← Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Vol. II

GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA

CHAPTER I.

THE DAKSHINESWAR TEMPLE,—AUGUST, 1882

I.

On Thursday, the Shravana Dashami of the bright fortnight,—the 24th of August, 1882,—when M. arrives at the Temple Garden, he finds the Master talking with Hazra in the north-eastern veranda of his room. M. makes his humble obeisance at his lotus-feet.

Says the Master smilingly to him, "I should like to meet Iswar Ch. Vidyasagar a few times more. The painter, you know, first designs the outline and then fills it in leisurely with details of line and colour;—the image is first moulded out of clay, then plastered, next painted white all over, and finally comes the fine brush-work! Everything is fully ripe in Vidyâsagar, but it is hidden. So he is doing a lot of good work, but knows not that God is lying concealed in his inmost heart, knowing which, one gives up all work and longs to cry unto the Lord."

And as he talks, he paces the corridor, and again stops to talk to M.

Sri Ramakrishna: Sadhana is indispensable for realising the content of the soul.

M.: Is it to be practised for ever?

Sadhana and its reward.

Sri Ramakrishna: No; but in the beginning you must be up and doing, and then it becomes easier afterwards. For, the man must be alert at the helm so long as he steers his craft along tortuous water-courses and through agitated waves and storm and rain. But once he has passed them, he can sit comfortably at the helm and spread his sail in the favourable wind and prepare his chilum. Even so, when the raging blasts of Kamini-Kanchana^* have blown over, it is all peace and calm.

"Some have the signs of the Yogi manifested in their person; they should yet be on their guard. For 'woman and gold' are the impediments to Yoga, and if the desire arises in a person's mind to enjoy them,he falls and is dragged down into the world; and he can turn back towards God and regain his former exalted state of spirituality, only when he has satisfied those desires. Have you seen a Satkakal^†?"

M: No sir, I haven't.

Sri Ramakrishna: We have got it in our parts: it is a piece of straight bamboobent over on the ground, held down with a line, and with hook and bait at the end. This bait the fish swallows and at once the bamboo springs back and becomes as perpendicular as before.

^* 'Woman and gold.'

^† 'Spring-trap.'

The secret of Yoga

"If one side of the balance is laden, the lower needle never coincides with the upper needle; the one is like unto our mind, and the other is God, and the at-one-ment of these two 'needles' is what is meant by Yoga.

"Until the mind has attained a serene state, Yoga is impossible. The world's blasts are constantly disturbing the flame of our mind's lamp. But if that flame becomes absolutely steady, it will be the true state of Yoga.

"'Woman and gold' are the veritable obstructions to Yoga. Therefore do ever discriminate. What is there in a woman's body? Nothing but flesh, blood, fat, entrails, worms and such other filth;—then why any love for it?

"I would sometimes assume rajasic moods of mind, in order to get complete renunciation. Once I desired to put on gold-embroidered robes and rings on my fingers, and to smoke a hookah with a long pipe. They got the robes for me and I dressed myself. Then I said to my mind, 'These, O mind, are real gold robes!' and threw them away in disgust. And I said, 'O my mind, this is what is called shawl, this is a ring, and this is smoking with a long pipe!"

"And never again did these desires arise in my mind."

It is almost evening; the Master and Mani are standing by the door, talking alone in the south-eastern veranda.

Sri Ramakrishna: The Yogi's mind is ever immerged in God, ever self-absorbed. You understand this from his very eyes; they have an aimless look just as when the bird hatches its eggs and its mind is all there, and it merely looks on. Can you show me such a picture?

Mani: I will try to find it somewhere.

II.

The shades of evening have descended on the earth. The temple-lighter has ignited the lamps in the temples. Here in his room—filled with the fragrance of burning incense, and illumined by a single lamp in a corner—sits the Master on the smaller cot, absorbed in the thought of the Mother and reciting Her blessed names. A little while after, breaks forth the music of conch-shells and bells from the temples, announcing the holy Aratrikam^*!

It is the tenth night of the months's bright half, and the moonlight has flooded the earth all around.

The Aratrikam has been over for some time. Sri Ramakrishna is now engaged in a conversation with Mani, sitting alone on the floor.

^* 'Evening service—when offerings of light and other article are made to the Deity.'

Sri Ramakrishna: Ever work unattached. The works that are done by Vidyasagar are good, for he tries to be selfless.

