Master's spiritual experiences

“Oh, what a state I passed through! I passed some days absorbed in Śiva and Durga; some days absorbed in Radha and Krishna, and some days absorbed in Sita and Rāma. Assuming Radha’s attitude, I would cry for Krishna, and assuming Sita’s attitude, I would cry for Rāma.

“But lila is by no means the last word. Passing through all these states, I said to the Divine Mother: ‘Mother, in these states there is separation. Give me a state where there is no separation.’ Then I remained for some time absorbed in the Indivisible Satchidananda.

I removed the pictures of the gods and goddesses from my room. I began to perceive God in all beings. Formal worship dropped away. You see that bel- tree. I used to go there to pluck its leaves. One day, as I plucked a leaf, a bit of the bark came off. I found the tree full of Consciousness. I felt grieved because I had hurt the tree. One day I tried to pluck some Durva grass, but I found I couldn’t do it very well. Then I forced myself to pluck it.

“I cannot cut a lemon. The other day I managed to cut one only with great difficulty; I chanted the name of Kāli and cut the fruit as they slaughter an animal before the Goddess. One day I was about to gather some flowers. They were everywhere on the trees. At once I had a vision of Virat; it appeared that His worship was just over. The flowers looked like a bouquet placed on the head of the Deity. I could not pluck them.

“God sports through man as well. I see man as the embodiment of Narayana. As fire is kindled when you rub two pieces of wood together, so God can be seen in man if you have intense devotion. If there is suitable bait, big fish like carp gulp it down at once. When one is intoxicated with prema, one sees God in all beings. The gopis saw Krishna in everything; to them the whole world was filled with Krishna. They said that they themselves were Krishna.

They were then in a God-intoxicated state. Looking at the trees, they said, ‘These are hermits absorbed in meditation on Krishna.’ Looking at the grass they said, ‘The hair of the earth is standing on end at the touch of Krishna.’ “Devotion to the husband is also a dharma. The husband is God. Why shouldn’t it be so? If God can be worshipped through an image, why not also through a living man? But three things are necessary in order to feel the presence of God in an image: first, the devotion of the priest; second, a beautiful image; and third, the devotion of the householder. Vaishnavcharan once said that in the end the mind of the devotee is absorbed in the human manifestation of God.

“But you must remember one thing. One cannot see God sporting as man unless one has had the vision of Him. Do you know the sign of one who has God-vision? Such a man acquires the nature of a child. Why a child? Because God is like a child. So he who sees God becomes like a child. “God-vision is necessary. Now the question is, how can one get it? Intense renunciation is the means. A man should have such intense yearning for God that he can say, ‘O Father of the universe, am I outside Your universe? Won’t You be kind to me, You wretch?’.

“You partake of the nature of him on whom you meditate. By worshipping Śiva you acquire the nature of Śiva. A devotee of Rāma meditated on Hanuman day and night. He used to think he had become Hanuman. In the end he was firmly convinced that he had even grown a little tail. Jnāna is the characteristic of Śiva, and bhakti of Vishnu. One who partakes of Śiva’s nature becomes a Jnāni, and one who partakes of Vishnu’s nature becomes a bhakta.”

Chaitanya & The Divine Incarnation and the ordinary man

M: “But what about Chaitanyadeva? You said he had both knowledge and devotion.”

MASTER (sharply): “His case was different. He was an Incarnation of God. There is a great difference between him and an ordinary man. The fire of Chaitanya’s renunciation was so great that when Sarvabhauma poured sugar on his tongue, instead of melting, it evaporated into air. He was always absorbed in samādhi. How great was his conquest of lust!

To compare him with a man! A lion eats meat and yet it mates only once in twelve years; but a sparrow eats grain and it indulges in sex-life day and night. Such is the difference between a Divine Incarnation and an ordinary human being. An ordinary man renounces lust; but once in a while he forgets his vow. He cannot control himself.

(To M):“He who has realized God looks on man as a mere worm. ‘One cannot succeed in religious life if one has shame, hatred, or fear.’ These are fetters. Haven’t you heard of the eight fetters?

“How can one who is eternally perfect be afraid of the world? He knows how to play his game. An eternally perfect soul can even lead a worldly life if he desires. There are people who can fence with two swords at the same time; they are such expert fencers that, if stones are thrown at them, the stones hit the swords and come back.”

Yoga and God-vision

A DEVOTEE: “Sir, how can one see God?”

