Guilelessness of the young devotees

The younger Naren was absorbed in meditation. He sat like a stump. Pointing him out to the doctor, Sri Ramakrishna said, “A very pure soul, unstained by the slightest touch of worldliness.

MANOMOHAN (to the doctor): “He (pointing to the Master) says of your son, ‘I don’t care for the father if I have the son.’ "

DOCTOR: “Ah, you see! That is why I say that you forget everything else when you have the ‘Son’.”

MASTER (smiling): “I don’t say that I do not want the Father.”

DOCTOR: “Yes, I understand you. How can you save your face unless you say a few things like that?”

MASTER: “Your boy is quite guileless. One day Sambhu’s face became red as he said, ‘God will surely listen to a man’s prayer if he prays to Him with sincerity.’“Why am so fond of the boys? They are like unadulterated milk: only a little boiling is needed.

Moreover It can be offered to the Deity. But milk adulterated with water needs much boiling. It consumes a large quantity of fuel.

“The boys are like fresh earthen pots, good vessels in which one can keep milk without any worry. Spiritual instruction arouses their inner consciousness without delay. But it is not so with the worldly-minded. One is afraid to keep milk in a pot that has been used for curd. The milk may turn sour.

“Your boy is still free from worldliness, untouched by ‘woman and gold’.”

DOCTOR: “That is because he is living on his father’s earnings. I should love to see how free he would keep himself from worldliness if he had to earn his own livelihood.”

MASTER: “Yes, yes. That is true. But God is far, far away from the worldly-minded. For those who have renounced the world He is in the palm of the hand.

(To Dr. Sarkar and Dr. Dukari) “But renunciation of ‘woman and gold’ is not meant for you. You may renounce these mentally. That is why I said to the goswamis: ‘Why do you speak of renunciation?’ That will not do for you. You have to attend the daily worship of Syamasundar.’

Hard rules for sannyāsis

“Total renunciation is for sannyāsis. They must not look even at the picture of a woman. To them a woman is poison. They must keep themselves at least ten cubits away from her; and if that is not possible, at least one cubit. And they must not talk much with a woman, no matter how devout she may be. Further, they should choose their dwelling at a place where they will never, or scarcely ever, see the face of a woman.

“Money, too, is like poison to a sannyāsi. If he keeps money with him, he has worries, pride, anger, and the desire for physical comforts. Money inflames his rajas, which brings tamas in its train. Therefore a sannyāsi must not touch ‘gold’. ‘Woman and gold’ makes him forget God.

“For householders money is a means of getting food, clothes, and a dwelling place, worshipping the Deity, and serving holy men and devotees.

“It is useless to try to hoard money. With great labour the bees build a hive; but a man breaks it and takes the honey away.”

DOCTOR: “Whom shall we hoard for?- For a wicked son, perhaps.”

MASTER: “It is not a wicked son alone. Perhaps the wife is unchaste. She may have a secret lover. Perhaps she will give him your watch and chain!“You should not renounce woman, completly. It is not harmful for a householder to live with his wife. But after the birth of one or two children, husband and wife should live as brother and sister.

“Woman and gold”

“It is attachment to ‘woman and gold’ that begets pride of learning, pride of money, and pride of social position.

“One cannot attain divine knowledge till one gets rid of pride. Water does not stay on the top of a mound; but into low land it flows in torrents from all sides.”

DOCTOR: “But the water that flows into the low land from all sides contains good water and bad water, muddy water and ditch-water. Again, there are hollows on mountain-tops as well, as at Nainital and Manasoravar. These contain only Pure water from the sky.”

MASTER; “Only pure water from the sky-that is good!”

DOCTOR: “Further, from an elevated place the water can be distributed on all sides.”

MASTER (smiling): “A certain man came to possess a siddha mantra. He then went to the top of a hill and cried aloud. ‘Repeat this mantra and you will realize God.’”

DOCTOR: “Yes.”

MASTER: “But you must remember one thing. When his soul feels restless for God, a man forgets the difference between good water and ditch-water. In order to know God, he sometimes goes to good men, sometimes to imperfect men. Dirty water cannot injure an aspirant if God’s grace descends on him. When God grants him Knowledge, He reveals to the aspirant what is good and what is bad.

“There may be hollows on the top of a hill, but they cannot exist on the hill of the ‘wicked ego’. Only if it is an ’ego of Knowledge’ or an ’ego of bhakti’, does the pure water from the sky collect there.

“It is true that the water from a hill-top may flow in all directions, but that is possible only from the hill of the ’ego of Knowledge’.

Preaching without God’s command

“One cannot teach men without the command of God. After attaining Knowledge, Sankaracharya retained the ’ego of Knowledge’ in order to teach mankind. But to lecture without realizing God! What good will that do?

“I went to the Nandanbagan Brahmo Samaj. After the worship the preacher gave a lecture from the raised platform. He had written it at home. As he read from the manuscript he looked around. While meditating he opened his eyes from time to time to look at people.Confusion of mere scholars

“The instruction of a man who has not seen God does not produce the right effect. He may say one thing rightly, but he becomes confused about the next.

“Samadhyayi delivered a lecture. He said: ‘God is beyond words and mind; He is dry. Worship Him through the bliss of your love and devotion.’ Just see, he thus described God, whose very nature is Joy and Bliss! What will such a lecture accomplish? Can it teach people anything? Such a lecturer is like the man who said, ‘my uncle’s cow-shed is full of horses.’ Horses in the cow-shed! (All laugh.) From that you can understand that there were no horses at all.”

DOCTOR (smiling): “Nor cows either!”

(All laugh.)

In the mean time the devotees who had been in a rapturous state had regained their normal mood. The doctor was highly pleased with them and asked M. about them. M. introduced to him Paltu, the younger Naren, Bhupati, Sarat, Śaśi, and the other youngsters. About Śaśi, M. said, “He is going to appear for the B.A. examination.” The doctor was a little inattentive.

MASTER (to the doctor): “Look here! Listen to what he is saying.” The doctor heard from M. about Śaśi.

MASTER (to the doctor, pointing to M.): “He instructs the school-boys.”

DOCTOR: “So I have heard.”

MASTER: “I am unlettered and yet educated people come here. How amazing! You must admit that it is the play of God.”

It was nine o’clock in the evening. The doctor had been sitting there since six o’clock, watching all these things.

GIRISH (to the doctor): “Well, sir, does it ever happen to you that, though you do not intend to come here, you are drawn as if by a subtle force? I feel that way; that is why I am asking you.”

DOCTOR: “I don’t know whether I feel that. But the heart alone knows the promptings of the heart. (To Sri Ramakrishna) Besides, there isn’t much use in speaking about it.”