1884
SECTION VIII
1884
Visit to a Hindu Pandit and Preacher.
Place—College Street, Calcutta.
Date-Rathajatra, 25th June 1884, 4 P.M. to 6-30 P.M., the second lunar day of Ashadha (light fortnight).
THE MASTER IN SAMADHI.
When Sri Râmakrishna had got into the carriage which was to take him to the house in which Pandit Sasadhar was putting up, he was again in Samadhi, that 'blessed and serene mood' in which the place of all sense-consciousness is taken by pure God-consciousness—a mood which he called his âbesh. In this state the Yogi is carried away into the supersensual world.
It was about 4 P.M, It was drizzling a little when he set out from Ishan's house. The roads were covered with mud. The disciples followed the carriage on foot. They were eager to assist at what promised to be an interesting meeting. It being the day of the Car Festival, they found on their way children playing and blowing their pipes of palm leaves. The Master's carriage drew up at the entrance door and he was warmly received by the host and his people.
Coming upstairs the Master met Sasadhar advancing towards him. He appeared to be a middle-aged man, was of fair complexion and had a rosary of Rudrâksha beads thrown round his neck. He came forward with reverential air, saluted the Master and led him into the parlour which was intended for his reception. The disciples and others all went after him and seated themselves as near him as they could.
Among the many disciples present were Narendra, M., Rakhal and Ram.
Master (smiling in his semi-conscious state and approvingly), Very well! Very well! Well, what kind of lectures are you in the habit of giving?
Sasadhar: Sir, I try to bring out the truths taught by the Holy Scriptures.1
Communion by Love not by Work.
Master: For this age2, it is Communion with God by love, devotion and self-surrender, as practised by the Rishi Nârada3, that is enjoined. There is hardly time for doing the various works4 laid upon man by the Scriptures.
Do you not see that the well-known decoction of the ten medicinal roots5 is not the medicament for fevers of the present day? The patient runs the risk of being carried off, before the medicine has time to take effect. Fever mixture is, therefore, the order of the day.
Look here. Teach them work6 if you like. But do so, weighing the fish minus the head and the tail.
1 Sâstras.
2 Kali-yuga.
3 Nâradiâ Bhakti.
4 Karmayoga.
5 Dasamûl Pâchan.
6 Karma.
I tell people not to trouble themselves with long rituals like Sandhya* and the rest of it; but to say only the shorter form, Gayatri.†
Workers1 like Ishan are exceptions. You are welcome to talk of work to such people if you must, and of conduct enjoined by the Scriptures.
The Value of Lectures to Worldly Men.
Your lectures cannot possibly make any impression upon those who are immersed in worldliness.
The Nature of Worldly Men.
Is it possible to drive nails into a stone? Should you make an attempt to do so, the chances are that the nails would sooner have their heads broken than make any impression on the stone.
The crocodile will in vain be struck with the sword or spear.
The mendicant's bowl2 made of gourd shell may have been to the four corners3 of India which a holy man is required to visit and still remain as bitter in taste as ever.
Therefore I say, to such men your lectures shall prove useless. They are sure to remain as worldly as ever in spite of them.
1 Karmis.
2 Kamandalu.
3 Châr Dhâm.
* Sandhyâ—divine service three times a day, laid upon the twice-born.
† Gâyatri—a short text from the Vedas, the repetition of which leads to meditation on God, the Omnipresent Source of all energy and power.
Experience for a Religious Teacher.
But I dare say you will become wiser with added experience. The calf is not able to stand upon its legs all at once. It drops down at first as it tries to do so. But it is precisely in this way that it at last learns to walk.
The Effect of First Love on the Power of Discrimination.
It is not your fault that you cannot know the godly from the worldly-minded. When a strong wind blows it raises the dust and makes it difficult for one to know one kind of tree from another, for instance, the mango from the tamarind. So in you is blowing, for the first time, the strong wind of first love.1 You cannot know the godly from the worldly-minded. They are the same to you.
Giving up of Work and Realization.
It is possible for him alone to give up all work who has seen, who has realized, God.
The question is, how long should rituals2 and other ceremonial works be practised? The answer is, the term of these is over as soon as there are tears visible in the eyes and horripilation3 at the sacred Name of God.
