CHAPTER III.
WITH VIVEKANANDA; AND IN SAMADHI
At this time Narendra and Viswanath Upadhyaya came in. Viswanath was the Nepalese Resident at Calcutta. The Master used to call him Captain, and hence all his disciples too called him by that name. Narendra was about 22 at that time, reading in the senior B. A. class. He used to come off and on to see the Master, especially on Sundays. Bowing down to him Narendra took his seat.
The Master asked him to sing. There was hanging from the western wall of the room a stringed muscial instrument. Narendra took it down and began to turn its keys to raise the note of the strings to the necessary pitch to the accompaniment of bawa and tabla (musical instruments). Every one was intently looking upon his face, eager to listen to his songs.
Master (smiling to Vivekananda): This instrument no longer sounds as before.
Captain: It is filled; therefore there is no sound: even as with a vessel filled to the brim with water.
Master: But how do you explain the life of Nârada and other Divine Teachers? They had realised God but they spoke. They were filled but they gave forth sounds.
Captain: They spoke for the good of mankind.
Master: Yes, that is so. Nârada and Suka Deva came down from the highest state of Samadhi. Their heart went out to those that were weary and heavy-laden and knew not God. They spoke for the good of others.
Vivekananda sang the following song!—
SONG.
When shall we realise in the temple of the heart, the All-good and All-gracious form of God, the only Reality? Constantly looking on Him, when shall we dive deep in the Sea of that Divine Beauty?
Thou wilt come into my soul as Knowledge Absolute, as God Infinite. The dum-founded mind, made restless by its intense joy, will then take refuge at Thy feet. Bliss—like embodied nectar, sweet and life-giving, shall rise in the firmament of the soul. Looking at Thee thus manifest unto us I shall be mad with joy, even as the bird Chakora is mad with joy at the sight of the Moon.
I shall kill myself at Thy feet, O Beloved and then the aim of my life will be realised. Thou art King of kings, One without a second, All-peaceful, All-gracious.
Thus, even in this life shall I enjoy heavenly bliss; O, what a glorious privilege! When shall I look at Thy Holy and Pure Self? O, all impurities shall fly away from me before that Glory, even as darkness flieth away before the light!
Do Thou light in my heart a burning faith, that like the pole-star is ever a sure (and infallible) guide. O, Thou Friend of the weak, do Thou thus fulfil my only desire. Thus lost in the infinite Bliss of Thy love I shall forget myself entirely, having Thee as mine own night and day! Oh, when is that to come about?
Sri Râmakrishna lost himself in deep Samadhi as soon as he heard the words, 'Bliss,—like embodied nectar sweet and life-giving!' There he sat, with clasped hands, erect, turning his face eastward; diving deep into the Ocean of Beauty—the All-blissful Mother. No external consciousness! Breath had almost stopped; no sign of motion in any one of his limbs; no twinkle in the eyes! Sitting like one drawn in a picture! He had gone, somewhere away from this kingdom,—from this world of the senses!
The Samadhi ended. In the meantime, Narendra, seeing him in Samadhi, had gone out of the room to the eastern verandah. There Hazra was seated upon a blanket, telling his beads. Narendra began to talk with him.
Sri Râmakrishna's room by this time was filled with devotees. After the Samadhi had left him, the Master looked for Narendra in the room. He was not there. The Tampura was left on the floor! The devotees all had their looks fastened on the Master.
Master (referring to Narendra): He has lighted the fire. It matters not now whether he remains in the room or leaves it! Then turning towards the Captain and the devotees he said, "Meditate upon God, the Sole Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Eternal, and you also shall have Joy Everlasting."
"That Being of Knowledge and Bliss is always here and everywhere; only It is hidden from view by Ignorance. The less is your attachment to the senses, the more shall be your love towards God.
Captain: The more we near our home at Calcutta, the farther are we away from Kasi (Benares) and the more we near Kasi, the farther are we away from our home.
