Sri ramakrishna paramahamsa
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Transcript of Sri ramakrishna paramahamsa
Sri Ramakrishna
BASED ON
THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA
Life of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna was born at Kāmārpukur, a
village in the Hooghly District. It had lively
festivals, the observance of sacred days,
religious singing, and other innocent
pleasures. On February 18, 1836,
Ramakrishna, was born. He was given the
name of Gadādhar, the "Bearer of the
Mace", an epithet of Vishnu.
Bread-winning Education "Brother, what shall I do with a mere
bread-winning education? I would acquire
wisdom which will illumine my heart and
give me satisfaction for ever." He had
been impressed by the village sadhus’
devotion and purity, their self-control and
renunciation. He had learnt that the ideal
of life as taught by the ancient sages of
India was the realization of God.
The inner voice of the boy reminded him that the legacy of his ancestors - the legacy of Rāmā, Krishna, Buddha, Sankara, Rāmānuja, Chaitanya - was not worldly security but the Knowledge of God. Yet, as long as a man is bound by his human limitations, he cannot but worship God through human forms. He must use human symbols. Therefore Hinduism asks the devotees to look on God as the ideal father, the ideal mother, the ideal husband, the ideal son, or the ideal friend
But the name ultimately leads to the
Nameless, the form to the Formless, the
word to the Silence, the emotion to the
serene realization of Peace in Existence-
Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.
The gods gradually merge in the one God.
But until that realization is achieved, the
devotee cannot dissociate human factors
from his worship.
Brahman & Totāpuri: One night the pain became excruciating.
Totapuri could no longer concentrate on Brahman. The body
stood in the way. He became incensed with its demands. A
free soul, he did not at all care for the body. So he
determined to drown it in the Ganges. Thereupon he walked
into the river. But, lo! He walks to the other bank. Is there
not enough water in the Ganges? Standing dumbfounded on
the other bank he looks back across the water.
The trees, the temples, the houses, are
silhouetted against the sky. Suddenly, in one dazzling
moment, he sees on all sides the presence of the Divine
Mother. She is the Brahman that Totāpuri had been
worshipping all his life.
Is it necessary to practice discipline all through life? Master: No. But one must be up and doing in the beginning. After that one need not work hard. The helmsman stands up and clutches the rudder firmly as long as the boat is passing through waves, storms, high winds or round the curves of the river; but he relaxes after steering through them. As soon as the boat passes through the curves and the helmsman feels a favourable wind he sits comfortably and just touches the rudder. Next he prepares to unfurl the sail and gets ready for a smoke. Likewise the aspirant enjoys peace & calm
after passing the waves of ’woman & gold’
In order to realize God, one must assume one of these attitudes:
S’antha, the serene attitude D’asya, the attitude of a servant toward his
master. Sakhya, the attitude of friendship V’atsalya, the attitude of a mother toward her
child Madhura, the attitude of a woman toward her
paramour. Radha had this attitude toward Krishna. The wife also feels it for her husband. This attitude includes all the other four.
Do good with a selfless attitude
Sri Ramakrishna said to VIDYASAGAR : "Your activities are inspired by sattva. Though they are rajasic, they are influenced by sattva. Compassion springs from sattva. Though work for the good of others belongs to rajas, yet this rajas has sattva for its basis, and is not harmful. Suka and other sages cherished compassion in their minds to give people religious instruction, to teach them about God. You are distributing food and learning. That is good too. If these activities are done in a selfless spirit they lead to God.
BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "Sir, can't we realize God
without complete renunciation?" MASTER (with a laugh):
"Of course you can! Why should you renounce
everything? You are all right as you are, following the
middle path-like molasses partly solid and partly liquid.
Do you know the game of nax? Having scored the
maximum number of points, I am out of the game. I
can't enjoy it. But you are very clever. Some of you have
scored ten points, some six, and some five. You have
scored just the right number; so you are not out of the
game like me. The game can go on. Why, that's fine! (All
laugh.)
"I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world. But you must direct your mind toward God; otherwise you will not succeed. Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over, you will hold to God with both hands.
Declared an Avatar: Pundit Gauri arrived, another
meeting was held, and he agreed with the view of
the Brāhmani and Vaishnavcharan. To Sri
Ramakrishna's remark that Vaishnavcharan had
declared him to be an Avatār, Gauri replied:
"Is that all he has to say about you? Then he has
said very little. I am fully convinced that you are
that Mine of Spiritual Power, only a small fraction
of which descends on earth, from time to time, in
the form of an Incarnation."
"Ah!" said Sri Ramakrishna with a smile, "You seem
to have quite outbid Vaishnavcharan in this matter.
