Narendra, the disciple

Sri Ramakrishna said, “When peasant go to market to buy bullocks for their ploughs, they can easily tell the good from the bad by touching their tails. On being touched there, some meekly lie down on the ground, peasant recognize that these are without mettle and so reject them. They select only those bullocks that frisk about and show spirit when tails are touched, Narendra is the bullock of the later class. He is full of spirit within. 

But then are some people who have no grit whatever. They are like flattened rice soaked in milk, soft and mushy - with no inner strength.”

Hanuman the God - Ramayana

Just imagine Hanuman’s state of mind. He didn’t care for money, honor, creature comforts, or anything else. He longed only for God. When he was running away with a heavenly weapon that had been secreted in a crystal pillar. Mandodari began to tempt him with various fruit so that he might come down and drop the weapon. But he could not be tricked so easily. In reply to her persuasion he sang this song.

Am I in need of fruit?

I have the fruit that makes this life.

Fruitful indeed. Within my Heart.

The tree of Rama grows,

Bearing salvation for its fruit.

Under the wish-fulling tree.

Oh Rama do I sit at ease.

Plucking whatever fruit I will.

But If you speak of fruit - 

No Begger, I , for common fruit.

Behold I Go,

Leaving a bitter fruit for you.”

***

The story referred to here is told in the Ramayana. Ravana had received a boon as a result of which he could be killed only by a particular celestial weapon. This weapon was concealed in the crystal pillar in his palace. One day Hanuman, in the guise of an ordinary monkey, came to the palace and broke the pillar. As he was running away with the weapon, he was tempted with fruits by Mandodari (Ravan’s Wife) so that he might give back the weapon. He soon assumed his own form and sang the song given in the text.

In the GOD's Devotion

Meditate, O mind, on the Lords Hari,

The Stainless one, Pure spirit though and through,

How pearless is the Light that in Him shines!

How soul-bewitching is His wondrous form!

How dear is he to all his devotees!

Ever more beauteous in fresh-blossoming love

That shames the splendor of million moons,

Like lightening gleams the glory of His form,

Raising erect the hair for very joy.

Worship His feet in the lotus of your heart;

With mind serene and eyes made radiant

With heavenly love, behold that matchless sight.

Caught in the spell of His love’s esctacy,

Immerse yourself for evermore, O mind.

In him who is pure Knowledge and Pure Bliss

To Narendra From Master : 'Homa-Bird'

You all see this boy. He behaves that way here. A naughty boy seems very gentle when with his father. But he is quite another person when he plays in chandni. Narendra and people of his type belong to class of the ever-free. They are never entangled in the world. When they get little older they feel the awakening of inner conciousness and go directly toward God. They come to the world only to teach others. They never care for anything of the world. They are never attached to ‘Woman & Gold”.

“The Vedas speak of Homa-bird. Its live high up in the sky and there it lay its egg. As soon as the egg is laid it begins to fall, but it is so high that it continues to fall for many days. As it falls it hatches, and the chick falls. As the chick falls its eyes open; it grows wings. As soon as it eyes open, it realizes that it is falling and will be dashed to pieces on touching the earth. Then it at one shoots up toward the mother bird high in the sky.”

Power of Faith

You must have heard about the tremendous power the faith. It is said in the Purana that Rama, who was god himself - the embodiment of Absolute Brahman - had to bui;ld to cross across the sea to Ceylon. But Hanuman trusting the Rama’s name, cleared the sean in one jump and reached other side. He had no need of bridge.

“Once a man was about to cross the sea. Bhibhishana wrote Rama’s name on a leaf, tied itin a corner of the man’s wearing cloth, and said to him; ‘Don’t  be afraid. Have faith and walk on the water. But look here- the moment you lose faith you will be drowned. The man was walking easily on the water. Suddenly he had an intense desire to see what was tied in his cloth. He opened it and found only a leaf with the name of Rama written on it. ‘What is this?’ he thought ‘Just the name of Rama’ As soon as doubt entered his mind he sank under the water.

“If the man has faith in God, then even if he has committed the most henious sins -such as killling a cow, brahmin; or a woman - he will certainly be saved through his faith. Let him only say to God, ‘O Lord, I will not repeat such an action’, and he need not be afraid of anything.

If only I can pass away repeating Durga’s name,

How canst Thou then, O Blessed One,

Withhold from me deliverance,

Wretched though I may be?

I may have stolen a drink of wine, or killed a child unborn,

Or slain a woman or a cow,

Or even caused a Brahmin’s death;

But, though it all be true,

Nothing of this can make me feel the least uneasiness,

For through the power of ‘Thy sweet name’

My wretched soul my still aspire.

Even to Brahmanhood.

claim token 5PZ37FUPR8BU 

Golden Mantra - For Worldly Person !!

Certainly there is help for worldly person. From time to time he should live in the company of holy men, and from time to time must go into solitude to meditate on God. Furthermore, he should practice discrimination and pray to God ‘Give me faith and Devotion’ Once the person has faith he has achieved everything. There is nothing greater than faith.

Some are Good and Some are Bad

In this creation of God there is a variety of things; men , animals, trees, plants. Among the animals some are good, some are bad. There are ferocious animals like tiger. Some trees bear fruit as sweet as nectar and some fruit that is poisonous. Likewise, among human being, there are good and wicked, there are holy and unholy. There are some devoted to god and some attached to the world.

“Men may be divided in four classes: those bound by fetters of the world, the seekers after liberation, the liberated and the ever-free.”

1. “Among the ever free we may count sages such as Narada. They live in the world for the good of others, to teach men spiritual truth.”
2. “Those in bondage are sunk in worldliness and forgetfull of God. Not even by mistake do they think of God.”
3. “The seekers after liberation want to free themselves from the attachment to the world. Some of them succeed and some don’t.
4. “Liberated souls, such Sadhus and Mahatmas, are not entangled in this world, in “woman & gold”. Their minds are free from worldliness. Besides, they always meditate on the Lotus feet of God.”

Suppose a net has been cast into a lake to catch fish. Some fish are clever that they are never caught in the net. They are like the ever-free. But most of the fish are entangled in the net. Some of them try to free themselves from it, and they are like those who seek liberation. But not all the fish that struggle succeed. A very few do jump out of the net, making a big splash in the water. Then the fisherman shout, “Look ! there goes a big one! But most of the fish caught in the net can not escape, nor do they make any effort to get out, on the contrary they burrow deep into the mud with the net in their mouth and lie there quietly, thinking. “We need not fear anymore, we are quite safe here.’ But the poor things do not know that fishermen will drag them out with the net. These are like the men bound to the world.

” The bound souls are tied to the world by the fetters of ‘woman & gold’ They are bound hand and foot. Thinking that ‘woman & gold’ would make them happy and give them security, they do not realize that it will lead them to annihilation. When a man thus bound to the world is about to die, his wife asks, ‘You are about to go, But what have you done for me? Again such is the attachment to the things in this world that, when he see the lamp burning brightly, he says: ‘Dim the light. Too much oil is being used.’ And he is on his death-bed!.

“The bound soul never think of God. If they get any leisure they indulge in idle gossip and foolish talk, or they engage in fruitless work. If you ask one of them the reason, he answers, ‘Oh, I can not sit still, so I am making a hedge.’ When time hangs heavy on their hands they perhaps start playing cards.

Wicked Man in the Society !!

Wicked Man in the Society

“A man living in the society should make a show of tamas to protect himself from evil minded people. But he should not harm anybody in the anticipation of harm likely to be done him.”

