Awake Mother

Sri Ramakrishna began his midday meal with the devotees. It was about one o'clock. A devotee sang in the courtyard below:  

                 Awake, Mother! Awake! How long Thou hast 

                                                                                 been asleep 

                 In the lotus of the Muladhara! 

                 Fulfil Thy secret function, Mother: 

                 Rise to the thousand-petalled lotus within the head, 

                 Where mighty Śiva has His dwelling; 

                 Swiftly pierce the six lotuses 

                  And take away my grief,

                                                  O Essence of Consciousness! 

Hearing the song, Sri Ramakrishna went into samādhi; his whole body became still, and his hand remained touching the plate of food. He could eat no more. After a long time his mind came down partially to the plane of the sense world, and he said, "I want to go downstairs." 

A devotee led him down very carefully. Still in an abstracted mood, he sat near the singer. The song had ended. 

The Master said to him very humbly, "Sir, I want to hear the chanting of the Mother's name again." 

The musician sang: 

           Awake, Mother! Awake! How long Thou hast 

                                                                               been asleep 

           In the lotus of the Muladhara! ... 

The Master again went into ecstasy.  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 182 

                    (18 February 1883, At a Devotee’s house)

Constant Practice urged

Glories of the Divine Mother

The Master sang:
     Out of my deep affliction rescue me, O Redeemer!   
     Terrified by the threats of the King of Death am I! 
     Left to myself, I shall perish soon; 
      Save me, oh, save me now, I pray! 

     Mother of all the worlds! Thou, the Support of mankind!  
     Thou, the Bewitcher of all, the Mother of all that has life!  
     Vrindāvan's charming Radha art Thou, 
      Dearest playmate of Braja's Beloved. 

     Blissful comrade of Krishna, well-spring of Krishna's lila,  
     Child of Himālaya, best of the gopis, beloved of Govinda! 
     Sacred Ganga, Giver of moksha! 
      Śakti! The universe sings Thy praise. 

     Thou art the Spouse of Śiva, the Ever-blessed, the All;   
     Sometimes Thou takest form and sometimes art absolute.   
      Eternal Beloved of Mahādeva,  
      Who can fathom Thine infinite glories?

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 301 
                       (10 October 1883)

Weapons and Nail-knife

Faith

MASTER: "You were absolutely right when you said that through faith alone one achieves all." 

ISHAN: "But we are householders." 

MASTER: "What if you are? Through His grace even the impossible becomes possible. 
Ramprasad sang, 'This world is a mere framework of illusion.' Another man composed a song by way of reply: 
          This very world is a mansion of mirth; 
          Here I can eat, here drink and make merry. 
          Janaka's might was unsurpassed; 
          What did he lack of the world or the Spirit? 
          Holding to one as well as the other, 
          He drank his milk from a brimming cup! 

"One should first realize God through spiritual discipline in solitude, and then live in the world. Only then can one be a King Janaka. What can you achieve otherwise? 

"Further, take the case of Śiva. He has everything - Kartika, Ganesa, Lakshmi, and Sarasvati. Still, sometimes He dances in a state of divine fervour, chanting the name of Rāma, and sometimes He is absorbed in samādhi." 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 293 
                   (22 September 1883)

Pure Mind, Buddhi, Atman

Paths of Knowledge and Devotion

A NEIGHBOUR: "Revered sir, what are the doctrines of Vedanta?"
  
MASTER: "The Vedantist says, 'I am He.' Brahman is real and the world illusory. Even the 'I' is illusory. Only the Supreme Brahman exists. 
"But the 'I' cannot be got rid of. Therefore it is good to have the feeling, 'I am the servant of God, His son, His devotee.' 

"For the Kāli Yuga the path of bhakti is especially good. One can realize God through bhakti too. As long as one is conscious of the body, one is also conscious of objects. Form, taste, smell, sound, and touch-these are the objects. It is extremely difficult to get rid of the consciousness of objects. And one cannot realize 'I am He' as long as one is aware of objects. 

"The sannyasi is very little conscious of worldly objects. But the householder is always engrossed in them. Therefore it is good for him to feel, 'I am the servant of God.'"  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 181 
                      (18 February 1883)