The State of a Vijnāni

Prankrishna always talked about jnāna. Was this why the Master described the state of the Jnāni?

Now he proceeded to describe the state of the vijnāni.

MASTER: “Jnāna is the realization of Self through the process of ‘Neti, neti’, ‘Not this, not this’. One goes into samādhi through this process of elimination and realizes the Ātman.

But vijnāna means Knowledge with a greater fullness. Some have heard of milk, some have seen milk, and some have drunk milk. He who has merely heard of it is ‘ignorant’.

He who has seen it is a Jnāni. But he who has drunk it has vijnāna, that is to say, a fuller knowledge of it. After having the vision of God one talks to Him as if He were an intimate relative. That is vijnāna.

First of all you must discriminate, following the method of ‘Neti, neti’: ‘He is not the five elements, nor the sense-organs, nor the mind, nor the intelligence, nor the ego.

He is beyond all these cosmic principles.’ You want to climb to the roof; then you must eliminate and leave behind all the steps one by one. The steps are by no means the roof.

But after reaching the roof you find that the steps are made of the same materials―brick, lime, and brick-dust―as the roof. It is the Supreme Brahman that has become the universe and its living beings and the 24 cosmic principles.

That which is Ātman has become the five elements. You may ask why the earth is so hard, if it has come out of Ātman? All is possible through the will of God. Don’t you see that bone and flesh are made from blood and semen? How hard ‘sea-foam’ becomes!

After attaining vijnāna one can live in the world as well. Then one clearly realizes that God Himself has become the universe and all living beings, that He is not outside the world.

(To Prankrishna) “The fact is that one must have the ‘spiritual eye’. You will develop that eye as soon as your mind becomes pure. Take for instance the Kumari Puja. I worshipped a virgin. The girl, to be sure, had all her human imperfections; still I regarded her as the Divine Mother Herself.

“On one side is the wife and on the other the son. Love is bestowed on both, but in different ways. Therefore it comes to this, that everything depends upon the mind.

The pure mind acquires a new attitude. Through that mind one sees God in this world.

Therefore one needs spiritual discipline.

Yes, spiritual discipline is necessary. You should know that a man becomes easily attached to a woman. A woman naturally loves a man, and a man also naturally loves a woman. Therefore both fall speedily from their spiritual ideal.

But it also must be said that there is a great advantage in leading the life of a householder. In case of urgent necessity a man may live with his wife.

(Smiling) “Well, M., why are you smiling?”

M. (to himself): “The Master makes this much allowance for house-holders since they cannot renounce everything. Is complete and absolute continence impossible for a householder?”

The hathayogi who had been living in the Panchavati entered the room. He was in the habit of taking milk and opium. He did not eat rice or other food and had no money to buy the milk and opium. The Master had talked with him in the Panchavati.

The hathayogi had told Rakhal to ask the Master to make some provision for him, and Sri Ramakrishna had promised to speak about it to the visitors from Calcutta. HATHAYOGI (to the Master): “What did you say to Rakhal about me?”

MASTER: “I said that I would ask some rich visitors to help you. But (to Prankrishna) you, perhaps, do not like these yogis?” Prankrishna remained silent. The hathayogi left the room and the conversation went on.

Master’s adherence to truth

MASTER (to Prankrishna and the others): “If a man leads a householder’s life he must have unflagging devotion to truth. God can be realized through truth alone. Formerly I was very particular about telling the truth, though now my zeal has abated a little. If I said, ‘I shall bathe’, then I would get into the water of the Ganges, recite the mantra, and sprinkle a little water over my head. But still there would remain some doubt in me as to whether my bath was complete. Once I went to Ram’s house in Calcutta. I happened to say, ‘I shall not take any luchi.’ When I sat down for the meal I felt hungry. But I had said I would not eat the luchi; so I had to fill my stomach with sweets.

(All laugh.)

But my zeal for truthfulness has abated a little now. Once I said I would go to the pine- grove, but then I felt I had no particular urge to go. What was to be done? I asked Ram about it.

He said I didn’t have to go. Then I reasoned to myself: ‘Well, everyone is Narayana.

So Ram, too, is Narayana. Why shouldn’t I listen to him? The elephant is Narayana no doubt; but the mahut is Narayana too. Since the mahut asked me not to go near the elephant, then why shouldn’t I obey him?’ Through reasoning like this my zeal for truthfulness is slightly less strong now than before.

“I find a change, coming over me. Years ago Vaishnavcharan said to me, ‘One attains Perfect Knowledge when one sees God in man.’ Now I see that it is God alone who is moving about in various forms: as a holy man, as a cheat, as a villain.

