Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

RAMA and Lakshmana wanted to go to Ceylon.

But the ocean was before them. Lakshmana was

angry. Taking his bow and arrow, he said: “I shall

kill Varuna. This ocean prevents our going to

Ceylon.” Rama explained the matter to him, saying:

“Lakshmana, all that you are seeing is unreal, like a

dream. The ocean is unreal. Your anger is also

unreal. It is equally unreal to think of destroying

one unreal thing by means of another.”

IT is not easy to get rid of illusion. It lingers even

after the attainment of knowledge. A man dreamt

of a tiger. Then he woke up and his dream

vanished. But his heart continued to palpitate.

Some thieves came to a field. A straw figure

resembling a man had been put there to frighten

intruders. The thieves were scared by the figure

and could not persuade themselves to enter the

field. One of them, however, approached and

found that it was only a figure made of straw. He

came back to his companions and said, “There is

nothing to be afraid of.” But still they refused to

go. They said that their hearts were beating fast.

Then the daring thief laid the figure on the ground

and said, “It is nothing, it is nothing.” This is the

process of ‘Neti, neti.’

THERE was a farmer who lived in the countryside.

He was a real jnani. He earned his living by

farming, He was married, and after many years a

son was born to him, whom he named Haru. The

parents loved the boy dearly. This was natural,

since he was the one precious gem of the family.

On account of his religious nature the farmer was

loved by the villagers. One day he was working in

the field when a neighbour came and told him that

Haru had an attack of cholera. The farmer at once

returned home and arranged for treatment for the

boy. But Haru died. The other members of the

family were grief-stricken, but the farmer acted as

if nothing had happened. He consoled his family

and told them that grieving was futile. Then he

went back to his field. On returning home he

found his wife weeping even more bitterly. She

said to him: “How heartless you are! You haven’t

shed one tear for the child.” The farmer replied

quietly: “Shall I tell you why I haven’t wept? I had a

very vivid dream last night. I dreamt I had become

a king; I was the father of eight sons and was very

happy with them. Then I woke up. Now I am

greatly perplexed. Should I weep for those eight

sons or for this one Hani?”

The farmer was a jnani; therefore he realized that

the waking state is as unreal as the dream state.

There is only one eternal substance, and that is the

Atman.

A PRIEST was once going to the village of a

disciple of his. He had no servant with him. Seeing

a cobbler on the way, he addressed him, saying:

“Hulloa! Good man, will you accompany me as a

servant? You will be fed well and taken good care

of, if you come with me.” The cobbler replied: “Sir,

I am of the lowest caste. How can I come as your

servant?” The priest said, “Never mind. Do not tell

anybody what you are. Do not also speak to

anyone, or make anybody’s acquaintance. The

cobbler agreed. At twilight, while the priest was

sitting at prayers in the house of his disciple,

another brahmana came and said to the priest’s

servant, “Go and bring my shoes from there.” True

to the behest of his master, he made no response.

The brahmana repeated his order a second time,

but even then the servant remained silent. The

brahmana repeated it again and again, but the

cobbler did not move an inch. At last, getting

annoyed, the brahmana angrily said: “Sirrah; how

dare you disobey a bralimana’s command? What is

your name? Are you indeed a cobbler?” The

cobbler, hearing this, began to tremble with fear,

and looking piteously at the priest, said: “0

venerable sir, I am found out. I dare not stay here

any longer. Let me flee.” So saying, he took to his

heels.

Just so, as soon as Maya is recognised, she flies

away.

A CERTAIN sadhu lived for some time in the

room above the nahavat-khana (concert-room) of

the temple of Dakshineswar. He did not speak with

anybody and spent his whole time in the

meditation of God. One day, all of a sudden, a

cloud darkened the sky and shortly afterwards a

high wind blew away the cloud. The holy man now

came out of his room and began to laugh and

dance in the verandah in front of the concertroom.

Upon this I asked him, “How is it that you,

who spend your days so quietly in your room, are

dancing in joy and feel so jolly today?” The holy

man replied, “Such is Maya that envelops the life!”

At first there is clear sky, all of a sudden a cloud

darkens it and presently everything is as before

once more.

ONCE Narada besought the Lord of the universe,

“Lord, show me that Maya of Thine which can

make the impossible possible.” The Lord nodded

assent. Subsequently the Lord one day set out on a

travel with Narada. After going some distance, He

felt very thirsty and fatigued. So He sat down and

told Narada, “Narada, I feel much thirsty; please

get me a little water from somewhere.” Narada at

once ran in search of water.

Finding no water nearby, he went far from the

place and saw a river at a great distance. When he

approached the river, he saw a most charming

young lady sitting there, and was at once captivated

by her beauty. As soon as Narada went near her,

she began to address him in sweet words, and ere

long, both fell in love with each other. Narada then

married her, and settled down as a householder. In

course of time he had a number of children by her.

And while he was thus living happily with his wife

and children, there came a pestilence in the

country. Death began to collect its toll from every

place. Then Narada proposed to abandon the place

and go somewhere else. His wife acceded to it, and

they both came out of their house leading their

children by the hand. But no sooner did they come

to the bridge to cross the river than there came a

terrible flood, and in the rush of water, all their

children were swept away one after another, and at

last the wife too was drowned. Overwhelmed with

grief at his bereavement, Narada sat down on the

bank and began to weep piteously. Just then the

Lord appeared before him, saying, “O Narada,

where is the water? And why are you weeping?”

The sight of the Lord startled the sage, and then he

understood everything. He exclaimed, “Lord, my

obeisance to Thee, and my obeisance also to Thy

wonderful Maya!”

VISHNU incarnated Himself as a sow in order to

kill the demon Hiranynksha. After killing the

demon, sow remained quite happy with her young

ones. Forgetting her real nature, she was suckling

them very contentedly. The gods in heaven could

not persuade Vishnu to relinquish His sow’s body

and return to the celestial regions. He was

absorbed in the happiness of His beast form. After

consulting among themselves, the gods sent Siva to

the sow. Siva asked the sow “Why have you

forgotten yourself?” Vishnu replied through the

sow’s body, “Why, I am quite happy here.”

Thereupon with a stroke of his trident Siva

destroyed the sow’s body and Vishnu went back to

heaven.

Everyone is under the authority of the Divine

Mother, Mahamaya, the Primal Energy. Even the

Incarnations of God accept the help of Maya to

fulfil their mission on earth. Therefore they

worship the Primal Energy.

A FROG had a rupee, which he kept in his hole.

One day an elephant was going over the hole, and

the frog, coming out in a fit of anger, raised his

foot, as if to kick the elephant, and said, “How dare

you walk over my head?”

Such is the pride money begets!

MONEY is also an Upadhi and that too of a very

strong nature. As soon as a man becomes rich he is

thoroughly changed.

A brahmana who was very meek and humble

used to come here12 every now and then. After

sometime he stopped coming and we knew

nothing of what had happened to him. One day,

we went over to Konnagore13 in boat. As we were

getting down from the boat we saw the brahmana

sitting on the bank of the Ganges, where, in the

fashion of big folks, he was enjoying the pure air of

the river. On seeing me he accosted me in a

patronising tone with the words, “Hallo Thakur!

How are you doing now?” At once 1 noticed a

change in his tone and said to Hriday who was

with me, “I tell you, Hriday, this man must have

come by some riches. Can’t you see what a great

change has come over him?” And Hriday burst

into a loud laughter.

The possession of money makes such a difference

in a man!

12 Refers to Dakshineswar temple garden, where Sri Ramakrishna used to live.

13 A place not very far from Dakshineswar

WHEN asked why he did not lead the life of a

householder with his wife, the Master replied:

‘Kartikeya (Son of Siva) one day happened to

scratch a cat with his nail. On going home, he saw

that there was the mark of a scratch on the cheek

of his Divine Mother, Parvati. Seeing this he asked

her, ‘Mother, low did you get this ugly scratch on

your cheek?’ The mother of the universe replied,

‘This is the work of your own hand; it is the scratch

of your nail.’ Kartikeya asked in wonder: ‘How is it,

Mother? I do not remember to have scratched you

at any time. The Mother replied, ‘Darling, have you

forgotten the fact of your laving scratched a cat

this morning?’ Kartikeya said, Yes, I did scratch a

cat, but how did your cheek get the scar?’ The

Mother replied, ‘Dear child, nothing exists in this

world but Myself. The whole creation is Myself;

whomsoever you may hurt, you only hurt me.’

Kartikeya was greatly surprised to hear this; and

then he determined never to marry. For, whom

could he marry? Every woman was mother to him.

Realizing thus the motherhood of woman, he gave

up marriage. I am like Kartikeya. I consider every

woman as my Divine Mother.”