When you say, 'Om Rama!' and when immediately tears stand in your eyes, then know it for certain that the term of your work is over. Then you are at liberty to give up all rituals and routine exercises. You have risen above work. When the fruit appears the blossoms drop off. The Love4 which realizes God is the fruit. Work5 is the blossom.
1 Anurâga.
2 Sandhyâ, etc.
3 Pulak.
4 Bhakti.
5 Karma.
When the daughter-in-law of the house is found to be with child, the mother-in-law takes care that her house-hold duties become less and less every day. When it is the tenth month with her she has almost ceased to work.
Sandhya loses itself in Gayatri. Gayatri loses itself in Om, the sacred symbol in the Vedas for Brahman, the Absolute and Unconditioned. Om in the end loses itself in Samadhi (pure God-consciousness.)
The sound of the bell is symbolical of these states. Dong (or the sound of the bell) gradually loses itself in Infinity. This symbolises the sound1 perceived by the Yogi as proceeding from the Absolute and being then lost in the Absolute.
In the same way Karma (religious exercises like the Sandhya, in the end loses itself in Samadhi (pure God-consciousness).
Thus the realization of God cuts short work.
The Master in Samadhi.
The Master is talking of Samadhi, and once more his mood goes through a remarkable change. A strange heavenly expression comes over his sweet, radiant face. He loses all sense-consciousness. Remaining speechless in this state for a time he says, as is his wont, 'Give me a little water.'
The call for water is, as a general rule, a sure sign of the Master coming down to the plane of sense-consciousness.
1 Nâdaveda.
He then goes on saying, "O Mother! It did please Thee to show me Iswar Vidyasagar. This time again I said to Thee, 'Mother! I desire to see a pandit' and Thou hast heard my prayer."
The Necessity of Practice.
Turning to Sasadhar the Master says, "My son, do add to thy strength a little. Go through the devotional exercises1 a little longer. You have hardly got upon the tree and you expect to lay hold on a cluster of its big fruits!
"The redeeming feature of your conduct is that it comes of a laudable desire to do good to others."
Learning without Discrimination.
Saying this the Master bows to Sasadhar and says, 'When I first heard your name I asked people whether the Pandit was a mere scholar or a person who had attained discrimination2 (between the Real, i.e., God, and the unreal), in other words, a sense of the vanity of this world.'
A man of learning without a sense of the vanity of this world is of no worth whatever.
The Doctrine of Âdesa—Commandment from God.
Preaching does no harm if there has been a commandment; if one has received a commission from the Lord to preach the Truths of Religion.
(a) The Commissioned Teacher is Invincible.
Made strong by such a Commission the Preacher becomes one whom nobody can beat.
I Sâdhana.
2 Viveka.
One ray of light coming from the Goddess of Wisdom, my Divine Mother, has the power to turn great pandits (men of the vastest book-learning) into the veriest worms that crawl upon the earth.
(b) The Commissioned Teacher is known by his perfect indifference to organisations and his contempt for got up meetings and popular applause.
When the lamp is lighted the insects that appear in numbers in cloudy weather wait not till they are called in. They are sure to rush upon the flame of the lamp without any body bidding them come.
A man with a Divine Commission does not look out for an audience. It is the audience that looks out for him. Such a person cares not to get up lecture-meetings and such things. People all must come to him of their own accord. His magnetic influence none can resist.
(c) The Master the Ideal-Tyagi (or Sannyasin) and Teacher.
Then Princes and Baboos all flock to him and ask him, "Lord, what would you take? Would you like to take these mangoes, these sweetmeats, gold, jewels, shawls?" and so on. He says to such people, "Away with you; No! Excuse me, I do not want anything."
Surely it is not for the magnet to invite pieces of iron to be drawn to it. These latter run to the magnet because they must.
(d) The Commissioned Teacher and the Wisdom of Life.
Do you fear because such a teacher seems not to be learned,—seems not to be well-up in the truths taught by the Sacred Books and other books?
