In The Company Of Devotees At Syampukur

Thursday, October 29, 1885

M. and Dr. Sarkar

IT WAS ABOUT TEN O’CLOCK in the morning when M. arrived at Dr. Sarkar’s house in Sankharitola, Calcutta, to report Sri Ramakrishna’s condition. M. and Dr. Sarkar became engaged in conversation.

DOCTOR: “You see, Dr. Behari Bhaduri always harps on the same thing. He says that Goethe’s spirit came out of his body and that Goethe himself saw it. It must have been very amazing.”

The aim of human life

M: “As Sri Ramakrishna says, what shall we gain from these discussions? We have been born in this world in order to cultivate devotion to the Lotus Feet of God. He tells us the story of a man who entered an orchard to eat mangoes.

But instead of eating the fruit, he took out pencil and paper and began to jot down the number of trees, branches, and leaves in the orchard.

A servant saw him and asked: ‘What are you doing? Why have you come here?’ The man said: ‘I have come here to eat mangoes. I am now counting the trees, branches, and leaves in the orchard.’ Thereupon the servant replied: ‘If you have come here to eat mangoes, then enjoy them. What will you gain by counting the trees, branches, and leaves?’ "

DOCTOR: “I see that the Paramahamsa has been able to extract the essence.”

Then Dr. Sarkar told M. many stories about his homeopathic hospital.

He showed M. the list of the patients who visited the hospital every day. He said that at the beginning many medical practitioners had discouraged him about homeopathy and had even written against him in magazines.

M. and Dr. Sarkar got into the doctor’s carriage. The doctor visited many patients.

He entered a house of the Tagore family at Pathuriaghata and was detained there by the head of the family. Returning to the carriage, he began to talk to M.

DOCTOR: “I was talking to that gentleman about the Paramahamsa. We also talked about Theosophy and Colonel Olcott. The Paramahamsa is angry with the gentleman. Do you know why? Because he says he knows everything.”

M: “No, why should the Master be angry? I heard that they once met each other.

Paramahamsadeva was talking about God. The gentleman said, ‘Oh, yes! I know all that!’

DOCTOR: “He has donated thirty-two thousand five hundred rupees to the Science Association.“They drove on, talking about Sri Ramakrishna’s illness and the care that should be taken of him.

DOCTOR: “Do you intend to send him back to Dakshineswar?”

M: “No, sir. That would greatly inconvenience the devotees. They can always visit him if he is in Calcutta.”

DOCTOR: “But it is very expensive here.”

M: “The devotees don’t mind that. All they want is to be able to serve him. As regards the expense, it must be borne whether he lives in Calcutta or at Dakshineswar. But if he goes back to Dakshineswar, the devotees won’t always be able to visit him, and that will cause them great worry.”

Dr. Bhaduri and Dr. Sarkar

Dr. Sarkar and M. arrived at Syampukur and found the Master sitting with the devotees in his room. Dr. Bhaduri also was there.

Dr. Sarkar examined the Master’s pulse and inquired about his condition. The conversation turned to God.

DR. BHADURI: “Shall I tell you the truth? All this is unreal, like a dream.”

Is the world a delusion?

DR. SARKAR: “Is everything delusion? Then whose is this delusion? And why this delusion? If all know it to be delusion, then why do they talk? I cannot believe that God is real and His creation unreal”

MASTER: “That is a good attitude. It is good to look on God as the Master and oneself as His servant. As long as a man feels the body to be real, as long as he is conscious of ‘I’ and ‘you’, it is good to keep the relationship of master and servant; it is not good to cherish the idea of ‘I am He’.

“Let me tell you something else. You see the same room whether you look at it from one side or from the middle of the room.”

DR. BHADURI (to Dr. Sarkar): “What I have just said you will find in the Vedānta. You must study the scriptures. Then you will understand.”

DR. SARKAR: “Why so? Has he [meaning the Master] acquired all this wisdom by studying the scriptures? He too supports my view. Can’t one be wise without reading the scriptures?”

MASTER: “But how many scriptures I have heard!“DR. SARKAR: “A man may mistake the meaning if he only hears. In your case it is not mere hearing.”

MASTER (to Dr. Sarkar): “I understand that you spoke of me as insane. That is why they (pointing to M. and the others) don’t want to go to you.”

DR. SARKAR (looking at M.): “Why Should I call you [meaning the Master] insane? But I mentioned your egotism. Why do you allow people to take the dust of your feet?”

M: “Otherwise they weep.”

DR. SARKAR: “That is their mistake. They should be told about it.”

M: “Why should you object to their taking the dust of his feet? Doesn’t God dwell in all beings?”

DR. SARKAR: “I don’t object to that. Then you must take the dust of everyone’s feet.”

M: “But there is a greater manifestation of God in some men than in others. There is water everywhere; but you see more of it in a lake, a river, or an ocean. Will you show the same respect to a new Bachelor of Science as you do to Faraday?”

DR. SARKAR: “I agree with that. But why do you call him God?”

M: “Why do we salute each other? It is because God dwells in everybody’s heart. You haven’t given much thought to this subject.”

MASTER (to Dr. Sarkar): “I have already told you that some people reveal more of God than others. Earth reflects the sun’s rays in one way, a tree in another way, and a mirror in still another way. You see a better reflection in a mirror than in other objects. Don’t you see that these devotees here are not on the same level with Prahlada and others of his kind? Prahlada’s whole heart and soul were dedicated to God.”

Dr. Sarkar did not reply. All were silent.

MASTER (to Dr. Sarkar): “You see, you have love for this [meaning himself]. You told me that you loved me.”

DR. SARKAR: “You are a child of nature. That is why I tell you all this. It hurts me to see people salute you by touching your feet. I say to myself, ‘They are spoiling such a good man.’ Keshab Sen, too, was spoiled that way by his devotees. Listen to me-”