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With Rakhal, M., Manilal, and Others at the Dakshineswar Temple

Chapter I

Why is Thakur impatient? He instructs Mani Mallick

Thakur is resting after the midday meal while Mani Mallick sits on the floor of the room. Thakur’s arm is still in a splint. M. enters, salutes him, and then sits on the floor near Mani Mallick. It is Sunday, 24 February 1884, 13th of Phalgun, 1290 B.Y the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight.

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): “How did you come?”

M.: “Sir, I came by carriage to Alambazar and then walked from there.”

Manilal: “Oh, you are sweating!”

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): “This makes me think that all my experiences are not fantasies. If that were so, why would ‘Englishmen’[1] take so much trouble to come here?”

The topic of conversation is now about Thakur’s injured arm and how he is feeling.

Sri Ramakrishna: “Sometimes I get impatient because of my arm. I show it to one person after another and ask if it will heal. Rakhal gets angry. He doesn’t understand my condition. Sometimes I say to myself, let him leave me if he likes. But then I ask the Divine Mother, ‘Where will he go, Mother? Where will he go to be scorched and burnt in the fire of the world?’

“I had this childlike impatience before. I used to show my pulse to Mathur Babu and ask him, ‘Brother! What am I suffering from?’

“Well, where is my faith in God if I did this? When I was going to Kamarpukur in a bullock cart, some men with long sticks came up. They looked like dacoits.[2] I began to chant the names of God. I chanted Rama, then I chanted Durga, then Om Tat Sat, hoping that one would be helpful.

(To M.) “Tell me, why am I so impatient?”

M.: “You’re always in samadhi. You have kept a little of your mind on the body for the sake of the devotees. That is why you sometimes become impatient to save it.”

Sri Ramakrishna: “Yes. I only have a little of my mind on the body, and that for the sake of the devotees and to enjoy the love of God.”

Proposal to visit an exhibition – talk about Thakur’s visit to the zoo

Manilal Mallick is talking about an exhibition.

Thakur’s eyes are filled with tears to hear about a beautiful image of Yashoda with the baby Krishna in her arms. He is inspired by Yashoda’s embodiment of maternal love and thus weeps.

Manilal: “You are not well, or you could visit the exhibition in the maidan of the fort.”

Sri Ramakrishna (to M. and others): “I won’t be able to see everything even if I go. I might lose consciousness just seeing one thing that is special. I wouldn’t be able to see anything more than that. Once I was taken to the zoo. I went into samadhi when I saw a lion, the vehicle of the Mother Goddess. How could I see the other animals? I only saw the lion and then came back. That’s why Jadu Mallick’s mother first said that I should go to the exhibition and then, on second thought, said, ‘No, No.’”

Mani Mallick has been a member of the Brahmo Samaj for many years. He is about sixty-five years old. Thakur is teaching him according to his nature.

His earlier life story – visit to Jai Narayan Pundit – Gauri Pundit

Sri Ramakrishna: “Jaynarayan Pundit was a very liberal person. I visited him once and liked his attitude. His sons were all wearing boots. But he said, ‘I shall go to Kashi.’ He finally did so. He lived in Kashi and he died there.[3]

“When you get old, it’s good to leave the household and devote yourself to contemplating God. What do you think?”

Manilal: “Yes. I don’t like the problems of the world.”

Sri Ramakrishna: “Gauri used to worship his wife with offerings of flowers. All women are different manifestations of the Divine Mother.

(To Manilal) “Please tell that story of yours.”

Manilal (laughing): “Several people were going across the Ganges in a boat. One among them, a pundit, talked very highly of his learning. ‘I have studied various scriptures – the Vedas, the Vedanta, and the six systems of philosophy.’ He asked someone, ‘Do you know the Vedanta?’ The man replied, ‘No, sir.’ ‘Do you know Samkhya and Patanjali?’ He said, ‘No, sir.’ ‘Have you no philosophy at all?’ ‘No,’ again.

“The pundit was talking proudly of himself, and the other man was sitting there silent. Just then a terrible storm arose. The boat was about to sink. The man asked the pundit, ‘Revered sir, do you know how to swim?’ The pundit said, ‘No.’ The man replied, ‘I don’t know Samkhya and Patanjali, but I do know how to swim.’”

God alone is the substance, all else is unsubstantial – hitting the target

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): “What is the use of knowing many scriptures? All you need is to know how to cross the river of the world. God alone is the real substance, all else is unsubstantial.

“While Arjuna was aiming at the target, Drona asked him, ‘What are you seeing? Do you see the kings?’ Arjuna said, ‘No.’ ‘Do you see me?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you see the tree?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you see the bird perched on the tree?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then what do you see?’ ‘Only the eye of the bird.’

“He who only sees the eye of the bird can hit the target.

“He alone is clever who sees that God alone is the real substance and all else is unsubstantial. What is the need for any other information? Hanuman said, ‘I don’t know much about the date or the position of the planets. I only contemplate Rama.’

(To M.) “Buy a few fans to use here.

(To Manilal) “Please visit his (M.’s) father. Inspiration comes from seeing a devotee.”

Chapter II

Advice to Manilal and others – God’s manifestation as a human being

Sri Ramakrishna is seated on his bed. Manilal and other devotees are sitting on the floor, listening to Thakur’s sweet words.

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): “A deep change is coming over me since I hurt my arm. Now I only like God’s manifestation as a human being.

“The Absolute and the phenomenal.[4] The Absolute is the indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

“The divine play, or the phenomenal, is play as God, play as deities, play as human beings, and play as the universe.”

You are Sat-chit-ananda – instruction by Vaishnavcharan – Thakur watches the Ramlila

“Vaishnavcharan used to say, ‘One attains the highest knowledge after having the faith that God sports as a human being.’ I didn’t listen to him then. Now I see that he was right. Vaishnavcharan liked pictures of men expressing tenderness and love.

(To Manilal) “It is God who manifests in the form of a human being. He Himself has become Mani Mallick. The Sikhs teach: You are Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

“Sometimes, seeing a glimpse of his real self, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, a man becomes speechless with wonder. He begins to swim in joy. It is just like suddenly coming across a near and dear relative. (To M.) Just as it happened to me the other day in the carriage when I saw Baburam – and you were also in the carriage.

“When Shiva sees his own real self, he dances around exclaiming, ‘What am I! What am I!’

“The Adhyatma Ramayana also talks about this. Narada said, ‘O Rama! All men are your forms, and all women are Sita’s.’

“When I saw the actors in the Ramlila, I felt as if Narayana (the Lord) Himself was dwelling in their various forms. I felt that the real and the imitations were the same.

“Why do people worship young virgins?[5] All women are different forms of the Divine Mother, but She manifests Herself more in pure, unmarried girls.”

Why is Thakur impatient with his injury? – his state as a child and a devotee

(To M.) “Why do I become impatient when I’m ill? The Mother has kept me in the state of a child. A child depends entirely on its mother.”

Sri Ramakrishna is photographed in the Radhabazar by Surendra – A.D. 1881

“I was taken to the Radhabazar for a photograph. I was supposed to go to Rajendra Mitra’s house that day and was told that Keshab Sen and others would be there. I had planned to talk about a few important things but forgot them all when I went to Radhabazar. I said, ‘Mother, You please speak. What can I say?’”

His earlier story – Koar Singh – Ramlal’s mother – worship of the unmarried girl

“I don’t have the disposition of a man of knowledge. A man of knowledge thinks very highly of himself. He says, ‘How can I be ill?’

“Koar Singh said, ‘You are still concerned with your body.’

“This is my nature: my Divine Mother knows everything. She would talk in Rajendra Mitra’s house. Only Her words are ‘real words.’ A thousand pundits are struck dumb before the knowledge of Saraswati.[6]

“The Divine Mother has kept me in the state of a devotee, in the state of a vijnani. That is why I make jokes with Rakhal and others. If I were in the state of a jnani, I couldn’t do this.

“I see in this state that the Divine Mother alone has become everything. I see Her everywhere.

“I saw in the Kali Temple that the Divine Mother had become everything – even the wicked, even the brother of the Bhagavata pundit.

“I was about to reprimand Ramlal’s mother but couldn’t do it. I saw her as a form of the Divine Mother. I see the Divine Mother in virgins. That is why I worship them.

“My wife strokes my feet. I salute her afterwards.

“You salute me by touching my feet. Who could touch my feet when Hriday was here? He wouldn’t let anyone touch them.

“The Divine Mother has kept me in the state of seeing God in everything. That is why I return your salutations.

“You see, I can’t exclude even a wicked person. A tulsi leaf may be dry or small, but it can still be used for the worship of God.”

[1]. Anglicized men.

[2]. Highwaymen.

[3]. Sri Ramakrishna had met the pundit for the first time in 1869. Pundit Jai Narayan (1804-1873) visited Kashi in 1869.

[4]. Nitya and lila.

[5]. Kumari puja.

[6]. The Goddess of knowledge and learning.