CHAPTER II
HOW TO CONTROL THE DESIRES AND PASSIONS.
Sri Râmakrishna (to Doctor): The following are among the persons who do not get a knowledge of God:—
First, he who is proud of his learning; second, he who is proud of his wealth. You may say to such a person, 'There is a holy man in a certain place, will you come to see him?' But he is sure to make excuses and say that he cannot come.
He thinks he is too big a man to pay a visit to such a person.
"Pride comes of Ignorance."
* * * *
The question is how may Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger and other passions be controlled?
Girindra Ghosh of Pathuriaghatta (a district in Calcutta), said, "It is not possible for one to entirely rid oneself of the passions. Hence let us give them a different direction. In the place of sensual pleasures let the object of our desire be God Himself. Let us enjoy the ecstasy of Divine Bliss. Let us be proud that we are the sons of God—the servants of the Most High. Let us be proud of having believed in the Name of the Lord and say, 'I have taken His Hallowed Name and I am already free from sin, free from bondage, and I care not for salvation. The things of this world are not, indeed, mine—money, honours, my family and the rest—but the Lord is mine and those that love the Lord."
"Do I covet riches or titles? No, what I covet most and long for is the Vision Divine."
"In this way the six passions may be turned Godward."
Doctor: It is hard to control the passions. They are like restive horses. They must have their eyes covered by blinders. In some cases their eyes should be entirely shut out from the outside world to keep them from stumbling or going astray.
Master: Should one be blest with God-vision, one's passions are unable to do evil.
Perfect men like Narad, Prahlad, do not need any such blinders over their eyes. The child who holds the father by the hand and walks in the field along the balk does, indeed, run the risk of letting go his father's arm and falling into the ditch. It is quite otherwise with the child whose arm is held by the father. Verily he never falls into the ditch.
Doctor: It is not right for the father to hold the child by the hand. That would stand in the way of self-help.
Master: Those that have seen God have rid themselves of the lower self. They act with their higher self, which is one with the Lord. They feel that it is not they who help themselves but the Divine Mother. All their strength comes from Her. Apart from the Divine Mother they are as good as non-entities. The child feels strong only in the presence of its Mother.
Path of Divine Love, the Path of Knowledge and Discrimination.
Doctor: Unless one covers their eyes the horses will not move a single step. Is it possible to realise God, unless one's passions are kept under control?
Master: You speak of the Path1 of Knowledge or Discrimination. Yes, that path, also, leads to God. The Knowing One says, 'One must be first pure if one desires to see God. One must first control one's passions. First Self-discipline, then Knowledge of God.'
There is another path leading to God—the Path2 of Devotion. Once there is in the human soul the love of God, once the chanting of His Holy Name fills the devotee with joy, no effort is needed for the control of the passions. Such control comes of itself.
1 Jnâna-Yoga.
2 Bhakti-Yoga.
When a man is troubled with grief, can he be in a mood to enter into a quarrel or to join a feast or to give his mind to sensual pleasures? Can a moth ever seek darkness after having seen the light once?
Doctor (smiling): No, it does not;—it is rather ready to rush into the flame, and perish there.
Master: No, that is not so: the true worshipper of God does not meet death like the moth. The Living Light to which the devotee is drawn does not burn and cause death. It is like the light coming from a gem, shining yet soft, cool and soothing. It does not burn but gives Peace and Joy.
Difficulty of the Path of Knowledge.
The Path1 of Knowledge leads, indeed, to God, but it is very hard. It is easy enough to say with the Knowing One in so many words and to reason thus:—I am not the body or the mind or the determinative faculty2; I am not subject to disease or grief or want of peace; I am above happiness and misery; I am not bound by the senses,—my true Self is God,3 of Whom the only thing that can be predicated is Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss.' It is easy to say all this, but hard to realise.
The hand is torn and scratched by thorns; it is bleeding; surely it does not lie in one's mouth to say, 'Why, my hand is not at all torn, nor does it bleed, and nothing is the matter with me!' One must actually burn in the flame of Knowledge the thorn of Ignorance which leads away from God and causes all the ills that flesh is heir to.
1 Jnâna-Yoga.
2 Buddhi.
3 Satchidânanda.
Book learning and Divine Wisdom.
Many think that Knowledge (of God) cannot be attained without the study of books. But higher than Reading is Hearing; higher than Hearing is Seeing (or Realisation). Hearing from the lips of the preceptor makes a greater impression than the mere reading of books. Seeing makes the greatest impression. Better than reading about Benares is hearing about the place from the lips of one who has visited it; better even than hearing is seeing Benares with one's own eyes.
At a game of chess the onlookers can tell what is the correct move, better than the players. Men of the world think they are very clever; but they are attached to things of this world—money, honours, pleasure, etc. Being actually engaged in the play it is hard for them to hit upon the right move. Holy men who have given up the world are not attached to it. They are like the onlookers at a game of chess. They see things better than men of the world.
Doctor (to a disciple): Had he (Sri Râmakrishna) only read books he could not have attained such wisdom. Faraday communed with nature and could thus discover many scientific truths. Mere book-learning could not have placed such knowledge within his reach. A close observation of nature helped him a great deal. Mathematical formulæ only throw the brain into confusion and stand very much in the way of original research. This gentleman here (i.e., the Master) is so wise because he is a child of nature.
Sri Râmakrishna (to Doctor): There was a time when I lay down on the ground at the foot of the Panchabati in my yearning for the Divine Mother. As I lay down, I used to cry and pray to my Divine Mother for more Light, saying, 'O Mother, letters have I never known; do Thou grant that it may be given unto me to know and to realise that which is attained by those1 that work unattached without looking for the fruits of their actions; also to know and to realise that which is attained by Yogins by means of concentration2, and lastly, to know and to realise what the Knowing Ones3 know by means of discrimination.'
Books have I never read. It is my Divine Mother Who hath revealed unto me these things and many more things!
Ah me! What a state of ecstasy it was! In such a state sleep leaves one.
And the Master sang:—
SONG.
1. My sleep hath been broken. I am not going to sleep any more.
Any way I am now awake. Having got Thee, O sleep of Communion, O Mother. Into sleep have I lulled sleep for ever.
I Karmins.
2 Yogins.
3 Jnânins.
2 An excellent theme have I got to think upon. From the Land where there is no night Hath come unto me a Citizen with that theme.
Worship1 at stated hours by day or by night hath for ever become barren unto me.
* * * *
I have never read the books. But see how people make much of me! That is because I chant the Holy Name of my Divine Mother.
Sambhu Mallik used to speak of me, saying, 'Here is Santiram Singh quite able to beat anybody although sword or shield he hath none.' (Laughter.)
The conversation next turned on the performance of a play by Girish (Ghosh) called the Life of Buddha. The Doctor had been invited by the author to see it. He had been very much pleased with the performance.
Doctor (to Girish): It is most wicked of you to draw me to the theatre every day.
Sri Râmakrishna (to M.): I can't make out what he says.
M. (smiling): The Doctor says that the play has proved to be a great attraction for him.