Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 082 on 14-March-2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYO SHRITVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU Before we go into the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, there is a very important question. The question is very simple. Every Hindu believes that those who die in Varanasi, they will get instantaneous liberation. Similarly, there is also Sri Ramakrishna's vision to collaborate. As we all know, let us remember, in Kashi Khanda, there is a Purana called Kashi Khanda and it is all about the glory of Varanasi, all about the greatness of Lord Shiva, and in that it is clearly written, person, any person, or later Holy Mother has made an addenda. Anybody, any creature, believer, astika, nastika, Hindu, Muslim, good person, rakshasa, everybody will get liberation. Sri Ramakrishna had a vision how this happens when he visited Varanasi. When one day he came by boat to Manikarnika Ghat, he had a marvellous vision. He saw Shiva, a tall white figure, moving from one funeral pyre to the other funeral pyre, uttering, whispering Taraka Mantra. And what is the Taraka Mantra? The very word Taraka, Tarana, means saving, going to the other side. That is why Tarani is another name for a boat. Tara Tarani Nama. So anybody who gets this Mahavakya, that is, who am I? Lord Shiva comes and tells that you are Shiva. You are none other than my own self. And he will go away. But this was Sri Ramakrishna's vision. Then Divine Mother, Mother Kali, she takes a huge sword, because so many Janma Janmantra Papas are there, and he will be cutting these down, freeing. Whatever Papas are done are completely destroyed by the Divine Mother. But not only that, because literally millions of people come and visit Varanasi, and whoever has Darshana or even better Sparshana, immediately they will be liberated. All their Papas will get destroyed. I am not talking about Mukti. I am talking about liberated from the Papas. But one thing that people do not understand, the root cause of the Papas, Samskaras, Papasamskara will not be destroyed. So if anybody has Darshan, Sparshana of Lord Shiva, the Papas will go away. But Papasamskaras will not go away. And if anybody happens to die in Varanasi, not only Papas will be destroyed, but Papasamskaras are also destroyed. Now, Papas are of three kinds. Many people are not aware of this fact, but according to Vedanta, there are three kinds of Papas. First is Papa, that is the results of evil actions, along with its Samskaras, Papasamskara and Papa phala, Karma phala, suffering. That will be destroyed when a person dies in Varanasi. What is the second one? Punya, Karma phala and Punya Samskara. Both will be destroyed. So Punya is also called Papa according to Vedanta. Why is it? The simple reason is, whether a person does Papa or Punya, to experience the results of those things, persons have to be reborn. If I have no Papa Karma, it is impossible actually to have no Papa Karma. There will be some Papa Karma. There can be nobody who has only Punya Karma and not at all Papa Karma. Because unknowingly, we can do a lot of things, we step on a lot of creatures, we kill a lot of creatures, Karma phala has to be there. But it is minimal because motivation is not there. So Samskara will not be there, but Karma phala will be there. But suppose somebody has done a lot of Punya, for that he has to experience. And why do people do Punya? There are two sorts of people who do Punya. One type of person, he wants to have higher type of happiness. It is purely a selfish motive. Naturally, the person expects to be reborn, maybe in Swarga Loka or Brahma Loka, whatever Loka, and experience. And then only that Punya Karma phala will come to an end. But there is another type of person. He does Punya Karma not because he is expecting any result, but because it has become his nature. This second type of person, he wants only one thing. I want to go to God. I want to become one with God. According to Advaita, I want to go as near as possible to God and enjoy there. I want to go to Vaikuntha, Goloka, Swarga Loka, Devi Loka, whatever Loka. So this is the type of person who is there. Spiritual person, in other words. However much Punya a person may do, if the purpose is to enjoy in this world, having a body and mind. Remember, even if a person goes to Naraka, there will be a subtle body, appropriate for experiencing tremendous amount of suffering. But if a person goes to Swarga Loka, higher world, heavenly world, then he will have a tremendous amount of very, very subtle body, which can derive a billion times more happiness from the same things that we also come across. The difference is, the instrument becomes extraordinarily fine, like electronic balance. So this is the reason why Punyam also brings Karmaphala. Karmaphala means rebirth. Rebirth means Samsara. Therefore, that is also according to Advaita Vedanta, Paapa. Now the root cause of both Paapa Samskara and Punya Samskara is called Ajnanam. Ignorance. What is ignorance? Not knowing my own real nature. And that is where this Ajnanam is also considered as Paapam, because that is what makes us reborn in this world again and again. But when Shiva gives that knowledge, that you are none other than me, there is no difference between me and you. In Vedantic language, this is called Mahavakya. Jiva, Brahma, Ekatva. So that is what Shiva does. And if any bonds are there, Divine Mother, out of Her infinite grace, She will come and cut everything. And that is what Sri Ramakrishna had confirmed. Now once Holy Mother was staying here and then the attendant had same doubts like us. Whatever may be the person, he may not need to be a spiritual person. So if he dies here, will he get Mukti? Mother said, yes, definitely. And then some ants were just crawling at that time. So this attendant, Arupananda, showed the ants to Mother and said, what about these? Immediately Holy Mother said, yes, these also. Any creature, whichever dies in Varanasi, is sure to get liberation. Now this runs counter to our intellect. That is reasoning power. That's why I am telling you something very important. Never use reasoning against the scripture. Scriptural knowledge is something which we cannot controvert. We may accept, we may reject, but never controvert it. I hope you see the difference between these two. You may not accept. It is fine. But you cannot controvert simply because you don't have that knowledge. Somebody comes and tells you, I have seen such and such a thing which we have never seen, you have never seen. You cannot controvert his knowledge. But you can use reasoning. What is he talking about? How can I understand him in a better way? But we don't have the knowledge to controvert, to discriminate between two, whether which is better, which is right, which is wrong. We must have knowledge of both. Simple example. I know you are all very intelligent students. But still, supposing you don't know anything about poison, then you cannot discriminate between what is called a good medicine and a poisonous drink. Because you know only one thing. If you want to buy a better piece of dress or jewellery, you must have knowledge of what you are discriminating. Discrimination requires equal knowledge of two things. Now we know a little bit of something in this world. We know nothing about what scripture is talking about God, about afterlife, about another life in another world. So we have to take it for granted. Only those people who know, they come and tell us, yes, there is rebirth. In fact, millions of Hindus, they perform Shraddha. Shraddha. They don't understand what is the meaning of Shraddha. The first fact about Shraddha is that there is life. My father, mother or grandfather, grandmother, whoever dies, he did not really die. Only the body has gone. Their soul, along with their mind, has gone to some other loka. And they will be reborn. We don't know where they are going to be reborn. But prayers is like sending donation to some very good institution. And the institution says, what for? This is for the service of the poor. And they will use that money to serve the people wherever they are. So we have to trust the scripture like that. Because scripture always tells us what is forever good. And some things we can understand better with the help of reasoning. But never to prove scriptural truth. Reasoning is totally useless. So if you are asking the question, death in Varanasi definitely brings liberation. It is our faith. I say it is faith. I have faith. That's why I have come here. Millions and millions of people have faith in that. Some of them, they decide to come here and give up the body. And there is a reason for that also. Somewhere we have to give up our body. And I can assure you, death in Bangalore is certainly not going to give you. You have to attend many more classes. Not by me. By somebody else. Later on. So this Sri Ramakrishna and other great people have confirmed it. We must have the faith. Now to understand it better, we can use a little bit of Tarka. Yukti. Reasoning. What is that? Now here is a believer. Here is a non-believer. As if every believer is a tremendously virtuous person. In fact, the blackest black gods are mostly people who profess faith in religion and being spiritual. Billions of them are there. More, as Swami Vivekananda used to say, more blood had flown only through these people. Even today you can see some religions, how much they are oppressing humanity, especially the helpless and what they call weaker sex women, etc. And they say this is what God has instituted in the name of God. Anybody who doesn't follow their religion, who doesn't follow their ancient interpretation of the laws, in this 22nd century, their anathema, they should be killed if it is possible. And millions of people are ready to do it. In the name of religion. And I have seen people who do not take the name of God, the name of any religion, but they live a far, far superior life, ideal life in every way that is possible. Anyway, so we are coming to the very interesting point that it is the faith. Now, what is the understanding? Who is Shiva? Divine Lord. And in Shiva's eyes, we are all children. Even in a mother's eyes, when we are babies, there will be no difference at all. Here is an intelligent son. Here is an intelligent daughter. Here is a non-intelligent son. Here is an autistic person. That division will not be there in a true mother's heart. If this is human condition, and this is so beautifully, manifestedly written in the Chandi, What am I talking about? In Shiva's eyes, everybody is a Shiva because he has that knowledge. Everything is Brahman. So everybody is Brahman. I am Brahman. There is nobody, nothing. Everything is Brahman. Because we do not understand, we come down one step, and then we say, Oh, these objects are Brahman. Human beings are Brahman. Every living creature is Brahman. Every river is Brahman. Every mountain is Brahman. Everything is Brahman. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. This is the Brahma Drishti or Shiva Drishti. Therefore, in the eyes of Shiva, as we are prone to think, this person is a believer, this person is a Muslim, this person is a Christian, this person is a non-believer, this person is good, virtuous, this person is a sinful person. All these do not exist in the mind of the Divine Mother. And Divine Mother is another name for Shiva. Therefore, this is the answer. We must have that faith and come and lead. Millions of people come here with that faith, touch the Lord Shiva, and some of the saints have completely confirmed it. Whoever touches or has darshan of Vishwanatha, he takes away all their sins. As I mentioned, it is only the sins that are taken away, but the samskara, the root, which produces these sins, they have never been, they cannot be taken away. But if anybody manages to die in Varanasi, all these things will be totally destroyed by the grace of Shiva. Such a place doesn't exist in the whole world. Just you be whatever you are, do what best you can do, or I would say, what worst you can do, but manage to come and die here. That is the understanding. Now we will move on to the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. This is what Sri Ramakrishna is telling in our last class. If a man has faith in God, then he need not be afraid, though he may have committed a sin, nay, the wildest sin. Remember, every single word that comes out from the mouth of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda, direct disciples, Ramana Maharshi, any saint or any sage, they are God's words. If you have thinking, this is a saint, but these words are not true words, we can interpret it, that is called misinterpretation, then you don't have reality, you don't believe he is a saint. By definition, a saint is one who has become one with God and so if the body, mind of such people are still functioning in front of our eyes, they are called Jeevan Muktas and whatever comes out of this Jeevan Mukta's mouth, it is nothing but God talking, that old man has died long back, what remains is only the divine. So we must have only faith and there is no other way. In either case, we can neither prove nor disprove. But then, any person who has faith, true faith, he will be like a person, possessed like a ghost. You know what happens? Marvellous things happen. A person feels happy, person feels if any suffering comes, only because of God's grace, like Prahlada, and if God's grace comes in the form of suffering, that means that person only feels happy, it is God's will. God is like my grandma and my grandma only wants what is happy for me and she will do whatever is good for me, even though it may appear to be a little bit of suffering. Then a magic takes place. If a person has this kind of faith, actually, when suffering comes, people suffer doubly. First is the pain of the suffering, secondly, the thought that I did not deserve it, I don't deserve it, somehow it has come, it should not have come. This type of double thinking is what doubles the pain. But if anybody accepted the will of God, if he is called a spiritual person or he may accept, this is my own karmaphala and it is for good, if anybody accepted, then I can assure you, the amount of suffering, cheerfully that person will bear up and the person's suffering becomes far, far lighter than the other person. And here is the magic that I mentioned, that whether a suffering is too great, too intense, or it is less, doesn't depend upon what type of suffering, but it depends upon what type of attitude we take towards that suffering. And that is what spirituality is supposed to develop in us. In either case, our suffering will be definitely much less. Now Ramakrishna is singing, trying to sing a song, glorifying the power of faith. And this is what exactly we see in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 8, shloka number 5, And whoever at the end of his life quits his body, remembering me alone, at once he attains my nature, he becomes me. Of this, there is not even a shred of doubt. But, many people say, yes, I am trying to do that. Will I remember God at the end? Maybe, or may not be also. Most likely, unless a person has advanced very much, he is most likely to remember something else other than God. As Ramakrishna puts it, you can teach a parrot how to sing, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, and it will be happily singing away. But when a cat catches its throat, then its natural sound only will come out. Ramakrishna is stating a very wonderful, but everyday provable fact. What is it? When nothing happens, no trouble comes, no fear is there, we are likely, happily to sing God's glory, He is so great, He loves me, etc. The moment even a small bit of pain, suffering comes, we will reverse our way. We will have the opposite understanding about God. And including Swami Vivekananda, he had this terrible problem in his mind that I was good, my father was good, my family is good, and why do we need to undergo this terrible suffering? And one day, he was seized with this type of doubt, and then he fell down unconscious. He had a marvellous vision. What vision he had, he never expressed. But then he said, now I understood God's plan. Everything is good. Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shivay This hymn that we sing, Sarva Mangala, the first meaning is all auspiciousness. But the second meaning is auspiciousness for everybody. This person is suffering, yes, that is also for Mangala. This person's throat is being slit by a so-called wicked person. Is it good? Yes, that is also for Sarva Mangala only. I am not going to go into too much detail, but this is what anybody who believes either in God or in like Hindus, Purva Janma or Karma Siddhanta, there should be no conflict if my throat is being cut by somebody that somebody is not doing some sin by cutting my throat, but he is just doing what I deserve to get, good or evil. Nobody can give one iota of happiness. Nobody also can give me one iota of unhappiness. It all comes only because I deserve it. Everybody else becomes an instrument for giving either happiness or unhappiness. And how do we know? Suffering is not unhappiness. In fact, every gadget, every convenience that scientists have discovered, what is called engineers have discovered and mechanics have discovered is because of necessity. That's why there is a beautiful saying in English language, necessity is the mother of invention. Coming back, Ram Krishna is telling this, whoever at the end of his life remembers, if a man has faith in God, then he need not be afraid, though he may have committed sin, nay, the vilest sin. And what is the vilest sin? That is beautifully expressed by a devotee in a beautiful Bengali song. And the song goes like this, Ami Durga Durga Bole. First I will read out in Bengali and then we get the translation in front of you if you have the book Gospel of Sri Ram Krishna. Ami Durga Durga Durga Bole Maa Jyoti Mori O Mother, if I die, just before death, I go on calling Durga Durga Durga Aakhere E Dine At the end, on this Richard shield of yours, Natharo Kemone How you are not going to rescue Janaja Bhai O Shankari It will be known, that means you are going to definitely save me. And then these are the vilest of the sins in Sri Ram Krishna Mudra. Nashigo Brahman I have killed a Brahmana. Hathya Kori Bhron An unborn baby also I have killed. Surapan Adi I have drunk terrible amount of wine. Vinashi Nari I also destroyed woman. So killing of woman, killing of a Brahmana, killing of an unborn baby and drinking all the wine etc. They are supposed to be the vilest of the sins. A Shab Pathak All these terrible sins. Na Bhavi Tilek They are not even equal to the amount of a mustard seed. Why? Brahma Padhu Neethe Paari I can attain to the lotus feet of Brahman himself just by uttering the word Durga, Durga, Durga. 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? This is the translation. The Master Continued Faith and Devotion One realizes God easily through devotion. He is grasped through ecstasy of love. Sri Ram Krishna's specialty in teaching is there are many paths but the path of devotion is the easiest. And this is what every saint practically if we make a catalogue of all the saints that we know and then divide them into those who follow the path of knowledge and the path of devotion or the path of yoga and the path of karma. Karma yogi, bhakti yogi, jnana yogi and raja yogi and try to classify them. How many, what would be the percentage? I would say 99.9999999% are followers of bhakti and the rest may but even it is said by Sri Ram Krishna by Holy Mother nobody can receive, can realize God accepting through His grace. And that is what where Sri Ram Krishna definitely follows the path of what is called visishtadvaita the teachings of Ramanuja. According to Ramanuja there is a beginner's path and there is an advanced path. What is the beginner's path? Bhakti, devotion, through karma yoga and through all the rituals, rules, regulations, japa, dhyana, etc. What is the advanced path? Sharanagati, complete surrender to the Divine and it consists of 6 characteristics. I would say 6 steps. Anukulasya Sankalpaha, Pratikulasya Marjanam, Rakshisya Seethi Vishwasaha, Goptrutva Varanam, Atmanikshayapaha, Karpanye Iti Shadvida, Sharanagati. I have discussed about it. Please recollect or go back. Or I am giving you, I am very generous person you know. So you go to the Google. Google is the Mother Saraswati manifest nowadays. And you just say Anukulasya Sankalpaha. You just put it there. Type, type rightly. Don't miss type. And you will get so many essays. This is all the 6 characteristics that have come. So this is wonderful. We cannot really understand scripture. We can never understand God. And about this impossibility of trying to understand God or Divine Mother. There is another marvelous song composed in Bengali. How are you trying to fathom to understand the Divine? Because remember the Vedantic logic. An effect can never understand the cause. Cause is pervading the effect. Cause is manifesting as the effect. And what is the effect? Cause with a form, with a particular name, distinguishing it from others. Simple example. Just to remind ourselves. Imagine there is a clay. And then you have made or somebody made 10 different pots. And each pot is trying to find out what is my real nature. And what is the nature of the clay. And they cannot understand because a pot has gone to pot. And it is looking at the clay through the prism of a pot. Nama, Rupa, Guna. And it is attributing. Oh this is something. It is just like me. And it has a name. And it has certain characteristics. And it is many. So my clay is not the other pot's clay. So this is the problem. But what is the way if the clay can break? Nama, Rupa. Then it understands. I am this pot. I am the other pot. I was billions of pots. I am billions of pots. I will be billions of pots. Any pot that is made out of me is nothing but me. So this is the simple way of presenting. The cause can know the effect. But the effect can never know the cause. What is the simple reason I gave you? Because a pot is nothing but a limitation of the clay. Anything that we look through a limited instrument can only give a limited result. Not an unlimited result. So it is impossible. Then what is the way? Is there any way? So long as I remain a pot, I will never know what is clay. Then what is the way? Let me be destroyed. Let there be no pot. Only clay. When I am broken, then what remains? Only clay remains. And clay knows I am clay. Brahman knows I am Brahman. The pure existence knows I am pure existence. Anything modified of this sattva or existence is limited. This is what is the rahasya, secret of understanding. And somebody has composed and these are called Shama Sangeet. You know, Shama Sangeet means bhajans sung, composed and sung for the glorification of the Divine Mother, Shama. If it is Shama without Durgha, Shama means Krishna. Shama means Durga. So Kali, Shama means Krishna. Shama Sangeet means music on Krishna. That is called Vaishnava Padavali. So here is a song somebody composed and it is all about the Divine Mother and the person is addressing his own mind. How are you? Man ki tattva koro tare. That is, why are you trying in vain to understand the nature of God? Who can know about God? Only God can know about God. How are you trying, oh my mind, to know the nature of God? You are groping like a madman locked in a dark room. You know, about philosophy, a funny definition is there. Philosophy is the search for a dark cat in a dark room long after it had gotten out of that room. First of all, it is a black cat. Secondly, it is a dark room. And when you enter, at least if that cat is there somewhere, then there might be a possibility that the cat has fled long back. Very beautiful definition. So you are groping like a madman locked in a dark room. He is grasped through ecstatic love. How can you fathom him without it? Only through affirmation, never negation. Can you know him? Neither through Veda, nor through Tantra, nor the six Darshanas. It is in love's elixir only that he delights, oh mind. He dwells in the body's inmost depths in everlasting joy. And for that love, the mighty yogis practice yoga from age to age. When love awakes, the Lord, like a magnet, draws to him the soul. He it is, says Ram Prasad, that I approach as mother. But must I give away the secret here in the marketplace? From the hints I have given, oh mind, guess what that being is. What are the hints? The hint is, I approach him as mother. Then, as the divine, I approach as mother. How do I approach the mother? I become mother. When I become mother, then I know what is mother. And this is the secret. And must I give away the secret here in the marketplace? That means nobody can understand it. But from the hints I have given, oh mind, guess what that being is. Can you guess? It is impossible. Then what is the way Ram Krishna used to give? Beautiful example. Once, there was a competition on how to measure the depth of the ocean. And there was a salt doll. And the salt doll said, it is very easy for me. So, the whole Samudra is made up of me. So, we are very friends. In fact, that is my mother house. So, I will just go and in a trice I will come back. So, he dived deep. As soon as he touched the water, what did it become? It became the salt. Now, who is to come back and report what is the depth of the ocean? That is to say, the only way to know God is to become one with Him. And when we become one with God, it is impossible to describe it to anybody. The only thing we can say is, you also come and dive. And you also become like a salt doll. And that is what it is said. Since the topic came, so Ram Krishna gives another example. Once, three dolls went to measure the depth of the ocean. One was made up of stone. Another was made up of cloth. Another was made up of salt. Now, the stone doll, it went and it sank to the very bottom of the ocean. It remained separate and it can never know. It cannot rise from that. The cloth doll, it absorbed some amount of water. Half water, half one, half separate. And it also could not measure. The salt doll went, immediately became one. And because there is nobody to tell it. This is the secret. It promised that, I will tell everybody. Then it understood, there is no everybody. There is only one. So, there is no need to report when one is one. What are these three things representing? The stone doll represents dualism of Madhvacharya. And the cloth doll represents the Visishta Advaita of Ramanuja. And the salt doll represents pure Advaita Vedanta, where Aham Brahmasmi realization has come. While singing, the master went into Samadhi. He was seated on the bench facing west. The palms of his hands joined together. His body erect and motionless. Everyone watched him expectantly. Vidyasagar too was speechless and could not take his eyes away from the master. This impossibility of trying to understand Brahman is so beautifully put forward in the Taittiriya Upanishad, in the second chapter called Brahmanandavalli. You must have noticed, that whenever I am taking class on the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, I am also trying to find out the parallels in the Bhagavad Gita, in the Puranas, in the Tantras, in the Upanishads especially. So here, it is impossible because it is, as I mentioned, for the effect to know the cause, the effect must de-effect itself and become one with the cause. That is what is said, Tattvamasi, the what, that. There is no thou, there is no that. Aham Brahmasmi. Or even, a person will not say that. Aham, that's all. Even he will not say that. When you are alone, you don't have to say, I am so and so. Only when there is a second, you have to say, I am so and so. Very interesting. Supposing there is no person, but there are many things in your room, and will you look at the table and say, Oh table, don't you know, I am so and so? Will you be telling it? Because you know that it is a Jada Padartha. It can never know anything about it. Coming back, this is what, in the ninth Anuvaka, Brahmananda Valli, second chapter, of the Taittiriya Upanishad, it is said, Yato vacho nivartante, aprapya manasa saha, anandam brahmano vidvan. So, from where, even the mind and much less, even the speech, come back baffled, because their effects. They cannot become the cause. Aprapya, without attaining that one, along with the mind. But, what is the use then of attempting? Anandam brahmano vidvan. One who knows that I am Brahman, he becomes one with Ananda. What happens? Na vibheti kutas chaneti. He will never be fearing anything. Fear comes from the second. Nitiyadvai bhayam bhavati. Here there is no fear at all. And not only that, so long as that person lives, Etagum havaavana tapati. Nothing really torments him. No thought. What is it? Kim aham sadhu na akaravam. Why did I not do something good? Kim aham paapam akaravam iti. Or, why did I do some paapa? Why did I not do what is good? Why did I do what is evil? Such thoughts never come because after realization, the person understands that there is nobody, only one. And when there is one, who is good and who is evil, that distinction will completely disappear. He becomes one with Ananda. sa yaha evam idvan ete atmanam spranute uvehe vaisayete atmanagu spranute yaya evam veda ityupanshat. Only he who realizes it, he knows it. The bliss of Brahman, from which all words return without reaching, it, together with the mind, is no more afraid of anything. Such thoughts as, why have I not done what is good? Why have I committed a sin? Do not suddenly come to distress a man of realization. He who knows thus regards both good and evil as the very Atman. Like, in our dream, suppose I went and killed somebody and in my dream, I went and sacrificed my everything for the good of some being whom I love. Both these are completely false because for whom I thought I sacrificed my life and whom I thought I destroyed, they are none other than my own imaginations. Really, both these are regarded by him who knows thus as only Atman. This is the Upanishad and that is where the Pramananda Valli stops. Now, Sri Ramakrishna is illustrating this. How is devotion? That is to say, how to understand God? Is it possible? So, he is giving an illustration. How is devotion? No description is equivalent to any or even the smallest experience. This is a marvelous thought. If somebody else has not experienced what I or you have experienced and if you want to convey, you can convey in equal terms but you can never convey the exact experience. Simple example, suppose you have eaten a very fine sweet and somebody from a village, his experience is he has eaten only what we call a piece of jaggery. Now, how are you going to explain to that person what is the difference between jaggery and the finest of the sweets? The only thing you can say, my friend, if you experience the sweet which I experienced, your happiness, the happiness that you got from eating the jaggery will be increased by a hundredfold. That is all we can say. In fact, experience is only to show us what is happiness, what is higher happiness. Try to describe the beauty of a sunrise to a blind man or try to explain the beauty of a beautiful bhajan or a song to a deaf man. All descriptions, positive or negative, are just pointers, guides. We can never exactly describe even the smallest experience unless the other person also has gone through the same experience. If this is our case, then we are trying to describe when every person is describing the same thing. Now, suddenly, I have to tell you something else also. See, this is the Divine Mother's Mahamaya. Suppose there are two of us or ten of us, let us say. All of us were given the finest sweet and all of us are hungry. All of us have eaten at the right time, in the right place, in the right quantity. Do you think all our experiences are exactly the same? The only common expression will be we are all very happy. I am happy. I am happy. I am happy. But what is the real experience? Everybody's experience is purely private, purely individual, purely measurable. If that is the case with our ordinary experiences, then imagine how to describe that being called God or Divine Mother. So, a person, one of our senior Swamis, of course, this is a very common illustration, has given a beautiful description. Supposing two friends come to visit you and there is a glass of water there. Half of the glass is filled. You ask one person, how much water is there? He says, why? So, half of the glass is full. You ask the other fellow. He will be a very glum type of person. What do you think? Do you know what he says? Oh, already half the glass is empty. Same object. Two different ways of looking. One is called positive outlook. Another is called negative outlook. One is astikya buddhi. Another is nastikya buddhi. So much of variation is there. So, it is very difficult. The Master said again, the one goal of life is to cultivate love for God. The love, what type of love? The love that the milkmaids, the milkmen and the cowherd boys of Vrindavan felt for Krishna. When Krishna went away to Mathura, the cowherds roamed about weeping bitterly because of their separation from Him. We must remember, when we are reading the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna comes from a family of the worshippers of God Rama. And by birth, he was a born lover of Krishna. In fact, his childhood imagination is that he would be a widow, a child widow. Her husband died. A small piece of land is there. And there is a beautiful place, very solitary. And there is an old woman to give her company. There is a small plot of land. And there is a cow. And this widow will be working very hard throughout the day, grazing the cow. And then washing the cow, feeding the cow. And in the evening, she will be milking the cow. And with that milk, she will prepare beautiful sweets according to her knowledge. And she will be waiting. And as soon as it is pitch dark, Bhagavan Krishna comes playing His flute. And she will spend the whole night dancing, singing, embracing Lord Krishna, feeding Him with all the sweets she herself made with her own hands. Remember, there is a beautiful bhajan, stotram, Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. The gopis, from early morning, from the time they get up, they only sing, Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. They are churning the cold pot to bring about butter. And with every churning, left side or right side, there at the end, Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. They are singing. Then they went away for cooking. Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. Then they go for bathing. Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. They are washing their cloths. Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. It is evening. And they are looking forward eagerly. Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. They are looking forward to receive their cows and their children, who went to graze the cows out. They are eagerly looking forward. Every conscious moment is spent only singing Govinda Damodara Madhaveti. Please look up. It is a marvellous song that is there. What are we trying to tell? The whole Gokula, there is not a single person who is not devoted to God. In fact, if we have to believe this Bhagavatam and Sri Ramakrishna and other saints. See, everybody in that Gokula was expressly born to witness the divine Leela of Bhagavan Krishna. And according to Sri Ramakrishna, as I think I have explained an empty number of times, when Sri Rama met 64,000 greatest Rishis in Dandakaranya, they derived so much of delight by just looking on the lotus face of Sri Rama. They said, Lord, we have never experienced such joy in our whole life by meditating upon Parabrahma. Now we know what joy is, Ananda is. We don't want to lose this opportunity. We want to trail you. We will go wherever you go. Doesn't matter whatever travails, whatever sufferings we have to undergo. Then Rama smiled and said, No, I will take you, I will transport you to the highest delight no human being can ever imagine. But you will have to reborn again when I reincarnate myself in the form of Sri Krishna. And that is what all these Gopis, Gopas and all the cows, all the trees, the Yamuna river, everything, Shrutis, Rishis, Devatas, devotees, everybody had incarnated himself to play out that divine Leela called Bhagavan Krishna. So there is not a single person, Gopa or Gopis. That is the fact Ramakrishna was telling. I wanted to be a child widow. Whole night I will be sporting, whole day I will be looking after and prepare simple sweets and nobody will know the secret. This is the sacred wish of Sri Ramakrishna, which in a way came true when the whole Dakshineswar temple was constructed for the sake of Ramakrishna only. Saying, this the master sang with his eyes turned upward. Just now I saw a youthful cowherd with a young calf in his arms. There he stood by one hand holding the branch of a young tree. Where are you brother Kanai? He cried. But Kanai scarcely could he utter. Cow was as much as he could say. He cried, where are you brother? And his eyes were filled with tears. When M heard this song of the master, laden with love, his eyes were moist with tears. We will stop here. The important thing is not only Sri Ramakrishna could go into ecstatic states even by remembering and singing. Remember, he was a superb singer. Gandharva Nindita Kantha. But whoever was fortunate enough to be with him, like whoever was fortunate enough to be with Bhagavan Krishna in his time, so, so much was their delight. That is why they can never forget. And this nectar, M, was specially selected to remember and to convey it to us without, with the least bit of what is called human expression without adding anything. Enjoy this again in our next class. May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.