Ramakrishna 2

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    Song

    Meditate upon Hari, O my mind! He is the essence of consciousness. He is free from all impurity!

    Without equal is His glory, beautiful is His shape, how very beloved is He in the hearts of His

    devotees!

    Behold, His beauty is enhanced by fresh manifestations of love! t casts into shadow the effulgence of a

    million moons!erily, lightning flashes out of His glorious beauty! His blessed vision causes the hair to stand on end.

    Worship His holy feet in the lotus of your heart. "a#e upon the matchless beauty of that beloved form.

    $ow that the mind en%oys peace and the eyes are filled with love, be immersed in divine love. nspired

    with your devotion, remain merged in the %oy of love.

    Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Absolute Truth, Absolute Good and Absolute Beauty are one)manifests

    tself in the temple of the heart.

    When shall my mind remain immersed night and day in the sea of this Beauty& 'When shall that daycome, O (ord, dispenser of the destiny of the lowly&)

    When, O (ord, will *nowledge divine grow in my heart, and this restless mind become dumbfounded

    and ta*e shelter at +our feet&

    ust as the cha*ora, on seeing the moon, begins to frolic with %oy,

    n the same manner, bliss-li*e embodied nectar will rise in the firmament of my heart and , too, O(ord, will become intoicated in +our light.

    When, O friend of my soul, will this mind rest at the holy feet of the /ing of *ings&

    0t 1hy matchless feet of peace and 0bsolute good, the end of my life will be reali#ed!

    0nd when shall be worthy of the delight of paradise in this very body, in this very life&

    O (ord, seeing +our pure and sinless form, seeing +our radiance, the dar*ness of sin is dispelled li*edar*ness by light.

    O the friend of the lowly, pray light in my heart a burning faith li*e the polestar and fulfill my desire.

    When shall that day come when, constantly loo*ing on Him, my mind shall dive deep in the sea of that

    2ivine Beauty&

    Having attained +ou, will remain merged night and day in the %oy of love and forget myself.

    But when will such a day dawn&

    3epeat the sweet name of the (ord with %oy and gladness!

    Waves will rise on the sea of the nectar of His name. 2rin* it ceaselessly and give it to others.

    When your mind goes dry, falling into illusory things of the world, sing His name and glory and fill itwith the nectar of love.

    1a*e care lest you forget that great mantra. 4all upon the all-compassionate 5ather in adversity.

    4ome, shouting, 6ictory to Brahman, victory to Brahman,7 and brea* the bonds of sin.

    Becoming a practitioner of the yoga of love, become intoicated with the %oy of Brahman and attain

    your goal.

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    Song

    1he full moon of divine love rises on the firmament of divine wisdom.

    1he ocean of love overflows8 O how full of %oy is the (ord!

    'ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! ictory! ictory!)

    n all the four directions the planets of devotees twin*le.

    1he (ord, the friend of the devotees, is %oyfully enacting His lila '2ivine sport) with them.

    'ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! ictory! ictory!)

    Behold, the gate of heaven is wide open and the vernal, %oyful bree#e of new dispensation arises,

    4arrying the fragrance of divine love all around. t ma*es yogis drun* with the %oy of communion.

    'ictory unto 1hee, merciful (ord! ictory! ictory!)

    On the sea of the universe is the lotus of the new dispensation, upon which is seated in Her ma%esty the2ivine Mother, the embodiment of all %oy!

    1he devotees, li*e a swarm of bees, drin* its nectar with great fervour!

    Behold the gracious countenance of the Mother! Behold, it delights the heart, it fascinates the universe!

    5alling at Her feet are bands of holy men, singing and dancing, drun* with %oy.

    What beauty unparalleled! 1he blessed vision restores life to the dying soul.

    9remdas, holding the feet of all devotees, says, :;ing, O brothers. ;ing, 6ictory to the Mother.7

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    Sri Ramakrishna's instructions to become absorbed in God

    On wa*ing up in the morning, the devotees see ;ri 3ama*rishna, na*ed li*e a child, pacing up and

    down, chanting the names of the various gods. ;ometimes he ga#es at the "anges, sometimes he goes

    to the pictures of the gods hanging on the wall and offers his obeisance, and sometimes he sings hymnsin a very sweet voice.

    At times he says, Thou art the Veda, the Purana, the Tantra, the Gita, the Gayatri, the Bhagavata,

    the bhakta and Bhagavan.

    !e"erring to the Gita, he says again and again, Tagi (!enoun#er), tagi, tagi, tagi.

    And sometimes he says, Thou art Brahman, Thou art Shakti ($ivine Po%er)& Thou art Purusha

    (The Sel", the Absolute, S'irit. Pure ons#iousness, the %itness o" the #hanges o" Prakriti)& Thou art

    Prakriti (Primordial ature, #om'osed o" the gunas, the material o" the universe o" mind and

    matter)& Thou art virat (Personi"ied vastness)& Thou art svarata (*ne %ho is sel"+illumined and

    illumines others)& Thou art itya (the Absolute)& Thine is the %hole lila& Thou art the t%enty+"our

    #osmi# 'rin#i'les.

    Sri Ramakrishna (to Narendra and others) Bhakti, or love of God, is the essence. hen !ou

    develo" love for #im, discrimination and dis"assion come b! themselves.$arendra = Well, the 1antra tal*s of sadhana in the company of women.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = t is not a good path. t is very difficult and often brings about the downfall of theaspirant. ;piritual disciplines can be practiced with the attitude of a hero, a maidservant, or even the

    attitude of a mother to a child. have the attitude of a child to his mother. 1he attitude of a maidservant

    is also good. 1he path of sadhana with the attitude of a hero is very difficult. 1he attitude of a child is

    very pure.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna says, :$othing is impossible for "od. $obody can describe His real nature. 0ll is

    possible for Him. on the other, he engaged himself in worldly wor*.

    &he com"an! of hol! men is ala!s essential. #ol! men bring !ou in contact ith the *ord.1

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 2id you have any conversation with Bhas*arananda&

    Manilal = +es sir, we tal*ed for a long time. 0mong other things we discussed vice and virtue. Hesaid8 2on7t tread the path of sin. 2on7t even thin* of evil. 1his is what the (ord requires of you.

