Section III

        Sri Ramakrishna at the Dakshineswar Temple with Devotees – Second Visit of Adhar

    Chapter I

Manilal and visit to Kashi

Come! Let’s go once again to the Dakshineswar temple to see Sri Ramakrishna. Let us observe how he enjoys himself in the company of devotees, how he is ever absorbed in samadhi thinking of the Lord. Let us see him now in samadhi, now intoxicated with the joy of devotional songs, and now talking to the devotees. He always has the name of the Lord on his holy lips. His mind is ever indrawn, his conduct is like a five-year-old child. He utters the name of the Divine Mother with every breath. His conduct is absolutely like that of an ego-less five-year-old child. A child of five is unattached to sense objects; he is always happy, guileless and magnanimous. Sri Ramakrishna’s one word is that God is the reality and all else is unreal, a matter of two days. Let us go and see that child intoxicated with divine love. The great yogi that he is! He roams all alone on the shore of the infinite ocean. One can’t tell what he sees in this infinite ocean of Sachchidananda. Lo! Having witnessed it, he is roaming about mad with love.

It is Sunday, the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra. Yesterday, Saturday, was the new moon when Sri Ramakrishna went to Balaram’s house. In the deep dark night of the new moon, Mahakali plays alone with Mahakala[44]. For this reason Thakur does not remain still long on the new moon. And it is why he is in the state of a child who is with his mother night and day and who cannot live without her.

It is Sunday morning, 8 April, 1883, twenty-sixth day of Chaitra. Thakur is seated like a child. Rakhal, a young devotee, is seated close by.

M. comes and prostrates himself before Thakur. Sri Ramakrishna’s nephew, Ramlal, Kishori and many other devotees are gathered here. The elderly Brahmo devotee, Manilal Mallick, enters and offers his salutations to Sri Ramakrishna.

Mani Mallick has been on pilgrimage to Kashi. He is a trader and has an office in Kashi.

Sri Ramakrishna — So you have been to Kashi. Did you meet any sadhus there?

Manilal — Yes sir, I went to see Trailanga Swami, Bhaskarananda, and some others.

Sri Ramakrishna — Please tell me how you found them.

Manilal — Trailanga Swami is still in the same temple on Manikarnika Ghat with Benimadhav. People say that he was in a high spiritual state before. He could work any number of miracles. Now they are far fewer.

Sri Ramakrishna — This is fault finding by worldly people.

Manilal — Bhaskarananda meets everybody. He is not like Trailanga Swami who doesn’t say a word.

The spiritually perfect believe that ‘God is the doer’ – others believe in vice and virtue, in ‘free will’

Sri Ramakrishna — Did you have any conversation with Bhaskarananda?

Manilal — Yes sir, we talked for a long time. Among other things we discussed vice and virtue. He said: Don’t tread the path of sin. Don’t even think of evil. This is what the Lord requires of you. Perform only actions which bring you merit.

Sri Ramakrishna — Yes, that is true as far as worldly people are concerned. But it is different for those who are illumined, who have realized that the Lord is the only reality and all else is unreal and ephemeral. They know that the Lord alone does everything and that we are all non-doers. They who are illumined never take a wrong step, they don’t have to calculate before eschewing sin. They have so much love for the Lord that all their actions are exemplary. But they know that they are not the doers of their actions, they know that they are only the servants of the Lord – that they are only the machines while the Lord is the operator of the machine. They know that what they are doing is by His will, that what they speak is what He makes them speak, that they move the way He makes them move.

