Maya Obstructs Vision of God

Dear Self

The journey that started on Sri Ramakrishna Tithi Puja (25 February 2020), ends today on Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi Tithi Puja (26 December 2021). Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi being two supreme manifestations of same Infinite Pure Consciousness-Bliss Reality and as inseparable as fire and its burning power, it is but appropriate that this blog completes its journey on Holy Mother's Tithi Puja.

No more posting would be done from today onwards. This undertaking was possible only due to the Grace of Sri Ramakrishna.

All the posts are available for all to read at following locations:

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Also, you can read notes on 'Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' and 'Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play' at:

Holy Trio

Om Ramakrishnarpanamastu _/\_

Story of the Fishwife and her Basket

About eleven o'clock the Brahmos became eager to go home. Pratap said, "It would be nice if we could spend the night here." 

MASTER (to Keshab): "Why not stay here tonight?" 

KESHAB (smiling): "No, I have business to attend to. I must go." 

MASTER: "Why must you, my dear sir? Can't you sleep without your fish-basket? Once a fishwife was a guest in a gardener's house. She was asked to sleep in a room full of flowers. But she couldn't get any sleep there. (All laugh.) She was restless and began to fidget about. The gardener called to her: 'Hello there! Why aren't you asleep?' 'Oh, I don't know', said the fishwife. 'There are flowers here. The smell keeps me awake. Can't you bring me my fish-basket?' She sprinkled a little water in the basket, and when she smelled the fish she fell fast asleep." (All laugh heartily.) 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 1011   

Upadhis and Vanity

The more you rid yourself of upadhis, the nearer you will feel the presence of God. Rain-water never collects on a high mound; it collects only in low land. Similarly, the water of God's grace cannot remain on the high mound of egotism. Before God one should feel lowly and poor. 

One should be extremely watchful. Even clothes create vanity. I notice that even a man suffering from an enlarged spleen sings Nidhu-Babu's light songs when he is dressed up in a black-bordered cloth. There are men who spout English whenever they put on high boots. And when an unfit person puts on an ochre cloth he becomes vain; the slightest sign of indifference to him arouses his anger and pique. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 1010-1011   

Buddha's Doctrines

M. (to Narendra): "What are the doctrines of Buddha?" 

NARENDRA: "He could not express in words what he had realized by his tapasya. So people say he was an atheist." 

MASTER (by signs): "Why atheist? He was not an atheist. He simply could not express his inner experiences in words. 

Do you know what 'Buddha' means? It is to become one with Bodha, Pure Intelligence, by meditating on That which is of the nature of Pure Intelligence; it is to become Pure Intelligence Itself." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 947 

                             (09 April 1886 at Cassipore Garden House)

Intense Renunciation

 

Brahman beyond Description

 

Essence of Gita

What is the lesson of the Gitā? It is what you get by repeating the word ten times. As you repeat 'Gitā', 'Gitā', the word becomes reversed into 'tagi', 'tagi' - which implies renunciation. 

He alone has understood the secret of the Gitā who has renounced his attachment to 'woman and gold' and has directed his entire love to God. It isn't necessary to read the whole of the Gitā. The purpose of reading the book is served if one practises renunciation. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 917 (30 October 1885)

Story of the Bhagavata Scholar

Listen to a story. There was a king who used daily to hear the Bhagavata recited by a pundit. Every day, after explaining the sacred book, the pundit would say to the king, 'O King, have you understood what I have said?' And every day the king would reply, 'You had better understand it first yourself.' The pundit would return home and think: 'Why does the king talk to me that way day after day? I explain the texts to him so clearly, and he says to me, "You had better understand it first yourself." What does he mean?' 