    9erform only actions which bring you merit.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = +es, that is true as far as worldly people are concerned.

    But it is different for those who are illumined, who have reali#ed that the (ord is the only reality and all

    else is unreal and ephemeral. 1hey *now that the (ord alone does everything and that we are all non-doers.

    1hey who are illumined never ta*e a wrong step, they don7t have to calculate before eschewing sin.

    1hey have so much love for the (ord that all their actions are eemplary.

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    But they *now that they are not the doers of their actions, they *now that they are only the servants of

    the (ord ? that they are only the machines while the (ord is the operator of the machine. 1hey *now

    that what they are doing is by His will, that what they spea* is what He ma*es them spea*, that they

    move the way He ma*es them move.

    &he! ho are illumined have gone be!ond vice and virtue. he! see that the *ord is indeed

    doing ever!thing.1

    Sri Ramakrishna and Brahmo devotees in /akshinesar 0 the essence of "rema (ecstatic love)

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the Brahmo devotees and others) = +ou people tal* so much of prema. But is it

    such an ordinary thing& 1here are two characteristics of ecstatic love. One is to forget the world, tobecome unaware of everything eternal in the love of "od.

    1he second characteristic is to have no attachment to the body one holds so dear. 1he conviction of the

    body as the self fully disappears.

    +ou cannot have prema till you have seen the (ord. 1here are some mar*s of "od-reali#ation. Whenthe splendour of love manifests within, "od-reali#ation is not far away.

    &hat does the s"lendour of love mean4 /iscrimination, dis"assion, com"assion, service to the

    hol!, com"an! of the hol!, chanting the name and glories of the *ord, truthfulness 0 all these.

    hen one comes across these signs of love, one can kno that the vision of God is not far aa!.1

    0 2evotee = ;ir, does one have to reason before being able to control the senses&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1hat is a path ? the path of discrimination. f you ta*e to the 'ath o" devotion

    (Bhakti), the inner senses get controlled automatically. 0nd it is easier. 1he more you develop love for

    the (ord, the less you care for the pleasures of the senses.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = By repeating His name you rid yourself of all your sins. (ust, anger, desire for

    creature comforts and the rest all disappear.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 9ray to "od with a longing heart that you may develop a taste for His name. Healways fulfills one7s wishes ... therefore, they tal* of taste for the $ame.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he (ord7s name must be repeated. 4all the (ord by any name8 2urga, /rishna,

    ;hiva or any other. f, while repeating the $ame, your love increases day by day, if you feel %oy, then

    there is no danger. +ou are sure to be cured. His grace is sure to fall on you.

    Sincere bhakti versus artificial bhakti 0 God cares onl! for the mind

    0s the state of your mind, so is your gain.

    1wo friends wal*ing together saw the Bhagavata being recited at a place on the way. One of them said,

    64ome, friend, let7s go and listen to the recitation of the Bhagavata.7 His friend loo*ed in, but shortly

    left for the red light area. He soon felt disgusted with himself and thought, 6;hame on me! While myfriend is listening to the story of (ord Hari, loo* where have brought myself!7 On the other hand, the

    fellow who was listening to the Bhagavata was also feeling regret. He said to himself, 6What a fool

    am! 1his fellow is tal*ing nonsense and sit here listening to it! How my friend must be en%oyinghimself!7

    $ow, when both these men died, he who was listening to the Bhagavata was ta*en away by a

    messenger of death and he who had gone to a prostitute was ta*en to ai*untha 'ishnu7s abode,

    heaven) by a messenger of ishnu.

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    :Bhagavan sees the mind. He doesn7t care who is doing what or where one is. 63anardhana (the all+

    kno%ing God)*nows the innermost thought.7

    While initiating a disciple in the /artabha%a sect, they tell him, 6$ow it is your mind.7 1hat is to say,

    now it all depends on your mind.

    1hey say that he who has the right *ind of mind acts correctly and achieves the right end.

    Because of the powers of his mind, Hanuman could cross the ocean. 6 am a servant of 3ama, repeatHis name, what is impossible for me&7 He had this faith.

    h! cant one see the *ord4 Because of ones egoism

    0s long as one retains one7s -ness, one is ignorant. 0s long as egoism persists, there is no liberation.

    4ows bellow, 6Hamba, hamba7 and goats bleat, 6Mein, mein.7 5or this reason, they have to suffer a lot.

    1he butcher slaughters them and ma*es shoes, drums and hides out of their s*in. 1here is no end totheir suffering. n the Hindi language, hum and mein both mean 67. 1he uttering of mein, mein ', )

    leads to more and more suffering. 0t last, the butcher ma*es strings with the guts of these animals.

    When the carder uses the string in his bow, it produces the sound of tuhun, tuhun. 1hat is to say, 6+ou,you.7

    t is only when one says, 6+ou, +ou,7 that one is saved and there is no more suffering.

    :Oh (ord, you are the 2oer and , a non-doer.< 1his is what constitutes %nana 'spiritual wisdom).

    t is only when you become lowly that you can rise. 1he chata* bird has its nest near the ground, but it

    can soar at high altitudes. 5arming is not possible at high elevations. +ou need low land to farm. Water

    only collects on low land> only there is cultivation possible.

    om"an! of sadhus essential for the householders 0 ho is trul! "oor4

    One should ta*e a little trouble to see* the company of the holy. 0t home one only tal*s of worldlymatters. 1here is always one ailment or the other.

    Money does not ma*e a man great. 0 sign of a wealthy man is light in every room. 1he poor do not

    have money to spend on oil, so they can7t have that many lights. +ou see, one must not *eep this templeof the body in dar*ness8 one must light the lamp of %nana '*nowledge) within.:(ight the lamp of %nana

    in the house and see the face of the Mother Brahmamayi '0ll Blissful Mother of the Cniverse). he will now smo*e his pipe.

    &3ou have to have grit, a firm resolve.

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    God grants fearlessness

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to M.) = ;ome thin* that they will never gain %nana and bha*ti, that they are bound

    souls. But when the "uru7s grace descends on someone, he need not fear.

