Chapter
19
THE MASTER AND HIS INJURED ARM
Saturday, February
2, 1884
IT
WAS THREE O'CLOCK in the afternoon. Sri Ramakrisna had been conversing
with Rākhāl , Mahimacharan, Hazra, and other devotees, when M.
entered the room and saluted him. He brought with him splint, pad, and
lint to bandage the MASTER's injured arm.
MASTER's injured arm
One
day, while going toward the pine-grove, Sri Ramakrishna
had fallen near the railing and dislocated a bone in his left arm. He
had been in an ecstatic mood at the time and no one had been with hi m.
MASTER (to M.): "Hello! What was
ailing you? Are you quite well now?"
M: "Yes, sir, I am all right
now."
MASTER (to Mahima): "Well, if I am
the machine and God is its operator, then why should this have happened to
me?"
The MASTER was sitting on the couch, listening to the
story of Mahima charan's pilgrimage. Mahima had visited several holy
places twelve years before.
MAHlMA: "I found a brahmachari in a garden at Sicrole in
Benares. He said he had been living there for twenty years but did not
know its owner. He asked me if I worked in an office. On my
answering in the negative, he said, 'Then are you a wandering holy man?' I saw
a sādhu on the bank of the Narmada. He repeated the Gayatri
mentally. It so thrilled him that the hair on his body stood on
end. And when he repeated the Gayatri and Om aloud, it thrilled those who
sat near him and caused their hair to stand on end."
The MASTER was in the mood of a child. Being
hungry he said to M., "What have you brought for me?"
Looking at Rākhāl he went into samādhi.
He was gradually coming down to the normal plane. To
bring his mind back to the consciousness of the body, he said: "I shall
eat some jilipi. I shall drink some water."
Weeping like a child, he said to the Divine Mother: "O Brahmamayi! O Mother! Why hast Thou done this to me? My arm is badly hurt. (To the devotees) Will I be all right again?" They consoled him, as one would a child, and said: "Surely. You will be quite well again."
MASTER (to Rākhāl ): "You aren't to
blame for it, though you are living here to look after me; for even if you had
accompanied me, you certainly wouldn't have gone up to the railing."
The MASTER again went into a spiritual mood and said:
"Om! Om! Om! Mother, what is this that I am saying? Don't make me
unconscious, Mother, with the Knowledge of Brahman. Don't give me
Brahmajnana. I am but Thy child. I am easily worried and
frightened. I want a Mother. A million salutations to the Knowledge
of Brahman! Give it to those who seek it. O Ānandamayi! O Blissful
Mother!"
Uttering loudly the word "Ānandamayi", he burst
into tears and said:
Mother, this is the grief that sorely grieves my
heart.
That even with Thee for Mother, and though I am wide awake,
There should be robbery in my house.
That even with Thee for Mother, and though I am wide awake,
There should be robbery in my house.
Again he said to the Divine Mother: "What wrong have I
done, Mother? Do I ever do anything? It is Thou, Mother, who doest
everything. I am the machine and Thou art its Operator.
(To Rākhāl , smiling) "See that you don't fall! Don't
be piqued and cheat yourself."
Again addressing the Mother, Sri
Ramakrishna said: "Do I weep because I am hurt? Not at all.:
Mother, this is the grief that sorely grieves my
heart,
That even with Thee for Mother, and though I am wide awake,
There should be robbery in my house."
That even with Thee for Mother, and though I am wide awake,
There should be robbery in my house."
The MASTER was again talking and laughing, like a
child who, though ailing, sometimes forgets his illness and laughs and plays
about.
MASTER (to the devotees): "It will
avail you nothing unless you realize Satchidananda. There is nothing like
discrimination and renunciation. The worldly man's devotion to God is
momentary―like a drop of water on a redhot frying-pan. Perchance he looks
at a flower and exclaims, 'Ah, what a wonderful creation of God!'
Yearning for God
"One
must be restless for God. If a son clamours persistently for his share of
the property, his parents consult with each other and give it to him even
though he is a minor. God will certainly listen to your prayers if you
feel restless for Hi m. Since He has begotten us, surely we can claim our
inheritance from Him. He is our own Father, our own Mother. We can
force our demand on Him. We can say to him, 'Reveal Thyself to me or I
shall cut my throat with a knife!' "
Sri Ramakrishna taught the devotees how to call on the Divine Mother.
MASTER's prayer to the Divine Mother
MASTER: "I used to pray to Her in
this way: 'O Mother! O Blissful One! Reveal Thyself to me. Thou must!'
Again, I would say to Her: 'O Lord of the lowly! O Lord of the universe! Surely
I am not outside Thy universe. I am bereft of knowledge. I am without
discipline. I have no devotion. I know nothing. Thou must be
gracious and reveal Thyself to me.' "
Thus the MASTER taught the devotees how to pray. They
were deeply touched. Tears filled Mahimacharan's eyes.
Sri Ramakrishna looked at him and sang:
Cry to your Mother Syama with a real cry, O mind!
And how can She hold Herself from you?
How can Syama stay away?..
And how can She hold Herself from you?
How can Syama stay away?..
Several devotees arrived from Shibpur. Since they had
come from a great distance the MASTER could not disappoint them. He told
them some of the essentials of spiritual life.
MASTER: "God alone is real, and all
else illusory. The garden and its owner. God and His
splendour. But people look at the garden only. How few seek out the
owner!"
Prayer and discrimination
A DEVOTEE:
"Sir, what is the way?"
MASTER: "Discrimination between the
Real and the unreal. One should always discriminate to the effect that
God alone is real and the world unreal. And one should pray with sincere
longing."
DEVOTEE: "But, sir, where is our leisure for these things?"
MASTER: "Those who have the time must
meditate and worship. But those who cannot possibly do so must bow down
whole-heartedly to God twice a day. He abides in the hearts of all; He
knows that worldly people have many things to do. What else is possible
for them? You don't have time to pray to God; therefore give Him the power of
attorney. But all is in vain unless you attain God and see Him."
ANOTHER DEVOTEE: "Sir, to see you is the same
as to see God."
MASTER: "Don't ever say that
again. The waves belong to the Ganges, not the Ganges to the waves.
A man cannot realize God unless he gets rid of all such egotistic ideas as 'I
am such an important man' or 'I am so and so'. Level the mound of 'I' to
the ground by dissolving it with tears of devotion."
DEVOTEE: "Why has God put us in the world?"
MASTER: "To perpetuate His
creation. It is His will, His maya. He has deluded man with 'woman
and gold'."
DEVOTEE: "Why has He deluded us? Why has He so willed?"
MASTER: "If but once He should give
man a taste of divine joy, then man would not care to lead a worldly
life. The creation would come to an end.
"The grain-dealer stores rice in huge bags in his
warehouse. Near them he puts some puffed rice in a tray. This is to
keep the rats away. The puffed rice tastes sweet to the rats and they
nibble at it all night; they do not seek the rice itself. But just think!
One seer of rice yields fourteen seers of puffed rice. How infinitely
superior is the joy of God to the pleasure of 'woman and gold'! To one who
thinks of the beauty of God, the beauty of even Rambha and Tilottama appears as
but the ashes of a funeral pyre."
DEVOTEE: "Why do we not feel intense restlessness to realize
Him?"
MASTER: "A man does not feel restless
for God until all his worldly desires are satisfied. He does not remember
the Mother of the Universe until his share of the enjoyment of 'woman and gold'
is completed. A child absorbed in play does not seek his mother.
But after his play is over, he says, 'Mother! I must go to my mother.' Hriday's
son was playing with the pigeons, calling to them, 'Come! Ti, ti!' When he had
had enough of play he began to cry. Then a stranger came and said: 'Come
with me. I will take you to your mother.' Unhesitatingly he climbed on
the man's shoulders and was off.
"Those who are eternally free do not have to enter
worldly life. Their desire for enjoyment has been satisfied with their
very birth."
At five o'clock in the afternoon Dr. Madhusudan
arrived. While he prepared the bandage for the MASTER's arm, Sri Ramakrishna laughed like a child and said,
"You are the Madhusudan of both this world and the next!"
DR. MADHUSUDAN (smiling): "I only labour
under the weight of my name."
The power of God's name
MASTER (smiling): "Why, is the name a
trifling thing? God is not different from His name. Satyabhama tried to
balance Krishna with gold and precious stones, but could not do it. Then
Rukmini put a tulsi-leaf with the name of Krishna on the scales. That
balanced the Lord."
The doctor was ready to bandage the MASTER's arm. A bed was spread
on the floor and the MASTER, laughing, lay down upon it. He said,
intoning the words: "Ah! This is Radha's final stage. But Brinde
says, 'Who knows what is yet to be?' "
The devotees were sitting around the MASTER. He sang:
The gopis all were gathered about the shore of the
lake.
Sri Ramakrishna laughed and the devotees laughed with him.
After his arm was bandaged he said: "I haven't very
much faith in your Calcutta physicians. When Sambhu became delirious,
Dr. Sarvadhikari said: 'Oh, it is nothing. It is just grogginess
from the medicine. And a little while after, Sambhu breathed his
last."
It was evening and the worship in the temples was
over. A few minutes later Adhar arrived from Calcutta to see the MASTER.
Mahimacharan, Rākhāl , and M. were in the room.
ADHAR: "How are you?"
MASTER (affectionately): "Look
here. How my arm hurts! (Smiling) You don't have to ask how I am!"
Adhar sat on the floor with the devotees. The MASTER said
to him, "Please stroke here gently." Adhar sat on the end of the
couch and gently stroked Sri Ramakrishna's feet.
The MASTER conversed with Mahimācharan.
MASTER: "It will be very good if you
can practise unselfish love for God. A man who has such love says: 'O
Lord, I do not seek salvation, fame, wealth, or cure of disease. None of
these do I seek. I want only Thee.' Many are the people who come to a
rich man with various desires. But if someone comes to him simply out of
love, not wanting any favour, then the rich man feels attracted to him.
Prahlada had this unselfish love, this pure love for God without any worldly
end."
Mahimacharan sat silent. The MASTER turned to him.
Ego separates one from Brahman
MASTER: "Now let me tell you
something that will agree with your mood. According to the Vedānta one
has to know the real nature of one's own Self. But such knowledge is
impossible without the renunciation of ego. The ego is like a stick that
seems to divide the water in two. It makes you feel that you are one and
I am another. When the ego disappears in samādhi, then one knows Brahman
to be one's own inner consciousness.
"One must renounce the 'I' that makes one feel, 'I am
Mahima Chakravarty', 'I am a learned man', and so on. But the 'ego of
Knowledge' does not injure one. Sankaracharya retained the 'ego of
Knowledge' in order to teach mankind.
Warning about lust
"One
cannot obtain the Knowledge of Brahman unless one is extremely cautious about
women. Therefore it is very difficult for those who live in the world to
get such Knowledge. However clever you may be, you will stain your body
if you live in a sooty room. The company of a young woman evokes lust
even in a lustless man.
"But it is not so harmful for a householder who follows the path of knowledge to enjoy conjugal happiness with his own wife now and then. He may satisfy his sexual impulse like any other natural impulse. Yes, you may enjoy a sweetmeat once in a while. (Mahimacharan laughs.) It is not so harmful for a householder.