The pundit used to practise spiritual discipline. A few days later he came to realize that God alone is real and everything else-house, family, wealth, friends, name, and fame-illusory. Convinced of the unreality of the world, he renounced it. As he left home he asked a man to take this message to the king: 'O King, I now understand.' 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 917 (30 October 1885)

 

God Alone is the agent of actions

 

Wicked Ego and Spiritualised Ego

Even after attaining Jnāna, the Jnāni can live in the world, retaining Vidyā-māyā, that is to say, bhakti, compassion, renunciation, and such virtues. This serves him, two purposes: first, the teaching of men, and second, the enjoyment of divine bliss. If a Jnāni remains silent, merged in samādhi, then men's hearts will not be illumined. Therefore Sankaracharya kept the 'ego of Knowledge'. And further, a Jnāni lives as a devotee, in the company of bhaktas, in order to enjoy and drink deep of the Bliss of God. 

The 'ego of Knowledge' and the 'ego of Devotion' can do no harm; it is the 'wicked I' that is harmful. After realizing God a man becomes like a child. There is no harm in the 'ego of a child'. It is like the reflection of a face in a mirror: the reflection cannot call names. Or it is like a burnt rope, which appears to be a rope but disappears at the slightest puff. The ego that has been burnt in the fire of Knowledge cannot injure anybody. It is an ego only in name.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 940 (11 March 1886)

Praising the Gitā

 

Nature of Consciousness

MASTER (to Dr. Sarkar): "You said a very fine thing. No one else has said before that samādhi is the result of the union of the mind with God. You alone have said that. 

"Shivanath said that one lost one's head by too much thinking of God. In other words, one becomes unconscious by meditating on the Universal Consciousness. Think of it! Becoming unconscious by contemplating Him who is of the very nature of Consciousness, and whose Consciousness endows the world with consciousness! 

"And what does your 'science' say? This combined with this produces that; that combined with that produces this. One is more likely to lose consciousness by contemplating those things - by handling material things too much." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 915-16 (30 October 1885)

Master’s Vision of Unity

 

Jnāna, Ajnāna, and Vijnāna

 

Three Classes of Devotees

 

Different kinds of Samādhi

Once a sādhu from Hrishikesh came to Dakshineswar. He said to me: 'How amazing! I find five kinds of samādhi manifested in you.' 

Just as a monkey climbs a tree, jumping from one branch to another, so also does the Mahāvāyu, the Great Energy, rise in the body, jumping from one centre to another, and one goes into samādhi. One feels the rising of the Great Energy, as though it were the movement of a monkey. 

Just as a fish darts about in the water and roams in great happiness, so also does the Mahāvāyu move upward in the body, and one goes into samādhi. One feels the rising of the Great Energy, as though it were the movement of a fish. 

Like a bird hopping from one branch to another, the Mahāvāyu goes up in the tree of the body, now to this branch and now to that. One feels the rising of the Great Energy, as though it were the movement of a bird. 

Like the slow creeping of an ant, the Mahāvāyu rises from centre to centre. When it reaches the Sahasrara one goes into samādhi. One feels the rising of the Great Energy, as though it were the movement of an ant. 

Like the wriggling of a snake, the Mahāvāyu rises in a zigzag way along the spinal column till it reaches the Sahasrara, and one goes into samādhi. One feels. the rising of the Great Energy, as though it were the movement of a snake." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 949-50 

                                  (09 April 1886 at Cassipore Garden House)

Is the World a Delusion?

 

Indescribable Brahman

 

God's Incarnation as Man

 

Japa

 

Uselessness of Mere Scholarship

 

Forgiveness

DOCTOR: "I have heard the story that you were once lying on the ground unconscious in samādhi when a wicked man kicked you with his boots" 

MASTER: "You must have heard it from M. The man was Chandra Haldar, a priest of the Kāli temple at KaliGhat; he often came to Mathur Babu's house. One day I was lying on the ground in an ecstatic mood. The room was dark. Chandra Haldar thought I was feigning that state in order to win Mathur's favour. He entered the room and kicked me several times with his boots. It left black marks on my body. Everybody wanted to tell Mathur Babu about it, but I forbade them." 

