God lived with them

[shubha...@hotmail.com]

Swami Subodhananda

On one Saturday Subodh and Kshirod fled from school and hurried to Dakshineswar. The Master's room was crowded with visitors. Peeping through the door, the boys saluted Sri Ramakrishna with folded hands. When he caught sight of them he raised his hand as a signal for them to stay outside. The Master asked the audience to wait and then went out to greet them.

It was about 3:00 p.m. Sri Ramakrishna asked Rakhal to bring some Ganges water, with which he washed his hands. He then took the boys to the stairs leading to the Shiva temples at the south of his room. He sat cross-legged on the floor, and asked the boys to sit down also.  Then he told them to meditate.

No sooner had Subodh begun to meditate then his whole body trembled, and he felt a current rushing along his spinal column to his brain. An ineffable joy overwhelmed him, and he saw a strange light within him in which the forms of numerous gods and goddesses flashed. His meditation deepened, and the boy lost all sense of personal identity. When he regained consciousness he found the Master stroking his body. "Well," he said,"have you practised meditation at home?" " Very little, sir," replied the boy. " I used to think a little of gods and goddesses since I heard of them from my mother." "Ah," said the Master, " that's why you could concentrate so easily." Then he asked Kshirod if he had seen or felt anything. When the boy replied in the negative, the Master said," All right, you will do so later on."