Do you fear because he is not a pandit (book-learned)? No! No! he never falls short of the Wisdom of Life. He has a never-failing supply of Divine Wisdom—truths directly revealed—which rise superior to the wisdom taught by the Books. In that part of the country, (i.e., where the Master was born and brought up) you may often find people measuring grain as it lies in a heap. One man goes on measuring with a standard measure. Another man pushes the grain on to him as soon as he finishes measuring the portion of the heap that is within his reach. Much in the same way the Divine Teacher receives his supply of Truths from the Fountain of All Wisdom, the Divine Mother. That supply is never used up.
Should it be the rare good fortune of a person to be favoured with one side-glance of love from the Lord, such a person becomes blessed at once with Divine Wisdom enough and to spare.
Therefore I ask whether you have received any Commandment1 from the Lord?
Hazra (to the Pandit): Oh, I dare say there must have been something of that kind. Is it not so?
Pandit: No! I am afraid there hath been no such thing.
1 Âdesa.
Host: No commandment. He is lecturing only from a sense of duty.
(c) Value of Lectures where the Lecturer has had no Divine Commission.
Master: What are lectures worth, if the lecturer hath not a good record;—a sufficient force of character derived from a Divine Commission? Some one said in the course of a lecture, "Brethren, I used formerly to drink," and so forth. This revelation only made the position of the lecturer worse, for, some of the people said to themselves, "Look at the fellow! What does he mean by saying 'I used to drink?' A retired Sub-Judge from Barisal once said to me, "Sir do you go about lecturing? In that event I shall be glad to follow suit and gird up my loins." I said, "My dear Sir, listen to a story. There is a tank called Halder Pookur in the village of Kamarpakur. People used to throw dirt about the edge of the tank water. Every morning, abuses were showered upon the heads of those that offended. But it was all in vain. The Act was repeated the following morning and went on as ever. At last there was a notice put up by a peon of the Municipality, forbidding people to commit such acts. The effect of this authoritative notice was miraculous. There was no more any repetition of such nuisance."
Therefore I say, your lecturer must not be an ordinary man. He must be a person armed with credentials,—clothed with authority from the Most High. He must be one who has received his Commission from Him.
A teacher of mankind must possess sufficient spiritual power. In Calcutta there are many veteran1 wrestlers like Hanuman Puri. One must try one's strength on such men and not on the novices2 in wrestling.
Chaitanya Deva was, as we all know, an incarnation of God. Well, what remains of his work now? How infinitely less valuable must be the work of him who is weak in spirit and has received no commission from the Lord?
How to receive a Commandment from the Lord.
Therefore I say (and the master sang, intoxicated with the Wine of Divine Love):—
SONG
Dive Deep
Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep O my mind! into the Sea of Beauty.
Make a search in the regions lower, lower down under the sea; you will come by the jewel, the wealth of Prema (intense love of God) (See Section IX, Chapter II).
"Fear not."
Fear not, continued the Lord, at the end of the hymn, because I ask you to plunge, to dive deep into that Sea. Fear not. It is the Sea of Immortality.
Narendra and the Sea of Immortality.
I once said to Narendra, who is here present, "God is like a sea of liquid sweet. Would you not dive into this sea? Just think of a vessel with a wide mouth containing the syrup of sugar, and suppose you are a fly anxious to drink of the sweet liquid. Where should you sit and drink?" Narendra said that he should like to drink from the edge of the vessel, for if he came to a point beyond his depth he was sure to be drowned. Thereupon I said to him you forget my son, that diving deep into the Divine Sea you need not be afraid of death. Remember Satchidânanda Sea (The Divine Sea) is the Sea of immortality. The water of this sea never causes death but is water of Everlasting Life. Be not afraid like some foolish persons that you 'may run to excess' in your love of God.
1 Pailwans.
2 Patthas,
From this Sea of Immortality drink the Chidananda Rasa—the nectar of Absolute1, Everlasting, Knowledge and Joy.
Yes, first see Him, realise Him, in this way; then shall you hear His Voice. He will talk to you and, if He so wishes, will entrust you with His Commission.
Infinite is the number of ways leading to the Sea of Immortality.
The Way to the 'Sea of Immortality.'
It is immaterial how you get into this sea.
A hope held out to all Religious Cults and Dispensations.
Suppose there is a reservoir of nectar. It is open to you to walk slowly down the sloping bank from any point, get to the nectar and have a drink. You get immortal in any case. Again, what does it signify if one throws oneself into the reservoir or is pushed into it by somebody? The result in either case is the same. You taste the nectar—the Water of Life—in either case. You become immortal.
