View source for Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 053 on 01-February-2022

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU
For the last one or two classes, we have been discussing various visions that Sri Ramakrishna had.
Why are we discussing? Because the true nature of spiritual progress is our inner vision changes.
Brahman or God remaining the same. There is no here and there, inside and outside,
Saguna and Nirguna, all these differences are absolutely irrelevant so far as God is concerned.
One of the most important points we have to understand from the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna is
that God assumes as many forms as His devotees wish to see Him, to enjoy Him.
Does He assume the visions or do we see Him in those various forms?
The answer is just as on the screen we see the projection of various objects.
Every object is nothing but a full light but depending upon if the object is black, it appears to be black.
If it is white, it will be white, whatever colour, whatever shape, whatever size.
But there is absolutely no change in the light at all.
It is the mind who perceives not only God. In fact, we don't see anything excepting God.
For a God man, everything is God. An ant is a God. A mosquito is a God. Everything is a God.
Both thought also is God. Body also is God. There are no living, non-living objects at all.
Everything is nothing but God.
Why do we perceive something as non-living? Because that is how our mind is made up.
It is our mind which makes everything as we experience it.
That means the responsibility, the onus, how we would like to see this world or Brahman
depends entirely upon the training that we give to this mind.
And what do we do in spiritual sadhana?
The Guru teaches us. Every intelligent Guru knows.
Here is a devotee, here is a Yogi, here is a Karmi and here is a Jnani.
So, different ways of travelling towards God.
Like a huge motorway with four different lanes.
Again, don't bring this nonsense that this is a fast lane, this is a slow lane, etc.
That is not what is meant. All the four lanes equally are connected with destination
and all of them are capable of taking us to the same goal at the same speed
without the least differentiation. That is the point.
So, our mind is like a dominant lane.
Some minds, whatever be the reason, and all of them are not Agnanis,
all of them may have the same Sattva Guna, Rajoguna, Tamoguna.
All of them have the same faith. 10%, 50%, 75%, 100%.
All of them will be having 10% longing or 50% longing, 75% longing for God.
No one is superior to anybody else.
This is the greatest light that Shri Ramakrishna had given us.
But what we are discussing is, what is a vision?
Our mental development is the vision.
What is the goal?
First see God in one thing and then extend it to the second thing
and then extend it to the third thing
and then slowly extend it to everything else.
I will give you a small background.
Shri Ramakrishna, when he first started puja,
he started seeing the image of Mother Kali.
First, maybe he saw Mother's legs, then maybe Mother's hands,
then maybe Mother's face, alive, as if there is a living person.
Shri Ramakrishna, being what he is, very soon the entire image disappeared
and only pure consciousness, like we see another human,
live human being, very alert in front of us,
but in a much more conscious manner.
And then slowly that vision has extended.
Our scriptures are very wise teachers,
so that is why the commandments,
Matru Devo Bhava, see the divinity in the Mother,
exercise and at least consider one person,
then extend it to Father also,
Pitru Devo Bhava.
Then when we grow up, we will come into contact with Acharya,
who shapes our entire cultural, intellectual, moral and spiritual personality.
I am not talking about ordinary school teachers.
Here Acharya means he who teaches Achara,
good conduct, spiritual conduct, moral conduct.
Such a person is called Acharya Devo Bhava.
Then Atithi Devo Bhava, very interesting.
Atithi means a guest.
In those days, people did not have the mobile phones, etc.
So they used to drop in at any time.
That's why it is called Atithi.
Tithi means a particular expected time.
Tomorrow is Diwali and another day is Ram Navami.
All this calculation was not there.
Suddenly a person comes walking from a long distance
and you have to treat that person as just like God,
especially unknown persons.
So this is why they are called no tithi, no appointment.
That means anytime, anybody.
That means learn to look upon entire world as God.
But that will not be possible unless we take the first step.
Our mother is the living God.
After that, father.
After that, teacher.
After that, slowly extend it.
This Sarvatra Brahma Darshanam, that is the true Darshanam.
Now, earlier I have brought this.
Is it that Brahman slowly grants his vision
or is it that as we purify our mind,
we go on seeing more and more divinity?
Even in ordinary affairs, you see a child,
utterly ignorant, foolish and unclean.
But as the child grows, slowly the knowledge within that child grows.
And that is how we slowly come to see more and more and more intelligent.
That's why we provide opportunities of sending a child to the school.
