Kathamrita, 98th Visit of M. 3-Aug-1884 Vol 4 Chap 1
* V e n u *
Jai Sri Guru-sri-charana-aravindya
Jai Sri Ram
=============================================================================================================
Thakur at the Dakshineswar Temple with M., Rakhal, Latu, Balaram, Adhar, Devotees from Shivapur, and Others
Chapter I
Conversation on the essence of yoga with the Shivapur devotees – kundalini and piercing of the six centres
Sri Ramakrishna is seated with the devotees at the Dakshineswar Temple after the midday meal. It is about two o’clock.
A group of bauls from Shivapur and devotees from Bhawanipur have arrived. Rakhal, Latu, and Harish are now living with Thakur. Balaram and M. are also in the room.
It is Sunday, 3 August 1884, the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, the second day of the Swing Festival. The previous day Thakur had visited Surendra’s house. Shashadhar and other devotees had met him there.
Thakur addresses the devotees of Shivapur
Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees): “You cannot achieve union with God when the mind dwells on ‘lust and greed.’ The mind of an ordinary person remains in the centres of awareness located at the genital, anal, and naval regions. It takes a lot of effort in spiritual discipline for the kundalini to awaken. There are three nerves – ida, pingala, and sushumna. And in the sushumna are six lotuses, the lowest being the muladhara. Then there are svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, and ajna. These are the six spiritual centres.
“When the kundalini awakens, after it has crossed the lotuses of muladhara, svadhisthana, and manipura, it reaches the anahata lotus located at the heart. It stays there. The mind is then withdrawn from the three lower centres of anus, sex organ, and navel; it attains a spiritual consciousness and sees a light. The aspirant is speechless with wonder and exclaims, ‘What is this! What is this!’
“Having pierced six centres, the kundalini reaches the lotus of sahasrara and unites with it. When the kundalini reaches there, the aspirant passes into samadhi.
“According to the Vedas, these centres are called bhumis or planes. There are seven planes. The heart is the fourth, and the lotus at anahata is twelve-petalled.
“The vishuddha centre is the fifth plane. When the mind reaches there, the heart yearns only to talk of God and to hear about Him. This centre is located in the throat. It has a sixteen-petalled lotus. The person whose mind has reached this centre feels great pain to hear any worldly talk, such as talk of ‘lust and greed.’ When he hears such talk, he gets up and leaves the place.
“After this comes the sixth plane, the ajna centre of two petals. When the kundalini reaches there, one has the vision of God’s form. But there is still a thin screen of separation. Like a lantern, the light can’t be touched because of a glass barrier.
“Then one reaches the seventh plane, the thousand-petalled lotus. When the kundalini reaches there, samadhi comes about. The Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute Shiva resides at the sahasrara. Here He unites with Shakti – it is the union of Shiva and Shakti.
“When the mind reaches the sahasrara, one becomes absorbed in samadhi. In this state all awareness of the external disappears, and the person cannot preserve his body. If milk is poured into his mouth, it runs out. If one remains in this state, one dies in twenty-one days. A ship cannot return after it has entered the ‘black waters.’
“But ishvarakotis, such as incarnations of God, can come down from this state of samadhi. Since they like to live with devotees and enjoy love for God, they can descend from this state. God keeps the ‘I of knowledge,’ the ‘I of devotion’ in them to teach mankind. Their state of mind is like the swift movement of a boat, racing up and down between the sixth and the seventh planes.
“Some people, of their own will, retain the ‘I of knowledge’ after attaining samadhi. But this ego is a mere appearance. It is just like a line drawn on the surface of water.
“Hanuman, having realized God both with form and without, retained the ‘I of a servant.’ Narada and others – Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara – also retained the ‘I of a servant’ or the ‘I of a devotee’ after attaining the knowledge of Brahman. They are like big steamships which not only cross the ocean but also carry others to the opposite shore.”
Is Thakur thus describing his own state?
A paramahamsa – believers in the formless God and God with form – Thakur’s love for God after attaining knowledge of Brahman – union of the Absolute and the phenomenal
He says:
“A paramahamsa may believe either in God with form or the formless God. Trailanga Swami is an example of one who believed in the formless God. They care for their own good alone; they’re satisfied with their own realization.
“Those who believe in God with form, even after attaining the knowledge of Brahman, live with love for God in order to teach mankind. It is like pouring water from a full pitcher into others.
“All the spiritual practices they have performed to realize God, they tell others about to help them. People dig wells for water with great effort, using spades and baskets. Some of them throw the spades and other tools into the well itself after it is dug, thinking, What use are they now? But some put the tools on the edge of the well so they may be of benefit to others.
“There are some who eat mangoes and then secretly wipe their mouths. There are others who eat and also share the mangoes with others. They work for the benefit of mankind and to enjoy the bliss of God. ‘I want to eat sugar.’
“The gopis attained the knowledge of Brahman, but they didn’t want the knowledge. They preferred to enjoy themselves with God – as mother and child, as His beloved, or as a handmaid of God.”
Thakur in the joy of devotional song – chanting the name of Gauranga and of the Mother of the Universe
The devotees from Shivapur are singing to the accompaniment of a gopi yantra. In the first song was the line, “We are sinners, pray save us.”
Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees): “It is the beginner’s attitude to repeat God’s name out of fear. Please sing songs about the realization of God, songs of joy. (To Rakhal) What a beautiful song they were singing the other day in Nabin Niyogi’s house, ‘Be intoxicated with the wine of Hari’s name.’
“It is not good to talk only of restlessness and worries. Rather, one should be happy and become intoxicated chanting His Name.”
The devotees from Shivapur: “Won’t you sing a song, sir?”
Sri Ramakrishna: “What shall I sing? All right, I will when I feel like it.”
After a while Thakur begins to sing. His gaze turns upward.
O Bharati, give me a loincloth. I wish to go to Vraja disguised as a beggar.
He sings another song:
The wave of Gaur’s love has touched my body.
And another:
Come, O friend, and behold the fair one’s beauty!
See Gauranga, anointed with precious ornaments, glowing red!
At the very sight, one is overwhelmed with ecstasy.
Vrishabhanunandini is indeed a great mason and Bhangada a great artisan.
And still another:
Dive deep, dive deep, O my mind, into the ocean of beauty.
After chanting the name of Gauranga, he chants the name of the Divine Mother.
Thakur sings again:
Can everybody gain the treasure of Mother Shyama?
This foolish mind does not know how priceless this inherited treasure is.
Even with all his penance, indeed rare is Shiva’s vision of Her.
Only when the mind is intoxicated, can one attain the crimson feet of the Divine Mother.
And again:
The black bee of my mind is drawn in sheer delight to the blue lotus flower of Mother Shyama’s feet.
And yet again:
What a machine Mother Shyama has built!
What a machine Mother Kali has made!
In this machine, three and a half cubits high, what pranks She plays!
She Herself residing within pulls the cord and makes it move.
The machine thinks it moves by itself, knowing not who its operator is.
But the machine who knows it is She will be a machine no more.
And Mother Shyama will Herself be tied with the cord of love.
=========================================================================================================