Signs of God-realization

(To Captain) “When a man attains the Knowledge of Brahman he shows certain characteristics. The Bhagavata describes four of them: the state of a child, of an inert thing, of a madman, and of a ghoul.

Sometimes the knower of Brahman acts like a five-year-old child. Sometimes he acts like a madman. Sometimes he remains like an inert thing. In this state he cannot work; he renounces all action. You may say that jnanis like Janaka were active. The truth is that people in olden times gave responsibility to their subordinate officers and thus freed themselves from worry. Further, at that time men possessed intense faith.”

Sri Ramakrishna began to speak about the renunciation of action. But he also said that those who felt they must do their duties should do them in a detached spirit.

MASTER: “After attaining Knowledge one cannot do much work.”

TRAILOKYA: “Why so, sir? Pavahari Baba was a great yogi and yet he reconciled people’s quarrels, even lawsuits.”

MASTER: “Yes, yes. That’s true. Dr. Durgacharan was a great drunkard. He used to drink 24 hours a day.

But he was precise in his actions; he did not make any mistake in treating his patients. There is no harm in doing work after the attainment of bhakti. But it is very hard. One needs intense tapasya .

“It is God who does everything. We are His instruments. Some Sikhs said to me in front of the Kāli temple, ‘God is compassionate.’ I said, ’to whom is He compassionate?’ ‘Why, revered sir, to all of us’, said the Sikhs. I said: ‘We are His children. Does compassion to one’s own children mean much? A father must look after his children; or do you expect the people of the neighbourhood to bring them up?’ Well, won’t those who say that God is compassionate ever understand that we are God’s children and not someone else’s?”

CAPTAIN: “You are right. They don’t regard God as their own.”

MASTER: “Should we not, then, address God as compassionate? Of course we should, as long as we practise sādhanā . After realizing God, one rightly feels that God is our Father or Mother. As long as we have not realized God, we feel that we are far away from Him, children of someone else.

“During the stage of sādhanā one should describe God by all His attributes. One day Hazra said to Narendra: ‘God is Infinity. Infinite is His, splendour. Do you think He will accept your offerings of sweets and bananas or listen to your music? This is a mistaken notion of yours.’

Narendra at once sank ten fathoms.

So I said to Hazra, ‘you villain! Where will these youngsters be if you talk to them like that?’ How can a man live if he gives up devotion? No doubt God has infinite splendour; yet He is under the control of His devotees. A rich man’s gate-keeper comes to the parlour where his master is seated with his friends. He stands on one side of the room. In his hand he has something covered with a cloth. He is very hesitant. The master asks him, ‘Well, gate-keeper, what have you in your hand?’ Very hesitantly the servant takes out a custard-apple from under the cover, places it in front of his master, and says, ‘Sir, it is my desire that you should eat this.’

The Master is impressed by his servant’s devotion with great love he takes the fruit in his hand and says: ‘Ah! This is a very nice custard-apple. Where did you pick it? You must have taken a great deal of trouble to get it.’ “God is under the control of His devotees. King Duryodhana was very attentive to Krishna and said to Him, ‘Please have your meal here.’ But the Lord went to Vidura’s hut. He is very fond of His devotees. He ate Vidura’s simple rice and greens as if they were celestial food.

“Sometimes a perfect Jnāni behaves like a ghoul. He does not discriminate about food and drink, holiness and unholiness. A perfect knower of God and a perfect idiot have the same outer signs. A perfect Jnāni perhaps does not utter the mantras while bathing in the Ganges. While worshipping, God, perhaps he offers all the flowers together at His feet. He doesn’t utter the mantras, nor does he observe the rituals.

“A man cannot renounce action as long as he desires worldly enjoyment. As long as one cherishes a desire for enjoyment, one performs action.