What have you found in me that makes you
entertain such an idea?"
Gauri said: "I feel it in my heart and I have the
scriptures on my side. I am ready to prove it to
anyone who challenges me."
"Well," Sri Ramakrishna said, "it is you who say so;
but, believe me, I know nothing about it."
Thus, the insane priest was, by verdict of the great
scholars of the day, proclaimed a Divine
Incarnation.
"In meditation one must be absorbed in God. By
merely floating on the surface of the water, can
you reach the gems lying at the bottom of the
sea?"
"When you plunge in the water of the ocean, you
may be attacked by alligators. But they won't touch
you if your body is smeared with turmeric. There
are no doubt six alligators - lust, anger, avarice,
and so on - within you, in the 'heart's fathomless
depths'. But protect yourself with the turmeric of
discrimination and renunciation, and they won't
touch you.”
Master had said to M. privately: "Yes, there is no
hope for a worldly man if he is not sincerely devoted
to God. But he has nothing to fear if he remains in
the world after realizing God. Nor need a man have
any fear whatever of the world if he attains sincere
devotion by practising spiritual discipline now and
then in solitude.
Chaitanya had several householders among his
devotees, but they were householders in name
only, for they lived unattached to the world."
"He who is called Brahman by the jnanis is known as
Ātman by the yogis and as Bhagavan by the bhaktas.
The same brahmin is called priest, when worshipping
in the temple, and cook, when preparing a meal in the
kitchen.
But the Reality is one and the same. The difference
is only in name. He who is Brahman is verily Ātman,
and again, He is the Bhagavan. He is Brahman to the
followers of the path of knowledge, Paramatman to
the yogis, and Bhagavan to the lovers of God."
"Do you know my attitude? As for myself, I eat, drink,
and live happily. The rest the Divine Mother knows.
Indeed, there are three words that prick my flesh:
'guru', 'master', and 'father'.
"There is only one Guru, and that is Satchidananda. He
alone is the Teacher. My attitude toward God is that of a
child toward its mother. One can get human gurus by
the million. All want to be teachers. But who cares to be
a disciple?
After the realization of God one obtains an inner vision.
Only then can one diagnose a person's spiritual malady
and give instruction.
In the Kaliyuga the best way is bhaktiyoga, the path of
devotion-singing the praises of the Lord, and prayer. The path
of devotion alone is the religion for this age. (To the Brahmo
devotees) Yours also is the path of devotion. Blessed you are
indeed that you chant the name of Hari and sing the Divine
Mother's glories. I like your attitude. You don't call the world a
dream like the non-dualists. You are not Brahmajnanis like
them; you are bhaktas, lovers of God. That you speak of Him
as a Person is also good. You are devotees. You will certainly
realize Him if you call on Him with sincerity and earnestness."
"The Vedas speak of seven planes where the mind dwells.
When the mind is immersed in worldliness it dwells in the
three lower planes- at the naval, the organ of generation, and
the organ of evacuation. In that state the mind loses all its
higher visions-it broods only on 'woman and gold'. The fourth
plane of the mind is at the heart. When the mind dwells
there, one has the first glimpse of spiritual consciousness.
One sees light all around. Such a man, perceiving the divine
light, becomes speechless with wonder and says: 'Ah! What is
this? What is this?' His mind does not go downward to the
objects of the world.
"The fifth plane of the mind is at the throat. When the
mind reaches this, the aspirant becomes free from all
ignorance and illusion. He does not enjoy talking or hearing
about anything but God. If people talk about worldly
things, he leaves the place at once.
"The sixth plane is at the forehead. When the mind reaches
it, the aspirant sees the form of God day and night. But
even then a little trace of ego remains. At the sight of that
incomparable beauty of God's form, one becomes
intoxicated and rushes forth to touch and embrace it. But
one doesn't succeed. It is like the light inside a lantern.
One feels as if one could touch the light, but one cannot on
account of the pane of glass.
"In the top of the head is the seventh plane. When the mind
rises there, one goes into samādhi. Then the Brahmajnani
directly perceives Brahman. But in that state his body does
not last many days. He remains unconscious of the outer
world. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out. Dwelling
on this plane of consciousness, he gives up his body in
twenty-one days. That is the condition of the Brahmajnani.
But yours is the path of devotion. That is a very good and
easy path.”