Mani: Yes, sir. But may I know if work and God can exist simultaneously?Can 'Rama' and 'Kama^*' meet together. The other day I came across a Hindi couplet which says that 'Rama' and 'Kama' can never co-exist; for when one of them is present the other must cease to exist.

Work without attachment; and family life with discrimination.

Sri Ramakrishna: But every one is working. To sing of the Lord and His blessed names, that also is work. When the Monists meditate, 'I am That,' they also work. Even breathing is work. Thus none can escape work. Therefore do work, but dedicate its fruit to God.

Mani: Sir, may I try to earn a larger income?

Sri Ramakrishna: Yes, if you mean to devote it to the family life based on discrimination. But take care, earn your money by honest means. For our aim is not earning money, but the service of the Lord and wealth devoted to God is beyond cavil.

Mani: How long, sir, have I obligations to the family?

Sri Ramakrishna: As long as it is not beyond the difficulties of maintenance. But if your children can support themselves, you have no duty by them. Have you not seen how the mother bird pecks at her young ones, if they come to be fed by her, when they are themselves able to pick up grains?

'Desire.'

Mani: How long have I to work?

The duration of Karma

Sri Ramakrishna: The flower falls when the fruit has come out. Even so, when you have realised God, you have no more work to do, nor can you turn your mind to it.

"A man dead-drunk cannot retain consciousness; when he has taken only a few glasses can he look to his business. So never fear; as you proceed towards the Lord, He will take away your 'karma,' just as the mother-in-law lightens the duties of the daughter-in-law when she is with child, then releases her from all work when she is about to be confined; and at last when the daughter-in-law becomes a mother, she allows her to take care of her child alone.

"Have done with the few karmas you have yet to fulfil and then it will be all peace. You cannot call back the mistress of the house when she is going to her bath after her day's work in the kitchen and the household."

Mani: Sir, what is exactly meant by God-realisation and God-vision? And what are the means to its attainment?

God-vision and its ways.

Sri Ramakrishna: The Vaishnavas hold that those who are on their way to God and those who have realised Him are of various classes and grades: these are Pravartaka^*, Sadhaka, Siddha and Super-siddha. He who has just entered the path to God is a Pravartaka. A Sadhaka is he who is practising certain spiritual exercises, worshipping and meditating on Him and singing His blessed praise and names. He is a Siddha who has realised the Being of God in his own consciousness; as a Vedantic allegory explains, it is as though a man were searching for his sleeping master in a dark room, groping about amongst couches, windows and doors, and rejecting each, saying, 'Not this,' 'Not this,' till he comes upon him and cries out, 'Here is the master.' That is to say, he has perceived him as 'existing,' he has found him, but does not yet know him intimately.

"The next class is the Super-siddha. To converse with the master intimately, to realise God more completely through love and devotion, is a higher stage. A Siddha has no doubt attained God, but a Super-siddha has entered into a deeper communion with Him.

"But to possess the Lord you must establish a certain human relation with Him; it may be either Shanta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya or Madhura.

"Shanta is the mood in which the Rishis worshipped God. They never desired anything else but Him; even as the wife devotedly faithful to her husband, finds in Him the very ideal of beauty and love.

^* 'Neophyte.'

"Hanuman's was the Dasya Bhava,—the attitude of the servant. He was a mighty lion in his service of Rama. The wife also has the same attitude, serving the husband with heart and soul. So also has the mother, as in the case of Yashoda.

"Sakhya is the familiar relation of friends: says one to the other, 'Come, come, sit by me!' Sridam and other cowherd friends of Sri Krishna used to entertain him with the remnants of the fruits they had eaten, and would ride on his shoulders!

"Vatsalya is typified by mother Yashoda. The wife, too, has a little of it,—she feeds the husband with the very breath of her life: The mother is satisfied only when her child eats its fill. And Yashoda used to wander about, butter in hand, searching for Sri Krishna to feed him.

"Madhura is represented by Srimati, and by the wife as well. And it contains all the four preceding bhavas (moods)."

Mani: Do we see Him with these eyes when we see God?

Sri Ramakrishna: No, He cannot be seen with the physical eye. In the course of Sadhana, a 'love-body' is created in you and with its eyes and ears of love you see and hear Him. It has its generative organ too.

At that Mani bursts out laughing, but the Master continues unannoyed.

"With this love-body the soul enjoys intercourse with God."

Mani has by now regained his gravity.

Sri Ramakrishna: Without the intensest love for God, this is not possible. Only such love enables you to see Him everywhere, even as the eye, only when it is extremely affected with jaundice, sees yellow all around.

"In that state you verily perceive, 'I am He.' A drunkard, highly intoxicated, says, 'I am Kali!' The Gopis, in their love-intoxication, said 'I am Krishna!' If you look long at a flame, you will see flames everywhere;—thus you will verily see Him everywhere, if you think of Him through day and night."

Vision of God,—no illusion.

But Mani thinks that those flames are not real, but only illusory. The Master divines his doubt and says, "Verily by thinking of Chaitanya^* none ever loses his sense. Sivanath once said that too much thinking of God confounds the brain; to him I said, 'Can the thought of God-consciousness ever produce delusion?'"

Mani: Now I see it, sir,—this meditation is not of evanescent things. Why indeed should man be subject to delusion, if his mind is ever fixed on Him Who is the Immutable Consciousness Itself?

^* The word Chaitanya is untranslatable. It refers to the Intelligence, or the Knower, behind every state of consciousness.

The Master is pleased with Mani's reply and says, "This is His grace! Without the grace of God, none can overcome scepticism. And indeed, till you realise the Self, you cannot be absolutely free from doubts.

"Never fear, if you have attained His grace. The child that holds its father by the hand, while walking, may stumble; but if the father holds the child, what need it fear? And verily you transcend all suffering, when He has, out of His infinite mercy, once vouchsafed you His divine vision and removed your doubts. But you must yearn to know Him and eagerly pray to Him and struggle hard; only thus can you deserve His mercy. The mother's heart melts at the sight of her child running about panting for her and she reveals herself."

'But why does she worry us like that?'—so thinks Mani, and at once the Master responds, saying, "It is Her wish that there should be a little running about; then it will be great fun! She has created the universe for leela, for pleasure's sake; and this is what is called Mahamaya. Therefore we have to take refuge in Her who is the Cosmic Energy Itself, for the bonds of Maya have fettered us and only by cutting them asunder can we hope to see God.

The Primal Divine Energy and Her sadhana.

"Do you aspire after Divine grace?—then propitiate the Mother, the Primal Divine Energy. Yea, She is Mahamaya Herself. She it is who has deluded the whole world and is conjuring up the triple device of creation, maintenance and dissolution. She has spread a veil of ignorance over all, and unless She unbars the gate none can enter the 'Inner Court.' Left outside, we see only the external things, but the Eternal One, the Satchidananda, remains ever beyond our ken. Hence we find it written in the Chandi that the gods are making their earnest prayers to Mahamaya for the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha.

"Energy is the basis of the creation. This Primal Divine Energy has the two-fold aspects of Vidya and Avidya. Avidya deludes and is the mother of Kamini-Kanchana, 'woman and gold'; and it binds. But Vidya is the source of devotion, kindness, knowledge and love, and it takes us towards God.

"Avidya has to be propitiated and hence the institution of Shakti-worship.

"Various are the ways of worship for gratifying Her,—as Her hand-maid or companion, Her hero or child. What is 'the hero-attitude?'—it is to please Her even as a man pleases a woman by intercourse.

"Shakti-sadhana is no joke; there were very strenuous and dangerous practices.

"I passed two years as Mother's hand-maid and friend. Mine, however, is the mood of the child, and to me the breasts of any woman are like unto my mother's.

"Women are so many images of Shakti. In the western parts, the bridegroom holds a knife in his hand during the marriage ceremony, and in Bengal, a nut-cracker; the idea is that he will cut the bonds of Maya with the help of the bride, who is Shakti Herself. This is Veerabhava, 'the way of the hero.' But I never practised it; mine is the mood of the child.

"The bride is the very embodiment of Shakti. Have you not seen how, during the wedding, the bridegroom looks awkward and sits shyly behind? but the bride,—she is bold!

Religion and science.

"When a man has realised God, he forgets His external manifestations and the glories of His creation. Verily His blessed vision obliterates the consciousness of His splendours; for, immerged as he is in the bliss divine, the devotee has lost all bearings. I never want to know the name and whereabouts of Narendra when I see him,—where is the time for it? Some one inquired of Hanuman which day of the fortnight it was; he replied, 'Brother, I never know what day of the week or fortnight it is or what is the position of the stars;—I think of Rama alone.'"