Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 056 on 15-March-2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur For the last so many classes, we have been elaborately dealing with what is a vision. Sri Ramakrishna's visions, we have seen from his own mouth, how many varieties of visions he had. But we also had discussed, every vision is not necessarily the complete vision, Atma Jnan, Brahma Jnan. Some show that we are progressing towards that goal. Some visions show future events. Some visions show that there are certain Gods, Goddesses, etc. Some visions show the nature of people. Some visions show the outlook of a person. Naturally, the question that comes here is, only people, Mahatmas like Sri Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi, only do they have visions. But we also have visions. Yes, all of us have visions. Incomplete visions and an incomplete vision is called Avidya or Ajnana. What does it mean? Just as a person in semi-darkness looks at something and gets frightened, it is a poisonous snake. This is also very interesting because we think every snake is poisonous. But there are so many which are not at all poisonous. In fact, their non-poisonous snakes are much, much more than poisonous snakes. But the analogy is that whatever we look at, we are looking only at God. Like whenever we look at any object made out of clay, it is nothing but clay. An object made out of wood is nothing but wood. An object made out of gold is nothing but gold. So the cause pervades. The cause with a particular form and name is called an effect. But if we do not have complete vision, we only mistake. Here is a tree and it is a tree. It is not God. But how can it not be God? Because whenever we look at a tree, we are having three experiences simultaneously, not one after the other. First of all, there is a tree. There is means a tree exists. Second, we see I have the knowledge of the tree. Everything that exists is accompanied simultaneously with complete knowledge of what that object is. Here is a tree, tree knowledge. That tree knowledge flashes into my mind. That is called the Chidamsha. The existential aspect is called Sadamsha, Sat. And the knowledge aspect, Chit. And it gives me Ananda. Ananda means experience. If I like it, it is very good. And everything is liked by something or the other. There is nothing in this world which is disliked by everybody. People may dislike suffering, but people do not dislike what we call bad things. Some people what they call bad, for some other people it is the most wonderful thing. So we have primarily how we look at it, that is our vision. And that vision is partial vision. And the more covered that vision, the more further from the complete vision, the thicker is the darkness. So if we are covered with Tamoguna, then our vision is very, very little. And that is why our suffering is more, correspondingly. If our vision is covered with Rajoguna, then it is much, much clearer, but far from truth. If it is covered with Satvaguna, then it is almost near. But as Sri Ramakrishna says, as if there is light, but that light is obstructed by a glass, such a thin glass. It appears as if I can touch the light, I can become one with light. No, the moment I stretch my hand, it is obstructed by that thin piece of glass. What is that glass in this analogy? Satvaguna. Moreover, every living creature goes through three states, waking, dream, and sleep. Waking state is more consciousness manifest, so more Satvaguna. Dream state, Rajoguna, less Satvaguna. Therefore, it is merely imagination further from reality. But a deep sleep is what is called Tamoguna, because the mind doesn't function, the body also doesn't function. In a way, Tamoguna is bliss. Ignorance is bliss. So, we also have vision. What is evolution? Slowly, to remove the obstruction, that is called evolution. And there are three types of evolutions are there. First, biological evolution, which I equate with a vertical evolution. Gradually, from the amoeba state to the human state. In biological evolution, this is a vertical evolution. That means gradually, the instrument through which we are required to experience Brahman becomes better and better, finer and finer, less covered and less covered. Then, as soon as a living creature attains to a human body, then the evolution is horizontal evolution. That means he has to transcend his body and then identify with others. Gradually, it happens, an unmarried person is focused most likely, most often, upon oneself. Of course, there would be parents, brothers and sisters, and then friends will be there. But as soon as the same person gets married, he really transforms by identifying himself. He becomes two, as it were. Both of them become two. As the children come, then he grows into multiple personalities. Their suffering, their happiness is his suffering, his happiness. Then, if he is a lover of his village, he becomes the village. Lover of his country, he becomes a patriot. Lover of the entire universe, lover of humanity, lover of living creatures, then lover of nature, lover of everything. So, gradually, to expand ourselves means to identify with others. That means to love. Love means unity. Love means identification. Then only, morality will come in. Morality, expansion, larger identification, all these are