Section XI
With Rakhal, M., Manilal, and Others at the
Dakshineswar Temple
Chapter I
Why is Thakur impatient? He instructs Mani Mallick
Thakur is resting after the midday meal while Mani Mallick
sits on the floor of the room. Thakur’s arm is still in a
splint. M. enters, salutes him, and then sits on the floor near Mani Mallick.
It is Sunday, 24 February 1884, 13th of Phalgun, 1290 B.Y the thirteenth day of
the dark fortnight.
Sri Ramakrishna (to M.):
“How did you come?”
M.: “Sir, I came by carriage to Alambazar and then walked
from there.”
Manilal: “Oh, you are sweating!”
Sri Ramakrishna (smiling):
“This makes me think that all my experiences are not fantasies. If that were
so, why would ‘Englishmen’[1]
take so much trouble to come here?”
The topic of conversation is now about Thakur’s injured arm and how he is feeling.
Sri Ramakrishna: “Sometimes I get impatient because of my
arm. I show it to one person after another and ask if it will heal. Rakhal gets angry. He doesn’t
understand my condition. Sometimes I say to myself, let him leave me if he
likes. But then I ask the Divine Mother, ‘Where will he go, Mother? Where will
he go to be scorched and burnt in the fire of the world?’
“I had
this childlike impatience before. I used to show my pulse to Mathur Babu and
ask him, ‘Brother! What am I suffering from?’
“Well, where is my faith in God if I did this? When I was
going to Kamarpukur in a bullock cart, some men with long sticks came up. They
looked like dacoits.[2]
I began to chant the names of God. I chanted Rama, then I chanted Durga, then
Om Tat Sat, hoping that one would be helpful.
(To M.) “Tell me,
why am I so impatient?”
M.: “You’re always in samadhi.
You have kept a little of your mind on the body for the sake of the devotees.
That is why you sometimes become impatient to save it.”
Sri Ramakrishna: “Yes. I only have a little of my mind on the
body, and that for the sake of the devotees and to enjoy the love of God.”
Proposal to visit an exhibition – talk about Thakur’s
visit to the zoo
Manilal Mallick is talking
about an exhibition.
Thakur’s eyes are filled with tears to hear about a beautiful
image of Yashoda with the baby Krishna
in her arms. He is inspired by Yashoda’s embodiment of maternal love and thus
weeps.
Manilal: “You are not well, or you could visit the exhibition
in the maidan of the fort.”
Sri Ramakrishna (to M. and others): “I won’t be able to
see everything even if I go. I might lose consciousness just seeing one thing
that is special. I wouldn’t be able to see anything more than that. Once I was
taken to the zoo. I went into samadhi when I saw a lion, the vehicle of the
Mother Goddess. How could I see the other animals? I only saw the lion and then
came back. That’s why Jadu Mallick’s mother first said that I should go to the
exhibition and then, on second thought, said, ‘No, No.’”
Mani Mallick has been a member
of the Brahmo Samaj for many years. He is about sixty-five years old. Thakur is
teaching him according to his nature.
His earlier life story – visit to Jai Narayan Pundit –
Gauri Pundit
Sri Ramakrishna: “Jaynarayan Pundit was a very
liberal person. I visited him once and liked his attitude. His sons were all
wearing boots. But he said, ‘I shall go to Kashi.’ He finally did so. He lived
in Kashi and he died there.[3]
“When you get old,
it’s good to leave the household and devote yourself
to contemplating God. What do you think?”
Manilal: “Yes. I don’t like the problems of the world.”
Sri Ramakrishna: “Gauri used to worship his wife
with offerings of flowers. All women are different
manifestations of the Divine Mother.
(To Manilal)
“Please tell that story of yours.”
Manilal (laughing):
“Several people were going across the Ganges in a boat. One among them, a
pundit, talked very highly of his learning. ‘I have studied various scriptures
– the Vedas, the Vedanta, and the six systems of philosophy.’ He asked someone,
‘Do you know the Vedanta?’ The man replied, ‘No, sir.’ ‘Do you know Samkhya and
Patanjali?’ He said, ‘No, sir.’ ‘Have you no philosophy at all?’ ‘No,’ again.
“The pundit was talking proudly of
himself, and the other man was sitting there silent. Just then a terrible storm
arose. The boat was about to sink. The man asked the pundit, ‘Revered sir, do
you know how to swim?’ The pundit said, ‘No.’ The man replied, ‘I don’t know
Samkhya and Patanjali, but I do know how to swim.’”
God alone is the substance, all else is unsubstantial –
hitting the target
Sri Ramakrishna (smiling):
“What is the use of knowing many scriptures? All you need is to
know how to cross the river of the world. God alone is the real substance, all
else is unsubstantial.
“While Arjuna was aiming at the target, Drona asked him,
‘What are you seeing? Do you see the kings?’ Arjuna said, ‘No.’ ‘Do you see
me?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you see the tree?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you see the bird perched on the
tree?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then what do you see?’ ‘Only the eye of the bird.’
“He who only sees the eye of
the bird can hit the target.
“He alone is clever who sees that God alone is the real
substance and all else is unsubstantial. What is the need for any other
information? Hanuman said, ‘I don’t know
much about the date or the position of the planets. I only contemplate Rama.’
(To M.) “Buy a few
fans to use here.
(To Manilal)
“Please visit his (M.’s) father. Inspiration comes from seeing a devotee.”
Chapter II
Advice to Manilal and others – God’s manifestation as a
human being
Sri Ramakrishna is seated on his bed. Manilal and other
devotees are sitting on the floor, listening to Thakur’s sweet words.
Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): “A deep change is coming over me
since I hurt my arm. Now I only like God’s manifestation as a human being.
“The Absolute and the phenomenal.[4]
The Absolute is the indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss
Absolute.
“The divine play, or the phenomenal, is play as God, play as
deities, play as human beings, and play as the universe.”
You are Sat-chit-ananda – instruction by Vaishnavcharan
– Thakur watches the Ramlila
“Vaishnavcharan used to say,
‘One attains the highest knowledge after having the faith that God sports as a
human being.’ I didn’t listen to him then. Now I see that he was right.
Vaishnavcharan liked pictures of men expressing tenderness and love.
(To Manilal) “It is
God who manifests in the form
of a human being. He Himself has become Mani Mallick. The Sikhs teach: You are
Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.
“Sometimes, seeing a glimpse of his real self, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss
Absolute, a man becomes speechless with wonder. He begins to swim in joy. It is
just like suddenly coming across a near and dear relative. (To M.) Just as it happened to me the
other day in the carriage when I saw Baburam – and you were also in the
carriage.
“When Shiva sees his own real self, he dances around
exclaiming, ‘What am I! What am I!’
“The Adhyatma Ramayana also talks
about this. Narada said, ‘O Rama! All men
are your forms, and all women are Sita’s.’
“When I saw the actors in the Ramlila, I felt as if Narayana (the
Lord) Himself was dwelling in their various forms. I felt that the real and the
imitations were the same.
“Why do people worship young virgins?[5]
All women are different forms of
the Divine Mother, but She manifests Herself more in pure, unmarried girls.”
Why is Thakur impatient with his injury? – his state as
a child and a devotee
(To M.) “Why
do I become impatient when I’m ill? The Mother has kept me in the state of a
child. A child depends entirely on its mother.”
Sri Ramakrishna is photographed in the Radhabazar by
Surendra – A.D. 1881
“I was taken to the Radhabazar for a photograph. I was
supposed to go to Rajendra Mitra’s house that day and was told that Keshab Sen
and others would be there. I had planned to talk about a few important things
but forgot them all when I went to Radhabazar. I said, ‘Mother, You please
speak. What can I say?’”
His earlier story – Koar Singh – Ramlal’s mother –
worship of the unmarried girl
“I don’t have the disposition
of a man of knowledge. A man of knowledge thinks very highly of himself. He
says, ‘How can I be ill?’
“Koar Singh said, ‘You are still concerned with your body.’
“This is my nature: my Divine Mother knows everything. She
would talk in Rajendra Mitra’s house. Only Her words are ‘real words.’ A
thousand pundits are struck dumb before the knowledge of Saraswati.[6]
“The Divine Mother has kept me in the state of a devotee, in
the state of a vijnani. That is why I make jokes with Rakhal and
others. If I were in the state of a jnani, I couldn’t do this.
“I see in this state that the Divine Mother alone has become
everything. I see Her everywhere.
“I saw in the Kali Temple that the Divine Mother had become
everything – even the wicked, even the brother of the Bhagavata pundit.
“I was about to reprimand Ramlal’s mother but couldn’t do it.
I saw her as a form of the Divine Mother. I see the Divine Mother in virgins.
That is why I worship them.
“My wife strokes my feet. I salute her afterwards.
“You salute me by touching my feet. Who could touch my feet
when Hriday was here? He wouldn’t
let anyone touch them.
“The Divine Mother has kept me in the state of seeing God in
everything. That is why I return your salutations.
“You see, I can’t exclude even a wicked person. A tulsi leaf may be dry or small, but it can still be used for the worship of God.”