Of course, we ourselves should be the first teachers like that.
So, this is how the Darshanam means as our mind becomes purified,
cultured, cultivates, it is something to be cultivated.
This is the most wonderful word.
In Bhagavad Gita, we get it several times.
But the very beginning verse in the Bhagavad Gita is called Kshetra.
Kshetra means that which is ready to be cultivated.
And whatever we sow, that alone we reap.
That is why it is called Dharma Kshetra.
But it is also Kuru Kshetra, something to be done.
Kuru means you will have to sow, you will have to do.
This is the implied meaning.
The whole life is like a field and it may be a battlefield
because we have to fight against our indolent nature.
So, this is how Darshanas have to come.
That is why I brought this subject.
Ramakrishna had started purifying himself.
As soon as he became conscious,
I have to verify whether God exists or not.
Immediately, he understood.
His sharp mind had understood.
Oh mind, you cannot be a hypocrite.
You cannot go on claiming, proclaiming that I want God.
But I will behave as I like.
So, he started observing very keenly.
He started watching how he is spending his time,
how he is spending his energy and what type of thoughts were arising in his mind.
And we know, I have mentioned here and there,
how Sri Ramakrishna, in order to remove the obstruction, avidya,
avidya comes in the form of aham, I.
I means complete opposite of, instead of I am divine,
I am the body, then I am the mind,
I am the prana, I am the mind,
and I am the buddhi, and I am the anandamaya.
These are the stages.
Serially, one after the other,
we start identifying ourselves with.
For example, when my sense organs come across a sweet,
then annamaya kosha, I am the body.
This is a very nice object.
I want to make it one with me.
And then this prana, enthusiasm, energy will increase.
Then I am identifying with the pranamaya kosha.
Then the thoughts will come, how fortunate I am.
I am hungry. I want a nice food.
And here is a nice food.
These various thoughts.
When I am thinking,
when I am identifying with my manomaya kosha,
and I decided I have to do this,
and that is what is called identifying with the jnanamaya kosha.
And through successive experiences,
I feel identified with the object.
And I say, I am happy.
When a person says, I am happy,
he is identified with what is called annamaya kosha.
And continuously, from birth to death,
from waking up until we wake up again the next day,
this process is going on.
But this is called bondage.
This creates I.
Whether I say, I am happy,
whether I say, I am the body,
both are equally bondages only.
I have to say, I have a body.
I have prana.
I have mind.
Mind means thoughts, emotions, imaginations, planning, etc.
And decision making, ignana, understanding.
I understand. I know.
I am a person of knowledge.
That is also complete bondage only.
That's why Shri Ramakrishna says,
to know many is ignorance.
To know one, that means there is only one.
And that is God.
And I am that.
That is called real knowledge.
And then, I am happy.
We should not ever aspire to be happy.
I am happy.
To obtain happiness is bondage.
To be happy.
To be happiness itself,
that is called liberation.
The difference is,
I have happiness.
I am happiness.
What I have always disappears.
What I am, it will never be disturbed
because that is by nature.
So, every vision,
whether a person has in the form of
either a form, or a sound, or taste,
or touch, or anything.
This is another very important point
we have to understand.
The moment we hear the word vision,
we only think a particular form.
Here is another form of God.
For example, Rama.
He looks like that.
And it is all our pure imagination.
He is a man.
He is not even a woman.
He is a man.
Krishna is a man.
Jesus is a man.
Narayana is a man.
How foolish it is.
We are calling Him Vishnu.
And then we are calling Him a man.
Vishnu means He who is everywhere,
like Akasha.
So, but for the sake of practice,
from the beginning stages,
like small children,
A for apple.
Bring an apple and put.
And this stands for apple.
That is how from the image worship,
we slowly have to progress.
And that is why Sri Ramakrishna never condemned
any idol worship, etc.
But as the mind becomes refined,
that means its power of understanding grows.
Its understanding of God also grows.
And as the understanding of God grows,
slowly these gross things will disappear.
But important point is,
a vision need not be a form of colourful,
this thing, etc.
So, in fact, I make fun many times.
How does Vishnu sleep with all the four hands?
We have four weapons and one flower, of course.
And then in that horrible lotus,
I don't know whether he sleeps on that lotus bed.
God alone knows.
He alone knows.
But this is a concept for the sake of meditation.
He is standing.
We don't want even him to lie down
because if he lies down,
he is likely asleep
and he won't be able to hear our prayers
and answer our prayers.