1 Brahman.
The Master on Yoga or Communion.
The ways being numberless, Gnâna, Karma, Bhakti, all lead to God, other things remaining the same.
Yoga (communion with the Lord) is of three kinds:—Gnâna Yoga, Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga.
1. Gnâna-Yoga.
This is communion with God by means of Gnâna (Knowledge in its highest sense). The gnâni's object is to realise Brahman, the Absolute. He says 'Not this', 'Not this,' and thus leaves out of account one unreal thing after another until he gets to a point where all discrimination1 between the Real God and the unreal ceases, and the Absolute2 is realised in Samadhi.
2. Karma-Yoga.
This is communion with God by means of work. It is what you are teaching.
Ashtânga-Yoga or Raja-Yoga is Karma-Yoga, if practised without attachment.* It leads to communion through meditation and concentration.
1 Vichâra.
2 Brahman.
* Ashtânga-Yoga (of Patanjali) means Yoga with eight members or steps, viz., Yama (control over thought,word, deed), Niyama (rules for conduct), Asana (control over the posture), Pranâyâma (control over Prana or the breath of life), Pratyâhâra (Introspection), Dhâranâ (concentration), Dhyâna (meditation), and Samâdhi (God-consciousness).
The doing of duties by householders†—doing them without attachment to the end that God may be glorified—is Karma-Yoga.
Again worship1 according to the Sastras, silent repetition2 of the Name of God, and other Karma of the kind is Karma-Yoga if done without attachment, for the glorification of God.
The end of Karma-Yoga is the same, viz., the Realisation of God, Impersonal3 or Personal4 or both.
3. Bhakti-Yoga.
This is communion by means of love5, devotion, and self-surrender. It is specially adapted to this age6.
This is the Law7 for the present age.
Difficulty of Communion by Works.
Pure work8 without attachment, as I have already said, is exceedingly difficult in this age6.
In the first place, there is, as I have already pointed out, hardly time in this age for doing the various works9 laid upon us by the Holy Books10.
In the second place, you may form a resolution to work unattached, without expectation of any reward or fear of any punishment in this world or the next. But the chances are that, knowingly or unknowingly, you get attached to the fruit of your work, unless indeed you are already a perfect man.
1 Pujâ.
2 Japa.
3 Nirguna.
4 Saguna.
5 Bhakti.
6 Kali Yuga.
7 Yugadharma,
8 Karma-Yoga,
9 Karma.
10 Sâstras.
Self-regarding or altruistic, social, political, etc.
Difficulty of Communion by Philosophy (Gnana-Yoga).
The path of Absolute Knowledge or Communion by Philosophy is also exceedingly difficult in this age.
In the first place, our life1 in this age resides, so to speak, in food.
Secondly, the term of human life in this age is much too short for this purpose.
Thirdly, it is almost impossible in this age to get rid of the conviction2 that the self is the same as the body,—which clings to us. Now, what is the conclusion which the gnani must come to? It is this:—'I am not the body, gross or subtle. I am one with the Universal Soul, the Being Absolute and Unconditioned. Not being the body, I am not subject to the necessities of the body—e.g., hunger, thirst, birth, death, disease, grief, pleasure, pain, etc'.
One; subject to these necessities of the body and calling oneself a philosopher,3 is like a person suffering from intense pain caused by a thorny plant. It scratches and tears the hand and causes it to bleed. But he nevertheless says, 'Why, my hand is not at all scratched or torn. It is all right.'
Bhakti-Yoga the Yugadharma and not Gnana-Yoga or Karma-Yoga.
Hence the path of Communion4 by love, devotion and self-surrender to God is the easiest of all paths. It brings Karma (work) to a minimum. It teaches the necessity of Prayer Without Ceasing. It is, in this age, the shortest cut leading to God.
1 Annagata-prâna.
2 Dehabuddhi.
3 Gnâni.
4 Bhakti.
Different Ways but the Same Goal.
The meaning of this is that (1) Discrimination1 between God, the only Reality, and the unreal phenomenal universe,and (2) the doing2 of Works, is far more difficult in this age than Bhakti as a method or path leading to God.
