CHAPTER II.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA TEACHES RENUNCIATION TO NARENDRA.
Here Narendra comes in and falls at the feet of the Master. He speaks to Narendra, comes down from the lounge and takes his seat on one of the mats spread out on the floor. The chamber is by this time filled with the disciples and visitors from Calcutta and other places.
Master (to Narendra): Are you doing well, my boy? Is it true that you are a constant visitor at Girish Ghose's house?
Narendra: Yes, Sir, I do go to see him, off and on.
Girish is a new disciple, having joined the Master in December 1884. The Master often speaks of the greatness of his Faith—a Faith which, as he often says, cannot be girt about with both the arms; and his longing for the Lord is even as intense as his Faith. At home he always meditates upon God and is, as it were, drunken with the joy that the Lord alone can give. He is visited at his house by many disciples, specially by Narendra, Haripada, Narayan, Benode, and others. They have amongst them one theme alone for talk, viz., the Master.
Girish is a man of the world—a householder. On the other hand, the Master sees that Narendra will renounce the world to do the work of the Lord. Narendra will renounce 'Woman and Gold.'
The Ideal man or Sannyasin.
Master (to Narendra): Is it indeed true that you go often to see Girish Ghose at his house?
Well, one may wash ever so many times a cup which contains garlic; but the smell of the garlic will not leave the cup. Boys who have not entered the world and have not touched Woman and Gold are pure vessels—free from smell of any kind. Men that have been in the world for a long time are like vessels rubbed over with garlic.
They are again like mangoes pecked at and thus defiled by crows.
Again, young men who have not touched the world are like new earthen pots in which milk may be safely kept. On the other hand, worldly men are like earthen vessels in which milk was once turned into curds. In such vessels it is not safe to keep pure milk. The chances are that the milk will turn sour.
Knowledge or the Love of God taught to pure young souls is like the pure milk which can be safely kept in new vessels. If taught to men of the world it is in very many cases thrown away like the milk kept in vessels which once contained curds.
The Imperfections of the Householder Devotee.
My dear boy, there are, indeed worshippers amongst men of the world who seek for the Lord. They form a class by themselves. Their mind is given to God1 and at the same time to the enjoyments2 of the flesh. In the Ramayana it is mentioned that Ravana was a type of this class of men. He wanted the good things of this world as well as God. He married the charming daughters of the Devas, the Nagas, the Gandharvas, the Asuras; at the same time he attained God3 in the end.
1 Yoga.
2 Bhoga.
3 Râma.
In the Puranas it is mentioned that the Asuras were given to the enjoyment of worldly pleasures; at the same time they attained God in the end.
Narendra: Girish Ghose now-a-days avoids the company of bad people.
Master: In a certain place there were seated some sannyasins, when a young woman chanced to pass by. All continued as before to meditate upon God, except one person, who looked on her with a glance of his eye. This man who had been atracted by female beauty had been formerly a householder and was the father of three children when he became a sannyasi.
If you rub garlic with a liquid into a solution and put it into a cup for a long time, would it not be hard to make the cup free from the smell of the garlic? Is it possible to make the babuy plant bring forth the sweetest mangoes? Of course it is possible for a person who possesses occult powers to do this miracle. But it is not everybody that can attain these miraculous powers.
Yes, it is possible even for a man of the world to be pure like the young men who have not touched the world and who seek God alone; and for the babuy plant to bring forth the sweetest mangoes. But the power of doing these miracles must come down from the Almighty; and nothing is impossible with God. How rare, however, is such a gift from Heaven!
The thing is, you must give your whole mind to the Lord.
But a man of the world, a householder,—oh, how he is troubled with many things! Has he indeed time enough to spare for the Lord?
A certain man wanted a pandit, well-versed in the Scriptures—through whom he could hear the Word1 of God recited and explained every day. A friend of his said to him, 'Well I know such a pandit; he is exactly the man we want; but there is one difficulty as regards this man. He has some land under cultivation, which he has to look after every day. There are four ploughs and eight bullocks always at work. Thus the difficulty is that he has no time to spare.' The man in search of a pandit, cried out, 'My friend, am I looking about for a learned pandit like the one you have in view—a pandit with ploughs and bullocks and arable lands to look after and with no time to spare? (Laughter). No, no; I am in quest of a pandit from whom I can hear the word of God!