So, this is how this human understanding
slowly develops.
So, smelling also can bring one to the vision of God.
Sound, of course, is well recognised.
It is called Shabda Brahma.
Omkara is nothing but
it is a pure representation
of both the Saguna Brahma and Nirguna Brahma.
But we don't pay attention
excepting vision and sound,
audio and vision, audio-visuals.
Smell also equally could be powerful.
Vision of God.
Then taste also.
Something happens.
But the point is,
it is not sweet or sour.
Similarly, touch.
It is not soft or hard
or hot or cold.
You know, the sense organ of touch
has only four specialities.
Soft or hard.
Hot or cold.
That's all.
There is nothing else to this touch.
So, God vision can be having.
So, how do we know?
Vaishnava literature clearly says.
One day Radha,
she smelt the flower of
one particular,
the smell of a particular plant
and immediately she fainted.
Why?
That smell reminded her
of the smell that
she used to get
from the body of Sri Krishna.
Another time,
she saw a very
yellow coloured flower
and then immediately
it reminded the pitambara,
the cloth that
Sri Krishna had worn.
So, when somebody phones to you,
you can hear the voice
and immediately your whole
raga dvesha can come.
If you like the person,
then you are happy.
If you don't like,
then you get very angry.
So, any of these five sense organs
can represent,
but usually among these sense organs,
audio-visual is most powerful.
Among these,
most powerful is visual.
That is why we say vision.
But it can be audio.
That is the point I am trying to labour.
Now, we will move on
in our last class.
What did we say?
One day, I saw a woman in blue
standing near the Bakuldri.
She was a prostitute,
but she instantly kindled in me
the vision of Sita.
Look at this marvellous thing.
Here is a chaste wife
or a mother.
When we see and we are reminded
of mother Sita,
there is not much wonder about it.
Not even an ordinary woman,
but a woman
who is positively hated
by the society.
But then, what did Sri Ram Krishna see?
He saw
only the Divine Mother Sita.
But don't say
Sita is Rama's wife.
Sita means Divine Mother here.
So, he saw.
If Sri Ram Krishna could see
Divine Mother,
because
there is no choice.
Whatever exists is the Divine Mother.
You see a tigress,
you see a bear,
or you see a mountain,
everything is the Divine Mother only.
So, there is no real choice.
I will say Divine Mother
only in this.
And not only that,
in the Chindi, we get
Yadivi Sarva Bhuteshu
Matru Roopena Samsthita.
She is a prostitute.
Maybe she has got a child.
And when she is suckling the child,
what do you think?
Is she a prostitute,
or is she the most loving,
protective mother in the whole world?
So, Sri Ram Krishna's mind is filled.
That is one point.
Next point is,
why did she become a prostitute?
Is it the
will of that woman,
or is it some
drama that she had done in the past?
That is our explanation.
But our explanation
is a human explanation only.
That doesn't explain really anything.
What is the
real purpose?
It is all the will of the Divine Mother.
She herself has become
the chaste woman.
She herself has become a prostitute.
She is the most evil
person in the world.
And she is the most loving
saviour in the world.
She is everything. This is her Divine Leela.
Leela means drama.
In a drama,
if there is no good and evil
contrast, the drama will be
a flop. One of our Swamis
used to say, suppose you are
a director of a cinema,
a young man and a young woman meet,
and they love each other,
and then they married each other,
and then how many people are you going to
watch
your film? It will be a flop.
There must be
some evil element in the form
of a rogue,
a villain, and he will come
and create trouble.
Then there is an anguish
for the woman
as well as for the hero.
And then there is a fight.
Ultimately, the hero
rescues the heroine.
Ah! What a marvellous film!
This is how contrast
is the very soul
of every drama,
every poem,
every literature. This is a
vast subject. I am not going
to go through that,
but what I wanted to tell is
this whole universe is nothing but
the Divya Leela.
It is the Narayana Leela
as Narada had seen it.
Narada wanted to experience
the Divine Mother's Maya,
Narayana's Maya,
and he begged for it
and he was granted it,
and he did not understand.
Time, space, causation,
the whole years,
half a life
appeared to be over
within a few seconds
as if even better
than a dream.
So, this is the Divine Leela.
And a person
as he progresses, first he
sees only in one object,
maybe a wooden image,
etc. Then slowly
he starts, that vision
extends, and then
it extends, and then it
extends, and then
one day will come, there is
no extension.
