God, incarnated as man, acts like a man

“God, incarnating Himself as man, behave exactly like a man. That is why it is difficult to recognize an Incarnation. When God becomes man, He is exactly like man. He has the same hunger, thirst, disease, grief, and sometimes even fear. Rāma was stricken with grief for Sita. Krishna carried on His head the shoes and wooden stool of His father Nanda.

“In the theatre, when an actor comes on the stage in the role of a holy man, he behaves like one, and not like the actor who is taking the part of the king. He plays his own role.

“Once an impersonator dressed himself as a world-renouncing monk. Pleased with the correctness of his disguise, some rich people offered him a rupee. He did not accept the money but went away shaking his head. Afterwards he removed his disguise and appeared in his usual dress. Then he said to the rich people, ‘Please give me the rupee.’

They replied: ‘Why, you went away refusing our present. Why do you ask for it now?’ The man said: ‘But then I was in the role of a holy man. I could not accept money.’ Likewise, when God becomes man He behaves exactly like a man. “At Vrindāvan one sees many places associated with Krishna’s life.”

SURENDRA: “We were there during the holidays. Visitors were continually pestered for money. The priests and others asked for it continually. We told them that we were going to leave for Calcutta the next day, but we fled from Vrindāvan that very night.”

MASTER: “What is that? Shame! You said you would leave the place the next day and ran away that very day. What a shame!”

SURENDRA (embarrassed): “Here and there we saw the babajis in the woods practising spiritual discipline in solitude.”

MASTER: “Did you give them anything?”

SURENDRA: “No, sir.”

MASTER: “That was not proper of you. One should give something to monks and devotees. Those who have the means should help such persons when they meet them.

Master’s reminiscences of Mathura and Vrindāvan

“I went to Vrindāvan with Mathur Babu. The moment I came to the Dhruva Ghat at Mathura, in a flash I saw Vasudeva crossing the Jamuna with Krishna in his arms.

“One evening I was taking a stroll on the beach of the river. There were small thatched huts on the beach and big plum-trees. It was the ‘cow-dust’ hour. The cows were returning from the pasture, raising dust with their hoofs. I saw them fording the river. Then came some cowherd boys crossing the river with their cows. No sooner did I behold this scene than I cried out, ‘O Krishna, whre are You?’ and becam unconscious. “I wanted to visit Syamakunda and Radhakunda; so Mathur Babu sent me there in a palanquin.

We had a long way to go. Food was put in the palanquin. While going over the meadow I was overpowerd with emotion and wept: ‘O Krishna, I find everything the same; only You are not here. This is the very meadow where You tended the cows.’ Hriday followed me on foot. I was bathed in tears. I couldn’t ask the bearers to stop the palanquin.

“At Syamakunda and Radhakunda I saw the holy men living in small mud huts. Facing away from the road lest their eyes should fall on men, they were engaged in spiritual discipline. One should visit the ‘Twelve Grove’.

“I went in to samdhi at the sight of the image of Bankuvihari. In that state I wanted to touch it. I did not want to visit Govindaji twice. At Mathura I dreamt of Krishna as the cowherd boy. Hriday dnd Mathur Babu had the same dream.

(To Surendra) “You have both- yoga and bhoga. There are different classes of sages: the brahmarshi, the devarshi, and the rajarshi. Sukadeva is an example of the brahmarshi. He didn’t keep even one book with him. An example of the devarhi is Nārada. Janaka was a rajarshi, devoted to selfless work.

“The devotee of the Divine Mother attains dharma and moksha. He enjoys artha and kama as well. Once I saw you in a vision as the child of the Divine Mother. You have both- yoga and bhoga; otherwise your countenance would look dry.

“The man who renounces all looks dry. Once I saw a devotee of the Divine Mother at the bathing-ghat on the Ganges. He was eating his meal and at the same time worhipping the Mother. He looked on himself as the Mother’s child.

“But it isn’t good to have much money. I find that Jadu Mallick is drowned in worldliness. It is because he has too much money. Nabin Niyogi, too, has both yoga and bhoga. I saw him and his son waving the fan before the image of the Divine Mother at the time of the Durga Puja.”