“A bird sat absent-mindedly on the mast of a ship anchored in the Ganges. Slowly the ship sailed out into the ocean. When the bird came to its senses, it could find no shore in any direction. It flew toward the north hoping to reach land; it went very far and grew very tired but could find no shore. What could it do? It returned to the ship and sat on the mast. After a long while the bird flew away again, this time toward the east. It couldn’t find land in that direction either; everywhere it saw nothing but limitless ocean. Very tired, it again returned to the ship and sat on the mast. After resting a long while, the bird went toward the south and toward the west. When it found no sign of land in any direction, it came back and settled down on the mast. It did not leave the mast again, but sat there without making any further effort. It no longer felt restless or worried. Because it was free from worry, it made no further effort.”

CAPTAIN: “Ah, what an illustration!”

Man’s peace in God

MASTER: “Worldly people wander about to the four quarters of the earth for the sake of happiness. They don’t find it anywhere; they only become tired and weary. When through their attachment to ‘woman and gold’ they only suffer misery, they feel an urge toward dispassion and renunciation. Most people cannot renounce ‘woman and gold’ without first enjoying it.

There are two sorts of people: those who stay in one place and those who go about to many places. There are some sadhakas who visit many sacred places. They cannot settle down in one spot; they must drink the water of many holy places. Thus roaming about, they satisfy their unfulfilled desires. And at last they build a hut in one place and settle down there. Then, free from worry and effort, they meditate on God.

“But what is there to enjoy in the world? ‘Woman and gold’? That is only a momentary pleasure. One moment it exists and the next moment it disappears. '

Sincere yearning enables one to realize God

“The world is like an overcast sky that steadily pours down rain: the face of the sun is seldom seen. There is mostly suffering in the world. On account of the cloud of ‘woman and gold’ one cannot see the sun. Some people ask me: ‘Sir, why has God created such a world?

Is there no way out for us?’ I say to them: ‘why shouldn’t there be a way out? Take shelter with God and pray to Him with a yearning heart for a favourable wind, that you may have things in your favour. If you call on Him with yearning, He will surely listen to you.’

“A man had a son who was on the point of death. In frenzy he asked remedies of different people. One of them said:’ ‘Here is a remedy: First it must rain when the star Svati is in the ascendant; then some of the rain must fall into a skull; then a frog must come there to drink the water, and a snake must chase it; and when the snake is about to bite the frog, the frog must hop away and the poison must fall into the skull. You should give the patient a little of the poison and rain-water from the skull.’ The father set out eagerly to find the medicine when the star Svati was in the sky. It started raining. Fervently he said to God, ‘O Lord, please get a skull for me.’ Searching here and there, he at last found a skull with rain-water in it.

Again he prayed to God, saying, ‘O Lord, I beseech Thee, please help me find the frog and the snake.’ Since he had great longing, he got the frog and the snake also. In the twinkling of an eye he saw a snake chasing a frog, and as it was about to bite the frog, its poison fell into the skull.

“If one takes shelter with God and prays to Him with great longing, God will surely listen; He will certainly make everything favourable.”

CAPTAIN: “What an apt illustration!”

MASTER: “Yes, God makes everything favourable. Perhaps the aspirant Doesn’t marry.

Thus he is able to devote his whole attention to God. Or perhaps his brothers earn the family’s livelihood. Or perhaps a son takes on the responsibilities of the family. Then the aspirant will not have to bother about the world; he can give one hundred per cent of his mind to God.

But one cannot succeed unless one renounces ‘woman and gold’. Only by renunciation is ignorance destroyed. The sun’s rays, falling on a lens, burn many objects. But if a room is dark inside, you cannot get that result: ‘you must come out of the room to use the lens.

But some people live in the world even after attaining jnāna. They see both what is inside and what is outside the room. The light of God illumines the world. Therefore with that light they can discriminate between good and bad, permanent and impermanent. The ignorant, who lead a worldly life without knowing God, are like people living in a house with mud walls.

With the help of a dim light they can see the inside of the house but nothing more. But those who live in the world after having attained Knowledge and realized God, are like people living in a glass house. They see the inside of the room and also all that is outside. The light from the sun of Knowledge enters strongly into the room. They perceive everything inside the room very clearly. They know what is good and what is bad, what is permanent and what is impermanent.

God alone is the Doer, and we are all His instruments. Therefore it is impossible even for a Jnāni to be egotistic. The writer of a hymn to Śiva felt proud of his achievement; but his pride was dashed to pieces when Śiva’s bull bared his teeth. He saw that each tooth was a word of the hymn. Do you understand the meaning of this? These words had existed from the beginning less past. The writer had only discovered them.

“It is not good to be a guru by profession. One cannot be a teacher without a command from God. He who says he is a guru is a man of mean intelligence. Haven’t you seen a balance? The lighter side goes higher. He who is spiritually higher than others does not consider himself a guru. Everyone wants to be a teacher, but a disciple is hard to find.”

Trailokya was seated on the floor, to the north of the small couch. He was going to sing. Sri Ramakrishna said to him, “Ah, how sweetly you sing!”

Trailokya sang to the accompaniment of a Tānpura:

I have joined my heart to Thee: all that exists art Thou; Thee only have I found, for Thou art all that exists. O Lord, Beloved of my heart! Thou art the Home of all; Where indeed is the heart in which Thou dost not dwell?

Thou hast entered every heart: all that exists art Thou.

Whether sage or fool, whether Hindu or Mussalman, Thou makest them as Thou wilt: all that exists art Thou. Thy presence is everywhere, whether in heaven or in Kaaba; Before Thee all must bow, for Thou art all that exists.

From earth below to the highest heaven, from heaven to deepest earth,

I see Thee wherever I look: all that exists art Thou.

Pondering, I have understood; I have seen it beyond a doubt;

I find not a single thing that may be compared to Thee. To Jafar it has been revealed that Thou art all that exists.

He sang again:

Thou art my All in All, O lord! the Life of my life, the Essence of essence;

In the three worlds I have none else but Thee to call my own.

Thou art my peace, my joy, my hope; Thou my support, my wealth, my glory; Thou art my wisdom and my strength. Thou art my home, my place of rest; my dearest friend, my next of kin; My present and my future, Thou; my heaven and my salvation. Thou art my scriptures, my commandments; Thou art my ever gracious Guru; Thou the Spring of my boundless bliss. Thou art the Way, and Thou the Goal; Thou the Adorable One, O Lord! Thou art the Mother tender-hearted; Thou the chastising Father; Thou the Creator and Protector; Thou the Helmsman who dost steer My craft across the sea of life.

While Sri Ramakrishna listened to the songs he was overwhelmed with emotion. Again and again he said: “Ah, Thou art all! Ah me! Ah me!”

“The music was over. It was six o’clock in the evening. Sri Ramakrishna went to the pine-grove, M. accompanying him. Sri Ramakrishna was laughing and talking.

Suddenly he said to M.: “Why haven’t you eaten any refreshments? Why haven’t the others eaten either?” He was eager for the devotees to take some refreshments.

Sri Ramakrishna was to go to Calcutta in the evening. While returning from the pine-grove he said to M., “I don’t know who will take me to Calcutta in his carriage.”

It was evening. A lamp was lighted in Sri Ramakrishna’s room and incense was burnt.

Lamps also were lighted in the different temples and buildings. The orchestra was playing in the Nahabat. Soon the evening service would begin in the temples.

Sri Ramakrishna sat on the small couch. After chanting the names of the different deities, he meditated on the Divine Mother. The evening service was over.

Sri Ramakrishna paced the room, now and then talking to the devotees. He also consulted M. about his going to Calcutta.

Presently Narendra arrived. He was accompanied by Sarat and one or two other young devotees. They all saluted the Master.

At the sight of Narendra Sri Ramakrishna’s love overflowed. He tenderly touched Narendra’s chin as one touches a baby’s to show one’s love. He said in a loving voice, “Ah, you have come!”

The Master was standing in his room, facing the Ganges. Narendra and his young friends were talking to him, facing the east. The Master turned toward M. and said:

“Narendra has come. How can I go to Calcutta now? I sent for Narendra. How can I go now? What do you think?”

M: “As you wish, sir. Let us put it off today.”

MASTER: “All right. We shall go tomorrow, either by boat or by carriage. (To the other devotees) It is late. Go home now.”

One by one the devotees saluted him and departed.