hee-hee’ arose within me on seeing him. When I am in such a state, I feel that the learned are just like pieces of straw ­ when I see that there is no discrimination and dispassion in a pundit, he appears to me just as dry pieces of grass and straw (unworthy person). I then see as though a vulture is flying high but its eyes are on charnel pits.

“I saw that he had both yoga and bhoga. He had many small children; the doctor had arrived. It is for this reason that though a man of knowledge, he had to lead the life of a householder. I said, ‘You are the ‘Janak’ of Kaliyuga. Janak was loyal to both matter and spirit and at the same time drank his cup of milk. You are living with your family keeping your mind on God. I heard about it, so I have come to see you. Please talk to me about God.’

“Then he narrated some portions from the Vedas. He said, ‘This world is like a chandelier and every being is a lamp in it.’ When I was meditating here in Panchavati I had seen exactly the same. Seeing that it resembles with Devendra’s words, I thought he was really a great man. I asked him to explain further what he had said. Then he said, ‘Who knew this world? God made men to proclaim His glory. If there is no light in the chandelier, it is all dark around. You cannot even see the chandelier.’ ”

 

‘Uncivilized ways’ and Brahmo Samaj ­                     
the Captain, a householder devotee

‘‘After a long conversation Devendra said to me in a happy mood, ‘You have to come in our celebrations.’ I said, ‘It is all God’s will. You can see what is the state of my mind. I don’t know when would the Mother keep me in a particular state.’ Devendra said, ‘No, no, you have to come, but please clad yourself in dhoti and upper cloth. Seeing you clad carelessly if somebody makes a remark, I would feel hurt.’ I said, ‘I shall not be able to do so. I cannot become a babu.’ Devendra and Sejo Babu both laughed.

“The very next day Sejo Babu received a note from Devendra asking me not to go to the festival. Reason? It would be uncivilized if I am not able to retain the upper cloth on my body. (All laugh.)

(To Mahima) “And then there is an another person, the Captain*. Though a householder, he is a great devotee. You must talk to him.

‘‘The Captain knows the Vedas, the Vedanta, Srimad Bhagavata, the Gita, the Adhyatma (Ramayana) ­ all these by heart. Just talk to him and see.

“He has great devotion! I was walking on the road from Barahnagar when he held his umbrella over my head. How hospitable he is when he takes me to his house ­ he fans me, massages my feet and serves various kinds of vegetables to me. One day I fell unconscious in his closet. Though he is so orthodox yet he went into the closet and made me sit on the defecation seat. He is so orthodox yet he did not feel any repulsion.

“The Captain has to spend a lot. His brothers live in Kashi, he has to send money to them. His wife was miserly and now she is so hard pressed that she cannot spend much on anything.

“The Captain’s wife told me that she does not like the household life. So she said to me once that she would leave her family life. She has been saying at times, ‘I shall leave, I shall leave.’

“He comes from the family of devotees. His father used to go to the battlefield. It is said that with one hand he used to worship Shiva and with the other he would fight with a bare sword.

“And this man (the Captain) is very orthodox. I used to go to Keshab Sen, so he did not come here for a month. Reason? Keshab Sen is non-orthodox ­ he eats with the English, he has married his daughter in another caste and he does not believe in caste. I said to him, ‘What does all this matter to me? Keshab repeats the name of Hari, I go to see this. I go to him to hear of God. I take cherries, I am not concerned with thorns.’ Even then he did not leave me. He asked me, ‘Why do you go there to Keshab Sen?’ Then feeling a little bit irritated I said, ‘But I don’t go to him for money. I go to him to hear of God. And why do you go to the Governor’s house? He is a malechha (non Hindu). How do you stay with him?’ When I said so much, he stopped for a while.

“But he has a lot of devotion. During puja he performs arati with camphor and sits on his asana (seat of worship) and sings the hymns. At that time he is quite a different man ­ as if he is completely lost (in devotion).’’      

Chapter Six

The doctrine of maya in Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahimacharan) — According to the Vedanta philosophy the world is all maya, like a dream ­ all illusory. He who is Parmatman is there as a witness ­ He is the witness in all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. All these conform to your way of thinking. The waking state and the dreaming state are both equally true. Listen to a story. It conforms to your thinking.  

“There lived a peasant in a village. Spiritually he was very wise. He did farming. He had a wife from whom he had a son after a long period. He named him Haru. Both the parents loved this boy. Why not? He was the precious bright jewel of the family. The peasant was religious minded. Everybody in the village liked him. One day he was working in his farm when somebody came to inform him that Haru had the attack of cholera. The farmer went home and gave him good treatment but the boy died. Everybody in the family was sorrow-stricken. But the farmer was as if nothing happened to him. On the top of it, he consoled others saying that it was no use to sorrow. And he went back to his field for farming. On his return to the home he saw that his wife was weeping more bitterly. She said to him, ‘How hardhearted you are! You have not shed a tear for your son.’ The farmer then said calmly, ‘I tell you why I am not weeping. Yesterday I had a great dream. I dreamt that I was a king and the father of eight sons. I was in all happiness when I woke up. Now I am in great confusion ­ whether I should sorrow for those eight sons or for this one son of yours.’

“The farmer was a man of spiritual wisdom. So, he could see that the state of waking is as illusory as the state of dream. Only the Atman is one thing eternal.

“I accept all. The state of turiya and also of waking, dream and deep sleep. I accept all the three states. I accept Brahman as well as maya, the jiva and the world ­ all. If I do not accept all, it loses weight.’’

A Devotee — How does it lose weight? (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna — Brahman is qualified by the jiva (embodied soul) and the world. In the beginning, while saying ‘Not this, not this,’ one should leave out the jiva and the world. So long as one has the feeling of I-ness one feels that He Himself has become everything. He indeed has become all the twenty four categories.

“When one talks of the essence of the bel fruit, one only understands that it means the kernel ­ its seeds and shell have to be thrown away. But to be able to tell the weight of the bel fruit simply weighing the kernel alone will not do. One has to take the kernel, the seeds and the shell together to weigh it. The kernel belongs to it and so do its seeds and shell.”

The Nitya (Absolute) belongs to Him and                                          
so does the leela (phenomenal world)

“So, I take the Nitya as well as the leela. I don’t do away with the world by calling it maya. If I do so, it will lose weight.”

 

The doctrine of maya and Vishishtadvaitavada ­  Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga

Mahimacharan — Beautifully harmonized! From the Nitya to the leela and again from the leela to the Nitya.

Sri Ramakrishna — The jnanis see all like a dream. The bhaktas accept all the states. The jnani yields milk in driplets. (All laugh.) Some cows are very choosy while grazing, so they yield milk in driplets. They who do not discriminate so much and eat everything give streams of milk. The highest class devotee [3] accepts both the Nitya and the leela. So he can enjoy Him even when his mind comes down from the Nitya. The highest class devotee yields milk in streams. (All laugh.)

Mahima — That is why this milk has a particular smell. (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling)  — Yes, it has. But it has to be boiled a bit. You must heat it a little on fire. You should heat this milk on the fire of jnana. It will not smell then.  

 

Omkar and the communion of Nitya and leela

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahima) — You people explain Omkar just by ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’.

Mahimacharan — ‘A’ for creation, ‘u’ for preservation and ‘m’ for dissolution.

Sri Ramakrishna — I explain it with the sound ‘tam’ of the brass bell ­ t...a...m. Merging into the Nitya from the leela; merging into the Great Cause from the gross, the subtle and the causal; merging into the state of turiya from the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Then the bell rings as if something big has fallen into the ocean giving rise to its waves. The leela thus starts from the Nitya; the gross, the subtle and the causal forms start appearing out of the Great Cause. All the states of  waking, dreaming and deep sleep come out of turiya. And again the wave of the great ocean loses itself into the great ocean. Reach leela holding on to the Nitya and then reach the Nitya holding on to leela*, I have been shown this. I use the simile of the sound ‘tam’. I have precisely seen all this. I was shown the sea of consciousness, it is limitless. All this leela rose from it and then merged into it. Millions of brahmandas (universes) come into existence into the space of consciousness and then they lose themselves into it. I do not known what your books say.

Mahima — They who have seen have not written the scriptures. They remained absorbed in their bhava. Where was the time for them to write? To be able to write, one needs analytical mind. The others heard from them and wrote.

 

How long remains attachment of the world?                  
Till the attainment of the bliss of Brahman

Sri Ramakrishna — The worldly people ask why the attachment to ‘woman and gold’ does not vanish. The attachment goes when God is attained [4] . If you once taste the bliss of Brahman, your mind does not run after sensual pleasures, wealth and honour.

“If the insect of the rainy season (moth) sees the light once, it does not go to the darkness again.

“Ravana was asked, ‘You take so many different forms for Sita with the help of maya. Why don’t you once assume the form of Rama and go to her?’ Ravana replied, ‘Tuchham Brahmapadam paravadhusangah kutah ­ when I think upon Rama even the seat of Brahma appears to be too low, what to talk of another’s wife. How can
I assume that form of Rama?’

 

More one develops devotion, the less becomes one’s attachment to the world ­ Chaitanya’s devotees are unattached

“All the sadhan and bhajan (spiritual practices) are for attaining Him. The more you meditate on Him, the less you have attachment for enjoying the ordinary things of the world. The more devotion you have for His lotus feet, the less of desire for sensory objects you will have and the lesser your mind will concern itself with the bodily comforts. Someone else’s wife will appear to you as mother. Your own wife will be your helper in the religious life. She will appear to you like a friend. You will be freed from your animal instincts and divine qualities will develop within you. You will be completely detached from the world. Then even if you live in the world, you will move about as jivanmukta. The devotees of Chaitanya Deva lived in the world without attachment.”

 

Deep secret of the jnani and the bhakta

(To Mahima) “You may talk of Vedanta a thousand times to a genuine bhakta and call the world like a dream before him, his devotion will not vanish. He may shed it a little for a while. A pestle was lying in a field of willows, it resulted in musalam kulanashnam (the pestle destroying the dynasty).

‘‘One becomes a jnani when one is born of Shiva. His mind always goes to this knowledge ­ ‘only Brahman is the reality, the world an illusion’. If one is born of Vishnu, one possesses prema bhakti (loving devotion). This prema bhakti does not leave you easily. Upon reasoning even if this prema bhakti is diluted, it returns gushing forth after a time just as the pestle destroyed the dynasty of the Yadus.” 

Chapter Seven

Service to mother and Sri Ramakrishna ­ Hazra Mahashay*

Hazra is performing japa sitting in the verandah to the east of Thakur Sri Ramakrishna’s room. He is 46/47. He belongs to the same region as that of Thakur. He has developed dispassion for quite a long time. He remains away from his house and visits home only occasionally. He has a piece of land in his village. He supplies the needs of his wife, son, daughter and others with its income. Even so, he has incurred a debt of about a thousand rupees. So, he remains always worried. How to pay back this debt is his constant concern. He often visits Calcutta. Ishan Chandra Mukhopadhyay, who resides in Thanthania, has great respect for him and serves him like a sadhu. Sri Ramakrishna is keeping him by his side with great care. When his dhoti wears out, he gets him a new one. He always enquires after him and constantly talks of God to him. Hazra Mahashay is very argumentative. During conversation he is often carried away by his argument. Sitting on the asana in the verandah he is always performing japa on his rosary.

The news of the illness of Hazra’s mother has been received. When Ramalal was coming from his village, she held his hand and requested him insistently, “Carry this humble request of mine to your uncle (Thakur) that he may please send Pratap (Hazra) here somehow. Let him see me once.” Thakur conveyed this to Hazra saying, “Go to your home once, see your mother and return. She repeatedly said so to Ramalal. Can one ever call upon God after hurting one’s mother? Go there once and then you may come back.”

When the meeting of the devotees is over, Mahimacharan comes to Thakur with Hazra. M. is also present there.

Mahimacharan  (smiling, to Sri Ramakrishna) — Sir, I have to say something to you. Why have you asked Hazra to go home when he does not want to go to his family?

Sri Ramakrishna — His mother expressed great grief to Ramalal. So I said, ‘You may go only for three days. Come after meeting her once.’ Can one practise sadhana for the Lord after hurting one’s mother? I was going to Vrindavan to stay there when all of a sudden I remembered my mother. I said to myself, ‘Mother would weep.’ Then I returned here with Sejo Babu.

“And then what fear a jnani has in going to his family?”

Mahimacharan (smiling) — But Sir, provided one has attained jnana.

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling) — Hazra has attained all. Only a little of his mind is in the household ­ he has sons and has incurred some debt. ‘The aunt has completely recovered, only a bit of sickness remains.’ (Everybody laughs.)

Mahima — But Sir, when has he gained jnana?

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling) — No brother, you don’t know. Everybody says that Hazra is the only devotee who is living in Rasmani’s temple. They only talk of Hazra. They never talk of this (pointing to himself). (All laugh.)