    0 tigress came into a floc* of goats. When it sprang on its prey, it gave birth to a cub. 1he tigress died,

    but the cub grew up in the floc* of goats. 1he goats ate grass and so did the cub. 1hey bleated, so thecub also began to bleat. 1he cub grew to become a big tiger. One day another tiger happened to come

    into the floc* of goats. t was ama#ed to see a tiger eating grass. t ran toward it and grabbed it in its

    paws. 1he latter began to bleat. 1he wild tiger dragged it to a pond and said, 6(oo* at your face in thiswater. +ou are eactly li*e me. Here is some meat, eat it.7 ;aying so, it forced the meat into the mouth

    of the grass-eating tiger. t at first refused to ta*e it and began to bleat, but having tasted blood, it began

    to eat the meat. 1he wild tiger said, 6Have you understood now& +ou are %ust li*e me. $ow accompany

    me to the forest.7

    &hen the grace of the Guru (God)dans, there is no fear. he Guru makes !ou understand ho

    !ou are, hat !our real nature is.1

    &-f !ou "ractice a little s"iritual disci"lines, the Guru tells !ou ever!thing; /o this no and that

    later. -n time, one begins to understand hat is real and hat is unreal. he *ord is the Realit!

    and the orld illusor!.1

    Manilal 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = 0t what place should meditate during my daily worship&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he heart is a well-*nown place, meditate on "od there. By having faith in Him,

    you can do anything! used to say that would believe only if saw such and such person ? if such and

    such tal*ed to me. 0t that time, whatever used to come to my mind would come to pass. that, in fact, it was %ust superstition. He had read this from a chapter on fallacies. ;o he as*s ;ri

    3ama*rishna ? Well, did it ever happen that the actual event did not tally with what you thought&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = t always tallied. would repeat His name and whatever believed would come to

    pass. '1o Manilal) But do you *now the fact& Cnless you are guileless and generous, you cannot havesincere faith.

    Sri Ramakrishna and elements of !oga; !oga of 9nana and !oga of bhakti

    nana and bha*ti are both paths to "od-reali#ation. n the path of bha*ti, one has to observe more

    religious rules and rites. 1he path of %nana is the path of reasoning, which sometimes ma*es onebecome s*eptical. n the case of a devotee who sincerely see*s Him, even if he becomes s*eptical, he

    does not give up meditation on the (ord.

    &2- am hat, - am the "ure $tman 0 this is the conviction of 9nanis (men of s"iritual isdom).

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    :t doesn7t help %ust to repeat ;oham ' am 1hat). :Besides, everybody is not at the same level. 1here

    are four classes of human beings8 the baddha -ivas (bound ones), the mumukshu (seekers a"terliberation), the mukta (liberated)and the nitya -ivas (ever+"ree).

    t is not that all these people have to ta*e to sadhana 'spiritual practice) ? there are nityasiddhas (ever

    'er"e#t)and sadhanasiddhas ('er"e#ted by sadhana). ;ome people attain the (ord after practicing a

    great deal of sadhana, while others are perfect from their birth

    &he nit!asiddhas, "ractice sadhana later in life. he! have alread! attained the *ord before the

    "ractice of sadhana. -t is like the bottle gourd or the "um"kin hich fruits before it floers. $

    nit!asiddha, even if he is born in a loer famil!, does not become less s"iritual than he as. he

    gram, even if it falls on a dung hea", still s"routs into a gram "lant.1

    &God has granted more "oer to some than to others. -n one there is the light of a single earthen

    lam", hile in another it is a blaing torch. -f one has not realied the *ord, hat does mere

    learning avail one41

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = f you stic* to truth, you can attainBhagavan (Personal God %ith divine

    attributes& the beloved 7ord). 1here is a great difference between a learned man and a sadhu. 1he mind

    of one who is a mere scholar remains attached to 6lust and gold,7 while the mind of a sadhu remains tied

    to the lotus feet of Hari. 1he learned man says one thing and does another.

    (eaving sadhus aside, even those whose minds are fied on the lotus feet of Hari are very different in

    their actions and words. saw a young sadhu belonging to the sect of $ana* in /ashi. He was the same

    age as you. He would call me a premi 'loving) sadhu. His monastery is in /ashi. One day he invited methere. 1he head mon* of the monastery was no different from a housewife. as*ed him, 6What is the

    way&7 He replied, 6Bha*ti according to $arada is en%oined for the age of /ali.7 He was reading a holy

    tet. When he finished it, he said, 6ishnu in water, ishnu on land, ishnu on the hill top> ishnu

    pervades the whole world.7 He ended with8 peace, peace and perfect peace. evolved, it is differentiated into all that is.

    +ou go bac*wards to the ;upreme Being and your personality becomes lost in His personality. +ou

    then retrace your steps. +ou get bac* your ego ("ersonalit!)and come bac* to the point where youstarted only to see that the world and your ego or self were involved in the same ;upreme Being.

    When a person comes down from samadhi, where can he rest his mind& He cannot help see*ing the

    company of devotees endowed with the quality of sattva.

    When a person is a spiritual aspirant, he should give his whole mind to "od, saying, 6$ot this, not this.7

    t is different in the case of a perfected soul. 0fter attaining "od, one reali#es the fact of involution andevolution. When the butter is ta*en out of the buttermil*, one reali#es that the butter is not essentially

    different from the buttermil*, nor the buttermil* essentially different from the butter.

    One has full reali#ation that "od has become everything. Only at some places He manifests Himself ina greater degree than in others. 0fter "od-reali#ation, one sees that "od manifests Himself in all things.However, there is a greater degree of His manifestation in the human being. 0nd He is manifested more

    in devotees endowed with the quality of sattva (8ualities that lead God%ard)? people who have no

    desire at all to en%oy 6lust and gold7.

    When a person comes down from samadhi, where can he rest his mind& He see*s the association ofpure devotees endowed with sattva guna, who have given up the en%oyment of 6lust and gold7.

    Otherwise, with what will he engage himself&

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    He who is Brahman is indeed the 0dyasha*ti. When He is inactive, call Him Brahman, call Him

    9urusha. When He creates, preserves, dissolves and performs such other actions, call Him ;ha*ti,

    call Him 9ra*riti. 9urusha and 9ra*riti. He who isPurusha(ons#iousness 9 the ale as'e#t o" God)

    is indeedPrakriti(0nergy 9 the :emale as'e#t o" God). 1ogether they constitute the anandamaya

    (All+Bliss"ul male as'e#t o" God) andanandamayi (All+Bliss"ul "emale as'e#t o" God).