There is, wherever
his eyes go, Sarvatra
Brahma Darshanaha. He can't see
anything else excepting that
pure Divine Being.
That is real Darshana.
Once a person has that
vision, then whatever he
sees, that will be
only the Leela.
Leela comes only after
this final vision.
So, Ramakrishna is
graphically describing, I forgot
that woman. I saw that it was
Sita herself. What was
Sita doing on her way
to meet Rama after
her rescue from Ravana in
Ceylon. For a long time,
I remained in Samadhi,
unconscious of the outer world.
Similarly, we saw Krishna
in an English boy, bent
three times. This also
we have read
in our last class.
And then, the last one we have
read in our last class, once at
Shihor, I fed the cowherd
boys. I put sweetmeats
into their hands. I saw that
these boys were actually the cowherd
boys of Vrindavan, and I
took up the sweetmeats
from their hands.
Then, Sri Ramakrishna was graphically
describing. At that time,
I was almost unconscious
of the outer world. Mathur
Babu kept me at his Jan Bazar
mansion a few
days. While living there,
I regarded myself as the
handmaid of the Divine Mother.
And here,
I want to insert something
for Sri Ramakrishna
is describing.
When Sri Ramakrishna was
kept at the house of
Mathur Babu called Jan Bazar,
there was Rani
Rasmani. There were the
daughters of Rani Rasmani
and they have their own
children. So, Sri Ramakrishna
is describing, the ladies
of the house did not
feel at all bashful with me.
Rather, they felt
as free before me, as
women feel before a
small boy or girl.
I used to escort Mathur's daughter
to her husband's chamber
with the maid servant.
What a marvelous
incident we are
reading here.
Sri Ramakrishna
was not even a relative of Mathur
Babu. He was a
small priest
as a pujari
appointed at 5 rupees a month
at Dakshineswar temple.
But, slowly
Mathur Babu regarded Sri Ramakrishna
as his chosen deity
Mother Kali that was
moving in the form of Sri Ramakrishna
in front of him
and he had so much of trust.
How could Mathur Babu have
so much of trust? Because
he tested Sri Ramakrishna
with
most beautiful women.
I want to now and then
derive a little bit of fun here
and our devotees also
do not
I think they do not
think so well.
Now,
if some
woman who is an ordinary
woman is brought
to tempt somebody like Sri Ramakrishna
even Sri Ramakrishna
even an ordinary person
perhaps will not be tempted
by an ordinary woman.
But, let this
woman be an extraordinarily
beautiful girl.
By just looking at
her some people can
fall down filled
with desire for her.
If such, there are such
many such women are there
if such a woman is brought
in front of Sri Ramakrishna
if he can see the Divine Mother
in her that is the
truest test. So, what
I am trying to tell that
prostitutes also, public women also
everybody will not be
tempted. So,
Madhur Babu
tested because he was
a connoisseur. He was an
expert because he
personally had experience with
all those things. Therefore, he chose
one and he
took Sri Ramakrishna to that house
and he also brought that
woman and Sri Ramakrishna
such a purist
person but he was not a blind
person. He could say
this Lakshmi boy whom Madhur
Babu had brought to my room
is one of the most
beautiful of women.
He could appreciate
without being tempted.
That is the greatness of Sri Ramakrishna.
Madhur Babu
he tested and then what
he found? Two things he found.
Sri Ramakrishna's mind will
never come down to this ordinary plane
is the first thing he found out.
Second, Sri Ramakrishna
had no
thought that
I am a man
and that is what Swami Vivekananda used to
say that this is called
man consciousness. Swami Vivekananda
used to say
man is the greatest
enemy of man and
quite a number of people do not understand
this statement.
What is Swami Vivekananda
saying? He is not saying
that man becomes
a man of another.
We are not talking. There are
men who quarrel with each
other, who are inimical to each
other and who hate each other,
who are jealous of each other
and this is the most common thing
between both men and women
and even animals also.
As we understand the
nature of the animals, our
knowledge of animals is becoming
deeper and deeper.
We understand there is absolutely
no difference. Kama,
Krodha, Lobha, Moha,
Madha, Matsarya, just as
it is within us, it is
there in every animal,
perhaps in ants,
perhaps in mosquitoes,
perhaps in amoebas also,
how they fight for the mate
and there is a regular warfare
going on and
because we don't
understand, we have no means of
knowing what is passing in their
deepest thoughts, we think
that they are dumb. They are not
dumb. The only thing is
man has got much more
because the instrument
is much more intelligent
and sharp. That is all the thing.
