Chapter
24
PUNDIT SHASHADHAR
Wednesday,
June 25, 1884
IT
WAS THE DAY of the Rathyatra the Car Festival of the Hindus. At Ishan's
invitation Sri
Ramakrishna went to his house in Calcutta. For some time the Master
had had a desire to meet Pundit Shashadhar. Tarkachudamani, who had been
staying with one of Ishan's neighbours. So it was decided that he would visit
the pundit in the afternoon.
A few devotees, including Hazra, accompanied the Master
to Ishan's house. Ishan had invited one or two brahmin scholars and a devotee
who followed the Tantrik method of worship. Shrish and Ishan's other sons were
also present.
The Master noticed that the Tantrik worshipper had a
vermilion mark on his forehead, and smilingly said, "I see he is
branded."
After a while M. and Narendra arrived and bowed before Sri Ramakrishna.
The Master
had previously informed M. that he would be at Ishan's house.
The Master joked about the delay in serving their
meal. One of the scholars quoted a Sanskrit verse about the anxiety created in
people's minds by the pangs of hunger. Proceeding to explain the verse he said:
"The study of philosophy is indeed edifying, but poetry is more
fascinating than philosophy. People listening to good poems think of the study
of philosophy-Vedānta, Nyaya, Samkhya, and so forth as dry and insipid.
Again, music is more attractive than poetry. Music melts even a heart of stone.
But a beautiful woman has an even greater attraction for a man's heart than music.
Such a woman, passing by, diverts a man's attention from both poetry and music.
But when a man feels the pangs of hunger, everything else poetry, music
and woman appears as of no consequence. Thus, hunger is the most
arresting thing."
The Master remarked with a smile, "The pundit is
witty."
Soon Narendra began to sing. A few moments later
the Master
went upstairs for a little rest. M. and Shrish accompanied him. M.
introduced Shrish to the Master, saying: "He is a scholar and a man of
peaceful nature. We were fellow students in our boyhood. Now he is a
lawyer."
MASTER: "It is a pity that such a man
should practise law."
M: "Yes, sir. It was a mistake on his part."
MASTER: "I know a few lawyers. One of
them shows me great respect. He is a straightforward man. (To Shrish) What is
your idea about the most essential thing in life?"
SHRISH: "God exists and He alone does everything. But the
attributes we ascribe to Him are not the right ones. How can a man canceive of
Him? His nature is infinite."
MASTER: "What need is there of your
counting the number of trees and branches in an orchard? You have come to the
orchard to eat mangoes. Do that and be happy. The aim of human birth is to love
God. Realize that love and be at peace.
"Suppose you have entered a tavern for a drink. Is it
necessary for you to know how many gallons of wine there are in the tavern? One
glass is enough for you. What need is there of your knowing the infinite
qualities of God? You may discriminate for millions of years about God's
attributes and still you will not know them."
The Master remained silent a few minutes. A brahmin
pundit came into the room.
Sufferings in the worldly life
MASTER (to M.):
"There is no substance whatsoever in the worldly life. The members of
Ishan's family are good; so he has some peace here. Suppose his sons had been
lewd, disobedient, and addicted to drink and other vices. Then there would have
been no end to his troubles. One very seldom comes across such a religious
family, in which all the members are devoted to God. I have seen only two or
three such families. Generally one finds quarrels, misunderstanding, jealousy,
and friction. Besides, there are disease, grief, and poverty in the world.
Seeing this condition, I prayed to the Divine Mother, 'O Mother, turn my mind
at once from the world to God.'
"Look at Narendra's troubles. His father is dead and
the members of his family are starving. He has been trying his utmost to secure
a position, but he has not yet found one. Just see how unsettled his mind is!
(To M.) "You used to
come to Dakshineswar very frequently. But why have you become such a rare
visitor? Perhaps you have become particularly friendly with your wife. Is it
true? Why should I blame you? The influence of 'woman and gold' is
everywhere. Therefore I pray, 'O Divine Mother, please don't make me a
worldly man if I am to be born again in a human body.' "
BRĀHMIN SCHOLAR: "Why should you say that, sir?