synonymous words. That is how, through spiritual practice and through even social vision, we expand ourselves. That means our vision. That means our understanding of what the world is. Similarly, our understanding of what we are simultaneously grows larger and larger until one day. Then what happens after the moral evolution? Then comes spiritual evolution. So, the first evolution, which I call biological evolution, until human birth, human body is attained, is a vertical evolution. And then go on identifying gradually with everything. That's what I call the horizontal evolution, and the first one is external, outside, physiological. As soon as we try to become more moral, it becomes internal, and then we expand to the best of our ability. Then comes another vertical evolution, and here we part with the entire world slowly. How do we do that? The further or the less identification with our own body-mind complex, then our disidentification proportionately with the world also increases. This is another third vertical evolution. This is neither external nor internal, but purely spiritual evolution. So, these are the evolutions, but every evolution is an expansion of the vision. So, vertical expansion of vision, then horizontal expansion of vision, then both vertical and horizontal expansion, spiritual expansion, spiritual vision. See, identifying ourselves with God completely, and that is our goal. That is not only a goal, that's an inevitable goal, because it's our nature. Just as a seed's inevitable destination is to grow towards the Sun and manifest its own light, its own nature. Whether it is a small grass plant or a huge redwood tree, it doesn't really matter, but every seed has to grow into its fullness, and that is how a human being finds what is human nature. It is nothing but God. Tattvam asi, thou art that, that is the goal. And when that goal is achieved, as Bhagavad Gita tells, Five examples are given. A truly learned and humble Brahmana, and a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a man who eats dog flesh. All these, when a spiritual vision looks at it, it finds it is nothing but Brahman, covered with five types of dresses, but not manifesting less. Here is a point we have to be extremely cautious. The manifestation of God is much less in a dog. The manifestation of God is much less in a mosquito. This is a very wrong vision from our viewpoint, that is how we classify. But consciousness itself doesn't know what is called a dog, what is called a mosquito, what is called an elephant, what is called a truly learned and humble Brahmana. It sees equally Brahman everywhere. But the goal of life, of all evolution, of all scriptures, whether we are conscious or unconscious, is to have this Darshana, and that is why we go to the temple. And as I explained earlier, perhaps some of you have forgotten that one, in Hindu temples, going to see the Lord is called Darshana. Darshana means direct experience of God. There is no question of bowing down there, I am a devotee and I am small, you are great, you are the all-pervading creator, no such thing. Once we enter into the sanctum, near the sanctum sanctorum, it is nothing but God preoccupied, that is called Darshana. That is why I mentioned, just so that you can recollect, every Hindu temple will be having a flagpole called Dwajasthamba. Dwajasthamba represents Avidya, or individual personality, or Ahamkara. And all the Ahamkara has to be left there, or rather I would say, the correct words will be the Kara, anything added to Aham has to be left behind. And pure Aham is nothing but God. So, when a person says Aham Brahmasmi, it is only to make the meaning clear. But there is nothing, nobody says, a Jeevan Mukta will not say, I am a knower of Brahman. That means, if anybody says, I am a knower of Brahman, he is saying, how do I know that I am a knower of Brahman? Because I see billions of people who are not knowers of Brahman. That means, I have not attained Brahman knowledge. When I attain Brahman knowledge, like God, God will not say, I am separate, world is separate. It is only we say, God is separate, I am separate, the entire world is separate. God will say, there is nothing, no, nothing called world, only I exist. And that is true vision, and that is called true Darshana. That is why no offering is to be made inside the temple. No Pranams have to be offered. It is only Ahamkara which is permitted to make Pranams, indicative of self-surrender. So, this is what we, the goal of life is to be ourselves, which is to know that I am the Truth, I am Brahman, I am God. Nothing less than that. But how do we attain it? That is where Shri Ramakrishna says, cultivate Satsanga. So, power of Satsanga. Look at the power of Satsanga. There is a beautiful saying is there. When we cultivate Holy Company, What does this Holy Company do? It works like fire. What happens? It washes off all impurities, and make it shine. That is why we pray every day to the Divine Mother. Deyo Yonaha Prachodayat. Then what does the Holy Company do? Sinchati Vachi Satyam. Vachi means every word that comes from our mouth, stems from the foundation of Truth. Therefore, this person will never speak what is untruth. Now we have to understand what is untruth and what is truth. Again, I hope you will remember my earlier talks. But here is, in