God's Love

“How can a devotee attain such love? First, the company of holy men. That awakens śraddhā, faith in God. Then comes nishtha, single-minded devotion to the Ideal. In that stage the devotee does not like to hear anything but talk about God. He performs only those acts that please God. After nishtha comes bhakti, devotion to God; then comes bhava. Next mahabhava, then prema, and last of all the attainment of God Himself.

Only for Isvarakotis, such as the Incarnations, is it possible to have mahabhava or prema.

“The knowledge of a worldly person, the knowledge of a devotee, and the Knowledge of an Incarnation are by no means of the same degree. The knowledge of a worldly person is like the light of an oil lamp, which shows only the inside of a room. Through such knowledge he eats and drinks, attends to household duties, protects his body, brings up his children, and so on.

“The knowledge of a devotee is like the light of the moon, which illumines objects both inside and outside a room. But such light does not enable him to see a distant or a very minute object.

“The Knowledge of an Incarnation of God is like the light of the sun. Through that light the Incarnation sees everything, inside and outside, big and small.

“The mind of a worldly person is, no doubt, like muddy water; but it can be made clear by a purifying agent. Discrimination and renunciation are the purifying agent.” The Master spoke to the devotees from Shibpur.

MASTER: “Have you any questions to ask?”

A DEVOTEE: “We have listened to your words.” The time factor in spiritual progress

MASTER: “Yes, it is good to listen to these things. But nothing will happen except at the right time. What can quinine do for a fever patient when he runs a high temperature? Only when his temperature comes down through the use of ‘fever mixture’ or a purgative should quinine be prescribed. There are patients who get rid of their fever even without quinine. A child said to his mother, when he was put to bed, ‘Mother, please wake me up when I feel the call of nature.’ The mother said: ‘My child, I shall not have to wake you. The urge itself will wake you.’

“Different kinds of people come here. ‘Some come by boat with the devotees. But they do not enjoy spiritual talk. They keep nudging their friends and whispering: ‘When shall we leave here? When are we going?’ If the friends show no sign of getting up, they say, ‘We would rather wait for you in the boat.’

“Those who have a human body for the first time need the experience of sense enjoyments. Spiritual consciousness is not awakened unless certain duties have been performed.”

The Master was going to the pine-grove. With a smile he said to M., on the semicircular porch, “Well, what do you think of my state of mind?”

M. (smiling): “On the surface you are very simple, but inwardly very deep. extremely difficult to understand you.”

MASTER (smiling): “True. It is like the cement floor of a house. People see only the outer surface and do not know how many materials there are under it.” It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. Balarām and several other devotees got into a country boat to return to Calcutta. It was ebb-tide in the Ganges. A gentle breeze was blowing from the south, covering the bosom of the sacred river with ripples.

M. looked at the scene a long time. As the boat disappeared in the direction of Calcutta, he came back to the Master.

Sri Ramakrishna was going to the pine-grove. A beautiful, dark rain-cloud was to be seen in the northwest. The Master asked M.: “Do you think it will rain? Please bring my umbrella.” M. brought the umbrella. Reaching the Panchavati, the Master said to Lātu, who also accompanied him, “Why do you look so sickly?”

LĀTU: “I can hardly eat anything.”

MASTER: “Is that the only reason? It is also a bad time of the year. Are you meditating too much? (To M.) I have a request to make of you. Please tell Baburam to stay with me a day or two during Rākhāl ’s absence. Otherwise I shall feel very unhappy.”

M: “Yes, sir. I shall tell him.”

Sri Ramakrishna asked M. whether he thought that Baburam was guileless. Presently the Master left them, going in the direction of the pine-trees. After a few minutes M. and Lātu, standing in the Panchavati, saw the Master coming back toward them.

Behind him the sky was black with the rain-cloud. Its reflection in the Ganges made the water darker. The disciples felt that the Master was God Incarnate, a Divine Child five years old, radiant with the smile of innocence and purity. Around him were the sacred trees of the Panchavati under which he had practised spiritual discipline and had beheld visions of God. At his feet flowed the sacred river Ganges, the destroyer of man’s sins. The presence of this God-man charged the trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, and temples with spiritual fervour and divine joy.

Sri Ramakrishna returned to his room and sat on the small couch. He began to praise a medicine that a certain brahmachari had prepared for him. Referring to this man, Hazra said: “He is now entangled in many worldly anxieties. What a shame! Look at Nabai Chaitanya of Konnagar. Though a householder, he has put on a red cloth.”

MASTER: “What shall I say? I clearly see that it is God Himself who has assumed all these human forms. Therefore I cannot take anybody to task.”

HAZRA: “Narendra is again involved in a lawsuit.”

MASTER: “He doesn’t believe in Śakti, the Divine Mother. If one assumes a human body, one must recognize Her.”

HAZRA: “Narendra says: ‘If I believed in Śakti, all would follow me. Therefore I cannot.’”

MASTER: “But it is not good for him to go to the extreme of denying the Divine Mother.

He is now under Śakti’s jurisdiction. Even a judge, while giving evidence in a case, comes down and stands in the witness-box. (To M.) “Have you seen Narendra lately?”

M: “Not during the last few days.”

MASTER: “See him and bring him here in a carriage.

(To Hazra) “Well, what is his relation to this [meaning himself]?”

HAZRA: “He expects help from you.”

MASTER: “And what about Bhavanath? Would he come here so frequently if he didn’t have good tendencies? What about Harish and Lātu? They always meditate. Why is that?”

HAZRA: “That’s right. Why should they devote all their time to meditation? It is quite a different thing for them to stay here to attend to your personal needs.” MASTER: “Possibly you are right. Perhaps others may take their place now.”

Hazra left the room, leaving the Master alone with M.

MASTER: “Does what I say in the state of ecstasy attract people?”

M: “Oh, yes. Very much.”

MASTER: “What do people think of me? Do they think anything in particular about me when they see me in that condition?”

M: “We feel in you a wonderful synthesis of knowledge, love, and renunciation, and on the surface a natural spontaneity. Many divine experiences have passed, like huge steamboats, through the deep of your inner consciousness; still you maintain outwardly this utter simplicity. Many cannot understand it, but a few are attracted by this state alone.”

MASTER: “There is a sect of Vaishriavas known as the Ghoshpara, who describe God as the ‘Sahaja’, the ‘Simple One’. They say further that a man cannot recognize this ‘Simple One’ unless he too is simple. (To M.) Have I any ego?”

M: “Yes, sir. A little. You have kept it to preserve your body, and to enjoy divine love in the company of the devotees and impart spiritual knowledge to them. Further, you have kept this trace of ego by praying to the Divine Mother for it.”

MASTER: “No. I have not kept it. It is God Himself who has left it in me. Can you tell me how I appear in the state of samādhi?”

M: “As you said a little while ago, you see the form of God when your mind rises to the ‘sixth plane’. When you speak after that, your mind comes down to the ‘fifth plane’.” MASTER: “It is God who does all these things. I do not know anything.”

M: “That is why you attract people so much. Sir, I have a question to ask. There are 2 opinions in the scriptures. According to one, Purana, Krishna is Chidatma, the Absolute, and Radha is ChitŚakti, Its Divine Power; but according to another, Krishna Himself is Kāli; the Primordial Energy.”

547MASTER: “This second view is held in the Devi Purana. According to it, Kāli Herself has become Krishna; But what difference does it make? God is infinite, and infinite are the ways to reach Him.”

M. remained speechless with wonder for a few moments and then said: “Oh, now I understand. As you say, the important thing is to climb to the roof. Our goal will be achieved if we can accomplish it by following any of the means-a rope or a pole.”

MASTER: “It is through the grace of God that you have understood that. Without His grace doubt is never cleared up.

“The important thing is somehow to cultivate devotion to God and love for Him. What is the use of knowing many things? It is enough to cultivate love of God by following any of the paths. When you have this love, you are sure to attain God. Afterwards, if it is necessary, God will explain everything to you and tell you about the other paths as well. It is enough for you to develop love of God. You have no need of many opinions and discussions. You have come to the orchard to eat mangoes. Enjoy them to your heart’s content. You don’t need to count the branches and leaves on the trees. It is wise to follow the attitude of Hanuman: ‘I do not know the day of the week, the phase of the moon, or the position of the stars; I only contemplate Rāma.’ "

M: “I now desire that my activities may be much reduced and that I may devote myself greatly to God.”

MASTER: “Ah! Certainly your desire will be fulfilled. But a Jnāni can live unattached in the world.”

M: “True, sir. But one needs special power to lead an unattached life.”

MASTER: “That is also true. But perhaps you wanted the worldly life. Krishna had been enshrined in Radha’s heart; but Radha wanted to sport with Him in human form. Hence all the episodes of Vrindāvan. Now you should pray to God that your worldly duties may be reduced. And you will achieve the goal if you renounce mentally.”

M: “But mental renunciation is prescribed for those who cannot give up the world outwardly. For superior devotees total renunciation is enjoined-both outer and inner.” Sri Ramakrishna was silent a few minutes and then resumed the conversation.

MASTER: “How did you like what I said about renunciation a little while ago?”

M: “Very much, sir.”

MASTER: “Tell me, what is the meaning of renunciation?”

548M: “Renunciation does not mean simply dispassion for the world. It means dispassion for the world and also longing for God.”

MASTER: “You are right. You no doubt need money for your worldly life; but don’t worry too much about it. The wise course is to accept what comes of its own accord. Don’t take too much trouble to save money. Those who surrender their hearts and souls to God, those who are devoted to Him and have taken refuge in Him, do not worry much about money. As they earn, so they spend. The money comes in one way and goes out the other. This is what the Gitā describes as ‘accepting what comes of its own accord’.”

The Master referred to Haripada and said, “He came here the other day.”

M: “He knows how to sing the stories of the Purana. He sings melodiously about the life of Prahlada and the nativity of Sri Krishna.”

MASTER: “Is that so? That day I looked into his eyes. They had an inward look. I asked him whether he meditated a great deal, but he sat with his eyes cast down and didn’t answer. Then I said to him, ‘Look here, don’t strain yourself too much.’ "

It was now dusk. Sri Ramakrishna, as was usual with him during this part of the day, chanted the names of God and turned his mind to contemplation. Soon the moon rose in the sky. The temples, courtyards, and trees were bathed in its silvery light, and millions of broken moons played on the rippling surface of the Ganges. Rākhāl and M. were with the Master in his room. MASTER (to M.): “Baburam says, ‘Oh, the worldly life! God forbid!’ " M: “His opinion is based on mere hearsay. What does he know of the world? He is a mere child.” MASTER: “Yes, that is true. Have you noticed Niranjan? He is utterly artless.” M: “Yes, sir. His very appearance attracts people. How expressive his eyes are!” MASTER: “Not only his eyes, but his entire person. His relatives proposed that he marry. At this he said, ‘Why are you going to drown me?’ (With a smile) Tell me this. People say that a man finds great pleasure in the company of his wife after the hard work of the day.” M: “That is no doubt true of those who think that way. (To Rākhāl, with a smile) We are now being examined. This is a leading question.” Both Rākhāl and M. were married. MASTER (with a smile): “A mother says, ‘I shall heave a sigh of relief if I can procure a “shade-tree” for my son. He will rest in its shade when scorched by the heat of the world.’ "

549M: “True, sir. But there are parents and parents. A father who is spiritually illumined doesn’t give his children in marriage. If he does, his is a fine spirituality!” Adhar Sen arrived from Calcutta and saluted the Master. After a few minutes, he went to the temple of Kāli, where M. followed him.

A little later M. was sitting at the Bathing-Ghat on the Ganges.

The flood tide had just set in. As he listened to the waters lapping against the bank, many pictures of Sri Ramakrishna’s divine life flitted before his mind: the Master’s deep samādhi, his constant ecstasy, his joy in the love of God, his untiring discourse on spiritual life, his genuine love for the devotees, and, above all, his childlike simplicity.

Who was this man? Was it God who had embodied Himself on earth for the sake of His devotees?

Adhar and M. returned to the Master’s room. Adhar had been to Chittagong, in East Bengal, on official duty. He was telling the Master about his visit to the Chandranath Hills and Sitakunda, sacred places of Chittagong.

ADHAR: “Near Sitakunda I visited a well where I saw fire in the water. It is always burning on the water with leaping tongues.”

MASTER: “How is that possible?”

ADHAR: “The water contains phosphorus.” Presently Ram Chatterji entered the room. The Master said some kind words about him to Adhar.

MASTER: “Ram’s presence in the temple garden has relieved us of many anxieties. He searches out Harish, Lātu, and the others at meal-time. Very often they are absorbed in meditation in some corner of the temple garden. It is Ram who sees that they eat at the proper time.”

Saturday, September 6, 1884

About 3PM, Sri Ramakrishna was seated in Adhar’s parlour on the second floor. Narendra, the Mukherji brothers, Bhavanath, M., Hazra, and other devotees were with the Master.

Arrangements were being made for Narendra to sing: While he was tuning the Tānpura, one of the strings snapped, and the Master exclaimed, “Oh! What have you done?” Narendra then tuned the drums. The Master said to him, “You are beating that drum, and I feel as if someone were slapping my cheek.” Referring to the Kirtan, Narendra said: ‘There is not much rhythm in the Kirtan. That’s why it is so popular and people love it so much.”

MASTER: “How silly! People like it because it is so tender and full of pathos.”

Narendra sang:

Sweet is Thy name, a Refuge of the humble! It falls like sweetest nectar on our ears And comforts us, Beloved of our souls! . . . He sang again: O Lord, must all my days pass by so utterly in vain? Down the path of hope I gaze with longing, day and night. Thou art the Lord of all the worlds, and I but a beggar here; How can I ask of Thee to come and dwell within my heart? My poor heart’s humble cottage door is standing open wide; Be gracious, Lord, and enter there but once, and quench its thirst! MASTER (to Hazra, smiling): “That was the first song he sang for me.” Narendra sang one or two more songs. Then Vaishnavcharan sang, describing the grief of the gopis at the sight of Krishna as king of Mathura: O Hari, how shall we know You now? In Mathura’s royal splendour You have forgotten us. . . . MASTER: “Won’t you sing that one- ‘O Vina, sing Lord Hari’s name?” Vaishnavcharan sang: O Vina, sing Lord Hari’s name! Without the blessing of His feet You cannot know the final Truth. The name of Hari slays all grief: Sing Hari’s name! Sing Krishna’s name! If only Hari shows His grace, Then I shall never be distressed. O Vina, sing His name but once; No earthly gem is half so rare. Govinda says: In vain my days Have passed. No longer may I float Here in life’s trackless ocean waste! While listening to the song, the Master became abstracted. Saying “Ah me! Ah me!” he went into samādhi. The devotees were sitting around him, their eyes riveted on him. The room was filled with people. Master in ecstasy The musician sang again. As he improvised new lines describing ecstatic love of God, the Master stood up and danced. He himself improvised lines and sang them with outstretched arms. Soon he went into samādhi and sat down, with his head resting on the bolster in front of him. The musician was also carried away with emotion and sang 551new songs. Sri Ramakrishna again stood up and began to dance. The devotees could not control themselves. They too danced with the Master. While dancing, Sri Ramakrishna every now and then went into deep samādhi. When he was in the deepest samādhi he could not utter a word and his whole body remained transfixed. The devotees danced encircling him. After a while, regaining partial consciousness, he danced with the strength of a lion, intoxicated with ecstatic love. But even then he could not utter a word. Finally, regaining more of the consciousness of the world, he sang again, improvising the lines. An intense spiritual atmosphere was created in Adhar’s parlour. At the sound of the loud music a large crowd had gathered in the street. Sri Ramakrishna danced a long time in the company of the devotees. When he resumed his seat, still tinged with the lingering glow of divine fervour, he asked Narendra to sing “O Mother, make me mad with Thy love”. Narendra sang: O Mother, make me mad with Thy love! What need have I of knowledge or reason? . . . MASTER: “And that one― ‘Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness’.” Narendra sang: Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness waves of ecstatic love arise: Rapture divine! Play of God’s Bliss! Oh, how enthralling! . . .

MASTER: “And that one too― ‘In Wisdom’s firmament’. Perhaps it is too long. Do you think so? All right, sing it slowly.” Narendra sang: In Wisdom’s firmament the moon of Love is rising full, And Love’s flood-tide, in surging waves, is flowing everywhere. O Lord, how full of bliss Thou art! Victory unto Thee! . . .

