Different stages of Spiritual Progress

 

Necessity of Perseverance

Serve and worship God, surrender and be humble to Him. Only when you practice these disciplines with faith and perseverance will you succeed. You will definitely have His vision. If you discontinue your sadhana, your progress will stop. 

A man used to work hard and save money little by little. Once he counted his money and found that he had one thousand rupees. Overwhelmed with joy, he thought: ‘Why should I work anymore? I have one thousand rupees. That is enough.’ So he gave up his job. This insignificant man had very little ambition. He became puffed up because of that small amount of money and cared for no one. But how long does it take to spend one thousand rupees? The entire amount was gone within a few days. Afflicted, he began to search desperately for another job, going from office to office. 

A person who behaves like this will never succeed in spiritual life. One must wait patiently at the door of God, then only will one see Him.  

- Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play, P 397

Knowing God

NEIGHBOUR: "You ask us, sir, to live in the world after knowing God. Can God really be known?" 

MASTER: "God cannot be known by the sense-organs or by this mind; but He can be known by the pure mind, the mind that is free from worldly desires." 

NEIGHBOUR: "Who can know God?" 

MASTER: "Right. Who can really know Him? But as for us, it is enough to know as much of Him as we need. What need have I of a whole well of water? One jar is more than enough for me. An ant went to a sugar hill. Did it need the entire hill? A grain or two of sugar was more than enough." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 328-29 (28 November 1883)

Discrimination

NEIGHBOUR: "What is discrimination?"

MASTER: "Discrimination is the reasoning by which one knows that God alone is real and all else is unreal. Real means eternal, and unreal means impermanent. He who has acquired discrimination knows that God is the only Substance and all else is non-existent. With the awakening of this spirit of discrimination a man wants to know God.  

On the contrary, if a man loves the unreal - such things as creature comforts, name, fame, and wealth, then he doesn't want to know God, who is of the very nature of Reality. Through discrimination between the Real and the unreal one seeks to know God. 

"Listen to a song: 

           Come, let us go for a walk, O mind, to Kāli, the Wish-fulfilling Tree, 

           And there beneath It gather the four fruits of life. 

           Of your two wives, Dispassion and Worldliness, 

           Bring along Dispassion only, on your way to the Tree, 

          And ask her son Discrimination about the Truth.  …

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 327 (28 November 1883) 

Servant-Master Attitude

 

Fence for Young Plant

NEIGHBOUR: "Must one always live in solitude?" 

MASTER: "Haven't you seen the trees on the foot-path along a street? They are fenced around as long as they are very young; otherwise cattle destroy them. But there is no longer  any  need  of  fences  when  their  trunks  grow  thick  and  strong. Then they won't break even if an elephant is tied to them. 

Just so, there will be no need for you to worry and fear if you make your mind as strong as a thick tree-trunk. First of all try to acquire discrimination. Break the jack-fruit open only after you have rubbed your hands with oil; then its sticky milk won't smear them." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 327 (28 November 1883)

Divine Mother Embodiment

All women are the embodiments of Śakti. It is the Primal Power that has become women and appears to us in the form of women. 

It is said in the Adhyātma Rāmāyana that Nārada and others praised Rāma, saying: 'O Rāma, Thou alone art all that we see as male, and Sita, all that we see as female. Thou art Indra, and Sita is Indrani; Thou art Śiva and Sita is Sivani; Thou art man, and Sita is woman. 

What more need I say? Thou alone dost exist wherever there is a male, and Sita wherever there is a female.' 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 336 (14 December 1883)

Holy Man

NEIGHBOUR: "How can one recognize a holy man?" 

MASTER: "He who has surrendered his body, mind, and innermost self to God is surely a holy man. 

He who has renounced 'woman and gold' is surely a holy man. 

He is a holy man who does not regard woman with the eyes of a worldly person. He never forgets to look upon a woman as his mother, and to offer her his worship if he happens to be near her. 

The holy man constantly thinks of God and does not indulge in any talk except about spiritual things.  

Furthermore, he serves all beings, knowing that God resides in everybody's heart.  These, in general, are the signs of a holy man." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 327 (28 November 1883)

Image Worship

 

Ideal Householder's Life

MASTER: "… If you but, realize God, you won't see the world as unsubstantial. He who has realized God knows that God Himself has become the world and all living beings. When you feed your child, you should feel that you are feeding God. You should look on your father and mother as veritable manifestations of God and the Divine Mother, and serve them as such. If a man enters the world after realizing God, he does not generally keep up physical relations with his wife. Both of them are devotees; they love to talk only of God and pass their time in spiritual conversation. They serve other devotees of God, for they know that God alone has become all living beings; and, knowing this, they devote their lives to the service of others."

NEIGHBOUR: "But, sir, such a husband and wife are not to be found anywhere." 

MASTER: "Yes, they can be found, though they may be very rare. Worldly people cannot recognize them. In order to lead such a life both husband and wife must be spiritual. It is possible to lead such a life if both of them have tasted the Bliss of God. God's special grace is necessary to create such a couple; otherwise there will always be misunderstanding between them. In that case the one has to leave the other. Life becomes very miserable if husband and wife do not agree. … 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 326 (28 November 1883)

Necessity of Spiritual Discipline

 

Illusory and Impermanent World

You all know from your experience how impermanent the world is. Look at it this way. How many people have come into the world and again passed away! People are born and they die.  This moment the world is and the next it is not. It is impermanent.

Those you think to be your very own will not exist for you when you close your eyes in death. Again, you see people who have no immediate relatives, and yet for the sake of a grandson they will not go to Benares to lead a holy life. 'Oh, what will become of my Haru then?' they argue.

This kind of world is illusory and impermanent. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 325 (28 November 1883)

Advice to the Worldly-minded

Jaygopal's brother, said to the Master: "Sir, we are worldly people. Please give us some advice." 

MASTER: "Do your duty to the world after knowing God. With one hand hold to the Lotus Feet of the Lord and with the other do your work." 

VAIKUNTHA: "Is the world unreal?" 

MASTER: "Yes, it is unreal as long as one has not realized God. Through ignorance man forgets God and speaks always of 'I' and 'mine'. He sinks down and down, entangled in maya, deluded by 'woman and gold'. Maya robs him of his knowledge to such an extent that he cannot find the way of escape, though such a way exists. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 325 (28 November 1883)

No Hoarding

 

Outer Show of Spirituality

At the beginning of spiritual life the devotee should observe such rites as pilgrimage, putting  a  string  of  beads  around  his  neck,  and  so  forth. But outward ceremonies gradually drop off as he attains the goal, the vision of God. Then his only activity is the repetition of God's name, and contemplation and meditation on Him. 

The pennies equivalent to sixteen rupees make a great heap. But sixteen silver coins do not look like such a big amount. Again, the quantity becomes much smaller when you change the sixteen rupees into one gold mohur. And if you change the gold into a tiny piece of diamond, people hardly notice it. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 305 (10 October 1883)

Purusha and Prakriti

"He who is Brahman is the Ādyāśakti, the Primal Energy. When inactive He is called Brahman, the Purusha; He is called Śakti, or Prakriti, when engaged in creation, preservation, and destruction. These are the two aspects of Reality: Purusha and Prakriti. He who is the Purusha is also Prakriti. Both are the embodiment of Bliss. 

"If you are aware of the Male Principle, you cannot ignore the Female Principle: He who is aware of the father must also think of the mother. (Keshab laughs ) 

He who knows darkness also knows light. He who knows night also knows day. He who knows happiness also knows misery. You understand this, don't you?" 

KESHAB: "Yes, sir.  I do." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 321 (28 November 1883)

Mother Knows Everything

 

Wealth and God

Shall I tell you the truth? Man loves his own riches, and so he thinks that God loves His, too. He thinks that God will be pleased if we glorify His riches. Once Sambhu said to me, 'Please bless me, that I may die leaving my riches at the Lotus Feet of God.' I answered: 'These are riches only to you. What riches can you offer God? To Him these are mere dust and straw.' 

Once a thief broke into the temple of Vishnu and robbed the image of its jewels. Mathur Babu and I went to the temple to see what was the matter. Addressing the image, Mathur said bitterly: 'What a shame, Lord! You are so worthless! The thief took all the ornaments from Your body, and You couldn't do a thing about it.' Thereupon I said to Mathur: 'Shame on you! How improper your words are! To God, the jewels you talk so much about are only lumps of clay. Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, is His Consort. Do you mean to say that He should spend sleepless nights because a thief has taken your few rupees? You mustn't say such things.' 

Can one ever bring God under control through wealth? He can be tamed only through love. What does He want? Certainly not wealth! He wants from His devotees love, devotion, feeling, discrimination, and renunciation. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 321-22 (28 November 1883)

Jnani and Worldly Person

 

Advice to Householders

MASTER: "It is difficult to lead the life of a householder in a spirit of detachment. Once Pratap said to me: 'Sir, we follow the example of King Janaka. He led the life of a householder in a detached spirit. We shall follow him.' I said to him: 'Can one be like King Janaka by merely wishing it? How many austerities he practised in order to acquire divine knowledge! He practised the most intense form of asceticism for many years and only then returned to the life of the world.' 

"Is there, then, no hope for householders? Certainly there is. They must practise spiritual discipline in solitude for some days. Thus they will acquire knowledge and devotion. Then it will not hurt them to lead the life of the world. But when you practise discipline in solitude, keep yourself entirely away from your family. You must not allow your wife, son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, friends, or relatives near you. While thus practising discipline in solitude, you should think: 'I have no one else in the world. God is my all.' You must also pray to Him, with tears in your eyes, for knowledge and devotion. 

"If you ask me how long you should live in solitude away from your family, I should say that it would be good for you if you could spend even one day in such a manner. Three days at a time are still better. One may live in solitude for twelve days, a month, three months, or a year, according to one's convenience and ability. One hasn't much to fear if one leads the life of a householder after attaining knowledge and devotion. 

"If you break a jack-fruit after rubbing your hands with oil, then its sticky milk will not smear your hands. While playing the game of hide-and-seek, you are safe if you but once touch the 'granny'. Be turned into gold by touching the philosopher's stone. After that you may remain buried underground a thousand years; when you are taken out you will still be gold.”

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 313 (26 November 1883)

Incarnation for Bhaktas

Vedānta does not recognize the Incarnation of God. According to it, Chaitanyadeva is only a bubble of the non-dual Brahman. 

Do you know what the vision of Divine Consciousness is like? It is like the sudden illumination of a dark room when a match is struck. 

The Incarnation of God is accepted by those who follow the path of bhakti. A woman belonging to the Kartabhaja sect observed my condition, and remarked: 'You have inner realization. Don't dance and sing too much. Ripe grapes must be preserved carefully in cotton. The mother-in-law lessens her daughter-in-law's activities when the daughter-in-law is with child. One characteristic of God-realization is that the activities of a man with such realization gradually drop away.  Inside this man [meaning Sri Ramakrishna] is the real Jewel.' 

Watching  me  eat,  she  remarked,  'Sir,  are  you  yourself  eating,  or  are  you  feeding someone else?' 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 307 (16 October 1883)

Yearning for God

 

Kite and Fish

It is narrated in the Bhagavata that the Avadhuta had twenty-four gurus, one of whom was a kite. In a certain place the fishermen were catching fish. A kite swooped down and snatched a fish. At the sight of the fish, about a thousand crows chased the kite and made a great noise with their cawing. Whichever way the kite flew with the fish, the crows followed it. The kite flew to the south and the crows followed it there. The kite flew to the north and still the crows followed after it. The kite went east and west, but with the same result. As the kite began to fly about in confusion, lo, the fish dropped from its mouth. The crows at once let the kite alone and flew after the fish. Thus relieved of its worries, the kite sat on the branch of a tree and thought: 'That wretched fish was at the root of all my troubles. I have now got rid of it and therefore I am at peace.' 

The Avadhuta learnt this lesson from the kite, that as long as a man has the fish, that is, worldly desires, he must perform actions and consequently suffer from worry, anxiety, and restlessness. No sooner does he renounce these desires than his activities fall away and he enjoys peace of soul. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 314 (26 November 1883)

Chaitanya Nityananda

As long as you do not feel that God is the Master, you must come back to the world, you must be born again and again. There will be no rebirth when you can truly say, 'O God, Thou art the Master.' As long as you cannot say, 'O Lord, Thou alone art real', you will not be released from the life of the world. This going and coming, this rebirth, is inevitable. There will be no liberation. 

Further, what can you achieve by saying, 'It is mine'? The manager of an estate may say, 'This is our garden; these are our couches and furniture.' But when he is dismissed by the master, he hasn't the right to take away even a chest of worthless mango-wood given to him for his use. The feeling of 'I and mine' has covered the Reality. Because of this we do not see Truth. 

Attainment of Chaitanya, Divine Consciousness, is not possible without the knowledge of Advaita, Non-duality. After realizing Chaitanya one enjoys Nityananda, Eternal Bliss. One enjoys this Bliss after attaining the state of a paramahamsa. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 307 (16 October 1883)

Devotee Attitude

 

The many and the One

The manifold has come from the One alone, the Relative from the Absolute. There is a state of consciousness where the many disappears, and the One, as well; for the many must exist as long as the One exists. Brahman is without comparison. It is impossible to explain Brahman by analogy. It is between light and darkness. It is Light, but not the light that we perceive, not material light. 

Again, when God changes the state of my mind, when He brings my mind down to the plane of the Relative, I perceive that it is He who has become all these - the Creator, maya, the living beings, and the universe. 

Again, sometimes He shows me that He has created the universe and all living beings. He is the Master, and the universe His garden. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 307 (16 October 1883)

Selfish Prayer

 

One and Same God

All religions and all paths call upon their followers to pray to one and the same God. Therefore one should not show disrespect to any religion or religious opinion. It is God alone who is called Satchidananda Brahman in the Vedas, Satchidananda Krishna in the Puranas, and Satchidananda Śiva in the Tantras.  It is one and the same Satchidananda. 

There are different sects of Vaishnavas. That which is called Brahman in the Vedas is called Ālekh-Niranjan by one Vaishnava sect. 'Ālekh' means That which cannot be pointed out or perceived by the sense-organs. According to this sect, Radha and Krishna are only two bubbles of the Ālekh. 

According to the Vedānta, there is no Incarnation of God. The Vedantists say that Rāmā and Krishna are but two waves in the Ocean of Satchidananda. 

In reality there are not two. There is only One. A man may call on God by any name; if he is sincere in his prayer he will certainly reach Him. He will succeed if he has longing. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 306 (10 October 1883)

Dive Deep

 

God and the World

As long as one has not realized God, one should renounce the world, following the process of 'Neti, neti.' But he who has attained God knows that it is God who has become all this. Then he sees that God, maya, living beings, and the universe form one whole. God includes the universe and its living beings.  

Suppose you have separated the shell, flesh, and seeds of a bel-fruit and someone asks you the weight of the fruit. Will you leave aside the shell and the seeds, and weigh only the flesh? Not at all. To know the real weight of the fruit, you must weigh the whole of it-the shell, the flesh, and the seeds. Only then can you tell its real weight. The shell may be likened to the universe, and the seeds to living beings. 

While one is engaged in discrimination one says to oneself that the universe and the living beings are non-Self and unsubstantial. At that time one thinks of the flesh  alone  as  the  substance,  and  the  shell  and  seeds  as unsubstantial. But after discrimination is over, one feels that all three parts of the fruit together form a unity. Then one further realizes that the stuff that has produced the flesh of the fruit has also produced the shell and seeds. To know the real nature of the bel-fruit one must know all three. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 327-28 (28 November 1883)