DOCTOR: "This is also due to the will of God. Thus you have taught people how to control anger and practise forgiveness." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 885 (25 October 1885)

Players and Onlookers

 

Body

 

Pure Sattva

When a man develops pure sattva, he thinks only of God. He does not enjoy anything else. Some are born with pure sattva as a result of their Prārabdha karma. Through unselfish action one finally acquires pure sattva. 

Sattva mixed with rajas diverts the mind to various objects. From it springs the conceit of doing good to the world. To do good to the world is extremely difficult for such an insignificant creature as man. But there is no harm in doing good to others in an unselfish spirit. This is called unselfish action. It is highly beneficial for a person to try to perform such action. But by no means all succeed, for it is very difficult. 

Everyone must work. Only one or two can renounce action. Rarely do you find a man who has developed pure sattva. Through disinterested action sattva mixed with rajas gradually turns into pure sattva. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 895 (26 October 1885)

Necessity of Solitude

Divine Knowledge is Inexhaustible

Yes, how true it is! How can a man who has the grace of God lack knowledge? Look at me. I am a fool. I do not know anything. Then who is it that utters these words? The reservoir of  the Knowledge of God is inexhaustible. 

There are grain-dealers at Kamarpukur. When selling paddy, one man weighs the grain on the scales and another man pushes it to him from a heap. It is the duty of the second man to keep a constant supply of grain on the scales by pushing it from the big heap. It is the same with my words. No sooner are they about to run short than the Divine Mother sends a new supply from Her Inexhaustible storehouse of Knowledge. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 890 (26 October 1885)

God’s Power

 

Faith and Self-surrender

One realizes God even if one believes Him to be formless. One also realizes God if one believes that God has form. 

Two things are necessary for the realization of God; faith and self-surrender. Man is ignorant by nature. Errors are natural to him. Can a one-seer pot hold four seers of milk? Whatever path you may follow, you must pray to God with a restless heart. He is the Ruler of the soul within. He will surely listen to your prayer if it is sincere. Whether you follow the ideal of the Personal God or that of the Impersonal Truth, you will realize God alone, provided you are restless for Him. A cake with icing tastes sweet whether you eat it straight or sidewise. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 867 (22 October 1885)

Dignity and Alertness

 

Mother of All Things

O Mother, Saviour of the helpless, Thou the Slayer of sin! 

In Thee do the three Gunās dwell-sattva, rajas, and tamas. 

Thou dost create the world: Thou dost sustain it and destroy it; 

Binding Thyself with attributes, Thou yet transcendest them; 

             For Thou, O Mother, art the All. 

Kāli Thou art, and Tara, and Thou the Ultimate Prakriti; 

Thou art the Fish, the Turtle, the Boar, and all other Avatars 

Earth, water, air, and fire art Thou, and Thou the sky, 

             O Mother of the Absolute! 

The Samkhya, Patanjala, Mimamsaka, and Nyaya 

For ever seek to fathom Thee and know Thine inmost nature; 

Vedānta and Vaiseshika are searching after Thee; 

            But none of them has found Thee out. 

Though free of limitations, beginningless and without end, 

Yet for Thy loving bhaktas' sake Thou wearest varying forms. 

The terrors of this world Thou dost remove, and Thou dost dwell 

              Alike in present, past, and future. 

Thou dost appear with form, to him who loves Thee as a Person; 

Thou art the Absolute, to him who worships formless Truth. 

Some there are who speak alone of the resplendent Brahman; 

Even this, O Blissful Mother, is nothing else but Thee! 

Each man, according to his measure, makes his image of the Truth,  

            Calling it the Highest Brahman. 