The scriptures extol the life of a householder."
MASTER: "Yes, that is true. But it is
very difficult to lead the true life of a householder. (To M.) How wrong of us! They are singing, especially Narendra,
and we have left the room."
About four o'clock in the afternoon the Master left in a carriage for the
house where Pundit Shashadhar was staying. As soon as Sri Ramakrishna got into the
carriage he went into samādhi. His physical frame was very tender as a result
of the austerities he had undergone during the long years of his spiritual
discipline and his constant absorption in God-Consciousness.
The Master would suffer from the slightest physical
discomfort and even from the vibration of worldly thoughts around him. Once
Keshab Chandra Sen had said that Sri Ramakrishna, Christ, and Sri Chaitanya
belonged to a delicate species of humanity that should be kept in a glass case
and protected from the vulgar contact of the world.
It was the rainy season, and a fine drizzle of rain had made
the road muddy. The sky was overcast. The devotees followed the carriage on
foot. As the carriage stopped in front of the house, the host and his relatives
welcomed the Master
and took him upstairs to the drawing-room. There the Master met the pundit.
Pundit Shashadhar
Pundit
Shashadhar, a man of fair complexion and no longer young, had a string of
rudraksha beads around his neck. He was one of the renowned Sanskrit scholars
of his time-a pillar of orthodox Hinduism, which had reasserted itself after
the first wave of Christianity and Western culture had passed over Hindu
society. His clear exposition of the Hindu scriptures, his ringing sincerity,
and, his stirring eloquence had brought back a large number of the educated
young Hindus of Bengal to the religion of their forefathers.
The pundit saluted the Master with reverence. Narendra, Rākhāl , Ram, Hazra,
and M., who had come with the Master,
seated themselves in the room as near the Master as they could, anxious not to miss one of
his words.
At the sight of the pundit the Master again went into samādhi.
After a while, still remaining in that state, he looked at the pundit and said
with a smile, "Very well, very well." Then, addressing the pundit,
the Master
said, "Tell me how you give lectures."
PUNDIT: "Sir, I try to explain the teachings of the Hindu
scriptures."
Efficacy of bhakti for modern times
MASTER: "For the Kaliyuga the path of
devotion described by Nārada is best. Where can people find time now to perform
their duties according to the scriptural injunctions? Nowadays the decoctions
of roots and herbs of the orthodox Hindu physicians cannot be given to a fever
patient. By the time that kind of medicine begins its slow process of curing,
the patient is done for. Therefore only a drastic medicine like the allopathic
'fever mixture' is effective now. You may ask people to practise scriptural
rites and rituals; but, when prescribing the rituals, remove the 'head and
tail'. I tell people not to bother about the elaborate rituals of the sandhya
as enjoined in the scriptures. I say that it will be enough for them to repeat
the Gayatri alone. If you must give instruction about scriptural ceremonies, do
so only to a very few, like Ishan.
Futility of lecturing
"You
may deliver thousands of lectures, but they won't make the slightest impression
on worldly people. Can one drive a nail into a stone wall? The point of the
nail will sooner break than make a dent in the stone. What will you gain by
striking the tough skin of the crocodile with a sword? The sādhu's water-bowl,
made from the shell of a bitter gourd, may visit the four principal holy places
of India with its owner, but it will still remain as bitter as ever. Your
lectures are not helping worldly people very much; and you will realize this by
and by. The calf cannot stand on its legs all at once. Now it drops to the
ground and now it stands up. So it learns to stand finally on its legs and
walk.
"You cannot distinguish a lover of God from a worldly
person. It isn't your fault, of course. When the first onrush of the gale
shakes the trees, it is impossible to distinguish one tree from another-the
mango from the tamarind, for instance.
Rituals prepare the way for divine love
"Without
having realized God one cannot give up rituals altogether. How long should one
practise the sandhya and other forms of ritualistic worship? As long as one
does not shed tears of joy at the name of God and feel a thrill in one's body.
You will know that your ritualistic worship has come to an end when your eyes
become filled with tears as you repeat 'Om Rāma'. Then you do not have to
continue your sandhya or other rituals.
"When the fruit appears the blossom drops off. Love of
God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom. When the daughter-in-law of the
house becomes pregnant, she cannot do much work. Her mother-in-law gradually
lessens her duties in the house. When her time arrives she does practically
nothing. And after the child is born her only work is to play with it. She
doesn't do any household duties at all. The sandhya merges in the Gayatri, the
Gayatri in Om, and, Om in samādhi. It is like the sound of a bell: t-a-m. The yogi,
by following in the trail of the sound Om, gradually merges himself in the
Supreme Brahman. His sandhya and other ritualistic duties disappear in samādhi.
Thus the duties of the Jnāni come to an end."
As the Master talked of samādhi, he himself went into
that state. His face radiated a heavenly light. Bereft of outer consciousness,
he could not utter another word. His gaze was indrawn and transfixed in
communion with the Self. After a long time the Master began to recognize the world
around him and said, like a child, "I shall have a drink of water."
Whenever after samādhi the Master asked for a drink of water, his devotees
knew that he was gradually becoming conscious of the outer world.
Still lingering in the state of ecstasy, he said to the
Divine Mother: "O Mother, the other day You showed me Pundit Iswar Chandra
Vidyasagar. Then I told You that I should like to see another pundit, and so
You have brought me here."
Looking at the pundit, he said: "My child, add a little
more to your strength. Practise spiritual discipline a few days more. You have
hardly set your foot on the tree, yet you expect to lay hold of a big cluster
of fruit. But, of course, you are doing all this for the welfare of
others." With these words he bowed his head before the pundit.
The Master continued: "When I first heard about
you, I inquired whether you were merely erudite or whether you had
discrimination and renunciation. A pundit who doesn't know how to discriminate
between the Real and the unreal is no pundit at all.
Preacher with God's commission
"There
is no harm in teaching others if the preacher has a commission from the Lord.
Nobody can confound a preacher who teaches people after having received the
command of God. Getting a ray of light from the goddess of learning, a man
becomes so powerful that before him big scholars seem mere earthworms.
"When the lamp is lighted the moths come in swarms.
They don't have to be invited. In the same way, the preacher who has a
commission from God need not invite people to hear him. He doesn't have to
announce the time of his lectures. He possesses such irresistible attraction
that people come to him of their own accord. People of all classes, even kings
and aristocrats, gather around him. They say to him: 'Revered sir, what can we
offer you? Here are mangoes, sweets, money, shawls, and other things. What will
you be pleased to accept?' In that case I say to them: 'Go away. I don't care,
for these. I don't want anything.'
"Does the magnet say to the iron, 'Come near me?' That
is not necessary. Because of the attraction of the magnet, the iron rushes to
it.
Divine wisdom is inexhaustible
"Such
a preacher may not be a scholarly person, but don't conclude from that that he
has any lack of wisdom. Does book-learning make one wise? He who has a commission
from God never runs short of wisdom. That wisdom comes from God; it is
inexhaustible. At Kamarpukur I have seen people measuring grain. It lies in a
heap. One man keeps pushing grain from the heap toward another man, who weighs
it on a scales. So the man who weighs doesn't run short of grain. It is the
same with the preacher who has received a commission from God. As he teaches
people, the Divine Mother Herself supplies him with fresh knowledge from
behind. That knowledge never comes to an end.
"Can a preacher ever lack knowledge if but once he is
favoured with a benign glance from the Divine Mother? Therefore I ask you
whether you have received any commission from God."
HAZRA: "Oh yes, he must have it. (To the pundit) Isn't it
true, sir?"
PUNDIT: "Commission? No, sir, I am afraid I haven't received
any such thing."
HOST: "He may not have received the commission, but he
preaches from a sense of duty."
MASTER: "What will a man accomplish
by mere lectures without the commission from God? Once a Brahmo preacher said
in the course of his sermon, 'Friends, how much I used to drink!' and so on.
