God lived with them

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Swami Abhedananda

Spiritual life is not always smooth and easy. Without exception every seeker of God faces internal as well as external obstacles. After his first visit Kali had felt an attraction for the Master, and whenever he could he went to see him in Dakshineswar. His father did not approve of these frequent visits, and he locked the main door of the house so that Kali could not go to Dakshineswar. One afternoon someone left the door unlocked; Kali ran to the Ahiritola ghat and went to Dakshineswar by boat. That night he stayed with the Master.

Kali began to practise spiritual disciplines under the Master's guidance and through his grace was blessed with many wonderful visions of gods and goddesses. One day while meditating at home, Kali saw various gods and goddesses and divine incarnations - Krishna, Christ, Chaitanya, and others- merge one by one into the luminous form of Sri Ramakrishna. He hastened to Dakshineswar and narrated this experience to the Master. To this Sri Ramakrishna said:" Ah, you have seen Vaikuntha ( the abode of Vishnu )! Henceforth you will no longer have these visions. You have risen to the formless state." This proved to be true. From then on, during meditation Kali's mind was absorbed in the infinite - the vastness of the Impersonal Brahman, rather than divine forms. After this vision Kali was fully convinced that the Master was an avatar, as he later wrote in a Sanskrit hymn to Sri Ramakrishna.