Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PAHADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU

ओम् जननीम् शर्दाम् देवेम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुरुम् पादपत्मे तयोस्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुरु मुहु

Sri Ramakrishna's Advice to Householders

Introduction

Date: Sunday, October 22nd, 1882

Sri Ramakrishna is advising his householder devotees. This applies to everybody, whether they are householders or sannyasins.

Understanding True Householdership

Who is a householder? We must always remember: having what we call a built-in house is not a house. Our real house where the soul is enclosed—this body. So long as we think we are the body, body belongs to me and I belong to the body, that is called householdership. If this is slowly removed, then we become free to the extent we can remove.

What should we do in order to develop this detachment to this body and mind? Spiritual life is nothing but gradually developing more and more detachment from the body, from the mind. So holy places can help us. This is what Sri Ramakrishna wants to emphasize.

The Importance of Holy Places and Sacred Conversation

This was what we discussed in our last class. How should one live in a holy place? While visiting the holy places, I would sometimes suffer great agony. Once I went with Madhur to Raja Babu's drawing room in Banaras. I found that they talked there only of worldly matters, money, real estate and the like.

Every talk that we have, whether within our own selves or to ourselves, most of the time when we do not get anybody to talk with, we will be talking to ourselves. The mind is continuously chattering to itself.

Chattering of the mind is not so bad. But what is it chattering about? Is it talking to God? Are you thinking of God? Remembering God? Remembering the scriptures? Remembering the teachings of holy people, etc.? That is very important.

The Nature of Reality and Worldly Attachment

So we will have to try to our level best. So what happened to Sri Ramakrishna? He found that even though they came to Varanasi, Kashi, but their talk was only worldly. Why? Because worldly people mean for whom the greatest truth is the world.

The greatest reality is the world. What is that reality? That which we instinctively react, act, and react, and act, and react. That is called our concept of reality.

If somebody is studying the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, suddenly news comes that a person had lost so much of stock price. Immediately he forgets the entire gospel, Sri Ramakrishna, God, everything. So what is that person's reality? It is only what he thinks is the real thing.

The Definition of Reality

So this is the definition of reality. Whatever affects us, even without our instinctively thinking about it, that is our concept of reality, anyone's concept of reality. But if a person is only thinking of God as the only real thing, then even if death comes, even if everything is lost, such a person will not be able to mind at all.

Lessons from the Durga Saptashati

If we observe this beautiful, marvellous book called Chandi, Durga Saptashati, that is the story of two spiritual aspirants who suffered terrible worldly loss. One was a king called Suratha. Another was a businessman, a Vaishya called Samadhi.

So all the three important stories, main stories—that is the killing of Lord Vishnu, Madhu and Kaitaba, Mahishasura, Shumbha and Nishumbha—in between of course there are so many minor demons come out like Raktabija, Chanda, Munda, etc.

At the end of the Durga Saptashati, both of them were advised by the Rishi: "You go and worship this Divine Mother, then whatever your desires, they will be fulfilled by Her, because She is our Mother, Universal Mother, is the Mother of everyone, including yours, mine, everybody."

The Story of King Suratha

So these people, for three years they had practised intense austerities, even offering Nija Gatra Kshitam, that is blood from one's own body. Divine Mother was highly pleased. She granted them: "Whatever you wish, I will grant you."

And the king, even though he experienced so much of suffering by owning a kingdom, by being a king, and yet that lingering desire—desire means same reality, world is real, kingdom is real, my family is real—so from his mouth came the words: "I want to be a king again." And Divine Mother of course granted.

The Example of Mathur Babu

In this connection we can also recollect the story of Mathur Babu. He was a great devotee of the Divine Mother, but for him, even though he was a devotee, the world was more attractive for him.

So when he passed away, Sri Ramakrishna had witnessed how a chariot came from the Devi Loka and was taken to Devi Loka, because his Ishta-devata was the Divine Mother, Kali. He had a vision of Mother Kali and Lord Shiva in the body of Sri Ramakrishna, and of course he worshipped the very dust on which Sri Ramakrishna had trod.

So because of this great punyam, he went to the Devi Loka. At that time, some devotee asked Sri Ramakrishna: "Sir, did Mathur Babu obtain Mukti?" Immediately Sri Ramakrishna said: "No, he has some desires, so he will have to be reborn again."

The Path to Liberation (Mukti)

Same thing, this Suratha, so Divine Mother graciously granted, otherwise he will go to Brahma Loka and fulfil his unfulfilled desires, and only when he becomes free, at least to a great extent, then he will strive to become spiritual and obtain Mukti.

Only a person for whom God is real, only he will desire to go to God, and that is called Mukti. Mukti means to become one with God or to be with God, and God is called Mukta, Nitya Mukta.

The Power of Discrimination

So that is the concept of reality we must keep in mind. The only way for all of us is to pray: "O Mother, grant me that we wake up the discrimination, so that I can think about God only."

How can I think about God when I know that God alone is real, not the world? The moment we come to know that the world is not real, all the desires pertaining to the world will also disappear.

Understanding the Higher Worlds

So, what is the conclusion we are drawing? Our concept of reality directs or guides whether we should desire the world or God, etc. Even to go to higher Lokas like Swarga Loka, Indra Loka, Chandra Loka, Prajapati Loka, Brihaspati Loka, Hinduism posits seven higher Lokas and the highest of which is called Satya Loka or the world of truth, reality.

But all these fall under the creation only, even Brahma Loka. So many people go there, not because they want Mukti, but they have done something so meritorious that they deserve it. They say if anybody performs hundred greatest sacrifices, then he will be qualified to reach Brahma Loka.

The Importance of Holy Company (Satsanga)

Anyway, Sri Ramakrishna's advice is: if we want to make God a reality, we must cultivate holy company, Satsanga. That was the very first commandment of Sri Ramakrishna as the very first spiritual commandment, spiritual practise. Always cultivate holy company which includes study of the holy books, visiting holy places, etc.

So Sri Ramakrishna was cautioning us that if you are lucky enough, if you are fortunate enough to be able to go to either Brindavan or Varanasi or Rameshwaram or even the nearest holy place wherever we are. India has thousands of holy places, lakhs of holy places. So at least for a short time we should be able to forget these things and focus upon the reality called God.

The Teaching of Impermanence

That is why in the 13th chapter of Bhagavad Gita we see: Janma, Mrityu, Jara, Vyadhi, Dukha, Dosha, Anudarshana. One of the greatest spiritual practises is one should see our life as what? Full of Janma (birth), Mrityu (death), Jara (old age), Vyadhi (so many diseases), not to speak of only the physical ailments but mental worries. How many millions or billions of people really suffer mental problems, less or more.

So Dukha, so much of misery and all these are called Dosha. Dosha means what? Defects. Defects means not God. Because God is perfect, Poornah. And anything that is not Poornaha is endowed with Dosha. Defect, unholy, unreal, Anudarshanam.

The Story of the Prince and "This Too Will Pass Away"

In every event, in every experience we should see: these two will pass away. It is worth recollecting that beautiful story which I have mentioned quite a number of times.

There was a king and queen. They had one brilliant child. So this child became the king but very soon he was defeated by an inimical king and he was chased. So what happened? When he was a child, his mother gave him one small something to wear on his neck.

So always he used to wear because he had so much of faith in his mother. She was a very wise lady. So after being chased out of his own kingdom he somehow escaped, reached a forest, sat under a tree and he was mulling over all the sufferings that he was going through suddenly.

Not that a person was suffering his whole life. He enjoyed life like Buddha. But only this unimaginable misery had come by being driven away which one has taken for granted. Nothing is going to happen. "I will be the king all the time. I will not become old. I will not die. No enemies will be there. Nobody is going to displace me from this position of happiness," etc.

So then idly he started fondling that something which his mother had given him to wear around his neck all these years. He never took notice of it. We also don't take notice of so many things.

So he felt: "My mother told me when I am in the greatest difficulty I should open it." So he opened it and there was a small writing and that was enclosed in a small box like thing, very tiny box. So he opened it, took out, and what was his surprise? He saw: "These two will pass away. These two will pass away."

And then being a very intelligent prince like the human being described in the Taittiriya Upanishad, Brahmananda Valli—a king, intelligent, young, idealistic, extremely capable and he owns the entire earth and the happiness that he derives that is one measure of human happiness.

So this prince, he understood: "These two will pass away. I was a prince, unparalleled enjoyments I was having—that passed away and now I am in this dire condition but that too will pass away. Then again I may become a great prince. That too will pass away. Everything will pass away."

So very soon, because of his great previous janmas, punya, etc., again he obtained a job in that kingdom. He became a favorite of the king. He rose to be the commander-in-chief and he also married the daughter of the king and he came and fought with the ruler of his own kingdom, his enemy, defeated him but he never forgot his mother's advice: "These two will pass away."

The Universal Nature of Change

This is a great lesson for all of us to remember. And these two will pass away. Who knows what is going to happen next second. That's why so many times I mentioned it. So many people died in that aeroplane crash—Air India. But one person alone came out. And is that the only incident? Every single day, how many fortunes are changing? How many people are dying? How many babies are being reborn?

This Jagannaataka, the drama of this creation, this is called Brahma Chakram, this goes on and on and on.

The Sanctity of Holy Places

So whenever a person visits a holy place, a holy place is a place which is filled with holy thoughts. So we must not make it unholy. Just as we do not dare to make a temple or a sacred place like the room of Sri Ramakrishna or like the hall of Ramana Maharshi, similarly, we should maintain holy thoughts at least for a short time.

It takes time. But those who are living especially in holy places should cherish only as much as possible holy thoughts. But Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "One undoubtedly finds inspiration in a holy place."

Sri Ramakrishna's Pilgrimage

"I accompanied Mathur Babu to Vrindavan where he and the ladies of Mathur's family were in our party." You know, Sri Ramakrishna had visited Kashi. On the way they visited Deogarh. There is a Shiva temple there, one of the most sacred places. Then he came to Varanasi, from there he went to Vrindavan, again came back to Kashi and again went back.

So I also mentioned: "Tirthi, Kurvanti, Tirthani." These realised souls by the will of God visit holy places to replenish that holy thoughts, the power, the spiritual power and bring it back to its original state. Most of us, we only borrow, but these people deposit. That is a holy place.

But let us take whatever we can take, but let us try not to destroy the holy place. So, we must think as much as possible especially we have to be very, very careful not to cherish worldly thoughts, etc. That also requires tremendous amount of practise.

The Necessity of Solitude

So, Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities. It is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult in the beginning unless one practises meditation in solitude."

Now Sri Ramakrishna is advising about solitude. You see, any scripture contains certain central ideas about spirituality, about God and the obstacles that can arise. So, there would be a lot of repetition. Gospel, like any other scripture also has lots and lots of repetition. But in the case of the scriptures, this repetition is not a defect but it is an ornament.

What is True Solitude?

Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "The tradition, the solitude is very important. But this tradition of retiring into solitude is a memorial."

Sri Ramakrishna used to say: so if it is possible, if you have a solitary place where you are staying, near your house, even if it is one or two miles, better go there, spend some time. What is a solitude? A solitude is a place where God and man meet together. If such a meeting doesn't take place, it's not a solitude at all.

So, the tradition of retiring into solitude is a memorial. Sri Ramakrishna himself had set a beautiful example. As soon as his temple duties were over, Sri Ramakrishna would retire into the surrounding jungle for practising meditation.

