Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 092 on 01-August-2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, April 2nd, 1882. Sri Ramakrishna went to visit Keshav to Keshav's own home. When Keshav was told of Sri Ramakrishna's arrival, he came to the drawing room. He was addressed to go out for he was about to call in a Sikh friend. Now that Sri Ramakrishna had come, he cancelled his plan. Now Sri Ramakrishna was telling to him, you have so many things to attend to. Besides, you have to edit a newspaper. You have no time to come to Dakshineshwar. So I have come to see you. In my last class, I have also narrated the story of Pandalika, a great Maharashtrian saint. When he became reformed, he started serving his own parents like Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava. For him, the service of the parents is more than equivalent to the service of God. So one day, God Himself came. Why did He come? Because Pandalika did not have time to visit the temple. We have to understand the situation. Had he time, he would have definitely spent as much time as possible in the temple. But he did not have time. Old parents had to spend practically many many hours there. So God Himself had come. And what happened? God was waiting for him. Pandalika was messaging his mother's and father's feet. He had no time even to get up and welcome. So He threw a brick. You please sit there, stand there. And when I finish, I will speak with you. God was highly pleased because He understood the depth of His devotion. And He asked, I am so pleased. Whatever you wish, I will give it to you, grant it for you. And he wished, I don't want anything. I feel complete fulfillment. What does it mean? It means Pandalika had realized God is not serving his parents. He was seeing Brahman in both his parents. But anybody who succeeds in seeing Brahman in one object, he will succeed very soon seeing the same God everywhere. So for him, serving God, serving parents had absolutely no difference at all. And that is what Shri Ramakrishna taught, Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva. So until one develops that vision of Shiva, seeing God in everything, nobody can really serve. First we must realize I am Shiva. And in the eyes of Shiva, everything will be only Shiva and nothing else. This is the secret. So this is what Shri Ramakrishna always meant. In the later days, Shri Ramakrishna used very often to come to Balram Basu's house. Why was he coming? Because he knew most of the devotees were living in Calcutta. And especially in that particular area, most of the devotees were living. And instead of all of them coming to Dakshineswar, which is impossible, even if they can come, they can come only when they are free. Because they were all householders, working people. But Shri Ramakrishna decided that he would go to Balram Basu's house and Latu Maharaj was serving him. Latu Maharaj was there, but he was called for supplication. So he will go and inform. The description comes in Latu Maharaj's life. Especially Latu Maharaj's Shriti Katha in Bengali, Chandrashekhar had compiled it. What a marvelous thing! The joy of Latu knew no bounds. So the description goes like this, if I remember correctly. As soon as Ramakrishna arrives, he dashes out of Balram Babu's house to the nearby devotee's house. Thini is a chain. He will not say Shri Ramakrishna. He has come. Of course, every devotee understands what he meant by He. And everybody comes running. And some people never delay. Now what is happening? Latu Maharaj runs to this devotee's house, that devotee's house, the other devotee's house. He is also noticing whether they are coming or not. And then if any devotee is delaying, he will dash into their house and say, What are you doing? He will shout. I told you, he has come and you are still preparing. Come. If necessary, two or three times he will go there. So this is how he is so enthusiastic. And so we can also call Latu Maharaj as the Garuda Vahana of Shri Ramakrishna. What is the business of Garuda? To carry God to his devotees. Because devotees cannot go to God. Shri Ramakrishna is expressing that you have no time to come to Darshan. And it is absolutely true. He was a very popular speaker. He was editing many papers, weeklies, etc. And besides, he was also the leader of the Brahmo Samaj. Hardly there was any time. And so preparing for his talks and conducting the prayers, etc. And personally, he was deeply devoted to meditation, etc. He really hardly had any time. Still he used to make time. Sometimes he used to come to Darshan with a steamer boat. Sometimes he used to take Shri Ramakrishna on the steamer. Many such incidents are there. But this is the important point. If the child is calling mother and child cannot go to mother, mother will come running to the child. That is being illustrated here. I have come to see you. And when you fell sick, Shri Ramakrishna