So what is Swami Vivekananda
saying? He is saying
when a man feels
I am a man,
then he is highly conscious of
his manhood, his sex
and his age
and his desire
and when he sees
another lady, another
woman, he is always thinking
since I am a man,
this is a woman. Look at
a child, just you
see what a man
longs to do. That is what
the child is doing, suckling
the breast of the mother etc.
But the mother, neither the
mother feels this is another
man nor the baby feels
because the baby
has not developed that man consciousness,
sex consciousness,
man consciousness.
That is what Swami Vivekananda meant.
As soon as a man,
a growing up
boy or
girl start to
identifying with their bodies
that I am a grown up
boy or grown up girl
then they become aware
of each other's distinction,
attraction, repulsion,
everything will start.
But here, Sri Ram Krishna
what is spirituality?
Gradual weaning
away of the body
consciousness. The more body
consciousness, the more worldly.
The less body consciousness,
the more spiritual.
This is called spiritual
progress. So, Sri Ram Krishna
was telling, the ladies
of the house didn't feel at all
bashful with me.
They felt as free before
me as women feel
before a small boy or girl.
I used to escort mother's
daughter to her husband's chamber
with the maid servant.
Now, we the devotees
must exercise our
imagination that
here is a man and he was not
an old man, he was a young man
and he was
escorting the married
daughter of Madhur Babu
to her husband's place.
Everybody has
heightened awareness
and tonight these two are going
to have union and
the whole atmosphere is filled
with that festivity, with that
thought even though it may not
be very obvious
about it. And here is a man
taking the hand of
this young girl who is
going to meet. How do you think
that young girl will feel?
As if her own mother
is taking her.
But let it be any other
man. I would even say
let her father also
take her. Immediately she
will feel terribly shy
because she is conscious
I am a woman going
to meet my man. And
here is a man who is highly
aware and
many times perhaps I told
you but this Shukadeva
he was completely bereft
of body consciousness.
So this story is worth
reminding ourselves.
This is how we have to understand
Ramakrishna's gospel.
Maybe some of you are
wondering when if
Swami goes on
in this way it may never
come to an end this discussion
about gospel. The point is
you don't want this gospel
to come to an end.
The point is not to finish
the book but to go
on understanding more and more
what is called our own
mind. Sri Ramakrishna's life
is a wonderful mirror
which reflects
every stage of our own mind.
So here is the story
perhaps most of you are aware of it
the story of Shukadeva.
Shukadeva was the son
of Vyasa and it is said
that for 16 years
he never wanted to come out of the mother's
womb lest he might
fall a victim to the Mahamaya.
So Veda Vyasa
one day pleaded with the Divine Mother
Oh Mother, you please
cover my son. He is not coming
out. And then
observe
the Divine Mother's reply.
She said alright
I can only hold him
in my grip
only for a kshana.
That's all. I cannot
hold him more because
the light that is shining
in Shukadeva, the light
of pure knowledge is
so strong that
I am like darkness.
So
one moment she
held him in her grip,
in her neck and at that moment
he came out absolutely
16 year young
boy and then
nonchalantly
he started walking away
and his father was
smitten with him.
My son, my son
he was running.
Shukadeva was completely
conscious. I am Brahman.
He was completely unconscious
of the entire world.
There is no world.
There is only Brahman and he is
identified with that Brahman.
So the story goes as
Shukadeva was going
unhearing, unheeding
the cries
of the Vedavyasa
completely naked
just born and there was
a lake and
some Deva Kanyas had come
there to take bath.
Now always this kind of stories
intrugue me. These fellows
who are living in the heaven
perhaps it is
winter season, perhaps the
waters of their
heavenly lakes are
too cold, not
warmed. Even modern
swimming
pools also are
very well heated. Water only they supply.
I don't know what kind of
heaven it is. Anyway they came down
and they left all their
dresses and then they were
happily
enjoying and
Shukadeva was passing completely
naked just
few inches, few feet
from where they are.
Not that they were blind.
They were looking and
what was the reaction? As if
a wooden figure is passing
by and then
after few minutes this
Vedavyasa completely dressed.
He was running
and as soon as these same
ladies,
Apsarasas beheld this
old Vedavyasa with
fully covered cloths.