Therefore I say, ‘Narayana in the guise of the Sādhu, Narayana in the guise of the cheat, Narayana in the guise of the villain, Narayana in the guise of the lecher.’

Now my problem is how I can feed all of you. I want to feed everyone. So I keep one at a time with me and feed him.” Prankrishna (looking at M. and smiling): “A fine man, indeed! (To the Master) He would not let us go till we put him ashore.”

MASTER (smiling): “Why? What happened?”

PRANKRISHNA: “He was in our boat. Seeing that the river was slightly rough, he insisted on being put ashore. (To M.) ‘How did you come?” M. (smiling): “On foot.”

Sri Ramakrishna laughed.

PRANKRISHNA (to the Master): “Sir, I am thinking now of giving up my work. One who is involved in activity cannot accomplish anything. (Pointing to his companion) I am training him to do my work. After I resign, he will relieve me. Work has become intolerable.”

MASTER: “Yes, work is very troublesome. It is now good for you to meditate on God for a few days in solitude. No doubt you say that you would like to give up your work.

Captain said the same thing. Worldly people talk that way; but they don’t succeed in carrying out their intention.

“There are many pundits who speak words of wisdom. But they merely talk; they don’t live up to them. They are like vultures, which soar very high but keep their gaze fixed on the charnel-pit. What I mean is that these pundits are attached to the world, to ‘woman and gold’. If I hear that pundits are practising discrimination and dispassion, then I fear them. Otherwise I look upon them as mere goats and dogs.”

Prankrishna saluted the Master and took his leave. He said to M., “Will you come with us?”

M: “No, sir! Catch me going with you again! Good-bye.”

Prankrishna laughed and said, “I see you won’t come in the boat.”

M. took a little stroll near the Panchavati and bathed in the river. Then he went to the temples of Radhakanta and Kāli and prostrated himself before the images. He said to himself: “I have heard that God has no form. Then why do I bow before these images? Is it because Sri Ramakrishna believes in gods and goddesses with form? I don’t know anything about God, nor do I understand Him. The Master believes in images; then why shouldn’t I too, who am so insignificant a creature, accept them?”

M. looked at the image of Kāli. He saw that the Divine Mother holds in Her two left hands a man’s severed head and a sword. With Her two right hands She offers boons and reassurance to Her devotees. In one aspect She is terrible, and in another She is the ever affectionate Mother of Her devotees. The two ideals are harmonized in Her. She is compassionate and affectionate to Her devotees: to those who are submissive and helpless. It is also true that She is terrible, the “Consort of Death”. She alone knows why She assumes two aspects at the same time.

M. remembered this interpretation of Kāli given by the Master. He said to himself, “I have heard that Keshab accepted Kāli in Sri Ramakrishna’s presence. Is this, as Keshab used to say, the Goddess, all Spirit and Consciousness; manifesting Herself through a clay image?”

M. returned to the Master’s room and sat on the floor. Sri Ramakrishna offered him some fruit and sweets to eat. On account of trouble in the family, M. had recently rented a house in another section of Calcutta near his school, his father and brothers 447continuing to live in the ancestral home. But Sri Ramakrishna wanted him to return to his own home, since a joint family affords many advantages to one leading a religious life. Once or twice the Master had spoken to M. to this effect, but unfortunately he had not yet returned to his family. Sri Ramakrishna referred to the matter again.

MASTER: “Tell me that you are going to your ancestral home.”

M: “I can never persuade myself to enter that place.”

MASTER: “Why? Your father is making over the whole house.”

M: “I have suffered too much there. I can by no means make up my mind to go there.”

MASTER: “Whom do you fear?”

M: “All of them.”

MASTER (seriously): “Isn’t that like your being afraid to get into the boat?”

The midday worship and the offering of food in the temples were over. The bells, gongs, and symbals of the Ārati were being played, and the temple garden was filled with joyful activity. Beggars, Sādhus, and guests hurried to the guest-house for the noonday meal, carrying leaf or metal plates in their hands. M. also took some of the Prasad from the Kāli temple.

Sri Ramakrishna had been resting awhile after his meal when several devotees, including Ram and Girindra, arrived. They sat down after saluting the Master. The conversation turned to the New Dispensation Church of Keshab Chandra Sen.

RAM (to the Master): “Sir, I don’t think the Navavidhan has done people any good. If Keshab Babu himself was a genuine man, why are his disciples left in such a plight? I don’t think there is anything at all in the New Dispensation. It is like rattling some potsherds in a room and then locking it up. People may take it to be the jingling of coins, but inside there is nothing but potsherds. Outsiders don’t know what is inside.”

MASTER: “There must be some substance in it. Otherwise, why should so many people respect Keshab? Why isn’t Shivanath honoured as much as Keshab? Such a thing cannot happen without the will of God.