SURENDRA:“Sir, why can’t I meditate?”

MASTER:“You remember God and think of Him, don’t you?”

SURENDRA:“Yes, sir. I go to sleep repeating the word ‘Mother’.”

MASTER:“That is very good.

It will be enough if you remember God and think of Him.”

Sri Ramakrishna had taken Surendra’s responsibilities on himself. worry about anything?

It was evening. The Master was sitting on the floor of this room with the devotees. He was talking to them about yoga and the six centes. These are described in the Śiva Samhita.

MASTER:“Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna are the three principal nerves. All the lotuses are located in the Sushumna. They are formed of Consciousness, like a tree made of wax- the branches, twigs, fruits, and so forth all of wax. The Kundalini lies in the lotus of the Muladhara. That lotus has four petals. The Primordial Energy resides in all bodies as the Kundalini. She is like a sleeping snake coiled up-‘of the form of a sleeping snake, having the Muladhara for Her abode’. (To M.) The Kundalini is speedily awakened if one follows the path of bhakti. God cannot be seen unless She is awakened. Sing earnestly and secretly in solitude:

Waken, O Mother! O Kundalini, whose nature is Bliss Eternal! Thou art the serpent coiled in sleep, in the lotus of the Muladhara.

“Ramprasad achieved perfection through singing. One obtains the vision of God if one sings with yearning heart.”

M: “Grief and distress of mind disappear if one has these experiences but once.”

Proper time for spiritual unfoldment

MASTER: “That is true. Distress of mind disappears for ever. I shall tell you a few things about yoga. But you see, the mother bird doesn’t break the shell until the chick inside the egg is matured. The egg is hatched in the fullness of time. It is necessary to practise some spiritual discipline. The guru no doubt does everything for the disciple; but at the end he makes the disciple work a little himself. When cutting down a big tree, a man cuts almost through the trunk; then he stands aside for a moment, and the tree falls down with a crash.

“The farmer brings water to his field through a canal from the river. He stands aside when only a little digging remains to be done to connect the field with the water. Then the earth becomes soaked and falls of itself, and the water of the river pours into the canal in torrents.

“A man is able to see God as soon as he gets rid of ego and other limitations. He sees God as soon as he is free from such feelings as ‘I am a scholar’, ‘I am the son of such and such a person’, ‘I am wealthy’, ‘I am honourable’, and so forth.

‘God alone is real and all else unreal; the world is illusory’-that is discrimination. One cannot assimilate spiritual instruction without discrimination.

“Through the practice of spiritual discipline one attains perfection, by the grace of God. But one must also labour a little. Then one sees God and enjoys bliss. If a man hears that a jar filled with gold is buried at a certain place, he rushes there and begins to dig. He sweats as he goes on digging. After much digging he feels the spade strike something. Then he throws away the spade and looks for the jar. At the sight of the jar he dances for joy. Then he takes up the jar and pours out the gold coins. He takes them into his hand, counts them, and feels the ecstasy of joy. Vision-touch- enjoyment. Isn’t it so?”

M: “Yes, sir.”

The Master was silent a moment and then went on.

MASTER: “Those who are my own will come here even if I scold them. Look at Narendra’s nature! At first he used to abuse my Mother Kāli very much. One day I said to him sharply, ‘Rascal! Don’t come here any more.’

He slowly left the room and prepared a smoke. He who is one’s own will not be angry even if scolded. What do you say?”

M: “That is true, sir.”

MASTER: “Narendra is perfect from his very birth. He is devoted to the ideal of the formless God.”

M. (smiling): “Whenever he comes here he brings along great excitement.”

Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said, “Yes, excitement indeed.” The following day was Tuesday, the ekadasi day of the lunar fortnight. It was eleven o’clock in the morning and the Master had not yet taken his meal. M., Rakhal, and other devotees were sitting in the Master’s room.

MASTER (to M.): “One should fast on the eleventh day of the lunar fortnight. That purifies the mind and helps one to develop love of God. Isn’t that so?”

M: “Yes, sir.”

MASTER: “But you may take milk and puffed rice. Don’t you think so?”