The Purpose of the scriptures

MASTER (with a smile): “Do you know my attitude? Books, scriptures, and things like that only point out the way to reach God. After finding the way, what more need is there of books and scriptures? Then comes the time for action.

“A man received a letter from home informing him that certain presents were to be sent to his relatives. The names of the articles were given in the letter.

As he was about to go shopping for them, he found that the letter was missing. He began anxiously to search for it, several others joining in the search. For a long time they continued to search. When at last the letter was discovered, his joy knew no bounds. With great eagerness he opened the letter and read it. It said that he was to buy five seers of sweets, a piece of cloth, and a few other things.

Then he did not need the letter any more, for it had served its purpose. Putting it aside, he went out to buy the things. How long is such a letter necessary? As long as its contents are not known. When the contents are known one proceeds to carry out the directions. “In the scriptures you will find the way to realize God. But after getting all the information about the path, you must begin to work, Only then can you attain your goal.

Mere scholarship condemned

“What will it avail a man to have mere scholarship? A pundit may have studied many scriptures, he may recite many sacred texts, but if he is still attached to the world and if inwardly he loves ‘woman and gold’, then he has not assimilated the contents of the scriptures. For such a man the study of scriptures is futile.

“The almanac forecasts the rainfall for the year. You may squeeze the book, but you won’t get a drop of water-not even a single drop.” (Laughter.)

GIRISH (sniiling): “What did you say, sir, about squeezing the almanac? Won’t a single drop of water come out of it?” (All laugh.)

MASTER (with a s1Ilile): “The pundits talk big, but where is their mind fixed? On ‘woman and gold’, on creature comforts and money. The vulture soars very high in the sky, but its eyes are fixed on the charnel-pit. It is continually looking for charnel-pits, carcasses, and dead bodies.

Narendra’s many virtues

(To Girish) “Narendra is a boy of a very high order. He excels in everything: vocal and instrumental music and studies. Again, he has control over his sense-organs. He is truthful and has discrimination and dispassion. So many virtues in one person! (To M.) What do you say? Isn’t he unusually good?”

M: “Yes, sir, he is.”

MASTER (aside to M.): “He [meaning Girish] has great earnestness and faith.”

M. looked at Girish, and marvelled at his tremendous faith. Girish had been coming to Sri Ramakrishna only a short time and had already recognized his spiritual power.

To M. he seemed a familiar friend and kinsman, related to him by the strong bond of spirituality. Girish was one of the gems in the necklace of the Master’s devotees. Narayan asked the Master whether he would sing. Sri Ramakrishna sang of the Divine Mother:

Cherish my precious Mother Syama Tenderly within, O mind; May you and I alone behold Her, Letting no one else intrude. O mind, in solitude enjoy Her, Keeping the passions all outside; Take but the tongue, that now and again It may cry out, “O Mother! Mother!” Suffer no breath of base desire To enter and approach us there, But bid true knowledge stand on guard, Alert and watchful evermore. Then he sang, as if he were one of the afflicted souls of the world: O Mother, ever blissful as Thou art, Do not deprive Thy worthless child of bliss! My mind knows nothing but Thy Lotus Feet The King of Death scowls at me terribly; Tell me, Mother, what shall I say to him? . . . Again he sang about the bliss of the Divine Mother: Behold my Mother playing with Śiva, lost in an ecstasy of joy! Drunk with a draught of celestial wine, She reels and yet She does not fall . . .

The devotees listened to the songs in deep silence. After a few moments Sri Ramakrishna said, “I have a slight cold; so I couldn’t sing well.”

Gradually it became dusk. The shadow of evening fell on Calcutta. For the moment the noise of the busy metropolis was stilled. Gongs and conch-shells proclaimed the evening worship in many Hindu homes. Devotees of God set aside their worldly duties and turned 802their minds to prayer and meditation. This joining of day and night, this mystic twilight, always created an ecstatic mood in the Master.

Master’s prayer

The devotees seated in the room looked at Sri Ramakrishna as he began to chant the sweet name of the Divine Mother. After the chanting he began to pray. What was the need of prayer to a soul in constant communion with God? Did he not rather want to teach erring mortals how to pray? Addressing the Divine Mother, he said, “O Mother, I throw myself on Thy mercy; I take shelter at Thy Hallowed Feet. I do not want bodily comforts; I do not crave name and fame; I do not seek the eight occult powers. Be gracious and grant that I may have pure love for Thee, a love unsmitten by desire, untainted by any selfish ends-a love craved by the devotee for the sake of love alone. And grant me the favour, O mother, that I may not be deluded by Thy world-bewitching māyā, that I may never be attached to the world, to ‘woman and gold’, conjured up by Thy inscrutable māyā! O mother, there is no one but thee whom I may call my own. Mother, I do not know how to worship; I am without austerity; I have neither devotion nor knowledge. Be gracious, Mother, and out of Thy infinite mercy grant me love for Thy Lotus Feet.” Every word of this prayer, uttered from the depths of his soul, stirred the minds of the devotees. The melody of his voice and the childlike simplicity of his face touched their hearts very deeply.

Girish invited the Master to his house, saying that he must go there that very night.

MASTER: “Don’t you think it will be late?”

GIRISH: “No, sir. You may return any time you like. I shall have to go to the theatre tonight to settle a quarrel there.”

It was nine o’clock in the evening when the Master was ready to start for Girish’s house.

Since Balarām had prepared supper for him, Sri Ramakrishna said to Balarām: “Please send the food you have prepared for me to Girish’s, I shall enjoy it there.” He did not want to hurt Balarām’s feelings.

As the Master was coming down from the second floor of Balarām’s house, he became filled with divine ecstasy. He looked as if he were drunk. Narayan and M. were by his side; a little behind came Ram, Chuni, and the other devotees. No sooner did he reach the ground floor than he became totally overwhelmed. Narayan came forward to hold him by the hand lest he should miss his footing and fall. The Master expressed annoyance at this. A few minutes later he said to Narayan affectionately: “If you hold me by the hand people may think I am drunk. I shall walk by myself.”

Girish’s house was not far away. The Master passed the crossing at Bosepara Lane.

Suddenly he began to walk faster. The devotees were left behind. Presently Narendra was seen coming from a distance. At other times the Master’s joy would have been unbounded at the thought of Narendra or at the mere mention of his name; but now he did not even exchange a word with his beloved disciple.

As the Master and the devotees entered the lane where Girish lived, he was able to utter words.

He said to Narendra: “Are you quite well, my child? I could not talk to you then.” Every word the Master spoke was full of infinite tenderness. He had not yet reached the door of Girish’s house, when suddenly he stopped and said, looking at Narendra: “I want to tell you something.‘This’ is one and ’that’ is another.” Who could know what was passing through his innermost soul at that moment?