Hazra — You are unmatched. You cannot be compared with anyone. So, none understands you.

Sri Ramakrishna — That is why the matchless one cannot help anybody. Why should then one talk of this?

Mahimacharan — Sir, what does he know? He will just do what you instruct him to do.

Sri Ramakrishna — Why? Just ask him. He says to me, ‘I have nothing to do with you.’

Mahima — He is very argumentative.

Sri Ramakrishna — And then he also lectures me from time to time. (All laugh.) During a discussion I perhaps abused him. After the discussion I lay inside the mosquito net. Then I remembered what language I had used. I went to offer my obeisance to Hazra. Only then my mind was at peace.

 

Vedanta and the pure atman

(To Hazra) “Why do you call the pure Atman as Ishwara (the Lord)? The pure atman is beyond all action. It is only a witness to all the three states. When I think of creation, preservation and dissolution I call Him Ishwara. What is a pure soul like? It is like the magnet lying at a distance. But the needle still moves, the magnet itself remains unmoved ­ actionless.’’

       Chapter Eight

Evening music and conversation with Ishan

It is almost evening. Thakur is strolling. On seeing Mani sitting all alone and meditating Thakur suddenly addresses him lovingly and says, “Look here, please bring one or two markeen (a coarse white fabric) shirts. I cannot wear shirts procured from everybody. I was thinking of asking Captain, but now you may bring them. Mani had stood up. He says, “At your service.”

It is twilight hour. The incense is burnt in Sri Ramakrishna’s room. He pays obeisance to the deities and having repeated the beeja mantra* is singing the Name. There is unique splendour outside the room. It is the seventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik. The pure rays of the moon falling on Thakur Bari make it smile. On the other hand, the ripples on the Bhagirathi (Ganga) are heaving sweetly like the sleeping babe’s chest. The tide is over. The sound of the arati mixing with the melodious murmuring sound produced by sweet, white current of the Ganga loses itself afar into the distance. Three aratis are being performed in three shrines at the same time in Thakur Bari ­ in the Kali Temple, in the Vishnu Temple and in the Shiva Temple. Twelve aratis in twelve Shiva temples one by one! The priest goes from one temple to the other.

The gong in the left hand, pancha pradip (lamp with five wicks) in the right, an attendant with cymbal in his hand. The arati is being performed. Along with it, the sweet sound of the roshan chowki [5] from the south-west corner of the shrine is being heard. The Nahabat Khana (drum room) is there. The evening raga ragini (the modes of Indian music) is being played. The perpetual festival of the All-Blissful Mother is as if reminding the jiva never to be unhappy. The joys and sorrows of the world are there, let them be so. The Mother of the Universe, our Mother, is there. Rejoice. The son of the maid of the house has not enough to eat, has not enough to wear, no house, no hearth. Even then there is courage within, he has his mother. He is fearless in the lap of his mother. She is not a step-mother, She is the real mother. Who am I, from where have I come, what will happen to me, where will I go ­ all this the Mother knows. Why rake the brain so much? My Mother knows ­ my Mother who has made me with a body, mind, life and atman. I don’t even want to know. If it is necessary, She will tell me. Why rake the brain so much? You all the children of Mother, rejoice!

The world outside bathed in moonlight is smiling. Inside the room Sri Ramakrishna is seated filled with the joy of love of Hari. Ishan has come from Calcutta. More conversation of God takes place. Ishan has great faith. He says, “Shulapani (Shiva) with a trident in his hand accompanies one who goes on a journey with Durga’s name on his lips. What is there to fear of misfortunes when Shiva Himself guards?”

 

Attainment of God through faith ­                       
instructions on Karma Yoga to Ishan

Sri Ramakrishna (to Ishan) — You have firm faith, but I do not have that much.  (All laugh.) One attains Him by faith alone.

Ishan —Yes Sir.

Sri Ramakrishna — You perform japa, daily puja, observe fast, perform purushcharan, and rituals (repetition of the holy mantra, etc. for the fulfillment of some task as laid down in the scriptures). This is very good. God gets all these karmas done from him who has the sincere attraction for Him. If one is able to perform all such karmas without desire for fruit, one surely attains Him.

Vaidhi bhakti and raga bhakti ­                                 
when do karmas fall off?

‘‘The scriptures instruct to perform numerous karmas, so I perform them ­ this is called vaidhi (ritualistic) bhakti. The other is raga bhakti. It comes out of a special deep love ­ love for God, as was that of Prahlada. When one develops this bhakti, there is no longer the need for vaidhi karmas.”  

Chapter Nine

In the heart of the disciple

Before evening Mani is strolling as he recalls: Rama’s will. This is indeed very beautiful! It solves all the confusion between predestination and freewill, between liberty and necessity. “I was captured by the dacoits because of Rama’s will; I was smoking, that too by Rama’s will; I committed a dacoity by Rama’s will; I was held by the police also by Rama’s will. I have become a sadhu by Rama’s will. I pray, ‘O Lord, may my intellect be not impure. May you not goad me on to dacoity.’ This too is Rama’s will. The right desire and the wrong desire are both given by Him. Even so, there is a special point: Why should He give the wrong intellect? Why should He give the desire to commit dacoity? In answer to this Thakur said, ‘Just as He has made the lion, the tiger and the snake among animals, just as He has made the poisonous tree among trees, similarly He has also made thieves and dacoits among men.’ Why has He made them, who can tell? Who can understand God’s ways?

But then if God has made everything, the sense of responsibility ends there. But why would it end? Unless you have realized God, unless you have had His darshan, you cannot understand Rama’s will a hundred per cent. So long as you don’t have full faith, you will certainly have the feeling of vice and virtue, and the feeling of responsibility. Thakur has explained what ‘Rama’s will’ is. Repeating ‘Rama’s will’ like a parrot won’t do. As long as you don’t know God, as long as ‘my’ will and His will don’t become one, as long as you don’t rightly understand, ‘I am an instrument,’ so long He retains the knowledge of vice and virtue, joy and sorrow, purity and impurity, good and bad, and sense of responsibility. Otherwise, how can His world of maya go on?

The more I think of Sri Ramakrishna’s bhakti, the more I am wonderstruck. Keshab Sen repeats the name of Hari, meditates on God, so he (Thakur) immediately ran to meet him ­ Keshab at once became his own. He then did not listen to the Captain. That Keshab went to a foreign land, ate with white men, gave his daughter in marriage in a different caste ­ all these matters vanished.
“I take only cherries. I have nothing to do with thorns.” In the bond of bhakti the believers in God with form and believers in God without form become the same; the Hindus, the Muslims and the Christians ­ all become one and also the four varnas*. Bhakti be victorious! Blessed you are Sri Ramakrishna! Victory to you! You have embodied the universal view of sanatana dharma (the eternal religion). It is perhaps for this reason that you have such an attraction! You embrace the followers of all religions as your own without any difference! You have but one test ­ it is that of bhakti. You only see whether a person has love for God within, whether he has bhakti or not. If that is there, he immediately becomes your very own. If you see bhakti in a Hindu, he is at once your own. And if a Muslim has bhakti for Allah, he is also your own. If a Christian has the love for Jesus, he is also your near and dear one. You say that all rivers coming from different directions, from different regions fall into the same one ocean.

Thakur does not consider this world as a dream. If that be so, it will lose weight. It is not mayavada [6] it is Vishishtadvaitavada. This is because he does not consider the jiva and the world as imaginary. He doesn’t think them to be an illusion. God is real, so are men and the world. Brahman is qualified with jiva and the world. You cannot get the whole of the bel fruit if you take away seeds and its shell.

It is said that this universe manifests itself in the Mahachidakasha [7] and then merges into Kala [8] . The wave rises in the Great Ocean and then loses itself in the Kala. On the waters of the ocean of joy there are infinite waves of leela! Where is the beginning of this leela and where is its end! It cannot be told by the word of mouth. It cannot be thought upon in mind. How much is the man and how much intelligence he has? It is said that spiritually great men have had the darshan of this Eternal Supreme Person in the state of samadhi ­ they have witnessed the Nitya (Absolute) and the sporting Hari. This they have surely done because Sri Ramakrishna also says so. But they did not do so with these bodily eyes, they did it perhaps with what is known as the divine eye. Getting this divine eye Arjuna saw the Universal Form of the Lord. With this divine eye the rishis realized the Atman and with this divine eye Jesus saw his heavenly Father day and night. How to gain that divine eye? We have heard Thakur say that one can get it by the yearning of the heart. Now, how to have such a yearning? Does one have to renounce the world? No, today he didn’t say so.

   

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