Heart

Parable of the False Ascetic

One night a fisherman went into a garden and cast his net into the lake in order to steal some fish. The owner heard him and surrounded him with his servants. They brought lighted torches and began to search for him. In the mean time the fisherman smeared his body with ashes and sat under a tree, pretending to be a holy man. 

The owner and his men searched a great deal but could not find the thief. All they saw was a holy man covered with ashes, meditating under a tree. 

The next day the news spread in the neighbourhood that a great sage was staying in the garden. People gathered there and saluted him with offerings of fruit, flowers, and sweets. Many also offered silver and copper coins. 

'How strange!' thought the fisherman. 'I am not a genuine holy man, and still people show such devotion to me. I shall certainly realize God if I become a true sadhu. There is no doubt about it.' 

If a mere pretense of religious life can bring such spiritual awakening, you can imagine the effect of real sadhana. In that state you will surely realize what is real and what is unreal. God alone is real, and the world is illusory.  

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 233

                          (4 June 1883)

Worldliness and Liberation

Love of God

Blissful Kali

… overpowered with divine ecstasy, the Master sang: 
                  O Kāli, my Mother full of Bliss! Enchantress of 
                                                                           the almighty Śiva!  
                  In Thy delirious joy Thou dancest, clapping Thy  
                                                                              hands together!  
                  Eternal One! Thou great First Cause, clothed in 
                                                                       the form of the Void 
                   Thou wearest the moon upon Thy brow, 
                 Where didst Thou find Thy garland of heads 
                                                    before the universe was made? 
                  Thou art the Mover of all that move, and we are 
                                                              but Thy helpless toys; 
                  We move alone as Thou movest us and speak as 
                                                           through us Thou speakest. 
                   But worthless Kamalakanta says, fondly 
                                                                           berating Thee: 
                       Confoundress! With Thy flashing sword 
                           Thoughtlessly Thou hast put to death my 
                                                               virtue and my sin alike!  

                    - Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 223 
                                    (27 May 1883)

Responsibility for Sins

Why there is Evil in the World

BRAHMO: "If the power of avidyā is the cause of ignorance, then why has God created it?" 
  
MASTER: "That is His play. The glory of light cannot be appreciated without darkness. Happiness cannot be understood without misery. Knowledge of good is possible because of knowledge of evil. 
Further, the mango grows and ripens on account of the covering skin. You throwaway the skin when the mango is fully ripe and ready to be eaten. 
It is possible for a man to attain gradually to the Knowledge of Brahman because of the covering skin of maya. Maya in its aspects of vidyā and avidyā may be likened to the skin of the mango. Both are necessary."  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 216 
                        (22 April 1883)

How to Spiritualize the Passions

Natural Tendency of Sri Ramakrishna’s Mind

Parable of the Three Robbers

Under the spell of God's maya man forgets his true nature. He forgets that he is heir to the infinite glories of his Father. This divine maya is made up of three gunas. And all three are robbers; for they rob man of all his treasures and make him forget his true nature. The three gunas are sattva, rajas, and tamas. 
Of these, sattva alone points the way to God. But even sattva cannot take a man to God. 

Let me tell you a story. Once a rich man was passing through a forest, when three robbers surrounded him and robbed him of all his wealth. After snatching all his possessions from him, one of the robbers said: 'What's the good of keeping the man alive? Kill him.' Saying this, he was about to strike their victim with his sword, when the second robber interrupted and said: 'There's no use in killing him. Let us bind him fast and leave him here. Then he won't be able to tell the police.' Accordingly the robbers tied him with a rope, left him, and went away. 
After a while the third robber returned to the rich man and said: 'Ah! You're badly hurt, aren't you? Come, I'm going to release you.' The third robber set the man free and led him out of the forest. When they came near the highway, the robber said, 'Follow this road and you will reach home easily.' 'But you must come with me too', said the man. 'You have done so much for me. We shall all be happy to see you at our home.' 'No,' said the robber, 'it is not possible for me to go there. The police will arrest me.' So saying, he left the rich man after pointing out his way.

Now, the first robber, who said: 'What's the good of keeping the man alive? Kill him', is tamas. It destroys. The second robber is rajas, which binds a man to the world and entangles him in a variety of activities. Rajas makes him forget God. Sattva alone shows the way to God. It produces virtues like compassion, righteousness, and devotion. 
Again, sattva is like the last step of the stairs. Next to it is the roof. The Supreme Brahman is man's own abode. One cannot attain the Knowledge of Brahman unless one transcends the three gunas.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 218-19 
                       (22 April 1883)

Traits of Bound Souls

They are indeed bound souls who constantly dwell with 'woman and gold' and do not think of God even for a moment. How can you expect noble deeds of them? They are like mangoes pecked by a crow, which may not be offered to the Deity in the temple, and which even men hesitate to eat. 

Bound souls, worldly people, are like silk-worms. The worms can cut through their cocoons if they want, but having woven the cocoons themselves, they are too much attached to them to leave them. And so they die there. 

Free souls are not under the control of 'woman and gold'. There are some silk-worms that cut through the cocoon they have made with such great care. But they are few and far between. 
It is maya that deludes. Only a few become spiritually awakened and are not deluded by the spell of maya. They do not come under the control of 'woman and gold'.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 206 
                     (8 April 1883)

Mahamaya of God

Zeal for the Lord destroys Sin

As the tiger devours other animals, so does the 'tiger of zeal for  the  Lord'  eat  up  lust,  anger, and the other passions. Once this zeal grows in the heart, lust and the other passions disappear. 
The gopis of Vrindāvan had that state of mind because of their zeal for Krishna. 

Again, this zeal for God is compared to collyrium. Radha said to her friends, 'I see Krishna everywhere.' They replied, 'Friend, you have painted your eyes with the collyrium of love; that is why you see Krishna everywhere.' 
They say that when your eyes are painted with collyrium made from the ashes of a frog's head you see snakes everywhere.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 206 
                   (8 April 1883)

'I' and 'Mine'

Parable of the Two Friends

'As is a man's feeling of love, so is his gain.' 
Once two friends were going along the street, when they saw some people listening to a reading of the Bhagavata. 'Come, friend', said the one to the other. 'Let us hear the sacred book.' So saying he went in and sat down. The second man peeped in and went away. He entered a house of ill fame. 

But very soon he felt disgusted with the place. 'Shame on me!' he said to himself. 'My friend has been listening to the sacred word of Hari; and see where I am!' But the friend who had been listening to the Bhagavata also became disgusted. 'What a fool I am!' he said. 'I have been listening to this fellow's blah-blah, and my friend is having a grand time.' 

In course of time they both died. The messenger of Death came for the soul of the one who had listened to the Bhagavata and dragged it off to hell. The messenger  of  God  came  for  the  soul  of  the  one  who  had  been  to  the  house  of prostitution and led it up to heaven. 

Verily, the Lord looks into a man's heart and does not judge him by what he does or where he lives. 
'Krishna accepts a devotee's inner feeling of love.'  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 204 
                      (8 April 1883)

Efficacy of Japa and Prayer

A DEVOTEE: "Sir, should one first practise discrimination to attain self-control?" 

MASTER: "That is also a path. It is called the path of vichara, reasoning. But the inner organs [mind, intellect, chitta, ego] are brought under control naturally through the path of devotion as well. It is rather easily accomplished that way. 
Sense pleasures appear more and more tasteless as love for God grows. Can carnal pleasure attract a grief-stricken man and woman the day their child has died?" 

DEVOTEE: "How can I develop love for God?" 
  
MASTER: "Repeat His name, and sins will disappear. Thus you will destroy lust, anger, the desire for creature comforts, and so on." 

DEVOTEE: "How can I take delight in God's name?" 

MASTER: "Pray to God with a yearning heart that you may take delight in His name. He will certainly fulfill your heart's desire."  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 203 
                    (8 April 1883)

Glories of Longing for God

Scriptures

One should hear the scriptures during the early stages of spiritual discipline. After attaining God there is no lack of knowledge. Then the Divine Mother supplies it without fail. 

A child spells out every word as he writes, but later on he writes fluently. 

The goldsmith is up and doing while melting gold. As long as the gold hasn't melted, he works the bellows with one hand, moves the fan with the other, and blows through a pipe with his mouth. But the moment the gold melts and is poured into the mold, he is relieved of all anxiety.

 

Mere reading of the scriptures is not enough. A person cannot understand the true significance of the scriptures if he is attached to the world.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 200 

                        (7 April 1883)

Renunciation - False and True

Remembering God

A holy man who has renounced the world will of course chant the name of God. That is only natural. He has no other duties to perform. If he meditates on God it shouldn't surprise anybody. On the other hand, if he fails to think of God or chant His holy name, then people will think ill of him. 

But it is a great deal to his credit if a householder utters the name of the Lord. Think of King  Janaka. 
What courage he had, indeed! He fenced with two swords, the one of Knowledge and the other of work. He possessed the perfect Knowledge of Brahman and also was devoted to the duties of the world. 

An unchaste woman attends to the minutest duties of the world, but her mind always dwells on her paramour.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 193 
                        (11 March 1883)

Mother’s Machine

Parable of Homa Bird

There is the parable of the Homa bird in the Vedas. The bird lives high up in the sky and never descends to earth. It lays its egg in the sky, and the egg begins to fall. But the bird lives in such a high region that the egg hatches while falling. 
The fledgling comes out and continues to fall. But it is still so high that while falling it grows wings and its eyes open. Then the young bird perceives that it is dashing down toward the earth and will be instantly killed. The moment it sees the ground, it turns and shoots up toward its mother in the sky.  Then its one goal is to reach its mother. 

Youngsters like Rakhal are like that bird. From their very childhood they are afraid of the world, and their one thought is how to reach the Mother, how to realize God.
  
- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 192 
                  (11 March 1883)

Jivatma and Paramatma

Dogmatism Condemned

With sincerity and earnestness one can realize God through all religions. The Vaishnavas will realize God, and so will the Saktas, the Vedantists, and the Brahmos. The Mussalmans and Christians will realize Him too. All will certainly realize God if they are earnest and sincere.

Some people indulge in quarrels, saying, 'One cannot attain anything unless one worships our Krishna', or, 'Nothing can be gained without the worship of Kāli, our Divine Mother', or, 'One cannot be saved without accepting the Christian religion.' 
This is pure dogmatism. 
The dogmatist says, 'My religion alone is true, and the religions of others are false.' This is a bad attitude.  

God can be reached by different paths.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 191 
                  (11 March 1883)

Parable of the Elephant and the Blind Men

One can rightly speak of God only after one has seen Him. He who has seen God knows really and truly that God has form and that He is formless as well. He has many other aspects that cannot be described. 

Once some blind men chanced to come near an animal that someone told them was an elephant. They were asked what the elephant was like. The blind men began to feel its body. 
One of them said the elephant was like a pillar; he had touched only its leg. Another said it was like a winnowing-fan; he had touched only its ear. In this way the others, having touched its tail or belly, gave their different versions of the elephant. 
Just so, a man who has seen only one aspect of God limits God to that alone. It is his conviction that God cannot be anything else.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 191 
                   (11 March 1883)

Life of Worldliness

Parable of the Tigress

Some think: 'Oh, I am a bound soul. I shall never acquire knowledge and devotion.' 
But if one receives the guru's grace, one has nothing to fear. 

Once a tigress attacked a flock of goats. As she sprang on her prey, she gave birth to a cub and died. The cub grew up in the company of the goats. The goats ate grass and the cub followed their example. They bleated; the cub bleated too. Gradually it grew to be a big tiger. 
One day another tiger attacked the same flock.  It was amazed to see the grass-eating tiger. Running after it, the wild tiger at last seized it, whereupon the grass-eating tiger began to bleat. The wild tiger dragged it to the water and said: 'Look at your face in the water. It is just like mine. Here is a little meat. Eat it.' 
Saying this, it thrust some meat into its mouth. But the grass-eating tiger would not swallow it and began to bleat again. Gradually, however, it got the taste for blood and came to relish the meat. 
Then the wild tiger said: 'Now you see there is no difference between you and me. Come along and follow me into the forest.' 

So there can be no fear if the guru's grace descends on one. He will let you know who you are and what your real nature is. 
If the devotee practises spiritual discipline a little, the guru explains everything to him. Then the disciple understands for himself what is real and what is unreal. 
God alone is real, and the world is illusory.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 232-33 
                     (4 June 1883)

Incarnation of God

Personal God and Incarnation

MARWARI DEVOTEE: "Sir, what is the meaning of the worship of the Personal God? And what is the meaning of God without form or attribute?" 

MASTER: "As you recall your father by his photograph, so likewise the worship of the image reveals in a flash the nature of Reality. 

"Do you know what God with form is like? Like bubbles rising on an expanse of water, various divine forms are seen to rise out of the Great Ākāśa of Consciousness. 
The Incarnation of God is one of these forms. The Primal Energy sports, as it were, through the activities of a Divine Incarnation.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 180 
                  (1 January 1883)

Performance of Duty

DEVOTEE: "Sir, why has God put us in the world?"

MASTER: "The world is the field of action. Through action one acquires knowledge. The guru instructs the disciple to perform certain works and refrain from others. Again, he advises the pupil to perform action without desiring the result. The impurity of the mind is destroyed through the performance of duty. It is like getting rid of a disease by means of medicine, under the instruction of a competent physician. 

Why doesn't God free us from the world? Ah, He will free us when the disease is cured. He will liberate us from the world when we are through with the enjoyment of 'woman and gold'.   
Once  a  man  registers  his  name  in  the  hospital,  he  cannot  run  away. The doctor will not let him go away unless his illness is completely cured.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 185 
              (9 March 1883)

Neti, Neti