Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 145 on 26-August-2025

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

Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna - Advice to Householders

Date: Tuesday, October 24, 1882

Time: 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon

The Incident with the Lizard

The master was standing near the shelf where the food was kept when Balaram and M arrived from Calcutta and saluted him. Shri Ramakrishna said to them with a smile:

"I was going to take some sweets from the shelf, but no sooner did I put my hand on them than a lizard dropped on my body. At once, I removed my hand."

All the devotees laughed.

"Oh yes, one should observe all these things. You see, Rakhal is ill and my limbs ache too. Do you know what is the matter? This morning, as I was leaving my bed, I saw a certain person whom I took for Rakhal."

Again the devotees laughed.

"Oh yes, physical features should be studied. The other day, Narendra brought one of his friends, a man with only one good eye, though the other eye was not totally blind. I said to myself, 'What is this trouble that Narendra has brought with him?' A certain person comes here, but I cannot eat any food that he brings. He works in an office at a salary of 20 rupees and earns another 20 by writing false wills. I cannot utter a word in his presence because he tells lies."

Understanding Superstition in Context

These are a few of the incidents. In the afternoon, Shri Ramakrishna was at Dakshineswar. Some devotees had come - among them Balaram was there, Yama was there, and Balaram's father also was there, and they saluted him.

The Nature of Superstition

Now what happened? Just a short time back, Ramakrishna was trying to take a sweet from the shelf and a lizard had fallen. Many Hindus have this superstition that a lizard is looked upon with superstition, and that too, various types of superstitions:

If the lizard falls on the head, one effect
If it falls on the hand, another effect
If it falls on the back or other part of the body, some different effect will be there

So the point is, these are inevitable events that happen in our life all along. But we can also add any creature - maybe ants can fall, maybe so many other insects are there. Mosquitoes of course fall upon us. Flies also fall upon us.

Was Shri Ramakrishna Really Superstitious?

That is the point we have to understand. What is superstition? Unreasonable fear is called superstition. Sometimes these things happen because of certain repetition.

Supposing a person is already endowed with some superstition and he stepped out of his house. Suddenly he saw a cat passing from right to left or left to right, whatever it is, or a crow was crowing. The first time such a thing happens, he doesn't mind it. He doesn't even think about it. So he goes about his work.

Something doesn't happen - something nice doesn't happen. Rather, something unfavorable, something unfortunate happens. It could be even an accident. So the second time, some other time, the same thing repeats. Now this man's mind starts thinking: "Whenever I see a cat passing from one side to the other side, or a crow is crowing, or a widow is passing from one side to the other side, etc., etc." And he connects these events, even though the events have nothing to do with each other.

The Doctrine of Karma

Why do I say they have nothing to do? That's because anything that happens in our life is bound to happen, whether they are associated with some events or not. Why? This is called Karma Siddhanta.

Whatever we have to go through - the effects of whatever we had done in the past, not only in the previous lives but even in this life - suppose a student has not studied properly, neglected his studies, and spent his time in playing or in doing something useless. Some things we can easily predict: this person is not going to be anybody great. There is no steadiness, no concentration, no interest.

But we find some other boy, student, boy or girl, and they pay attention. They go on doing something very serious. Whatever that student does is done with great seriousness. Then even we predict this boy or this student is going to be somebody.

The Development of Superstitions

But this is how superstitions develop. This is the negative side. So let things happen - that is not the important point. But if we go on anticipating: "Today I have seen such and such a thing, so something bad is going to happen," then it is something regrettable. The whole life will be filled with misery, unhappiness, failure, etc.

So is superstition good? The thing is we become very superstitious because it shows, first of all, our rational capacity - the capacity to think deeply and logically is very weak. Secondly, it develops into a kind of Samskara, habit. And then we prove ourselves again and again: "I failed because of such and such an event."

So that is what Yoga Vasishta calls it - lack of Purushakara. What is there? Let these things happen. If I have the willpower, I can achieve whatever I want. That is what Vedanta teaches, especially Yoga Vasishta Ramayana.

The Positive Side of Superstition

Now is there any positive side to this superstition? Yes. Those who are not superstitious often they become callous, purely relying upon their own cleverness, rationality. And that is not good because until they get hard blows in life, they go on thinking themselves that we know everything. And they are very egotistic about it, proud about it.

Many people have become devotees, especially believing in God, because what is a superstition? Irrational belief is called superstition. But even God, that there are higher worlds - we read about them in the scriptures - and they are also, in a way of speaking, irrational beliefs only.