A certain King used to hear the Word of God everyday recited by a learned pandit. At the end of the lesson for the day, the pandit used to say to the King, 'O, King, were you able to follow all this that I read before you?' To this question the Raja would only reply, 'My dear sir, it is for you, first of all, to understand the meaning of these holy texts!'
The pandit thought upon these words of the King everyday upon his return home. 'Why does the King,' thought he within himself, 'say to me every day, Do you first understand the meaning?' Being a devout Brahmin he felt an awakening of the spirit within himself in the course of a few days. He realized that the worship of the Lord alone is the one thing needful. Being sick of the world and its pleasures he gave it up. On the day he left his house in order to go into retirement he sent a message unto the King, saying' 'O, King, I have indeed at last come to know the true meaning of the Word of God' (i.e., give up everything for the sake of the Lord).
1 Bhâgabata.
That being my idea of men of the world, do you think I look down upon them? O, no. The Knowledge of Oneness tells me that everything is but a manifestation of God the Absolute on the plane of sense. Thus do I realize, actually see, that all women are so many Forms in which the Divine Mother appears. So I revere all women alike—be it a woman of the lower classes or an ideal wife who sets an example to others of conjugal love and devotion.
Alas, I look in vain for customers who want anything higher or better than Kolai pulse! Everybody runs after Woman and Gold! Few do aspire for higher things!
They are attracted by female beauty,—by money, honours, titles,—not knowing that the Blessed Vision of the Lord—the Divine Beauty—will cause the highest place, even that of the Creator, to appear as a thing not worth one's while to strive for.
A certain person said to Ravana, 'Why can you not approach Sita assuming the form of Rama—her beloved husband?' Ravana replied, 'My friend, if I once behold Rama in the recess of my soul—if I once meditate upon this Divine Form—Tilottama and other beauties appear to me like ashes of the dead at the burning ghat. After that I can spurn the high place of the Creator, not to speak of women with all their charms!'
Verily these customers, every one of them, seek for Kolai pulse. It is given to pure souls alone, who have not touched the world, to love God alone—to have One Aim,—to have the mind fixed upon the Lord.
The Service of the World and of Worldly Men.
(To Manmohan, a householder and a disciple): I must say it, although you may take offence, I did say to Rakhal 'My child, I should be better pleased to hear that you had plunged yourself into the Ganges and had been drowned,—than if I ever heard that you had been mean enough to be anybody's servant for the sake of money or other worldly goods!'
(Rakhal is a young disciple now staying with the Master. He has married the sister of Manmohan).
Turning again to Narendra the Master says,—
A young Nepalese lady once came here in company with Captain (Vishwanath). She played nicely on the Eshraj (a kind of violin) and chanted the Name of the Lord at the same time. Her sweet voice drew quite a number into the room. Somebody asking if she had married, she replied with some sharpness, 'I am the handmaiden of the Lord! He is my Lord and Husband. Him alone do I serve and not any created being such as man is.'
With 'Woman and Gold' always coming round about you how is it possible to realize God? It is very hard indeed to live unattached in their midst. Hard is the case of the man of the world. In the first place, he is the slave of his wife; in the second place, he is the slave of the rupee, and in the third place he is the slave of him whom he serves for the sake of his living.
Akbar and the Fakeer.
During the reign of Akbar there lived, in a certain forest near Delhi, a Fakeer in a cottage. Many resorted to this holy man. But he had nothing with which to give them hospitality. He wanted money for this purpose and went up for help to Akbar Shah, who was known for his kindness to holy men. Akbar Shah was then saying his prayers and the Fakeer took his seat in the prayer room. In the course of his prayers Akbar was heard to say, 'O Lord, do Thou grant unto me more wealth, more power, more territories.' At once the Fakeer arose and was about to steal out of the room when the Emperor beckoned to him to be seated again.
At the end of the prayer, Akbar asked the Fakeer, 'You came to see me; how is it that you wanted to depart without saying anything to me?' The Fakeer said, "The object of my visit to Your Majesty,—well, I need not trouble you with that.' Akbar having repeatedly pressed him to say what he wanted, the Fakeer at last said, 'Sir, many people come to me to be taught, but for want of money I am unable to see to their comforts, so I thought it as well to come to Your Majesty for help.' Akbar thereupon asked why he was about to depart without having told him the object of his visit. The Fakeer replied, 'When I saw that you were yourself a beggar, begging of the Lord wealth and power and territory, I thought to myself, 'Why shall I go a-begging of a person who is himself a beggar? I had better beg of the Lord Himself,—if, indeed, it is not possible for me to do without begging altogether!'
Narendra: Now-a-days, Girish Ghose thinks upon these matters alone.
Master: That is all right—as it should be. But why is it then that he calls names? My present nature cannot stand such rudeness. When there is a thunderclap the grosser objects are not so affected by it. But glass shutters move to and fro and make sounds! The Sattva element goes to make up my present nature. Hence it cannot stand noise and clamour. It was thus that my Divine Mother sent away Hriday who had latterly grown too rough for me.
Does God incarnate Himself?
(Smiling, to Narendra, after a while): Do you agree what Girish Ghose says (as to God being Incarnate in Man)?
Narendra: He says, indeed, that he believes in Divine Incarnation. His faith being so deep-rooted I thought it as well not to say anything the other way.
Master: How great is his faith! Do you not think so?
The Master is seated on the mat spread on the floor. Close to Him is M.; in front of Him is Narendra; the other disciples and Calcutta visitors are seated round about. All look on the Master.
He is seated still for a while looking on Narendra with 'love unspeakable.' He says unto him. 'My child, O! you cannot attain the end of life without Renunciation of 'Woman and Gold!'
Saying this He becomes filled with Divine Fervour. He looks on him with love and sings:—
SONG.
1. Afraid am I to speak the word unto Thee; equally afraid am I,—if I do not speak it.
The fear that ariseth in my mind is that I may lose Thee,—yes, be robbed of Thee, my Wealth, my Treasure!
2. Knowing well Thy mind, we shall teach Thee the Holy Name, that is to bring Thee to the Beloved.
It is now for Thee to get ready to receive that Name which has enabled us on many an occasion to steer the boat safe to land.
The Master is afraid lest Narendra ceases to be his own—lest some man plucks him out of his hand! Narendra is in tears as he hears the Master singing.
A visitor who has come to see the Master for the first time is seated near him and watches everything. He says to the Master,—
Sir, if Woman and Gold are to be given up how should the householder, the man who has a family to bring up, solve this problem?
Master: Well, Sir, you are at liberty to live with your wife and children and do your duty as a householder. What has passed between ourselves does not concern you.
The Problem of Life for the Householder.
Mahimacharan, a householder who has heard everything, sits speechless, holding his peace.
Master (smiling to Mahima): Go on ahead. And halt not on the way. Go deeper into the forest, you shall get sandal-wood. Go yet deeper, you shall come upon a silver mine! Do not stand where you are; but go on ahead. Yes, deeper still and you shall come upon a gold mine! Move on still further and you shall be placed in the midst of diamonds and rubies and sapphires! yes, go on ahead.
Mahima: We ought to move on indeed. But, alas, something holds us back,—and keeps us from moving forward. Some unknown force holds the reins and pulls us back.
Master (smiling): Why, my dear Sir, let the reins be cut asunder by the sword of His Holy Name! The 'Name' of the Divine Mother, the Consort of Eternity, is capable of cutting in twain the bonds of Death!
Since his father left the world Narendra has been put to great trouble. He has passed through many a trial and suffering. The Master looks on Narendra from time to time. He says smiling on him with love and the light of sympathy beaming from his eyes,—'Have you already turned out to be a Chikitsaka, a physician of many years standing?
The Master quotes the proverb, saying—
"A Vaidya is a physician who has succeeded in killing a hundred patients!
A Chikitsaka is he who has despatched a thousand at least unto eternity!" (Laughter).
Narendra has had already enough of the bitter cup. Does the Good Master refer to this?
Narendra smiles and holds his peace.