is telling, when I heard of your illness, I vowed green coconut and sugar to the Divine Mother for your recovery. What a marvellous thing! I remember, many times I also mention that one, a very beautiful story of Tulasidas. I think it comes in one of his writings. I don't remember exactly where it comes. So one day, Tulasidas was having a conversation with God in his mind. So he was telling, Lord, Lord, where do you live? And as if the Lord was a very ignorant person, he said, why, I told you many times, I live in Vaikuntha. Oh, and then every devotee wants to come to Vaikuntha to see you because that is where you are available, isn't it? Of course, Tulasi, that is what everybody has to do. Well, Lord, what is the distance between Vaikuntha and Bhuloka? He says, oh, it is so many millions and millions of miles. So there will be old people, there will be children, there will be sick people, and is it possible for everybody to go there? Yes, yes, Tulasi, I think I get your point. So Lord, I have a request for you. What is it? It is very difficult to go to your place. Why don't you create one ladder from Bhuloka to Swargaloka? Very good idea, Tulasi, and I will do that. And he created. Okay, Tulasi, are you happy? No, I am quite okay. But what is it? Is there something troubling you? Yes, Lord, you know so many people, it is impossible for them. They can't even climb to the first floor, let alone to Vaikuntha. So why don't you, what are you suggesting? Instead of so many people struggling to come up to you, why don't you come down once and we can all see you on Bhuloka, wherever we are. What a marvellous idea, Tulasi. How come I did not think of it before? So thank you for your suggestion. That is what I will do. Then he said, but how do I come to you? Do I have to climb down? This is not created by Tulasi. I have this agenda, I added it. Lord, there is one of your servants. Yes, whom are you referring? No, that fellow called Garuda. So he doesn't practically do anything. What are you suggesting? He has a special skill. He can fly anywhere with the greatest speed. And you make him your vehicle. Yes, and then you just wish, I want to go to Kashi, meet Swami Dayatmananda. And immediately he will bring you. Within a twinkling of an eye, he will be here. Oh, wonderful, marvellous. But what about all the heat and other things? Oh, that is no problem because when he is coming down with such speed, the wind will be passing past you and practically you have to protect yourself only with warm clothing. It will be so cold. So that is not a problem. And Bhagawan Vishnu, Rama thanks him and ever since that time, he has got this idea from Tulasidas and he rides and comes down. What are we talking about? Garuda is the representation of Guru. When the child of God earnestly cries helplessly, then as mother comes running to the baby, Bhagawan also comes. Whether it is Gajendra Mokshana or whether it is Samrakshana of Draupadi, wherever, whenever Garuda, a devotee remembers, immediately God becomes present there. So this is the idea. God himself will come to us. Who is telling? Sri Ramakrishna is telling. Now the scene has changed. This is another scene. And then one of the members of the Brahma Samaj was Trilokyanath Sanya and he was a great singer. Also a great composer. He had that humility and Sri Ramakrishna himself had bestowed his grace upon him. And before Sri Ramakrishna came into contact with Brahma Samaj, they were only, in Sri Ramakrishna's words, they were only doing one Shruti. They don't have the capacity to go and bring out Saptaswaras. So it is called accompanying musical instrument. So like that, these people were only harping on one, Nirakara Brahma, Nirakara Brahma. And it is not easy even to meditate upon Sakara Brahma, not to speak of Nirakara Brahma. That's why Sri Ramakrishna's fun is also containing lot of meaning. He said, I find that even six year old child of, boy of Brahma Samaj is meditating on Nirakara Brahma, meaning he is thinking nonsense. What about the grown-ups? Swamiji used to call grown-ups as moustached babies. So what is the nature of a baby? Intensely restless. But he has many other qualities. Absolutely, whenever he is absorbed in a play, wholeheartedly, that is a great quality of babies. But when we grow out of babyhood, we lose that intense focus and we become distracted with many things. A baby still not mature has no such choice. Whatever he is playing, the baby will be absorbed in it. That is why every spiritual Sadhaka must become like a baby. Now this, after coming into contact with Sri Ramakrishna, first of all, Brahma Samaj people have learned that Bhakti is the means. Second, they learned that Nirakara Brahma is practically out of the question. Only Sakara Brahma, Saguna Brahma can be thought about it. What Ramanujacharya calls that Bhagawan is an ocean of auspicious qualities. Everything is an auspicious quality. He