Dear brothers,
Life is ever expanding, contraction is death. The self-important man who hunts after his own comfort and lazes about has no place even in hell. He who himself goes even into hell, aching for the jīvas and toiling for them, he is Ramakrishna's son; the rest are wretched. Whoever, at this hour of the great Sandhi Pūjā, girds his loins, stands up, and hands out His message village by village, house by house, he is my brother, he is His son. As for the rest of you who cannot do it, clear off now, while the going is good.
Read this letter, all of you, and read it out to Yogen-Ma, Golap-Ma, everyone. This is the test: whoever is Ramakrishna's son does not seek his own good; they are eager for the good of others even at the cost of their own lives. Those who want their own comfort, who want to laze, who are ready to sacrifice everyone's head to their own stubbornness, they are none of ours; let them clear off now, while the going is good. Spread His character, His teaching, dharma on every side: this is the sādhana, this the bhajana; this is the sādhana, this the siddhi. Arise, arise, a mighty wave is coming! Onward, onward! Women and men, down to the caṇḍāla, all are pure in His eyes. Onward, onward! No time for name, no time for fame, no time for mukti, no time for bhakti; we will see about those later. Now, in this life, the boundless spreading of His great character, His great life, His infinite Ātman. This is the work, and there is nothing else. Wherever His name goes, even worms and insects will become gods; they are becoming gods; you see it and still you do not see? Is this child's play? Is this a boy's precocious talk? Is this some lad's larking about? Arise, awake! Hare, Hare! He is behind us. I can write no more. Onward: this one word is all I say. Into every one of you who reads this letter my spirit will come; believe it. Onward, Hare, Hare! Don't go hawking this letter about the bazaar. Someone is holding my hand and making me write. Onward, Hare, Hare! Everything will be swept away. Look out! He is coming. Whoever makes himself ready for His sevā, no, not His sevā, the sevā of His children, the poor and the lowly, the sinners and the sufferers, down to the worms and insects, whoever makes himself ready for their sevā, into them He will come. On their tongues Sarasvati will sit; in their breasts Mahāmāyā, Mahāśakti, will sit. As for those who are atheists, unbelievers, the vilest of men, lovers of luxury, what have they come into our house for? Let them go.
I can write no more; the rest He can tell you Himself.
Narendra.