    He who is aware of manhood is also aware of womanhood. He who *nows the father also *nows the

    mother. One who has a sense of dar*ness also has a sense of light. One who *nows the meaning ofnight also *nows the meaning of day. One who has the feeling of %oy also has the feeling of grief. 2oyou see this& you can dance there. But you must not

    dance on the steps. 0nd he who has climbed up to the roof, no longer needs to renounce what heformerly renounced. 1he roof is made of bric*s, lime and bric* dust> the steps are made of the same

    material.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'laughing) = One can also meditate with eyes open. 0nd it is also possible while

    tal*ing. magine the painful twinge of a toothache! When you have a toothache you attend to all yourduties, but your mind remains attached to the toothache. n similar fashion, you can meditate with your

    eyes open ? and also while tal*ing.Sri Ramakrishna Bhakti is the one thing needed 0 love for the *ord. /o the! (the

    heoso"hists) seek bhakti4 -f so, it is good. -f their ideal is God+realiation, it is good. @ust b!

    believing in the lunar, the solar and the stellar regions, and in great souls, does not mean that one

    is seeking the *ord.

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    Bhakti 3oga and :arma 3oga 0 signs of 9nana

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = t is no use repeating, 6nana, %nana.7 1here are two signs that mar* the attainment

    of spiritual *nowledge.

    One is anuraga, that is, love "or God. +ou may reason and discuss, but if you have no love for the

    (ord, no devotion for Him, it is all futile.

    1he second sign is the awa*ening of the /undalini power. 0s long as the /undalini lies dormant, onedoes not gain %nana. +ou may read boo* after boo* and reason them out but have no restlessness for

    "od. 1hat is not a sign of %nana.

    &hen the :undalini "oer aakens, one e>"eriences bhava (ecstas!), bhakti (/evotion and love

    for God) and "rema (-ntense love for God). his is called Bhakti 3oga.1

    /arma +oga is an etremely difficult path. By practicing /arma +oga, one gains many occult powers ?

    power to perform miracles.

    &B! leisurel! "la!ing the drum at a slo beat, !ou cannot attain much. $ dee" dis"assion

    (vairag!a) is needed. Stretching the !ear to fourteen months is futile./t seems you have no "irm

    determination, no grit. 6ou are like "lattened ri#e soaked in milk. Be u' and doing; Gird your loins;

    &hat is h! - dont like the song, 2Aasten th!self to #ari, < Brother. 3ou ill sooner or later

    succeed. - dont like this 2!ou ill sooner or later succeed. - ant dee" dis"assion. Airm

    determination and grit.1

    +ou may be practicing %apa 'repetition of "od7s name) and austerities, but at the bac* of your mind,you have desires for sense en%oyments. 5rom the outlets of desire, everything lea*s out.

    One catches fish with a bamboo trap. Ordinarily bamboo is straight, but when bent to the ground, it acts

    as a fish trap. 2esire for sense en%oyments is the fish, so the mind remains bent toward the world. f

    there is no desire, the mind naturally orients upward, toward the (ord.

    2o you *now how& (i*e the needles of a scale. Because of the weight of 6lust and greed,7 the upper

    needle does not align itself with the lower needle. 1hus one strays from the path of yoga.avent !ou seen the flame of a lam"4 -t flickers b! 9ust a "uff of air. he state of !oga is like

    the flame of a lam" here there is no ind.1

    Our mind is spread out in different directions. +ou have to collect this mind and concentrate it to a

    point. ven if there is a slight obstacle, yoga is not possible. f the telegraph wire is bro*en, howsoeversmall the brea* may be, it will not convey your message. oh, how then +ou laugh and clap +our hands!< ;imilarly, out of a millionpeople, only one or two attain liberation. 0ll the rest remain bound by the Mother7s will.

    +ou see, in large shops big sac*s of rice are placed as high as the roof. Besides rice, lentils are also

    stored there. 1o save them from mice, the shop*eeper puts some sweetened puffed rice in a strawbas*et. 1hey taste sweet and have their own smell, so all the mice busy themselves eating from thebas*et, not *nowing about the big sac*s. ;imilarly, man is enchanted with 6lust and greed7 and does not

    see* the (ord.ed on the *ord.1

    '1o Manomohan) must tell you, though you may ta*e offense. said to 3a*hal, 6 would be more

    pleased to hear that you have plunged yourself into the "anges and have been drowned than to have

    heard that you have been anybody7s servant for the sa*e of money or worldly goods!7

    &ith 2lust and greed ala!s around !ou, ho is it "ossible to realie God4 -t is ver! hard

    indeed to live unattached in their midst. -n the first "lace, one is a slave of ones ife. -n the

    second "lace, one is a slave to mone!. $nd in the third "lace, one is a slave to him hom one

    serves for the sake of his living.1

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    Sri Ramakrishna &God grants fearlessness and encouragement to the householder devotee1

    Mahimacharan sits speechless, holding his peace.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahimacharan) = "o on! "o deeper! +ou will get sandalwood. "o deeper still

    and you will come upon a silver mine! +es, deeper still and you shall come upon a gold mine! Move on

    still further and you shall be placed in the midst of diamonds, rubies and sapphires! +es, go forward!

    Mahimacharan = ;ir, something holds us bac* and *eeps us from moving on.;ri 3ama*rishna 'laughing) = Why& (et the reins be cut asunder by the sword of His holy name! His

    name is capable of cutting in twain the bonds of 2eath.

    /n the lotus o" my heart do / %orshi' God the Absolute %hom 4ari (God, the 'reserver), 4ara

    (God, the destroyer) and VidhiBrahma (God, the #reator) all desire to kno% and u'on %hom yogis

    meditate %ith a vie% to reali?ation. 4e is attributeless, undi""erentiated, destroyer o" the "ear o" birth

    and death, o" the nature o" 01isten#e and 2no%ledge and the 'rimal seed o" the entire universe.

    ahanirvana Tantra, third ullas (#ha'ter)

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahima) = Why do you say that the world is a well or a deep dense forest& 1hese

    epithets are all very good for a beginner. 0way with all fear when you are fastened to "od! 1hen youmay say8

    erily is this world a mansion of %oy.