It is not meant that the Goal is different.
The philosopher,3 indeed, wants to realise God4 Impersonal. What is meant is that such a person would, in this age, do better to follow the method of the Bhakti-yogi. Let him love, pray, surrender himself entirely to God. The Lord5 loves his devotee and will vouchsafe to him even the knowledge6 of the Absolute if he hungers and thirsts after it.
The philosopher will thus realise God, both Personal and Impersonal. Only let him, in this age, follow the method of the Bhakta.
Can the Bhakta attain Brahma-Gnâna?
The Bhakti-yogi, on the other hand, would be generally quite content with seeing, realising, the Personal7 God. The Lord would, however, make him heir of his Infinite Glories—grant unto him knowledge of both the Personal and the Impersonal.8 Both Gnâna and Bhakti shall be his.
1 Gnânavichâra.
2 Karma.
3 Gnâna-yogi.
4 Brahma Nirgunam.
5 Bhakta-vatsal.
6 Brahma-Gnâna.
7 Saguna Brahman.
8 Saguna and Nirguna Brahman.
For does not a person who manages to reach Calcutta succeed in finding his way to the Maidan, the Ochterlony Monument, the Museum and other places, and know which is which?
The important thing is to be able, to come to Calcutta.
Do but come to my Divine Mother and you will get not only Bhakti but also Gnâna, not only Gnâna but also Bhakti—not only see Her in Samadhi, manifesting Herself in Forms1 Divine but also realise Her as the Absolute2 in Samadhi, in which all self in the devotee is effaced by my Mother and there is no manifestation of Divine Forms.
The Bhakta's Attitude towards Karma; his Prayer.
The true Bhakta says: Lord! work3 with attachment I see, is dangerous, for just as a man soweth, so must he reap. I see, again, that work without attachment is exceedingly difficult. Save me from the first, Lord, for else, I shall forget Thee. Deign to make less and less what work I have, until by Thy Grace I see Thee and no work remaineth to be done. Till then, may it please Thee to grant that I may be blessed with that love, devotion and self-surrender to Thee which is the One Thing Needful. As for the little work that is left for my share, grown less and less by Thy Grace, do Thou grant that I may have strength to do it without attachment. But until I am blessed with the Vision Divine and thus realise the true end of life, grant that my soul may not be disposed to look about for fresh work, unattached though it be—unless indeed I receive from Thee Thy commandment to do Thy work.'
1 Sâkâra Rupa.
2 Nirvikalpa.
3 Karma.
The Value of Pilgrimage: Work vs Faith and Love.
Pandit: Please, Sir, how far did you go abroad on pilgrimage?
Master (smiling): Well, I did go to some places. Hazra went farther, and higher up to Hrishikesa on the Himalayas. I did not go so far nor so high up.
The vulture and the kite, do, indeed, soar very high, but all the while their looks are fixed on the charnel-pits where the carcasses of dead animals are thrown.
What is the good of visiting places of pilgrimage,—once you are able to cultivate Bhakti (devotion to God)?
When on my pilgrimage I visited Benares I was surprised to see that the grass there was the same grass as here, and that there were the same tamarind leaves!
Pilgrimages, without love and devotion to God, carry no reward. With devotion within thy heart, it is not absolutely necessary that you must visit the holy places. You are very well off where you are.
Love of God is the one thing needful.
The charnel-pit is the World—which is another name for Woman (carnality) and Gold (riches, honours, fame, work with attachment, etc.)
The vulture and the kite are they that talk big and try to justify themselves by the doing of works1 enjoined by the Holy Books.2 All the while their mind is attached to the things of the world—riches, honours, sensual pleasures, etc.
Pandit: That is true, Sir, such pilgrimage is like setting at naught the jewel worn suspended on the breast of Vishnu the Second Person of the Hindu Trinity and going about searching for other jewels.
Religious Awakening and the Time Factor.
Sri Râmakrishna: In order that your teaching should take effect you should take into account the Time Factor.Unless in the case of each individual, you do allow a certain space of time to go by, no teaching will bear fruit. Those whom you teach will not, as a general rule, be able at once to profit by your teachings unless their hour is come.
Spiritual awakening is very much a question of time. The Teacher is a mere help.
