Darkness of Mind

 

Great Cause

 

Signs of God-vision

TRAILOKYA: What are the signs of a householder having attained Knowledge?" 

MASTER: "His tears will flow, and the hair on his body will stand on end. No sooner does he hear the sweet name of God than the hair on his body stands on end from sheer delight, and tears roll down his cheeks. "A man cannot get rid of body-consciousness as long as he is attached to worldly things and loves 'woman and gold'. As he becomes less and less attached to worldly things, he approaches nearer and nearer to the Knowledge of Self. He also becomes less and less conscious of his body. He attains Self-Knowledge when his worldly attachment totally disappears. Then he realizes that body and soul are two separate things. It is very difficult to separate with a knife the kernel of a coconut from the shell before the milk inside has dried up. When the milk dries up, the kernel rattles inside the shell. At that time it loosens itself from the shell. Then the fruit is called a dry coconut. 

The sign of a man's having realized God is that he has become like a dry coconut. He has become utterly free from the consciousness that he is the body. He does not feel happy or unhappy with the happiness or unhappiness of the body. He does not seek the comforts of the body. He roams about in the world as a jivanmukta, one liberated in life.” 

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 629 (19 October 1884)

What happens After Death

 

Efficacy of Bhakti-yoga

 

Lingasharira

The  Mārwāri  devotees  from  Burrabazar  entered  the  room  and  saluted  the  Master.  

He began to praise them. 

MASTER (to the devotees):"Ah! They are real devotees of God. They visit temples, sing hymns to God, and eat prasad. And the gentleman whom they have made their priest this year is learned in the Bhagavata." 

MĀRWĀRI DEVOTEE: "Who is this 'I' that says, 'O Lord, I am Thy servant?' " 

MASTER: "This is the lingasarira, or embodied soul. It consists of manas, buddhi, chitta, and Ahamkāra." 

DEVOTEE: "Who is the embodied soul?"

MASTER: "It is the Ātman bound by the eight fetters. And what is the chitta? It is the 'I-consciousness' that says, 'Aha!'"  

- Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, P 583 (02 October 1884)

Ajnana