case you don't remember, here is something you will have to understand. That which does real good to other people, that is called Truth. And that which harms other people is called Untruth. Not what we speak, but what is the effect of that speech. That is the most important thing for us to keep in mind. A mother can tell any number of fibs to the child, but all for the welfare of the child. A Guru also tells many fibs. It is interesting. Does a Guru tell really fibs? Yes, He says. How does He do that? A disciple comes. A Sadhaka comes and says, Please guide me. Yes, yes, I will guide you. So I want to meditate on God. Teach me how to meditate. Yes, yes, I will teach you. And what shall I do? So the Guru, if He is wise, He will ask, Whom do you love? One person says, I love Rama. Another person says, I love Krishna. Guru says, meditate on Rama. Meditate on Krishna. Meditate on Shiva. Meditate on Jesus. Meditate on Buddha. Meditate. And one person comes and says, I love my buffalo. And Guru says, yes, yes, meditate. But don't think Rama is a human being. Krishna is a human being. Similarly, Jesus, Buddha are human beings. Similarly, buffalo is an animal. No, no. This is pure Brahman manifesting in the form of this buffalo or bull, if you want to say. Whenever we go to a Shiva temple, what do we see? Huge bull we see. And do we know why bull is there? Bull is symbolism of two things. First of all, it's a symbolism of Tamoguna. Secondly, it is extremely strong, extremely, what is called, ego-centered. Tremendous willpower is there. Not only physical power, willpower is there. But if the same bull is devoted, if it is carrying Shiva, what is after all, Nandi. And Nandi means it carries Lord Shiva. And before carrying, it is called a bull. But after carrying, it is called Nandi. What does it mean? Nandi means this bull becomes so happy, Ananda Swaroopa, because Shiva Ananda Lahari, Shiva is embodiment of bliss, Shivata Andavan Rithya. So as soon as any Tamasika person carries Lord Shiva, first thing is, so he becomes very strong. And only remember, only very strong person can carry Shiva. A person of strong willpower alone can carry Lord Shiva. But these without Shiva can be extremely dangerous, harmful, not only to oneself, but to everybody else. But if the same thing is used in the service of Lord Shiva, if everything is done to please Lord Shiva, instantaneously the person becomes very happy. Why? So what is the meaning of that? First we seek happiness, then only we carry out what gives us happiness. The moment God sits in our hearts, we get such indescribable joy. That is why it is said in the Bhagavatam, 1.1.19, So, I do not remember the entire shloka. Extremely tasty. Extremely tasty. When? Every millisecond. Not only that. It grows. If really Lord is carried. That is why anybody says I think of God, but I am unhappy, he is only worshipping Maya, not God. If somebody says I am worshipping even a clay image, a photo, or a stone image of Lord in any form, Brahma, Krishna, Buddha, etc., but he is very happy. He is a true devotee of God. So, all of us have to become the Vahanas. Vahana means that which carries, is a Vahana. So, we have got a car. A car carries us. Similarly, a train carries us. An aeroplane carries us. A bicycle, etc., carries us. So, our mind must become a vehicle. But to carry what? Not our Ahankara, but Lord Shiva. And that is what exactly the Satsanga confers upon us. Then, What does Satsanga do? So, everybody will be attracted to a truly devotee. Why? Because the devotee is approachable. He is simple. He is not a hypocrite. And everybody loves only simplicity. And this man truly loves everybody. Whatever he says is, just now as we discussed, it is nothing but pure Truth. Truth means that which brings welfare, then happiness to other people. So, Satsanga makes us great in every way. Then, It destroys Papa. How? It destroys the Papa Samskara. That is the true greatness, Mahima, the glory of Satsanga. Not only that, the mind becomes extremely pleased. So, the person's name and form spreads all over the world. Tell me, my friend, Satsangati, Holy Company, Pumsam, Kimnakaroti, what cannot it do to human beings? And also, Satsangati tells us what to do, what not to do. So, Satsangati tells us that you associate more, do more Satsangati. But it also tells us, develop discrimination. Like Bhaja Govindam, it says, Who is your Kate Kanta? Who is your wife? That means, who is your husband also? Then, not only that, who are your children? Then, Dhanagata Chinta, Patula. Patula means stupid fellow, idiot. Dhanagata Chinta, all the time, you are immersed in getting more money and preserving what you have got, property in any form, etc., etc. And many people consider, so, possession. It is very interesting, you know, when a man gets a beautiful wife and he considers it his very proud possession and to exhibit, see how happy person I am, he takes her everywhere, he exhibits her, he even encourages her to decorate herself so that she will be attracting everybody, all for the sake of saying, Aha, the husband of this beautiful, desirable woman, how fortunate he is to get, I wish to have this kind of person and this person has got it. So, even it creates jealousy also. But what does the woman do? Woman also exhibits the husband and says, Look, she goes on