Purity of Heart

Badge of Authority

To teach others, one must have a badge of authority; otherwise teaching becomes a mockery. A man who is himself ignorant starts out to teach others - like the blind leading the blind! Instead of doing good, such teaching does harm. 

After the realization of God one obtains an inner vision.  Only then can one diagnose a person's spiritual malady and give instruction. Without the commission from God, a man becomes vain. He says to himself, 'I am teaching people.' This vanity comes from ignorance, for only an ignorant person feels that he is the doer. 

A man verily becomes liberated in life if he feels: 'God is the Doer. He alone is doing everything. I am doing nothing.' 
Man's sufferings and worries spring only from his persistent thought that he is the doer.    

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 142 
                  (October 27, 1882)

Difficulty of Preaching

It is extremely difficult to teach others. A man can teach only if God reveals Himself to him and gives the command. Narada, Sukadeva, and sages like them had such a command from God, and Sankara had it too. 
Unless you have a command from God, who will listen to your words? … …

… But it won't do if a man only imagines that he has God's command. God does reveal Himself to man and speak. Only then may one receive His command. 
How forceful are the words of such a teacher! They can move mountains. But mere lectures? People will listen to them for a few days and then forget them. They will never act on mere words.    

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 141-42 
                   (October 27, 1882)

Infinite Paths

Intense Longing for God

BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "Sir, is it possible for one to see God? If so, why can't we see Him?" 

MASTER: "Yes, He can surely be seen.  One can see His forms, and His formless aspect as well. How can I explain that to you?" 

BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "What are the means by which one can see God?" 

MASTER: "Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? 
So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother. Then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms."    

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 149 
                    (October 28, 1882)

God Alone Real

Parable of the Chameleon

Listen to a story. Once a man entered a wood and saw a small animal on a tree. He came back and told another man that he had seen a creature of a beautiful red color on a certain tree.
The second man replied: 'When I went into the wood, I also saw that animal. But why do you call it red? It is green.' 
Another man who was present contradicted them both and insisted that it was yellow. Presently others arrived and contended that it was grey, violet, blue, and so forth and so on. At last they started quarreling among themselves. 

To settle the dispute they all went to the tree. They saw a man sitting under it. On being asked, he replied: 'Yes, I live under this tree and I know the animal very well. All your descriptions are true. Sometimes it appears red, sometimes yellow, and at other times blue, violet, grey, and so forth. It is a chameleon. And sometimes it has no color at all. Now it has a color, and now it has none.' 

In like manner, one who constantly thinks of God can know His real nature; he alone knows that God reveals Himself to seekers in various forms and aspects. God has attributes; then again He has none. Only the man who lives under the tree knows that the chameleon can appear in various colors, and he knows, further, that the animal at times has no color at all.  
It is the others who suffer from the agony of futile argument.    
- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 149-50 
                              (October 28, 1882)