"Let me tell you one thing. God can be seen. The Vedas say
that God is beyond mind and speech. The meaning of this is
that God is unknown to the mind attached to worldly
objects. Vaishnavcharan used to say, 'God is known by the
mind and intellect that are pure.' Therefore it is necessary to
seek the company of holy men, practise prayer, and listen to
the instruction of the guru. These purify the mind. Then one
sees God. Dirt can be removed from water by a purifying
agent. Then one sees one's reflection in it. One cannot see
one's face in a mirror if the mirror is covered with dirt.
MASTER: "Remember that daya, compassion, and maya,
attachment, are two different things. Attachment means the
feeling of 'my-ness' toward one's relatives. It is the love one
feels for one's parents, one's brother, one's sister, one's wife
and children. Compassion is the love one feels for all beings
of the world. It is an attitude of equality. If you see anywhere
an instance of compassion, as in Vidyasagar, know that it is
due to the grace of God. Through compassion one serves all
beings. Maya also comes from God. Through maya God
makes one serve one's relatives. But one thing should be
remembered: maya keeps us in ignorance and entangles us
in the world, whereas daya makes our hearts pure and
gradually unties our bonds.
"One cannot see God without purity of heart. Through
attachment to 'woman and gold' the mind has become
stained-covered with dirt, as it were. A magnet cannot attract
a needle if the needle is covered with mud. Wash away the
mud and the magnet will draw it. Likewise, the dirt of the mind
can be washed away with the tears of our eyes. This stain is
removed if one sheds tears of repentance and says, 'O God, I
shall never again do such a thing.' Thereupon God, who is like
the magnet, draws to Himself the mind, which is like the
needle. Then the devotee goes into samādhi and obtains the
vision of God.
"But the universe and its created beings, and the twenty-four
cosmic principles, all exist because God exists. Nothing remains
if God is eliminated. The number increases if you put many
zeros after the figure one; but the zeros don't have any value if
the one is not there."
"God is realized as soon as the mind becomes free from
attachment. Whatever appears in the Pure Mind is the voice of
God. That which is Pure Mind is also Pure Buddhi; that, again,
is Pure Ātman, because there is nothing pure but God. But in
order to realize God one must go beyond dharma and
adharma."
DEVOTEE: "Sir, why has God put us in the world?"
MASTER: "The world is the field of action. Through action
one acquires knowledge. The guru instructs the disciple to
perform certain works and refrain from others. Again, he
advises the pupil to perform action without desiring the
result. The impurity of the mind is destroyed through the
performance of duty. It is like getting rid of a disease by
means of medicine, under the instruction of a competent
physician.
"Why doesn't God free us from the world? Ah, He will free us
when the disease is cured. He will liberate us from the world
when we are through with the enjoyment of 'woman and
gold'. Once a man registers his name in the hospital, he
cannot run away. The doctor will not let him go away unless
his illness is completely cured."
"You may ask, 'How is it possible for these boys, born of
worldly parents and living among the worldly-minded, to
develop such knowledge and devotion?' It can be explained. If
a pea falls into a heap of dung, it germinates into a pea-plant
none the less. The peas that grow on that plant serve many
useful purposes. Because it was sown in dung, will it produce
another kind of plant?
Suffering men’s prayer for Grace
O Mother, I have no one else
to blame:
Alas! I sink in the well these
very hands have dug.
With the six passions for my
spade, I dug a pit in the sacred
land of earth;
And now the dark water of
death gushes forth!
How can I save myself, O my
Redeemer?
Surely I have been my own
enemy;
How can I now ward off this
dark water of death?
Behold, the waters rise to my
chest! How can I save myself?
O Mother, save me!
Thou art my only Refuge; with
Thy protecting glance
Take me across to the other
shore of the world.
continued
What a delirious fever is this
that I suffer from!
O Mother, Thy grace is my
only cure.
False pride is the fever that
racks my wasted form; "I" and
"mine" are my cry.
Oh, what a wicked delusion!
My quenchless thirst for wealth
and friends is never-ceasing;
How, then, shall I sustain my
life?
Talk about things unreal, this is
my wretched delirium,
And I indulge in it always, O Giver
of all good fortune!
My eyes in seeming sleep are
closed, my stomach is filled
With the vile worms of cruelty.
Alas! I wander about absorbed in
unmeaning deeds;
Even for Thy holy name I have no
taste,
O Mother! I doubt that I shall ever
be cured of this malady.
Spiritual inspiration comes from God
MASTER (to the devotees): "Both worldliness and
liberation depend on God's will. It is God alone who has
kept man in the world in a state of ignorance; and man
will be free when God, of His own sweet will, calls him to
Himself. It is like the mother calling the child at meal-
time, when he is out playing. When the time comes for
setting a man free, God makes him seek the company of
holy men. Further, it is God who makes him restless for
spiritual life."