Story —-

Listen to a story. some cowherd boys used to tend their cows in a meadow where a terrible poisonous snake lived. Everyone was on alert for fear of it. One day a brahamachari was going along the meadow. The boys ran to him and said, ‘Revered Sir, Please don’t go that way. A venomous snake lives over there.’ ‘What of it my good children?’, said brahmachari. ‘I am not afraid of the snake. I know some mantras.’ So saying, he continued on his way along the meadow. But the cowherd boys, being afraid, did not accompany him. In the mean time the snake moved swiftly toward him with the upraised hood. As soon as it came near, he recited a mantra and snake lay near his feet as earthworm.The brahmachari said: “Look here why do you go about doing harm? Come, I will give you a holy word. By repeating it you will learn to love God. Ultimately you will realize Him and will get rid of your violent nature’, saying this he taught the snake a holy word and initiated him into spiritual life. The snake bowed before the teacher and said, “Revered Sir how shall I practice the spiritual discipline?” ‘Repeat the sacred word, and do no harm to anybody.’ As he was about to depart, the brahmachari said, ‘I shall see you again’.

Some days passed and the cowherd boys noticed that the snake would not bite. They threw at it. Still it showed no anger; it behaved as if it were a earthworm. One day one boy came close to it and caught it by its tail, whirling it around and round, and then thrashed it on the ground and threw it away. The snake vomited blood and became unconscious. It was stunned. It could not move. So thinking it dead boys went their way.

Late at night the snake regained consciousness. Slowly and with great difficulty it dragged itself into its hole; its bone were broken and it could scarcely move. Many days passed. The snake became mere skeleton covered with a skin. Now and then at night, it would come out in search of food. For the fear of boys it would not leave the hole during day time. Since receiving the sacred word from the teacher, it had given up doing harm to others. It maintained its life on dirt, leaves or the fruit that dropped from the trees.

“About a year later the brahamachari came that way again and asked after the snake. The cowherd boys told him that it was dead. But he could not believed them. He knew that the snake could not die before attaining  the fruit of the holy word with which it had been initiated. He found his way to the place and started searching here and there, called it by the name it had given it. Hearing the teacher’s voice it came out of its hole and bowed before him in great reverence. ‘How are you?’ asked the brahamachari. I am well sir replied the snake. But the teacher asked why are you so thin? The snake replied: ‘Revered Sir, you ordered me not to harm anybody . So I have been living on leaves and fruit. Perhaps that has made me thinner.’

The snake had developed the quality of sattva; it could not be angry with anyone. It had totally forgotten that the cowherd had almost killed it. The Brahamchari said, “It can’t be mere want of food that has reduced you to this state. There must be some other reason. Think a little. Then the snake remembered the boy who had almost killed it. It said, “Yes revered Sir, now I remember The boys one day dashed violently against the ground one day. They are ignorant after all. They did not realized that great change had come over my mind. How would they know that I would not bite or harm anyone?’ The brahmachri exclaimed, ‘What a shame. You are such a fool! You don’t know how to protect yourself. I asked you not to bite, but I didn’t forbid you to hiss. Why didn’t you scare them by hissing?”

“So you must hiss at wicked people. You must frighten them lest they should do you any harm. But never inject your venom into them. One must not injure other.”

God is in Everyone - But which ONE to listen to ?

In a forest lived a holy man who had many disciples. One day he taught them to see God in all beings and, knowing this, to bow low before them all. A disciple went to the forest to gather wood for the sacrificial fire. Suddenly he heard an outcry: ‘Get out of the way! A mad elephant is coming!’ All but the disciple of the holy man took to their heels. He reasoned that the elephant was also God in another form. Then why should he run away from it? He reasoned that the elephant was also God in another form. Then why should he run away from it? He stood still, bowed before the animal, and began to sing its praises. The manhut of the elephant was shouting: ‘Run away! Run away!’ But the disciple didn’t move. The animal seized him with his trunk, and cast him to one side, and went on its way. Hurt and bruised, the disciple lay unconscious on the ground. Hearing what had him to the hermitage. With the help of some medicine he soon regained consciousness. Someone asked him, “You knew the elephant was coming — why didn’t you leave the place?” But he said that our teacher has told us that GOD himself has taken all these forms, of animal as well as men. Therefore thinking it was only elephant GOD that was coming, I didn’t run away.” At this the teacher said: “Yes, my child, it is true that the elephant God was coming; but mahut GOD forbade you to stay there. Since all are manifestation of God, why didn’t you trust the mahut’s words? You should have heeded the words of the mahut God.”

“It is said in the scriptures that water is a form of God. But some water is fit to be used for worship, some water for washing the face, and some only for washing plates or dirty linen. This last sort cannot be used for drinking or for holy purpose. In like manner. God undoubtedly dwells in the hearts of all - holy and unholy, righteous and unrighteous; but a man should not have dealings with them. With some of them he may exchange words, but with others he shouldn’t go even that far. He should keep aloof from such people.”

How to see God ?

” Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.”

Cry to your Mother Shyama with a real cry, O mind!

And how can hold Herself from you?

How can Syama stay away?

How can your Mother Kali hold Herself away?

O mind if you are in earnest, bring Her an offering

Of bel-leaves and hibiscus flowers;

Lay at Her feet your offering

And with it mingle the fragrant sandal-paste of Love

Longing is like a rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.

“God reveals himself to devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combine force of these three attractions; the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, child’s attraction for his mother, and the husband’s attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to Him by the combine force of these three attractions, then through it one can attain him.”

“It is necessary to pray to Him with a longing heart. The kitten knows only how to call its mother, crying, “Mew, Mew!” It remains satisfied wherever its mother puts it. And the mother cat put the kitten sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed. When it suffers it cries only, “Mew, mew!” That’s all its knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be, she comes to the kitten.”

Is it possible to see GOD ?

“Yes, certainly. Living in solitude now and then, repeating God’s name and singing. His glories, and discriminating between the Real and the unreal - these are the means to employ to see Him.”

Practice Discrimination

Together with aforesaid, you must practice discrimination. “Woman and Gold” is impermanent. God is the only Eternal Substance. What does a man get with money? Food, clothes and a dwelling place- nothing more. You can not realize God with its help. Therefore money can never be the goal of life. That is the process of discrimination. 

” Discrimination about object. Consider - what is there in money or in a beautiful body? Discriminate and you will find that even the body of a beautiful woman consists of bones, flesh, fat and other disagreeable things. Why should a man give up God and direct his attention to such things? Why should a man forget God for their sake?”

World is Water, The Mind is Milk

The world is water and the mind is milk. If you pour milk into water they become one; you can not find the pure milk any more. But turn the milk into curd and churn it into butter. Then, when the butter is placed in water, it will float. So, practice spiritual discipline in solitude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water of the world the two will not min. The butter will float.

"Woman and Gold"

The term “Woman and Gold”, which has been used throughout in a collective sense, occurs again and again in the teaching of Sri Ramakrishna to designate the cheif impediment to spiritual progress. This Favorite expression of Master “kaminikanchan” has often been misconstrued. By it he only meant “lust and greed”, baneful influence of which retard the aspirants spiritual growth. He used the word “Kamini” or “woman” in a concrete term for the sex instinct when addressing his man devotees. He advised woman, on the other  hand to shun “man”. “Kanchan” or “Gold” symbolizes greed, which is the other obstacle to the spiritual life.

How to Live in this World ??

“Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God. Live with all - with wife and children, father and mother - and serve them. Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart that they don’t belong to you.”

“A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She bring up her master’s children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as ‘my Rama’ or ‘my Hari’. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all.”

“The tortoise move about in the water. But can you guess where her thoughts are? There on the bank, where her eggs are lying. Do all your duties in the world, but keep your mind on GOD.”

” If you enter the world without first cultivating love for GOD, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief,its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly thinks, the more you will be attached to them.”

“First rub your hands with oil and then break open the jack-fruit; otherwise they will be smeared with its sticky milk. First secure the oil of the divine love, and then set your hands to the duties of the world.”

“But one must go into solitude to attain this divine love. To get butter from the milk you must let it set into curd. Next you must put aside all other duties. sit in a quite spot, and churn the curd only then do you get butter.”

“Further, by meditating on God in solitude the mind acquires knowledge, dispassion and devotion. But the very same mind goes downward if it dwells in the world. In the world there is only one thought: woman and gold.”

How may we fix our mind on God ?

“Repeat God’s name and sing His glories and keep holy company; and now and then visit God’s devotees and holy men. The mind can not dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities; it is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practices meditation in solitude. When a tree is young it should be fenced all around; otherwise it may be destroyed by cattle.”

“To Meditate, you should withdraw with yourself or retire to seclude corner or to the forest. And you should always discriminate between the Real and unreal. God alone is real, Eternal Substance; all else is unreal, that is, impermanent. By discriminating thus, one should shake off impermanent. By discriminating thus, one should shake off impermanent objects from the mind.”

Clay Idol !! It is an image of Spirit !!

You were talking of worshiping the clay image. Even if the image is made of clay, there is need for that sort of worship. God Himself has provided different forms of worship. He who is the Lord of Universe has arranged all these forms to suit different men in different stages of knowledge. 

“The Mother cooks different dishes to suit the stomachs of her different children. Suppose she has five children. If there is a fish to cook, she prepare various dishes from it -pilau, pickled fish, fried fish, and so on - to suit their different tastes and powers of digestion.”

Who are you to Teach ? How to Pray ??

That’s the one hobby of you Calcutta people-giving lectures and bringing others to the light! Nobody ever stop to consider how to get the light himself. Who are you to teach ?

“He is the Lord of the Universe will teach everyone. He alone teaches us, who has created this universe; who has made the sun and the moon, men and beasts, and all other beings; who has provided mean for their sustenance; who has given children parents and endowed them with love to bring them up. The Lord has done so many things - will He not show people the way to worship him? If they need teaching, then He will be the teacher. He is our inner Guide.”

“Suppose there is an error in worshiping the clay image; doesn’t God know that through it. He alone is being invoked? He will be pleased with that very worship. Why should you get a headache over it? You had better try for knowledge and devotion yourself.”

God with Form or No-Form ?

“Very good. It is enough to have faith in either aspect. You believe in God without form; that is quite all right. But never for a moment think that this alone is true and all else false. Remeber that God with form is just as true as God without form. But hold fast to your own conviction.”

Life and Responsibilities !!

Pratap’s brother came here. He stayed for few days. He had nothing to do and said he wanted to live here. I came to know that he had left his wife and children with his father in law He has a whole brood of them! So I took him to the task. Just fancy! He is the father of so many children! Will people from the neighbourhood going to feed them and bring them up? He isn’t even ashamed that someone else is feeding his wife and children and that they have been left at his father in law’s house. I scolded him very hard and asked him to look for a job. Then he was willing to leave here. 

When Is It Enough ?

“When, hearing the name of Hari or Rama once, you shed tears and your hair stands on end, then you may know for certain that you do not have to perform such devotions as the sandhya any more. Then only will you have a right to renounce rituals will drop away themselves. Then it will be enough if you repeat only the name of Rama or Hari, or even simply Om.”

Continuing he said, “The Sandyha merges in Gayatri and Gayatri merges in Om”

Seeing God

Is it possible to see GOD ?

“Yes, certainly. Living in solitude now and then, repeating God’s name and singing. His glories, and discriminating between the Real and the unreal - these are the means to employ to see Him.”

How to see God ?

” Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.”

Cry to your Mother Shyama with a real cry, O mind!

And how can hold Herself from you?

How can Syama stay away?

How can your Mother Kali hold Herself away?

O mind if you are in earnest, bring Her an offering

Of bel-leaves and hibiscus flowers;

Lay at Her feet your offering

And with it mingle the fragrant sandal-paste of Love

Longing is like a rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.

“God reveals himself to devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combine force of these three attractions; the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, child’s attraction for his mother, and the husband’s attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to Him by the combine force of these three attractions, then through it one can attain him.”

“It is necessary to pray to Him with a longing heart. The kitten knows only how to call its mother, crying, “Mew, Mew!” It remains satisfied wherever its mother puts it. And the mother cat put the kitten sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed. When it suffers it cries only, “Mew, mew!” That’s all its knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be, she comes to the kitten.”