Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 137 on 06-May-2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SHRITVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU We are discussing the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, a most beautiful chapter advised to householders. Many times I brought up this topic, who is a householder? It is not merely persons who are married. Normally that is what we call Grihastha. But anyone who thinks I am the body, SHARERAM GRIHAME VATO, this body itself is the biggest body and within it, it contains the entire universe. And we would like to keep everything that belongs to the entire world within this. So whether a person is a student, married person, unmarried person, young, old, anybody, whoever feels I am the body and that is called AVIDYA, AGNANA, MAYA. These are the teachings how to get rid of it. When in the Mundaka Upanishad, we are asked, what is that knowing which everything is known? And for that the answer is God is everything. By knowing God, everything can be known. Because if there are more than one object, two or three or hundreds or billions of objects, then by knowing one particular object, we will not get knowledge of the other objects. But if everything is of the same material, then by knowing one, we can know everything. And in the Chandogya, we have been discussing, especially in the 6th chapter, the teacher was instructing. There may be many many pots, but all of them are made up of clay. By knowing the nature of the clay, swaroopa, swabhava of clay, we can know about every pot because every pot is not different from clay. There is a beautiful Sanskrit pramana shloka, which says that the effect can never be anything different from the cause. Even 0.0000001% cannot be different from the cause. By knowing the cause from which everything is manifesting, we can know everything. So by knowing God, we know everything. What do we know? I am also divine. You are also divine. Everything else is also divine. Not only the living, but the non-living is also divine. And we have to remember the experiences of the direct disciples in this connection. I have mentioned, I think, quite a number of times, but I am not tired of repeating this sentence. This is a particular incident in the life of Swami Akhandananda. One evening, almost at the time of dusk, he found himself on a beautiful mountain and he was sitting facing another mountain in a peculiar way. He could see the mountain in front, both sides, the front side as well as the back side, and it happened to be a full moon day. While the sun was setting, the moon has already risen and the moon was illuminating the whole snowy mountain on the eastern side and it was absolutely silvery. On the western side, the setting sun is illuminating that side of the mountain, the western side of the mountain, completely golden, like burnished gold. And Akhandanandaji was a great artist, aesthetic person, knowledge of Kala, I call it Saundarya Kala. So he was completely absorbed in it. Then Sri Ramakrishna appeared to him and touching him, he said, Look, this is called Hara Gauri, one side Shiva, another side Parvati, Gauri. Gauri means golden. Now, what is the relationship with what we have been discussing? These mountains, we think, are non-living, but we do not understand. Only the living can sustain the living and mountains also sustain us. If we do not know, if we are surviving and we are not aware, it is the forests, it is the rivers, it is the earth, it is what we call Panchabhutas. Not only Panchabhutas, the mountains. If there were to be no mountains, probably life would not go on. I am just saying probably, but definitely life will not be there. Because how many balances the mountains, the forests are creating, we are not aware of it. The entire Prakruti, nature, is nothing but the Divine Mother. The living, the non-living. Sri Ramakrishna says, I saw one day the Divine Mother, image of the Divine Mother. And it is vibrating with life, with consciousness. There was nothing that was devoid of consciousness. So this is a marvelous thing we have to understand. So Sri Ramakrishna was merely pointing out, if you are a spiritual person, you should be able to see God. Because the Sat aspect, even from the grossest point of view, the mountain is, the water is, the earth is, the fire is, the air is, the space is. All the time we are using this word, there is. There is space. If someone phones to us, can I stay with you? Yes, yes, we have plenty of space. So there is space. And that easiness is called Sat. And that is the very first characteristic. And what about the everything else? It is nothing but that. Only pure existence. But if somebody thinks, Only you are not recognizing a pot is nothing but clay with name and form. And that name and form belongs only to the clay. So everything is nothing but God. So why this topic has come? So advice to householders. What is householder? Anybody who thinks, I am only this much. Because if we identify ourselves with the larger whole, easiness, Sat, we will have no fear of death. Because I am in the form of this body. And then what happens when the body dies? I am in the form of, what is the meaning of death? I am in the form of ashes. And even if you further change the ashes, I am in the form of some elements. And you further divide, subdivide. Actually it is not changing, subdividing. The deeper you go, you change the names. And finally you come to atoms, electrons, protons, then pockets of energy. And this is what we come. But finally we have to say, there it is something. Or by whatever name it goes. So pockets of energy, or its electrons, protons, or atoms, or a piece of brick, big house, it doesn't matter. So anybody who thinks, I am only this much, then death is certain to come. But if anybody says, I am identified with that easiness, I am Sat. And it is a beautiful word. The word Sat also makes us Sat Sangha. We have to cultivate the company of the holy. Not only that, Satya Sangha. We have to speak the truth because Sat brings us, transforms us into truth speaking persons. Truth speaking transforms us into truth seeking. Nobody can advance into truth seeking. That means nobody has any right to say, I wish to be God, unless he is a truth speaking person. Because even the person's statement, I am a truth seeker. To believe that statement, the person has to be really a truth speaker. And nobody can become a truth speaker unless he becomes a holy person, pure person, unselfish person, good person, Sat. So you see, Sat leads to holiness. Sat leads to Satya. Sat leads to Satyanmesha. And Satyanmesha leads to Satya Kama, Satya Sankalpa. And finally, it leads with complete identity, with truth, which is expressed in the form of Aham Brahmasmi. The Guru comes and says, Tavaat that. Tat Tvam Asit. Tavaat that truth. But the person realizes Aham Brahmasmi. That becomes I. Because that means whatever is separate from me is known as that. If that something is near, we call it this. If it is a little bit further, even one inch further, we call it that. How beautiful this analysis would be. Supposing there are two books in front of you. And then you say, this book tells me that. Another book is there, which is only a few centimeters away from the first book. You say, but that book contradicts what this book says. So these words, this and that, as if we are measuring the space. But the truth is, that is not what is meant. Anything other than me, that can be expressed as here and there, this and that, now and then, in terms of space, as well as time. So Ramakrishna's advice is, anybody who thinks I am Anatma, I am not God. I am the body, I am not God. I am the mind, I am not the God. I am in Sushukti, I am not God. So these three states indicate merely limited identification. So this is the subject. We have already discussed about a beautiful story that has been told by Ramakrishna. And there was a village, there was a foolish young person called Podho. And Podho means, it is short for Padmalochana. But there was a dilapidated temple. And one day he started blowing a conch. People mistook somebody had renovated the temple and was attending it. But then nothing was done. Eleven bats were flying day and night, filling the whole temple with filth, or you can call it fertilizer. We should not even really call anything as filth. Because when we call it fertilizer, that becomes a plant. So every filth is nothing but a fertilizer only. With regard to us, it is not useful. But with regard to our very survival, everything helps everything else. Even a fallen leaf helps sustain the life of people. So Ramakrishna says, there are so many people who are so-called self-proclaimed teachers. Ramakrishna's beautiful Adesha, teaching others. It is difficult to teach others. Only if a man gets a command from God, after realizing Him, only then is he entitled to teach. This is what we are going to discuss. Then what is the relevance with the story that I just now brought up earlier? That is to say, if you want to really worship God, and where to worship God? This body is the greatest Brahmapuram. Even if you go to a temple, even if you climb Mount Everest and find there a pagoda and Buddha's image there, but you have to take your body. That is called Brahmapura because God is within. And within that, there is a mind. And there is a pure mind. And there is an impure mind. And what Potho was doing? He has not cleaned up his, especially the mind. Elephant bats means elephant type of thoughts. Thoughts of ignorance. I want to go there. A God-realized soul can never utter the word, I want to go there. Or I want to go at such and such a time. Or I want to see that object. Because for a God-realized soul, God alone is real. That is the meaning of realization. That means there is no other object other than God. So, Shri Ram Krishna in that context is telling, however much you may blow the conch, that is not going to help. And this is exactly who is doing. Not Potho. We are all doing it. We talk about God. We think about God. We worship God. We go on pilgrimage. The question we have to ask is, are these bats slowly reducing their influence upon us? Is my temple, that means my body, but mainly my mind, is it getting pure? And the purer it gets, the nearer it approaches God. Because Brahman is defined as Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Swaroopaha. So, Brahman is ever pure. Brahman is pure consciousness. Chaitanya, Shuddha Chaitanya. And the purer the mind becomes, and pure consciousness gets reflected in it. That is what Patanjali Rishi wants to convey. Chitta vritti nirodaha. You transform every thought into that of consciousness. As the Kenopanishad puts it so beautifully. But there are so many people and they acquire some power. And that power we have to distinguish. There are so many powerful gurus in this world. Call them Sadgurus. They can speak beautifully. And many times by God's grace and through their tapasya, they have excellent voice. And they shoot into name and fame. And they talk really wonderful things. Does it transform anybody? Ramakrishna says no. Holy Mother says no. Swami Vivekananda says no. Every saint says no. Because who can transform? Only God can transform. So he is this man who seems to be so powerful. People are affected, isn't it? And if the people are affected, is it not a power? And if it is a power, is it not from God? We have to distinguish between two things. Talent and purity. Somebody can sing so soulfully. If it is a sad song, you are moved. You feel like weeping. Such a beautiful feeling will come. And that is not what is called God. That is called talent. The person's talent. And you want to revel in your emotions. See how nice I am. I am able to weep at the sound of the sad song. Especially nowadays. There were some Urdu saints used to compose some poems called Gajals. And this Gajal is a longing of a lover towards the beloved. It has nothing to do with man or woman. It has something got to do with devotee and deity. But that is transformed now. And they can put it. Especially nowadays, so many instruments, new instruments which the world had never heard of have been invented. And there are really talented people who could play them to perfection. And then the background is wonderful. Person's voice is marvelous. We are all moved. And that perhaps belongs to the aesthetic branch. But then it is a talent. It has nothing to do with power. How do we know? Because we can see from the life of Swamiji. When he used to give talks, people used to be moved. But that is not mere emotion. There was a real transformation in their lives. So many incidents are there. But one incident I will tell you. The economic depression was going on in America. And one day, one man was taken. He was informed. A great Swami has come from India. And he is going to give a talk. And then he attended. And this man was highly affected by this economic situation. Perhaps he lost his job. And he was depressed. How to carry on mere life? Maybe family is there. Children are there. And that is what is going to happen in future very soon. So he went to here. And he came out radiant with joy. That's all right. Now I know that these are all passing events. I will not go under because of these situations. Maybe I will have to face hardship, very hardship. But I am ready to do it. Such is the transformation. Is it for a day or two? No. It is in most of them lifelong. I would not say everybody was transformed permanently by hearing the speeches of Swami Vivekananda. Not necessary. See, to be transformed, two things are necessary. Just like if there is a magnet, there must be an iron fiber somewhere. If it is mud, it will not be attracted. So even the greatest teacher, maybe Sri Ramakrishna, maybe Swami Vivekananda, they cannot bring transformation to a person who has become practically mud. That's why we call it earthly people. Gaya or Gaya. So both the receiver as well as the giver, both must have that talent. If the giver has the talent but the receiver is not ready, even the closest connection is not going to help in any way. Sri Ramakrishna's words are Vedavani. They are the words of the scriptures, Vedas themselves. That is why the only appropriate title to the translation of the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, we can see only in Kannada. It is called Sri Ramakrishna Vachana Veda. As if somebody translated Veda into simplified words, conveying exact meaning, at least to be able for us to read. Understanding is different. He said, every teaching, you advance so much, you learn so much. We have seen this in the 7th chapter of the Chandogya, how the Sanat Kumara was guiding Narada, that you do this Nama Upasana. And when he succeeded in it, he became perfect in it, then only he could glimpse, this Nama is gross. There is something which is the cause of this Nama. And what is that? That is called Vak. But Vak is gross when he went further. So when we climb the nearest mountain in front of us, it reveals endless number of other mountains. Until that time, we cannot see the other mountains behind, at the foot of which mountain we are standing. So Sri Ramakrishna's word has got lot of meaning. And there is a beautiful story. I will repeat it because repetition is not a fault while we are discussing teachings or spiritual teachings. So that is what the Vedas themselves say. That is, even if a person hears a billion, billion times, trillion times, it's not a fault. It's not a defect. Because with each repetition, like Japa. Japa means remembrance actually, not merely repetition. So with each remembrance, then we get that bit nearer to that truth. So briefly, there is a story. There was a king and he had a prime minister. And the minister was a wise brahmana. And one day, this brahmana was late attending some important meeting with the king. And the king was getting impatient. He was sending people. And then, again, just a little bit, I am going to complete some ritual. I will come. And it took quite some time. So the king himself got up and he went. Saw this minister, prime minister, engaged in a ritual called Sandhya or Gayatri Upasana. So he waited. Very soon, the minister finished. And then came and the king was asking, What is it that you are doing? It's such a thing that took such a long time. Then the minister replied, This is the ritual every brahmana is supposed to do. Oh, what do you do? I repeat Gayatri Mantra. Then the king said, You give me that Gayatri Mantra. I also want to repeat it. Minister said, Sir, I would like to give you. But I am not authorized to give it to you. King got annoyed. What is there? You know it. And I'm asking, You can tell in one second. He said, No, I don't have the authority. And the king got very annoyed. Then the minister wanted to prove there must be authority for everything. So the king was accompanied by some guards. So the minister turned to them and arrested this king. Of course, they were stunned to hear such a commandment. How could they do that? They did not. By this time, the king was fuming. He said, Arrest this minister. Immediately, instantaneously arrested him. Then the minister burst out into laughter and said, Oh, king, did you understand what I did just now? We uttered the same words. I said, Arrest this man. You said, Arrest this man. When I said, Nothing happened. And when you said, It happened. Why did this happen? Because you have the authority. I do not have the authority. Similarly, I am not supposed to give this Gayatri Mantra to you. So if you want, you will have to go to a person who is authorized to do it. Ramakrishna's teaching is very beautiful. So we can repeat it. When Sri Ramakrishna used to talk, it had an effect. But when we talk, it is only with the fond hope that people will understand it and do something about it. This is what Sri Ramakrishna means. Only if a man gets a command from God, and then when does he get a command from God? Only after realizing Him. Then only is he entitled to teach. Was Sri Ramakrishna telling that others should not teach or preach? No. So if you ask me, Why are you giving all these talks? So most people don't know. It is not because I pity you ignorant people and I want to awaken you. That's not the idea. The idea is the more I teach to others, the more I learn. If I am reading this Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, all these ideas would have taken a longer time. But something happens when I am talking to you. Suddenly all these ideas pop up into the mind. And that is the grace of Mother Saraswati. So teaching others. If you want to learn something, go on to teach others. This is the best way of your understanding any subject much better. And because you have to understand, you have to summarize, and you have to express it in appropriate words, coming down to the level of the listener. So it brings marvelous effects within the person who is trying to teach. That's why there is an English saying that to teach is to learn twice. I would say not twice but 100 times. The more you teach, the more you learn. So you also go on discussing. Not teaching but discussing. So Sri Ramakrishna says only after realizing Him is a person entitled to teach because then God will give command. Will every realized soul get a commandment from God? Of course Sri Ramakrishna himself is an example. Just imagine Sri Ramakrishna himself would travel to USA, attend the Chicago Parliament of Religions. I don't know how far is the toilet from the platform. How many times Sri Ramakrishna has to go to the toilet, God alone knows. Why do I say that? Because once a great pundit made an appointment, I am going to see Sri Ramakrishna. And from morning next day, when the pundit has to come that day, Sri Ramakrishna was asking everybody that he met, you be here, you be here, I will get a little bit crazy. And then not only that, Yama is describing so beautifully, he was running towards the pine grove again and again. Because when we are worried or when we are a little bit frightened, then we also have that habit of visiting the toilet. So like that. But the sequence is very important. When actually the pundit came, Sri Ramakrishna entered into a bhava samadhi. And then he said, so when I enter into that state, even the greatest pundit looks like an earthworm. That means the pundit's knowledge is only intellectual knowledge. Anyway, so one must have commandment from God. It is not so many teachers are there, I mentioned you. And they are very effective. Thousands and thousands of people listen to their talks. But the point is, you might even also hear, maybe one of the audience, and find out, ask one question. Is this talk making me a better spiritual person? Has it brought some real transformation in my life? And if you can authentically, truthfully say yes, then you are blessed. But in most people's cases, it appeals to them. It is a talent. Like some people sing, and it moves us. And when other people sing, our tendency is to move away from that person. Anyway, so thus conversing, the master came to the west end of the veranda, and stood by his side. Sri Ramakrishna repeated again and again, that God cannot be realized without discrimination and renunciation. Hearing this, Tim became thoughtful. He was a very thoughtful person, and he was worried also. So this made Tim extremely worried. Why? Because he had married, and was then a young man of 28, educated in college in the western way. Having a sense of duty, he asked himself, This is called Manana. Do discrimination and dispassion mean giving up women and gold? What does it mean? We have to sometimes be quite frank, which we do not. What does this Viveka and Vairagya mean? Does it mean that one cannot enjoy one's wife or husband, and one should not have any value for gold? Gold means money. Woman and money. That is what it means. Woman does not mean only woman. For a man, it is a woman. Sexual attraction, sexual joy, sexual intercourse. So this was what was going on in the mind of the M. He was really at a loss to know what to do. And then M turned to Sri Ramakrishna and said, Sir, what should one do if one's wife says, You are neglecting me. I shall commit suicide. Here, we have to understand. The wife is only what we call as an example. So if the parents say that, We are also religious. We are also taking God's name. Why do you need to be so serious at this young age? It is time to get married and to produce children. Look after them like us after retirement. As if they are paragons of spiritual sadhana after retirement. They cannot pass their time without gossiping throughout the day. And they are not blissfully aware of it. So, you are neglecting me. I shall commit suicide. Now, if any wife threatens or any husband threatens, I will commit suicide. Should you be happy or not? If you ask Sri Ramakrishna, he will tell something. But if you ask me, straight away I say, So, get rid of that burden. Let it happen naturally. Instead of your committing a sin by killing that person, it is better that the person himself or herself will do that. So, villagers used to criticize Holy Mother. Oh, Sairi's husband had become mad. So, who was not mad according to them? So, this husband should come and visit the wife. And after some time, take her away, not leave her in the village and start living, start producing children and burdening the earth. That is their concept of what is called a married life. So, this is what a person can do if anybody becomes an obstacle in spiritual life. Master in a serious tone. Give up such a wife. If she proves an obstacle to spiritual life, let her commit suicide or do anything else she likes. The wife that hampers her husband's spiritual life is an ungodly wife. Now, we can apply this. Any person that hampers one's spiritual life is an ungodly person. So, just look at this what happened. When Holy Mother came to Sri Ramakrishna, he told her, I don't want to live like an ordinary husband. We don't want that kind of relationship. I only want to go to God. So, will you help me? And immediately, without thinking twice, Holy Mother replied, I came here to serve you, to help you and to learn from you and not to hinder what you want to achieve. You see, if anybody had told, what a husband might tell, a worldly, ordinary husband might tell, I want to earn more money. I want to go to some foreign country and I want to earn money. We don't know. That is one scenario. See, I love another woman. I want to have that woman also. No, that kind of reply. Sri Ramakrishna says, I only want God. Will you help me? And instinctively, Holy Mother said, and why did she say that? Of course, she was the Divine Mother. We all know that. But besides, every good wife wants to make her husband move towards God. Anybody says, Oh, you just think a little bit about God. Rest of the time, let us enjoy our worldly life. She is not really a wife. Why do I say so? Because, at least, according to even Christian marriage and Hindu marriage, there is Saptapadi, we call it. Seven times one has to go around the fire and husband and wife, each other, holding. And they take a vow. Our Lord is a promise to Lord Vishnu. We are helpless pilgrims. And our pilgrimage is to come to you. So we are weak. So we want to go together, help each other and reach you. And we also want to help if children come along to reach you. That is our promise to you, our vow to you, our vrata to you. This is all included in that Saptapadi. Seven steps around the fire. So actually, that was what Holy Mother was telling. I just want to serve you so that you attain what you desire to attain. Anyway, hearing Shri Ramakrishna's words that let a wife, such a wife, what is called? He used to call it avidya sthri, ignorant person. Ignorance means a person may be triple PhD, quadruple PhD in other subjects. That's not what he meant. Anybody who knows God is a learned. The opposite is ignorant person. So, immersed in deep thought, M stood leaning against the wall. Narendra and the other devotees also heard those words and remained silent a few minutes. The Master exchanged several words with them. Then suddenly going to M, he whispered in his ear. And then he came like a Sadguru. But if a man has sincere love for God, then all come under his control. The king, wicked persons and his wife. That was a personal reassurance to M. And we should not take these words of Shri Ramakrishna. They apply to everyone of us. No. Because how many saints were tortured and hanged and cruelly killed. How many Sufi masters, Sufi saints, God realized souls have been burned, tortured, beheaded in every possible way by the so called the protectors of Islam religion. Fortunately, in India, that was very rare phenomena. So, anybody who is there. But it doesn't mean that every wife, every husband, every obstruction is transformed. That is not true. Because governments have burned pagodas, Buddhist temples, shot dead Buddhist monks and tried to erase religion itself from some of their countries because they are communists, etc. There are wicked persons. In Gospel itself, we get example of a soldier called Raghunath and then he was stabbed by a Muslim of his own army. So, it is not that every person by God's will if a devotee is sincere, then other persons will come under control. No. He will not mind it. If he has to die, he takes it for granted that it is God's will. Look at Prahlada's life. How much he had to suffer. Of course, Bhagavatam doesn't give a graphic description of the suffering. It only tells us what his father Hiranyakashipu had done. Thrown into the sea, thrown into blazing fire, tried to pierce with weapons and throw stones and then kill him or put under elephant's feet and really how much a person had to suffer, God alone knows. Even in Sri Ramakrishna's life, once a chaste woman came to him and said My husband is a drunkard. He doesn't care for the family. Will you have a mantra? And first Sri Ramakrishna had a fun with her. Holy Mother also had some fun shuttling him between them. He is the person who knows, she is the person who knows, etc. Finally, Holy Mother took pity and then gave him mantra. And then her husband came around, not instantaneously. Twelve years it took. And when that person, when the right time had come, after twelve years came to Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna one looked at him. He never met this man earlier. Looked at him and said this man had roasted his wife for twelve long years and now he comes here. And that person was absolutely stunned. How did Sri Ramakrishna know? Because by that time the person himself realized that I have been torturing my wife. So, imagine twelve years what that poor woman had to go through. But then her tapasya had borne fruit and this person had come to Sri Ramakrishna and he became one of the greatest devotees of Sri Ramakrishna. But the association starts very funnily. He was a terrible drunkard and he is asking Sri Ramakrishna Sir, because he must have seen Sri Ramakrishna reeling under bhava and in his own way this Kalipada understood. That man's name was Kalipada Ghosh and he understood that Sri Ramakrishna must be having some very special British type of liquor. So, Sir, my throat is parched so just a few drops can you give me? And Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said Of course, I will give you. But will you be able to stand it? The man said, Sir, is it British made? Sri Ramakrishna said, No, no, no, no. Purely home made only. But it is so strong but hardly I find anybody who is capable of keeping it after drinking. Then Kalipada Ghosh thought, Yes, Sir please give me a little. Then Sri Ramakrishna touched him and then such a great transformation had come over him and joyfully he could sing Ami surapan kori ne sudha khai Jai Kali Bole. Beautiful instances are there. We have to remember whenever we are studying the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. So he says King picket persons and his wife. So we have to they will come under control. These are the Sri Ramakrishna's words only to M. We should not take it for granted that it happens. Even M had to suffer under Eswar Chandra Vidya Sagar practically had dismissed him before that M himself had resigned from Vidya Sagar school because he understood the next step will be I will be removed and he came and confessed everything what he did. Sri Ramakrishna said you did it right and then within three days a miracle happened by mother's grace instead of a school teacher he became a college professor. Anyway that is a side talk but we should not take it Sri Ramakrishna's words if I am sincere everybody will come under. No there is something called Prarabdha. We have to experience it. So sincere love of God on the husband's part may eventually help the wife to lead a spiritual life and that actually happened in the life of M. If the husband is good then through God's grace the wife may also follow his example. So again we have to take it with a pinch of salt not always. These words had a most soothing effect on M's worried mind all the while he had been thinking what can I do? Let her commit suicide etc. So if we have anybody in the family and sometimes our closest companions husband or wife may not be interested in what we are interested I have seen plenty of such cases then we have to take this is my Prarabdham but I will not give up God. Let whatever happen let it happen and then after this M exclaims to the master this world is a terrible place indeed and Sri Ramakrishna turning to the devotee says that is why Chaitanya said to his companion Nithyananda listen brother there is no hope of salvation for the worldly minded because of course for the worldly minded there is no hope no. Everybody has a hope but it may take a long time and especially Grihastha Ashrama is full of worries, burdens etc. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has preached Nama Sankirtana singing the name of God with joy and with sincere faith that God will come and help him. Sri Ramakrishna continues but a sincere devotee has nothing to fear if he remains in the world after realizing God nor need a man have any fear whatever of the world if he attains sincere devotion by practicing spiritual discipline now and then in solitude so that is a beautiful solution. It was known the worship was over and food offerings had been made in the temple. The doors of the temple were shut. Sri Ramakrishna sat down for his meal Narendra and the other devotees partook of the food offerings from the temple and the chapter still continues Sunday October 22nd 1882 it was the day of Vijaya the last day of the celebration of the worship of Durga when the clay image is immersed in the water of a lake or a river or a tank very peculiar I have seen somewhere in ashramas there is nearby there is no water facility then the image is not very big medium sized or even smaller then what do they do they take the image round and round and it has to be immersed so they take a huge petrol can is huge where kerosene etc is stored you know you must have seen that and fill it with water and then immerse the image keep it for few days and because it is made up of clay very soon it dissolves and the tin can can be used again a drum can be used again and again about 9 o'clock in the morning M was seated on the floor of the Master's room at Dakshineswar near Sri Ram Krishna was reclining on the small couch Rakhal was then living with the Master. Narendra and Bhavanath visited him frequently. Babu Ram had seen him only once or twice Master, did you have any holiday during the Durga Pooja M. Yes Sir I went to Keshav Babu's house every day for the first three days of the worship. Master, is that so and then M says I heard there a very interesting interpretation of the Durga Pooja and Master eagerly please tell me all about it M. Keshav Sen held daily morning prayers in his house lasting till 10 or 11 during these prayers he gave the inner meaning of the Durga Pooja he said that if anyone could realize the Divine Mother that is to say could install Mother Durga in the shrine of his heart then Lakshmi, Saraswati Kartika and Ganesha would come there of themselves. Lakshmi means wealth, Saraswati means knowledge, Kartikeya means strength, Ganesha means success. By realizing the Divine Mother within one's heart one gets all these without any effort whatever Sri Ram Krishna listened to the description questioning M now and then about the prayers conducted by Keshav. At last he said to M, it is very important for us, don't go hither and thither, come here alone those who belong to the inner circle of my devotees will come only here. So the question now is why was Sri Ram Krishna, was he not happy with this interpretation? Absolutely is there anything wrong? Yes, from one point of view it is absolutely right from a lower point of view you worship Mother Lakshmi Mother Saraswati, you get everything but from a higher point of view a real sincere devotee is one who wants God not what God can give. Lakshmi, Saraswati Ganesha, Kartikeya that means worldly things, worldly goods. A true devotee doesn't want worldly goods so that is why Sri Ram Krishna is telling that is the first point we have to understand second point is don't go hither and thither because you will be hearing all these things. What happens once you hear those things and I know your memory is excellent memory and you come here you hear about me and you get mixed up and there may be conflict between what I teach and others teach. Those who belong to the inner circle of my devotees will come only here means to me only why? Because that is the truest interpretation remember M was only an instrument just like Arjuna Partho Vachah Sudhi Bhokta, Dugdham Gita Mrutam Maha so M is only an instrument to convey the teachings of Sri Ram Krishna to the whole world for many generations to come and it should not be mixed up with other inferior types of interpretations and Sri Ram Krishna's teaching is simple the goal of life is God realization. Yes you can pray for a little bit of money so that worry free you can think about God and do sadhana but no more Om Jananim Shardam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Kurum Pada Padmetayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur. May Ram Krishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ram Krishna