A false teacher

“People with a little occult power gain such things as name and fame. Many of them want to follow the profession of guru, gain people’s recognition, and make disciples and devotees. Men say of such a guru: ‘Ah! He is having a wonderful time. How many people visit him! He has many disciples and followers. His house is overflowing with furniture and other things. People give him presents. He has such power that he can feed many people if he so desires.’

“The profession of a teacher is like that of a prostitute. It is the selling of oneself for the trifle of money, honour, and creature comforts. For such insignificant things it is not good to prostitute the body, mind, and soul, the means by which one can attain God. A man once said about a certain woman: ‘Ah! She is having a grand time now. She is so well off! She has rented a room and furnished it with a couch, a mat, pillows, and many other things. And how many people she controls! They are always visiting her.’ In other words, the woman has now become a prostitute. Therefore her happiness is unbounded.

Formerly she was a maidservant in a gentleman’s house; now she is a prostitute. She has ruined herself for a mere trifle.

Master’s visions during sādhanā

“How many other visions I saw while meditating during my sādhanā ! Once I was meditating under the bel-tree when ‘Sin’ appeared before me and tempted me in various ways. He came to me in the form of an English soldier. He wanted to give me wealth, honour, sex pleasure, various occult powers, and such things. I began to pray to the Divine Mother. Now I am telling you something very secret. The Mother appeared. I said to Her, ‘Kill him, Mother!’ I still remember that form of the Mother, Her world bewitching beauty. She came to me taking the form of Krishnamayi. But it was as if her glance moved the world.”

Sri Ramakrishna became silent. Resuming his reminiscences, he said: “How many other visions I saw! But I am not permitted to tell them. Someone is shutting my mouth, as it were. I used to find no distinction between the sacred tulsi and the insignificant sajina leaf. The feeling of distinction was entirely destroyed. Once I was meditating under the banyan when I was shown a Musslman with a long beard. He came to me with rice in an earthen plate. He fed some other Musslmans with the rice and also gave me a few grains to eat. The Mother showed me that there exists only One, and not two. It is Satchidananda alone that has taken all these various forms; He alone has become the world and its living beings. Again, it is He who has become food.

(To Girish, M., and the others) “I have the nature of a child. Hriday said to me, ‘Uncle, ask the Mother for some occult powers.’ At once I went to the temple to ask Her about them. At that time God had put me in such a state that I had to listen to those who lived with me. I felt like a child who sees darkness all around unless someone is with him. I felt as if I should die unless Hriday was near me. You see I am in that state of mind just now.While I am speaking to you my inner spirit is being awakened.”

As Sri Ramakrishna uttered these words, he was on the point of plunging into samādhi and losing consciousness of time and space. But he was trying with the utmost difficulty to control himself. He said to the devotees in an ecstatic mood: “I still see you. But I feel as if you had been sitting here forever. I don’t recall when you came or where you are.”

Sri Ramakrishna was silent a few minutes. Then, regaining partial consciousness, he said, “I shall have a drink of water.” He often said things like this after samādhi, in order to bring down his mind to the ordinary plane of consciousness. Girish was a newcomer and did not know this; so he started to bring some water. Sri Ramakrishna asked him not to, saying, “No, my dear sir, I cannot drink now.” The Master and the devotees were silent a while. Sri Ramakrishna resumed the conversation.

MASTER: (to M.):“Well,have I done any wrong in telling these secret experiences?”

M. did not know what to say and kept quiet.

MASTER: “Why should there be any harm in it? I have told these things to create faith in you all.”

After a while he said to M. very humbly, “Will you kindly bring him here?” He referred to Purna.

M. (hesitating): “Yes, Sir. I shall send for him this very moment.

MASTER (eagerly): “In Purna I have reached the ‘post’.

Was Sri Ramakrishna hinting that Purna was perhaps the last devotee of his inner circle?

Experience of mahabhava

Sri Ramakrishna then described to Girish, M., and the other devotees his own experience of mahabhava.

MASTER (to the devotees): “My joy after that experience was equal to the pain I suffered before it. Mahabhava is a divine ecstasy; it shakes the body and mind to their very foundation. It is like a huge elephant entering a small hut. The house shakes to its foundation. Perhaps it falls to pieces.

“The burning pain that one feels when one is separated from God is not an ordinary feeling. It is said that the fire of this anguish in Rupa and Sanatana scorched the leaves of the tree under which they sat. I was unconscious three days in that state. I couldn’t move. I lay in one place. When I regained consciousness, the Brahmani took me out for a bath.

But my skin couldn’t bear the touch of her hand; so my body had to be covered with a heavy sheet. Only then could she hold me with her hand and lead me to the bathing-place. The earth that had stuck to my body while I was lying on the ground had become baked.

“In that state I felt as if a ploughshare were passing through my back-bone. I cried out:

‘Oh, I am dying! I am dying!’ But afterwards I was filled with great joy.” The devotees listened breathlessly to these experiences of the Master.

MASTER (to Girish): “But it isn’t necessary for you to go so far. My experiences are for others to refer to. You busy yourself with five different things, but I have one ideal only. I do not enjoy anything but God. This is what God has ordained for me. (Smiling) There are different trees in the forest, some shooting up with one trunk and others spreading out with five branches. (All smile.)

“Yes, my experiences are for others to refer to. But you should live in the world in a spirit of detachment. You will no doubt have dirt on your body, but you must shake it off as the mudfish shakes off the mud. You may swim in the black ocean of the world, but your body should not be stained.”

GIRISH (smiling): “But you too had to marry.” (Laughter.)

MASTER (smiling): “Marriage is necessary for the sake of samskara. But how could I lead a worldly life? So uncontrollable was my divine fervour that every time the sacred thread was put around my neck it dropped off.

Some believe that Sukadeva also had to marry for the sake of samskara. They say he even had a daughter. (All laugh.)