Faith in the guru

Saturday, December 10, 1881

At Keshab’s request Rajendra Mitra arranged a religious festival at his home in Calcutta and invited Sri Ramakrishna and the devotees, including the members of the Brahmo Samaj.

Two days before, Aghorenath, a prominent member of the Brahmo Samaj, had suddenly passed away in Lucknow.

Keshab and the other Brahmo devotees were in mourning, and Rajendra thought they could not possibly join in the festival at his house. This worried him. But Ram, the Master’s devotee, said to him: “Why are you so sad? If Keshab can’t come, let him stay away.

Our Master will be here. He is always in communion with God.

He enables one to see God. And his presence will make the festival a success.”

Rajendra, accompanied by Ram and a few others, paid Keshab a visit to express their condolence for the death of Aghorenath. Keshab said to Rajendra: “Why, I haven’t said I shall not join in the festival at your house. Sri Ramakrishna will be there; so how can I stay away? I am in mourning, it is true, but I shall come.” On the wall in Keshab’s room hung a picture of Sri Ramakrishna absorbed in samiidhi.

RAJENDRA (to Keshab): “Many people say that he (pointing to the picture) is an incarnation of Chaitanya.”

KESHAB (looking at the picture): “One doesn’t see such samadhi. Only men like Christ, Mohammed, and Chaitanya experienced it.”

About three o’clock in the afternoon Sri Ramakrishna arrived at Manomohan’s house. He rested there awhile and had some refreshments. Surendra took the Master in a carriage to the studio of the Bengal Photographer. The art of photography was explained to him,and he was shown how glass covered with silver nitrate takes the image. As the Master was being photographed he went into samadhi.

A little later Sri Ramakrishna arrived at Rajendra Mitra’s house. Keshab had not yet come, and Mahendra Goswami was reading from the Bhagavata. The Master conversed with the devotees.

MASTER: “Why shouldn’t one be able to lead a spiritual life in the world? But it is extremely difficult. While coming here I passed over the bridge at Baghbazar. How many chains it is tied with! Nothing will happen if one chain is broken, for there are so many others to keep it in place. Just so, there are many ties on a worldly man. There is no way for him to get rid of them except through the grace of God.

“One need not be afraid of the world after one has had the vision of God. Both avidya exist in His maya; but one becomes indifferent to them after realizing understands it rightly after attaining the state of a paramahamsa. Only a discard the water and drink the milk from a mixture of milk and water. A robin so.”

Faith in the guru

A DEVOTEE: “Then what is the way for a householder?”

MASTER: “Faith in the guru’s words. You should depend on his instruction. Do your duties in the world, holding fast to his words, like a person whirling round and holding fast to a pillar.

“One must not look on one’s guru as a mere human being: it is Satchidananda Himself who appears as the guru. When the disciple has the vision of the Ishta, through the guru’s grace, he finds the guru merging in Him.

“What can one not achieve through simple faith! Once there was an annaprasana ceremony in a guru’s house. His disciples volunteered, according to their powers, to supply the different articles of food. He had one disciple, a very poor widow, who owned a cow. She milked it and brought the guru a jar of milk. He had thought she would take charge of all the milk and curd for the festival. Angry at her poor offering, he threw the milk away and said to her, ‘Go and drown yourself.’

The widow accepted this as his command and went to the river to drown herself. But God was pleased with her guileless faith and, appearing before her, said: ‘Take this pot of curd. You will never be able to empty it. The more curd you pour out, the more will come from the pot. This will satisfy your teacher.’

The guru was speechless with amazement when the pot was given to him. After hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he went to the river, saying to her, ‘I shall drown myself if you cannot show God to me.’

God appeared then and there, but the guru could not see Him. Addressing God, the widow said, ‘If my teacher gives up his body because Thou dost not reveal Thyself to him, then I too shall die.’ So God appeared to the guru-but only once.“Now you see, because of faith in her guru the disciple herself had the vision of God and also showed Him to her teacher. Therefore I say, ‘Even though my guru frequents a grog-shop, still to me he is the embodiment of Eternal Bliss.’

“All want to be the guru, but very few indeed want to be the disciple. But you know that rain-water doesn’t collect on a high mound; it collects in low land, in a hollow.

Parable of pearl oyster

“One should have faith in the holy name given by the guru and with it practise spiritual discipline. It is said that the pearl oyster makes itself ready for the rain that falls when the star Svati is in the ascendant. Taking a drop of that rain, it dives into the fathomless depths of the ocean and remains there until the pearl is formed.”