Hearing this the people began to whisper among themselves: 'What is this fool
saying? He used to drink!' Now these words produced a very unfavourable effect.
This shows that preaching cannot bring a good result unless it comes from a
good man.
"A high government official from Barisal once said to
me, 'Sir, if you begin the work of preaching, I too shall gird my loins.' I
told him the story of people's dirtying the bank of the Haldārpukur and of its
being stopped only when a constable, armed with authority from the government,
put up a notice prohibiting
it.
"So I say, a worthless man may talk his head off
preaching, and yet he will produce no effect. But people will listen to him if
he is armed with a badge of authority from God. One cannot teach others without
the commission from God. A teacher of men must have great power. There's
many a Hanumanpuri in Calcutta. It is with them that you will have to wrestle.
(Pointing to the people assembled there) These are mere sheep!
"Chaitanyadeva was an Incarnation of God. How little is
left of what he accomplished-not to speak of a lecturer who preaches without
authority from God! What good will a lecturer do?
Master exhorts the pundit to cultivate divine love
"Therefore
I say to you, dive deep in God-Consciousness."
Saying this, the Master began to sing in an ecstasy of love for
God:
Dive deep, O mind, dive deep in the Ocean of God's
Beauty;
If you descend to the uttermost depths,
There you will find the gem of Love. . . .
If you descend to the uttermost depths,
There you will find the gem of Love. . . .
The Master continued: "One does not die if one
sinks in this Ocean. This is the Ocean of Immortality. Once I said to Narendra:
'God is the Ocean of Bliss. Tell me if you want to plunge into It. Just imagine
there is some syrup in a cup and that you have become a fly. Now tell me where
you will sit to sip the syrup.' Narendra answered: 'I will, sit on the edge of
the cup and stretch out my neck to drink, because I am sure to die if I go far
into the cup.' Then I said to him: 'But my child, this is the Ocean of
Satchidananda. There is no fear of death in it. This is the Ocean of
Immortality. Only ignorant people say that one should not have an excess of
devotion and divine love. How foolish! Can there be any excess of divine love?'
(To the pundit)
"Therefore I say to you, dive into the Ocean of Satchidananda. Nothing
will ever worry you if you but realize God. Then you will get His commission to
teach people.
Many paths to realize God
"There
are innumerable pathways leading to the Ocean of Immortality. The essential
thing is to reach the Ocean. It doesn't matter which path you follow. Imagine
that there is a reservoir containing the Elixir of Immortality. You will
be immortal if a few drops of the Elixir somehow get into your mouth. You may
get into the reservoir either by jumping into it, or by being pushed into it
from behind, or by slowly walking down the steps. The effect is one and the
same. You will become immortal by tasting a drop of that Elixir.
Three yogas explained by Master
"Innumerable
are the ways that lead to God. There are the paths of jnāna, of karma, and of
bhakti. If you are sincere, you will attain God in the end, whichever path you
follow. Roughly speaking, there are three kinds of yoga: jnanayoga, karma yoga,
and bhaktiyoga.
"What is jnanayoga? The Jnāni seeks to realize Brahman.
He discriminates, saying, 'Not this, not this'. He discriminates, saying,
'Brahman is real and the universe illusory.' He discriminates between the Real
and the unreal. As he comes to the end of discrimination, he goes into samādhi
and attains the Knowledge of Brahman.
"What is karmayoga? Its aim is to fix one's mind on God
by means of work. That is what you are teaching. It consists of breath-control,
concentration, meditation, and so on, done in a spirit of detachment. If a
householder performs his duties in the world in a spirit of detachment,
surrendering the results to God and with devotion to God in his heart, he too
may be said to practise karmayoga. Further, if a person performs worship, japa,
and other forms of devotion, surrendering the results to God, he may be said to
practise karmayoga. Attainment of God alone is the aim of karmayoga.
"What is bhaktiyoga? It is to keep the mind on God by
chanting His name and glories. For the Kaliyuga the path of devotion is
easiest. This is indeed the path for this age.
Difficulties of the paths of jnāna and karma
"The
path of karma is very difficult. First of all, as I have just said, where will
one find the time for it nowadays? Where is the time for a man to perform his
duties as enjoined in the scriptures? Man's life is short in this age. Further,
it is extremely difficult to perform one's duties in a spirit of detachment,
without craving the result. One cannot work in such a spirit without first
having realized God. Attachment to the result somehow enters the mind, though
you may not be aware of it.
"To follow jnanayoga in this age is also very
difficult. First, a man's life depends entirely on food. Second, he has a short
span of life. Third, he can by no means get rid of body-consciousness; and the
Knowledge of Brahman is impossible without the destruction of
body-consciousness. The Jnāni says: 'I am Brahman; I am not the body. I am
beyond hunger and thirst, disease and grief, birth and death, pleasure and
pain.' How can you be a Jnāni if you are conscious of disease, grief, pain,
pleasure, and the like? A thorn enters your flesh, blood flow from the wound,
and you suffer very badly from the pain; but nevertheless, if you are a Jnāni
you must be able to say: 'Why, there is no thorn in my flesh at all. Nothing is
the matter with me'
"Therefore bhaktiyoga is prescribed for this age. By
following this path one comes to God more easily than by following the others.
One can undoubtedly, reach God by following the paths of jnāna and karma, but
they are very difficult paths.
God fulfils all desires of His devotees
"Bhaktiyoga
is the religion for this age. But that does not mean that the lover of God will
reach one goal and the philosopher and worker another. It means that if a
person seeks the Knowledge of Brahman he can attain It by following the path of
bhakti, too. God, who loves His devotee, can give him the Knowledge of Brahman
if He so desires.
"But the bhakta wants to realize the Personal God
endowed with form and talk to Him. He seldom seeks the Knowledge of Brahman.
But God, who does everything at His pleasure, can make His devotee the heir to
His infinite glories if it pleases Him. He gives His devotee both the Love of
God and the Knowledge of Brahman. If one is able somehow to reach Calcutta, one
can see the Maidan and the museum and other places too. The thing is how to
reach Calcutta.
"By realizing the Divine Mother of the Universe, you
will get Knowledge as well as Devotion. You will get both. In bhava samādhi you
will see the form of God, and in nirvikalpa samādhi you will realize Brahman,
the Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. In nirvikalpa samādhi ego, name, and
form do not exist.
Devotee's prayer to God
"A
lover of God prays to the Divine Mother: 'O Mother, I am very much afraid of
selfish actions. Such actions have desires behind them, and if I perform them I
shall have to reap their fruit. But it is very difficult to work in a detached
spirit. I shall certainly forget Thee, O Mother, if I involve myself in selfish
actions. Therefore I have no use for them. May my actions, O Divine Mother, be
fewer every day till I attain Thee. May I perform, without attachment to the
results, only what action is absolutely necessary for me. May I have great love
for Thee as I go on with my few duties. May I not entangle myself in new work
so long as I do not realize Thee. But I shall perform it if I receive Thy command.
Otherwise not.' "
About pilgrimage
PUNDIT:
"How far did you go in visiting the sacred places?"
MASTER: "Oh, I visited a few places.
(With a smile) But Hazra went farther and also climbed higher. He visited
Hrishikesh, but I didn't go so far or so high.
"You must pave noticed kites and vultures soaring very
high in the sky; but their eyes are always fixed on the charnel-pits. Do you
know the meaning of 'charnel-pits'? It is 'woman and gold'.
"What is the use of making pilgrimages if you can attain
love of God remaining where you are? I have been to Benares and noticed the
same trees there as here. The same green tamarind-leaves!
"Pilgrimage becomes futile if it does not enable you to
attain love of God. Love of God is the one essential and necessary thing. Do
you know the meaning of 'kites and vultures'? There are many people who talk
big and who say that they have performed most of the duties enjoined in the
scriptures. But with all that their minds are engrossed in worldliness and
deeply preoccupied with money, riches, name, fame, creature comforts, and such
things."
PUNDIT: "It is true, sir. Going on a pilgrimage is like
seeking diamonds and gems, while discarding the precious stone that is worn by
Narayana Himself on His breast."
