Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 174 on 06-October-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 ||

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and the Marwari Devotees

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was speaking with his Marwari devotees. As I mentioned earlier, his Marwari devotees are business people mainly, and they have no hesitation in telling lies in their business. But they are acutely aware of what a Hindu should do. Whenever a Hindu visits a baby, a king, a holy man, a temple, he must carry some gift, because people do expect – especially babies. These Marwaris, they knew about it, and one of their most marvellous qualities is that they always carry the best things possible.

Behind Every Gift

But behind every gift, there is a conscious or unconscious prayer that some of their desires should be fulfilled – business should improve and many other worldly things should improve. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was talking earlier, and they always, whenever they come, they only question spiritually – rarely do they raise any point which is worldly. This is something very special to be found both with the Sikh devotees and Marwari devotees also.

How to Progress in Spiritual Life

Now Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was already talking about it, and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was extraordinarily adroit in observing things. So how to progress in spiritual life? That was their question. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had adroitly turned merchantship into a great spiritual teaching.

The Business Analogy

"You are merchants. You know how to improve your business gradually. Some of you start with a castor‑oil factory. After making some money at that, you open a cloth shop. In the same way, one makes progress towards God. It may be that you go into solitude now and then and devote more time to prayer."

The Gradual Growth

So what do these Marwaris – or any businessman – do for that purpose? So you start in a small way, maybe a small shop, then make it a bigger shop, then a small manufacturing facility, a factory, and as they go on getting more profits, they venture further. And it is exactly the same way that one makes progress towards God. It may be that you go into solitude now and then and devote more time to prayer.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Suggestion

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, of course, can only suggest how much they want to do.

Qualifications for Progress

So whenever we wish to progress in any field – not only in the spiritual field, but in any field – certain qualifications are necessary. And every goal requires its own special characteristics. Certain things have to be developed.

Examples

For example, if somebody wants to be a sportsman, extraordinary physical strength is necessary. But if somebody wants to become a computer expert, not so much physical strength, but brain strength is necessary – and that too, great.

Observe and Progress

Observe and progress. Observation is an absolute necessity for any progress in any field by anybody. That is what Swami Atiśvarānandaji Mahārāja used to tell: cultivate continuous awareness.

Questions to Ask

What is my intention? Am I really serious about it? Do I have the qualifications? Do I lack? If I lack, what do I lack? And how can I acquire? Acquisition of required characteristics is called spiritual progress. And that has a special connotation of its own. What is it?

The Grace of God

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say: the breeze of God's grace is always blowing. It is not that one has to pray and then He listens to it, and then He considers it, ponders over it, thinks over it – whether I should bestow My grace upon this person or not. No – God's grace is continuously blowing.

Unfurl Your Sails

What is our problem? Do we unfurl our sails? What is the meaning of unfurling? That is – are we capable of receiving what He wants to give in infinite quantity?

Acquisition of Qualifications

So acquisition of the required qualifications is the automatic way of receiving the grace of God. That is also called spiritual progress.

A Caution

Always we have to note down that just because we do some japa, dhyāna, and people go on pilgrimage and do pūjās, many other things, and they think that is spiritual progress – "I do more japa, so I must be progressing, moving towards God." No – have you obtained the capacity? Have you got the space to keep what God wants to bestow so freely? Can you take the grace of God? And it is not very easy.

The Example of 1st January 1886

I gave several examples. 1st January 1886 – Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa bestowed his grace. I have to say practically none of them were able to keep up. One of the strangest factors that happened on that day was none of the monastic would‑be monastic disciples of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had ever come down. Some of them were there serving him, but they were in the building, cleaning and airing the mattresses, etc. Because Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was sick for a long time, his room could not be cleaned because he could not be taken out of that room. But he improved a little bit after taking the medicine – that too homoeopathic medicine – and then after fifteen days this event had happened. So as they say, one becomes better before one becomes worse, and that is what exactly had happened in the case of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

The Time Factor

Anyway, coming back to our subject – Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says that the time factor also must be taken into consideration. Again, the time factor is not a fixed time. It depends upon how quickly a person can acquire the capacity to receive. And for that, old junk – meaning old unspiritual, worldly saṃskāras – have to be taken out.

Observe

That is why we have to observe. And this is the greatest truth that Holy Mother wanted to inculcate into us: stop finding fault with others. Start finding fault with yourself.

The Other Extreme

And there is a psychological disease of finding fault with one's own self. This is another extreme. How much we are subject to psychological diseases!

Confession in Christianity

So in Christianity, confession is one of the greatest spiritual aids, helps. But as one of the greatest spiritual fathers, Saint Francis de Sales – he has nothing to do with Saint Francis of Assisi – so Francis de Sales was a French bishop, and he had written one of the greatest books on devotion: Introduction to the Devout Life. That is the title of the book.

The Misuse of Confession

Therein he says: our elders had commanded us to confess our faults. And some idiotic aspirants – especially some women – have taken into their head that the more they confess their sins, the more spiritual they are. And they started searching: how many faults can I find within myself? And how many faults can I find in other people? And all those things I will add – an endless list. "Father, I did this, I committed that, I committed the other thing."

Francis de Sales' Teaching

And Francis de Sales used to say: this is another kind of unspiritual effort. Perhaps there is – not perhaps, surely there is – an unconscious wish. So they are under the delusion that the more faults or sins – they call them sins – they commit and they confess, the more they will be appreciated: "Oh, what a great devotee! This person is so frank. He is telling publicly what are all the things." And these poor non‑intelligent, unintelligent people use it to tell. But he had his own method of dealing with them: "I do not want to – I have no time. I do not want to read all these things. I know what your faults are there. So try to correct." They will not correct. Their whole game is every week, if possible, how many faults they can commit.

Awareness

But we must be aware. And then just like when we approach a physician, the first thing is he examines expertly. And only in our case, our Guru stands as that physician – divine spiritual physician. But when we progress a little bit in spiritual life, our own faults should become – must become – crystal clear, as if I am standing in front of a new mirror, spotlessly clean mirror, and I cannot hide whatever defects my body has when I stand in front of it.

The Crystal-Clear Mind

So our mind must be so crystal clear. This is what exactly Patañjali Yogī wants to convey to us: Yogaś citta‑vṛtti‑nirodhaḥ. Transform all the unspiritual, worldly saṃskāras, impressions, into pure spiritual impressions. But for that, our goal should be clear. Why should I want? Because I want to get rid of them. Why should I want to get rid of them? Because I want to progress in spiritual life. This is exactly what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling here.

Nothing Can Be Achieved Except in Its Proper Time

Time factor must be taken into consideration, and he gives a beautiful example. So he says to the Marwari devotees: "But you must remember that nothing can be achieved except in its proper time. Some persons must pass through many experiences and perform many worldly duties before they can turn their attention to God." So they have to wait a long time.

The Two Women on Ekādaśī

Some of our devotees must surely remember: once two women came to Dakṣiṇeśvara on an Ekādaśī day. They were observing fasting. The moment Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa saw their faces – because for Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's vision, what thoughts are passing in our mind are just like things kept in a crystal‑clear glass case – immediately he said: "Have you taken food?" They said: "No, Sir, we are observing today Ekādaśī." "No – you must always come after eating something."

The Purpose of Fasting

Then he also tries to explain to them: "It is good to do too fast. But then if you try to fast and always you are thinking only about food – that is no good. The purpose of fasting is to free the mind from these cravings, make the body a bit light, and then take advantage of that condition to think more about God."

Thinking About God

Whichever way, we must try to think about God – and thinking about God is also equated with japam. But how many people really think about God? Japam means mechanical repetition of God's name is going on, like any machine going on doing it. No – that is not the meaning. We must dwell upon that thought. Satataṃ cintayantaṃ, nitya‑yuktāḥ – always they are thinking about God. In fact, they are thinking only about the welfare of God. Most of the devotees think only about the welfare of God, as if He is a human being.

Vātsalya Bhāva

Like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa at one time cultivated what is called worshipping Rāmlālā: "I am the parent and You are my child. Without me, You cannot survive." This is called Vātsalya Bhāva according to Vaiṣṇavas.

Who Has to Wait?

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling: some persons must pass through many experiences and perform many worldly duties before they acquire the capacity to turn their attention to God. So they have to wait a long time. Who has to wait a long time? The persons whose craving for worldly enjoyment is too strong.

The Purpose of Karmaphala

In fact, I often emphasise: what is the purpose of karmaphala? One of the fundamental teachings of Hinduism is that if we are happy, enjoying – that is also the result of what good deeds we have done. Here also many times I mentioned: if I am enjoying in this life – many things are in favour of me, so loving parents, and wealth, and facilities for attending better schools, better colleges, better dress, better food; servants are there – it is all because of what puṇyam I had earned in my past life.

The Exhaustion of Puṇyam

But what we forget – people often become so miserly, they think that this will go on, the effect will go on forever. No – this is one of the main contentions of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – also Śaṅkarācārya. What is it? That this karmaphala, puṇyam, true experience, becomes exhausted, and it has to be re‑earned.

The Reminder

So it is a reminder for us: "I will not do puṇyam, but I will go on experiencing" – and at some point of time all the good karma, the result of good karmas – which means puṇyams – will come to an end. And then if I did not earn anything, then I will have to go through a lot of difficulties.

Punarjanma

That is why punarjanma is believed in. Because if I had worked hard and did not get a chance to enjoy what I earned – good or evil – I will be given as many births as possible in order to exhaust – exhaustion of prārabdha karma. For that, appropriate body, appropriate circumstances, everything appropriate has to be arranged.

Vidhātā

That is what Vidhātā – that is the supervisor – arranges. Just like any other officer that looks at our performance and then either promotes or demotes, or whatever.

Learning Through Experience

And then what we need to learn is: how do we get rid of these evil qualities or impressions? Only through experience. If I had done something wrong, I have to suffer a lot.

The Wrong Attitude

That suffering should not only bring moaning: "O Lord, why are You so partial? You are giving my neighbour, my brother, my sister – You had given great opportunities. But I and my family are suffering so much. Especially I am suffering health‑wise, wealth‑wise and otherwise" – as if God is responsible. And God, of course, usually does not respond.

The Purpose of Suffering

So what is the purpose of all these negative experiences – pain, suffering? It is to awaken us. The purpose of suffering is not to make us suffer, but to awaken us – that one must go beyond both good and evil. Because even if somebody had done some great merit and enjoys – remember, once the karmaphala is exhausted, I have to again earn it. But this cycle of birth and death will go on. To go back where there is eternal peace, eternal happiness – we must go beyond both, not only pāpa but puṇya also.

Suffering Is the Greatest Gift

And these sufferings, they are the greatest gifts of God. That is what Holy Mother said many times to her disciples. Misery – the greatest gift of God. Very difficult to understand, but this is how we have to understand.

The Right Time

And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is now going to give beautiful examples of what is called "right time". Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was a great observer, and we also get a lot of benefit. We have to become an observer. Observer means what? A witness.

Look at the Whole World

So we are usually focused only upon our own lives. All our attention is centred only upon ourselves. No – look at the whole world. Look what is happening everywhere. Wars, fights, deaths – one side going on. Another side, of course, knowledge is also increasing. But whether that knowledge is put to right use or wrong usage, where it causes terrible misery not only to oneself but to everybody else. We should learn, try to learn our lessons. Even environmental pollution should teach us a great lesson. That is very important for us to understand.

The Abscess Example

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives an example: if an abscess is lanced before it is soft, the result is not good. So one makes the opening when it is soft and has come to a head. You know, if an abscess is found, if we try to get rid of it before it healed our skin, etc., then the result will not be good. So it should not be touched. We have to wait patiently. Sometimes it is irritating, painful also, but that is a natural process. So we have to understand.

The Example of Rāmlālā

Earlier I was telling that even Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – or God – may bestow His grace upon us. But if we do not have the capacity to receive, then we will have to pay a huge amount of payment. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, for example, touched Rāmlāl and he had a divine experience. He saw his Iṣṭa Devatā from head to foot, completely alive – which he never experienced before. All this as the result of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's powerful spiritual touch.

Ungratefulness

But the same Rāmlāl – he had not earned it. He is only bestowed upon him. He did not have the capacity to receive it. Instead of transforming his character, instead of being grateful to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, he became ungrateful – even though all the direct disciples had shown great respect to Rāmlāl Dādā because he was Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's elder brother's son. But we have to find out – he gave a lot of trouble to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

The One Letter

And that is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was forced to write one letter in his life. So far as I know, one letter. He wrote to Holy Mother: "Rāmlāl has joined the other priests." What does Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa mean? He means he is wasting his time, maybe criticising me, because familiarity can breed contempt, and nobody is there to take care of me. So you come here by whatever means. And of course Holy Mother came as soon as she received the letter.

The Example of Vaikuṇṭha

Then Vaikuṇṭha – Nānsānyāl – had the continuous vision of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, whatever be the condition. But after one or two days he could not take it anymore. He prayed: "Please withdraw. I am not able to live in this atmosphere." Then he himself was remarking to himself: how pure must be the ṛṣis who receive the grace of Brahman to live always twenty‑four hours in that high atmosphere until they become merged in Brahma.

The Example of Mādhur Bābū

Another example: if you still remember, Mādhur Bābū had a curiosity: "Bābā, what you call bhāva – give me a little." Rāmakṛṣṇa tried to explain that you may not be able to hold in. But he insisted, so Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa bestowed his grace by praying to the Divine Mother. And after two or three days, Mādhur Bābū sent for him and said: "Bābā, this bhāva or spiritual consciousness – it only suits you, not people like me. The whole jāmindārī household is going to dogs. I am fully aware of it."

The Point

You see, I hope you are getting the point. Even in that bhāva, where he is supposed to be only living in the presence of God, his natural tendency started thinking only about his huge jāmindārī affairs, and he could not tolerate it going to ruins. That is why he prayed: "You take away your bhāva." Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said: "I tried to explain this to you the other day, but of course who can understand that?"

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Bestowed Grace

So you see, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to bestow his grace, tried to bestow his grace. He even bestowed his grace. But how many were the people who could take it?

The Example of Swami Abhedānanda

And even though I do not know whether it is appropriate to mention it – so yesterday, day before yesterday, we had the birthday of Swami Abhedānandaji. Swamiji was feeling tremendous power within himself. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was still alive. And he asked Kālī Mahārāja – the family name of Swami Abhedānanda – to touch him when Swamiji was in meditation. In fact, both were sitting for meditation. And Kālī Mahārāja tried. It is like touching a live wire. He could not keep his hand at all.

The Transmission of Bhāva

But that is not the only thing. The very bhāva, as we say, the whole spiritual attitude of Swamiji had entered into Kālī Mahārāja's mind. And then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was very annoyed with Narendranāth. He called him later and said: "You do not know how to spend the – just because you accumulated a little, you started." Actually, that was not the purpose of Narendranāth. He wanted to be confirmed whether what he was feeling was just a feeling or is it a fact that he could transmit power to other people? Just that much.

The Pregnant Woman Example

Anyway, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said something so very important for all of us. He said: supposing there is a woman fully pregnant, six months pregnant, and then somebody forcibly takes out her baby and puts in another baby. What would be the condition of both the baby and the mother? This boy is developing in a particular way with a particular mood. Every individual has a separate, completely different individual path.

Every Devotee's Own Path

Every bhakta is not travelling the same path. Every devotee is travelling his own path. For example, there are – all the devotees can be classified into five different moods: Śānta, Dāsya, Sakhya, Vātsalya, and Mādhurya. And everybody, even travelling on a single path, are not exactly in the same position.

The Example of Einstein

Just like a baby Einstein – schoolboy Einstein. Do you know the fact that the maths teacher, schoolteacher of Einstein had certified him as "mathematically dull, unfit"? And later on he earned his greatest Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity, special theory of relativity. And only eight people, it seemed, could understand his theory. Even now, there are many people who do not understand his theory. So profound was it.

The Time Factor

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling: time factor is needed. Time is a factor. What is the time factor? It is the capacity to receive. When the right time comes, we receive what we can receive, to the extent we can receive, to the extent we can retain. Receiving is one thing; retaining is another thing completely.

The Child and the Mother

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives a beautiful example. Once a child said to its mother: "Mother, I am going to sleep now. Please wake me up when I feel the call of nature." "My child," said the mother, "when it is time for that, you will wake up yourself. I do not have to wake you up."

Our Own Mind Wakes Us

So when the time comes, our own mind will wake us up: "Do this" and "Do not do that." But for that, we have to be extremely sincere, and then start doing with complete śraddhā. Yo yat śraddhā sa eva saḥ. A man is nothing else but an embodiment of śraddhā. If he has got one percent śraddhā, then he will be only one percent man. And most of us, we do not have that much of śraddhā. Doubts are still there.

The Marwaris' Offerings

So this is how the conversation was going on. The Marwari devotees generally brought offerings of fruit, candy, and other sweets for the Master. But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa could hardly eat them. He would say: "They earned their money by falsehood. I cannot eat their offerings."

The Teaching to the Marwaris

He said to the Marwaris: "You see, one cannot strictly adhere to truth in business. There are ups and downs in business."

The Story of Guru Nānak

Mānak Vaṃśu said: "I was about to eat the food of the unholy people." I think I have narrated this, but once Guru Nānak was invited to a feast in a very rich man's house, because they found out he was living with a cobbler and happily eating a simple bread and vegetable the cobbler was providing. But they came with devotion, forced him, so he went there, and they prepared the best dinner, as you say, and served it to him, and he could not touch it. And they asked: "What is wrong? Why are you not touching?" He says: "I see blood all over the plate." "You see all the dainty dishes – I only see blood." And then he explained: "How did you become rich? Because you are squeezing the very blood of these poor labourers whom you employ whole day. You sit under the shade, but they have to work in the burning hot sun, and then all the crops you take. Only you give a small teeny‑weeny bit of wages."

Holy Mother's Example

Remember, Holy Mother was in such a condition at one time at Jayarāmwati that she and her mother Śyāmasundarī Devī had to go to rich people's houses to husk paddy. And then as a result, they were not getting rice, they were getting only paddy. Then they will have to come home and then again husk their own part, cook, and then eat. So Gaurī Mā came there and observed it for one and a half years. This back‑breaking work Holy Mother had to do – and we should never forget, she was married to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, whom we worship today as an incarnation of God, and she is considered as Mahālakṣmī and Mahākālī. And yet it is to show an example. That is all.

The Conclusion

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was concluding: a man should offer only pure things to holy men. He should not give them food earned by dishonest means. So that applies to us now when monasteries become popular. They all jump onto the bandwagon. And then the first thing is they bring the gift – money, goods, so many things. And then the people, the monastic members are very happy. But we do not know how they earn their money.

The Story of Holy Mother and the Householder =

So many people tell lies, and it reminds me of a beautiful story. I think I have narrated it a few times earlier. But no fault in reminding ourselves about it.

The Letter

Once a householder, disciple of Holy Mother, wrote a letter to Holy Mother: "Mother, I am working with a business, small business company, and I have to tell day and night only lies. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa always said truthfulness is the only way. So I want your permission before I resign." He was a householder, he had children – probably four or five children.

Holy Mother's Response

And immediately the attendant, when he received the letter and he read it out, and Holy Mother on the spot said: "Tell him not to resign. Even if he has to tell lies, let him go on working there." And the attendant was flabbergasted: "Holy Mother, what is this? Rāmakṛṣṇa says we must not sacrifice truth. But Holy Mother says let him work even if he has to tell lies."

The Explanation

But this was troubling to the attendant, and after two or three days passed – Holy Mother also could see into every person's mind – she explained: "My son, today in the heat of emotion, he wants to resign, and he has a family. Children are there, wife is there. We do not know, parents might be there. And tomorrow, if he does not get a job and then his children are starving, he might even commit murder."

The Teaching

What was Holy Mother's teaching? She is telling: first of all, you are not telling lies voluntarily yourself. You are forced by somebody else – because this devotee, if he had a chance or choice to tell the truth, he would have happily followed that one: "To any customer that comes – do not buy that good; it appears to be shiny and attractive, but the quality is very bad; and this is not that costly, but it is stronger and it will last you quite a long time." With this kind of truth‑telling, no business can prosper. That is what we think. But the truth is: truthfulness always prospers. No – absolutely no doubt about it. Satyameva jayate nānṛtam is India's highest motto.

The Reality

So then the attendant understood. Supposing the devotee is guaranteed that you will get a job – you resign from here, you get a job. Where? Do you think there are plenty of shops, businesses where lies need not be told? Even today, find out how many places you would get where truthfulness alone prevails and not untruthfulness. Very difficult to get.

Offerings Must Be Honestly Earned

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa again is telling – even devotees, not only in those days, even today: you want to offer something to the temple – do not offer to God, do not offer to babies, do not offer to holy men – which you bought by telling lies, etc. Even if it is the smallest thing, just out of your honest earnings only you bring. That benefits the receiver and the giver; both will be blessed by God.

The Modern Context

Example, nowadays, every monastery receives tremendous amount of funds – whether it is for temples, hostels, or many other buildings. How many people are really going to give honestly earned money? What we call in India "black money", and it can be given in several ways. Everybody is not giving honestly earned money. Rarely people offer.

The Principle

So it is not only to the monastic members, monasteries – but whether it is offered to a temple or to anybody, it should be one's own. Then only puṇyam will come. By cheating, if somebody earns money and then donates it to some sādhu or some poor person, the benefit will not be – maybe I do not know, maybe a little bit of benefit, but not really.

Satyameva Jayate

And then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa comes once more: satyameva jayate nānṛtam.

The Definition of Brahman

What was the definition of Brahman we studied in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad? Satyam jñānam anantam brahma. So the path of truth for the realisation of God. But we have to modify the statement. Not only the path of truth for the realisation of God – the path of truth for the realisation of either Dharma, Artha, or Kāma – of course for Mokṣa. For whatever it is, it is only truth which brings in the real results.

Preyas and Śreyas

That is called preyas. Many people probably may not understand what is called preyas. In the Kaṭhopaniṣad, we get this one: śreyas ca preyas ca. Śreyas and preyas. What is śreyas? That which gives eternal fruit, which is called liberation. The other is preyas – not by hook and crook. Preyas is that which is earned by following the path of truth, Dharma, following the dharmic way. That is why we must have śraddhā in truth, and we must try to think of truth, meditate on truth, speak truth – satyam vada. And then how to put it into day‑to‑day practice – that is called Dharma.

Dharma and Truth

So Dharma includes following the truthful path. Righteous path is a truthful path, because only the truthful path leads us to truth. Untruthful path leads us to untruth.

Śaṅkara's Definition of Satyam

And Bhagavān Śaṅkara gives a beautiful definition of what is Satyam. In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, second chapter, Brahmānandavallī, this definition of Brahman is given: satyam iti yad rūpeṇa yat niścitam tad rūpaṃ na vyabhicarati tat satyam. What does it mean? Once something is ascertained – "this is the very nature of this object" – and that nature never deviates from that path, that is called satyam, truth.

Examples

For example, you take away the sweetness from sugar, take away heat from fire, take away the whiteness from milk – you can never do it. We can never do that. Why? Because that is its very nature.

Accidental Attributes

But anything that is attributed to it – or rather, we put a cover of that one. The layer can put on the appearance of telling the truth, but that will not stick up. Sooner or later it will come. Our only problem is we want truth to come out when we want it. It will not come out. Often satyam comes out, God knows when. But it will come out. Satyam eva jayate. But we do not have that – we want to see that truth right now.

Why Am I Telling This?

Why am I telling this? Because we see so much evil going on nowadays everywhere, from the lowest to the highest.

A Point to Keep in Mind

This is also a point I want to keep in your mind. Always by reading newspapers, we are saying: "Oh, this only top people, business people, officers in power, etc., they are only corrupt and they are stealing right and left – not small amounts of money, biggest amounts of money. Huge crores and crores of rupees – what is called fraudulent cases are coming out." Sometimes most of the time they may not come out. But whether it is politicians, businessmen – or cheating doesn't mean that only the highest people are cheating. Even if somebody cheats to the extent of one‑fourth of a rupee, that is also cheating and equally effective. Not that the fellow who has cheated a crore of rupees will suffer more and a person who stole only a few rupees will only suffer much less.

Cheating in Everyday Life

Now, even an ordinary person – whether he is manufacturing medicine, whether he is manufacturing food materials. First‑class government regulations: what are these food materials made up of? What is the protein amount? What is the carbohydrates? What is the sugar? What is the energy? What is protein? But in spite of that, it is found out by reputed companies to be cheating people again and again and again. How can a nation progress by cheating? It is not possible.

The Hard Work Behind Success

And that is why some of the what is called developing countries, so‑called developing countries, are one of the worst in the whole nation. You find out some nation and it is improving things – whether it is in science or computer science or AI intelligence or manufacturing goods. These things do not fall from the sky. Some people sitting there and using their life, energy, time, and intelligence to make those things – behind a very good product, there are so many people working behind that. Without that work, it will never come out well.

Our Interest in Cheating Stories

And then we want to criticise: "Oh, they are cheating." And we are fond of reading these cheating stories. Why are we so interested in that? Instead of that, why do you not read beautiful Pauranic stories, mythologies, Bhagavad Gītā, Upaniṣads, and Brahma Sūtras? And many, many other scriptures are there, even in every religion – the sayings of the Sufis, sayings of Bhagavān Buddha, the teachings of the Ṛṣis, Upaniṣads in simple words, and the sayings of the Desert Fathers, which now and then I am putting on the WhatsApp application message. Why do we not read all those things, pay more attention? Some attention has to be paid if we are working two things.

Attention

So Swami Vivekananda used to say: even if a cook pays attention to what he is cooking, the result will be far superior than another person who is not paying attention. In fact, this is the difference between a good cook and a bad cook. Materials are, I would say, practically the same – no difference. What is the difference? It is the way a person pays attention, tries to learn what is the right way of doing it. There is no rule – it has to be prepared in this way only. So everything depends upon the individual. And what is the nation? A collection of individuals.

God Is Truth

Coming back: God is truth, and truth is realised only by following the path of truth. Another name for this truth is Dharma.

Śaṅkara's Definition

So Śaṅkarācārya says that whatever is ascertained to be the truth of any particular object, that object would never lose its intrinsic nature. And that is the definition of truth. And if it is something that is attributed to it accidentally by somebody else, it will not stay long. Very soon it will fall down by the roadside, but one's nature will always be prevailing. Each soul is potentially divine. So that is truth, which does not deviate from the nature that has been asserted as its nature.

Satyam Vada, Dharmam Cara

That is why satyam vada, dharmam cara. One should always chant His name, because if God is Satyam, His name is also Satyam. Even while one is performing one's duties, the mind should be left with God.

How to Keep the Mind on God

So now the question comes: how could I keep my mind on God? This is the most important subject matter in the Gospel, in Holy Mother's Gospel, etc. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives beautiful examples, and these examples he garnered from careful observation of things that are going on around him. He might have experienced also himself. I am sure about it.

The Carbuncle Example

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa continues: supposing I have a carbuncle on my back. I perform my duties, but the mind is drawn to that carbuncle. Or when we have either a toothache or headache, we keep our mind on that all the time – whatever other actions we are performing. Just look at it. How many times we have stomachache, headache, toothache, so many other aches. The ache will not go even when we are performing other activities. But in spite of that, that we are performing other actions, a part of the mind is always on that pain. If this is possible for any mind, why is it not possible for the same mind to think about God?

Not on Guard

What happens? People's mind is not on guard. They think of everything, thinking that this is a most happy event producing something – "I get more joy." Only when our mind learns through a lot of experience of many, many, many births, suffering so much, then reluctantly, gradually, the mind turns from outside to inside. Amṛta cakṣuḥ, amṛtatvam icchan.

The Dog Example

Swami Brahmanandaji gave this example. Suppose somebody beats a dog on its head, and it has injured the head of the dog, and it goes on barking all the time. But it also eats, it also runs hither and thither. But a part of the mind is always that pain. And this is experienced by everybody. There is no such thing called "this person is a lonely person – he does not remember it." No – everyone experiences. That means our mind has the capacity to think of that.

Repeat the Name of Rāma

So it is good to repeat the name of Rāma. The same Rāma, O the son of King Daśaratha, has created this world. Again as spirit, He pervades all beings. He is very near to us. He is both within and without.

Meditate on the Gospel

These precious words of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, we have to meditate upon them. The Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is not meant to be heard. It is actually meant to be meditated upon. What is meditation? That upon which we dwell with great concentration and faith. Slowly it acts like the injection of venom to remove the venom when we are bitten by a snake.

Worldly Talent Turned Towards God

And the same worldly talent comes to our use when we turn it towards God. Even if I want to prosper in business in any field, I require tremendous faith that I am capable of achieving it. I must have that faith in myself, I must have concentration, I must have that intelligence, and I must see that I do not deviate from that path – and it is that exact same quality which also brings us nearer to God.

Conclusion

We are reading it so many times. Same ideas are there. So repetition is not a fault. We have to understand all the time.

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!