The Disciples' Austerities

Most of his disciples wandered off to the Himalayas and to Narmada, to Vrindavan, to many other holy places to perform hard austerities. How much Swami Brahmanandaji along with Swami Turiyananda, sometimes with Swami Subodhanandaji, they all went to Vrindavan and Maharaj had taken a particular vow: "I would get up at midnight."

Because Swami Brahmanandaji used to tell that even though there are so many holy places, at every holy place there is a particular period of time when the spiritual vibrations will be very, very in what is called high density. As if a spiritual breeze is blowing at that time especially.

The Sacred Times at Holy Places

So Maharaj used to tell—Maharaj is Swami Brahmanandaji—"At Varanasi, it is the Brahma Muhurta, starting with 3 o'clock. But at Vrindavan, it is at 12 o'clock."

Why at 12 o'clock? Because there is a belief that Shri Krishna, he holds his Rasa Leela at 12 o'clock at midnight with Gopis. Who is a Gopi? Every devotee, a heart which is filled with devotion to God, especially in the form of Bhagavan Krishna or it could be anybody—Krishna, Rama, Buddha, Jesus, anybody.

And strangely, Jesus Christ also gives a beautiful parable: everybody is a bride excepting one bridegroom. And Jesus was referring he was the bridegroom, everybody is a bride. That is to say, God is the bridegroom and everybody is a bride.

The Story of Mirabai and Rupa Goswami

Remember, Mirabai went to Vrindavan, heard about Rupa Goswami and she wanted to visit his ashram. And his disciples proudly declared: "Our master, our Guruji has taken a vow he will not look at the face of another woman."

And immediately, Mirabai, she was shocked. Involuntarily, words came out of her mouth: "I thought that in Vrindavan, there is only one Purusha. Where from the second Purusha had come?"

But Mirabai went and said, Bhagavan's name was Purusha. Purusha is one who pervades everything or one who is obtained, available in one's own heart. He is called God, Bhagavan. He is called Purusha. He is called in fact, Uttama Purusha. Purushottama Yogonama Panchadasho Adhyaya in the Bhagavad Gita 15th chapter.

Prabhupada Swami heard it and immediately came running. That means she could teach even him that so long as you are immature—that is to say, you think you are a man—then there would be always the feeling there is somebody else who is a woman. That is called Sharira Abhimana, the identity with one's own body. And that is the greatest enemy in spiritual life.

The Desert Tradition and Spiritual Practice

Anyway, so when we go into a solitude we have to think that the only reality is God. That is why: Janma Mrityu Jara Yadi Dukha Dosha Anudarshanam.

So many early Christian holy men took to the deserts. Sometimes I was posting the teachings of the desert fathers in the 3rd to 4th century Christian era—our era 300 to 400 is almost 2000 years, 1700 years back. So many devotees of Jesus Christ, the Jews especially, they started following Jesus Christ and they left their places, went into Egyptian desert and there built huge monasteries and yet lived a very solitary life.

And some of the incidents that are collected are so ennobling, so inspiring. So I will be posting whenever the occasion comes. Right now I am only posting Swami Brahmananda Jishthiswara.

Swami Brahmananda's Experience

So I was talking about Swami Brahmananda. He was engaged in very severe austerities and he took a vow that he will get up only at midnight. He knew that at that time the spiritual current will be very high and if we can take advantage of it like a boat which unfurls its sails takes advantage of a strong wind to reach its destination, it will be a great help.

So few days he used to get up. One day he overslept and he felt a knock and then he woke up. Then he saw in that—the light was not great. So he saw another sadhu; he thought it was his guru bhai (brother disciple). But then later on he found out it was a complete stranger.

And later on he used to tell that stranger was a spirit, a holy Vaishnava who gave up his body but still desired to remain in the subtle form to help sincere spiritual seekers like Swami Brahmananda.