Beyond this does Turiya shine, the Indescribable: 

O Mother of all things, who dost pervade the universe, 

          Everyone of these art Thou! 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 872 (23 October 1885)

Futility of Argument

 

All Sadhanas

 

Master saw Devotees before their Arrival

God reveals the nature of the devotees to me before they arrive. I saw Chaitanya's party singing and dancing near the Panchavati, between the banyan-tree and the bakul-tree. I noticed Balarām there. If it weren't for him, who would there be to supply me with sugar candy and such things? (Pointing to M.) And I saw him too. 

I had seen Keshab before I actually met him - I had seen him and his party in my samādhi. In front of me sat a roomful of men. Keshab looked like a peacock sitting with its tail spread out. The tail meant his followers. I saw a red gem on Keshab's head. That indicated his rajas. He said to his disciples, 'Please listen to what he [meaning the Master] is saying.' I said to the Divine Mother: 'Mother, these people hold the views of "Englishmen". Why should I talk to  them?' Then the Mother explained to  me that it would be like this in the Kaliyuga.  

Keshab and his followers got from here [meaning himself] the names of Hari and the Divine Mother …   

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 831 (9 August 1885)

Master's Intimate Vision of God

 

Experience of Kundalini

… Just before my attaining this state of mind, it had been revealed to me how the kundalini is aroused, how the lotuses of the different centres blossom forth, and how all this culminates in samādhi. This is a very secret experience. I saw a boy twenty-two or twenty-three years old, exactly resembling me, enter the Sushumna nerve and commune with the lotuses touching them with his tongue. He began with the centre at the anus and passed through the centres at the sexual organ, naval, and so on. The different lotuses of those centres-four-petalled, six-petalled, ten-petalled, and so forth-had been drooping at his touch they stood erect. 

When he reached the heart - I distinctly remember it - and communed with the lotuses there, touching it with his tongue, the twelve-petalled lotus, which was hanging head down, stood erect and open its petals. Then he came to the sixteen-petalled lotus in the throat and two petalled lotus in the forehead. And last of all, the thousand-petalled lotus in the head blossomed. Since then I have been in this state.   

- Sri Ramakrishna, Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 830 (9 August 1885)

Ideal of Modern Times

 

After-Life

 

Awakening of Kundalini

A man's spiritual consciousness is not awakened unless his kundalini is aroused. The kundalini dwells in the Muladhara. When it is aroused, it passes along the Sushumna nerve, goes through the centres of Svadhisthana, Manipura, and so on, and at last reaches the head. This is called the movement of Mahāvāyu, the Spiritual Current. It culminates in samādhi. 

One's spiritual consciousness is not awakened by the mere reading of books. One should also pray to God. The kundalini is aroused if the aspirant feels restless for God. To talk of knowledge from mere study and heresay! What will that accomplish?

Just before my attaining this state of mind, it had been revealed to me how the kundalini is aroused, how the lotuses of the different centres blossom forth, and how all this culminates in samādhi. This is a very secret experience. …   

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 830 (9 August 1885)

Brahman and Śakti

It is He alone who has become the universe, living beings, and the twenty-four cosmic principles. When He is action less, I call Him Brahman; when He creates, preserves, and destroys, I call Him Śakti. Brahman and Śakti are not different from each other. Water is water, whether it is still or moving. 

It is not possible to rid oneself of 'I-consciousness' and as long as one is aware of this 'I-consciousness', one cannot speak of the universe and its living beings as unreal. You cannot get the correct weight of the bel-fruit if you leave out its shell and pits. 

The brick, lime, and brick-dust of which the stairs are made are the same brick, lime, and brick-dust of which the roof is made. The universe and its living beings exist on account of the Reality of Him who is known as Brahman. 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 802 (14 July 1885)

Respect for One's Own Mother

 … one should look after one's mother as long as she is alive. I used to worship my mother with flowers and sandal-paste. It is the Mother of the Universe who is embodied as our earthly mother. 

As long as you look after your own body, you must look after your mother too. Therefore I said to Hazra: 'when you have a cold, you procure black pepper, sugar candy, and salt. As long as you feel you must look after your body, you must look after your mother too.' 