is punishing somebody just like mother punishing a baby. And for whose sake? For the baby's sake. That is why what we call suffering, Dukkha, is a grace of God. And that is what Holy Mother was repeating, misery is a gift of God. Grace of God. There is absolutely no doubt if we understand it in the proper way. So, what is the first thing? Bhakti is the way. Sri Ramakrishna emphasizes to Brahma Samaj people again and again. You are not Jnanis. You are only Bhaktas. Sri Ramakrishna made a very sharp distinction between Jnanis and Bhaktas. Sri Ramakrishna said, only a man of immense renunciation, discrimination, mind control, body control, and with the intense yearning for God realization, only a few among such people can tread the path of Jnana. It is extremely difficult. Bhagawan Krishna had reiterated this point, Klesho Adhikatarasthesham Avyakta Sattachetasam. Those who are body-minded, it is impossible for them to think of that highest ideal, Nirakaara Nirguna Brahma. For us, it is only Sakara Brahma. So, first of all, you are devotees. Secondly, you are devotees of Saguna Brahma, not Nirguna Brahma. Thirdly, it will be much easier for you to think of God as mother, than as a father. This concept of God as father, these people indiscriminately borrowed it from the Semitic religions. Semitic religions, excepting a few saints, rarely think of God as a mother, let alone as a friend. Now, there were some people, Saint Teresa of Avila, her relationship with God is that of a friend. There is a funny story about her. Once, Jesus commanded her, you go and reform my church. And she founded one of her own convents, denominations, and she wanted to bring about a reform because the church was the greatest corrupt state at that time. So, she was going. Everybody was up against her. Everybody was opposed to her. Everybody was trying even to kill her wherever it is possible. Endless troubles. Her body was sick. Her mind was full of devotion, but encountering all these things. So, one day, she was having a conversation with Jesus. She said, Jesus, you know, his attitude was, Jesus is my friend. Sakyabhava. So, she said, Lord, you commanded me and you are creating so many problems for me. Why? And the Lord, very smilingly, replied, that is how I treat my friends. And immediately, the retort came, now I know why you have so few friends. So, this is Sakyabhava. And then there are some people, Madhurabhava. In fact, it is very interesting that the whole Church teaching says, Church is the bride, Jesus is the bridegroom. This reference is given several times in the New Testament we get. When there is a wedding, all the brides, bride will be decorated and when the bridegroom comes, etc., he was referring to Madhurabhava. We don't know how much it is true, but it is said that Jesus Christ had disappeared from the age of 12 until the age of 30, when suddenly He appears like a huge blazing star on the horizon of these Jewish people. 18 years. What happened to Him? Nobody knows. So, some people speculate He came to India, sat under a yogi and learned all our schools of philosophy, especially Patanjali Yoga. Some people say He went to Tibet and sat in it. The Tibetans claim there is a monastery there where Jesus Christ actually passed away. This is again another legend that three days after His crucifixion, they put Him in a cave, but He suddenly disappeared. Even His direct disciples also, nobody could see Him. They put up a huge stone so that nobody can enter after putting His so-called dead body in the cave. And when they came to check it up again, they removed the stone and the stone was exactly like that, but there was no body at all. What happened to Jesus' body? Nobody knows. So, there was another legend after His crucifixion, He again came back to either India or Tibet and He lived there. So, Swami Avedanandji Maharaj claims that He had gone to Kashmir and He found the Samadhi place of Jesus Christ. And there is a peculiar belief that He went to Tibet and there He passed away. Some Lamas claim that even the name of Jesus Christ is there as a part of the historical recording. Anyway, that is not the important point. His Madhura Bhakti was there, Sakya Bhakti was there and of course, Pitru Bhakti is there. Pitru Bhakti means looking upon God as a father. Rarely people looked upon Jesus Christ as a mother. That idea was fully developed in the Hinduism but even we find it in the Vedas. For example, in the Devi Suktam. But it is more fully explored in the Puranas as Devi. There are so many Puranas. These are all related to the Devi. All the Puranas can be subdivided into Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, Ganapathya, etc. So there are so many. Of these Puranas belonging to the Devi aspect of Brahman, there is one big Purana equivalent to Bhagavatam. This is called Devi Bhagavatam. And our Swami, Jnananandaji Maharaj, he translated the whole thing into English language. So what is the point? Worshipping, calling upon God as mother was something that these people had learned. Now when Sri Ramakrishna came to Keshav Chandra Sen's house, there was this Trilokyanath present there and he was a very great singer and he sang a beautiful song on the Divine Mother. Trilokya sang. Suddenly the Master stood up and went into Samadhi, repeating the Mother's name. Coming down a little to the plane of sense consciousness, he danced and sang. Now what was the song Sri Ramakrishna was singing? Sri Ramakrishna sang. Sri Ramakrishna sang. So this drink is no ordinary drink. It is such a drink, anybody who drinks it, he will get Dharma, Atha, Kama and Moksha or the all desirable ones. I drink no ordinary wine but wine of everlasting bliss. As I repeat my mother Kali's name, it so intoxicates my mind that people take me to be drunk. Aside commentary, many times Sri Ramakrishna used to go to Calcutta and he used to be completely drunk and then as he was getting, there used to be so many people, sometimes there was one particular scene when Sri Ramakrishna was getting down and he saw some drunks, completely drunk, swaying but with a little bit of awareness and they saw. They said, Our drinking is nothing. This is the person who drank too much, more than any one of us. And Sri Ramakrishna heard it crystal clearly and then he said, this is what is being referred. When I drink this divine drink, Sudha Khai, I drink Amrita, the nectar of immortality and I become intoxicated with the divine. But people take me that I have drunk ordinary drink. There was a very touching scene. There was a devotee called Kalipada once he visited Sri Ramakrishna and he was addicted to drink and many other things. I will not mention it here. So he looked at Sri Ramakrishna and probably, I don't know, you might have seen him swaying a little bit and said, Sir, can I wet my throat a little bit? And Sri Ramakrishna said, I have very powerful, do you think you can stand? This Kalipada thought, Sri Ramakrishna has imported it from England, English wine, because it is much more strong than native one, usually prepared out of rice, etc. So Sri Ramakrishna said, No, this is native only. This is prepared at home only. But it is so strong, very few people can drink it. But be careful, because this is all not there in the Gospel, that once you become addicted to it, then it is very difficult for you to get out of that addiction. I don't know, we don't know, but Kalipada understood. He said, Yes, Sir. Please give me a little. And immediately Sri Ramakrishna touched him and that Kalipada entered into such a state and until the last day of his life, he remained totally devoted to the Divine Mother, to Sri Ramakrishna, became totally transformed. And this is the type of song, Surapan Ami Kureena, I do not drink ordinary wine. Sudha Khai, I only drink. Sudha means the nectar of immortality. How? Jai Kali Bole And Man Matale Matal Kure And as soon as I utter, take, think Mother's name, immediately the whole mind becomes completely intoxicated, become drunk. Mad Matale Matal Bole But people who find me in that state, what they say, this fellow had drunk wine, ordinary wine, and he has become drunk with it. But the esoteric meaning is being given here. Guru Datta Oodlaaye I will just explain instead of word by word. What does the Guru do? He will give us that basic material for preparing this one. What do I do? So what Guru gives, I do Shravana and I add Manana, Pravrutti Masala Diye and that marvellous drink that my Guru has given me, in course of time, it becomes fermented. Then, Amar Gyan Shudhi The Chueyai Bhati Then I fry it on the frying pan of knowledge. And then, Paan Kore Mor Mon Matale Then my mind drinks that wine and then it becomes drunk. Mola Mantra Jantra Vara The Mola Mantra, the mantra that the Guru has given. Shodhan Kore Bole Tara O Mother Tara, I purify it, ferment it. Prasad Bole Prasad means Ram Prasad, the author of this particular song. A Mansura, such a beautiful drink has come out after fermentation. Khele, anybody who drinks it, Chaturbarga Mile all the fourfold fruits, Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha will be attained. This also brings to my mind a beautiful incident from Ramayana. Again, Sri Ramakrishna himself narrates it. What is that? There was Rama-Ravana Yuddha going on. Rama was cutting off the heads of the Ravanasura. He was called Dasasera. And that means ten heads are there. And one by one, Sri Rama was cutting them. But the moment he cuts them off, again they spring back as if nothing had happened to him. And Ravanasura was laughing. Try your level best. As many times as you cut off, you will not succeed because I am going to grow them again. Why? Because, O Rama, your arrow is infallible. So it has to do your job. But I have got a pot of Amruta tied in my waist. So long as I have that Amruta, this new head will spring. You can cut off my head as many times as you want. It is like the story of Raktabija in the Durga Saptashruthi. Then Rama felt a little bit discomfited. He asked Viveshana, what is this matter with your brother? Viveshana knew all the secrets. He said, yes, Brahma has given him a pot of nectar, Amruta. So long as it is there, nobody can kill him. Then what is the way to kill him? Well, what my brother does at night before sleeping, he ties it to a pillar and nobody can of course enter. It is guarded. And so long as it is there, early in the morning, he will do puja. He will put it and then he will come for battle and that is how he is invincible. So what to do? You send Hanuman. Viveshana advises. He can take any form of any size. So he can easily enter even in the form of a mosquito and there is no place where mosquito cannot enter. So Hanuman entered and then he caught hold of it and he was about to go out with that Amruta Banda. But how can he do that? Don't forget, it is an Amruta Banda. So as a mosquito, Hanuman must have fallen into it, drunk deep. He becomes immortal. Of course, nobody can kill Hanuman. Even now he is Chiranjeevi. So he was coming out. But Ravanasara's wife, Mandodari, she notices it and she understands. If this monkey succeeds in taking it away, I will become a widow very soon. So she started tempting him. What do monkeys like? Fruits, etc. But she did not consult Swami Dayatmananda. If she had contacted, I would have said that the best thing that can tempt a monkey is peanuts. But she has given all sorts of fruits. But she thought that he will leave that Amruta Banda and he will take the fruits and go away. Then it is said, in the Gospel we get, that do you think amarki pholair abhav? Do I lack any fruits? Because I stay, I live under a big tree. What is that tree called? Sri Rama Kalpataru. A wish fulfilling tree called Sri Rama. And under that tree, that tree is a very peculiar tree. It gives four different types of fruits. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. And whenever, whatever fruit takes my fancy, I can eat to my heart's content, 24 hours, unstoppable supply will be there. Who cares? I leave these useless fruits to yourself and I go back to that tree under which I live. Most marvelous song is there. So, I just remembered because of this beautiful singing, this is the Amruta Banda. So, I do not drink ordinary wine. Whenever I utter and really speaking, when we study the Gospel, we understand just to take the name of Krishna, take the name of Rama, take the name of Mother, immediately Sri Ramakrishna becomes transformed. Not only intoxicated, but virtually transformed into Krishna, into Rama, into Gopala, into Kali, etc. So, that is Sri Ramakrishna's one of the favorite songs. And he sang it with full Bhava. And then, what was happening? After that, the Master looked at Keshav tenderly. So, he is looking. What is it? Yama was graphically describing as if Keshav is very own. The way a loving mother looks at her baby, that is the same look. The Divine Mother looks at each one of us exactly in the same way. We may not be aware of it. We may be sleeping. But she is looking at us with that greatest tenderness as if Keshav is very own. Of course, Keshav is very own. What about us? We are also, each one of us, everything in this world is nothing but Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. Now, Yama was exercising his imagination. He, Sri Ramakrishna, seemed to fear that Keshav might belong to someone else. What does that mean? Yama himself is commenting. That is to say, that he might become a worldly person. If we become worldly, we belong to the world. We belong to some other family. If we think of God, we belong to God. That is the meaning. And looking at Keshav, the Master sang again, we are afraid to speak and yet we are afraid to keep still. Our minds, O Radha, have believed that we are about to lose you. We tell you the secret that we know, the secret whereby we ourselves and others with our help have passed through many a time of peril. Now it all depends on you. This is the song. Beautiful song again. But Ramakrishna is going to unravel the beauty of this song. So, quoting the last part of the song, this song was supposedly sung by Gopis addressing Radha. And very interestingly, much later on, Narendra Nath Datta decided to leave the world and renounce the world. Such was the intense vairagya raging in his heart and he secretly wanted to run away from his place and become a monk. Of course, that was his dream. Every day night, when he used to go to bed, he used to see himself as a world-renouncing monk only with that crystal vision-like experience he used to go back to sleep. For a long time, he was under the impression that everybody more or less goes to sleep exactly in the same way. Only later on he came to know where are worldly people and where was the mind of Narendra Nath. Everybody, what do we think? How do we know what we think before going to sleep? Well, there is an infallible way of knowing about it. So you just determine in your mind because we have plenty of dreams at night. Everybody has got. Nobody can say we don't have any. The only difference is the people who say that they do not have these dreams, those persons do not remember it. But each one of us, definitely we can remember at least one or two dreams. Usually a last dream. But if we can make a habit of what did I see? And then practically every day we can also find out. So whatever we think, that is what we dream. Whatever we think becomes Pratyaksha. It becomes concrete. As if we are sitting under the Kalpataru tree, whatever thought comes in our mind, immediately it becomes a reality. That is what night dream is. I mentioned earlier two types of dreams, daydream and night dream. Daydream means thoughts will remain crystal clear, concrete. But when the same thoughts, what we call night dream, they become as if we are living in that world created by our own thoughts. This is the only difference. So if somebody is thinking about God, then he will be living in the world of God. Somebody is thinking about worldly things, of course same things he will see, same enemies, same jealousy, same everything will repeat in dream also. Only in dreamless state, the mind becomes calm and quiet because the very function of thinking becomes submerged in the Karanavasta, like a tree going back to its seed state. So now every song has an esoteric meaning, especially I am referring to spiritual songs. And these were not the songs created by ordinary people, but the saints, whatever intense feeling they are cherishing at any given time, it could be union, it could be separation, it could be intense prayer, it could be intense anguish, that will be expressed in the form of a bhajan. And this is one such bhajan. And then what happened? Narendranath decided to secretly run away from a monk, he came to take leave of Sri Ramakrishna, thinking that Sri Ramakrishna will not know, he will bow down and silently take the blessings of his Guru and then he will run away from there. But who can hide anything from Sri Ramakrishna? So as soon as Narendra came, immediately he saw and then Sri Ramakrishna again sang this particular song. And then nobody there can understand why he was singing that song. Later on, Narendranath said that I understood the Master knows everything, so I will not go. When the right time comes, he himself will make me a Sannyasin. There is no point because he is Sarvantariyami, he knows everything. And that's what happened, this is what I remember. Whenever I talk of any of these subjects, whatever I remember, let us recollect. This is called Leela Dhyana. Studying this Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is like a Leela Dhyana. But everything has a deep meaning. The more we delve into these things, the better meaning we get. Quoting the last part of the song, Sri Ramakrishna said to Keshav, that is to say, renounce everything and call on God. What was Sri Ramakrishna referring to? He says, the Gopis were telling Radha, we tell you the secret that we know. The secret whereby we ourselves and others also with our help have passed through many a time of peril, but we have all become free because of knowing that secret. Now we will tell you that secret and now it is up to you whether you want to use that secret or not. What is that secret? Renounce everything and call on God. This is the final message of Gospel, Gita, Upanishads, Vedas, Chandavasta, Tripitaka, Bible, Koran, Guru Granth Sahib, everything. He alone is real. Everything else is illusory. Without the realization of God, everything is futile. This is the great secret. Now Sri Ramakrishna is telling, we tell you the secret. What is that secret? Without the realization of God, everything is futile. That means man cannot get out of suffering without realizing God. That is what even Sankhya tells us. Sankhya school of philosophy is very interesting. India had developed slowly and it grew and whatever it learned about spirituality, it put up in the form of six schools of philosophy. They are called Shuddh Darshanas. Now the very word, the English word philosophy, the Sanskrit equivalent for that is Darshana. Darshana means what? Darshana means direct experience of God is called Darshana. Darshana is not seeing. We are seeing each other. That cannot be called Darshana. Darshana, when a devotee with complete devotion, absorbed in the thought of God, visits a temple, he sees the living God. No devotee will ever see a piece of stone or an image. None of us. Even when you enter into your small shrine room and you are bowing down, what is in front of you? A few photographs. But you are not bowing down to a piece of paper on which is painted something. It is nothing but these are the doorway to peep inside and have the idea of God. That is what is most important. That is what is called Darshana. Direct experience of oneness with God is called Darshana. That is why when we enter into the temples, it is called Darshana. When we visit great saints, our Gurus, residents of the Ramakrishna Mission, etc., it is called Darshana. We don't say I am going to see a resident of the Ramakrishna Order. But if you are going to see the Prime Minister of India, you don't say I am going to have the Darshana of Modi. So you will say I am going to see the Prime Minister or the President of America or the Prime Minister of UK. This is called seeing. Seeing means what? That you understand that none of my problems will be solved even if I see them a billion times. But one seeing God, only one sight, and immediately I become blessed. That is called Darshana. I also mentioned earlier that in South Indian temples there will be a flagpole. It is called Dvajasthamba. That represents the limitations of what is called separate personality called Aham, Ahamkara. But once we cross and enter into the temple, that process is called Darshana. So all the goals, goal of every Indian school of philosophy is this Darshana. The first and primary goal of Indian philosophy is that of God Realization. And this ideal was upheld as the goal of every philosophy and religion in modern times, in ancient times, and especially in the modern times by Sri Ramakrishna. He grasped the essence of both the Eastern and Western thoughts and came out with a bold declaration that God Realization is the only goal of human life and everything else is not only non-essential, but is an obstacle in the pathway to God. This is unequivocal and wholehearted dedication to the cause of God Realization. This is the speciality of Sri Ramakrishna. And we are referring to Sri Ramakrishna throughout this. He became the main crucible into which all the differences in various philosophies and religions merged. Also Sri Ramakrishna declared with the authority of his Realization that all religions are equally valid paths leading in every earnest sadhaka to God Realization. And this has been the ideal of India from the very beginning. This is one of the most important cornerstone of Hinduism. I mentioned earlier that Brahman is the ultimate goal, Brahma Sakshatkara or God Realization is the only goal of life. This is the God Realization. And this is beautifully put in a Vedantic formula that the goal of human life should be four desires. Three desires which help us to reach the final goal. Dharma, Artha and Kama are the steps of the ladder which will take us to the roof called Moksha. This has been the cornerstone of entire Vedic religion. Right from our Vedic Rishis who engaged themselves in discovering the divinity behind this world phenomena. And their teachings are called Upanishads. These Upanishads boldly proclaim the unity of both Jeevatma and Paramatma. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad gives an illustration of a realized soul. His name was Vamadeva who upon realization he said I am Brahman. He became one with the whole existence and said it is I who was Manu, it is I who was the Sun. And there are so many other quotations also there. But the best one that God Realization should be the only goal of human life worthy of human life Kena Upanishad declares which we have studied. Remember the very name, title of the Gospel Sri Sri Ramakrishna Katha Amruta Amruta means that which makes us immortal. What was the message of Swami Vivekananda? The only message of Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago it is only one Shunvantu Vishwe Amrutasya Putra Each soul, each one of you are potentially divine. Not that you have to become divine you are divine. But that knowledge is obscured by what we call Maya. And sadhanas are prescribed not to obtain immortality but to get rid of the avidya. As soon as darkness is removed how? By bringing the light the snake which was not there which is only a mistaken notion which Shankaracharya calls Adhyasa immediately disappears. As soon as that wrong notion disappears and all the effects of the wrong notion also will disappear. So that is what is said if one has realized Brahman here means what? If anybody has realized I am Brahman that is called realization of God then there is a truth that means his life is fruitful. If not then there is great destruction. Destruction means everything is a pain. The wise ones having realized Brahman in all beings and having turned away from this world became immortal. What about Sufism? There was a great saint called Jalaluddin Rumi and you know what he says? He was very famous for his poetry and he said all his poetry is only reminding us about the existence of God and we belonging to God and the goal of life is to go back to God and become one with Him. So he says remember God so much that you are forgotten. Remember God so much that you forget that you exist separately from God. Let the caller and the called disappear. Be lost in the call. I don't know whether there can be any lofty poetry than this. These mystics whether it is Christian mystic Sufi mystic or Hindu mystic Buddhist mystic any mystic look at what saint Teresa of Avila says for the storms like a wave pass quickly and the fair weather returns because the presence of the Lord the experience makes them soon forget everything. She is describing really the condition of the state of the mind of the saints. What happens? However many difficulties others may see even sometimes they find out but they soon the fair weather returns that means they become united with God and then they forget everything excepting God. This is what Sri Ramakrishna is telling. The goal of human life is God realization. So what is God realization? In the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna M the chronicler asks Sri Ramakrishna Sir what is the meaning of realization of God? What do you mean by God vision? and how does one attain it? Tell me again and again you are talking about God realization. What does it mean? and how can I attain it? Sri Ramakrishna gives a succinct answer to this question saying that a man of realization is nothing but God everywhere and one loves him with great intensity. He gives many examples similes analogies one he says that if you put on the colirium of the paste of a frog then that person sees only snakes everywhere because a frog because it is frightened of the snake sees only snakes everywhere and if you paste a frog put it on your eyes then you will see nothing but only snakes only. So we find several descriptions in the gospel and this is what I have taken from the gospel one characteristic of God realization is that all the activities of a man with such a realization gradually fall away all doubts disappear after the realization of God he becomes free from worry this is a simple translation of when a person realizes that I am the Atman all his karmas bonds fall away all his doubts are completely burnt away and all the sufferings immediately come to an end after the realization of God what happens? God is seen in all beings but then Sri Ramakrishna adds but his greater manifestation is in man because man's brain his mind is capable of thinking of God so what happens after God realization? Ramakrishna says that one obtains an inner vision in that state and realizes that God alone has become the universe and all living beings and this state is called Vijnana supremely perfect souls like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu not only realize God but also develop an intimate relationship with Him and talk with Him all the time so according to Sri Ramakrishna this is the highest limit of God realization intimate talk so that's why he says God realization Ramakrishna emphatically says that without the realization of God everything is futile he also says that God realization is the only real state that means real living it is the realization that God alone is real and eternal substance and that all else is unreal, transitory impermanent and you must cultivate intense love for God to realize God. When one attains ecstatic love of God one attains such a blissful state that no happiness of the world can come anywhere near it God realization is the only precious thing to aspire for in this life and He Himself is the embodiment of God realization and then one day Sri Ramakrishna tells to his devotees of course M was there he says no one else is here and you are my own people let me tell you something I have come to the final realization that God is the whole and I am a part of Him that God is the master and I am His servant furthermore I think every now and then that He is I and I am He and then Sri Ramakrishna says God wells every being and then He recounts do you know what I see right now I see that it is God Himself who has become all this. It seems to me that men and other living beings are made up of leather and that it is God Himself who is dwelling inside these leather cases He moves the hands the feet and the heads the perfect translation Ishwaraha Sarvabhutanam Hridyeshe Arjuna Tishtati Brahmayan Sarvabhutani Entrarodhani Mayaya I had a similar vision once before when I saw houses, gardens, roads, men, cattle all made of one substance. It was as if they were all made up of wax. Then for a while Sri Ramakrishna encased His house listened to a piano recital enjoying it like a child then He was taken to the inner apartments where He was served with refreshments and the ladies saluted Him. As the Master was leaving Keshav's house, the Brahma devotees accompanied Him respectfully to this carriage. Om Jananim Shardam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Kurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Muhurmuhu May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna