CHAPTER III.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BEYOND.
The disciples sit still. The Master looks on them with affection. He puts his hands upon his heart and will speak.
Sri Râmakrishna (to Narendra and other disciples) Here (that is, within himself) there are two Persons. One is the Divine Mother—
The disciples wait for the rest of his words.
He continues—
One is the Divine Mother, the other Person is Her devotee. It is the second person who has been now taken ill. Do you understand this?
The disciples sit still and do not utter a single word.
Sri Râmakrishna: Alas! To whom shall I speak all this? And who is there to understand me?
A short while and the Master continues—
The Lord comes with His disciples as a Divine Incarnation. He takes a human body. His disciples go back with Him to the Divine Mother.
Rakhal: Therefore, Sir, you must not go before us and leave us behind.
The Master smiles...with love unspekable, beaming from his eyes! He says on—
A band of Bâûls* comes into a house all on a sudden;—they chant the Name of Lord and dance with joy! That done, they leave the house at once! As abrupt in going as in coming! And the people know them not!
The Master and the disciples smile.
* Bauls are a sect of Hindus who renounce the world and are filled with the madness of Divine Love.
The Master continues—
Taking human body one cannot avoid suffering.
I sometimes say to myself, "May the Lord grant that I may not be sent unto this world any more!"
But there is one thing to be taken into account. The rice and dal to be had in one's home ceases to interest one if one is invited to the Lord's Feast.
M. (to himself): Does the Master mean that the Son of God1 Who is the Embodiment of God's Love is ever fond of abiding with His own, viz, those that love the Lord, the Lord alone? The Ambrosia that He distributed at His Feast, was it not the Love of the Lord?
Master: He takes the human body for the sake of the pure souls that love the Lord alone.
The Master looks on Narendra with ineffable tenderness!
The Master Teacheth Narendra the Paths of Knowledge2 & Love3 of God.
Master (to Narendra): Once a pariah4 was carrying baskets load of raw meat hung to a sling on his shoulder, when he met Sankarâchârya (the Hindu saint and reformer) passing by after bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges. It chanced that he touched the person of the holy man. Sankara got offended and cried out, "Thou hast touched me, sirrah!" He replied, "My good Sir, neither have I touched thee, nor hast thou touched me! Do thou reason with me and say whether thy true Self is the body or the mind or the determinative faculty5, and tell me what thou art truly. Thou knowest that the true Self is not attached to any of the three gunas that constitute the world viz.,—
1 Avatar.
2 Jnana.
3 Bhakti.
4 Chandala.
5 Buddhi.
(1) The Sattva (the Rhythmic matter) (2) Rajas (vibratory matter), and (3) Tamas (inert matter.)
The Absolute,—do you know what It is like? It is like the air, which carries odours, be they good or bad, but itself remains unaffected by them.
Narendra: That is indeed true, Sir.
Master: The Absolute is beyond all attributes,—beyond whatever is connected with the world-process.1
The world-force1 either leads Godward or away from God.2 Woman and Gold lead us away from God. Knowledge, Renunciation,Devotion, etc. lead to God. Sankara never parted with the latter. He retained the Ego of the Preceptor! You and the others here feel concerned for me;—this concern comes out of the latter and it leads to God.
If one takes the help of that part of the world-force which leads to God, one may realise the Absolute. Reaching the roof some like to come again down the staircase;—they retain the Love for Personal God even after realization of the Absolute. They do so for setting an example to mankind; and also for enjoying the sweetness of Divine Love and the company of those that love the Lord.
1 Mâyâ.
2 Vidya and Avidya.
3 Brahmajnanam.
Narendra and other disciples remain silent. After a while Narendra speaks.
Narendra and Renunciation.
Narendra: There are people who get very much annoyed with me, at my pointing out the need for renunciation.
Master (softly): One must renounce—give up the world for the sake of the Lord.
The Master looks grave,—gently touches his own person and draws the attention of Narendra and other disciples, saying, 'Suppose, there are two things in a line one after the other, in such a way that you cannot get at the second object without putting the first and nearer object on one side. In that case if you want to take the second and more distant object must you not put the first aside?'
Narendra: Precisely so, Sir!
Master: (softly to Narendra): When you see everything as the manifestation of the Lord, can you see anything but the Lord. Where is your world1 or family then,—standing by itself?
Narendra: Assuredly not. The world must be renounced.
Master: If you see the Lord alone, surely you cannot see anything else,—one's family and kinsmen1 and so forth!
But one needs giving up from the mind. Those that come here,—none of them is of the world.
1 Samsar.
(Smiling): Some amongst them chanced to have a fancy for women. (Rakhal, M., and others smile) That is all. They are in the world but not of the world. Their desire to enjoy the company of women has been fulfilled and they can now give their whole mind to God,
NARENDRA AND HIS HEROIC SPIRIT.
Tenderly does the Master look upon Narendra. He is filled with joy as he casts his eyes upon him. He turns to His disciples and says, 'marvellous!'
Narendra (smiling to Master): What is marvellous, Sir?
Master (smiling): The progress that is being made towards renunciation.
The Master means the renunciation of Narendra,
Narendra and other disciples hold their peace and look on the Master.
Here Rakhal speaks.
Rakhal (smiling to Master): Narendra is now beginning to understand you well.
The Master smiles and says,—
Yes, that is so. What is more, I see there are many more here who are beginning to understand. (To M.) Is it not the case?
M.—Yes, Sir, that is indeed so.
The Master looks for a time on Narendra and M. He beckons to Rakhal and other disciples, pointing to them. First he points to Narendra and then to M.
Rakhal sees his meaning and speaks.
Rakhal (smiling to Master): You mean, Sir, that Narendra has the spirit of a hero, while M. has the spirit of Sakhi (a lady friend). (Laughter.)
(By Sakhi Rakhal means one who like the Gopis of Brindavan worships the Lord of the Universe as the Bridegroom.)
The Master smiles.
Narendra (smiling): M. here is a man of few words—and shy; is it thus that you call him a Sakhi.
Master (smiling to Narendra): Well, what do you think is the nature of my feelings?
Narendra: Why, Sir, you are everything! A hero who has cut his way to the Reality with the sword of Discrimination and with a strength which the world cannot give! You have the feelings of a Sakhi too—love unspeakable, the ecstasy of Divine Love which is called up by the Divine Lover alone. You are a hero, Sakhi—and everything else—in thy yearning for the Lord!
A REVELATION.
The Master has all his feelings stirred up. He lays his hand upon the heart and speaks.
Master (to Narendra and other disciples): I see—I realize—that all things—every conceivable thing—comes out of this!
He asks Narendra by signs, 'What do you understand?'
Narendra: Every conceivable thing, that is, all created objects come out of Thee!
Master (rejoicing, to Rakhal): Do you see how he understands?
He asks Narendra to sing. Narendra will renounce the world and is filled with the spirit of renunciation. He sings—
SONG.
Transitory is human life like drops of water dancing on lotus leaves.
Hence the need for the company of holy men that have renounced the world.
One instant spent in their company does take, like the ferry boat across the Sea of the World.
Here the Master interrupts Narendra, saying, 'What is it that you sing? These are common-place things—and meant only for the beginner.'
Narendra now sings of the Lord as the Divine Lover whom the devotee longs to see.
SONG.
1. O, my friend! whither is gone the Divine Lover of Braja (1)? Dost thou not see that separation from Him will kill me?
2. Artless daughter of a milkman that I am, He hath forgotten me and hath made love to others more beautiful than myself!
Who did know, my dear friend, that a Lover so tender, so Divine would go abegging for external beauty.
3. Fool was I to have forgotten myself at the sight of His heavenly beauty and to have held His feet fast to my throbbing bosom! O, now I must consign this body to a watery grave in the Jamuna! or do thou get me poison and let me thus put an end to a miserable existence!
1 Brindavana.
4. Or let me have some creeper from the woods to fasten round my neck; let me thus die by hanging to a young Tamal tree, dark brown like Him;
Failing all this let me repeat night and day the sweet name of the Beloved, Syam1 Syam, Syam, Syam, and stop not until this miserable body ceaseth to breathe.
The Master as well as his disciples are all deeply touched with the sweetness of the song. Tears of Love Divine stand on the eyes of the Master and of Rakhal.
Narendra is filled with ecstasy, places himself in the position of a Gopi of Brindavan (a female lover of the Lord) and sings again:
SONG.
O My Beloved! O Beloved Mine!
What do I say to Thee, O What do I say,
(Foolish woman that I am and never a favourite of Fortune)
Thou art the mirror to be held by my hands. Thou art the flower for my head!
O, I shall make Thee a flower, wear Thee among my hairs!
I shall hide Thee, hide Thee, O my Beloved, under the braided hair:
Worn under the hair, no one shall find Thee!
O, Thou art the cooling collyrium for the eye.
Thou art the betel leaf (chewed with nuts and sweet, fragrant spices) for the mouth;
I shall make Thee, O my Beloved, my Syam, collyrium for the eyes and thus wear Thee!
1 Sri Krishna.
They shall think I have painted my eyes with the dark-brown pigment and shall not find Thee:
Thou art the cool fragrant Sandal Paste for the body and the necklace for the neck!
I shall cool, O my Beloved, my body, mind and soul with Thee, my dark-brown Sandal Paste!
And I shall make Thee my necklace and wear Thee round my neck and on my bosom and next to my heart.
To the body Thou art the Life! To the house Thou art the One thing that one cannot do without.
To me, O my Beloved, Thou art verily what wings are to the bird,—what water is to the fish!