Understanding Rational and Irrational

Why do I call them irrational? So we have to understand the word irrational or rational. There are certain things which we experience in life and we can reason them out - 2 plus 2 is 4. But there are certain things we have no way of knowing them because they pass beyond any type of human logic, human understanding. And that is what is called Veda.

By definition, Veda is what? By any other type of knowledge, instruments, if we cannot arrive at the right knowledge, and only because Veda tells about such things - and that is the real purpose of Veda. Veda is a Pramana. Pramana means proof or certainty of certain things.

The Example of Mother and Child

Even when a mother wants to prevent her baby from entering into some room where there are certain harmful objects stored: "Don't go there. There is a ghost and it will gobble you up." At that time, the baby has no understanding, completely believes in the mother's words, and fearfully looks at that room even when it is closed. But it is for his own good, and the mother knows it, and the child will know it later on.

But there are certain things we can never know until we experience them.

The Fourteen Worlds (Lokas)

For example, there are other worlds, higher worlds. Only higher worlds? No. Lower worlds are also there. Hinduism divides the entire creation into 14 Lokas:

Higher Worlds

Starting from our world:

Bhuloka (our world)
Bhuvarloka
Suvarloka
Maharloka
Janaloka
Tapoloka
Satyaloka

Lower Worlds

Starting from one world which is filled with a lot of suffering:

Atala
Sutala
Talatala
Patala
(and three more)

In a sense, what it means is that what we experience in our mind is called a world:

When we are happy, we are in the higher world
When we are very happy, we are in a higher world
When we are very, very happy, then we are in an even higher world
When we are unhappy, we are in the lower world
When we are very unhappy, still lower world

So these are acceptable because we experience many degrees of both happiness and unhappiness. And by the way, happiness and unhappiness are the results of what we have done in our past births.

The Question of Karma and Justice

But in this birth, our body is the resultant of what we did in the past. Our parents, our status in society, our opportunities in this world - everything depends upon what we did in the past. I find it very curious that people say we don't believe in it. But do you have a better explanation?

Why is it? There is a huge rich man's building and by the side there is one hovel in a very dilapidated condition. There also babies are born. So one baby is born in the most luxurious home. Another baby is born under the most unfortunate circumstances - not only mere poverty, but drunken, lecherous behavior, and continuous quarreling, squabbling, fighting with each other, even sometimes murdering each other. These are called slum areas.

Whether it is in America or UK or any other so-called advanced developed countries, this eternal problem is there. There are also tramps. There are also very privileged rich people, lords and ladies, political or business figures. How do we explain that?

A person is working and maybe he is intelligent. He is accumulating a lot of money. Can it be an explanation? No. Why do I say that? Because there are equally or even more clever people who are trying to do even better than the other person is doing. For some reason, the other person is prospering more and more, while these people's attempts might fail. So we see that clearly.

Even in terrible accidents, many people die. One person comes out unscathed completely as if nothing had happened. Every day we experience these things, not once, but multiple times. What explanation have we got? "Oh, by accident." Saying accident is not an explanation. It is only stunning the brain.

That is why the scriptures are there. They tell us higher worlds are there, including Brahma Loka. God exists. And Karmaphala exists. Higher and lower Lokas exist. And each one of us comes purely from God.

The Question of God's Existence and Evil

Recently, I was hearing a talk by a very famous historian. And then he is making a statement. Somebody asked him, "Do you believe in God?" He says, "I don't believe. If there is a God, as generally people think, who is the creator, who is the protector, who is the dissolver, then so much of evil is going on, so much of suffering is going on, and he doesn't do anything. I don't believe in such a kind of God."

And this must have struck a very great chord in millions of people because we have sold our intellect to these people. Big thanks to social media, YouTube, etc. If there is somebody who is very famous and who is followed by millions of people, whatever comes out of the mouth of such a person is a gospel truth. Funny, isn't it?

Even to say it is a gospel truth - so the person is aware there are Gospels. Gospel means not Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (that also can be included, of course), but the Christian Bible which is called the Gospels.

So what is meant is, if a great man says God doesn't exist and if He exists, then he has to prove that poor fellow had to prove himself. How to make the whole world happy? Is it rational even to expect that the whole world can be really made happy?

The Nature of Happiness and Unhappiness

Happiness and unhappiness are varying phenomena. If we do not really experience unhappiness, we will not even know what is called happiness. There is a very curious state of the mind, very nature of the mind. If I am continuously happy, then I will not know what is called happiness. There must be continuous breaks between happiness and unhappiness.

Sri Ramakrishna's Divine Nature

Anyway, what is the discussion that we are having? First, whether Sri Ramakrishna was superstitious? And what should be the answer?

My answer would be: God had incarnated in the form of Sri Ramakrishna in this age, and when God incarnates as a human being, He behaves exactly like a human being. He also keeps some superstitions, just like any one of us, so that we can feel our affinity, our closeness to Him. Otherwise, He will be head and shoulders above all of us - very difficult to keep up. "Oh, He is okay, but I can never approach Him anywhere near." No.

The very word Avatarana means He comes to the state in which we find ourselves - all of us - and good and evil, happiness and unhappiness, birth and death, everything they also have to experience.

That is why in Bengali, there is a very beautiful saying: पंच भूतेर फान्दे ब्रह्मः पोडे कान्दे - that is to say, even if Brahman falls into the net of Maya (Maya means five elements of which this entire creation is made), He also weeps like any one of us.

So Sri Ramakrishna gives the example: Rama had to weep when Sita was kidnapped by Ramanasura.

The Purpose of Divine Behavior

So superstition is good - that shows, that makes us humble, that makes us feel we are ignorant human beings. But superstition, we can control superstition, we can cherish superstition, we can entertain through superstition, but superstition should not sit on our head like a ghost. "Oh, today I have seen, my whole day is spoiled" - that kind of attitude is only for a very weak type of mind.

That is going to happen. So this point came up, that's why I am telling: Sri Ramakrishna behaved - that is why so many people could not understand Sri Ramakrishna. Even his own intimate devotees could not understand him.

As I said, one day Sri Ramakrishna sat down to eat, and there were 5-6 dishes, and one devotee was passing remark in her own mind: "Oh, he is a great man, spiritual man, but he loves to eat." What does the devotee mean? Means he is okay in every respect, he is a saint, but in respect to the food, he is not having mastery, he has not conquered his tongue - that would be the understanding there.

So they behave like that just to make us approach nearer to them, but at the same time, it can also keep unwanted people away from them.

The Master's Explanations

That's what Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "At once I removed my hand," but all the devotees laugh because they know that nothing can happen to Sri Ramakrishna.

Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "Oh yes, one should observe all these things. You see, Rakhal is ill and my limbs ache too."

There is a great meaning in every word of Sri Ramakrishna. If Rakhal is ill, why should my limbs ache? Because we can also do that - if somebody in the family, a mother feels very sick if her baby is sick, because of her love identity.

Sri Ramakrishna is continuing another superstition: "Do you know what is the matter? This morning, as I was leaving my bed, I saw a certain person whom I took for Rakhal," and as a result, you know, some unhappy events must have taken place.

But Sri Ramakrishna, what is he telling? "We all have that belief. I also have that belief. That is why I want to protect myself. Even I don't want to see my own face early in the morning."

So I have a photo of the Holy Mother, and then I bow down. First thing I want to see - look at her. As soon as I switch on, I look at her feet, say, "Oh Mother, please protect me throughout the day." You can also do the same thing. Don't even look at your own face - who knows what misfortune it may give! I don't know, I am just telling you what I feel.

The Impact of First Sight

So Sri Ramakrishna saw some person, and it is true - some persons are so evil that looking at them early in the morning, even if nothing bad happens, but our mind will be spoiled thinking about certain bad things.

And then Sri Ramakrishna is telling: "Oh yes, physical features should be studied. The other day, Narendra brought one of his friends, a man with only one good eye, even though the other eye was not totally blind." It may be that, or it may be he may be what we call squint-eyed. There are so many people, squint-eyed people.

"So what is this trouble that Narendra has brought with him?" Because a squint-eyed person - why did he become a squint-eyed person? He must have done something, and I am a believer in all these things. Something bad he must be looking in a bad way in the past lives at other people, or becoming jealous, or wishing them. This jealousy is a very common thing.

The Problem of Jealousy

So one good-looking person cannot tolerate even a better-looking person. And if the other person has better dress, better ornaments, better whatever, or even - I have observed people - if the other person is more, a bit more close to any holy man, sadhu, that also brings in terrible jealousy: "Oh! Swami favors that devotee, not me so much," etc.

I am telling all these things because I have been observing them, and it is not good to have that kind of feeling. Okay, let the other person be closer, but what is important is: being close or being loved by a holy man is not important. What changes are happening in my own life? Am I becoming a better person? Am I able to withstand the evil? Am I able to wish the welfare of everybody?

And the more I progress in spiritual life, the more my outlook will be like the holy person's outlook or God's outlook. God doesn't see anybody who is a rakshasa.

The Vision at Varanasi

For example, we have to ask ourselves when we are reading, for example, Ramayana: was Rama looking at Ramanasura just as we look at our enemies? No. Rama - in fact, holy people interpret Ramayana - because one has to worship Mahamaya. Only when Mahamaya's grace falls, then only the person will be able to obtain the grace of God.

And those who have studied the life of Ramakrishna, they must be remembering this incident: when Ramakrishna came to Varanasi, he had a vision at Manikarnika Ghat. As he was about to get down from the boat, suddenly he saw there are so many funeral pyres were going on. Ramakrishna saw Shiva - a tall white person - moving from one pyre to another pyre, whispering the Taraka mantra in the ears of that person.

And this is clearly written in the Shiva Puranas, like especially in Kashi Khanda. There is a book called Kashi Khanda - that means part of a Purana, Mahapurana, which is part of another big book, Shiva Purana. And there it is written: Kashi is the holiest place. Anybody who dies here will get Mukti. And Ramakrishna saw it in a vision actually happening.

But what was not described in the books was that Shiva was moving away, having uttered Taraka mantra into the ears of the Jeevatma. Remember, body is dead, Jeevatma is not dead - as much alive as when the body was functioning. But Ramakrishna saw Mother Kali with a sword following Lord Shiva, cutting all the bones - Maya's net, her own net - and releasing the Jeeva from the influence of Maya.

The Nature of Maya and Liberation

What is Maya? What is Agnana? That "I am Shiva" - that knowledge is lost. Then who am I? I am the mind, I am the body, I am the Buddhi, I am the Prana, etc. That is called Mahamaya.

As soon as Mother cut that Agnana - Gnana, Gnana alone can burn Agnana, light alone can destroy darkness - so immediately that Jeeva understood: "I am Shiva." Whether the person says "I am Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham" like in Nirvana Shatakam, or "Aham Brahmasmi," it is all exactly one and the same thing.

The Taraka Mantra

So what is this Taraka mantra? Some people still studying the Puranas say it is Ramanama. It does not matter - it could be Ramanama, Krishnanama, Jesus name, it does not matter, Allah's name. But what is important is it must destroy the ignorance. That which destroys ignorance and reveals the truth about oneself - that is called Taraka mantra.

Very word Taraka - definition of the word Taraka is the savior mantra, that which saves one from future births, from future experiences of happiness and unhappiness, and repeated births. That is called Taraka - that which saves, that which takes one to the real knowledge of one's own nature - that is called Taraka mantra.

Now it does not matter. Rama Bhaktas believe Rama's name will give them liberation. The greatest example was Valmiki. He was such a Tamasic person, he could not even - he was not fit to utter the word Rama. So his Guru had to initiate him into opposite: "Mara." So "Mara, Mara, Mara" - if a person goes on repeating, then it becomes "Rama."

These are all Puranic stories. Does not matter, but he had complete faith in the Guru, and he repeated, and he became what you call saved, and the greatest devotee of Rama, and the greatest biographer of Rama. Whether it is Valmiki Ramayana or it is Vasishta Ramayana, whatever it is, Adhyatma Ramayana - it does not really matter.

The Importance of First Sight

So what I am trying to tell you, that there are certain things - so if we look at the face of another person, and especially worldly person, even if we are not superstitious, the very thought - you know when you look at a person, some thoughts arise about that person, and that is what is important.

So when I look at Sri Ramakrishna or Holy Mother, thoughts about them should arise, even for a short time. But when I look at somebody else, our judgment about the other person - what is it? It is human nature.

In course of our association with other people, sometimes what happens - maybe the other person has insulted me, or I felt I was insulted, or harmed me, or did not help me - we are apt to remember these things continuously like a broken gramophone record. But on the other hand, the person might have done a lot of good to us - we may not remember.

The general rule is we only remember the negativity, not the positivity. It is God's nature, holy people's nature, to remember only the positive side of something.

So even from that angle, as soon as I look and take their name, then I remember who they are, who I am, what is my relationship with Holy Mother, with Shri Ramakrishna, and what they did. This is how we can develop our devotion to them.

Daily Spiritual Practice

So before going to bed at night, you bow down to Holy Mother, Shri Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekananda, and your own Guru, and then you sleep: "I am in safe hands," like a baby feels restless when Mother is not there, but as soon as Mother comes and lies down, then the baby happily - he forgets, it forgets itself. Like that, our nature also should be like that.

That is why we have to take these things a little bit more seriously. It is not that something evil happens if we see certain types of person's faces in the morning, but their thoughts may make us more worldly or dampen our devotion to God - that's all.

Now Shri Ramakrishna tells: this person must be - he was a liar. Shri Ramakrishna came to know he earns 20 rupees a month, but he earns 20 rupees - what is called bribes - by writing false wills. "I cannot utter a word in his presence because he tells lies."

Ramakrishna was an embodiment of truthfulness. Ramakrishna's father was an embodiment of truthfulness. What about Chandramani Devi? If we think she was a person who was not truthful, Ramakrishna would never be born. God will never be born to parents who are not truthful. Even though it is not specifically mentioned, she always looked upon everybody as her own child, and a mother never wishes ill of anybody.

About Balaram Basu

Now about Balram Basu. The topic has turned. Balram comes from a family of devout Vaishnavas. His father, now an old man, is a pious devotee. He has a tuft of hair on his head, a rosary of Tulasi beads around his neck, and a string of beads in his hand - what is called Japa Mala, Tulasi Mala. He devotes his time to the repetition of God's name.

He owns much property in Orissa and has built temples to Radha Krishna in Kothar, Vrindavan, and other places, establishing free guest houses as well. He was a very pious man.

Balaram's Divine Connection

Important note we have to keep in mind here: this Balram Basu, who was one of the greatest devotees of Shri Ramakrishna, and Shri Ramakrishna used to consider Balram Babu's house - Balram Bose's house at Bosepara lane - as his Calcutta parlor. That means whenever he goes to Calcutta, he stays in Balram Basu's house.

And Balram Basu is coming from a, what is called, large lineage of devout Vaishnavas. And because of Orissa, Lord Jagannatha is the greatest deity. Like for Andhra people and many other people, Lord Venkateshwara is the deity.

So this Balram Basu, because of certain reasons - as if he was not a very healthy person - he had to come to Calcutta for treatment, etc., leaving his Orissa estate, etc. But then that is not the real explanation. He and Shri Ramakrishna had an inalienable relationship. Somebody has to look after Shri Ramakrishna, and one of the suppliers of Shri Ramakrishna's welfare - Balram Basu - who was appointed by the Divine Mother Herself: "This person will be your supplier."

And this same Balram Basu also comes in previous births. Previously he was the supplier of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th century. How do we know about it? Because of Shri Ramakrishna's words. Says one day, talking about M, Shri Ramakrishna says: "I saw you in the Sankirtana party of Chaitanya. I saw Balram and a few other devotees."

So whenever God comes down, he brings down some of his intimate devotees so that his dharma sthapana can progress.

Vaishnava Traditions

So Balram, he comes from a long lineage of family of devout Vaishnavas. And Balram Basu's father, now an old man, is a pious devotee. So like Vaishnavas, he keeps a tuft of hair and a rosary of Tulasi beads.

Tulasi Mala is preferentially kept. Tulasi leaves are taken as the Shiva Bhakta's venerate Bilwa leaves. So like that, Tulasi leaves, and they are all medicinal leaves. That is the wonder of wonders - Bilwa leaves are very medicinal, Tulasi leaves are very medicinal, and they are deliberately associated with Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, etc., so that along with devotion, they are considered actually Devatas: Tulasi Mata, and Bilwa Riksha is one of the favorite fruits - Bael and Bilwa leaf - for worshiping Lord Shiva.

So our Rishis wanted not only our spiritual welfare, our physical, mental welfare also. Many people, many of us do not take notice - the effect of food. Our ancient Rishis have understood it.

Even as far as Chandogya Upanishad goes, the beautiful statement we have studied: Aahaar Shuddhau Sattva Shuddhihi, Sattva Shuddhau Dhruva Smrutihi - so when a person takes Sattvika food, then his mind becomes more and more Sattvik. And the result of Sattvika type of mind is that the remembrance of God, remembrance of who we are, and our relationship with God becomes firmly fixed.

That is why Vaishnavas, especially followers of Brahman Yacharya, feel so much, and that also has led to this discrimination between the low caste people: "We should not touch their food," etc., even though there are so many superior, very great devotees among the Shudras also.

Balaram's Father's Devotion

Now Balram Basu's father also had visited Shri Ramakrishna. He was very fortunate. And then he also did a lot of good things. He was a Jamindar there, and he built temples to Radha Krishna in Kottar, Vrindavan, etc.

But elsewhere in the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna, Shri Ramakrishna was remarking because when Balram Basu's father had come to visit him, and then continuously they go on repeating - one side they go on carrying on the conversations, other side also, continuously they will be moving the rosary. That means a part of their mind is kept, and there are great devotees. It is not a mechanical movement - really they mean.

There was one great soul, Vaishnava leader. He is called Baba Kalna - a place called Kalna. And that person was really a great, spiritually advanced Vaishnava. That's why he was elected as a leader of Vaishnava community. Ramakrishna heard about it, and he went, he visited, he had wonderful experiences with him, and he certified he was highly advanced in spiritual life.

Anyway, so why is the topic came now? In the presence of these devotees.

Why People Do Not See God

Why is it that people do not see God? It is the most wonderful question for all of us. Why is that we do not see God? Why is it that we do not even have the desire to see God?

And before we go into the discussion, definitely I would like to point out this fact - it is very important: what is seeing God?

First of all, before we see God, we have to see goodness in people. And goodness and love are very closely related. If you see this food is very good, it will be healthy food. There are people who see tasty food as good food - I am not talking about that.

When we see food is very good, and it becomes better when it is offered to God, it becomes even better when it is offered to God - whether it is "Krishna Samarpayami," "Govinda Samarpayami," or Vedantic people: "I am offering it to Brahman, Brahman is offering it to Brahman, I am nowhere in the picture." That is also one way of remembering God - everything belongs to God.

Overcoming Negative Qualities

So what is the first thing? We have to get rid of all negative qualities. One of the negative qualities is Dvesha. Dvesha means hatred.

Hatred means - so there are two types of hatred we see, or two reasons why we develop hatred:

Active Harm: One reason is some people do us active harm, then we develop hatred towards them: "This person had harmed me."
Unmet Expectations: But there is another type of person, another type of hatred, where the other person hasn't done either good or evil, but still we start hating them because we are expecting from such people: "This person could have given me, this person could have helped me, this person could have praised me, appreciated me, applauded me," etc. Even though the person hasn't done anything, we are expecting from that person.

And that is why there are two things mentioned in the Katha Upanishad: one is called Asha, another is called Pratiksha.

Understanding Asha and Pratiksha

What is Pratiksha? Pratiksha - the English translation of the word Pratiksha means waiting. What does it mean? It really means a student has written his exams, and then more or less students also will have some idea: whether I will pass, or whether I will get 3rd class, 2nd class, 1st class, etc. So this is called Pratiksha.

What is Pratiksha? That I have done something, so I deserve to get some result. We have paid the price, and that is what we do every single day, probably.

Some people go to the hotels, restaurants. They pay for the food, but they are expecting because they paid food. So if the food is not up to their expectation, then they become deeply disappointed.

And the funny thing is - don't mind, because these are common things we have to observe - if 10 people say that restaurant prepares excellent food, and 50% of our certificate to that hotel or restaurant goes because of the other people's opinion, we are influenced by other people's sentiment. But what is our own experience? Are you happy with the thing?

If we analyze, many times we find: no, it is not up to our expectation, it could have been much, much better. Then don't listen to other people's opinions. Simply leave that place. If you want, try it somewhere else until you find, if at all you find, because what is the problem?

The problem is the same cook is preparing every day, more or less the same things, but it will not turn out to be 100%. It is not a machine. Maybe McDonald's methodology will work here - so how many ingredients, how much quantity they have to be mixed exactly, the whole process is mechanized. Maybe AI robo may prepare all our dosas, idlis, curries, etc., because they are programmed to do exactly in the same way. So more or less we can expect.

But a human being - it varies vastly from extraordinarily good. Even our own mother doesn't prepare same things exactly in the same way. Some days it may be good, some days it may be acceptable, some days it may be worse also. So many variations are there.

What I am trying to tell you, that we have to be rational about these things. So we don't depend upon other people's opinion. You experiment, and then you come to your own conclusion. That is very important.

