Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 173 on 22-September-2026

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् |

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ||

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum |

pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ ||

Introduction: Purity of Heart

We are continuing the study of the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. December 1882. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is as usual speaking with devotees.

God cannot be realised without purity of heart. One receives the grace of God by subduing the passions like lust, anger, and greed, etc. Then one sees God. "I tried many things in order to conquer lust."

The Nature of Kāma

We have to note down one important point here: every desire that we have is only a part of kāma. So what is this kāma? If we have to put a question like that – usually kāma is lust, but lust is only one manifestation of desire. What is lust? Very interesting from a psychological point of view – the desire to make another one as one's own. "I am you, you are me." That should happen, but of course it does not happen. So every desire is to destroy the distance, the separation between oneself and other things.

Turning Desire Towards God

But that is why even kāma, krodha, lobha, etc. – lust, anger, greed – all these things, when increased and directed towards God, are there to help us, not to hinder us, really speaking. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is trying to explain. The mind must become pure.

Expanding Desire

Then he explains what are the obstacles – lust, anger, greed, etc. But what does he mean? He means: why are you confining yourself only to the very limited type of desires? You expand your desire. "I want to be everything, everyone in this world." And a time will come – that is what we are going to become – sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma. That is to say, "I am everything. There is nothing besides me." In Sanskrit, Aham Brahmasmi.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's First Samādhi

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was recollecting: "When I was a few years old – exactly we do not know how many, ten or eleven years old – and was living at Kāmārpukur, I first experienced samādhi. As I was passing through a paddy field, I saw a most beautiful scenery and was overwhelmed and fell down externally unconscious, but internally more than conscious."

Aesthetic Experience

This was called aesthetic experience. That is why in Hindu scriptures, there is absolutely no difference between aesthetic experience and spiritual experience. In fact, there is absolutely no difference between pleasure – viṣayānanda – or intellectual happiness, or aesthetic happiness, or moral happiness. These are all, first of all, four different expressions of Brahmananda. Secondly, everyone is a gradually higher and higher state of Ānanda experience. That is why Kalānanda and Brahmananda are indistinguishable.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Sensitivity

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had a highly developed sense of aesthetics. That is why a song, a saying, a scene – anything – could throw him into that ecstatic state. Same thing, I think, with every incarnation of God.

Swami Vivekananda's Ocean Experience

I still remember – I narrated also to you many times – Swamiji was returning to India on a ship with some of his American devotees, and the ship was sailing on the seas. Somehow, for some time, it was absolutely still – no storm, no huge waves lashing the boat here and there – as if it is molten silver. And it was midnight, the full moon was shining, and Swamiji and other devotees were transported. I have no doubt that they were transported by the very presence of Swamiji, because he could lift everybody's mind who were around him.

If the Māyā Is So Beautiful

And I do not know – quite some time had passed – and then their minds came down, and Swamiji, sighing deeply, he said: "If this creation – this Māyā" – he called it Māyā – "is so beautiful, then just imagine how beautiful must be the Master of the Māyā, the Creator of Māyā." I think the devotees in his presence, by his grace, were able to grasp the meaning of it.

Gazing at the Sky

But even we, if only sometimes – even people who are living in cities, sometimes, especially when the electricity goes off, climb to the top of the roof and gaze at the infinite sky – I can guarantee you some higher experience will come, even if you are not aware of it.

The Village Experience

People do not know how much the villages who are bereft of electricity – they sleep mostly outside most of the time, excepting in the rainy season and in areas where cold is intense, especially in South India – and when they gaze at the almost infinite sky, they see billions of stars. And it is a regular experience of everybody – how many meteors were crashing! But they look as if they are travelling across – not they are actually travelling from one side to the other side and disappear because they get burnt up in the vast empty spaces. But then for us it seems they are falling down from the sky.

Meteors and the Earth

Sometimes I used to wonder: "Maybe it will crash on our village." In fact, it is a rare – not very rare – phenomenon. But quite rare. So many meteors had struck our earth. In America, there is a huge valley – a crater was created by that – and a whole generation of the age of dinosaurs had come to an end. Because of that fall of the meteor, its effect was as if a billion atom bombs had fallen. Practically every big creature had died. But even God's will – many small creatures had survived. That age of huge creatures, that age had come to an end, and again life began. So this is how many billions and trillions of times the same thing is happening in the vastness of time. Nobody really knows about it.

