False piety

MASTER (to the devotees): “There are people who indulge in all kinds of gossip at the time of their daily devotions. As you know, one is not permitted to talk then; so they make all kinds of signs, keeping their lips closed. In order to say, ‘Bring this’, ‘Bring that’, they make sounds like ‘Huh’, ‘Uhuh’. All such things they do!

(Laughter.)

“Again, there are some who bargain for fish while telling their beads. As they count the rosary, with a finger they point out the fish, indicating, That one, please.’ They reserve all their business for that time! (Laughter.)

“There are women who come to the Ganges for their bath and, instead of thinking of God, gossip about no end of things. ‘What jewels did you offer at the time of your son’s marriage?’- ‘Has so-and-so returned from her father-in law’s house?’ - ‘So-and-so is seriously ill.’ - ‘So-and-so went to see the bride; we hope that they will offer a magnificent dowry and that there will be a great feast.’ - ‘Harish always nags at me; he can’t stay away from me even an hour.’ - ‘My child, I couldn’t come to see you all these days; I was so busy with the betrothal of so-and-so’s daughter.’

“You see, they have come to bathe in the holy river, and yet they indulge in all sorts of worldly talk.”

The Master began to look intently at the younger Naren and went into samādhi. Did he see God Himself in the pure-souled devotee?

The devotees silently watched the figure of Sri Ramakrishna motionless in samādhi. A few minutes before there had been so much laughter in the room; now there was deep silence, as if no one were there. The Master sat with folded hands as in his photograph.

After a short while his mind began to come down to the relative plane. He heaved a long sigh and became aware of the outer world. He looked at the devotees and began to talk with them of their spiritual progress.

MASTER (to the younger Naren): “I have been eager to see you. You will succeed. Come here once in a while. Well, which do you prefer-jnāna or bhakti?”

THE YOUNGER NAREN: “Pure bhakti.”

MASTER: “But how can you love someone unless you know him? (Pointing to M, with a smile) How can you love him unless you know him? (To M.) Since a pure-souled person has asked for pure bhakti, it must have some meaning.

Genuine bhakti

“One does not seek bhakti of one’s own accord without inborn tendencies. This is the characteristic of prema-bhakti. There is another kind of bhakti, called jnāna-bhakti, which is love of God based on reasoning.

(To the younger Naren) “Let me look at your body; take off your shirt. Fairly broad chest. You will succeed. Come here now and then.”

Sri Ramakrishna was still in the ecstatic mood. He spoke tenderly to the other devotees about their future.

MASTER (to Paltu): “You will succeed, too, but, it will take a little time.

(To Baburam) “Why don’t I attract you to me? It is just to avoid trouble.

(To Mohinimohan) “As for you you are all right. There is a little yet to be done. When that is achieved, nothing will remain-neither duty nor work nor the world itself. Is it good to get rid of everything?”

As Sri Ramakrishna spoke these words he looked at Mohini affectionately, as if scanning his inmost feelings. Was Mohini really wondering whether it would, be wise to renounce all for God? After a while Sri Ramakrishna said, “God binds the Bhagavata pundit to the world with one tie; otherwise, who would remain to explain the sacred book? He keeps the pundit bound for the good of men. That is why the Divine Mother has kept you in the world.”

Sri Ramakrishna spoke to the young brahmin.

MASTER: “Give up knowledge and reasoning; accept bhakti. Bhakti alone is the essence. Is this the third day of your stay here?”

BRAHMIN (with folded hands): “Yes, sir.”

MASTER: “Have faith. Depend on God. Then you will not have to do anything yourself. Mother Kāli will do everything for you. “Jnāna goes as far as the outer court, but bhakti can enter the inner court. The Pure Self is unattached. Both vidyā and avidyā are in It, but It is unattached. Sometimes there is a good and sometimes a bad smell in the air, but the air itself is unaffected.

Nature of Ātman

“Once Vyasadeva was about to cross the Jamuna. The gopis also were there. They wanted to go to the other side of the river to sell curd, milk, and cream. But there was no ferry at that time.

They were all worried about how to cross the river, when Vyāsa said to them, ‘I am very hungry.’ The milkmaids fed him with milk and cream. He finished almost all their food. Then Vyāsa said to the river, ‘O Jamuna, if I have not eaten anything, then your waters will part and we shall walk through.’ It so happened. The river parted and a pathway was formed between the waters. Following that path, the gopis and Vyāsa crossed the river. Vyāsa had said, ‘If I have not eaten anything’. That means, the real man is Pure Ātman. Ātman is unattached and beyond Prakriti. It has neither hunger nor thirst; It knows neither birth nor death; It does not age, nor does It die.

It is immutable as Mount Sumeru.

Jivanmukta & Separation of body and soul

“He who has attained this Knowledge of Brahman is a jivanmukta, liberated while living in the body. He rightly understand that the Ātman and the body are two separate things.

After realizing God one does not identify the Ātman with the body. These two are separate, like the kernel and the shell of the coconut when its milk dries up. The Ātman moves, as it were, within the body. When the ‘milk’ of worldly-mindedness has dried up, one gets Self-knowledge.

Then one feels that Ātman and body are two separate things. The kernel of a green almond or betel-nut cannot be separated from the shell; but when they are ripe the juice dries up and the kernel separates from the shell. After the attainment of the Knowledge of Brahman, the ‘milk’ of worldly-mindedness dries up.

“But it is extremely difficult to attain the Knowledge of Brahman. One doesn’t get it by merely talking about it. Some people feign it. (Smiling) There was a man who was a great liar; but, on the other hand, he used to say he had the Knowledge of Brahman.

When someone took him to task for telling lies, he said: ‘Why, this world is truly like a dream. If everything is unreal, then can truth itself be real? Truth is as unreal as falsehood.’” (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna sat with the devotees on the mat on the floor. He was smiling. He said to the devotees, “Please stroke my feet gently.” They carried out his request. He said to M., “There is great significance in this.” Placing his hand on his heart, the Master said, “If there is anything here, then through this service the ignorance and illusion of the devotees will be completely destroyed.”

Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna became serious, as if about to reveal a secret.