MASTER: “And won’t you sing that one― The Wine of Heavenly Bliss’ ?”

Narendra sang: Be drunk, O mind, be drunk with the Wine of Heavenly Bliss! Roll on the ground and weep, chanting Hari’s sweet name! Fill the arching heavens with your deep lion roar, Singing Hari’s sweet name! With both your arms upraised, Dance in the name of Hari and give His name to all. Swim by day and by night in the b1iss of Hari’s love; Slay desire with His name, and blessed be your life!

The Master improvised, “Be drunk with prema and weep, chanting Hari’s sweet name.” And,

“Be mad with divine fervour and weep, chanting His name.” Sri Ramakrishna and the devotees rested awhile. Narendra said to the Master in a low voice, “Will you kindly sing that one?”

MASTER: “My voice has become a little hoarse.” After a few minutes he asked Narendra, “Which one?” NARENDRA: “Gaur, whose beauty delights the world.” Sri Ramakrishna sang, describing the beauty of Sri Chaitanya: Who has brought Gaur to Nadia Gaur, whose beauty delights the world? His face, covered with ringlets of hair, Shines like lightning against a dark cloud. . . . Again he sang, this time about the grief of a Gopi at her separation from Sri Krishna: I have not found my Krishna, O friend! How cheerless my home without Him! Ah, if Krishna could only be the hair upon my head, Carefully I should braid it then, and deck it with bakul-flowers; Carefully I should fashion the braids out of my Krishna-hair. Krishna is black, and black is my hair; black would be one with black. Ah, if Krishna could only be the ring I wear in my nose, Always from my nose He would hang, and my two lips could touch Him.

But it can never be, alas! Why should I idly dream? Why should Krishna care at all to be the ring in my nose?

Ah, if Krishna could only be the bracelets on my arms, Always He would cling to my wrists, and proudly I should walk, Shaking my bracelets to make them sound, shaking my arms to show them;

Down the king’s highway I should walk, wearing my Krishna bracelets. The music was over. The Master began to talk with the devotees.

MASTER (smiling): “Hazra danced.”

NARENDRA: “Yes, a little.”

MASTER: “A little?”

553NARENDRA: “Yes. His belly danced too.” (All laugh.) Pundit Shashadhar’s host had been thinking of inviting the Master for dinner.

MASTER: “I have heard that his host is not an honest man. He is immoral.”

NARENDRA: “That is why you didn’t drink the water he touched. It happened the first day you met Shashadhar at his house. How did you come to know he was immoral?”

MASTER (smiling): “Hazra knows of another instance. It happened at Sihore in Hriday’s house.”

HAZRA: “The man was a Vaishnava. He came with me to see you [meaning Sri Ramakrishna]. As soon as he sat in front of you, you turned your back on him.”

MASTER: “We learnt later that he led an immoral life. (To Narendra) You used to say, at first, that these were all hallucinations.”

NARENDRA: “How was I to know? Now I see that you are always right.”

Adhar had prepared a feast for the Master and the devotees, and now he invited them to the meal. The Master said to the Mukherji brothers: “What? Won’t you eat?” They said humbly, “Please excuse us.”

MASTER: “But why? You are doing everything else. Why this hesitation only about eating the meal?”

Adhar was a low-caste Hindu. Therefore some of the Master’s brahmin devotees hesitated to eat at his house. They came to their senses at last when they saw Sri Ramakrishna himself eating.

It was about 9AM. The Master was resting in the drawing-room with the devotees. He would soon leave for Dakshineswar.

The Mukherji brothers had arranged with a singer of Kirtan to entertain the Master the following day. Ram was taking singing lessons from this musician. Sri Ramakrishna asked Narendra to come to Dakshineswar to hear the Kirtan.

MASTER (to Narendra): “Come tomorrow, won’t you?”

NARENDRA: “I shall try, sir.”

MASTER: “You can bathe there and also take your meal. (Pointing to M.) He may dine there too. (To M.) Are you quite well now? I hope you are not on a diet.”

M: “No, sir. I shall come.”