Immediately they felt shy
and then jumped out
and covered themselves in the dress
and then waiting
for him to pass. Vedavyasa
noticed. Why should he notice?
After all he is such a great
person. He should not have noticed
that women are...
His quest was to be with his son
but he noticed everything
that they were naked,
they were taking bath and they
jumped up
spying him from a long distance
and they dressed themselves
fully covered so he could not
what is called stop
his curiosity. What is this?
I am surprised.
My son is 16 years old.
He is passing naked. I am an
old man and you became shy
at the sight of me
and the scripture is teaching
us this lesson that you have
man consciousness. You have
described the
beauties, every part of
the beauty of a woman so graphically
especially in Bhagavatam,
Bharatam and other
scriptures and you are fully
aware what a woman is and
you are fully aware that you are a
man and in
you that
desire for body
desire has not
disappeared and you became more
conscious that you are a man as
soon as you beheld us
that is why we
instinctively we felt
shy in front of you.
We could not remain there
completely naked.
So, a great
lesson. What is it?
This Vedavyasa, of course
he was such a great soul.
Vedavyasa, he had
that Purusha consciousness.
I am a male
human being and naturally
even as soon as a
girl becomes slightly grown up
she also becomes absolutely
shy if she comes
across this kind of person.
Now, Shukadeva,
that's all I wanted to tell but I
will just continue a little bit.
Shukadeva was actually
wanted to confirm his Brahma Gnana
and he went to,
this is another story that comes,
he went to Janaka Maharaja
and Janaka Maharaja
was called
Videha Janaka. Deha means body
that means a person who
identifies is called Dehi
but here is Videhi Janaka
even though body is
there. He never identified himself
with this body. Such a
grand character.
Very few scriptures
mention such stories.
So this Videha
Janaka, he knew
from within
his mind this great
Shukadeva is coming.
He had doubts about his own realization
and then I will have to
prove to him, you don't need
anybody's teaching.
This is one story, one model.
So, he
instructed his watchman.
Actually, in his kingdom
any great soul comes, any Sadhu
comes, any Muni, Rishi comes
it is Avaritadwara.
No permission is needed.
Straight they can come to him even
inside Antapura
but he instructed
that don't allow him to
come, let him wait outside
and then Shukadeva came
and these
servants and others pretended
that they don't know him
so he had to wait. Simply
he sat down and
for 7 days, nobody
enquired about him, nobody
even glanced at him
and then there were spies
who were watching. Absolutely
no change
in his demeanor, in his face
annoyance, angry,
emotional, what type
of kingdom is this? Nothing.
And then on the 8th
day, suddenly as if
this Janaka Maharaja
came with all
his beautiful Antapura
ladies, ministers,
commander-in-chief with big
musical instruments
and then garlanded him
and let his feet
and said, Oh great Rishi,
I am so sorry, I never knew
that you came 7 days back.
Only today morning I came to
know but I am adding a bit
of masala so you have to enjoy.
So my
profuse apologies
for neglecting you. Such a
great soul has come and then
he made him sit in
his own chariot and perhaps
he pulled it himself, took
him into the Antapura and
his own bedroom, his own
bed and day and night
the most
voluptuous, beautiful
Apsarasa like
women at his
beck and call, they were
employed to serve him
and such royal
dishes, eating everything
and he will eat
and he will be there
and for 7 days and 7 nights
they were observing
not the slightest
change in his mind
and on the
15th day
Janaka Maharaja
talked with him and said, you don't
need because you are having
Brahma Darshana.
What is Brahma Darshana? This is
me. Have you ever heard
anybody who says
I am tempted by myself.
I am so great. I hate
myself. I love myself.
Nobody does it.
Only, this is a very
important point, when a person
says I hate myself,
he is separating
something whether it is dress,
whether it is body,
whether it is the hair,
whether it is the teeth, whether it is
the arrangement in the face.
I hate my face.
I am ashamed to show myself.
What is he doing? He is
cutting off his identity
with that particular part of the
body and treating it as
because Raga
and Dvesha cannot be
had with regard to
one's own self. It can be had
only with regard to
something which we consider
with the other.
So, here also
I am tempted to add
how this practitioner
gradually
progresses towards seeing the
divinity more and more and more.
But I will be very brief.
This is the story of
Gopala's mother.
She was a child widow for
33 years. She
practiced unceasing
japa, japa siddhi.
She was initiated by a guru.
She became a widow when she
was a young girl. She never
knew what was her husband.
Now, she turned all
her attention to God.
It is said every woman longs
to be called a mother and
this Gopala's mother,
she practiced
vatsalya bhava,
a special type of looking
upon God. I am your mother
and you are my child.
You are my Gopala.
Day and night,
she used to live in the
bhavarajya, in the kingdom
of pure imagination
that I am the mother.
My child will come to me.
He will quarrel with me.
He will pull my hair.
He will shout at me. He will curse me.
Then he will come and embrace
me day and night.
That was her meditation.
How many lakhs
of japa she used to do,
God alone knows. She used to get up
at 3 o'clock in the morning and
wash her face and then sit for
japa until 6 o'clock
and then help her brother who was
a priest in that Govinda temple
where she was staying in
Kamarhatte and after that
she will come back. She will cook
something and she will offer it to
her Gopala and then take a
little rest again from 3 o'clock
to 6 o'clock. She will
do japa. Then she will go to the
temple, attend the arathrikam
and then come back and
again go on doing japa and
at night she will take a very
simple food like one
luchi or two luchis and very
sattvika food and go
to bed after doing
japa. That was her routine for
more than 33
years and she
came just before the
vision started. She and
the owner of that garden
happened to come to meet Sri Ram Krishna
because they heard his name
and then a strange play
has started that the
lady of that, the owner
of that garden
only visited Sri Ram
Krishna once but
Gopala's mother
that was, she was like an
the lady was like an instrument
for bringing this Gopala's mother.
Her name was terrible name
Aghora Mani Devi
and then Sri Ram Krishna's
wife, she was attracted
and she thought
first today Sri Ram Krishna had spoken
most beautiful spiritual
conversations.
So Gopala's mother was so delighted
here is a person
but she did not understand
that she had a very special
relationship with Sri Ram Krishna.
So she
came alone. She was not
bound by the restraints of this
Jamindari lady. So she
started. Then what was the first
thing? Sri Ram Krishna said,
What have you brought for me? What have you
cooked for me? The whole topic
will be on food. What you are
going to bring for me next time?
And this Gopala's mother,
Aghora Mani Devi was disgusted.
What kind of Sadhu
is he? Instead of talking about
God, he is only talking
about food, food, food.
Is he a foodie?
But
she decided no more
coming to this kind of Sadhus
and she stepped outside.
Her foot is pulling
her back as if somebody
tied with a big chain
and tied it to a
big machine and the machine is
pulling her feet. She could
hardly walk. The only
thought was how soon am I going
to come? So she used to cook
very ordinary things
and Sri Ram Krishna as soon as
he meets her, what have you
brought for me? And
eagerly take it, snatch it and
eat it and his whole
face will be transformed
into such a tremendous joy
as though a child
has been fed the most
delicious things by his mother
and Gopala's mother
gradually started
understanding what is this?
There is some
Porvajanma Samparka, Sambandha
is there, relationship is there
and then many
rich devotees, Marwadis
etc. used to bring
very nice things like
cashew nut, fruits, sweets
best things. One thing about
this Marwadis and other
rich people, they will bring
the best things in the world.
So somehow
that Samskara is there in them.
They used to bring
and Sri Ram Krishna used to keep
specially, this lady
will come and then he used to
give her and say you
eat these things. Now
she used to wonder
Gopala, what are you doing
to me? I am only capable
of bringing very very very
ordinary things and you
are feeding me with all these things.
Why? And he used to
mysteriously
smile and then say that is
because you have fed
me with these delicacies
and she used to
wonder that when did
I feed you with all these delicacies?
And then he used to
say in the past.
When? As Yashoda,
as Kausalya and
innumerable occasions
God was treated
as a child by so
many especially women
and this is how the relationship
was but she never understood
it and then
what happened one morning
she was sitting for meditation
I also forgot
to mention a little bit of
tamasa. So this rich
people used to bring
these costly things, very
nice delicacies
and Sri Ram Krishna could never
touch them. He used to say
if somebody brings me
one small banana
there will be 16 desires
attached to it but
he used to feed
Opala's mother and
another person who shared it
future Swami Vivekananda,
Narendranath
and then some other devotees
must have noticed because they
all become very jealous.
Sir, why are you feeding them?
Then Sri Ram Krishna used to explain
these people earn money
in many immoral ways
telling lies and all those
things. That is why
I can't touch what they bring
it will do harm to my body
and neither can I give
those things to any of you because
your devotion will be hurt
but I know
that if this
lady Aghoramani eats
or my Naren eats
nothing is going to happen
to them because they are
like blazing fires.
Everything will be reduced to
ashes.
So, what fun I
wanted to make is that
what he considered sinful
things he used to feed these two
people. Anyway, he never told this
to Gopala's mother but the
explanation was her purity
can digest like Mother Ganga.
So, one morning
this lady finished her Japa
was about to offer the Japa
Samarpana to the Divine
Lord. Suddenly, she saw Sri Ram
Krishna. Early morning
at 3 o'clock or 5 o'clock
or so, she was shocked.
It's a big story.
I am not going to tell the whole thing.
You can read it in the
Sri Ram Krishna, the great
master graphically described in
two parts elaborately
and suddenly Sri Ram
Krishna turned himself into
this crawling
Bala Gopala and
a divine Leela started.
He started crawling all over
her body and demanding
I want butter, I want
this, I want that, I want
Rasagullas, etc.
But my son, my child,
where from can I bring? Your mother is
so poor. She herself doesn't
have this thing. No, no, no. I want
butter only. So, this
place started and then he
helped gather the firewood,
etc. As soon as it was
dawn, immediately she carried
like a mad woman. She was
completely unconscious of the whole
world but she was seeing
the dangling pink feet
and this fellow
Sando, I call this fellow Sando
because so much butter if he
eats, he
would be like
small Bhimasena.
Anyway, she was seeing,
she carried, she brought
and this Gopala, her Gopala
started entering into Sri Ram
Krishna's body, coming out,
again entering, again coming out,
again and again and again
and again entering and coming out
and he made her
understand Gopala,
Sri Bala Gopala,
Bhagavan Krishna and
Bhagavan Sri Ram Krishna
are not different.
Before she started, she understood it
and started addressing Sri Ram
Krishna as my Gopala.
Now,
this was the beginning of her
divine vision
growing and growing
and then next, all the
intimate, important
disciples of Sri Ram
Krishna. This Gopala started
one by one into Narendranath,
into Rakhal, into Tarak,
into so many other
important devotees
of Sri Ram Krishna
and coming out and again
entering, again and again
and then Gopala's mother. Now understood,
now
this lady, Aghormani,
she started calling Sri Ram Krishna
as my Gopala. From
that time onwards, the devotees started
addressing her as
Gopala's mother, Sri Ram Krishna's
mother and Sri Ram Krishna
used to assume that attitude
and look upon this
Aghormani as his own mother.
His whole body used to
undergo a transformation as
if it is Bala Gopala.
That means this Aghormani
was not seeing Sri Ram Krishna
as a 40 years
man with white beard
and other things. My Gopala.
This play was continuing.
Then the vision
has extended to all those
who are near and dear
to Sri Ram Krishna. Like that
her vision of
Gopala started expanding
and expanding. Finally
after 2-3 months, there was
a chariot festival at Kamarhat
in one place
and this Gopala's mother
visited that because she loved
that one. That day she said
I enacted
Kurukshetra war. That means
she started shouting and
crying because she said
the chariot, people
who are sitting on the chariot,
people who are pulling the chariot,
people who came to see the
chariot and everything
transformed
itself. The whole world
transformed itself
into what you call
what Arjuna saw, this
Vishwaroopadarshana. She
started seeing her
Gopala in everybody.
Now her Gopala
that Gopala
both disappear in Vishwaroopa
because Vishwa is not her
or mine or yours.
It is the entire world.
Everybody is a Gopala.
Everybody is seeing everybody
as Gopala. That is called
Vishwaroopa. Not one person
seeing everything. That
in his vision, everybody
is experiencing everything
else as the Divine Brahman
only. So
that was the vision. This is how
a devotee's vision
of seeing
Divinity and understanding
as Divinity, it goes.
As soon as it starts
going outside one's body
that I am the body,
that idea will totally
disappear and that is what
has happened to Sri Ramakrishna
and only in that light we have to
understand the visions of
Sri Ramakrishna. We will talk about them
in our next class.
Om Jananim
Sharadam Devim
Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum
Pada Padmetayos Ritva
Pranamami Mohur Mohuhu
May Janam Krishna
Holy Mother and
Swami Vivekananda bless us all.