The Conclusion

So this was what we discussed. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was highly sensitive to any beauty – either sight, smell, taste, or hearing, a bhajan, etc.

22nd September – The Characteristics of God-Vision

Now we will move on to the next – and this is 22nd September. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa continues his talk. There are certain characteristics of God‑vision.

Cultivate Holy Company

Now the introduction should be: Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, "Cultivate holy company." And who are the holy people? Anybody who is leading a spotlessly righteous life – that is, observing truthfulness as much as possible like Śudhīra – and leading a dharmic life.

The Twin Foundations

These are the twin foundations of every religion, but so succinctly expressed in Hinduism – especially in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, which we had studied in the very first chapter: Satyam vada, dharmam cara, svādhyāyān mā pramadaḥ – "Satyam vada – speak truth. Dharmam cara – and the conduct of one's life should be based upon what is right – that is, to look upon the whole world as one's own self – that is called Dharma."

Gratitude for Holy Company

So such people, if we are lucky enough to get their company, we should thank our stars. But how many people are fortunate enough to get the company of people who had the actual vision of God? But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling how to understand.

The Signs

He is describing: one sees light, feels joy, and experiences the upsurge of a great current in one's chest like the bursting of a rocket. This is not the result that we see when we are in the company of God‑realised souls. No – this is the experience of the jīvanmuktas, God‑realised souls.

What Do They Feel?

What do they feel? They see only light. And what is light? Not our physical light – sunlight, torchlight, firelight, etc. No – "your light" means seeing truth as it is, seeing or obtaining jñānam, right knowledge. And they feel joy because what they are seeing is satyam, and therefore they get tremendous joy – because satyam is another name for Brahman: satyam jñānam anantam brahma.

The UpSurge

And then even the slightest experience, when it happens – the upsurge of a great current in one's chest like the bursting of a rocket. How many times Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, while singing or speaking, suddenly goes out. He forgets the whole world in the twinkling of a blinking of an eyelid, and he was in his own world, until he comes back.

Is It a Disease?

And then how do we know what is it? Is it a mūrcchā – yoga, a disease called fits? No – a person who is in fits will never be a happy person. In fact, he would be a person in agony. But here is a person who is full of joy.

How Do We Know?

How do we know? Because if we are even a little bit worthy devotees, we feel by their very presence joy within ourselves. That is why people, devotees used to come running to the small cottage of Śudhīra. And when asked, "Why do you come?" He said: "Outside we do not get peace. But the moment we come in your presence – even if you are absent, in your kuṭiyā – we feel tremendous peace for the time being."

The Air-Conditioned Room

Like a person travelling in very hot temperature but steps momentarily into a beautiful air‑conditioned room. "Beautiful" means what? Suddenly if you transport a sweating and very hot person into very high or lowest temperatures – where we put only minus eighteen degrees, something like that – then the next second he starts shivering. No – that is not what I mean. Proper temperature – and he feels tremendous joy temporarily, until he has to go out again on his own work.

The Presence of Ramana Maharṣi

So this is – we feel it. When people used to approach Ramana Maharṣi with so many doubts and sorrows, the moment they approach, their doubts vanish: vidyate hṛdaya-granthīḥ, chidyante sarva-saṃśayāḥ, kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi, tasmin dṛṣṭe parāvare. This is a beautiful mantra from the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad. When the highest Supreme is realised as one's own Self, all doubts are burnt out, all the knots of the heart are completely cut off.

No Bondage of Karma

And nothing – there would be no bondage of karma at all, because karma means the resultant of desire. When there is no desire, there would be no action. When you are one hundred percent completely satiated with good food, you will not feel the desire for more food – only when you are not filled, then you will have some lingering desire. But if you are over‑full, you will not feel like that.

People Came to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa

So people used to come to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – even Brahmo devotees. Most of them, as soon as Keśav Chandra Sen passed away, most of them had disappeared, excepting one or two. So you see, they came because of the influence of other persons, but so long as they were there, they were carried away in spite of themselves.

The Brahmo Who Went to America

A great Brahmo, who was intellectually great, travelled to USA and became very popular there because he was catering to the Christians – "Jesus Christ is the greatest personality in the world." No doubt about it. But this person – as soon as this sunlight called Swami Vivekananda entered into that country, the glow‑worm has faded completely into thick darkness.

A Great Current in the Chest

So a great current in one's chest like the bursting of a rocket – in the presence of a great saint, we feel happy. When we feel happy, our knowledge also temporarily becomes highly enlightened – like what happened on 1st January 1886 by the blessings of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Most people's minds were completely elated. We will come to that subject later on. But it is only temporary, because they were not only ready – even the reaction had set in, where their characters have become just worse than what they were before.

The Characteristics

Anyway, these are the characteristics of a person who had God's vision.

M's Gospel

Then M had written this Gospel in such a way that we feel the very presence of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – or should feel.

The Devotees Return

So perhaps that night, Bāburām – later on Bāburām Mahārāja, Swami Premānanda – Rāmadāyāl, another devotee, returned to Calcutta. M spent the day and the night with the Master. With that, the visit was over.

December 1882 – The Marwari Devotees

Now another day, December 1882, Dakṣiṇeśvara. It was afternoon. The Master was sitting in his room at Dakṣiṇeśvara with M and one or two other devotees. Several Marwari devotees arrived and saluted the Master. They requested Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa to give them spiritual instruction.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Appreciation of Marwaris

He smiled. You see, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to appreciate Marwari devotees. They are true devotees. They never come with empty hands to see a sādhu.

The Empty-Handed Devotees

Even today, after reading so much of the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, so many devotees I observed come absolutely empty‑handed. Of course, it is my habit to hand them over some chocolates, especially if there are children – to everybody I give. But the point is I am not expecting.

The Saying

But there is a saying: when a devotee visits a temple, a king, a saint or a holy person, and a child, they should not go empty‑handed. It does not mean one has to carry rich presents. Anything will do – a small flower, or one or two small South Indian native bananas – that also will do. It is to show that Hinduism has certain traits. One has to be familiar with them.

The Training of Marwaris

These Marwari devotees always bring with them something, because they have been trained in the Hindu way of life. But Marwaris are merchants, businessmen. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had some remarks observing about them. We will see that also.

Why They Came

But some of them – they respected Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa because they visited Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. So many Marwaris were there. Everyone was not visiting. Only a few – they understood "here is a genuine sādhu" – and they used to come. And these devotees requested Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa to give them spiritual instruction.

The Point Worth Noting

And this is also a point worth noting, because every devotee that comes – I have observed – most of them, they do not want to hear about spirituality. And I do not want to talk about worldly problems to them – so they raise: "In my family this problem is there, that problem is there – my children, my husband, my husband's business, my mother‑in‑law, my cat, my dog – everything excepting God."

They Knew What to Do

But these people, they do not waste their time. They know what they should do when they are in the presence of some holy people – any sannyāsī, any sādhu, any bhakta. Therefore, immediately they placed their presents to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and then they requested: "Please give spiritual instructions."

Never Turn Away Anybody

And then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – he would never turn away anybody – but he knows how much they are capable of receiving. But he did not withhold, because it is like planting seeds. If not at this moment, in future, that is what will happen.

The Story of Holy Mother's Initiation

I know a story where Holy Mother had instructed a devotee – "You pray to God" – she gave a mantra also, and he went away for probably a very short period of time. The devotee had performed according to the instructions given by his Guru, which is Holy Mother. But afterwards, whatever – because of saṃskāras, because of circumstances – and circumstances and karmaphala cannot be separated. Everything in this world is kṛta – that is to say, a type of world in which we are born, we are given opportunity – is all the resultant of our own pūrvajanma's karmaphala. And I am being convinced more and more every day of my life.

The Devotee Who Returned

So these Marwari devotees will be like that. So this young man whom I was referring – totally deviated, he stopped coming to Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother – and several, many, many years had passed, and he was in depression. And then one day, suddenly the old spiritual saṃskāra has come back: "My God, what have I done? I took initiation; so many years I have passed like the blinking of an eye, and I have completely neglected." From that day onwards he became a good, great devotee, and then until his passing away he never left his practice.

The Story of the Eight-Year-Old Girl

Also, devotees can remember another incident – once a small girl, probably eight years old, requested Holy Mother to give her initiation. And immediately she consented. And the nearby – probably Golap Mā, Yogin Mā, somebody – objected: "Mother, she is such a small girl" – and remember, in those days an eight‑year‑old girl is really like nowadays a three‑year‑old or four‑year‑old – small girls, they are not grown up, they are not mature – "so please do not give."

Holy Mother's Response

Then Holy Mother – she knew, and we have to note down a point – she was not eager to give to every eight‑year‑old girl or boy. She could recognise – or Thākur gives her the indication – that these are born specially and they need the blessings of Thākur like that. So she said: "No, this girl will remember. In fact, she remembers better than most of you. And then look at it – I am not going to live for long. But she had the good fortune of meeting me, and she asked for initiation, and she understands what it means. She will never forget the mantra. But even if I pass away, and then she will remember, as she grows she will understand better, and she will turn out to be a very great devotee."

The Fate of That Girl

I do not know who that girl was, what she became later on. And then she initiated. So how fortunate she was!

Holy Mother's Assurance

Because from another point of view – once Holy Mother – not once, many times – she said: "Whomsoever's responsibility I have taken, they are sure to have the vision of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, even at the far end of their life, and become free." And we have to live on this faith, nothing else. But I know several incidents in some of our old Swamis who were initiated by Holy Mother and passed away. At the last moment, Mother came to gather her children into her arms.

The Lesson

So what I am trying to say is that who knows if Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had given this teaching to so many people, there may be a few of them – how do we know that they will not turn into a great personality? So this is what it means.

The Sign of Knowledge

But to say "O God, Thou art the doer – all these things belong to Thee" is the sign of knowledge. As we grow in this understanding – "O Lord, ultimately You are the doer, and the whole universe is Your creation. It belongs to You. In fact, You are the creation" – is what the Advaita Vedānta says.

The Devotee's View

But for a devotee who is a dualist, he says: "All of us are created by You. You are the Creator, we are the created, we are Your creatures." "Creatures" does not mean a bad word – it means we are all created by somebody, and that somebody is God. This is the sign of knowledge.

The Acme of Knowledge

A person who knows everything is God – he has attained what they call the acme of knowledge – parā jñānam. But we have to get the same knowledge as we grow in spiritual life – as we progress either through the path of devotion, or knowledge, or yoga, or selfless service – whatever it is, we have to test: "Am I growing in knowledge?" What is that knowledge? Everything belongs to God.

The Reaction to News

And I am not tired of repeating hundreds of times that as soon as we read the news, terrible reactions come into our brain: "Oh, this person is responsible for this war – he is selfish and is creating problems not only for himself or he or she, but for everybody." We forget – especially devotees, so we should never forget – it is who is the real motivator, who is playing – the greatest teaching of the Bhagavad Gītā: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.

The Bengali Bhajan

Same thing is the beautiful Bengali bhajan: śakali tomāri ichchā, ichchāmayī tārā tumi – beautiful song – tomār karma tumi karo, loke bole kori āmi. Let us analyse it a little bit: "O Mother, You are ichchāmayī" – that means even if all of us wish something, it is not going to happen; only what She wills, She alone will make it happen. And whatever we do – even our saying "everything is Your will" – is also Her will only. Jemni bolo, temni boli – "Whatever way You make me speak" – because You are sitting inside, You are the puppeteer and we are all puppets. This is all a big show. That is why it is called līlā – divine sport.

A Fact of Life

So we have to understand that. It is not mere understanding – that is a fact of life – because other than God, nothing else exists, really speaking. So God wants to sport with Himself – as if He is ignorant, as if He suffers, as if He wants to get out of suffering, as if He approaches a Guru, as if He is getting guidance from the Guru, slowly progressing, and so many lives pass, and one day He remembers: "I am God." Everything – forgetting and getting back the memory.

Labdha Smṛti

Labdha smṛti – Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa asks Arjuna at the very end of His teaching in the Bhagavad Gītā: "Did you listen carefully with one‑pointed mind? If you had, then the result is inevitable." And then for that Arjuna gives a categorical reply, which is even more interesting: naṣṭo mohaḥ – "My ignorance is totally gone" – smṛtir labdhā – "I obtained my memory." But then he adds: how did I get back my memory, original memory? Tvat-prasādāt – mayā achyuta – "O Achyuta, tvat-prasādāt – solely because of Your grace. If You had not bestowed Your grace, then I would not have remembered at all."

The Question of Grace

But the question of His bestowing grace does not arise. Here is also an interesting part: so if He wants to play, why can He not end this līlā a little bit earlier? Why does He go on prolonging? No – that is His will. Let the play continue for some time. That is very important for us to want to keep in mind.

The Advaitic Point of View

So, but from the Advaitic point of view, it is even more interesting. As if I am born, as if I am enjoying and suffering, as if I am in great trouble, as if I turned away my attention from the external to the internal, as if I entered into Vānaprasthāśrama and struggled and progressed, and finally got back the memory. And then what do I realise? That there was no saṃsāra. It was all just pure sheer Māyā.

What Is Māyā?

What is Māyā? If it is universal delusion, universal ignorance, that is called Māyā. But if it is individual ignorance, it is called a dream. What we do during the daytime – observing everything, deciding everything, reacting in a particular manner – this is called daydream. And when we lay down upon our beds, and what we do at that time is called night dream. No difference at all.

The Essence

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had summarised the whole thing. And what is the essence? Nāhaṃ, nāhaṃ – tu hu, tu hu.

The Story of the Bull

And with this also, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to tell a beautiful story. Now and then we have to remember these stories. Then our study of the Gospel becomes even more enjoyable – not only fruitful, but enjoyable.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to tell: there was a bull. From the birth, it goes on crying "Humbāā." "Humbāā" means what? Ahaṃ, ahaṃ – "I am, I am." So the whole life it does the same thing. The more it grows, the louder the noise – aham. And then it dies. Even then that feeling of aham does not disappear.

The Cotton Carder

And then out of the skin of that cattle, they make a string. So it falls into the hands of a carder – a cotton carder. And then he sorts out the lumps of this cotton, and with this string made out of this calf's entrails or whatever – so as it vibrates and through that action separates the lumps of cotton and makes it more fluffy, etc. I have seen that one many times – our beddings, etc., which are just compressed. So he just opens it, takes out all the cotton, and that night when we lay down upon that cotton bed, then we see how fluffy and soft, etc., which became very hard earlier.

Tui, Tui, Tui

So at that time the noise that comes out of that cord – that is "Tui, tui, tui" – like that. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa must have observed it many times. So he gave that example. Now it is not saying "hum, hum, hum." Now it says "tui, tui." At last it realises – as if – that "You are everything – You and Yours, not me and mine."

The Explosion of Mine

And with that knowledge, that "mine" field will be exploded by the land mines, and what remains is only God.

I and Mine

So this is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: "I and mine" is the result of ignorance. But what is knowledge? "O God, Thou art the doer – all these belong to Thee" – is the sign of knowledge. How can you say such a thing as "mine"? Because nothing belongs to me.

The Maid-Servant Example

That is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gave the example of a maid‑servant working in a rich man's house. She says "this is our house" – of course never "my house," "our house" – as if the house belongs to her. But the moment she is dismissed, or wants to go away because of old age, then she only gathers her caldwood box and then departs from there. She knows that this house does not belong to me. Nobody in this house belongs to me. I have my own house. Mono cello nija niketane.

The Superintendent of the Garden

And similarly Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives another example. A superintendent of a garden says "this is my garden." In a rich man's house, there will be gardens, and there will be some persons employed to supervise, look after, that the gardens are kept neat and trimmed. And then he says "this is my garden." And he really does many things – especially in the olden days. But when he feels dismissed because of some misconduct, then he does not have the courage even to take away his own worthless something as his mango‑wood box. Rāmakṛṣṇa must have observed all these things thoroughly.

No Fixed Rule for Death

So that is what he says: in this world, one second – āyur naśyati paśyatām. As we go on looking, there is no such rule that death should come only at the end of the hundredth year. Anything can happen to anybody, any time, any place, in any way.

Anger and Lust Cannot Be Destroyed

So anger and lust cannot be destroyed. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says that we should live like that. Does it mean to say that we will be dry and not enjoy life? No – you enjoy with this knowledge that this is all by the grace of God, but at the same time keep that knowledge: "He who has given us can also take it away." That would be most marvellous.

The Mango-Wood Box

So he does not have the courage to take away even such a worthless thing as his mango‑wood box.

The Six Enemies

Now Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is coming to another subject. Whenever we ask any devotee, "What is sādhanā, spiritual practice?" inevitably he says: "We have some six enemies." As if affection, love are not enemies. Actually, our enemies are our greatest helpers, whereas all the qualities such as loving, etc., they are our obstacles – greatest obstacles.

Holy Mother on Misery

That is why Holy Mother often used to utter – and very few of us remember that, and fewer of us really understand what she means – she used to say: "Nobody understands. Misery is a gift of God." When God wants to come, He creates terrible problems which cannot be solved by anybody excepting God. And when we realise that "I cannot solve this problem – not only I, nobody can solve this problem – and only God alone can solve" – saṅkaṭakāle veṅkaṭaramaṇa.

Turning the Passions Towards God

So anger and lust cannot be destroyed. So we have to understand kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mātsarya. But what is the way? They cannot be destroyed. That means they are going to be there. But what should be done with them? Turn them towards God.

Desire God

If you must feel desire and temptation, then desire to realise God. Feel tempted by Him. So you imagine – there is no, not a single penny or cent has to be expended to create that beautiful imaginary trait. "I am in the presence of Holy Mother, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, and look at him." Who prevents it?

The WhatsApp Distraction

Instead of running after one hundred times, clicking on WhatsApp application, etc. Just I am telling you not to criticise, but whenever I send some reply to what is called a WhatsApp application message, then I see within a few seconds the reply is coming – typing like that. That means they are keeping a watch. Which I would not do that. So that is why sometimes many hours will pass before I look at the WhatsApp application message. Sometimes I do not even look at them – only occasionally.

Awkward Situations

But then funny things also happen. I give appointment to some people, and they come here at the proper time, and then they send WhatsApp application message "I am here." And maybe I have forgotten, or maybe I am waiting for them – and then they ring up: "We are here, we are here." Oh – and then I realise, and then I go out and meet them. But what is their expectation? That the moment that notice comes, I jump up from wherever I am, open WhatsApp application and read it like Vedhavākya, and respond to them. Unfortunately, I do not. Sometimes some awkward situations also develop: "I want to come and see you in another one hour – is it possible?" And I see it the next day, and then I have to say, "Sorry, I did not – you should have rung me up," or whatever.

Turn Everything Towards God

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling: turn them towards God. Not only anger and lust – affection, attachment, relationships – everything should be rooted through God.

Develop Relationships Through Sri Ramakrishna

That is why Swami Atiśvarānanda Mahārāja's most precious teaching: "Develop relationships through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Do not develop any relationship independent of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or Holy Mother." What does it mean? That you look to them. So through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, if we approach them: "This is my brother, this is my husband, this is my wife, these are my children – through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa." First comes Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, then comes everybody else. First comes one; thereafter zeros. And that would be highly beneficial, because through Him everything will be all right.

All Emotions Are Extensions of Ahaṃkāra

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling that no emotion, no desire – because this lust, anger, greed, delusion, jealousy, pride – all these things are only extensions, are different dresses of ahaṃkāra – egotism, nothing but egotism.

Positive Emotions Too

And the same thing positively: "I love you so much. This is my wife, this is my husband, these are my parents," etc. Even devotion to one's country or one's profession. All these should be rooted only through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

The Result of Practice

If we go on practising, then what happens? So if some unexpected, untoward something happens, we will not be affected much, but in course of time, we will not be affected at all.

Desire to Realise God

So turn them towards God. If you must feel desire and temptation, then desire to realise God, feel tempted by Him.

The Story of Bilvamaṅgala

Just to remind you – Bilvamaṅgala loved – just as Prahlāda loved Nārāyaṇa, Bilvamaṅgala loved a prostitute. But thereby she became really Nārāyaṇa. She told – I am putting in my own words, not what you hear from the story – what she said was, in the story: "If you had won thousands of love which you bear towards this filthy body, you would have attained God much sooner." But in my own words, what it means: "I am Nārāyaṇa. I am giving you upadeśa. You are in the right position. You are an adhikārī, a fit person. You have developed tremendous attachment towards me – more than most of the human beings. So the next higher step will be: turn it towards God."

The Transformation

And then you know what happened? At that second, a complete transformation had taken place in him. And this transformation takes place in so many ways. For example, in the case of Brother Lawrence, it took place in the form of seeing at springtime very tender new leaves peeping out of a so-called dead‑wood tree. His mind immediately remembered God, and he became a saint in the making at that very moment.

The Upadeśa

So in the case of Bilvamaṅgala, it is God in the form of this public woman, and she gave upadeśam. What is the upadeśam? If you go to a Guru, what does the Guru say? The Guru says: "You turn all your affection, love, towards God" – as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is advising us now through the Marwari devotees.

The Spiritual Revolution

So this woman said – and that brought about a spiritual revolution in the life of Bilvamaṅgala.

The Prostration

You know what happened? We have to meditate on these incidents. Until this moment, what was – how was he looking after this woman? Her body is the greatest temple. She is the greatest object of love for him, the very source of pleasure and happiness. But the moment God manifested in and through her, he prostrated before her because he became a spiritual person: "You have awakened me – uttiṣṭhata jāgrata – may caitanya be awakened in you" – as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa did.

The Guru

So he accepted her as his Guru. And who is a Guru? According to all of us: Guru Brahmā, Guru Viṣṇu, Gurudevo Maheśvaraḥ, Guru Sākṣāt Paraṃ Brahma. And it is not a hyperbole – it is absolute fact. And that is what happened.

The Lesson

His life became the greatest example. And that is why I like this example – because the more we love something worldly, the more likely we become to turn our attention to God. This is a great fact to keep in mind.

Lukewarm Love

It is only people who have lukewarm attachment, lukewarm love. What is the love? One word from the beloved object can turn us into murderers, can turn us away, run away from those persons. And then we call "You are my beloved." What type of love it is, I can never understand it.

Discrimination

So therefore what is discrimination – viveka – and turn the passions away from worldly objects. We also have to note: Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is not telling that you throw away these passions – no, turn them towards God. But how to do that? You change the direction from worldly objects.

The Capacity for Intense Love

And I can tell you confidentially that only a person who could love anything in this world to the extent possible for a human being – only there is hope for such a person to realise God. Because tremendous attachment is necessary to love God. A person is ready to easily, happily, without thinking, sacrifice his or her life for their beloved objects. Mother for children, father for their children, a patriot for his country, etc. So that amount of sacrifice indicates their great love for that.

Like Prahlāda

So that should be our case also, like Prahlāda. He was happy. Let anybody torture him. Who is going to be tortured? "I belong to God. So you are not torturing me – you are torturing what belongs to God, Nārāyaṇa." That is what we need to understand. Crystal clearly we have to understand.

Reverse Engineering Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Love

So this is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa told. Now what is called, in many advanced societies, reverse engineering. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – how much he loved the Divine Mother – now reverse engineering. What is it? Before his attention turned towards God, all this tremendous ocean of love that he later on turned towards God must have been in him, and must have been being expressed towards objects like his mother, his father, his brothers, etc., his friends, etc. And especially Rāmakṛṣṇa's love for truth, Rāmakṛṣṇa's love for courage, Rāmakṛṣṇa's contempt for any worldly type of education. All these things must have been present in him. He must have had that tremendous force of love.

Not From the Sky

Not that he turned towards God, Divine Mother, and then these things fell from the sky. He must be having all these things before.

The Elephant and the Plantain Tree

Before, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: discriminate and turn the passions away from worldly objects. And then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives an example he must have observed. When an elephant is about to devour a plantain tree in someone else's garden, a mahout strikes it with his iron‑tipped goad. That means: do not stray from the path of Dharma; do not harm anybody else. You feed your own elephant, etc.

Conclusion

So we will discuss in future. Such beautiful examples are there, and many times we also get plenty of repetitions.

Śaṅkarācārya's Summary

You just want the whole thing – like somebody questioned Śaṅkarācārya: "You wrote cartloads of books. Now I do not have time. I do not have the intellect. Please teach them briefly." And Śaṅkarācārya said: "I also do not have time to teach you. I will tell you not even in one complete sentence: ślokārdhena pravakṣyāmi yad uktaṃ granthakoṭibhiḥ, brahma satyaṃ jagan mithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ."

The Message

The whole universe is nothing but Brahman. That is the message of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

Closing Prayer

Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum

Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

Jai Ramakrishna!