putting all sorts of ornaments and saris, the latest fashion, and then saying, Look, what are your husbands doing? Completely useless fellows. Look at my husband, he adores me, he adores me, and he does anything, he can lay down his life for me. Are you so fortunate? And what happens after a few seconds, you hear in the newspaper that they are fighting like dogs and cats and then what is called, this separation comes, legal separation comes, divorce cases. Only good thing I find about it is that some of these people, they get plenty of what is called alimony and that is a very fortunate thing for some of the people. So, they think like that. Hey, Vathula, idiot, give it up. This is what Shri Ramakrishna also says. Give up. Kama, Kamini and Kanchana. Kim tava nastini anta? Is there not a master? Is there not a well-wisher? Who can control you? Who can tell you what is for your good? You are simply carried away in the powerful stream of this samsara. In this samsara means this avidya, agnana. Is there any way out for this kind of people? Of course. If satsanga cannot show us the way, what is the point of the satsanga? He says, Trijagati. In the three worlds, there is only one boat which can safely, swiftly carry us to the other shore of the world. What is this? Sajjana sangati eka. Eka means it doesn't need any other help by itself because it brings all other help. Sajjana sangati. So, this is called holy company, association. What is holy company? Whatever company makes us holy, that is called holy company. This sajjana sangati, what does it do? Becomes a most marvellous ship in part helping us cross this ocean of bhavarnavatarane nauka. Oh fool, why are you worrying about wife wealth? Isn't there an ordainer for you? The association with the wise or the good, the only one boat available to cross this ocean of becoming. In the three worlds, it is the association with good people alone that can serve as a boat to cross the sea of samsara, birth and death. Oh foolish mind, seek Govinda. Worship Govinda. Worship Govinda. Bhaja Govindam. Bhaja Govindam. Govindam. Bhaja Modamate. Samprapte Sannihite Kaale. When a time comes, what can save you? Nahi Nahi Rakshati. Nothing else can save you excepting the grace of the Divine Lord. Not only that, sajjana sangati in course of time brings, confers every blessing upon us. And that is what happened in the whole life of Sri Ramakrishna is a practical demonstration how if a person is sincere and longing and surrenders himself to God, how God, Divine Mother, brings everything. Especially noteworthy point is that Sri Ramakrishna's life, this is the most noteworthy point. Everywhere people are running, where can I get a Guru? Where can I get a good guide? People are moving all around. But here Sri Ramakrishna did not move anywhere. Simply said, Oh Mother, I am like a helpless child. Please teach me. Please make me speak what you want me to speak. Please make me do what you want me to do. I am putty in your hands. You shape me whatever way you want. And then Mother brought everything. She brought the materials. In fact, the whole temple Dakshineshwar was built only for the sadhana of the Divine Mother. And all the Gurus came. All the people with scriptures came. Everybody came and he became perfect not once but twice. One without any guidance. Another with complete guidance with the help of the Guru as well as the scripture. All for our sake. So there is a beautiful story. Many stories are there of Swami Vivekananda. Once he was travelling in a train and he was a wandering monk and it was noon and there was a businessman, very rich businessman and he brought plenty of food with him and when the time for noon food, lunch time has come, he spread everything and he started eating and Swami Vivekananda was just sitting and the fellow did not have the common sense. Swami Vivekananda did not beg, give me some food. No. But the man said, you wandering monks, you are useless fellows. You are parasites on society. Look at me. I work hard, I earn my money and I enjoy also. And people like you, nobody is going to look after you because you are completely useless fellows. Swami Vivekananda must have compassionately smiled at him. Soon the train halted at his station and Swami Vivekananda got down. It was a very small station and there was only a small bit of shed, a small shed like something was spread in a very small bit of area where the people have to get into the train. Rest of it was unbearably hot and the watchman did not allow Swamiji even to stand in that shed. It drove him out. Swami Vivekananda, calm and quietly, there was a tree and there was a bit of shed and he stood under the shed and very soon, in a few minutes, a man came anxiously looking at everywhere and saw, spied the Swami under a tree, ran to him and said, Swami, I brought food for you and this merchant was watching the whole lot from the window. I don't know whether he got down because he was watching or he was just watching from the window. And then Swami Vivekananda said, Who are you? I don't know you. The man said, But I know you. My Ishtadevata appeared to me and commanded me to feed you. I brought a few things for you to eat and spread it and invited the Swami. And Swami knew that God was looking after him. Quietly he got down, offered Brahma Arpanam, started eating and he once must have looked at the merchant with a smile and the merchant was stunned. Here is a person and God is looking after. We don't know what the merchant has learned but we learn our lesson. If somebody completely surrenders himself to God, then God will look after. This kind of incidents, plenty of incidents are there, not only in Swami Vivekananda's life, but practically in the life of every saint. Practically in the life of all of us. Anyway, this is just to illustrate that one of the sure way to obtain that vision is Satsangati. Continuing from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Sir, under what conditions does one see God? That is, we are continuing that subject of vision. Under what conditions does one obtain the vision of God? Here, before proceeding, I want to clarify a point. Vision means usually, oh, somebody is standing and somebody is coming in front of him and this person, just as we look at a building, at a person, at cinema or whatever, this is our concept of perception. But if it is a holy person, if it is a God or Goddess, we call it a vision. But still, somebody comes, stands in front of us, completely different from us, that is what we call a vision. No, this kind of visions do come, but true vision is to know that there is no God, but I am the God. Or to put it the other way round, there is nothing else, I do not exist, only God exists. To have this knowledge, Brahma with Brahma, Eva, Bhavati. An aware of Brahman is not an aware of Brahman, but he becomes Brahman, rather he realises, I am Brahman, not becoming, not that he was not Brahman and suddenly something happens and he becomes Brahman, but he realises, I was Brahman and so I am Brahman. That is called vision. So how to obtain that vision? And of course, until that time, we have these exalted states of the mind, which we usually call visions. Visions can happen in waking state, visions can happen in dream state, and more often than not, we have visions of God in the dream state. Why is it so? Because in the dream state, very often, our reasoning power, because if God comes in the waking state, we are likely to consider a mad cap is claiming that I am God. But more likely, we do not do such a thing in a dream. We accept, because the logic in the dream state is totally different. With this background, let us proceed. Under what conditions does one see God? Master, 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. And this is very true. We have seen earlier, how Shri Ramakrishna was telling, the combined attractions of a chaste wife, a chaste wife's love for her husband only, and a miser's love for money or property, and a mother's love for her only baby. If these three attractions, most marvellous statement, if these three attractions are combined into one and directed towards God, one will have the vision of God, one will have the knowledge of Brahman. Now this, every person's life, it is either on the wife or on the child, or what is called on the property. Me, my family, and my property. Reduced into two, what is called I and Mine. Aham, Ahamkara, Mamakara. This is called. I hope most of you will remember Tulsidas' beautiful song. If you have not heard, hear it from the YouTube. Mamata tunagai mere manate. Oh attachment. Mamata means attachment towards myself and towards all the typos. Everything is included, which I think is extension of I. So under what conditions does one say God? Master. Cry to the Lord. And then you know what is the speciality of Sri Ramakrishna. Always he accompanies because he was a master singer. And M had recorded, I have never heard anybody in my life who could sing as sweetly. There are many people who could sing sweetly. But what is M referring really? What does sweetness really mean? There are so many. Every good singer is really a sweet singer. Of course there will be some whose voices are exceptionally sweet. But that's not what M was talking about. He was talking about once a person hears Sri Ramakrishna singing, he will never ever forget that song in his life. Not only he will not forget the tune, the expression, the bhava emotion that is created in the audience, especially in oneself. But the most important, the bhava artha, which is also called bhava, the meaning of the song and personalities will be changed overnight. Just one song, the entire life attitude completely changes. As an example, I will tell you, once, very often Sri Ramakrishna used to go to Calcutta. The purpose is, since devotees, householders, they cannot visit Dakshineshwar all the time, excepting of course Saturday or Sunday or holidays, Sri Ramakrishna used to take that as an excuse, go to Calcutta. Most often he will be there in one place called Balram Vasu's house. That is the drawing room of Calcutta, Sri Ramakrishna's room. So he will be going there and all the devotees will get news and then whoever could come, they will come. There was a young man who was visiting Sri Ramakrishna, rather used to visit Sri Ramakrishna very often. His name was Hari, later on Swami Turiyananda. He was completely absorbed in the study of Vedanta and then he used to study Shankaracharya's commentaries, etc. And then even though he knew that Sri Ramakrishna was coming, he could not understand the invaluable glory of Sri Ramakrishna's company. Not to speak of