Hard discipline for sannyasi
"But
it is extremely harmful for a sannyasi. He must not look even at the
portrait of a woman. A monk enjoying a woman is like a man swallowing the
spittle he has already spat out. A sannyasi must not sit near a woman and
talk to her, even if she is intensely pious. No, he must not talk to a
woman even though he may have controlled his passion.
"A sannyasi must renounce both 'woman' and
'gold'. As he must not look even at the portrait of a woman, so also he
must not touch gold, that is to say, money. It is bad for him even to
keep money near him, for it brings in its train calculation, worry, insolence,
anger, and such evils. There is an instance in the sun: it shines
brightly; suddenly a cloud appears and hides it.
"That is why I didn't agree to the Mārwāri's depositing
money for me with Hriday. I said: 'No, I won't allow even that. If
I keep money near me, it will certainly raise clouds.'
"Why all these strict rules for a sannyasi? It is for
the welfare of mankind as well as for his own good. A sannyasi may
himself lead an unattached life and may have controlled his passion, but he
must renounce 'woman and gold' to set an example to the world.
"A man will have the courage to practise renunciation
if he sees one hundred percent renunciation in a sannyasi. Then only will
he try to give up 'woman and gold'. If a sannyasi does not set this
example, then who will?
"One may lead a householder's life after realizing
God. It is like churning butter from milk and then keeping the butter in
water. Janaka led the life of a householder after attaining
Brahmajnana.
"Janaka fenced with two swords, the one of jnāna and
the other of karma. The sannyasi renounces action; therefore he fences
with one sword only, that of knowledge. A householder, endowed with
knowledge like Janaka's, can enjoy fruit both from the tree and from the
ground. He can serve holy men, entertain guests, and do other things like
that. I said to the Divine Mother, 'O Mother, I don't want to be a dry
sādhu.'
"After attaining Brahmajnana one does not have to
discriminate even about food. The rishis of olden times, endowed with the
Knowledge of Brahman and having experienced divine bliss, ate everything, even
pork.
(To Mahima) "Generally speaking there are two kinds of
yoga: karmayoga and manoyoga, that is to say, union with God through work and
through the mind.
Four stages of life
"There
are four stages of life: brahmacharya, garhasthya, Vanaprastha, and
sannyas. During the first three stages a man has to perform his worldly
duties. The sannyasi carries only his staff, water-pot, and
begging-bowl. He too may perform certain nityakarma, but his mind is not
attached to it; he is not conscious of doing such work. Some sannyasis
perform nityakarma to set an example to the world. If a householder or a
man belonging to the other stages of life performs action without attachment,
then he is united with God through such action.
"In the case of a paramahamsa, like Sukadeva, all
karmas-all puja, japa, tarpan, sandhya, and so forth-drop away. In this
state a man communes with God through the mind alone. Sometimes he may be
pleased to perform outward activities for the welfare of mankind. But his
recollection and contemplation of God remain uninterrupted."
It was about eight o'clock in the evening. Sri Ramakrishna asked Mahimacharan to recite a few
hymns from the scriptures. Mahima read the first verse of the Uttara
Gitā, describing the nature of the Supreme Brahman:
He, Brahman, is one, partless, stainless, and
beyond the ether;
Without beginning or end, unknowable by mind or intelligence.
Without beginning or end, unknowable by mind or intelligence.
Finally he came to the seventh verse of the third chapter,
which reads:
The twice-born worships the Deity in fire,
The munis contemplate Him in the heart,
Men of limited wisdom see Him in the image,
And the yogis who have attained samesightedness
Behold Him everywhere.
The munis contemplate Him in the heart,
Men of limited wisdom see Him in the image,
And the yogis who have attained samesightedness
Behold Him everywhere.
No sooner did the MASTER hear the words "the yogis who have
attained samesightedness" than he stood up and went into samādhi, his arm
supported by the splint and bandage. Speechless, the devotees looked at
this yogi who had himself attained the state of samesightedness.
After a long time the MASTER regained consciousness of the outer world
and took his seat. He asked Mahima to recite verses describing the love
of God. The latter recited from the Nārada Pancharatra:
What need is there of penance if God is worshipped
with love?
What is the use of penance if God is not worshipped with love?
What need is there of penance if God is seen within and without?
What is the use of penance if God is not seen within and without?
O Brahman! O my child! Cease from practising further penances.
Hasten to Sankara, the Ocean of Heavenly Wisdom;
Obtain from Him the love of God, the pure love praised by devotees,
Which snaps in twain the shackles that bind you to the world.
What is the use of penance if God is not worshipped with love?
What need is there of penance if God is seen within and without?
What is the use of penance if God is not seen within and without?
O Brahman! O my child! Cease from practising further penances.
Hasten to Sankara, the Ocean of Heavenly Wisdom;
Obtain from Him the love of God, the pure love praised by devotees,
Which snaps in twain the shackles that bind you to the world.
MASTER: "Ah! Ah!"
On hearing these verses the MASTER was about to go again into an
ecstatic mood, but he restrained himself with effort.
Mahima read from the Yati–Panchaka:
I am She, the Divine Mother, in whom the illusion of the
universe of animate and inanimate things is seen, as in magic, and in whom the
universe shines, being the play of Her mind. I am She, the Embodiment of
Consciousness, who is the Self of the universe, the only Existence, Knowledge,
and Bliss.
When the MASTER heard the line, "I am She, the
Embodiment of Consciousness", he said with a smile, "Whatever is in
the microcosm is also in the macrocos M."
Next Mahima read the Six Stanzas of Nirvāna :
OM. I am neither mind, intelligence, ego,
nor chitta,
Neither ears nor tongue nor the senses of smell and sight;
Nor am I ether, earth, fire, water, or air:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Neither ears nor tongue nor the senses of smell and sight;
Nor am I ether, earth, fire, water, or air:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
I am neither the prana, nor the five vital
breaths,
Neither the seven elements of the body nor its five sheaths,
Nor hands nor feet nor tongue, nor the organs of sex and voiding:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Neither the seven elements of the body nor its five sheaths,
Nor hands nor feet nor tongue, nor the organs of sex and voiding:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Neither loathing nor liking have I, neither greed
nor delusion;
No sense have I of ego or pride, neither dharma nor moksha;
Neither desire of the mind nor object for its desiring:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
No sense have I of ego or pride, neither dharma nor moksha;
Neither desire of the mind nor object for its desiring:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Neither right nor wrong doing am I, neither pleasure
nor pain,
Nor the mantra, the sacred place, the Vedas, the sacrifice;
Neither the act of eating, the eater, nor the food:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Nor the mantra, the sacred place, the Vedas, the sacrifice;
Neither the act of eating, the eater, nor the food:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Death or fear I have none, nor any distinction of
caste;
Neither father nor mother nor even a birth have I;
Neither friend nor comrade, neither disciple nor guru:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Neither father nor mother nor even a birth have I;
Neither friend nor comrade, neither disciple nor guru:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
I have no form or fancy; the All-pervading am I;
Eyerywhere I exist, yet I am beyond the senses;
Neither salvation am I, nor anything that may be known:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Eyerywhere I exist, yet I am beyond the senses;
Neither salvation am I, nor anything that may be known:
I am Pure Knowledge and Bliss: I am Śiva! I am Śiva!
Each time Mahima repeated: "I am Śiva! I am
Śiva!", the MASTER rejoined with a smile: "Not I! Not I!
Thou art Knowledge Absolute."
Mahima read a few more verses and also a description of the
six psychic centres of the body. He said that in Benares he had witnessed
the death of a yogi in the state of yoga.
MAHIMA: "There are fine passages in the Rāma Gitā."
MASTER: "You are speaking of the Rāma
Gitā. Then you must be a staunch Vedantist. How many books of that
kind the sādhus used to read here!"
Mahima recited the description of Om:
It is like the unceasing flow of oil; like the
long peal of a bell.
About the characteristics of samādhi he read: "The man
established in samādhi sees the upper region filled with Ātman, the nether
region filled with Ātman, the middle region filled with Ātman. He sees
all filled with Ātman."
Adhar and Mahima saluted the MASTER and departed.
At noon the following day, after his midday meal, Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch, when
Ram, Surendra, and a few other devotees arrived from Calcutta. They were
worried about the MASTER's injured arm. The arm was
bandaged. M.
was present.
MASTER (to the devotees): "The Mother
has put me in such a state of mind that I cannot hide anything from
anyone. Mine is the condition of a child. Rākhāl doesn't
understand it. He covers my injured arm, wrapping my body with a cloth
lest others should see my injury and criticize me. He took Dr.
Madhu aside and reported my illness. But I shouted and said: 'Hello!
Where are you, Madhusudan? Come and see. My arm is broken!'
"I used to sleep in the same room with Mathur and his
wife. They took care of me as if I were their own child. I was then
passing through a state of divine madness. Mathur would ask me, 'Father,
do you hear our conversation?' 'Yes', I would reply.
"Once Mathur's wife became suspicious of his movements
and said to him, 'If you go anywhere, he must accompany you.' One day Mathur
went to a certain place and asked me to wait downstairs. He returned
after half an hour and said to me: 'Come, father, let us go now. The
carriage is waiting.' When Mathur's wife asked me about it, I reported the
thing correctly. I said to her: 'We went to a certain house. He
told me to stay downstairs and himself went upstairs. He came down after
half an hour and we left the place.' Of course she understood the thing in her
own way.
"A partner of Mathur's estate used to take fruits and
vegetables stealthily from the temple garden. When the other partners
asked me about it, I told them the exact truth."
Sunday, February 24, 1884
Sri Ramakrishna
was resting in his room after his midday meal, and Mani Mallick was
sitting on the floor beside him, when M. arrived. M. saluted the MASTER
and sat down beside Mani. The MASTER's injured arm was bandaged.
MASTER (to M.): "How did you
come?"
M: "I came as far as Alambazar in
a carriage and from there I walked."
MANILAL: "Oh, he is so hot!"
MASTER (with a smile): "This makes me
think that all these are not mere fancies of my brain. Otherwise why
should these 'Englishmen' take so much trouble to come here?"
Sri Ramakrishna began to talk to them about his health and his injured arm.
MASTER's childlike impatience
MASTER: "Now and then I become
impatient about my arm. I show it to this or that man and ask him whether
I shall get well again. That makes Rākhāl angry. He doesn't
understand my mood. Now and then I say to myself, 'Let him go away.'
Again I say to the Mother: 'Mother, where will he go? Why should he burn
himself in the frying-pan of the world?'
"This childlike impatience of mine is nothing
new. I used to ask Mathur Babu to feel my pulse and tell me whether I was
ill.
"Well, where then is my faith in God? Once I was going
to Kamarpukur in a bullock-cart, when several persons came up to the cart with
clubs in their hands. They looked like highwaymen. I began to
chant the names of the gods. Sometimes I repeated the names of Rāma and
Durga, and some times 'Om Tat Sat', so that in case one failed another would
work.
(To M.) "Can you tell me why I am so
impatient?"
M: "Your mind, sir, is always
absorbed in samādhi. You have kept a fraction of it on your body for the
welfare of the devotees. Therefore you feel impatient now and then for
your body's safety."
MASTER: "That is true. A little
of the mind is attached to the body. It wants to enjoy the love of God
and the company of the devotees."
Mani Mallick told the MASTER about an exhibition that was being held in
Calcutta. He described a beautiful image of Yaśoda with the Baby Krishna
on her lap. Sri Ramakrishna's eyes filled
with tears. On hearing about Yaśoda, the embodiment of maternal love, his
spiritual consciousness was kindled and he wept.
MANILAL: "If you were not unwell, you could visit the
exhibition in the Maidan."
MASTER (to M. and the others): "I
shan't be able to see everything even if I go. Perhaps my eyes will fall
on some certain thing and I shall become unconscious. Then I shall not be
able to see the rest. I was taken to the Zoological Garden. I
Went into samādhi at the sight of the lion, for the carrier of the Mother
awakened in my mind the consciousness of the Mother Herself. In that
state who could see the other animals? I had to return home after seeing only
the lion. Hence Jadu Mallick's mother first suggested that I should go to
the exhibition and then said I should not."
Mani Mallick, about sixty-five years old, had been a member
of the Brahmo Samaj for many years, and Sri Ramakrishna
gave him instruction that would agree with his mood.
MASTER: "Pundit Jaynarayan had very
liberal views. I visited him once and liked his attitude. But his
sons wore high boots. He told me he intended to go to Benares and live
there, and at last he carried out his intention; for later on he did live in
Benares and die there. When one grows old one should retire, like
Jaynarayan, and devote oneself to the thought of God. What do you say?"
MANILAL: "True, sir. I don't relish the worries and
troubles of the world."
MASTER: "Gauri used to worship his
wife with offerings of flowers. All women are manifestations of the
Divine Mother. (To Manilal) Please tell them that little story of
yours."
MANILAL (smiling): "Once several men were crossing the Ganges
in a boat. One of them, a pundit, was making a great display of his
erudition, saying that he had studied various books-the Vedas, the Vedānta, and
the six systems of philosophy. He asked a fellow passenger, 'Do you know
the Vedānta?' 'No, revered sir.' 'The Samkhya and the Patanjala?' 'No, revered
sir.' 'Have you read no philosophy whatsoever?' 'No, revered sir.' The pundit
was talking in this vain way and the passenger sitting in silence, when a great
storm arose and the boat was about to sink. The passenger said to the
pundit, 'Sir, can you swim?' 'No', replied the pundit. The passenger
said, 'I don't know the Samkhya or the Patanjala, but I can swim.' "
MASTER (smiling): "What will a man gain
by knowing many scriptures? The one thing needful is to know how to cross the
river of the world. God alone is real, and all else illusory.
"While Arjuna was aiming his arrow at the eye of the
bird, Drona asked him: 'What do you see? Do you see these kings?' 'No, sir',
replied Arjuna. 'Do you 'See me'?' 'No.' 'The tree?' 'No.' 'The bird on
the tree?' 'No.' 'What do you see then?' 'Only the eye of the bird.'
"He who sees only the eye of the bird can hit the
mark. He alone is clever who sees that God is real and all else is
illusory. What need have I of other information? Hanuman once remarked:
'I don't know anything about the phase of the moon or the position of the
stars. I only contemplate Rāma.'
(To M.) "Please buy a few fans for our use
here.
(To Manilal) "Look
here, pay a visit to his [meaning M.'s] father. The sight of a devotee
will inspire you.
God's manifestation as man
(To
M.)
"Since my arm was injured a deep change has come over me. I now
delight only in the Naralila, the human manifestation of God. Nitya and
Lila. The Nitya is the Indivisible Satchidananda, and the Lila, or Sport,
takes various forms, such as the Lila as God, the Lila as the deities, the Lila
as man, and the Lila as the universe.
"Vaishnavcharan. used to say that one has
attained Perfect Knowledge if one believes in God sporting as man. I
wouldn't adopt it then. But now I realize that he was right.
Vaishnavcharan liked pictures of man expressing tenderness and love.
(To Manilal) "It is God Himself who is sporting in the
form of man. It is He alone, who has become Mani Mallick. The Sikhs
teach: 'Thou art Satchidananda.'
"Now and then man catches a glimpse of his real Self
and becomes speechless with wonder. At such times he swims in an ocean of
joy. It is like suddenly meeting a dear relative. (To M.)
The other day as I was coming here in a carriage, I felt like that at the sight
of BaburaM.
When Śiva realizes His own Self, He dances about in joy exclaiming, 'What am I!
What am I!'
"The same thing has been described in the Adhyātma
Rāmāyana. Nārada said, 'O Rāma, all men are Thy forms, and it is Sita who
has become all women.' On looking at the actors in the Ramlila, I felt that
Narayana Himself had taken these human forms. The genuine and the
imitation appeared to be the same.
"Why do people worship virgins? All women are so many
forms of the Divine Mother. But Her manifestation is greatest in
pure-souled virgins.
(To M.) "Why do I become impatient when I am
ill? Because the Mother has placed me in the state of a child. The child
depends entirely on its mother. The child of the maidservant, when he
quarrels with the child of the MASTER, says, 'I shall tell my mother.'
"I was taken to Radhabazar to be photographed. It
had been arranged that I should go to Rajendra Mitra's house that day. I
heard that Keshab would be there. I planned to tell them certain things,
but I forgot it all when I went to Radhabazar. I said: 'O Mother, Thou
wilt speak. What shall I say?'
"I have not the nature of a Jnāni. He considers
himself great. He says, 'What? How can I be ill?'
"Koar Singh once said to me, 'You still worry about
your body.' But it is my nature to believe that my Mother knows
everything. It was She who would speak at Rajendra Mitra's house.
Hers are the only effective words. One ray of light from the Goddess of
Wisdom stuns a thousand scholars.
"The Mother has kept me in the state of a bhakta, a
vijnāni. That is why I joke with Rākhāl and the others. Had I
been in the condition of a Jnāni I couldn't do that.
"In this state I realize that it is the Mother alone
who has become everything. I see Her everywhere. In the Kāli temple
I found that the Mother Herself had become everything-even the wicked, even the
brother of Bhagavat Pundit.
"Once I was about to scold Ramlal's mother, but I had
to restrain myself. I saw her to be a form of the Divine Mother. I
worship virgins because I see in them the Divine Mother. My wife strokes
my feet, but I salute her afterwards.
"You salute me by touching my feet. But had
Hriday been here, who would have dared to touch them? He wouldn't have allowed
anyone to do it. I have to return your salutes because the Mother has
placed me in a state in which I see God in everything.
"You see, one cannot exclude even a wicked
person. A tulsi-leaf, however dry or small, can be used for worship in
the temple."
Sunday, March 2, 1884
Trailokya's songs
Sri Ramakrishna
was sitting on the small couch in his room, listening to devotional music by
Trailokya Sannyal of the Brahmo Samaj. He had not yet recovered from the
effects of the injury to his arm, which was still supported by a splint.
Many devotees, including, Narendra, Srendra, and M., were sitting on the floor.
Narendra's father, a lawyer of the High Court of Calcutta,
had passed away suddenly. He had not been able to make provision for the
family, which consequently faced grave financial difficulties. The
members of the family sometimes had to go without food. Narendra was
therefore passing his days in great anxiety.
Trailokya sang about the Divine Mother:
O Mother, I hide myself in Thy loving bosom;
I gaze at Thy face and cry out, "Mother! Mother!"
I sink in the Sea of Bliss and am lost to sense
In yoga-sleep; I gaze with unwinking eyes
Upon Thy face, powerless to turn away.
O Mother, I am terrified by this world;
My spirit trembles and cries out in fear.
Keep me, sweet Mother, in Thy loving bosom;
Cover me with the spreading skirt of Thy love.
The MASTER shed tears of love and cried out, "Ah me! Ah me!"
I gaze at Thy face and cry out, "Mother! Mother!"
I sink in the Sea of Bliss and am lost to sense
In yoga-sleep; I gaze with unwinking eyes
Upon Thy face, powerless to turn away.
O Mother, I am terrified by this world;
My spirit trembles and cries out in fear.
Keep me, sweet Mother, in Thy loving bosom;
Cover me with the spreading skirt of Thy love.
The MASTER shed tears of love and cried out, "Ah me! Ah me!"
Trailokya
sang again:
O Lord, Destroyer of my shame! Who but Thyself can
save
The honour of Thy devotee?
Thou art the Ruler of my soul, my very life's Support,
The honour of Thy devotee?
Thou art the Ruler of my soul, my very life's Support,
And I am Thy slave for evermore. .
. .
He
continued:
Seeking a shelter at Thy feet,
I have forever set aside
My pride of caste and race, O Lord,
And turned my back on fear and shame.
A lonely pilgrim on life's way,
Where shall I go for succour now?
For Thy sake, Lord, I bear men's blame;
They rail at me with bitter words
And hate me for my love of Thee.
Both friends and strangers use me ill.
I have forever set aside
My pride of caste and race, O Lord,
And turned my back on fear and shame.
A lonely pilgrim on life's way,
Where shall I go for succour now?
For Thy sake, Lord, I bear men's blame;
They rail at me with bitter words
And hate me for my love of Thee.
Both friends and strangers use me ill.
Thou art the Guardian of my name;
Thou mayest save or slay me, Lord!
Upon the honour of Thy servant
Rests, O Lord, Thy name as well;
Thou art the Ruler of my soul,
The glow of love within my heart;
Do with me as it pleases Thee!
Thou mayest save or slay me, Lord!
Upon the honour of Thy servant
Rests, O Lord, Thy name as well;
Thou art the Ruler of my soul,
The glow of love within my heart;
Do with me as it pleases Thee!
Once
more he sang:
Lord, Thou hast taken me from home and made me
captive with Thy love;
Shield me for ever at Thy feet, O Thou Beloved One!
Upon the Nectar of Thy love, feed me both day and night,
And save Premdas, who is Thy slave.
Shield me for ever at Thy feet, O Thou Beloved One!
Upon the Nectar of Thy love, feed me both day and night,
And save Premdas, who is Thy slave.
The MASTER again shed tears of joy. He sang some
lines from a song of Ramprasad:
Glory and shame, bitter and sweet, are Thine
alone;
This world is nothing but Thy play.
Then why, O Blissful One, dost Thou cause a rift in it?
This world is nothing but Thy play.
Then why, O Blissful One, dost Thou cause a rift in it?
Addressing Trailokya, the MASTER said: "Ah! How touching
your songs are! They are genuine. Only he who has gone to the ocean can
fetch its water."
Trailokya
sang again:
Thou it is that dancest, Lord, and Thou that
singest the song;
Thou it is that clappest Thy hands in time with the music's beat;
But man, who is an onlooker merely, foolishly thinks it is he.
Thou it is that clappest Thy hands in time with the music's beat;
But man, who is an onlooker merely, foolishly thinks it is he.
Though but a puppet, man becomes a god if he moves
with Thee;
Thou art the Mover of the machine, the Driver of the car;
But man is weighted down with woe, dreaming that he is free.
Thou art the Mover of the machine, the Driver of the car;
But man is weighted down with woe, dreaming that he is free.
Thou art the Root of everything, Thou the Soul of
our souls;
Thou art the MASTER of our hearts; through Thine unbounded grace
Thou turnest even the meanest sinner into the mightiest saint.
Thou art the MASTER of our hearts; through Thine unbounded grace
Thou turnest even the meanest sinner into the mightiest saint.
The singing came to an end. The MASTER engaged in conversation with
the devotees.
Process of negation and affirmation & God
Himself has become everything
MASTER: "God alone is the MASTER,
and again, He is the Servant. This attitude indicates Perfect
Knowledge. At first one discriminates, 'Not this, not this', and feels
that God alone is real and all else is illusory. Afterwards the same
person finds that it is God Himself who has become all this-the universe, maya,
and the living beings. First negation and then affirmation. This is
the view held by the Puranas. A vilwa-fruit, for instance, includes
flesh, seeds, and shell. You get the flesh by discarding the shell and
seeds. But if you want to know the weight of the fruit, you cannot find
it if you discard the shell and seeds. Just so, one should attain
Sarchidananda by negating the universe and its living beings. But after
the attainment of Satchidananda one finds that Satchidananda Itself has become
the universe and the living beings. It is of one substance that the flesh
and the shell and seeds are made, just like butter and buttermilk.
The world does not exist apart from God
"It
may be asked, 'How has Satchidananda become so hard?' This earth does indeed
feel very hard to the touch. The answer is that blood and semen are thin
liquids, and yet out of them comes such a big creature as man. Everything
is possible for God. First of all reach the indivisible Satchidananda,
and then, coming down, look at the universe. You will then find that
everything is Its manifestation. It is God alone who has become
everything. The world by no means exists apart from Him.
"All elements finally merge in Ākāśa. Again, at
the time of creation, Ākāśa evolves into mahat and mahat into Ahamkāra.
In this way the whole world-system is evolved. It is the process of
involution and evolution. A devotee of God accepts everything. He
accepts the universe and its created beings as well as the indivisible
Satchidananda.
"But the yogi's path is different. He does not
come back after reaching the Paramatman, the Supreme Soul. He becomes
united with It.
"The 'partial knower' limits God to one object
only. He thinks that God cannot exist in anything beyond that.
Three classes of devotees
"There
are three classes of devotees. The lowest one says, 'God is up there.'
That is, he points to heaven. The mediocre devotee says that God dwells
in the heart as the 'Inner Controller'. But the highest devotee says:
'God alone has become everything. All that we perceive is so many forms
of God.' Narendra used to make fun of me and say: 'Yes, God has become
all! Then a pot is God, a cup is God!' (Laughter.)
Vision of God destroys doubts
"All
doubts disappear when one sees God. It is one thing to hear of God, but
quite a different thing to see Him. A man cannot have one hundred per
cent conviction through mere hearing. But if he beholds God face to face,
then he is wholly convinced.
"Formal worship drops away after the vision of
God. It was thus that my worship in the temple came to an end. I
used to worship the Deity in the Kāli temple. It was suddenly revealed to
me that everything is Pure Spirit. The utensils of worship, the altar,
the door-frame-all Pure Spirit. Men, animals, and other living beings-all
Pure Spirit. Then like a madman I began to shower flowers in all
directions. Whatever I saw I worshipped.
"One day, while worshipping Śiva, I was about to offer
a bel-leaf on the head of the image, when it was revealed to me that this
Virat, this Universe, itself is Śiva. After that my worship of Śiva
through the image came to an end. Another day I had been plucking
flowers, when it was revealed to me that the flowering plants were so many
bouquets."
TRAILOKYA: "Ah! How beautiful is God's creation!"
MASTER: "Oh no, it is not that.
It was revealed to me in a flash. I didn't calculate about it. It
was shown to me that each plant was a bouquet adorning the Universal Form of
God. That was the end of my plucking flowers. I look on man in just
the same way. When I see a man, I see that it is God Himself who walks on
earth, as it were, rocking to and fro, like a pillow floating on the
waves. The pillow moves with the waves. It bobs up and down.
"The body has, indeed, only a momentary
existence. God alone is real. Now the body exists, and now it does
not. Years ago, when I had been suffering terribly from indigestion,
Hriday said to me, 'Do ask the Mother to cure you.' I felt ashamed to speak to
Her about my illness. I said to Her:
'Mother, I saw a skeleton in the Asiatic Society Museum.
It was pieced together with wires into a human for M. O Mother, please keep
my body together a little, like that, so that I may sing Thy name and glories.'
"Why this desire to live? After Ravana's death Rāma and
Lakshmana entered his capital and saw Nikasha, his old mother, running
away. Lakshmana was surprised at this and said to Rāma, 'All her children
are dead, but still life attracts her so much!' Rāma called Nikasha to His side
and said: 'Don't be afraid. Why are you running away?' She replied:
'Rāma, it was not fear that made me flee from You. I have been able to
see all these wondrous actions of Yours simply because I am alive. I
shall see many more things like these if I continue to live. Hence I
desire to live.'
"Without desires the body cannot live. (Smiling)
I had one or two desires. I prayed to the Mother, 'O Mother, give me the
company of those who have renounced "woman and gold".' I said
further: 'I should like to enjoy the society of Thy jnanis and bhaktas.
So give me a little strength that I may walk hither and thither and visit those
people.' But She did not give me the strength to walk."
TRAlLOKYA (smiling): "Have all the desires been fulfilled?"
MASTER (smiling): "No, there are
still a few left. (All laugh.)
"The body is really impermanent. When my arm was
broken I said to the Mother, 'Mother, it hurts me very much.' At once She
revealed to me a carriage and its driver. Here and there a few screws
were loose. The carriage moved as the driver directed it. It had no
power of its own.
"Why then do I take care of the body? It is to enjoy
God, to sing His name and glories, and to go about visiting His jnanis and
bhaktas."
MASTER's sympathy for Narendra's suffering
Narendra
was sitting on the floor in front of the MASTER.
MASTER (to Trailokya and the other
devotees): "The joys and sorrows of the body are inevitable. Look at
Narendra. His father is dead, and his people have been put to extreme
suffering. He can't find any way out of it. God places one
sometimes in happiness and sometimes in misery."
TRAILOKYA: "Revered sir, God will be gracious to Narendra."
MASTER (with a smile): "But when? It
is true that no one starves at the temple of Annapurna in Benares; but some
must wait for food till evening.
"Once Hriday asked Sambhu Mallick for some money.
Sambhu held the views of 'Englishmen' on such matters. He said to Hriday:
'Why should I give you money? You can earn your livelihood by working.
Even now you are earning something. The case of a very poor person is different.
The purpose of charity is fulfilled if one gives money to the blind or the
lame.' Thereupon Hriday said: 'Sir, please don't say that. I don't need
your money. May God help me not to become blind or deaf or extremely
poor! I don't want you to give, and I don't want to receive.' "
The MASTER spoke as if piqued because God had not yet
shown His kindness to Narendra. Now and then he cast an affectionate
glance at his beloved disciple.
NARENDRA: "I am now studying the views of the atheists."
MASTER: "There are two doctrines: the
existence and the non-existence of God. Why don't you accept the
first?"
SURENDRA: "God is just. He must look after His devotees."
MASTER: "It is said in the scriptures
that only those who have been charitable in their former births get money in
this life. But to tell you the truth, this world is God's maya. And
there are many confusing things in this realm of maya. One cannot
comprehend them.
God's ways are inscrutable
"The
ways of God are inscrutable indeed. Bhishma lay on his bed of
arrows. The Pandava brothers visited him in Krishna's company.
Presently Bhishma burst into tears. The Pandavas said to Krishna:
'Krishna, how amazing this is! Our grandsire Bhishma is one of the eight Vasus.
Another man as wise as he is not to be found. Yet even he is bewildered
by maya and weeps at death.' 'But', said Krishna, 'Bhishma isn't weeping on
that account. You may ask him about it.' When asked, Bhishma said: 'O
Krishna, I am unable to understand anything of the ways of God; God Himself is
the constant companion of the Pandavas, and still they have no end of
trouble. That is why I weep. When I reflect on this, I realize that
one cannot understand anything of God's ways.'
"God has revealed to me that only the Paramatman, whom
the Vedas describe as the Pure Soul, is as immutable as Mount Sumeru,
unattached, and beyond pain and pleasure. There is much confusion in this
world of His maya. One can by no means say that 'this' will come after
'that' or 'this' will produce 'that'."
SURENDRA (smiling): "If by giving away money in a.
previous birth one gets wealth in this life, then we should all give away money
now."
MASTER: "Those who have money should
give it to the poor and needy. (To Trailokya) Jaygopal Sen is well-to-do.
He should be charitable. That he is not so is to his discredit.
There are some who are miserly even though they have money. There is no
knowing who will enjoy their money afterwards.
"Jaygopal came here the other day. He drove over
here in a carriage. The lamps were broken, the horse seemed to have been
returned from the charnel-house, and the coachman looked as if he had just been
discharged from the Medical College Hospital. And he brought me two
rotten pomegranates!" (All laugh.)
SURENDRA: "Jaygopal Babu belongs to the Brahmo Samaj. I
understand that now there is not one worth-while man in Keshab's
organization. Vijay Goswami, Shivanath, and other notables have organized
the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj."
MASTER (smiling): "Govinda Adhikari,
it is said, would not keep good actors in his theatre lest they should claim a
share of the profit. (All laugh.)
"The other day I saw a disciple of Keshab. A
theatrical performance was being given in Keshab's house, and I saw the
disciple dancing on the stage with a child in his arms. I understand that
this man delivers 'lectures'. He had better lecture to himself."
Trailokya
sang:
Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness waves of
ecstatic love arise:
Rapture divine! Play of God's Bliss!
Oh, how enthralling!
Wondrous waves of the sweetness of God, ever new and ever enchanting,
Rise on the surface, ever assuming
Forms ever fresh.
Then once more in the Great Communion all are merged, as the barrier walls
Of time and space dissolve and vanish:
Dance then, O mind!
Dance in delight, with hands upraised, chanting Lord Hari's holy name.
Rapture divine! Play of God's Bliss!
Oh, how enthralling!
Wondrous waves of the sweetness of God, ever new and ever enchanting,
Rise on the surface, ever assuming
Forms ever fresh.
Then once more in the Great Communion all are merged, as the barrier walls
Of time and space dissolve and vanish:
Dance then, O mind!
Dance in delight, with hands upraised, chanting Lord Hari's holy name.
Sri Ramakrishna requested Trailokya to
sing
the song beginning, "O Mother, make me mad with
Thy love".
Trailokya
sang:
O Mother, make me mad with Thy love!
What need have I of knowledge or reason?
Make me drunk with Thy love's Wine:
O Thou who stealest Thy bhaktas' hearts,
Drown me deep in the Sea of Thy love!
Here in this world, this madhouse of Thine
Some laugh, some weep, some dance for joy:
Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Gaurānga,
All are drunk with the Wine of Thy love.
O Mother, when shall I be blessed
By joining their blissful company?
What need have I of knowledge or reason?
Make me drunk with Thy love's Wine:
O Thou who stealest Thy bhaktas' hearts,
Drown me deep in the Sea of Thy love!
Here in this world, this madhouse of Thine
Some laugh, some weep, some dance for joy:
Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Gaurānga,
All are drunk with the Wine of Thy love.
O Mother, when shall I be blessed
By joining their blissful company?
--------------------
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