Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 130 on 28-January-2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURAM PADAPADMETAYO SHRITVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHUHU We are studying the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Advice to Householders, August 24, 1882. The greatest mystery in this world for spiritual seekers, for everybody else is what is the very nature of this world. Sri Ramakrishna without being asked is explaining. God has created the world in play as it were and this play of God in technical terms is called Leela. But by those who do not understand what is Leela, this is called Maha Maya. Maya, Maha Madhya, Maya, Avidya, Agnana, Prakruti, these are some of the synonymous words we use, the great illusion. What is the way out? Even if we know everything about the world, the main thing is how to get out of this world and for that Sri Ramakrishna categorically says, one must take refuge in the Divine Mother, the cosmic power itself. It is She who has bound us with the shackles of illusion. Sri Ramakrishna's, sometimes what we call the ultimate teaching, the realization of God is possible only when those shackles are severed and this accords with his vision. When Sri Ramakrishna came to Varanasi, then he saw how Shiva gives liberation. It is 50-50 job, husband, wife, cooperative effort. Shiva tells you are Shiva, you are me. But Jeeva has faith in that because Shiva himself initiates. But he cannot get out. Therefore, Maha Maya in the form of Kali. Kali means Kala. Kala means Maha Maya. Kali means Kala. Worship of the Kala. Understanding Kala. Overcoming Kala. Then only we can perceive Maha Kala. So the Divine Mother, She cuts all the shackles. Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of whatever he was trying to speak here. That is a point we have to be very careful in understanding. He is not simply talking. Understanding intellectually. The realization of God is impossible without Mother's grace. Only possible when those shackles are severed. And then about Sadhana. When one gets into such a state of mind, one does not enjoy any conversation but that about God. This is what we were discussing in our last class. There are so many other things. You are supposed to keep in mind what Sri Ramakrishna is saying here. As Shankaracharya has put it so beautifully before, the very first step in spiritual progress is control of the tongue. Especially, control of the speech. Yogasya Prathamam Dwaram Vong Nirodhaha. Vong means speech. Because so many times we speak, we have some idea what is truth speaking. Very little idea. Idle gossip, conversation. First of all, any thought that comes in the mind consumes energy. Secondly, if we go on repeating certain things. What is your uncle doing? Is your nephew got married? So why he is not married? Go on talking this kind of rubbish. Ultimately, God will be pushed out of that kind of mind. Because every word is a mantra. Don't think mantra means only God's name. If you go on talking Rishagulla, Rishagulla, that becomes a mantra. So what does it do? It saves you from God. So we have to be very careful. So when a person, when an aspirant progresses, how do we know he has progressed? These are the broad hints Sri Ramakrishna is giving. So when we have progressed in spiritual life, we do not enjoy any talk, any conversation. But that about God, spirituality, scriptures, whatever helps us in moving forward. Can I talk about obstacles to spiritual life? Yes, absolutely. Can I even talk about the world? Sure, you can talk about the world. That's why I outlined how to read a newspaper in my past talks. The newspaper has tremendous help in understanding. What do we understand? This world is a hell. Since the creation, there is conflict between planet and planet, man and man, animal and animal. Look at even, I don't know anything about amoeba, but there may be warfare, third world war going on among amoebas themselves. But whether it is birds, animals, plants, bigger plants, they stun the lower plants, not allowing them to get, that is, throw them out. War is going on. Varietable Kurukshetra is going on. So read the newspaper. I am not advising you to read every day and go on dwelling because I am telling in the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. I am telling, learn the essence. What is it? That the world is continuously changing. Changing in what sense? That it is not trying to move towards God, but this continuous Kurukshetra is going on. People are born, people die. Greatest lesson we have to, those who are born, they have to die. And everybody has to go through Sukha and Dukha. We all become old and look back. Nobody looks forward. Only a youth, a child looks forward to be a youth. A youth looks forward to enjoy this world, to explore and enjoy the world. But after some time, we look backwards only. Oh my God, already I am 40 years old, etc., etc. So Sri Ramakrishna is talking about why, what is the psychology behind this. A devotee, true devotee doesn't enjoy any topic, any conversation excepting that of spirituality. Why? Because its opposite is worldliness. And as we go on