ordinary people like our company, but Sri Ramakrishna's company. He could not understand. Sri Ramakrishna, now only we understand, is the greatest spiritual manifestation called Avatar. Even if you don't accept Avatar as a system, he was one of the greatest spiritual personalities and he was present, he was alive, he was coming, even though in the guise of a very ordinary and a very unimpressive personality. So he loved the Master. He used to come, but for some time he was diverted. Then two things happened. So one day Sri Ramakrishna had sent for him expressly and the man had no option but he had to come. And then Sri Ramakrishna directly asked him, Why are you not coming? And the man also directly answered, Sir, I am engaged in the study of Vedanta. I hardly have any time. And then Sri Ramakrishna understood. After all, what is the essence of Vedanta? God alone is real. Everything is a temporary mythical, mythia or maya, peculiar word. When occasion comes, we will expound upon it. And Jeeva, you, the individual, is none other than Brahman. After all, this is not the essence. Harimara knew it intellectually, but not experientially. And now he understood the whole thing. Immediately he thought, after all, this is the essence. You read a billion books or you read one small hymn, Bhajako Vindam, the essence is the same. Immediately he started visiting Sri Ramakrishna. And his idea was this world is mythia and God alone is real. Then one day he came and then Sri Ramakrishna sang a most marvellous song and with tears in his eyes, Oh mother, I do not know anybody excepting you. You please bestow your grace. If you do not, who else is going to take care of this helpless child? And that one song of Sri Ramakrishna, Harimara has heard and his whole life changed. Then thereafter he says, Mother and me. Sri Ramakrishna that day had injected this idea into me in the form of singing of that particular story. This is a marvellous exposition of these great lives. Supposing there are even 40-50 devotees, Sri Ramakrishna is talking something or he is singing also. Because whenever he used to talk about a particular subject, his songs, appropriate songs and he knew hundreds of such songs popular in those days of Ramprasad, Kamalakanta, Trimik and Tulasidas and so many other songs he knew. Perhaps including Kabir Das songs also. Now he was not only a master singer, he was also a master of hundreds of these by heart. We cannot sing a song unless book is in front of us. For Sri Ramakrishna the mood comes, immediately he could sing like that. So Sri Ramakrishna may be talking and everybody is listening. He may be singing, everybody is listening. But that particular day, the whole show, I call it a show, is directed towards one particular person and sometimes the person himself doesn't know. But the effect, the result is that that one person's life is completely changed. And that is what we are taking cry, with a real cry. What is a real cry? And Sri Ramakrishna himself has demonstrated. Cry to your mother Shyama with a real cry, O mind, and how can she hold herself from you? How can Shyama stay away? How can your mother Kali hold herself away? O mind, if you are in earnest, bring her an offering of bell leaves and hibiscus flowers. Lay at her feet your offering. Is that all? No. And with it, mingle the fragrant sandal paste of love. Your love, what is your contribution? Flowers and leaves, all those things are outside things. What is from your side? Your one-pointed love, surrender, faith. So mix with that. Without that, God doesn't want all those things. PATRAM PUSHPAM PHALAM DOYAM YUME BHAKTYA PRAYAKSHATHI TADAHAM BHAKTYA UPAHRATAM KASHNAMI PRAYATATMANAH Bhagawan says that if a devotee is sincere, having sincere love, and offers Me with sincere love, a drop of water or a leaf or even a flower. I explained during the other day. So there is a flower very, very dear to Lord Shiva called Dhatura. And it is one of the most common flowers. Now, of course, florists have created marvelous hybrids out of it, huge as well as fragrant, and they yield in hundreds and hundreds also. So longing is like the rosy dawn. That's what Sri Ramakrishna says. And then you mix with your intense Prema. The English word love is a very weak word. Prema is so marvelous, this word Prema. Mix it. Without that Prema, these things are completely unacceptable to the Lord. With Prema, anything is acceptable. Suppose a person doesn't have water, suppose he doesn't have any leaves, any flowers, it is not that these things are not available. But there is a story about a low-caste man who thought that there is no water, and he brought out his own spit and then offered it to God. Lord Shiva has gladly accepted it. Why? He was not spitting. He said, the Lord is really, really, the Lord has accepted it. And how could He accept it? Because with tremendous love He has given. You know, what does a puppy do? It eats. What does it eat? The pre-digested food. The mother goes hunting and digests it, and then it brings, and then is given to the puppies, that is the right food. What am I trying to tell you? That it is nothing but half-eaten food. Similarly, a mother also, if necessary, sometimes chews something very hard and then gives it to the baby. It is not that I want to give my spit to my baby. It is for the welfare