But it is quite different when you completely forget your body. Then God Himself assumes your responsibilities. A minor cannot look after himself; therefore a guardian is appointed for him. Chaitanyadeva, like a minor, could not look after himself.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 813 (15 July 1885)

Guru – God’s Command

God alone is the Doer, and we are all His instruments. Therefore it is impossible even for a Jnāni to be egotistic. The writer of a hymn to Śiva felt proud of his achievement; but his pride was dashed to pieces when Śiva's bull bared his teeth. He saw that each tooth was a word of the hymn. Do you understand the meaning of this? These words had existed from the beginning less past. The writer had only discovered them. 

It is not good to be a guru by profession. One cannot be a teacher without a command from God. He who says he is a guru is a man of mean intelligence. Haven't you seen a balance? The lighter side goes higher. He who is spiritually higher than others does not consider himself a guru. Everyone wants to be a teacher, but a disciple is hard to find.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 794 (13 June 1885)

Guardian for Minor

A guardian is appointed only for a minor. A boy cannot safeguard his property; therefore the king assumes responsibility for him. God does not take over our responsibilities unless we renounce our ego. 

Once Lakshmi and Narayana were seated in Vaikuntha, when Narayana suddenly stood up. Lakshmi had been stroking His feet. She said, 'Lord, where are You going?' Narayana answered: 'One of My devotees is in great danger. I must save him.' With these words He went out. But He came back immediately. Lakshmi said, 'Lord, why have You returned so soon?'  Narayana smiled and said: The devotee was going along the road overwhelmed with love for Me. Some washermen were drying clothes on the grass, and the devotee walked over the clothes. At this the washermen chased him and were going to beat him with their sticks. So I ran out to protect him.' 'But why have You come back?' asked Lakshmi. Narayana laughed and said: 'I saw the devotee himself picking up a brick to throw at them. (All laugh.) So I came back.' 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 790 (13 June 1885)

Nature of the Worldly

Worldly people are in a state of chronic intoxication - mad with 'woman and gold'; they are insensible to spiritual ideas. That is why I love the youngsters not yet stained by 'woman and gold'. They are 'good receptacles' and may become useful in God's work. But as for worldly people, you lose almost everything while trying to eliminate the worthless stuff in them. They are like bony fish - almost all bones and very little meat. 

Worldly people are like mangoes struck by hail. If you want to offer them to God, you have to purify them by sprinkling them with Ganges water. Even then they are seldom used in the temple worship. If you are to use them at all, you have to apply Brahmajnana, that is to say, you have to persuade yourself that it is God alone who has become everything.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 781 (23 May 1885)

Previous Life Sadhana

 

Story of Ranjit Raya

By dint of austerity, a man, may obtain God as his son. By the roadside on the way to Kamarpukur is Ranjit Raya's lake. Bhagavati, the Divine Mother, was born as his daughter.  Even now people hold an annual festival there in the month of Chaitra, in honour of this divine daughter. I feel very much like going there. 

Ranjit Raya was the landlord of that part of the country. Through the power of his tapasya he obtained the Divine Mother as his daughter. He was very fond of her, and she too was much attached to him; she hardly left his presence. One day Ranjit Raya was engaged in the duties of his estate. He was very busy. The girl, with her childlike nature, was constantly interrupting him, saying: 'Father, what is this? What is that?' Ranjit Raya tried, with sweet words, to persuade her not to disturb him, and said: 'my child, please leave me alone. I have much work to do.' But the girl would not go away. At last, absent-mindedly, the father said, 'Get out of here!' On this pretext she left home. A pedlar of conch-shell articles was going along the road. From him she took a pair of bracelets for her wrists. When he asked for the price, she said that he could get the money from a certain box in her home. Then she disappeared. Nobody saw her again. In the mean time the pedlar came to the house and asked for the price of his bracelets. When she was not to be found at home, her relatives began to run about looking for her. 

Ranjit Raya sent people in all directions to search for her. The money owed to the pedlar was found in the box, as she had indicated. Ranjit Raya was weeping bitterly, when people came running to him and said that they had noticed something in the lake. They all ran there and saw an arm, with conch-shell bracelets on the wrist, being waved above the water. A moment afterwards it disappeared. Even now people worship her as the Divine Mother at the time of the annual festival. 

(To M.) All this is true.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 797 (13 July 1885)

Only 'HE'

 

Sincere Yearning enables one to Realize God

The world is like an overcast sky that steadily pours down rain: the face of the sun is seldom seen. There is mostly suffering in the world. On account of the cloud of 'woman and gold' one cannot see the sun. Some people ask me: 'Sir, why has God created such a world? Is there no way out for us?' I say to them: 'why shouldn't there be a way out? Take shelter with God and pray to Him with a yearning heart for a favorable wind, that you may have things in your favor. If you call on Him with yearning, He will surely listen to you.' 

A man had a son who was on the point of death. In frenzy he asked remedies of different people. One of them said:' 'Here is a remedy: First it must rain when the star Svati is in the ascendant; then some of the rain must fall into a skull; then a frog must come there to drink the water, and a snake must chase it; and when the snake is about to bite the frog, the frog must hop away and the poison must fall into the skull. You should give the patient a little of the poison and rain-water from the skull.' The father set out eagerly to find the medicine when the star Svati was in the sky. It started raining. Fervently he said to God, 'O Lord, please get a skull for me.' Searching here and there, he at last found a skull with rain-water in it. Again he prayed to God, saying, 'O Lord, I beseech Thee, please help me find the frog and the snake.' Since he had great longing, he got the frog and the snake also. In the twinkling of an eye he saw a snake chasing a frog, and as it was about to bite the frog, its poison fell into the skull. 

If one takes shelter with God and prays to Him with great longing, God will surely listen; He will certainly make everything favorable.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 793 (13 June 1885)

Magician and His Magic

The truth is that God alone is real and all else unreal. Men, universe, house, and children - all these are like the magic of the magician. The magician strikes his wand and says: 'Come delusion! Come confusion!' Then he says to the audience, 'Open the lid of the pot; see the birds fly into the sky.' But the magician alone is real and his magic unreal. The unreal exists for a second and then vanishes. 

Śiva was seated in Kailas. His companion Nandi was near Him. Suddenly a terrific noise arose. 'Revered Sir,' asked Nandi, 'what does that mean?' Śiva said: 'Ravana is born. That is its meaning.' A few moments later another terrific noise was heard. 'Now what is this noise?' Nandi asked. Śiva said with a smile, 'Now Ravana is dead. Birth and death are like magic: you see the magic for a second and then it disappears. God alone is real and all else unreal. Water alone is real; its bubbles appear and disappear. They disappear into the very water from which they rise. 

God is like an ocean, and living beings are its bubbles. They are born there and they die there. Children are like the few small bubbles around a big one. 

God alone is real. Make an effort to cultivate love for Him and find out the means to realize Him.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 787-88 (13 June 1885)

Advice to the Worldly

A DEVOTEE: "Sir, what is the way for worldly people?" 

MASTER: "The Company of holy men. Worldly people should listen to spiritual talk. They are in a state of madness, intoxicated with 'woman and gold'. A drunkard should be given rice-water as an antidote. Drinking it slowly, he gradually recovers his normal consciousness. 

A worldly person should also receive instructions from a sadguru, a real teacher. Such a teacher has certain signs. You should hear about Banāras only from a man who has been to Banāras and seen it. Mere book-learning will not do. One should not receive instruction from a pundit who has not realized the world to be unreal. Only if a pundit has discrimination and renunciation is he entitled to instruct.

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 780 (23 May 1885)