At the sight of the many Brahmo devotees assembled there, the Master said: “Is the meeting of the Brahmos a real devotional gathering or a mere show? It is very good that the Brahmo Samaj holds regular devotions. But one must dive deep; mere ceremonial worship or lectures are of no avail.

One should pray to God that one’s attachment to worldly enjoyment may disappear; that one may have pure love for His Lotus Feet.

“The elephant has outer tusks and inner grinders as well. The tusks are mere ornaments; but the elephant chews its food with the grinders. The inner enjoyment of ‘woman and gold’ injures the growth of one’s devotion.

“What will you achieve through mere public lectures? The vulture undoubtedly soars high, but its eyes are fixed on the charnel-pit. The rocket undoubtedly shoots up into the sky, but the next moment it falls to the ground.

“He who has renounced his attachment to worldly enjoyments will remember nothing but God in the hour of death. Otherwise he will think only of worldly things: wife, children, house, wealth, name and fame. Through practice a bird can be trained to repeat ‘Radha-Krishna’; but when a cat catches it, it only squawks.

“Therefore one should constantly practise the singing of God’s name and glories, and meditation and contemplation as well. And further, one should always pray that one’s attachment to the world may disappear and one’s love for God’s Lotus Feet may grow.

“Householders devoted to God live in the world like a maidservant, who performs her duties for her master but always keeps her mind fixed on her own native village; that is to say, they do their duties in the world keeping their minds on God.

Anyone leading a worldly life is sure to come in contact with its dirt; but a householder who is a true devotee of God lives like the mudfish, which, though remaining in the mud, is not stained by it.

“Brahman and Sakti are identical. One acquires love and devotion quickly by calling on God as Mother.”

Saying this, the Master sang:High in the heaven of the Mother’s feet, my mind was soaring like a kite,

When came a blast of sin’s rough wind that drove it swiftly toward the earth.

Maya disturbed its even flight by bearing down upon one side, I could make it rise no more. Entangled in the twisting string of love for children and for wife, Alas! my kite was rent in twain.

It lost its crest of wisdom soon and downward plunged as I let it go; How could it hope to fly again, when all its top was torn away?

Though fastened with devotion’s cord, it came to grief in playing here; Its six opponents worsted it.

Now Nareschandra rues this game of smiles and tears, and thinks it better Never to have played at all.

He sang again:

O Mother, for Yasoda Thou wouldst dance, when she called Thee her precious “Blue Jewel”:

Where hast Thou hidden that lovely form, O terrible Syama?

Dance that way once for me, O Mother! Throw down Thy sword and take the flute; Cast off Thy garland of heads, and wear Thy wild-flower garland……

As Sri Ramakrishna sang, he left his seat and began to dance. The devotees, too, stood up. Every now and then the Master went into samadhi and the devotees gazed at him intently. Dr. Dukari touched the Master’s eyeballs with his finger to test the genuineness of his samadhi.

This disgusted the devotees.

When the music and dancing were over, the devotees took their seats. Just then Keshab arrived with some of his Brahmo disciples. Rajendra told him about their great joy in the Master’s kirtan and requested Trailokya to sing again.

Keshab replied, “Since Sri Ramakrishna has taken his seat, the kirtan will sound flat.”

Trailokya and the Brahmo devotees sang:

Chant, O mind, the name of Hari, Sing aloud the name of Hari, Praise Lord Hari’s name! And praising Hari’s name, O mind, Cross the ocean of this world. Hari dwells in earth, in water, Hari dwells in fire and air;In sun and moon He dwells. Hari’s ever living presence Fills the boundless universe. While preparations were being made to give the guests something to eat, Sri Ramakrishna talked with Keshab.

MASTER (with a smile): “Today I enjoyed very much the machine by which a man’s picture is taken. One thing I noticed was that the impression doesn’t stay on a bare piece of glass, but it remains when the glass is stained with a black solution. In the same way, mere hearing of spiritual talk doesn’t leave any impression. People forget it soon afterwards. But they can retain spiritual instruction if they are stained inside with earnestness and devotion.”

The Master was conducted to the second floor of the house and was asked to sit on a beautiful carpet. The ladies waited .on him while he ate his meal. Keshab and the other devotees were also sumptuously fed.