MASTER: “Can you ever see God if you do not direct your whole mind toward Him? The Bhagavata speaks about Sukadeva. When he walked about he looked like a soldier with fixed bayonet. His gaze did not wander; it had only one goal and that was God. This is the meaning of yoga.

The chatak bird drinks only rain-water. Though the Ganges, the Jamuna, the Godavari, and all other rivers are full of water, and though the seven oceans are full to the brim, still the chatak will not touch them. It will drink only the water that falls from the clouds. “He who has developed such yoga can see God. In the theatre the audience remains engaged in all kinds of conversation, about home, office, and school, till the curtain goes up; but no sooner does it go up than all conversation comes to a stop, and the people watch the play with fixed attention. If after a long while someone utters a word or two, it is about the play.

“After a drunkard has drunk his liquer, he talks only about the joy of drunkenness.”

Nityagopal was seated in front of Sri Ramakrishna. He was always in ecstasy. He sat there in silence.

MASTER (to Nityagopal, smiling): “Gopal! Why are you always silent?” answered like a child, “I-do-not-know.”

Nityagopal

MASTER: “I understand why you don’t say anything; perhaps you are afraid of committing a transgression. You are right. Jaya and Vijaya were gate-keepers for Narayana. They refused Sanaka, Sanātana, and other rishis’ admission into His palace.

For this transgression, Jaya and Vijaya had to be born three times on earth.

“Again, there is the instance of Sridāmā; he was Viraja’s gate-keeper in Goloka. Sri Krishna was in Virajā’s house. Rādhika went there to surprise Krishna and wanted to enter the house. Sridāmā would not admit her, and so Radhika cursed him to be born as a demon on earth. But Sridāmā, too, cursed her.

“But there is one thing you should remember. When a boy walks holding his father’s hand, he may fall into the gutter; but what has he to fear if the father holds him by the hand?”

The story of Sridāmā is narrated in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana .

Kedār, who was a government official, had been living at Dāccā for sometime. He had been transferred there from Calcutta. He was a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna and had gathered together at Dāccā many devotees, who came to him regularly for spiritual instruction.

As one should not come empty handed to a religious man, the devotees would bring Kedār sweets and other offerings.

KEDĀR (to the Master, humbly): “Should I eat those offerings?”

MASTER: “It won’t injure you if the offerings are given out of love for God. But they are harmful if they are given with any selfish motive.”

KEDĀR: “I have explained everything to the devotees and now I feel relieved. I have told them that he who has given me his blessing knows all.”

MASTER (smiling): “That is true. You see, people of all sorts come here. So they find here different things.”

KEDĀR: “I do not need to know different things.”

MASTER (smiling): “Why not? One should know a little of everything. If a man starts a grocery-shop, he keeps all kinds of articles there, including a little lentil and tamarind. An expert musician knows how to play a little on all instruments.”

Sri Ramakrishna left the room and went toward the pine-grove. The devotees began to walk about in the garden. Several went to the Panchavati. Sri Ramakrishna met them there and said: “I have indigestion. I took a meal at the Mallicks’. They are very worldly people.”

A few of the Master’s personal things lay scattered on the cement platform of the Panchavati, and he asked M. to bring them. He proceeded to his room and the devotees followed.

In the afternoon the Master rested awhile. Afterwards a few devotees arrived. The Master sat on the small couch reclining against a pillow.

A DEVOTEE: “Sir, can one know God’s attributes through the intellect?”

MASTER: “Certainly not by this ordinary intellect. Can one know God so easily? One must practise sādhanā . One must also adopt a particular attitude toward God, for instance, the attitude of a servant toward his master. The rishis of old had the attitude of Śānta.

Do you know the attitude of the jnanis? It is to meditate on one’s own Self. (To a devotee, with a smile) What is your attitude?”

The devotee gave no answer.

MASTER (smiling): “You have two attitudes: you meditate on your own Self and also cherish toward God the attitude of a servant. Am I not right?”

DEVOTEE (hesitating and smiling): “Yes, sir.”

MASTER (smiling): “You see, as Hazra says, I can read people’s thoughts.

“One can maintain those two attitudes only at a very advanced stage. Prahlada maintained them. But one must work hard in order to practise this ideal.

“Let me give an illustration. Suppose a man is grasping the thorny branch of a plum-tree. His hand bleeds profusely; but he says, ‘There is nothing the matter with me; I am not hurt.’ If you ask him about his wound, he will say, ‘It’s all right; I am quite well.’

Now is there any meaning in the mere utterance of these words? One must practise discipline in keeping with this ideal.” The devotees were giving their whole attention to what the Master was saying.