The Spiritual Significance of Varanasi

So holy places we should try consciously to avoid worldly thoughts and to think only spiritual thoughts. But you know every spiritual place has two aspects: the worldly aspect and the spiritual aspect.

When Shri Ram Krishna first visited Varanasi he saw a golden Kashi, meaning the true spiritual Kashi in which thousands of sadhakas, sadhus, sanyasins they will be thinking, sincerely striving very hard to repeat God's name, to pray to Him. But worldly people also will be there.

Anyway, Varanasi is a very special place where unhesitatingly Shri Ram Krishna, holy mother, parish disciples everybody confirmed: people who give up their bodies in Kashi they will be liberated by the grace of the Lord Shiva.

And Shri Ram Krishna confirmed it even with a beautiful vision which again brings out a different aspect. That aspect is: without Mahamaya cutting all our bonds it is not possible even if God's grace is there. It is possible only when the Mahamaya cuts all our bonds and releases every Jeeva into the kingdom of the liberation.

The Ancient Rishis and Their Practice

So we are talking now about the desert fathers. Even Christ for 40 days went into the desert and prayed continuously. He had many wonderful visions and Shri Ram Krishna is remarking about the Rishis of the old.

Shri Ram Krishna used to say: "Rishis of old attained the knowledge of Brahman," lest we may think Rishis were available only in the olden age. There are even—Shri Ram Krishna's father he was known as a Rishi. Who is a Rishi? He who holds on to truth, he who totally depends upon God, he is a Rishi. That's why people automatically venerated him as a great Rishi. Even when he used to walk everybody used to get up to show a respect.

Buddha's Story at Sarnath

That brings me the memory when Buddha was at Varanasi or at Sarnath he was with some 5 other Bhikshus, Sanyasins, Shravanas and then they used to practise very severe austerities but Buddha outdid all of them so they had very high reverence.

But then soon Buddha found out that too much of austerity is not very helpful, neither luxury nor too much of austerity but the mean golden path, Madhyama Pantha. So seeing these 5 Shravanas, they thought that he had fallen from that highest ideal. They looked down upon him not knowing what they are doing and he went away and he obtained what is called God Realisation or called Bodhi in their words.

And he thought: "To whom shall I teach this one?" Then he understood those 5 brother disciples with whom he was living, they did not understand him. So he started moving towards—but where was he? He was at Bodh Gaya, not far away about 3-4 hours travel by car from Varanasi.

Buddha there—that is why it is called Bodh Gaya where Buddha obtained Bodhi, that is why that place obtained the name Bodh Gaya. So he walked and he came to Sarnath. These people were still practising. They saw Buddha coming towards them and they had that old opinion: "That this who deviated, who fell down from the high ideal, we will not get up, we will not show any respect."

But as soon as he approached sufficiently nearer, something in him made them immediately—they could not help but stand up, bend their heads and fold their hands and show the highest reverence. That was where Buddha had started his Dharmaprachara. Where Sri Ramakrishna's Dharmaprachara really started? At Dakshineswar and it continued at the Chicago Parliament of Religions.

And he showed the highest seeds there which will take time for us to understand the present conditions. Sometimes we may wonder: what happened to the influence of Swami Vivekananda and his teachings of Vedanta? They will never go in vain but we also must have the right thinking, thinking power that everybody is not going to become spiritual at the same time. Only at any given time few people will become spiritual and definitely there are people who should not be identified with the present world who are sincerely seeking.

That's why Swamiji used to say: with the advent of Sri Ramakrishna Satya Yuga had started.

The Rishis' Daily Practice

Anyway, coming back to our subject. So Sri Ramakrishna's opinion or explanation: how these Rishis used to labour. Early in the morning they would go away from the hermitage and would spend the whole day in solitude meditating on Brahman. At night they would return to the hermitage and eat little fruit or roots. They kept to their mind's aloof from the objects of sight, hearing, touch and other things of a worldly nature. Only thus did they realise Brahman as their own inner consciousness.

The Universal Need for Solitude

So religion apart or spirituality apart, solitude is a need felt in every thoughtful occasion, whether it is great writer, writers, great scientists, great artists. Everybody needs solitude. What is solitude? Where a person develops the power of deep thinking and then expresses in his own divine talent through his own divine talent.

So I mentioned also the Henry Thoreau, called a life of Henry David Thoreau. So in every case solitude is a thing that cannot be dispensed with. Even when we sit in our puja room, worship room, we should be able to think about God much more concentration, thinking as if we are in solitude. We should not think anything else other than that. It is very, very important. At least half an hour, one hour we should feel the presence of God and be there.

So when we see that even in secular life solitude is indispensable, we must pause and ask: how much more earnestly should not spiritual seekers find it, seek it.

Definition and Purpose of Solitude

So what is solitude? It is a place which has the least disturbance: no people, no sounds, no duties, no responsibilities and above all no worries and no anxieties. Relatively speaking, a place which affords us a sense of restfulness and freedom to be nearer to God.

Solitude is a place where we can afford to be ourselves. In our day to day life rarely have we a chance of being ourselves. But every person, whether secular, spiritual or whatever, duties—even in the midst of battle—one should find a few minutes at least and we cannot say we cannot find, otherwise it is self deception. We should be able to think about things.

So solitude is a place where we confront ourselves and what am I now? Am I happy? Can I be happier? What are the obstructions? Are there any what is called potentialities within me? Each soul is a potential divine being.

So not only as a spiritual being, can I be a great writer? Can I be a great friend? Can I be a great artist? Can I be a great thinker? Can I be a great helper in whatever way? Bhagawan has given, endowed each one of us. There is nobody who can say: "I am not great in any way."

The Example of the Squirrel

Even a squirrel tried to help Rama. So he was so pleased that the squirrel Bhakti, so he took it lovingly in his hands and drew his fingers. So they say Indian squirrels have got that marks written by, drawn by Rama himself with his own hands.

So each one of us there is a potentiality and our way to God is to develop that potentiality but offer it in the service of God, Bhagawan Krishna or Bhagawan Shiva whatever case it be.

Reflection After Pilgrimage

So we also have to do with our own special power whenever we visit holy places. So Sri Ramakrishna used to say: at the time of visiting holy places we may not have that much of time to think about God deeply, but after returning like cattle bring out the cud and then go on chewing second time, like that we should be able to sit and "I visited" and think of the Lord.

And how long? Well sometimes we can think whole life also. Ramakrishna his reminiscences are especially objects of meditation for people like us.

So Sri Ramakrishna's recollections of Kashi and Nadia and many other holy places, when the occasion comes we will talk about it.

Sri Ramakrishna's Vision of Vrindavan

So Sri Ramakrishna was transported to Vrindavan of Sri Krishna's time even though physically it is so many thousands of years since Sri Krishna's advent had taken place in that Vraja Bhoomi. But in the heart of Sri Ramakrishna, as if Sri Krishna was just there only few days back, he was present.

These are his reminiscences: "No sooner did I see the Kaliya Dhaman"—that is where Sri Krishna danced on the poisonous serpent called Kaliya, that is a ghat, there is a name by Kaliya Dhaman ghat—"no sooner did I see that, a divine emotion surged up within me. I was completely overwhelmed. Hriday used to bathe me there as if I were a small child."

"In the dusk I would walk on the bank of the Yamuna when the cattle returned along the sandy banks from their pastures." Even today we can see the ordinary people, they will take the cattle to the nearby grazing lands and then towards dusk they are all driven back. Same as cattle driven, same as the cattle, they are all driven back. Same as the, are all, same as the cattle, they same as the, are all driven back, same, they are all, same as the cattle, they same as the are all driven back, same as same way.

And that was also the gift of Sri Ramakrishna through this Akshaya Kumar and Swamiji appreciated very much and an English translation which is—of course we cannot understand such wonderful emotions that would come through this translation—but for those who want to know what he has depicted, how he depicted, a translation is available. Some of the local languages also in Kannada for example, I think it is there.

Sri Ramakrishna's Ecstatic Experience

"So on my way to the sacred pools of Shyamakunda and Radhakunda when I saw the meadows, the trees, the shrubs, the birds and the deer, I was overcome with ecstasy. My cloths became wet with the tears. I said"—I said means what—"I used to cry: 'Oh Krishna! everything here is as it was in the olden days. You alone are absent.'"

"Seated inside the palanquin I lost all power of speech. They followed the palanquin. He had warned the bearers to be careful about me."

I think I forgot, did not continue that story when the people of that Govardhana hill touched the divine body of Sri Ramakrishna. What could have happened to them? Of course it is a in my imagination, but there is a real story about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Story of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Fisherman

So once what happened? He used to go to the what is called the Puri—sea is there—but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to in his imagination see that it is, that is not Puri but it is Vrindavan and that is not the Samudra (sea) but it is the Yamuna, sacred Yamuna.

And immediately he was overpowered. Time and place are forgotten and the circumstances were forgotten. He used to think: "I am also like a gopi. I am plunging into the river Yamuna." And he used to be in that ecstatic state.

Once in that ecstatic state he went down and there was a poor fisherman and his spread his net and immediately found heavy weight. So he misunderstood that a lot of big fish had fallen because of his good fortune. Of course he was very fortunate and he pulled the net out, found a man. First he thought he was dead but then he found he was still conscious, unconscious but still alive.

So I brought him to the shore and started sprinkling water and then messaging a little bit, touching the body of that holiest of the holy bodies of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And then as a result of that touch, that fisherman's whole personality had undergone a tremendous change. Continuous outpouring of Harinama: "We don't know what mantra, Hari Hari," like that.

So lot of time has passed. Meanwhile the family members of that fisherman had come to know—they were only very near there, their huts were built only very near on the seashore—so they came running and then they saw the condition of the this husband who's continuously tears were streaming waters like rivers, continuous reputation of Harinama.

Then there meanwhile they addressed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and said: "Sir, what is this? This man has not brought any fish so today if we don't sell our children will be starving. There will be no food."

And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said something very interesting. He said: "Go to any Pujari's house, collect a little bit of food and put it in this man's mouth."

And then they did same thing because when a person like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in that state tells something, nobody will have the guts to disobey that. So they collected a bit of food from the Pujari's house and then put in the this man's mouth.

As soon as that food touched the lips of this man, immediately all his ecstasy has gone, devotion also must have fled and he became normal as he was before.

The Lesson About Professional Priests

Why is this? Explanation is: most of the people that is Pujari's, they do not—they are professionals. They are doing puja not because of devotion to God, not because they believed God is the only reality, but that is their livelihood. We don't blame them but they had this marvellous opportunity. They can also think of God.

Okay, you are fortunate to get this job of worshipping God. People come from long distances to have a glimpse of this God like Tirupati Venkateswara, Kasi Vishwanatha, Rameshwara etc. But you don't need continuously to think only about money. If you have the least bit of faith in God, God himself will provide you. "Yogakshemam Vahamiyaham." But you know so they are very worldly people.

But there are exceptional—I have to say like say Ramakrishna may not be to that great extent but there are so many people who are extraordinarily sincere, believe in God, do their puja very sincerely. There are—the numbers are very less but definitely there are there. That is why even the sacredness of great temples is maintained because of all those things.

Anyway, coming back: why did I mention this story? Because I wanted to remind ourselves that whoever had that good fortune to touch the holy body of Sri Ramakrishna would also have his devotion awakened. Such is the power.

The Power of Holy Presence

It is said of Ramana Maharshi: when people with so many worries, anxieties, problems, doubts used to visit him, but as soon as they approach within certain periphery they used to forget everything. Their minds used to be filled with tremendous peace and they even used to forget why they have come there. But as soon as they remove themselves from that atmosphere then it is a different thing.

Swami Turiyanandaji was recollecting that when we were visiting Dakshineswar every visit used to give us so much of joy for seven or eight days. Inexpressible, unimaginable bliss used to fill our hearts and like intoxication created by drinking. So as soon as the ecstasy comes down then it is a time for another visit to Sri Ramakrishna.

The Example of the Peacock

Sri Ramakrishna used to tell: "If you remember once a man had fed a peacock with opium at three o'clock in the afternoon and it fell to the intoxication and for another next dose, next day at exactly three o'clock it visited the man."

And that was a remark with regard to M and M thought he was remarking about that himself. How apt it is! "My I am unable, I was unable to think anything excepting one thought: how soon can I go back to Sri Ramakrishna!" That means he must have got tremendous joy out of Sri Ramakrishna.

So Sri Ramakrishna he was living with the thoughts of Shri Krishna at Vrindavan. That's why he says: "Oh Krishna! everything here is going on exactly as it was going on in your days. You alone are absent."

Was he really—was Krishna really absent? For those who could see that it is Krishna is was there, is there, will be there. So long as creation is there he will be there. "Seated inside the palanquin I lost all power of speech so they followed the palanquin. He had warned the bearers to be careful about me."

The Ever-Present Nature of the Divine

So is Krishna really absent? No. At Dakshineswar, whenever we visit Dakshineswar, do you think that Sri Ramakrishna is really absent?

Let me close this today's talk with the recollection from Latu Maharaj's life. When Latu Maharaj was just newly coming and at that time he was serving Ramachandra Dutta, a great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, and Ramachandra Dutta occasionally used to send some eatables through the servant Latu.

So when very soon this Latu became tremendously attached to Sri Ramakrishna and Ramachandra Dutta understood it and he gave plenty of opportunities. So once it so happened: in those days Sri Ramakrishna used to visit Kamarpukur once in a year for a few months but later on Swami Saradanandaji tells that this Kamarpukur was infested with malaria. After that suffering Sri Ramakrishna stopped visiting. During the last few years he never visited Kamarpukur.

Latu Maharaj's Vision

So on that earlier days once he went to Kamarpukur. Of course Latu Maharaj did not know about it. So one day he felt like seeing Sri Ramakrishna. He himself came there and he did not see Sri Ramakrishna. Then he met Ramlal Dutta. Ramlal Dutta informed him: "That Sri Ram, my boy, Sri Ramakrishna is not here. He went to Kamarpukur. He will come only after a few months." And that hurt deeply Latu Maharaj.

So he went to the Panchavati side and then the story goes: Ramlal Dutta he knew Latu Maharaj, he offered him some food at noon but Latu Maharaj refused. He went and he started weeping. Many hours he was weeping and then after many hours Ramlal Dutta again went in search of Latu Maharaj, found him standing at the Panchavati.

And then Latu Maharaj became excited. He was telling: "So you said Sri Ramakrishna is not here? Who said Sri Ramakrishna is not here? He is here! He is here!" What could Ramlal Dutta say? Because Latu Maharaj must have had a vision of Sri Ramakrishna with so much of longing.

Now the point is: how many devotees, how many sadhus even during the time of Sri Ramakrishna used to have where a varieties of spiritual experiences including visions of gods and goddesses? We have no record because the devotees would not like to tell anything about them. That would be their what is called treasure, treasuries, very cherished treasuries which they would not like, excepting very intimate devotees, to express.

The Eternal Presence at Holy Places

So where even now at Dakshineswar Sri Ramakrishna is present. He is never absent. But we will have to go with that idea, feel the presence of Sri Ramakrishna in the form of the vibrations, recollect his stories, fill our minds: how at that time Dakshineswar was there at the time of Sri Ramakrishna's living. This is how we have to think about all holy places.

Closing Prayer