talking, who goes on talking? Only those who are interested. And if we are not interested also, if we go on talking about them, then slowly interest will come. In Bengali, there is a beautiful saying, Khete khete bhalo hi lagche. As we go on eating, even the most un-eatable food also goes on becoming tasty. So this psychology, we have to keep in mind and use it wisely. What is it? If we go on talking about the world, slowly the world has terrible power to pull us down. But even if you don't believe in God, I mean, only a little bit, some sort of belief. But if you go on talking, khete khete bhalo hi lagche, as we go on doing it, then we slowly develop. Maybe there is God. Maybe there are other worlds. That is how belief turns into faith. Faith transforms itself into Shraddha. And once Shraddha is achieved, everything is possible. So about this topic, be careful. What is the negative aspect of this reducing our talk? So there are two aspects to talking. One is the external aspect. We should not stop. The continuous monologue is going on within our minds. We have to be careful about it. We should talk to God. This particular class or any other conscious class, we have to imagine that we are in the presence of Shri Ramakrishna and He is talking to us. He was not talking to other devotees. He is talking to us right now. He was not talking. He is talking and He will talk. Shri Ramakrishna was reminiscing on this subject of talk, worldly talk. When I accompanied Mathur Babu on a pilgrimage, we spent a few days in Banaras at Raja Babu's house. This house is located near Kedar Ghat. This is for the information of some of the devotees. And until a few months back, devotees who wish, they could go there. The hosts, they have kept that room where Shri Ramakrishna slept and probably the same bed and a few things belonging to Shri Ramakrishna. And they used to allow the devotees to visit there. But a few months back, unfortunately, the owner decided to sell that house and he informed Belur Math and they sent Swami who collected all these things and taken them back to Belur Math. Now, we cannot see. This is the house where Shri Ramakrishna was put up. So, Shri Ramakrishna was talking about it. One day, I was seated in the drawing room with Mathur Babu, Raja Babu, that is the person to whom this house belonged and others. Hearing them talk about various worldly things such as their business losses and so forth, I wept bitterly and said to the Divine Mother, Mother, where have you brought me? I was much better off in the temple garden at Dakshineswar. Here I am in a place where I must hear about women and gold. By women and gold, you should not think only narrow those words. That means anything worldly, it doesn't matter. But at least at Dakshineswar, I could avoid it. In those days when Shri Ramakrishna was alive, Dakshineswar was not only a heaven of peace, not only in the internal sense, but external sense also. There was the Panchavati Grove and then solitude was there. At night, people used to fear. Fear of ghosts, fear of snakes, etc. Even Hriday, an intrepid man, only from a distance, he did not approach. He was frightened. There may be scorpions or snakes or something like that. Ghosts, people fear ghosts. So, he could go to Panchavati. There were lots of bushes there. He can sit anywhere. Once Shri Ramakrishna was not found, at that time, he himself had planted some Tulasi plant. You know Tulasi can grow more than seven, eight feet and become very quickly a huge bush. He planted plenty of them and then he sat and he was absorbed. He had forgotten the external world and people started searching for him and they couldn't find him and they were a little bit worried, not too much. And then, where could he have disappeared? After all, they knew he did not go out of that compound. So, at last, somebody, he found out by accident, Shri Ramakrishna was absorbed in Samadhi among these Tulasi grove and then they brought him slowly back to his room. That was the Dakshineshwar we have to imagine. So, whenever we want to meditate upon Dakshineshwar, not the present Dakshineshwar full of shops and other things, but absolute peace, not only the spiritual peace that was made available by Shri Ramakrishna, but in those days, Dakshineshwar was a remote village, Belur Mutt, Dakshineshwar, remote villages. Even so many earlier sadhus, our own monks, when they wanted to visit Dakshineshwar, they found it difficult. They have to go on asking, where is this village called Dakshineshwar? Swami looked and he was reminiscing. Practically, it took me two to three hours to locate this Dakshineshwar away from Calcutta. Now, of course, it became what is called a city, municipal city. Good news is somebody probably donated or we purchased, I do not know. A new Ramakrishna Mission Centre is coming very near Dakshineshwar and if you read the book Forsakers of God, the conversations of Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, he says categorically in course of time, this Dakshineshwar Kali Temple will come under the management of the Belur Mutt authorities. I do not know how far it is true. So far, it has not come, but Mahapurusha's words, we do not know what is going to happen. So, this is a very important point in the Gospel. We have to control our, first of all, our talk. First of all, externally, which is called Dhamma, so our eating, our talking, our externally with whom we mix, all these things have to be controlled. That is called Dhamma. Only after that, Shama or inner control will come. Those who want to progress in spiritual life, simply repeating Japa will not do. Now, the topic had turned, Ramakrishna's experiences of Kundalini. So, some of us may be wondering, how suddenly, from the topic of what to talk, what not to talk, suddenly it has come, because remember, Ramakrishna acts like a mirror. Maybe some people's mind were thinking about the Kundalini experience, etc. So, Ramakrishna always responds to sincere doubts. They were all very sincere people. If they were not sincere, they would not be able to tolerate Ramakrishna's presence. So, Ramakrishna's experiences of Kundalini. The centre known as Vishuddha is the fifth plane. This centre is at the throat and has a lotus with 16 petals. When the Kundalini reaches this plane, the devotee longs to talk and hear only about God. Conversation on worldly subjects on women and gold. This is a very often used term, is three words, woman and gold. In Bengali, Kaam Kanchan. Woman and gold means worldly things. Causes him great pain. Causes whom? Not Sairam Krishna. Causes any devotee when his Kundalini rises to the centre that is at the throat. And what is that centre called? Vishuddha Chakra. Causes a devotee or an aspirant, spiritual seeker, great pain. Then he leaves the place where people talk of these matters. So, leaving is also very interesting. I narrated in my last class when people want to pour out their stupidity in front of me, I start a conversation within 10 minutes. Like Makara Dhwaja or Dhanvantari, it works lightening fast. Why do I say lightening fast? It is a permanent solution. After that, these devotees never return to me. And I am so happy I got rid of them that way. So, then comes the sixth plane corresponding to the centre known as Agna. That which is in the middle of the forehead, that chakra is known as Agna Chakra. So, even look at this Anahata Chakra. Ahata means making a sound. Anahata means the yogi is here and what is called silent sound. That is reminded of God all the time. The thoughts will be dwelling only on God. What is the next chakra? Vishuddha. Shuddhi means purity. Vishuddha means extreme purity. The mind cannot think anything except purity. And purity is another name for Brahman. Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Swaroopaha. Nitya, forever is pure. Why is pure? Because he is one. Impurity means the close contact between two separate objects. That is called impurity. But here, Brahman is one without a second. That is why he ever remains Shuddha. Buddha, pure consciousness. Not buddhi. Buddha. That is why the name of Bhagawan Buddha. Ever awakened. Mukta, there is no bondage. Again, bondage comes only from the second. There should be that second is called Maya. So, there is the center known as Ajna. Ajna means command. Command means what? There is no choice given to the sadhaka to think of anything else like an iron filing. When it approaches a powerful magnet, there is no help for that iron filing. If it is of course pure, then forcibly it is attracted. To talk about it takes time. But what happens is immediately it is attracted. So, when the Kundalini reaches it, the center is located between the eyebrows and it has a lotus with two petals. This is something which nobody can explain. Why somewhere there are 8 petals, somewhere 12 petals and there is no krama also. The lowest one will start at 2, then 3, then 4 like that. So, when the Kundalini reaches this Ajna chakra, Esperance is the form of God and it has got 2 petals only. But still there remains a slight barrier between the devotee and God. This can be equated with Saguna Brahma. So, it is like a light inside a lantern. You may think you have touched the light, but in reality you cannot because of the barrier of glass. And last of all is the 7th plane which we all know, which according to Tantra is the center of the 1000-petalled lotus. When the Kundalini arrives there, the Esperant goes into Samadhi. That is to say, he becomes one. This is the highest Samadhi. In that lotus dwells Satchitananda Shiva, the Absolute. There Kundalini, the vacant power unites with Shiva. This is known as the union of Shiva and Shakti. When the Kundalini rises to the Sahasrara and the mind goes into Samadhi, the Esperant loses all consciousness of the outer world. He can no longer retain his physical body. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out again. In that state, a life breath lingers for 21 days and then passes out, entering the black waters of the ocean, which Ramakrishna used to call Kalapani. The ship never comes back. But the Ishwara Kotes, such as the incarnations of God, can come down from the state of Samadhi. This is a very wonderful teaching. Jeevan Muktas, they do not decide, but God decides. Once the Jeeva, who is a bound soul, reaches God, it is like a river, Nama, Rupe, Vihaya, giving up names, forms, qualities, such as brownness, sweetness, everything becomes one with the ocean, from where it has come actually. It is a beautiful idea. The ocean is like Brahman and the waters rise by the power of the sun and he carries it in the form of steam, clouds of water to the distant mountains. And again, that is where the Srishti starts. Actually, Srishti starts by rising up the waters of the ocean and the continues with the pouring of those waters in the form of rain and slowly they travel back to the ocean. So, this Brahma Chakra goes on and on and on. So, he can no longer retain his physical body. So, if only a few people, they do not decide, I want to be Jeevan Mukta. No, they can at best cherish, O Lord, I would like to experience your Leela. If you wish, that can happen. Just as a river cannot separate itself once it becomes merged in the ocean, the Jeevatma giving up its Nama Rupa. What is that Nama Rupa? That Jeevahood. Jeevahood means what? Body and mind identification. Chidabhasa, mind, body. These three it gives up and what remains is from the very marvellous equation, Paramatma. So, Paramatma, that Parama is a qualification for Saguna Brahma. Jeevatma, Jeevahood is a qualification for the embodied soul. So, the Jeeva should be given up, the Parama should be given up, like the wavehood should be given up, the oceanhood should be given up. There is no difference and if we are intelligent, we will find that water in a particular form is called wave and water in a huge body quantity is called ocean. So, this huge quantity and this small quantity, you can even use the word bubble. Bubble is nothing but water, like Vatasa, full of air only. So, if both are removed, then what remains? Water. You can't say bubble water. You can't say ocean water. Water only remains, like that Jeevahood is removed and Paramatma, that Parama and Jeeva both vanish. What remains is one unidentifiable, undefinable Atma. But some bodies and minds are so pure, so useful, Paramatma decides, I will specially manifest in these bodies and then he as if re-enters. As if, and this is called second entry. What are you talking about? What do you mean by second entry? The first entry is when creation is started, Tatsarashtva Tadeva Anupravishad. So, having created out of himself. So, God divides himself into the material and intelligence causes and having mixing both of them, he creates this body-mind and as if he himself enters into it, just like we create a dream world and enter into it and this is called Leela, if we understand. If we don't understand, we call it Maya. So, Sri Ramakrishna is describing a few souls come back. That means what? Every Jeevan Mukta is none other than Paramatma. He is a special soul. So, we have to understand. So, this Jeevatma loses all consciousness of the outer world. What is outer world? His identity with the world, his identity with body and mind and there is no body-mind. Just like your image, when you break the mirror, so the mirror also disappears and the image which is reflected also appears. What remains is you, nobody else. So, Sri Ramakrishna is describing. He can no longer retain his physical body. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out again. In that state, the life breath lingers for 21 days and then passes out. This is the case for most of the people. Why? What is the reason? I mean this is not our experience but we are only using our buddhi to find out what happens there because this body-mind most often will not be able to cherish that highest experience. Just like they say, if a person is terribly unhappy, he will die. If a person is terribly happy, he will have a heart attack. So many people die after hearing that they won a huge amount of money in the lottery. They will have problems. Like that this Ananda is so great, the body-mind can no longer retain it and interestingly we recollect Sister Nivedita had met Swami Vaikunanda a few days before his passing away. He was of course suffering but Sister Nivedita found out that her experience that Swami Vaikunanda's heart grew so large, this body will not be able to bear it. That means his bhava, his ideas were so lofty, so intense. They will not be able to be entertained by this weak body. The body has become weak and she proved right. After a few days, Swami had given up but then what we have to remember is He said, I have spat out this body, appeared in front of Shashi Maharaj in Madras. Shashi, Shashi, I spat out the body but then He declared also before passing away, I shall not rest. I will be going on inspiring people everywhere so that they can realize God and He is doing it in the form of bhava, bhava prabha that is knowledge, ideas suitable for this particular age. So Shri Ramakrishna's varnana description is going on. Such a person who merges in the ocean of Brahman or Brahmananda Sagara can no longer retain his physical body. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out again. In that state, a life breath lingers. We have to add for most people for 21 days and then that previous jiva atma passes away. Entering the black waters of the ocean, the ship never comes back but the Ishwara kotis such as the incarnations of God can come down from this state of samadhi and as I said not only them but a few other souls also can come and this question was put. So after reading this one, somebody put this question to Swami Shardanandaji and then He clarifies and says every jivan mukta is practically none other than God only because He sees everything as Brahman, as me, aham brahmasmi, that experience. So the master then asked the devotees especially Narendra to rest a while and he himself lay down on the smaller couch. A small diversion Shri Ramakrishna and Narendra. Shri Ramakrishna was exceedingly happy and he would always be exceedingly happy whenever his beloved Naren comes. Why? Because he knew all his powers of preaching, of spreading the message of the divine, the Upanishadic message. What message are we talking about? And that is the message we have seen in the Shweta Shwetara Upanishad in slightly divided form if you still remember. So this is the message Shri Ramakrishna had to spread but his body as direct disciples of Shri Ramakrishna explained to us is too fine, is full of sattva, vishuddha sattva but not 100% sattva because Ramakrishna used to illustrate pure gold cannot be made to take the form of an ornament. Something has to be mixed. It is like something like your rasagulla cannot be made with pure chana. You will have to mix a little bit of a binding matter and that binding matter will be a small quantity of rajoguna and tamoguna. So Swamiji was specially brought with sattva controlled rajas because sometimes he had to give three or four lectures in a day not in the same place but spread out in long distances. Whole day practically he will travel in a train, he will get down and then somebody will receive him, take him, he will deliver his lecture and come back and put him in the next train. He will go to another place quite a number of days, not every day, quite a number of days he had to travel but even to give a lecture it is very tiresome job and I can also share a secret with you. If you speak non-stop for one and a half hours you will feel hungry also. So if your reputate is not up to the mark surely you can take advantage of this. So it is very important for us to understand. So why was Ramakrishna loving? Because he knew Swamiji had to go through tremendous not only hardship, the problem is not hardship, the problem is suffering. Tremendous difficulties, I don't know, I never understood this Leela of Mahamaya. He could have made the path a little bit easy. For example, Swami Vivekananda was recommended for the Parliament of Religions by Professor John Wright and he was given a ticket also. He landed at Chicago at midnight, could not say Ramakrishna have come and then direct him to the right place, don't go to the left and go to the right. He did not even know where he was going to stay. He thought that everything will be arranged. Of course it was arranged, everything was arranged, nothing was accidental. So he went in the opposite direction. Why? Because he has to meet a devotee there who would be taking a great part in this divine drama to help Swamiji and ultimately to help Sri Ramakrishna. So that is the reason why Mrs. Hill had to come into contact with all that family etc. So Sri Ramakrishna was grooming and then what did he do? Remember, two or three days or four days before Sri Ramakrishna's passing away, Narendra was there, they were alone. Sri Ramakrishna steadfastly was gazing at Narendra and passed into Samadhi. Narendra also passed into Samadhi and after a long time, both of them came back to external consciousness. Sri Ramakrishna wept and said, Naren, today I have become a Fakir. Whatever I have earned, that mother has put into you. That means you are going to represent me and Sri Ramakrishna knew what a great soul Narendra was. So there are unfortunately people who can misinterpret this relationship between Sri Ramakrishna and Narendra. Unfortunate souls, but we have to say that is also Leela of Thakur. He wants a little bit of criticism, not too much of criticism, just a little bit of criticism, but more of praise. So that's why Sri Ramakrishna's heart, it was filled with delight. That means Sri Ramakrishna was letting know, I love you very much. What is love? The union of two souls is called love. So Sri Ramakrishna was slowly transforming Narendra into the future Sri Ramakrishna while retaining the body of Narendra, outside Narendra, mind Narendra, but the spirit was Sri Ramakrishna. This is what we need to understand. And Narendranath was endowed with extraordinary talents. First of all, extraordinary memory. Secondly, extraordinary intelligence. Thirdly, extraordinary power of singing. Next to Sri Ramakrishna, M. Remarks, who was a keen observer of everything, very keen observer, that he never heard anybody sing so heart-capturingly excepting Sri Ramakrishna. And really, not only there are some similarities between Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji, Sri Ramakrishna was a marvellous singer. Not only that, Sri Ramakrishna was a marvellous speaker. When he used to speak, even they said when Sri Krishna used to play flute, mother Ganga, Yamuna stopped its flow, just so much absorbed, she forgot to flow. All the plants, all the animals, birds, squirrels, trees, cows, people, they were as if caught in the net of indescribable sweetness, joy. So Narendra had that, even when he speaks, immediately the mind will be here like a magnet. He attracts the minds, the wandering mind becomes absolutely still in the presence of such a great soul. And later on this was proved, a great soul called Ramana Maharshi, whoever went into his presence, he would not allow their mind to become sad or unhappy. An indescribable peace used to be filled up without their knowledge, so long as ever in his presence. There is a circumference, whoever comes within that, they will feel the power of that great soul emanating, enveloping, drowning them in that great soul. Swamiji had that talent to the greatest extent. So Sri Ramakrishna knew about it. Then late in the afternoon, Narendra sang and then Sri Ramakrishna used to say, when Narendra starts singing, the snake within me, that is the Kundalini, it rouses up. How many times Sri Ramakrishna had entered into Samadhi after hearing Narendranath. It is something extraordinary. So the singing was accompanied by the drum and remember always what we have just now, what I have described. Why was Sri Ramakrishna so much loving? Because he was going to make Narendra, not Narendra, not Swami Vivekananda, but Sri Ramakrishna in the form of Swami Vivekananda. The whole, albeit unknowingly, neither Narendra knew it, no other devotee knew it, but every millisecond Sri Ramakrishna was transforming by his thoughts, by his love, by his teachings. All these teachings will just enter into Narendra's body and mind, will transform him. That is the purpose. Others also, everybody received Sri Ramakrishna's love. By the way, love means bhava. Bhava means the power of ideal. Remember always this one. So Narendra and others rested a little bit and afterwards, he started late in the afternoon, Narendra started singing and this is a point we have to note down. Sri Ramakrishna taught not only in the form of speech, but in the form of songs. So this gospel is full of these a few things we have to remember and gospel is nothing but the very essence of all the Upanishads who are the very essence of the Vedas. So through songs and through stories, through parables, through conversations, Sri Ramakrishna was preaching to each one of us. When we are reading or listening to the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, be it merely an audio or a speech by some person who is capable of doing it, at least to some extent. Remember, we have to place ourselves as the foremost listener and Sri Ramakrishna is directly addressing me. So that is how, this is the meditation we are supposed to do. In meditation, that is what we are supposed to do. The soul speaks to the soul, God speaks to the devotee and here gospel is Sri Ramakrishna speaking to each one of us. So there were some devotees present, Rakhal, Latu, M, Hajra and Priya, Narendra's Brahmo friend were present. Singing was accompanied by the drum. What was the song? Ananda Bodhani. This is how in Bengali it starts. With beaming face, chant the sweet name of God. Till your heart, the nectar overflows. Drink of it ceaselessly and share it with all. If ever your heart runs dry, parched by the flames of worldly desire, repeat the name of God and heavenly love will moisten your arid soul. Be sure of mind, you never forget to chant His holy name. When danger stares in your face, call on Him, your Father, compassionate. With His name's thunder, snap the fetters of sin. Come, let us fulfil our heart's desires by drinking deep of everlasting joy. Made one with Him in love's pure ecstasy. This is the translation of that song, Ananda Bodhani. When the music was over, Ramakrishna held Narendra in his arm a long time and said, you have made us so happy today. And these are the scenes which we have to specially remember. What do we do when we are very happy or meet loving friends or etc.? What does a mother do when she beholds her beloved child after long separation? This is what we all do. But is that what really happening here? Not only Sri Ramakrishna considered Narendra as his very soul, but he was doing some secretly something by his touch, by his embrace, by his talk, by his very glance. Sri Ramakrishna could do magic. Narendra at that time in this Leela Kshetra probably did not realize it. You have made us so happy today. Did Sri Ramakrishna embrace anybody like that? Maybe if you are present there, you are thinking, what is this? Sri Ramakrishna is always embracing and making Narendra eat sweets, but he is not even glancing at me. So there the devotee excels. Imagine you are going to Sri Ramakrishna and then he is not looking at you. He is only looking at Narendranath. And that is what Narendra also told Sri Ramakrishna. One month Sri Ramakrishna never glanced at him. Whenever Narendra, his beloved Narendra enters, he will turn his back towards some other opposite direction and back towards the Narendra. One month passed. Anybody would have run away. And people ran away even when Sri Ramakrishna was praising somebody else. It has nothing to do with anybody else. So this is Sri Ramakrishna's Leela, Divya Leela. What should be your attitude? You say, I have not come here so that Sri Ramakrishna should look at me. In fact, it is very good that he is not looking at you. Otherwise, you will be suffering from shame of what you are thinking and all those things. But Sri Ramakrishna was in every possible way trying to make Narendra a fit instrument and he has a strange way of passing his spiritual power. We will have to understand it. The front gate of the master's heart was open so wide that night that he could hardly contain himself for joy. It was eight o'clock in the evening. Intoxicated with divine love, he paced the long veranda north of his room. Now and then, he could be heard talking to the Divine Mother. Next scene, Narendra, him and Priya were going to spend the night at the temple garden. This pleased the master highly, especially since Narendra would be with him. So another opportunity to remove the separation between himself and Narendra. While the devotees were enjoying their meal, Sri Ramakrishna stood by. What happened? Holy Mother was at that time at Nahabad and she had prepared supper. Strange things happen here. Nowadays, we say Holy Mother is the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe and so many things. And then whenever Narendra comes, Sri Ramakrishna instructs. So before Sri Ramakrishna's instruction, Holy Mother prepared food just like she prepared food for Sri Ramakrishna. And Narendra had eaten. Sri Ramakrishna asked his opinion, how is the cooking? And Narendra said, just like a rogue's food, a patient's convalescent patient's diet. Sri Ramakrishna, very intelligent person, immediately understood. And then, so next time he instructed before Narendra could come for Naren, prepare thick chapatis. Sometimes I also do that, you know, when I go to devotees' house. If it is not properly done, properly, you know, how this Swami enjoys that kind of food. Meaning, me, I enjoy that kind of food, but I can't tell directly, I would like you to stop this kind of useless cooking. So I use it to play that trick. Oh, definitely Swami, next time we will prepare like that. So otherwise, I would never visit that devotee's house again. Anyway, so the devotees were enjoying their meal. Sri Ramakrishna stood by and watched them in intense delight. That night, the Master's joy was very great. After supper, the devotees rested on the mat spread on the floor of the Master's room. They began to talk with him. It was indeed a feast of joy. The Master asked Narendra to sing a song beginning with the line, in wisdom's firmament, the moon of love is rising full. Narendra sang and other devotees played the drums and cymbals. In wisdom's firmament, the moon of love is rising full and love's flood tide in surging waves is flowing everywhere. Oh Lord, how full of bliss the world, victory unto Thee. On every side shine devotees like stars around the moon. Their friend the Lord, all merciful, joyously plays with them. Behold, the gates of paradise today are open wide. The soft spring wind of the new day rises fresh waves of joy. Gently it carries to the earth the fragrance of God's love. Till all the yogis drunk with bliss are lost in ecstasy. Upon the sea of the world unfolds the lotus of the new day and there the Mother sits enshrined in blissful majesty. See how the bees are mad with joy sipping the nectar there. Watch, listen carefully. Who are the bees? The devotees. What are they drinking? The nectar of the lotus feet of the Divine Mother. This is what is called Charanamruta, Padamruta. Behold, the Mother's radiant face which so enchants the heart. Why is Mother's face radiant? Because all her beloved children are with her and captivates the universe. About her lotus feet bands of ecstatic holy men are dancing in delight. What matchless loveliness is hers? What infinite content pervades the heart when she appears? O brothers, says Premdas, I humbly beg you, one and all, to sing the Mother's praise. And such was the power of the song, especially that beautiful song, but at the same time rendered so beautifully by Narendranath, Sri Ramakrishna sang and danced and the devotees danced around him. What is this peculiar dance? Always recollect how the Gopis, who are the Gopis? Loving devotees, most loving devotees. What type of devotees? Paramarishis, 64,000 Paramarishis. Sri Ramakrishna was not, Sri Krishna was not playing with some women, that to illiterate village women. They chose to become illiterate Gopis so that they can forget all their dry Brahma Jnana and enjoy the very presence, ecstatic presence and enjoy the nectar that is radiating from outside, from inside, from every pore of Bhagawan Krishna. This, what an atmosphere it must have created and especially those days at Dakshineshwar, nobody was there and at night, shortly before midnight, Narendra and the other devotees lay down on a bed made on the floor of the Master's room. We will discuss further in our future classes. May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.