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:

Blog

Facebook

Pinterest

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