of the baby, that is what the mother really does it. And so many wonderful things are there for us to understand. So cry to your mother with a real cry. Continuing, Ramakrishna said, Longing is like the rosy dawn. After the dawn, out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God. This is the true vision. What is it? It comes only, just like, only after the dawn, out comes the sun. So before the vision of God, longing is necessary. So is there any longing? And about this longing, Ramakrishna, as we quoted in our last class also, he says, the point is to love God even as the mother loves her child, the chaste wife her husband, and the worldly man his wealth. Put together these three forces of love, these three powers of attraction, and give it all to God. Then you will certainly see 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 puts 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 it knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be, she comes to the kitten. Now, during the last so many classes, we have been discussing elaborately what is a vision, how many kinds of visions are there, and what is the true significance of a real vision, and what type of vision Sri Ramakrishna had. All this to help us. Now we will proceed, come back to our original subject. Mind you, when I say original subject, I have not deviated from the Gospel. Only I collected that which comes later on in the Gospel here and there, and some which do not come in the Gospel, but from the life of Sri Ramakrishna, especially the great master, etc. Now, two visits of M are over. Now we are taking up the third visit. So third visit, it was Sunday afternoon when M came on his third visit to the master. M had been profoundly impressed by the first two visits to this wonderful man. He had been thinking of the master constantly, and of the utterly simple way he explained the deep truths of the spiritual life. Never before had he met such a man. Whenever I read Gospel, I would be in ecstasy. Literally. Just see that this simple paragraph of M, I am only pointing out, it is up to you to take here. So he says, first of all, he labelled Sri Ramakrishna, so two visits to this wonderful man first. What is so much wonderful? He had been thinking of the master constantly, and of the utterly simple way he explained the deep truths of the spiritual life. Then, never before had he met such a man. What is happening? That M must have met hundreds of people, and yet hundreds of students, hundreds of parents, but never he met such a man. Not only that, what was the impression? Just we have seen, in case you have forgotten, as if Shukadeva, the highest spiritual representation according to Hinduism, that ever was, ever will be. Shukadeva, the naishti brahmachari, brahmajnani, even from very birth, and who is endowed with only brahmajnana, completely identified, we narrated these stories also several times. So, this holy company, that is what we were thinking, that it made, possessed him like a ghost, and he could not take out the idea of Sri Ramakrishna out of his mind. Kshanam api sajjana sangati reka, bhavati bhava arnava tarane nauka. This was the influence of satsangati, just as we discussed now. And never before had he met such a man. Now you can put a question. Did he meet any man, such a man, afterwards? No, never again had he met such a man. Yes, he met Holy Mother, he met Swami Vivekananda, direct disciples, but none like Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch. The room was filled with devotees who had taken advantage of the holiday, Sunday, to come to see the Master. Yama had not yet become acquainted with any of them, so he took his seat in a corner. The Master smiled as he talked with the devotees. The Master smiled. Now, is there any time the Master never smiles? Holy Mother remarked, I have never seen Sri Ramakrishna morose. He was always joyous like a child, whatever be the occasion, including when he was suffering from excruciating throat pain also. He used to keep everybody rolling on the ground with laughter, and he himself was like that. The only parallel I could see, of course others are there, Ramana Maharshi. Such a painful tumour had grown, but he used to make everybody forget. He used to look at it and say, so one day he saw that when the physicians removed the bondage, it was shining full of blood, blood red, and then he said, look, this looks like the Shamantaka Mani, as if the sun is shining like a grand jewel. How beautiful I am looking. And that is what Sri Ramakrishna's company is there. Then Sri Ramakrishna was... Yama is completing the narration. Sri Ramakrishna addressed his words, particularly to a young man of 19, named Narendranath, who was a college student and frequented the Southern Brahma Samaj. Narendra's eyes were bright, his words were full of spirit, and he had the look of a lover of God. Yama guessed that the conversation was about worldly men who look down on those who aspire to spiritual things. The Master was talking about the great number of such people in the world and about how to deal with them. And this is a marvellous subject about which we will talk in our next class. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padmetayoh Sritva Pranamami Mohor Moho May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna.