Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 088 on 06-June-2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHUR MUHUR There are two questions. We will deal with it briefly. The first question is, the summary is this. Each one of us have to follow our own path shown by our Guru or traditionally through lineage, family wise we are following. For example, some are worshippers of Rama or Krishna or Devi etc. Jesus Christ, Buddha etc. What Sri Ramakrishna wants to convey is that every path definitely leads one to God if the aspirant really wants to be God. But in this world, we have to mix with so many people. And so let us not forget Sri Ramakrishna was from a rural area and his observation powers were extraordinary. So he was observing so many cows. A person may have some cows, a neighbouring person may have some cows. The whole village will have a common pasture. So all the cows go there. So they mix up with them. But when they come, even if a person has more than one cow, each cow has a specified place in the cowshed. And they know through training where to go and do this. What is this illustration for? Just like that we should be able to mix with people. We should never entertain malice. Let me read from where. When you mix with people outside your Samaj, meaning Brahmo Samaj, love them all. When in their company, be one of them. Don't harbour malice towards them. Don't turn up your nose in hatred and say, Oh, this man believes in God with form and not in the formless God. That man believes in the formless God and not in God with form. This man is a Christian, this man is a Hindu, and this man is a Muslim, etc. Very important point is, when we open the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, in the very first chapter, M was asked, do you believe in God with form or without form? Even though he was a lover of Bhagavatam, I was surprised when I heard this one. Any Bhakta must believe in a form, but such is the English education, and especially the preachings of Keshav Chandra Sen, etc. And we are going to discuss only about this Keshav Chandra Sen. They firmly believe, every Brahmo believes in God without form. And Sri Ramakrishna used to ridicule, make fun of them, even a seven-year-old Brahmo boy is deeply meditating, absorbed in the formless God. Even for advanced Sadhakas, to think of formless, for example, meditate on the sky, Akasha. Very often it is prescribed as Upasana. It is not possible for us. So this is the first factor that we should never think, we are right, all the others are completely wrong. I alone am right, or my sect is right, my religion is right, that is wrong. That's what Sri Ramakrishna is trying to say, mix with everybody, love everybody, but follow your own path. This is what Kabir Das also had taught us, Haan jee, haan jee, karte rahiye, paithiye, apne thaam. With everybody, yes, yes, you are right, you are right, you are right, but be firm in your own practice, with your own way of moving towards, not only God, whether it is food, whether it is sleep, whether it is activity, no two persons are made alike. Then of course Sri Ramakrishna beautifully sings, Lighting the lamp of knowledge in the chamber of your heart, behold the face of the mother, Brahman's embodiment. You can see your true self only within your own chamber. Then he gives that example, the cow head sticks, the cows etc. And at the end he says, therefore I said well by yourself in your own chamber. So this was the thing, but then he also tells something very interesting. Why are we all following different ways? Because God made us like that. If anybody has the notion, either through my ancestor or through my Guru, I have developed this particular, taken to this particular path of thinking about God in this particular form. But why did I take this particular form? Why did my Guru instruct me in this particular way? Is it because of my this thing? No, the whole world is created by God. He wants everybody to be different. He created everyone as different and it is His will. But we must have that common sense, that reasoning power. So what is the criteria? Sri Ramakrishna gives elsewhere the criteria. So I give my own example. Suppose some one of us, we are sick and we want the best doctors. So we take the recommendations from other people and we go to the doctor. Who is the best doctor? That is the question. Whether he is a famous doctor, a specialist, a very great specialist or common Kaviraj, it doesn't really matter. What matters is, am I getting better? Same thing we apply. It doesn't matter who is following what. But am I progressing? That is my only concern. If others are not progressing or are progressing, that's none of my business. In fact, they should teach me a lesson why they are not progressing or why they are progressing. This is called imitation. So it is God's will and the play has to go on and different players will be completely different from each other. That is the most important thing. That is the answer to the first question. What is the brief answer? That follow your own path. Never hate anybody. Love everybody because it is God only who is manifesting in the form of the other. And let us love and help. Whatever help we can do and the best help we can give is by becoming devotees ourselves. There is nothing greater than that, greater help. That's why we all go to saints because by their very being they do a lot of good. As Shankaracharya puts it in one of his books in Vivek Chodamani, the spring season makes everybody's heart very glad, not by wishing, not by thinking, but by its very being. And every saint is Vasantavat Lokahitam Charantaha. So they do good not because they want to do good, but just by being what they are. That is the answer. Second is, briefly, Sairam Krishna attended a festival and then this host's name is Venipal. You know Sairam Krishna was a Sanyasi. He doesn't take anything. There is an incident in fact. Sairam Krishna was very fond of some spices. After food we should all eat some spices. What is the purpose? Not enjoyment because eating different types of food will also produce different kinds of smells will be coming from some of our mouths. We are blissfully unaware what type of smell is coming out of our mouth. In fact, every pore in our body brings out its own specific smell. In fact, if I go even deeper, every animal knows its own offspring only through the sense of smell. Every cough, every raspberry, it emits a particular type of smell because of that the mother just goes on licking the newborn baby. It is not licking, it is also cleaning the baby from all this what is called Garbhasrava. And at the same time, it is also absorbing the very very specific smell. So even among hundred thousand of its species, it can recognize exactly its own baby and it will not allow any other baby to come near. So what is Ramakrishna telling now? He cannot accumulate anything because that is Sanyasinju Dharma. But he was very fond of eating spices. So it is a great benefit if we eat and at least when we are talking to other people, then they will not be put to discomfort. So out of compassion for other people, at least we should take some clove or cardamom or things like that. It is very useful. Now festival is over, Ramakrishna was coming back. Now the host knew that Ramakrishna is most of the time accompanied by Ramlala and it is the custom of people to give something at the end of it. Ramlala must have received quite a number of times but this day Ramlala could not accompany him. The host understood for some reason he couldn't come. So he wanted to give some fruits etc. to Ramlala because he could not come. Now Ramakrishna is refusing. Why is he refusing? Because a Sanyasi cannot even do Sanchaya, we call it, accumulate either for himself or other people. There is a beautiful incident in the life of Ramakrishna. And one day Ramakrishna went to the Nahabad to eat his food. After finishing, Holy Mother knew that he loved to eat some sweets and spices. So she tied a small bit of spices and Ramakrishna was coming to his room. And those of you who visited Dakshineswar knows the distance between Nahabad and Ramakrishna's room. It won't take even more than a minute's time. But instead of coming to the room, Ramakrishna, fully conscious, his legs were carrying him towards the Ganga. At first he could not understand, Ma, am I going to drown? Am I going to drown? He was muttering, he was consciously, why are my legs carrying me towards this? And immediately the Mother revealed, you have taken a vow, you will depend totally upon the Divine Mother for your Bhiksha. Every Sanyasi must go begging, Bhavati Bhiksham Dehi. That's why another name for Sanyasi is Niragni. You should never make a fire. To cook fire means for cooking food materials. Of course, those who are living in societies, they will be having a kitchen, they will be having organized cooks, etc. For the sake of convenience, if every Swami starts cooking, then no social service can be done. Anyway, at that time, Ramakrishna wanted to establish the principle. So he was thinking, why is this happening? Am I going to drown? Is it Mother's wish? Suddenly it was revealed, you have taken the vow not to accumulate anything, store anything, and here you have stored. Oh, what is there? Just a few bits of spices. No, Sir. It is not about how much, it is a matter of principle. The same thing applies that a Sanyasi cannot carry. My Sevaka is there, and today Pahisha has come out very well. Can you give me a little bit so I can carry it to him? Mahamaya starts like that. After that, it will go on increasing. Somebody else, some devotees, some relatives, like that, it can go on increasing. How Mahamaya is going to trap any one of us, only God knows, only Mahamaya knows. So that is why Ramakrishna totally refused. After all, if it doesn't take the fruits, what is going to happen? Ramlala will not know, and is he going to miss? Maybe a little bit, but does it really matter? He was being fully provided at Dakshineshwar. In fact, every day used to be a feast because Divine Mother will be given every day so much of what you call payasam, etc., naivedya. Every deity, if you go to Tirupati, and I am sure most of you have gone to Tirupati, you know Tirupati, Venkateshwara, one laddu. So for persons like me, it will last at least 3-4 days. If you are blessed, you can eat 3 or 4 laddus. That is God's very special blessing towards you. So accumulation is not wanted. The point is a Sanyasi cannot accumulate. And Sri Ramakrishna, 100%, he will not be able to accumulate. And he used to say, I surrendered myself to the Divine Mother. She will not allow me, even if I want to take a wrong step, she will not allow me to take a wrong step. He used to express it beautifully, metaphorically. An expert dancer, even if he tries, fails to take a wrong step because he has progressed so much. So this is the conversation. So Ramlal is not there. So with your permission, I should like to send some sweets for him through your attendance. The Master is in great anxiety. O Benipal, O Sir, please don't send these things with me. That will do me harm. Because if Sri Ramakrishna deviates, all of us will not deviate. We will not deviate. We will just fall into the ditch, headlong, never to come out. It's never possible for me to lay up anything. I hope you don't mind. Of course, Benipal understands that. As you please, Sir, please give me your blessing. Master said, Oh, we have been very happy today. That means you made us all very happy. You see, he alone is a true man who has made money his servant. But those who do not know the use of money are not men, even though they have human forms. They may have human bodies, but they behave like animals. You are blessed indeed. You have made so many devotees happy today. So Ramakrishna is telling that most of us are slaves. I am not hesitating to call ourselves. Most of us are slaves to what Sri Ramakrishna calls Kama and Kanchana. How many of us are willing to lose something for the benefit of other persons? Even one hundredth of what we have. Think over it and try to win. Until we become unselfish, we cannot become progress in spiritual life. Progress in spiritual life means becoming God. Becoming God means becoming totally unselfish. So this is the brief answer. Now we will proceed to our class, regular class. Master's Visit to Keshav, April 2, 1882. The Brahmo Samaj played a very important role in building the modern Indian society. But let us not say Brahmo Samaj alone played. So many societies have come and in fact historians recall whenever God incarnates, whether people accept them as incarnations or not, a tremendous power, as if a huge wave has come, as Swami Vivekananda likes to put it, and then it sweeps away every other wave and it reforms the old society and it also brings a new trend, a new pathway for the society. That is why those who know a little bit about the Bible, the old Bible and the new Bible. New Bible means the Gospel. It is called Gospel. Gospel means good news. It is from the birth of Jesus Christ, it is called Gospel. Earlier it was called the old Bible. So everywhere, when Krishna was born, when Rama was born, when Chaitanya was born, every time incarnation came, a new something will come up. But when God comes, He also sends, as it were, some of His servants to clean up, to repair the roads, just like when some chief minister or some powerful minister visits a village. So the workers will be... electricity will be working, roads will be cleaner and so many things they will do. So Brahma Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj, then Theosophical Society, innumerable societies have sprung up, did some good and because the context came, Theosophical Society, Swami Vivekananda had rebelled against it because they believed in Mahatmas and other things, but it did an immense work. It brought hundreds of Hindu scriptures and especially Anubisant had done Yeoman's work or Yeoman's work. She has brought up, under her inspiration and supervision, she brought up most important work. She did inspired Hindus towards Hinduism and she also did what is called restoring faith. When many Hindus, or only Hindus in name, but in every other way, they were tottering, neither able to grasp other people's ideas, other religious ideas, nor accept wholeheartedly and follow what is going on traditionally. And even those people who were following orthodox Hindus, they became so superstitious, they invented certain words like Mleccha and Swami Vivekananda tells us, the day the word Mleccha is invented, the fast degeneration of India had started. We have, as we said earlier, let us follow our own path, let us never criticize anybody else. That is one of the important teachings of Ramakrishna. That's why Swamiji said, Ramakrishna has come for the good of the whole world, not merely one quarter of Bengal or whole Bengal or only few, what we call India, but he has come for the good welfare of the entire world, to flood the world with the new ideology called New Vedanta. That is an important point. So here we are talking about Keshavs. So we see how Sri Ramakrishna loved Keshav. Why did he love? Because Keshav was personally a very good person. But at the same time, he knew that Divine Mother had shown Sri Ramakrishna. As we have seen in our first two classes, Keshav has to play indeed a very important part in the mission of Sri Ramakrishna. What was that part? Mainly it consists of two points. Sri Ramakrishna was made to understand that unless there is an organization, the spread of Divine Mother's message, that is that human birth is for God realization, there are infinite paths for infinite realization of God. So every one of us has freedom, Ishta Devatha Siddhanta. That is one part of Sri Ramakrishna's Avatara Rahasya. The second part is even more important. An organization has to come. And that organization has to come not from the old people, what we call old cronies, useless fellows, but from new young blood and of them a special Rishi had come. And he had been sent by Divine Will into this Brahmo Samaj because the language has to be learned and the other's ideas have to be absorbed without knowing the background of other cultures. It is impossible to spread this message, to find out what is good, what is not good, what should be retained and strengthened, what should be discarded. All these will be understood. So Sri Ramakrishna, he learned from Brahmo Samaj, first of all, an organization is very necessary. Second, all the modern people who would be his intimate disciples in future, who form as it were the very core of his organization, will be there. So Sri Ramakrishna need not go on running hither and thither, praying where is Narendra, where is Rakhal. He will just go there like a marketplace and choose whom he wants and what we call kidnap all these fellows. And there was a lot of criticism also. I am not simply making a statement. All these Narendra, Rakhal, Tarak, so many young people, including some of the senior respected Acharyas like Vijayakrishna Goswami and including Keshav Chandra Sen have been tremendously influenced by Sri Ramakrishna. But the future monastic group had come mostly from the Brahmo Samaj. And what is their specialty? They were young. They are familiar with the modern ideas. Here there is a point we have to learn. A divine mother, every epoch, every millennium, she will bring new ideas. Will Durant, a great American historian, along with his wife, had clearly mentioned he divided history into the age of superstition, the age of faith, the age of industry, the nuclear age, the age of rationalism, etc. That means simply trying to preach, Bhagavad Gita said so, Upanishad said so, people will not believe because they want to see what is the proof that God exists. I am the proof, Sri Ramakrishna says. I am the proof. And how do I know that you are the proof? I mentioned earlier, but just to remind you. How do we know Sri Ramakrishna has realized God? Or for that matter, anybody is realizing God? Or for that matter, anybody is progressing towards God? How do we know? Very simple, extremely simple. Anybody who says, I believe in God, I pray to God, I repeat His name, I live according to His instructions, that is the instructions of the scriptures. How do we know what is God? Sat, Chit and Ananda. And if I am praying to God, I am thinking of God, I am meditating upon God, I am worshipping God, I must grow in Godliness. And what does it mean? It means I grow in Sat. That means I will be a good person, not a goody-goody person, an unselfish person, really a self-sacrificing person. That is called Sat. What is the second? I will become a truth-speaking person. I hold on to truth. That's why Sri Ramakrishna used to say that in this Kali age, if anybody speaks truth for many years, then he will reach God. By speaking truth, one reaches God. So a person becomes Sat, a person becomes Satyamanta, and then a person becomes a seeker of truth, and a person becomes Sat, means God. That is the first sign. What is the second sign? Information is plenty, but wisdom is rare. And a person meditating upon God, he becomes wise. What does it mean? It means he develops viveka, develops vairagya, develops samadhi, shatka, sampati. He develops intense love for God and intense desire to be with God all the time, mumukshutva. Viveka, vairagya, samadhi, shatka, sampati, mumukshutva. These qualities gradually grow. That is, by judging, by seeing persons, one cannot mistake. Definitely, but the most important point, if a person is becoming Sat, if a person is becoming wiser, it is most manifest in the form of ananda. Then you see there is no cause for ananda. Maybe simple food, etc. Very few requirements. Requirements become less. Necessities become very less. Simple things will satisfy the person and he will grow definitely. These are the signs. Observe the character of a person. Not what a person speaks, but what a person is. And if we are foolish enough not to know what a person's character is, then definitely there is something terribly wrong with us. We are all slaves to words, especially appreciating words, praising words. You are great. They are not going to help anybody. Clearly speaking, we must bring about a change. That change is called progress, not only in spiritual life, but even in secular life also. You know who is a great scientist? He who discovers a truth about the world. Maybe about stars, maybe about nature, maybe about the earth, but it doesn't matter what it is. Whichever field, such people are called mantra drashtas or rishis. Prashati janati ith rishihi. So these are the characteristics. What am I talking about? And don't worry which path a person follows. Even if a person says, I don't believe in God, but he is a happier person and he is a wise person. And he never betrays his people. He always helps other people. He is an unselfish person and here is a so-called religious person and hours and hours of japam he will do. The most errant selfishness is manifest in that person all the time, if we only have. But I am not speaking about judging other people. Let us judge ourselves. Am I unselfish? Am I accumulating? Do I have faith that even if I don't have anything, God is going to look after me? If I have more than sufficient, am I going to share it with others? Because who is going to give? Who is giving me? Only God is giving me. This is a constant refrain in Shri Ram Krishna. He told to Madhur Babu, he told many other people, you are but trustees, Divine Mother has given you, not for your own sake, for the sake of distribution, sharing and caring with other people. That's important for us. Anyway, so this is the teaching, it is there and Brahmos also Shri Ram Krishna is telling. And why Shri Ram Krishna was very fond of Keshav? Because the Divine Mother first showed that I am working through him. He will be a great helper. And Ram Krishna used to say in the Gospel, a mother wants her baby to trust somebody from low caste, but somebody who is a good person, who can take care of the child. Here is your elder brother and the child has 100% faith, this must be my elder brother. And he just runs to him and sits in the lap of that person. That kind of faith one must have. So for Shri Ram Krishna, Mother's word is enough. This Narendra, this Rakhal, they are all Divinely manifesting my manifestations. That is what we have to understand. That's why Shri Ram Krishna was very fond of Keshav. Why? Because Keshav was pure, Keshav was really capable of meditating and anybody with crooked mind cannot meditate. Of course, Keshav had some problems, personal problems. He wants to be praised. He wants to be the leader of a society and there are many funny incidents are there. We will come across them in course of time. So Shri Ram Krishna was very fond because Mother told him of Keshav and Mother wants something to be learned by Shri Ram Krishna by visiting this Brahma Samaj. So a master was very fond of Keshav and Keshav too had high regard for the master. He used to venerate him despite the differences in their viewpoints. That's why Shri Ram Krishna knew that the samskara of Keshav Chandra Sen would not permit him to accept everything Shri Ram Krishna says. So he used to say, always giving the example of a fish, Mata Mundo Chhede. That is cut off the head, cut off the tail of a big fish and you take the middle portion. That means if you find in my teachings anything which you think is too much, just take the essence. And Shri Ram Krishna did not mind. Keshav, of course, was incapable of taking the whole thing. He just took. But a tremendous transformation has taken place which we are going to see very soon. So what are the differences? Shri Ram Krishna worshipped every magic, especially his spiritual life started with puja, especially of Divine Mother Kali. Here are some funny experiences of mine. I heard some Krishna Bhaktas, why did Shri Ram Krishna have to meditate on Kali? Okay, he wants to think of God as Divine Mother, that's fine. But why not think of Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi Devi, Gauri? So many marvelous forms are there. Of all the most ferocious, hideous, this naked Kali, why did one day? I had explained to you clearly. This is the best symbolism of Hindu philosophy of what is Saguna Brahma, what is Nirkuna Brahma. Just in case you have forgotten, very briefly I will tell you. Nirkuna Brahma is represented by Mahakala. And Saguna Brahma means time, space and causation is represented by the Mother Kali. Kali means Kala, deifying Kala. So activity takes place in Kala, in time. And the activity is only three, creation, sustenance, maintenance. Every one of our activities. So you create something or you acquire something. Then you use that something and then you get out of that situation. Simple example, you create food, you eat, enjoy food and then you remove whatever is removed to start again. Every activity of ours, whatever we do, our five sense organs in the body and also through our mind, buddhi, chitta, etc., creation, and every day when we go to dream state, we are creating, we are sustaining and we are destroying. When we enter into the dream state, we are creators of the dream state. And so long as we are there, we are the sustainers. The moment we wake up, we become Paramashivas, Rudras. Everything is absorbed within every activity. Think of it. Whenever you are hearing these talks, you take these important ideas and make them your own. So Ramakrishna, any image worship, in fact, even to say that God is without form, is one form of image only. God without form is one image. God with form is one image. God with innumerable forms is another image. Everything is a thought process in our mind. But there are Brahma Samaj people that choose and select what is called Kichadi religion. And if they take from every religion a few suitable things, even though those religions, if they will be horrified, Oh, you have taken these teachings because no other religions are quarrelling with any other religion. And if there is nobody to quarrel with, they will quarrel with the sects of their own. They destroy with each other. So despite all the differences, both Master and Keshav were drawn very close to each other. In fact, the Master, I say Ramakrishna, never prayed that, Oh Mother, give me good health, avert disease from me, let me live long time. Absolutely no. Even when he was about to die, he was suffering from unimaginable agony. He never prayed for his own welfare. Once he prayed, let me eat a little bit and the Divine Mother had given him a big blow by showing, Why are you not eating through everybody? That was her reply. Sri Ramakrishna said, I was ashamed. Very interesting. So once Hriday, not understanding true spirituality, asked for Sri Ramakrishna. But he had that faith, whatever Sri Ramakrishna asks will be granted by the Mother. So why don't you ask for some special power, Siddhai? And Sri Ramakrishna, sometimes, he was like a child. Most of the time he was like a child. So he went and prayed, Ma, Hriday says that I should pray to you for some special power. What is the point? Sri Ramakrishna had a power to cure diseases or to make a person live long time, etc. Then Hriday is the manager. So everything will come to the manager. In fact, when he was terribly disappointed, Sri Ramakrishna will not accept anything. Neither will he allow Hriday to accept anything. He became a terrible tormentor of Sri Ramakrishna in the end. So he had to leave that place. It's a big story. I have already indicated quite a number of times. If I have not done so in this talk and in other talks, definitely, I have done that in mass prayer, etc. Okay, now what is the point? Sri Ramakrishna is totally dependent upon the Divine Mother. He will never ask anything personal. But the same person, when he heard Keshav Chandra Sen was sick, and then he prayed, Oh Mother, if Keshav Chandra Sen is sick, with whom am I going to talk in Calcutta? As if in that whole Calcutta, there was nobody else excepting Keshav Chandra Sen. But purely speaking, Keshav Chandra Sen alone appreciated Sri Ramakrishna, understood Sri Ramakrishna, accepted many of his teachings, especially the essence of the teachings, even though not all forms, and he became a great devotee of the Divine Mother, which we are going to see very soon. So a great change had come and some of the members of the Brahmo Samaj also, a change had come there. I am telling all this as a background because to appreciate and enjoy the real essence of this Gospel, merely saying Ramakrishna met Keshav Chandra Sen and will not do. This background will help us to enjoy the same chapters in much more depth. In fact, one day, Keshav Chandra Sen, towards the end of his life, took Sri Ramakrishna to his private shrine room, worshipped the feet of Sri Ramakrishna, drank the Padodaka Vesai, Tirtha, Charanamruta, and then after that he told Sri Ramakrishna, please don't tell anybody that I worshipped you. Of course, Sri Ramakrishna understood. He said, no, I am not going to tell, but he definitely blessed me. So Sri Ramakrishna loved him very much, but he prayed and what happened, you know? Sri Ramakrishna truly loved Keshav Chandra Sen. When Keshav Chandra Sen passed away, it is said Sri Ramakrishna could not get up from his bed for three days. So much grief stricken he was. He would not be grief stricken for himself, but whomsoever he loved, he loved in that way. That is why I say, if God loves you, it will not be like a selfish, puny human being loving us. If Krishna loves us, Rama loves us, it is wonderful. So a great saint had elaborated on Rama and Krishna, you know, while describing the form of Rama especially and Krishna, Ajanubahum Aravinda Dalayataksham, Sri Rama. Ajanubahum means his arms reach practically below the knees. If you just stand up and let your hands fall, they will not reach your knees. Sri Ramakrishna's hands could reach there. So one saint was commenting because always he wants to think about God. Why did Rama and Krishna, all the Avataras, they are Ajanubahus? So one saint made a funny remark so that God can embrace the fattest devotee. There are nowadays, you know, there are fat devotees also. So if God wants to embrace them, He may not reach even one third of the way round. So if He has got Ajanubahu, then He can embrace them. They just make a little bit of fun. But Ramakrishna prayed, it might not have been possible for us to understand how the two are linked. But history testifies that Keshav was a helper in the fulfillment of the Master's mission. It was through Keshav that the Master was introduced to the contemporary young Bengal. Sri Ramakrishna used to call Narendra, Rakhal, etc., young Bengal, Englishmen, etc. What is more, many of the monastic disciples were introduced to the Master only through Keshav. Of course, we have no information how Keshav felt when Narendra and others were drawn. And later on, Swami used to say, so far as social reform is concerned, Brahmo Samaj did quite a good social service. But so far as spirituality is concerned, it is zero. But many members of the Keshav sense Brahmo Samaj did not like the Master's intimacy with it. In fact, there is one incident. Sri Ramakrishna knew that Naren was a Brahmo Samaj member and his longing for Narendra was so much. One day, Sri Ramakrishna could not wait until he could see his beloved Narendranath. And then he understood, at this particular time, my Naren will be in the Brahmo Samaj. And Swami Vivekananda was a marvellous singer. He had divine attraction which none of the Brahmos have understood. They appreciated his singing but did not understand what is the source of the tremendous personal magnetism. But Sri Ramakrishna knew. So he could not wait. Such was his longing to see Narendranath. He went straight to the Brahmo Samaj uttering Naren, Naren and went into Samadhi. Many of the Brahmo members did not like this at all. They thought Sri Ramakrishna had done enough damage by changing Keshav Chandra Sen. In fact, Keshav Chandra Sen had ceded from the old Brahmo Samaj which belonged to this. Some of the other people were quite popular people there and then he formed his own new Navavidhan, a new way. Anyway, Sri Ramakrishna, as soon as he entered, some of the members understood that they did not like it. They immediately put off the lights. Completely, the whole building had become dark and the moment they put off the lights, Sri Ramakrishna was in deep Samadhi. And the people started jostling and many of them did not care for Sri Ramakrishna. But Narendranath, endowed with razor sharp intellect, immediately understood why Sri Ramakrishna came there. He was not interested in the Brahmo Samaj. He was interested only in his own Naren. So immediately he rushed and then holding him, slowly brought him out and he scolded, Why did you create such a turbulence in our race? But who will listen to all those words of Narendranath? Sri Ramakrishna was so happy to get Narendranath and he brushed aside everything. What can the poor Narendranath do? So a question comes here, why did Sri Ramakrishna love Narendra so much? Well, I have my own beautiful analogy. I don't know whether you like it, but I will definitely share it with you. Supposing there is a sheep farmer and a new baby sheep is born and it is exceptionally beautiful, fatty and the owner understood, if I pay special attention to it, it will fetch tremendous amount of value and then he starts feeding it all special things. That is exactly what Sri Ramakrishna, the sheep farmer, knew. And by the way, the word sheep is used in Christianity very freely. Jesus is the shepherd and everybody is a sheep. Where did he get it from? Purely from Hinduism. Because Shiva is called Pashupati, we are all Pashus and Shiva is the Lord of the Pashus. Anyway, that is He who guides His followers, He is called the shepherd. So that they will not stray from the path of spirituality and they will come to God. That is the analogy we have to understand. So Sri Ramakrishna was fattening. Why? Because Divine Mother told that My mission will be fulfilled only through Narendra, not through Sri Ramakrishna, not through anybody. They can all be helpful, but Narendra had to play the most pivotal role in propagating. Only he could have faced that elite at the Chicago Parliament of Religions of nearly 4,000 to 5,000 elite members who attended there and preached boldly. At that time you have to remember that the whole India was a slavish country. And it is for this purpose He was bestowing and this beautiful episode in the life of Sri Ramakrishna is described beautifully. But there are so many parts to Sri Ramakrishna. From the time Sri Ramakrishna was born to the time He came to Calcutta is one part. From the time Sri Ramakrishna entered as a priest in the temple is the second part. From the time Sri Ramakrishna had realized, became successful in every pathway and tried to help hundreds of these other aspirants who were following that path was the third part. But a new scene has to open where Sri Ramakrishna's message has to reach the modern people, modern era, this new millennium and throughout the world. For that the most important role was to be played by Naren and Sri Ramakrishna was given that notice by the Divine Mother. Naren will play the most pivotal role and that is why Sri Ramakrishna loved him. And how did he love him? Not as a man, not as a disciple because Narendranath himself had protested, If you love me so much, your fate will be like Jada Bharata. Jada Bharata loved a Mriga, that is a herring, that is a deer and meditating upon the deer, he had to be reborn as a deer. If Sri Ramakrishna loved even in that sense Narendranath, what would have happened? Sri Ramakrishna would have been reborn as Narendra. I don't think it is such a bad idea, but anyway, but Sri Ramakrishna, he came to know. Why do I love you? Because I see Narayana in you. The more I see the Divine manifestation in anybody, the more Sri Ramakrishna used to be attracted, not by deliberating upon it, but as though a great magnet was attracting him in either way. So this is what happened, that particular thing. But the Master took no offense saying, the place where the words of God are discussed is indeed sacred. In Sri Ramakrishna's eyes, Brahma Samas people, they pray to God and they recite prayers, they sing bhajans, it's wonderful. Sri Ramakrishna's ideas gradually influenced the minds of the followers of the Brahma Samas. Previously, they used to sing, no doubt, but it was not their practice to perform Sankirtana, group singing. Sankirtana always means not one person singing, but many persons singing devotional songs together. This is called Nama Sankirtana, propagated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And in South India, this is very popular. The Ram Nama, Shyam Nama, Shiva Nama, Ramakrishna Nama, Holy Mother's Nama, Sharada Nama, 508 Namas are there. And we sing there so that every devotee enjoys. The whole life is represented in each one of these Sankirtanas. Previously, they were reciting some Sanskrit shlokas, singing some what is called Brahmo Kirtans. Especially, Vrindanath Tagore's what you call, God is everywhere, Eshwara is everywhere. That is called Brahmo Sangeet. The very style of the music has been named as Brahmo Sangeet. But Ramakrishna introduced two things. First of all, sing together nice bhajans. And secondly, very important, the concept of God as Father, which was bodily lifted from the Semitic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Ramakrishna said, it is much sweeter, more joyful than to sing of Father's aspect of God, rather than the Mother aspect of God. And then he introduced Mother's name. There was a very great singer and he was also a composer. His name was Rayalokyanar Sanyam and he was a member of the Brahmo Samaj. He composed many songs, which I am going to quote in my next talk. So, Keshav Chandrasen, after coming into contact with Ramakrishna, assimilated the attitude of enjoying the bliss of God as Mother. So, this change was noticed by Max Muller. And then, one Swami has written, in the West, Keshav Chandrasen has become famous as a great religious speaker. He had a tremendous charm. He could draw hundreds of people. But later, Max Muller, he questioned himself that how did this man, who was cherishing these ideas, change? On making enquiries into the reason for this sudden and momentous change in Keshav's life, a professor discovered the Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwar. Then he requested Swami Vivekananda, because he met Swami Vivekananda in England, requested for materials regarding the life of Sri Ramakrishna. And he wrote a beautiful article, the 19th century Mahatma and later on collected the sayings of Sri Ramakrishna. And put them very beautifully. And he had great admiration for Swami Vivekananda. So, this is the background. Sri Ramakrishna was sitting in the drawing room of Keshav Chandrasen's house in Calcutta. It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon. When Keshav was told of his arrival, he came to the drawing room, pressured to go out. For he was about to call on a sick friend. But seeing Sri Ramakrishna, he cancelled his plan. Remember, in those days, there was no WhatsApp message or email or telephone. So, when somebody decides to go, neither Sri Ramakrishna comes to know when Keshav Chandrasen is going to come. Of course, sometimes, earlier he has mentioned, I will come on such and such a date. But quite a number of times, he just came suddenly. Only then they came to know that they are going to meet each other. So, Keshav did not know. So, he cancelled his plan. So, the Master said to him, you have so many things to attend to. Besides, you have to edit a newspaper. You have no time to come to Dakshineswar. So, I have come to see you. These are very meaningful words, which I would like to expand. And this, I will do in my next class. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Adapadbhihetayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna