Excerpts from ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’
Kamal Kishore
"Maya is nothing but 'woman and gold'. A man living in its midst gradually loses his spiritual alertness . He thinks all is well with him. The scavenger carries a tub of night-soil on his head, and in course of time loses his repulsion to it. One gradually acquires love of God through the practice of chanting God's name and glories .
One should not be ashamed of chanting God's holy name. As the saying goes, 'one does not succeed so long as one has these three: shame, hatred and fear'"
--Warm Regards
Kamal Kishore Avutapalli
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Kamal Kishore
A very interesting discourse of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa;
(It is a very long text as it is being forwarded in a single mail. I purposely decided not to split it into multiple mails for it should be read as a whole and thoroughly for complete and proper understanding.)
Devotee: "Sir, can't we realize God without complete renunciation?"
Master (with a laugh): "Of course you can? Why should you renounce everything? You are all right as you are, following the middle path - like molasses partly solid and partly liquid.
I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world. But you must direct your mind towards God; otherwise you will not succeed. Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over, you will hold to God with both hands.
It is all a question of mind. Bondage and liberation are of the mind alone. The mind will take the color you dye with it. It is like white clothes just returned from the laundry. If you dip them in red dye, they will be red. If you dip them in blue or green, they will be blue or green. They will take only the colour you dip them in, whatever it may be.
Bondage is of the mind and freedom is also of the mind. A man is free if he constantly thinks : 'I am free soul. How can I be bound, whether I live in the world or in the forest? I am a child of God, the King of Kings. Who can bind me?
The wretch who constantly says, 'I am bound, I am bound' only succeeds in being bound. He who says day and night, 'I am a sinner, I am a sinner' verily becomes a sinner.
If a man repeats the name of God, his body, mind and everything become pure. Why should one talk only about sin and hell, and such things? Say but once, "O Lord, I have undoubtedly done wicked things, but I won't repeat them.' And have faith in His name."
Sri Ramakrishna at this time became intoxicated with divine love and sang:
"If only I can pass away repeating Durga's name,
How canst Thou then, O blessed One,
Withhold from me deliverance,
Wretched though I may be? .........
"Why shouldn't one be able to realize God in this world? Kind Janaka had such realization. But one cannot be King Janaka all of a sudden . Janaka at first practiced much austerity in solitude."
Even if one lives in the world, one must go into solitude now and then. It will be of great help to a man if he goes away from his family, lives alone, and weeps for God even for three days. Even if he thinks of God for one day in solitude, when he has the leisure, that too will do him good. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. But who cries for the Lord? Now and then one must go into solitude and practice spiritual discipline to realize God. Living in the world and entangled in many of its duties, the aspirant, during the first stage of spiritual life, finds many obstacles in the path of concentration. While the trees on the foot-path are young they must be fenced around; otherwise they will be destroyed by cattle. The fence is necessary when the tree is young, but it can be taken away when the trunk is thick and strong. Then the tree won't be hurt even if an elephant is tied to it.
The disease of worldliness is like typhoid. And there are a huge jug of water and jar of savory pickles in the typhoid patient's room. If you want to cure him of his illness, you must remove him from that room. The worldly man is like the typhoid patient. The various objects of enjoyment are the huge jug of water, and the craving for their enjoyment in his thirst. The very thought of pickles makes the mouth water; you don't have to bring them near. And he is surrounded with them. The companionship of woman is the pickles. Hence treatment in solitude is necessary.
Kamal Kishore
Kamal Kishore
When hearing the name of Hari or Rama once, you shed tears and your hair stands on end, then you may know for certain that you do not have to perform such devotions as the ' sandhya vandanam' any more. Then only will you have the right to renounce rituals, or rather, rituals will drop away of themselves. Then it will be enough if you repeat only the name of Rama or Hari, or even simply Om"