God lived with them

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Swami Abhedananda

Swami Abhedanandaji wrote in his autobiography:

Whenever I went to Dakshineswar I would give personal service to the Master. I would carry his towel and water pot when he went to the pine grove to answer the calls of nature. Sometimes the Master would walk around the Panchavati with his hand on my shoulder. I also went with the Master to Girish 

 Star Theatre to see the Chaitanya Lila and Prahlad Charitra plays. Every Saturday and Sunday devotees would gather at Dakshineswar to see the Master. I also began visiting him on Saturday afternoons, returning to Calcutta the following day with some devotees. Thus I became acquainted with other disciples of the Master.

I would really feel immense bliss in my heart to hear the teachings of the Master.

Sri Ramakrishna also used to teach us to chant " Haribol, Haribol," (literally, " chant the name of the Lord") loudly while clapping our hands. When somebody asked him the reason for clapping one's hands, he said: " As the birds of the tree fly away when one claps one's hands loudly, so the sinful thoughts of the mind go away when one chants God's name while clapping one's hands." Every evening in Dakshineswar the Master would sit on his bed facing the north and repeat, " Haribol, Haribol" while clapping his hands. Sometimes he would repeat " Hari is my guru, my guru is Hari." " O Krishna, O Krishna." " O Govinda, you are my life and soul." " Not I, not I - but Thou, Thou." " I am an instrument, you are the operator." Then he would go into ecstasy. In that state he would importune Mother Kali, but his words would not be audible to us. Watching his God-intoxicated state we were amazed. We felt that the Master was in communion with the Divine Mother, that he was talking to Her, and that the Mother was answering his questions. We realized that Sri Ramakrishna was not a human being. He was God.