    (et me pass my days eating, drin*ing and re%oicing.

    ana*a, the royal sage, how great was his power! Was there anything in which he was found wanting ?

    spiritual, or temporal&

    0h, no! He was loyal to both matter and spirit and dran* his cup of mil* at the same time!

    Sri Ramakrishna Aear of hat4 #old him fast? Never mind that it is 2a dee", dense forest

    overgron ith eeds and thorns? Dut on a "air of shoes and alk on in the thorn! forest. $a!

    ith fear? #e ho touches the Grand /ame (the /ivine %other) in the game of hide and seek is

    s"ared from the necessit! of taking an! further "art in this "la!.

    &:ing @anaka ielded to sords; one of 9nana (true knoledge), the other of karma (ork). #e

    ho is an e>"ert in handling these sords has nothing to fear.1

    &hanting of the *ords name ith love is the one thing needed. $ll the rest is of little value.

    Drema and bhakti is the realit!, all else is unreal.1

    Sri Ramakrishna (to %.) - used to cr! to the /ivine %other, 2

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    Song

    f "od is worshipped with devotion, what is the need for asceticism&

    f He is not worshipped, what again is the need for asceticism&

    f the (ord is worshipped within and without, what is the need of asceticism&

    f He is not so reali#ed, asceticism will be of little avail.

    2esist, O my child, desist from the practice of further austerities.

    "o your way at once to ;hiva ? the ocean of divine *nowledge.

    5rom Him you learn how to love the (ord. ;uch love has been spo*en of by the worshippers of Vishnu

    (God the 'reserver)? a love that never fails.

    0 love that, li*e a dagger, cuts asunder the fetters of the world.

    "irish 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = ;ir, what is meant by ekangi 'rema&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = *angi is one-sided love. 5or instance, water doesn7t care for the swan, but the

    swan loves water. Besides e*angi, there are sadharani, saman-asa andsamartha*inds of love.

    ;adharani prema is that in which the lover desires his own happiness irrespective of whether or not itma*es the other person happy.

    0s for saman%asa love, you want to ma*e your counterpart as well as yourself happy. 1his is a superior

    *ind of love.

    But the highest love of all is samartha. t is li*e 3adha7s love. ;he was happy only if /rishna was

    happy. n this *ind of love one feels that the other person must be happy, whether or not oneself ishappy. 1his bhava of the gopis is the highest *ind of love.

    0 2evotee = ;ir, who is an antaranga (intimate dis#i'le)&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 2o you *now how it is& 1here are inner pillars and outer pillars in the natmandir.

    1hey who remain ever close to their master are the intimate disciples.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to Mahimacharan) = 1he %nani neither wants "od with form nor His avatar ($ivine

    in#arnation).

    While wandering in the forest, 3amachandra came across a number of rishis. 1hey received 3ama in

    their ashrama (4ermitage)with great respect. 1hey said, 63ama, our lives are blessed to see you today.

    But we *now you as 2asharatha7s son. Bharadva%a and the other rishis say that you are an avatar. Butwe do not hold this view. We only meditate on that veryAkhanda Sa#h#hidananda (/ndivisible

    01isten#e+2no%ledge+Bliss Absolute).7 3ama was happy and smiled at this.

    an one return from the state of samadhi

    Mahimacharan 'to ;ri 3ama*rishna) = ;ir, can one return to the normal plane from samadhi&

    Sri Ramakrishna (to %ahima) - ill tell !ou hen !ou are alone. 3ou are the onl! one ho

    deserves to kno. &here is a great difference beteen/shvara (the 7ord)and-iva (the embodied

    soul). $ 9iva can at most attain samadhi b! "racticing sadhana (s'iritual dis#i'lines)and bha-an

    (singing o" devotional songs). But hen the *ord incarnates #imself as a human being, #e can

    return to the normal "lane even after samadhi.1

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    1he %iva, you may say, belongs to the class of a *ing7s officer. He can go only to the outer court of the

    *ing7s palace. 1he *ing7s palace is a seven-storied building. His son can move up and down all the

    seven stories> he can also come out of the palace.

    verybody says that no one returns after samadhi. 1hen what about ;han*aracharya, 3amanu%a andother sages& 1hey retained their 6 of *nowledge7 after coming down from samadhi. the same ;pirit animates both you and me).

    1he path of the %nani is one way to attain "od. 1he path of *nowledge combined with devotion isanother way. ;o also is there the path of devotion 'bha*ti). 1he path of nana +oga is as true as the path

    of Bha*ti +oga. One can reach "od through various paths. But as long as one retains the ego, it is

    easier and more straightforward to follow the path of love and devotion.

    1he vi%nani sees that Brahman is immovable and actionless, li*e Mount ;umeru. 1he entire universe ismade of His three gunas ? of sattva, ra%as and tamas ? but He is unattached to them.

    &he vi9nani sees that #e ho isBrahman (God the Absolute)is alsoBhagavan (The Personal

    God). #e ho is be!ond attributes is also the *ord of si> su"ernatural "oers. #is "oers are the

    orld and its living beings, the mind and intellect, love (Bhakti), dis"assion (6airag!a) and divine

    knoledge.1

    %ere learning and book learning are in vain 0 love and devotion for God is the one thing needful

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = Mere learning is of no avail. t is for finding the means for attaining Him and*nowing Him that one reads boo*s. 0 sadhu had a boo* with him. ;omebody as*ed him what it was

    about. 1he sadhu opened it and on every page was written, 6Om, 3ama7. $othing else.

    &hat is the message of the Gita4 hat !ou hear hen !ou sa! the ord ten times. B! re"eating

    it ten times, Gita becomes@tyagi5 (*ne %ho has given u' the %orld "or the sake o" God 9 ri#hes,

    honours, %ork %ith atta#hment, sensual 'leasures et#.). $nd this is hat the Gita teaches; in it the (ord and 0r%una are tal*ing. 1his is what fills my eyes with tears of %oy and love.7

    Sri Ramakrishna h! does the vi9nani "ractice love and devotion to God4 he anser is that

    one cannot get rid of -+ness. hough ones ego disa""ears in the state of samadhi, it rea""ears.

    he ego of an ordinar! man does not leave him.

    &5ven after attaining knoledge, -+ness rea""ears, nobod! knos from here. $ll of mans

    trouble is due to this -+ness. -t is onl! hen he sa!s 23ou, !ou that he is s"ared. 2

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    Song

    O my mind! What are you doing to reali#e that Being& +ou are groping about li*e a mad man in a dar*

    room!

    He can be grasped only through ecstatic love> it is impossible to grasp Him otherwise.

    2o try your best to bring under your control the moon, which is the door*eeper at the house 'the

    Microcosm).n a house are various rooms, among them a vault where the 2ivine treasure is *ept hidden.

    Once the moon is under your control, you may, secretly li*e a thief, wor* your way to the treasure in

    the vault and ma*e it your own.

    But when the moon is beyond your control and it is daybrea*, the treasure in the vault is hidden from

    you.

    "o to the si schools of philosophy. +ou will not find that Being there! $or in the $antras (+eligious#hiloso#hy identified ith the orshi# of Shati for the attainment of the Godhead)or the edas!

    1hat Being is fond of the sweet syrup of love and dwells within as everlasting %oy.

    With a view to that love a great yogi practices, one decade after another, meditation for reunion with

    the Cniversal ;oul.

    Once this love springs up in his @the yogi7sA heart, he draws the ;upreme Being near, much as theloadstone draws the iron.

    he aim of selfless ork is God+realiation

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = Worship, oblations, sacrifices and such edic rites are of no use whatever. When

    you develop love for Him, all these actions of worship are mostly unnecessary. 0s long as there is a

    lac* of bree#e, there is the need of a fan. But if the southern wind blows, the fan may be put aside.

    What need is a fan then&

    0ll the activities you are performing are good. But if you can give up the idea that you are the doer, if

    you can perform these actions in a selfless way, it would be very good. By performing wor* in a

    selfless manner, one gradually develops love and devotion for "od. 0nd by continuing to do wor*without epectation of any reward, one reali#es Him.

    However, the more you develop love and devotion for Him, the less wor* you will have to perform. 0ll

    the wor* you have underta*en is good. 9erforming wor* without any epectation of reward purifies the

    mind and increases your love for "od. t is only by loving Him that you can reali#e Him.

    t is not man who does good to the world, it is "od Himself who does it. He has created the sun and the

    moon> He has given affection to the hearts of parents> He has given compassion to the great> He has

    given devotion to sadhus and devotees. He who wor*s without any selfish desire does good to himself.

    1here is gold buried within your heart, but you do not yet *now it. t is covered by a little mud. Onceyou discover it, all other activities will be lessened.

    &Go forard, ork ithout e>"ectation of an! re%ard (ishkama karma)develo"s love for God

    ithin. hen one attains #im b! #is grace.

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    ill one ala!s have to "erform s"iritual "ractices4

    ;ri 3ama*rishna =1o *now what is inside, a little spiritual practice is needed.

    M = Will one always have to perform spiritual practices&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = $o, in the beginning you must be up and doing, but you don7t have to wor* so hard

    later on. 0s long as there are storms, tempests and rough water, the boat has to be steered along #ig#ag

    routes> so long does the boatman stand and hold the rudder ? but he no longer does so when he is pastthem. When the boat rounds a bend and a favourable wind blows, he can sit down and rela and %ust

    touch the rudder. 1hen he prepares to hoist the sail and sits down for a smo*e. 1here is peace when the

    storm and tempest of 6lust and greed7 pass.

    Mani = ;ir, now understand that. t7s not meditation on a transitory ob%ect. How can a man becomeunconscious by meditating on the real ;elf of eternal 4onsciousness&

    Sri Ramakrishna (ha""il!) hats #is grace. ithout #is grace, ones doubts do not vanish.

    &ithout the vision of the $tman, doubts are not dis"elled.1

    &here is no fear hen #is grace dans. $ son holding his fathers hand can fall don. But if the

    father holds the sons hand, there is no fear. $ll difficulties are resolved if, out of #is grace, #edis"els ones doubts and grants #is vision.1

    &$nd if one continues to call u"on #im ith a heart full of !earning, and continues to "ractice

    s"iritual disci"lines to attain #im, #is grace dans. hen a mother sees her child running

    around restlessl! Eseeking herF, she feels com"assion for it. She ho as hiding herself, no

    comes and reveals herself.1

    Mani is wondering why "od ma*es one run around restlessly. 1ha*ur immediately says, :t is Her will

    that there should be some running around. Only then is there fun. He has created this universe in sport.

    1hat is what Mahamaya is. One must, therefore, ta*e refuge in that Mother, the embodiment of ;ha*ti'9ower). One has been bound in the meshes of maya. By tearing its net, one can have the vision of the

    (ord. in the 9uranas ;at-chit-ananda /rishna, 3am and so on> and in the 1antra,

    He is ;at-chit-ananda ;hiva. ;at-chit-ananda Brahman, ;at-chit-ananda /rishna and ;at-chit-ananda

    ;hiva are one and the same. he could give no reply.

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    0ll elements are finally dissolved into the ether (Akasa& the subtlest o" the "ive elements) . 0t the time

    of creation, ether evolves into mahat (osmi# /ntelligen#e), and from mahat emerges the ego. 1he

    world is created in this order. t is the process of involution and evolution. 1he devotee accepts

    everything. He accepts not only the ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda, but also the phenomenal world and itscreatures.

    1he yogi, however, treads another path. He reaches theSu'reme Atman (Paramatman)but does not

    return. He becomes united with the ;upreme 0tman.

    He who sees the (ord in one limited area only is a man of 6partial wisdom7. He believes that "od doesnot eist beyond that particular thing.

    Sri Ramakrishna $ll doubts vanish hen one sees God. -t is one thing to hear about God and

    7uite another thing to have #is vision. hrough hearing alone, one cannot have one hundred

    "ercent faith. #oever, b! having a direct vision of God, one is holl! convinced. /oubts vanish

    after God+vision leading to renunciation of ork.

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    Song

    have planted the ish&fulfilling tree (al#ataru), the name of Mother /ali, in my heart.

    am waiting to open my heart to -ama (ing of eath)to show him the name of /ali residing there.

    have thrown out thesi/ bad beings (Si/ #assions, namely lust, anger, avarice, delusion, #ride and

    envy)that were dwelling in my body.

    ;ays 3amprasad, am prepared to start my %ourney of life, ta*ing the name of 2urga.

    O my mind, abide by yourself,

    2o not go to any other7s house.

    ;earch within yourself,

    +ou will find there all you see*.

    Bha*ti is better than muti (liberation)

    am not hesitant to grant mu*ti 'liberation)> hesitate to grant pure bha*ti.

    Who wins pure love surpasses all. He is served by all.

    He triumphs over the three worlds.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'to the 9undit) = 4ertainly there are the edas and other scriptures. But unless one

    practices spiritual disciplines and austerities, it is not possible to reali#e "od.

    One cannot see "od in the si systems of philosophy, or in the edas, or the 1antras.

    ven so, one should understand the scriptures and act according to their in%unctions.

    Higher than reading is hearing and higher than hearing is seeing. One internali#es more when one hears

    from the lips of the guru, or from a holy man. 1hen one doesn7t have to thin* about the non-essential

    part of the scriptures.&Seeing is far better than hearing. $ll doubts vanish hen !ou see. he scri"tures talk of so man!

    things. -t is all futile ithout having the direct vision of God, ithout having love and devotion

    for #is lotus feet, ithout "urification of the heart. he almanac forecasts tent! measures of

    rainfall. But s7ueee the almanac and not a single dro" of ater falls out. Not even one dro"

    falls.1

    How long does one have to reason& 1ill one reali#es "od ? till one is a vi%nani.

    How long does one have to reason about the tet of the scriptures& 0s long as one does not have the

    direct reali#ation of "od. How long does the bee hum& 0s long as it does not sit on a flower. When it

    sits on a flower to drin* honey, it doesn7t ma*e any sound.

    1he truth is that one may tal* with others even after "od-reali#ation. But this conversation onlyrevolves around the divine Bliss of "od ? it is li*e a drun*ard crying, 6ictory to /ali.7Besides, even a

    bee hums indistinctly after sipping honey from a flower.

    s 1ha*ur perhaps hinting of his own state by referring to a vi%nani&

    1he %nani reasons, 6$ot this, not this.7 3easoning in this way, he reaches a point of 2ivine Bliss, andthat is Brahman.

    What is the nature of a %nani& He follows the in%unctions of the scriptures.

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    0 %nani does not tal* about spiritual things unless you broach the sub%ect of "od. He will normally as*

    you, 6How are you doing now& s all well in the family&7

    But the vi%nani conducts himself differently. He doesn7t care about anything ? maybe his wearing cloth

    is off, or held under his arm as children will do.

    He who *nows that the (ord eists is a %nani. He who *nows that there is fire in firewood is a man of*nowledge. But the vi%nani is he who ma*es fire with the wood, coo*s his food over it, and eats to his

    fill.

    1he eight "etters (4atred, shame, "ear, lineage, 'ride o" good #ondu#t, se#retiveness, #aste and grie")

    fall off the vi%nani. He only retains the semblance of lust, anger and the rest.

    1he 9undit = 6bhidyate hradayagranthi chidyante sarvasaIayJK.7 1he *nots of the heart are cut and alldoubts vanish.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = +es. 0 ship was sailing on the ocean. ;uddenly all its iron %oints, nails, and screws

    began to fall out. t was passing a mound of magnetic stone, so all the iron began to loosen.

    n this state @of vi%nanaA, passions li*e lust, anger and the rest are burnt up, though the physical bodyremains the same. One loo*s %ust li*e anybody else. But inside one has become hollow and absolutely

    pure.

    Sri Ramakrishna he vi9nani ala!s sees the "resence of God. hat is h! he is in such a

    rela>ed state of mind. #e sees God even ith his e!es o"en. $t times he comes don from the

    Absolute (itya)to the'henomenal %orld (7ila), and at other times he goes u" from the

    "henomenal orld to the $bsolute.

    1he 9undit = don7t understand this concept.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1he %nani reaches the ternal and ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda by discriminating,

    6$ot this, not this.7 He reasons, saying to himself, 6"od is not the embodied being, He is neither theuniverse nor the twenty-four cosmic principles.

    (They are the "ollo%ing, vi?. 9 the "ive gross elements (earth, %ater, "ire, air, s'a#e)& the "ive 'ranas(vital airs) ('rana, udana, samana, vyana, a'ana)& the "ive organs o" sense& the "ive organs o" %ork&

    the mind& the determinative "a#ulty (buddhi)& the ego& #hitta (mind+stu"")).5

    3easoning thus, he reaches the 0bsolute and sees that "od has become everything and dwells in all ?embodied beings, the universe, and the twenty-four cosmic principles.

    1herefore, when you accept the 0bsolute, you have also to accept the phenomenal world. t is a case of

    involution and evolution. One attains this state after having the direct reali#ation of both aspects of

    "od8 9ersonal and mpersonal. 1he 9ersonal "od is symbolic of 4onsciousness and the mpersonal"od is the ndivisible ;at-chit-ananda.

    "od indeed has become everything. 1herefore, 6the world is a mansion of %oy7 for the vi%nani. 5or the

    %nani, however, this world is 6a veil of deception7. 3amprasad called it 6a veil of deception7.

    1hat is why somebody re%oined ? :1his world is indeed a thing of %oy> let me eat and drin* and be

    merry. O physician, you are a fool! +ou only see things on the surface ? and have understood thesecret."erienced in bhakti !oga is called hetana Samadhi.n it, one retains the ego of the servant and

    Master relationship, the ego of lover and Beloved, or the ego of en%oyer and Bliss. 1he (ord is the

    Master and the devotee is the servant> the (ord is the Beloved and the devotee the lover> the (ord is the5ountain of Bliss and the devotee its en%oyer. 1he devotee does not want to become sugar> he wants to

    eat and en%oy it.

    1he 9undit = What will happen if "od dissolves the ego completely, if He ma*es sugar of the

    devotee&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna 'smiling) = 5eel free to say what you have on your mind. 2on7t the scriptures tal* of$arada, ;ana*a, ;anatana, ;ananda and ;anat*umara&

    1he 9undit = +es sir, the scriptures mention them.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1hough they were %nanis, they retained their ego of devotion. Haven7t you read the

    Bhagavata&

    Sri Ramakrishna Dra! to God. #e is com"assionate. ill #e not listen to the ords of #is

    devotee4 #e is the ish+fulfilling tree. $""roach #im and ask; #e ill grant !our ish.

    Sri Ramakrishna $fter one attains knoledge of the $bsolute, God "ermits a little ego to

    remain. his ego is the 2- of the devotee, or the 2- of knoledge. -t is ith this 2- that one en9o!s

    #is infinite "la!. hat is h! the vi9nani kee"s the 2- of devotion or the 2- of knoledge, to en9o!

    the Bliss of God and to teach mankind. The rishis %ere timid and easily "rightened. $o you kno%

    %hat their attitude %asD @7et me someho% get my o%n salvation& %ho kno%s %hat %ill ha''en in the

    "uture4

    &So ho can think for others4 $ "iece of dr! or rotten ood someho is able to float on ater,

    but if even a bird sits on it, it sinks. $ heav! log not onl! floats, but also carries a number of

    animals. $ steamshi" crosses the ocean and also takes "eo"le across.1

    &Religious teachers like Narada are vi9nanis= they are more #ourageous than other rishis. he! arelike e>"ert checker "la!ers ho call out, 2hat do !ou ant, a si> or a five of the dice4 $nd lo?

    5ach time he thros the right number? hat an e>"ert "la!er? $nd this fello tirls his

    mustaches as he "la!s?1

    &3nanis are a"raid. he! are like amateur chess "la!ers ho are an>ious to move a "iece to the

    safet! one. he vi9nani, on the other hand, has no fear of an!thing. #e has had a direct vision of

    both as"ects of God, Dersonal and -m"ersonal. #e has talked, communed, ith God 0 he has

    en9o!ed the Bliss of God.1

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    :1he vi%nani feels Bliss when, through contemplating "od, his mind merges in the/ndivisible

    (Akhanda). 0gain he is in Bliss when he *eeps his mind on the divine play, the phenomenal world,

    without his mind being merged in the 0bsolute.

    &A mere -nani is monotonous. #e onl! discriminates, 2Not this, not that= all this is like a dream. 2-

    have raised both m! hands. hat is h! - acce"t ever!thing Eboth the $bsolute and the

    "henomenal orldF.1

    :0 woman went to see her weaver friend who was spinning yarn of different *inds of sil*. 1he weaver

    friend was very happy to see her. ;he said, 65riend, am so happy that you have visited my home> cannot epress my %oy. (et me get some refreshments for you.7 1he weaver friend went out of the

    room. While she was away, her visitor was tempted by multi-coloured yarn of sil*. ;he hid a bundle of

    it under her arm. 1he weaver came bac* with the refreshments and served them to her with great

    enthusiasm. But loo*ing at her sil* yarn, she understood that her friend had pinched a bundle of it. ;hethought of a stratagem to recover her yarn.all you have to do is remove the earth. 1hat is all.7

    2evotees retain their -consciousness, but not %nanis. 1he $a*ed One '1otapuri) used to teach how tolive in one7s own real ;elf8 merge the mind in the intellect and the intellect in the 0tman. 1hen you will

    be established in the real nature of the 0tman.

    &But ones 2- continues to "ersist. Aor instance, think of a limitless sheet of ater. here is ater

    all around 0 above, belo, in front, behind, right and left. ithin this sheet of ater is a "ot full

    of ater. hough there is ater outside and inside, the "ot still remains 0 ones 2- is like this "ot.1

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    ;ri 3ama*rishna = He Himself has become all. But whether or not one has genuinely seen "od is

    indicated by certain signs.

    One such sign is that one is in bliss ? he shows no hesitancy. ;uch a person is li*e an ocean that has

    waves on its surface, but deep, still waters below.

    He who has attained the vision of "od acts sometimes li*e a mad man and sometimes li*e an uncleanspirit. He doesn7t distinguish between purity and impurity.

    ;ometimes he acts li*e an inert ob%ect, for he becomes speechless when he sees "od both within and

    without.

    ;ometimes he is li*e a child wandering around freely with no attachment, @na*edA with his cloth under

    his arm. He sometimes frolics li*e a boy, at other times he conducts himself as a young man, wor*ingor teaching man*ind with the strength of a lion.

    0n embodied being (-iva)cannot see the (ord because of his ego. When the s*y is overcast, one cannot

    see the sun. But because one cannot see the sun does not mean that there is no sun. 1he sun certainly

    eists.

    But there is no harm in the ego of a child> on the contrary, it is beneficial. 1here is no harm in the 6ego

    of a child,7 or the 6ego of a servant7.7

    1hose who have reali#ed "od see that it is "od who has become the universe and its living beings. He

    has become all. 1hey are superior devotees.

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = 1his little bit of ego eists to en%oy "od. t is only when there is the distinctionbetween me and you that one can en%oy ? li*e in the attitude of the Master and the servant.

    "irish = ;ir, since am not really doing anything 'it is "od who wor*s), why should wor* at all&

    ;ri 3ama*rishna = $o, my dear, wor* is good. f you have prepared the soil, it will grow whatever

    you sow in it.But %ork must be 'er"ormed %ithout any e1'e#tation o" re%ard (ishkama karma).

    1here are two *inds of paramahamsas8 one follows the path of %nana, the other follows the path of

    intense love "or God (Prema). nanis are self-see*ing ? their goal is their own reali#ation.

    1he paramahamsa who follows the path of love, li*e ;hu*adeva, first attains "od and then teaches

    man*ind.

    1here are some who wipe their mouths after eating a mango, and then there are those who share it with

    others. 1here are people who bring bas*ets and spades to dig a shallow well, and when they have dugit, they throw the spades and bas*ets in the well.

    1here are others who save their bas*ets and spades so that others of the community may use them.

    ;hu*adeva and others li*e him preserve their 6bas*ets and spades7 for the use of others. '1o "irish) +ou

    must *eep them for the use of others.