“They who are illumined have gone beyond vice and virtue. They see that the Lord is indeed doing everything. There was a monastery whose sadhus used to go out every day to beg holy food. One day one of the sadhus saw that a landlord was badly thrashing a man. The sadhu was very compassionate. He intervened to stop the landlord from beating the man. The landlord was in a rage. All his anger fell on the body of the sadhu – he thrashed him so badly that the sadhu fell unconscious. Somebody went to the monastery to say that one of their sadhus had been harshly beaten by the landlord. The sadhus of the monastery came and saw him lying unconscious. All five of them lifted him, carried him to the monastery and laid him down. They sat around the unconscious sadhu downcast. Some of them fanned him. One of them said, ‘Pour a little milk in his mouth.’ As they did so, the sadhu regained consciousness and opened his eyes. A brother of the monastery said, ‘Let me see whether he has regained consciousness, whether he can recognize us.’ He spoke loudly to the sadhu, asking him, ‘Maharaj! Who is making you drink the milk?’ The sadhu said slowly, ‘Brother, he who beat me is indeed giving me milk to drink.’

“Till one has realized the Lord, one cannot attain such a state.”

Manilal — Sir, what you are saying is a lofty idea. I had such conversations with Bhaskarananda – on various topics.

Sri Ramakrishna — In whose house is he staying?

Manilal — In some householder’s residence.

Sri Ramakrishna — How old is he?

Manilal — He should be 55.

Sri Ramakrishna — And did you talk of anything else?

Manilal — I asked him how one could cultivate devotion and love for God[45]. He said, ‘Repeat the Name. Say Rama, Rama.’

Sri Ramakrishna — That is very good.

Chapter II

Family life and renunciation of work

The worship of the Mother of the Universe, Radhakanta, and the twelve Shivas in the temples has ended. The sounds of music and bell-ringing related to the arati and food offering is heard. It is the month of Chaitra. It is midday. The sun is shinning brightly. Only a short while ago, flood tide started and the wind began to blow from the south. The holy Bhagirathi (the Ganges) began to flow northward a short time ago. Thakur is resting in his room after eating.

Rakhal’s native village is near Basirhat. In summer there is a great scarcity of water in his region.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mani Mallick) — Look, Rakhal was telling me that there is a great scarcity of water in his region. Why don’t you get a reservoir dug there? It will benefit so many. (Smiling) You have so much money. What will you do with it? It is said that dealers of oil are very calculating. (Thakur and the devotees laugh.)

Manilal Mallick’s home is in the Sinduriapatti region of Calcutta. The Sinduriapatti Brahmo Samaj holds its sessions there. He invites numerous people during the annual festival of the Brahmo Samaj. He invites Sri Ramakrishna with them. Manilal also has a garden house in Baranagore. He often stays there alone and occasionally goes to see Thakur. Manilal is certainly a man of calculation! He seldom hires a carriage to go to Baranagore directly. Instead, he first goes to Sobhabazar by tram. From there, he hires a seat in the carriage for Baranagore. And yet he has no shortage of money. Many years later, after this, he donated twenty-five thousand rupees to support poor students.

Manilal keeps quiet, but after some time, having talked about various other matters, he refers to the prior conversation: “Sir, you were talking about a reservoir. That is all right. But why talk about dealers of oil?”

Some of the devotees try to suppress their laughter. Thakur also smiles.

Chapter III

Sri Ramakrishna and Brahmo devotees in Dakshineswar – the essence of prema (ecstatic love)

In a little while a number of elderly Brahmo devotees arrive from Calcutta. One of them is Thakurdas Sen. There is a big gathering of devotees in the room. Thakur is seated on the smaller cot. Facing north, with a smile on his face, he sits like a child, conversing happily with the Brahmo devotees.

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Brahmo devotees and others) — You people talk so much of prema. But is it such an ordinary thing? Chaitanya Deva was in the state of ecstatic love. There are two characteristics of ecstatic love. One is to forget the world, to become unaware of everything external in the love of God. Chaitanya Deva would think that it was Vrindavan when he was in any forest and it was the Jamuna river at the sight of the sea.

“The second characteristic is to have no attachment to the body one holds so dear. The conviction of the body as the self fully disappears.

“You cannot have prema till you have seen the Lord.

“There are some marks of God-realization. When the splendour of love manifests within, God-realization is not far away.

“What does the splendour of love mean? Discrimination, dispassion, compassion, service to the holy, company of the holy, chanting the name and glories of the Lord, truthfulness – all these.

“When one comes across these signs of love, one can know that the vision of God is not far away. By looking at the condition of the servant’s house, one can easily determine if a rich man has decided to visit it. First of all, all weeds are cleared, cobwebs are removed, and the floor of the house is cleaned. The rich man himself sends a cotton carpet, a hubble-bubble and other such things. Seeing all these things being carried to the house, everyone surmises that the visit of a gentleman is not far away.”

A Devotee — Sir, does one have to reason before being able to control the senses?

Sri Ramakrishna — That is a path – the path of discrimination. If you take to the path of devotion[46], the inner senses get controlled automatically. And it is easier. The more you develop love for the Lord, the less you care for the pleasures of the senses.

“When they lose their child, can the grief-stricken parents think of their bodily pleasures?

A Devotee — I cannot imagine loving God.

Great importance of God’s name – the way – the Divine Mother’s name

Sri Ramakrishna — By repeating His name you rid yourself of all your sins. Lust, anger, desire for creature comforts and the rest all disappear.

A Devotee — But who likes to repeat His name?

Sri Ramakrishna — Pray to God with a longing heart that you may develop a taste for His name. He always fulfills one’s wishes ...

Saying this, Sri Ramakrishna begins to sing in a sweet voice. Overwhelmed by the sorrows of man, he expresses to the Divine Mother the pangs he feels in his heart. Bringing upon himself the state of an ordinary human being, he talks to the Divine Mother of suffering of humanity.

Song –

O Mother Shyama, it is not anybody’s fault. I myself am drowning in the well I have dug.

The six passions – lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and envy – are the spade by which I have dug a well in sacred land.

This well is now full of the waters of Kala (Death).

O the heartthrob of Death! O the Beloved of Death!

O my Redeemer! How can I save myself?

O the embodiment of the three gunas, You can rid me of these modes through Your powers.

How can I save myself from these waters of Death? Thinking of it, I shed an unceasing flow of tears.

Before, the level of the water of Death was not so high, but now it rises to my chest. How can I save myself?

O my Mother! You are my only refuge. Mother, liberate me. You can take me across by a single glance of Yours.

And then he sings of the delirious fever of mankind, which can be cured only by one’s love for Her name.

Song –

O Mother Shankari[47], O great physician, what delirious fever I suffer, in spite of the grace of Thy feet.

This perishable transitory pride of mine is consuming me in its flames. What depraved attachment I have developed for ‘me and mine’!

How can I sustain my life – my desire for wealth and friends is ceaseless?

O the bestower of all goodness! I continue to indulge in things illusory, in wrong doings, in committing sinful acts and so on.

Says Dasharathi: My eyes are full of the deep sleep of maya,

And my stomach filled with the worm of violence. I am revolving as in a whirlpool of illusory action.

I am developing night and day distaste for Your name. Alas! will I be cured of this malady?

Sri Ramakrishna — ‘Developing distaste for Your name.’ If in disease you develop distaste, you have no possibility of being saved. If you retain a bit of taste, there is good hope for cure. Therefore, they talk of taste for the Name. The Lord’s name must be repeated. Call the Lord by any name: Durga, Krishna, Shiva or any other. If, while repeating the Name, your love increases day by day, if you feel joy, then there is no danger. You are sure to be cured. His grace is sure to fall on you.

Sincere bhakti versus artificial bhakti – God cares only for the mind

“As the state of your mind, so is your gain. Two friends walking together saw the Bhagavata being recited at a place on the way. One of them said, ‘Come, friend, let’s go and listen to the recitation of the Bhagavata.’ His friend looked in, but shortly left for the red light area. He soon felt disgusted with himself and thought, ‘Shame on me! While my friend is listening to the story of Lord Hari, look where I have brought myself!’ On the other hand, the fellow who was listening to the Bhagavata was also feeling regret. He said to himself, ‘What a fool I am! This fellow is talking nonsense and I sit here listening to it! How my friend must be enjoying himself!’ Now, when both these men died, he who was listening to the Bhagavata was taken away by a messenger of death and he who had gone to a prostitute was taken to Vaikuntha (Vishnu’s abode, heaven) by a messenger of Vishnu.

“Bhagavan sees the mind. He doesn’t care who is doing what or where one is. ‘Janardhana[48] knows the innermost thought.’

“While initiating a disciple in the Kartabhaja sect, they tell him, ‘Now it is your mind.’ That is to say, now it all depends on your mind.

“They say that he who has the right kind of mind acts correctly and achieves the right end.

“Because of the powers of his mind, Hanuman could cross the ocean. ‘I am a servant of Rama, I repeat His name, what is impossible for me?’ He had this faith.”

Why can’t one see the Lord? Because of one’s egoism

“As long as one retains one’s I-ness, one is ignorant. As long as egoism persists, there is no liberation.

“Cows bellow, ‘Hamba, hamba’ and goats bleat, ‘Mein, mein.’ For this reason, they have to suffer a lot. The butcher slaughters them and makes shoes, drums and hides out of their skin. There is no end to their suffering. In the Hindi language, hum and mein both mean ‘I’. The uttering of mein, mein (I, I) leads to more and more suffering. At last, the butcher makes strings with the guts of these animals. When the carder uses the string in his bow, it produces the sound of tuhun, tuhun. That is to say, ‘You, you.’ It is only when one says, ‘You, You,’ that one is saved and there is no more suffering.

“Oh Lord, you are the Doer and I, a non-doer. This is what constitutes jnana (spiritual wisdom).

“It is only when you become lowly that you can rise. The chatak bird has its nest near the ground, but it can soar at high altitudes. Farming is not possible at high elevations. You need low land to farm. Water only collects on low land; only there is cultivation possible.”

Company of sadhus essential for the householders – who is truly poor?

“One should take a little trouble to seek the company of the holy. At home one only talks of worldly matters. There is always one ailment or the other. The parrot says, ‘Rama, Rama,’ only when it settles on a perch. While flying through the jungle, it only squawks.

“Money does not make a man great. A sign of a wealthy man is light in every room. The poor do not have money to spend on oil, so they can’t have that many lights. You see, one must not keep this temple of the body in darkness: one must light the lamp of jnana (knowledge) within.

“Light the lamp of jnana in the house and see the face of the Mother Brahmamayi[49].”

Real meaning of prayer – marks of spiritual awakening

“Everyone can attain jnana. There is the individual self and the Supreme Being. One must pray to God. Everyone can be united with the Supreme Self. Every house is fitted with gas pipes, but one must apply to the gas company to receive the gas. When you file an application, the company will arrange for the gas and your house will be lit. The company has its office in Sealdah. (All laugh.)

“Some people may become illumined. They have a special mark: they don’t like to hear anything but words about the Lord. They don’t like to talk of anything but of the Lord. Take, for example, the seven seas, the rivers of the Ganges and the Jamuna – they are all full of water. But the chatak bird wants only the raindrop. It is dying of thirst, but it does not drink any other water.”

 Chapter IV

Sri Ramakrishna and others sing – Sri Ramakrishna in samadhi

Sri Ramakrishna asks somebody to sing. Ramlal and a brahmin brahmachari[50] of the Kali Temple sing in accompaniment with a banya[51].

Song –

O Kamalapati[52], the lover of bhakti, if you dwell in the Vrindavan of my heart, my devotion to you will be like that of chaste Radha.

My wish for liberation will be like the milkmaids, and my body will be like the village of Nanda; my love will be like that of mother Yashoda.

Hold me, hold me, O Janardhana[53]. Lift the mount Govardhan of the weight of my sins[54]. Kill quickly the six messengers of Kamsa, lust and so on.

Play on your flute of grace and tame the cows of my mind. I pray that You remain in this pasture of my heart and that I may have the glimpse of my ideal.

Dwell now and evermore with your heart full of affection for your servant under the Vanshivatta[55] of hope.

If you say that you are a prisoner of the love of the cowherds of Braja, then this Dasharathi, bereft of all spiritual knowledge, will become a cowherd and your slave.

Song –

What value has the new cloud in comparison to the moon-like face of beloved Shyam (Krishna)?

With a flute in His hands and a smile on His lips, He lights the world with His loveliness.

Clad in yellow robes, He outshines lightning. A wreath of wild flowers swings from His lotus-like breast to His feet.

In the company of youthful maidens, He lights up the bank of the Jamuna. Outshining numberless moons is this moon of the lineage of Nanda.

O friend! With the music of his flute, He, the epitome of all excellence, has stolen my heart, my mind and my wisdom.

Says Ganga Narayana, ‘To whom shall I tell my sorrow? O friend, if you were to fetch water from the bank of the Jamuna, you would know it.’

Song –

The kite of my mind was soaring high up in the sky of the feet of Mother Shyama.

The rough wind of ‘misdeeds’ made it fall, circling to the ground.[56]

 Way to God-realization – love, gopi-like love – ‘tiger of love’

Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees) — Just as the tiger devours other animals, similarly, the ‘tiger of love’ swallows lust, anger and such other enemies. Once you develop love of the Lord, lust, anger and the rest disappear. The gopis (milkmaids) had developed such love for Krishna.

“Moreover, there is the ‘collyrium of love’. Radha says, ‘Friend, I see Krishna filling all the four directions.’ Her friend says, ‘Dear one, you have applied the ‘collyrium of love’ to your eyes. That is why you see it so.’ It is said that if you use a collyrium made with the burnt head of a frog, you see snakes everywhere.

“They who live only with ‘lust and greed’ – who don’t think of God even once – are bound souls. What great work can they perform? They are like mangoes pecked by crows. Such mangoes cannot be offered to the gods. Eating them yourself is also risky.

“Bound souls, worldly people, are like silkworms. They could come out of their cocoons if they wished, but they have built their own homes and maya does not allow them to escape. And it all ends with death.

“Liberated souls are not under the control of ‘lust and greed’. Some clever silkworms cut their cocoons and come out. But they are very few.

 “Because of maya (attachment), one remains forgetful. Few attain spiritual awakening, few are not deluded by the magic of maya, are not subject to the control of ‘lust and greed.’ When the pot[57] containing ashes from the maternity room falls on one’s feet, the ‘damn, damn’ word of the magician can do no harm. One can see exactly what the magician is doing.

“There are two classes of perfect souls: one is sadhanasiddha (perfected by spiritual disciplines) and the other kripasiddha (perfected by the grace of God). Some people go to great trouble to bring water to their fields for a good harvest. Others don’t have to struggle at all; rainwater fills their fields. One has to practice sadhana rigorously to save oneself from maya. He who is a kripasiddha doesn’t have to struggle. But there are only one or two such people.

“And then there are the nityasiddhas (ever-perfect ones). They are already spiritually awakened in every life. Take the example of a plugged fountain. The plumber, while doing something else, accidentally removes the obstruction and lo! water gushes forth from the fountain. When they see the love for God in an ever-perfect person express itself for the first time, people are amazed. They wonder where such bhakti, such nonattachment[58] and such intense love came from.”

Thakur is talking of the love for God – the love of the gopis for Krishna. In the meanwhile, some music begins to play. Ramlal sings.

Song –

O Lord, Thou art my all, the support of my life, the Essence of essences.

I have none but Thee as my own in the three worlds.

Thou art my joy, peace, support, refuge, treasure, wealth, knowledge, intelligence and strength.

Thou art my home, my rest, my relaxation, friend and family.

Thou art my present, my salvation, my future and my heaven.

Thou art my scripture and injunctions too, Thou my wish-yielding guru, the fountainhead of my never-ending bliss.

Thou art the means, the end. Thou art the creator, the sustainer and the adorable one.

Thou art the chastising father, the tender-hearted mother, the pilot who steers me across the sea of life.

Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees) — Oh, what a beautiful song! ‘Thou art my all in all.’ The milkmaids said to Radha when Akrur came [to fetch Sri Krishna], ‘Oh Radha, He has come to steal your entire wealth!’ Such love! Such longing they had for Bhagavan!

And then another song –

Does the chariot of Him who wields the sudershan chakra[59] and who moves the world around and around with His wheel of Power need any wheels? O milkmaids! Don’t hold the wheels of the chariot back.

(These lines refer to an incident when the milkmaids held back the wheels of Sri Krishna’s chariot from moving when he was to go to Mathura with Akrur from Vrindavan).

Song –

O dear sakhi[60], for whom are you now making this garland with so much care and love?

While listening to the song, Sri Ramakrishna dives deep in the sea of samadhi. The devotees gaze upon him amazed. It is quiet. No movement is made. Thakur is merged in samadhi. He sits there with folded hands, as he is seen in the photograph. Tears of joy trickle down the outer corners of his eyes.

Conversation with the Lord – Sri Ramakrishna’s vision – Krishna pervading everywhere

Thakur returns to the normal state of consciousness after quite some time. But what was he talking about with Him whom he has seen in samadhi? Some words reach the ears of the devotees. Thakur speaks indistinctly to himself, “You are I, I am You. You eat, I eat You... Beautiful indeed: You do it all.”

“Are my eyes jaundiced? I see You everywhere.

“O Krishna! Friend of the lowly and beloved of my soul. Govinda!”

Saying, “Beloved of my soul,” and “Govinda,” he again enters samadhi. Absolutely still and unable to take their eyes off him, the devotees see Sri Ramakrishna in a deep ecstatic state.

Chapter V

Sri Ramakrishna filled with God-consciousness – word of God issuing from his lips

Second visit of Adhar Sen – Sri Ramakrishna instructs a householder

Sri Ramakrishna is in samadhi and is seated on the smaller cot. The devotees sit around him. Adhar Sen has arrived, accompanied by several friends. He is a Deputy Magistrate. It is his second visit to Thakur. Adhar is twenty-nine or thirty years old. Saradacharan, a friend of Adhar, is grieving the loss of his son. Saradacharan was a Deputy Inspector of Schools. He is now retired and receives a pension. He had been practicing meditation and prayer even before his retirement. Nothing consoles him after the death of his elder son. That is why Adhar, having mentioned Thakur’s name to him, has brought him here. Adhar had also been wanting to see Thakur again.

Sri Ramakrishna’s samadhi ends. He sees the roomful of devotees looking at him and then mumbles something to himself.

Is the Lord talking and instructing from his lips?

Sri Ramakrishna — It is seldom that worldly people show spiritual wisdom – only occasionally, like the flame of a lamp. No, no, it is like the ray of the sun when it peeps through a chink in the wall. It is only possible for worldly people to repeat the Lord’s name – not to feel His love. It is like a child saying, ‘I swear by God.’ He has learnt these words from his quarreling aunts.

“Worldly people have no grit. It does not matter to them whether they succeed or not. If they dig a well for water but strike a rock, they stop digging and look for another spot. If they find sand in the next spot, they give that spot up too. If they had continued to dig at the original spot, they would have found water there.

“A human being reaps what he sows; as the song goes.”

Song –

Nobody is to be blamed, Mother. I am drowning in the water of the well I have dug.

“ ‘I’ and ‘mine’ constitute ignorance. If you think about it deeply, you will find that what you call ‘I’ is none other than the Atman. Think about it. Are you the body? Are you bones, or flesh, or something else? You will conclude that you are none of these. You don’t have a distinguishing individuality. Moreover, you do nothing. You have neither good qualities nor defects, neither merit nor sin.’

“To say that this is gold and that is brass is ignorance. That all is gold is jnana.”

Signs of God-realization – is Sri Ramakrishna an Incarnation of God?

“All reasoning stops after God-realization. Yet, some people do reason even after they have realized God. And some people chant God’s name and glories out of love for Him.

“How long does a child cry? Till he is put to the mother’s breast. Thereafter, he stops crying and he is full of joy. He takes his mother’s milk so joyfully! Yet, he may also play and smile while he sucks.

“God has become all the forms there are. Even so, He manifests most in the human being. He is especially present in the person who has the nature of a purely sattvic[61] child – who laughs, cries, dances and sings innocently.”

Loss of a son – ‘O jiva, get ready for the battle’

Thakur inquires about Adhar’s well being. Adhar tells him that his friend has lost his son. Thakur begins to sing a song.

O jiva! Get ready for the battle!

Death has entered your house in battle array.

Mounting the chariot of bhakti, bearing the quiver of jnana,

Bending the bow of your tongue with the bowstring of love,

Aim the Brahmastra[62] that is the name of the Mother of Universe.

Here is a strategy for the battle: you need no chariot or charioteer.

Fight your foe from the bank of the Ganges; he will easily be slain.

“What to do? Be ready for death. Death has entered your house. You have to battle it with the weapon of God’s name. He is the Doer. I say, ‘Mother, I act as You make me act; I speak what You make me speak. I am an instrument, You are the Being who uses the instrument. I am the dwelling, You are the indweller; I am the carriage, You the driver.’

“Give Him the general power of attorney. If you give the responsibility to a good man, you never suffer any harm. Let His will be done.

“I say, brother, shouldn’t you be sorrow-stricken? He was your son! When Ravana was killed in battle, Lakshmana ran to him and saw that there was no spot among his bones where there was not a hole. Then he said to Rama, ‘Rama, how powerful are your arrows! There is no spot on Ravana’s body without a hole.’ Rama replied, ‘Brother, the holes that you see in his bones are not made by arrows. It is due to grief for his sons. That grief has pierced all his bones. All the holes are marks of it – his grief has done this to him.’

“You see, all this is transitory – home, family and children are all for two days. Only the palm tree is real. One or two fruits have dropped from the tree. Why sorrow for them?

“God does three things: He creates, He preserves, and He dissolves. Death is inevitable. At the time of universal dissolution, everything will be destroyed, nothing will survive. But the Divine Mother will preserve some seeds of creation. She will take them out again at the time of the new creation. It is just like the mistress of the house with her hotchpotch pot. (All laugh.) In it She preserves cucumber seeds, sea-foam and indigo pills in small bags.”

Chapter VI

Instruction to Adhar – death stands facing you

Thakur talks to Adhar while standing on the verandah to the north of his room.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Adhar) — You are a Deputy [Magistrate]. You have this position by the Lord’s grace. Don’t forget Him. But know that everybody has to tread the same path. You are here only for a few days[63].

”The world is your place of work. You have come here to work. It is just as one comes from one’s country home and works in Calcutta.

“Some work is necessary – you must practice some spiritual disciplines. You must finish your work quickly. The goldsmith, while melting gold, uses bellows, blow pipes and a fan to blow air so that fire may give more heat and the gold may melt. When the gold melts, he asks for a smoke. He has worked hard for a long time; he will now smoke his pipe. You have to have grit, a firm resolve. Only then can you practice spiritual disciplines.

“The mystic seed of His name is very powerful. It dispels ignorance. A seed is so soft, and so is its sprout. Yet it breaks the earth and germinates.

“When you live amid ‘lust and gold,’ your mind is forcefully pulled to them. So you must be cautious. But he who has renounced the world need not fear much. The genuine renouncer keeps a proper distance from ‘lust and gold’. That is how he can fix his mind on the Lord while practicing spiritual disciplines.

“Who is a real renouncer? He who can keep his mind fixed on the Lord. Like the bee which only takes honey from flowers. But he who is in the household, living amid ‘lust and gold,’ can sometimes fix his mind on the Lord, and at other times it goes to ‘lust and gold’. He is like the ordinary housefly who sits on sweets one moment and on a sore or excreta another.

“You must always fix the mind on the Lord. Initially, you have to make some effort. Later you enjoy a pension.”