MASTER: "I want you to remember this.
You may impart thousands of instructions to people, but they will not bear
fruit except in proper time. On going to bed, a child said to his mother,
'Mother, please wake me up when I feel the call of nature.' The mother said:
'Don't worry about it, my child. That call will wake you up itself.' (All
laugh.) One feels yearning for God at the proper time.
Three kinds of teachers
"There
are three classes of physicians. The physicians of one class feel the patient's
pulse and go away, merely prescribing medicine. As they leave the room they
simply ask the patient to take the medicine. They are the poorest class of
physicians. Likewise, there are teachers who only give instruction, but do not
stop to see whether their teachings have produced a good or bad effect. They do
not think at all about the disciple.
"There are physicians of another class, who prescribe
medicine and ask the patient to take it. If the patient is unwilling to follow
their directions, they reason with him. They are the mediocre physicians.
Likewise, there are mediocre teachers. They give instruction to the student
and, further, try to persuade him in various ways to follow the instruction.
"Lastly, there are the physicians of the highest class.
If the patient does
not respond to their gentle persuasion, they even
exert force upon him. If necessary, they press their knees on the patient's
chest and force the medicine down his throat. Likewise, there are teachers of
the highest class, who even exert force to direct the mind of the pupil toward
God."
PUNDIT: Sir, if there are such superior teachers as you have
described, then why should you say that one does not get the Knowledge of God
until the right time comes?"
MASTER: "You are right. But what will
the physician do if the medicine runs out of the patient's mouth and doesn't
reach his stomach? In such a case even the best physician can't do anything.
"The teacher should judge the fitness of the student
before giving him instruction. But you don't discriminate in your instruction.
When a young man comes to me for instruction, first of all I ask him about his
relatives at home. Suppose he has lost his father; suppose his father has left
some debts for him. How can such a person direct his mind to God? Are you listening
to me?"
PUNDIT: "Yes, sir. I am paying attention to every word."
MASTER: "One day some Sikh soldiers
came to the temple garden at Dakshineswar. I met them in front of the Kāli
temple. One of them referred to God as very compassionate. 'Indeed!' I said.
'Is that true? But how do you know?' He answered, 'Because, sir, God gives us
food and takes every care of us.' I said: 'Why should that surprise you? God is
the Father of us all. Who will look after the child if the father doesn't? Do
you mean to say that the people of the neighbouring village should look after
the child?"
NARENDRA: "Then shouldn't we call God
kind?"
MASTER: "Have I forbidden you to?
What I mean is that God is our very own. He is not a stranger to us."
PUNDIT: "Priceless words!"
MASTER (to Narendra): "I listened to
your singing, but I didn't enjoy it. So I left the room. Your mind is now set
on seeking a job, and therefore your song sounded dull."
Narendra flushed. He felt ashamed of himself
and remained silent.
The Master asked for a drink of water. A glass of
water had been placed near him, but he could not take it. He asked for some
fresh water. Later it was found that a man of immoral character had touched the
first glass.
PUNDIT (to Hazra): "You live in his company day and night. You
must be very happy."
MASTER (with a smile): "This is
indeed a great occasion for me. Today I have seen the crescent moon of the
second day of the bright fortnight. (All laugh.) Do you know why I referred to
the moon of the second day? Sita once said to Ravana, 'You are the full moon
and Rāma is the crescent moon of the second day of the bright fortnight.'
Ravana did not understand the meaning of these words. He thought Sita was
flattering him and became exceedingly happy. But Sita meant that Ravana had
reached the fullest limit of his power and prosperity, and that thenceforth he
would wane like the full moon. Rāma, on the other hand, was like the moon of
the second day. He would wax day by day."
The Master was about to take his leave. The pundit and
his friends bowed low before him.
It was not yet dusk, and Sri Ramakrishna returned to Ishan's
house with the devotees. The Master took his seat in the drawing-room with
Ishan and his sons, a pundit, and a few devotees.
MASTER (smiling to Ishan): "I said to
Pundit Shashadhar: 'You have hardly set your foot on the tree, and yet you
aspire to lay hold of a big bunch of fruit. First of all practise some
spiritual discipline. Then you may teach others.' "
ISHAN:
"Every preacher thinks that he enlightens others. The glowworm also may
think that it illumines the world. Imagining this to be the glow–worm's
feeling, someone said to it: 'O glow–worm, how can you bring light to the
world? You only reveal the intensity of the darkness.' "
MASTER (with a smile): "But Shashadhar is not just a scholar. He also has a little discrimination and dispassion."
A pundit who was present said to Sri Ramakrishna, "You are
indeed a great soul."
MASTER: "You may say that about sages
like Nārada, Prahlada, or Sukadeva. I am like your son.
"Of course, in one sense your words are true. It is
said that in one respect the devotee of God is greater than God Himself,
because he carries God in his heart. (All rejoice.) It is said in the Vaishnava
books: 'A devotee regards himself as a higher, and God as a lower, being.'
Yaśoda, the mother of Krishna, was about to fetter Krishna, who was God
Incarnate, with chains. She believed that no one but herself could take care of
Krishna.
"Sometimes God acts as the magnet and the devotee as
the needle. God attracts the devotee to Himself. Again, sometimes the devotee
acts as the magnet and God as the needle. Such is the attraction of the devotee
that God comes to him, unable to resist his love."
The Master was about to leave for Dakshineswar. Ishan
and the other devotees stood around him while he gave Ishan various words of
advice.
Advice to householders
MASTER: "A devotee who can call on
God while living a householder's life is a hero indeed. God thinks: 'He who has
renounced the world for My sake will surely pray to Me. He must serve Me. Is
there anything very remarkable about it? People will cry shame on him if he
fails to do so. But he is blessed indeed who prays to Me in the midst of his
worldly duties. He is trying to find Me, overcoming a great obstacle-pushing
away, as it were, a huge block of stone weighing a ton. Such a man is a real
hero.' "
PUNDIT: "You are right, sir. The scripture says the same
thing. There is in the Mahabharata the story of the 'pious hunter' and the
'chaste woman'. Once a hermit was disturbed in his meditation by a crow. When
he cast an angry glance at the bird, it was reduced to ashes. The hermit said
to himself: 'I have destroyed the crow by a mere glance. I must have made great
progress in spiritual life.' One day he went to a woman's house to beg his
food. She was devoted to her husband and served him day and night; she provided
him with water to wash his feet and even dried them with her hair. When the
hermit knocked at her door for alms, she was serving her husband and could not
open the door at once. The hermit, in a fit of anger, began to curse her. The
chaste woman answered from the inner apartments: 'I am not your crow. Wait a
few minutes, sir. After finishing my service to my husband I shall give you my
attention.' The hermit was very much surprised to find that this simple woman
was aware of his having burnt the crow to ashes. He wanted her to give him
spiritual instruction. At her bidding he went to the 'pious hunter' at Benares.
This hunter sold meat, but he also served his parents day and night as
embodiments of God. The hermit said to himself in utter amazement: 'Why, he is
a butcher and a worldly man! How can he give me the Knowledge of Brahman?' But
the hunter was a knower of Brahman and had acquired divine knowledge through
the performance of his worldly duties. The hermit was illumined by the
instruction of the 'pious hunter'."
The Master was about to take his leave. He was
standing at the door of the next house, where Ishan's father-in-law lived.
Ishan and the other devotees stood by the Master. They were waiting to bid him good-bye. Sri Ramakrishna
said to Ishan: "Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a
mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar.
"Again, the world is a mixture of milk and water, the
bliss of God-Consciousness and the pleasure of sense-enjoyment. Be a swan and
drink the milk, leaving the water aside.
"Live in the world like a waterfowl. The water clings
to the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in the world like a mudfish. The
fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny.
"The world is indeed a mixture of truth and
make-believe. Discard the make-believe and take the truth."
Sri Ramakrishna got into the carriage and left for
Dakshineswar.
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