Doctors are of three classes.
Three Classes of Religious Teachers.
There is one class of doctors who, when they are called in, look at the patient, feel his pulse, prescribe the necessary medicines, and then ask the patient to take them. If the patient declines to do so, the doctor goes away without further troubling himself about the matter. This is the lowest class of doctors. In the same way there are religious teachers who do not much care whether or not their teachings are valued or acted up to.
1 Karma.
2 Sastras.
The second class of doctors not only ask the patient to take the medicine, but they go further. They reason with him in case he takes it not. In the same way, those religious teachers who leave no stone unturned to make other people walk in the ways of Righteousness and of Truth by means of the arts of gentle persuasion must be said to belong to the next higher class.
The third and highest class of doctors will use force on the patient in case their kind words fail. They will go the length of putting their knee on the chest of the patient and forcing the medicine through his gullet. (Laughter.)
In the same way, there are some religious teachers who would use force, if necessary, on their disciples, with a view to make them walk in the way of the Lord. These belong to the highest class.
Pandit: So there are religious teachers, like doctors, of this highest class. Then, Sir, why do you say the time factor must be taken into account?
Sri Râmakrishna: There are doctors of the highest class. But suppose the medicine does not get to the stomach. The doctors then, with all their zeal, are quite helpless.
Fit Vessels to Receive the Truth.
It is necessary to choose fit vessels1 as the receptacles for Spiritual Truths. I ask those who come to me 'Have you got any guardian to take care of you?' 'For, suppose the father has left any debts. Suppose the would-be disciple has no one in the world to look after him. Then it would be next to impossible for such a person to fix his mind upon God. Do you hear, my child?
Pandit: Yes, Sir, all. I am all ears.
The conversation then turns on another subject, the Grace of God.2
Master: Once a number of Sikh soldiers came to the temple, They had a meeting with me just before the temple of the Divine Mother. They said, 'God is very kind.' I asked, smiling, Is it indeed so? They replied, 'Why, Sir, does not the Lord take care of His creatures, provide for their wants?' I said, the Lord is the Father of all. He must take care of His children—His own creatures. If He does not, who else is there to take care of them? Surely it is not the duty of people of the "other quarter of the town" to come and feed God's own creatures!'
Narendra: Then the Lord should not be called Merciful?
1 Pâtram.
2 Kripâ.
Sri Râmakrishna: I don't forbid you to call Him so. You are at liberty to call Him by that name. I only meant to say that The Lord is our own.
Pandit: Priceless are these words!
Songs for Worldly Objects.
Sri Râmakrishna (aside to a disciple): You were singing. But your songs this day, were to me tasteless as if from want of salt. I could not enjoy them. Yours was the condition of a person looking for a situation through the recommendation of the master of the family. Hence I could not keep listening to the songs, but left the place.
The disciple blushed.
Purity.
The Master here asked for a fresh glass of water. He would not take the one already offered, which was therefore taken away. The Master, it appeared, looked upon it as unfit to be offered to the God in Him—being made impure by the 'feverish' touch of some wicked man.
The Parting.
Pandit (to Hazra): You, gentlemen, the Master's constant associates, must always be in the midst of exceeding joy.
Master (smiling): This day I have had the rare pleasure of looking at the Moon of the Second lunar day. I say Moon of the Second lunar day with a special meaning.
Sitâ* said to Râvana, 'Thou art the full moon and my Rama Chandra is the Moon of the Second (lunar day). Râvana was highly pleased until the sense was explained to him. Sitâ meant to say that the fortune of Râvana had reached its climax, and that now it must be on the wane like the full moon. Not so the fortune of Rama Chandra which had reached only the Second (lunar day). His fortune like the Moon of the Second lunar day)was not on the wane, but must ever grow day by day. Rama Chandra must increase, but Râvana must decrease.'
Here the Master rising to depart, the Pandit and his friends bowed down before him. He then left the place, followed by his disciples.
* Sitâ, the chaste and devoted wife of Râmachandra, who is regarded as an Incarnation of God, was 'stolen' by Râvana, king of Ceylon, who brought her to his capital, Lanka. Hence the war described in the epic, Râmâyana, which ended with the destruction of Râvana and many of his people.