Master: As Srimati (Râdhâ) was nearing Sri Krishna, She was getting the charming odour of His sweet Person. Yes, the more one approaches God the more does one's love towards Him increase. The more does the river near the sea, the more is it subject to ebb and flow.
The Knower and the Lover. God the Absolute and God the Creator.
Master: The Ganges of Knowledge flowing in the soul of a wise man1 (a Vedantist), runs only in one direction. To him the whole universe is a dream. He always lives in his own True Self. But the Ganges of Love in a devotee's2 heart runs not in one direction. It has its ebb and flow. A devotee laughs, weeps, dances, sings. He wants sometimes to merge into his Beloved. He swims in Him, dives and rises up in his Joy as merrily as a lump of ice dances upon water.
1 Jnâni.
2 Bhakta.
But in fact God the Absolute1 and God the Creator2 are one and the same Being. God the Absolute, Knowledge, Intelligence-and Bliss is the same as All-Knowing, All-Intelligent, and All-Blissful Mother of the Universe. The bright precious stone and its brightness cannot be separated in thought, for you cannot think of the stone without its brightness; nor can you think of the brightness apart from the stone.3
The Absolute, Knowledge-Intelligence-Bliss, the Undifferentiated, is differentiated into One and Many. He has various names applied to Him according to the various powers manifested. That is the reason of His having many Forms. Hence the devotee has sung, "O my Divine Mother4, Thou art even all that." Wherever there is action, such as creation, preservation and destruction, there is Sakti or Intelligent Energy. But water is water whether it moves or does not move. That One Absolute, Knowledge-Intelligence-Bliss, is also the eternally Intelligent Energy, who creates and preserves and destroys the universe. Thus it is the same Captain whether he does not do anything or performs his worships or visits the Governor-General. In all cases it is the same Captain. Only those are his different Upadhis or adjuncts.
1 Brahman.
2 Sakti.
3 Mani.
4 Târâ.
Captain: Yes, Sir, that is so.
Master: I said this to Keshab Sen.
Captain: Well, Sir, Mr. Keshab Sen does not respect our Hindu manners and customs and laws. How can he be a real saint? He is a Babu,—not a holy man.
Master: (smiling and turning towards the devotees): Captain always wants me never to go to Keshab Sen.
Captain: But Your Holiness must go. What can I do?
Master (sharply): You go to the Governor-General who, according to your Sastras, is a mlechha (non-Aryan); and for money too! And may I not go to Keshab Sen? He meditates upon God, utters His Name! It does not lie in your mouth to say so—you who often say 'It is God who has in the process of differentiation become the human soul and the world itself! What you say you must mean, what you mean you must say!
After this Sri Râmakrishna abruptly left the room and went to the north-eastern verandah. The Captain and other devotees remained waiting for him in the room. Only M. accompanied him to the verandah where Narendra was talking with Hazra. Sri Râmakrishna knew that Hazra posed as an out-and out Monist—all dry. He would say, 'All the universe is a mere dream. All kinds of worship and offerings are mental delusions. God is the one Changeless Entity. A man should meditate upon his Self and nothing else," and so on.
Master (laughing):—Hallo! What are you talking about?
Narendra (laughing):—We are talking about themes too big for ordinary mortals.
Master (laughing):—But however you may talk, know that pure selfless devotion1 and pure selfless knowledge2 are both one and the same thing. The goal is the same. Smooth and easy is the path of devotion leading to God.
Narendra:—Yes, there is no use reasoning after the philosopher. 'Make me mad with Thy love, O Mother!'
(To M.):—Sir, I have been reading Hamilton, and he writes, 'A learned ignorance is the end of Philosophy and the beginning of Religion.'
Master (to M.):—What is the meaning of that?
Narendra explained it in Bengali. Sri Ramakrishna laughed and thanked him in English, saying, "Thank you." Everyone laughed at this, for the Master's knowledge of English was confined, at most, to half-a-dozen such expressions.
1 Bhakti.
2 Jnana (through Philosophy).