The Barrier of Lust and Gold

Now the topic here is: why is it that people do not see God? That means why is it people do not see goodness. God is within. That word goodness means every person has got something in which that person excels. Let us try to see. Second, every person has got some defect. So let us not expect - I may be a mixture of good and bad, or even worse, but I have no right to expect from other people.

So this appreciation - that is what Holy Mother used to say: "Stop finding faults with others. Start finding faults with yourself, and try to see God in everybody. Make the whole world your own." That is very important.

And what happens? I do not need to wait until God, out of His infinite grace, comes and bestows His grace. The moment I get rid of this habit of trying to find defects and faults with other people, to that extent my mind becomes much happier because I am not expecting.

So what I am trying to tell you, that even when certain faults are very obvious in other people, you overlook those faults. Find out what is positive, what is good. That is called seeing God. And if we progress in this way, one day we see everybody is none other than pure representation of God only.

So why is it, Shri Ramakrishna is asking, or putting a question: people do not see God? It is because of the barrier of lust and gold.

Understanding "Kamini Kanchanam"

So the words used: Kamini Kanchanam in the original Bengali language. And unfortunately, the English translation goes as "woman and gold." I also used that word many times, but I feel the moment we utter the word "woman," and most of our devotees are women only, they feel offended.

So Shri Ramakrishna never meant woman. What does he mean? To use a plain word, it means sexual attraction. That is why lust. Lust means what? Attraction for the skin, whether male is attracted towards the female, female is also attracted towards the male.

And unfortunately, nature creates a lot of - the whole chemical factory is going on within each one of us, right from - I don't know about amoeba, probably right from amoeba to the highest, even people in Brahma Loka.

What do I mean by people are affected in Brahma Loka? The whole Mahabharata story starts only from the Brahma Loka. You may be surprised - some people say it starts with a tale of a dog and it ends also with the tale of a dog. But what is meant is here that this Bhishma's father - he was a great soul, he must be a great spiritual person. And once he was in Brahma Loka, and then this mother Ganga Devi was also there at that time, and they looked at each other, and they felt lust for each other.

Brahma Deva immediately - his attention is brought down: "Even in this highest world, you are only behaving like undeveloped human beings. So better you go, finish your desire, and become detached from the body, and then only you have a right to come back here."

And that is what exactly happened. That is how Bhishma's father Shantanu - he fell in love with Ganga Devi, and we know that blessed and horrific story that goes there.

The Nature of Bodily Desires

So it is because of the barrier of lust and gold. And then we also have to understand there are so many bodily desires, but the greatest bodily desire is to preserve our identity with the body: that I am the body.

Somebody wants his name and fame. Can there be name and fame without any reference to the body? The very expression - honor, or name and fame - whose name? My name. Whose honor? Whose fame? My fame. My photograph should come in all the present newspapers, and even the Prime Minister and others must send congratulations to me because I have done some good work - no doubt about it. But it is all centered around the body only, because the body identifies who I am.

Sri Ramakrishna means that lust means desire - intense desire. Sexual desire is one of the desires. There are so many other desires. And to fulfill those desires, one requires money, and that is called gold. That is to say, sex and money.

Sri Ramakrishna's Example of Detachment

Sri Ramakrishna continues: "In my present state of mind, I can eat a little fish soup if it has been offered to the Divine Mother beforehand."

So what Sri Ramakrishna is, again and again and again repeating: Maya is nothing but lust and gold. And if I sincerely want to get out of the net of Maya, I will have to struggle, at least to the extent that is possible. I must become detached from lust and gold, which is equivalent to saying that I am going to be detached from the body identity. This is the simple truth.

The Question of Animal Consumption

And then Sri Ramakrishna: why do people go on eating fish, meat, and how many cattle are killed, how many animals - you name it, there is a farm. Especially in some countries like China: peacock farm is there, rabbit farm is there, and every dog's farm is there, cow's farm, not to speak - goat's farm, sheep's farm, fish farm, and crocodile farm. You name it, there is a farm, because people want to eat.

How much suffering these animals go through, just like us. If a pin prick is there, then we feel so bad. Do we really think that animals do not suffer? Do we understand that animals have feelings? They can also love. They are also afraid. They can also develop cancer. They can also develop psychological problems.

I see there is absolutely no difference between one life and the other life. It is a marvelous subject.

What Sri Ramakrishna means is that if we want to see God, then slowly we have to detach ourselves from the idea that I am the body. So much of meaning is there. We will talk about it in future classes.

Closing Prayer