Message from the Gospel – 7. Exercise Caution

It is God alone who has become everything. But that doesn’t mean that one should embrace a lion or befriend a fox. Although God dwells in everything, the magnitude of His manifestation is different in different beings. Sri Ramakrishna explains this with a beautiful story.

"In a forest there lived a holy man who had many disciples.  One day he taught them to see God in all beings and, knowing this, to bow low before them all.  A disciple went to the forest to gather wood for the sacrificial fire.  Suddenly he heard an outcry: 'Get out of the way! A mad elephant is coming!' All but the disciple of the holy man took to their heels.  He reasoned that the elephant was also God in another form.  Then why should he run away from it? He stood still, bowed before the animal, and began to sing its praises.  The mahut of the elephant was shouting: 'Run away! Run away!' But the disciple didn't move.  The animal seized him with its trunk, cast him to one side, and went on its way.  Hurt and bruised, the disciple lay unconscious on the ground.  Hearing what had happened, his teacher and his brother disciples came to him and carried him to the hermitage.  With the help of some medicine he soon regained consciousness.  Someone asked him, 'You knew the elephant was coming - why didn't you leave the place?' 'But', he said, 'our teacher has told us that God Himself has taken all these forms, of animals as well as men.  Therefore, thinking it was only the elephant God that was coming, I didn't run away.' At this the teacher said: 'Yes, my child, it is true that the elephant God was coming; but the mahut God forbade you to stay there.  Since all are manifestations of God, why didn't you trust the mahut's words? You should have heeded the words of the mahut God.'

God dwells in all beings.  But you may be intimate only with good people; you must keep away from the evil-minded.  God is even in the tiger; but you cannot embrace the tiger on that account.  You may say, 'Why run away from a tiger, which is also a manifestation of God?' The answer to that is: 'Those who tell you to run away are also manifestations of God - and why shouldn't you listen to them?'

"It is said in the scriptures that water is a form of God.  But some water is fit to be used for worship, some water for washing the face, and some only for washing plates or dirty linen.  This last sort cannot be used for drinking or for a holy purpose.  In like manner, God undoubtedly dwells in the hearts of all - holy and unholy, righteous and unrighteous; but a man should not have dealings with the unholy, the wicked, the impure.  He must not be intimate with them.  With some of them he may exchange words, but with others he shouldn't go even that far.  He should keep aloof from such people."

Sri Ramakrishna says further, "One must be careful about these few things. First, an influential man who has much money and many men under his control. He can injure you if he wants; you must be careful while talking to him; perhaps you may have to approve what he says. Second, a dog. When it chases you or barks at you, you must stand still, talk to it gently, and pacify it. Third, a bull. If it runs after you with lowered horns, you must calm it with a gentle voice. Fourth, a drunkard. If you arouse his anger, he will abuse you, naming fourteen generations of your family. You should say to him: 'Hello uncle! How are you?' Then he will be mightily pleased and sit by you and smoke.

"In the presence of a wicked person I become alert. If such a man asks me whether I have a pipe for smoking, I say, 'Yes, I have.' Some people have the nature of a snake: they will bite you without warning. You have to discriminate a great deal in order to avoid the bite; otherwise your passion will be stirred up to such an extent that you will feel like doing injury in return. The companionship of a holy man is greatly needed now and then. It enables one to discriminate between the Real and the unreal."

May God bless us holy company and wise guidance.

Message from the Gospel – 4. Woman (Man) and Gold Are the Obstacles

Throughout the Gospel, there are many references to ‘woman and gold’ and Sri Ramakrishna emphasizes time and again how they obstruct spiritual progress.

A point to be noted here is that the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna recorded in the Gospel are day-to-day conversations of Sri Ramakrishna with his devotees. As the audience happened to be men, he used the words ‘woman and gold’. If the audience were women, he would have probably said, ‘man and gold’. Generalizing, we may say, any type of attraction towards the opposite sex is a weakness, an obstacle, as it takes away the mind from God. It is a negative quality and should be eliminated.

The second obstacle to spiritual progress is gold. Although the word ‘gold’ has been used, it may be generalized as ‘greed’. A worldly person, no doubt, has to undertake materialistic pursuits. There is no harm in working hard and earning money in the right way. But when people become greedy, they start indulging in illegal activities to usurp others’ wealth, and their degradation begins. Greed pushes them to commit all possible crimes.

Sri Ramakrishna says, " 'Woman and gold' alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?”

"A man practises spiritual discipline, but his mind is on 'woman and gold' – it is turned toward enjoyment.  Therefore, in his case, the spiritual discipline does not produce the right result.”

"A man may live in a mountain cave, smear his body with ashes, observe fasts; and practise austere discipline; but if his mind dwells on worldly objects, on 'woman and gold', I say, 'Shame on him!' But I say that a man is blessed indeed who eats, drinks, and roams about, but who keeps his mind free from 'woman and gold'.”

“'Worldliness' means 'woman and gold'."

“'Woman and gold' is the cause of bondage. 'Woman and gold' alone constitutes samsara, the world. It is 'woman and gold' that keeps one from seeing God. (Holding the towel in front of his face) Do you see my face any more? Of course not. The towel hides it. No sooner is the covering of 'woman and gold' removed than one attains Chidananda, Consciousness and Bliss.”

MASTER (to Kedār, Vijay, and the other devotees): "He who has renounced the pleasure of a wife has verily renounced the pleasure of the world. It is 'woman and gold' that hides God. You people have such imposing moustaches, and yet you too are involved in 'woman and gold'. Tell me if it isn't true. Search your heart and answer me."

VIJAY: "Yes, it is true."

Kedār remained silent.

MASTER: "I see that all are under the control of woman. One day I went to Captain's house. From there I was to go to Ram's house. So I said to Captain, 'Please give me my carriage hire.' He asked his wife about it. She too held back and said: 'What's the matter? What's the matter?' At last Captain said, 'Ram will take care of it.' You see, the Gitā, the Bhagavata, and the Vedānta all bow before a woman!” (All laugh.)

"A man leaves his money, his property, and everything in the hands of his wife. But he says with affected simplicity, 'I have such a nature that I cannot keep even two rupees with me.'”

"A man went to an office in search of a job. There were many vacancies, but the manager did not grant his request. A friend said to the applicant, 'Appeal to Golapi, and you will get the job.' Golapi was the manager's mistress.”

"Men do not realize how far they are dragged down by women. Once I went to the Fort in a carriage, feeling all the while that I was going along a level road. At last I found that I had gone four storeys down. It was a sloping road.”

"A man possessed by a ghost does not know he is under the ghost's control. He thinks he is quite normal."

VIJAY (smiling): "But he can be cured by an exorcist if he finds one."

In answer to Vijay, Sri Ramakrishna only said, "That depends on the will of God." Then he went on with his talk about women.

MASTER: "Everyone I talk to says, 'Yes, sir, my wife is good.' Nobody says that his wife is bad. (All laugh.) Those who constantly live with 'woman and gold' are so infatuated with it that they don't see things properly. Chess-players oftentimes cannot see the right move for their pieces on the board. But those who watch the game from a distance can understand the moves more accurately.”

"Woman is the embodiment of māyā. In the course of his hymn to Rāma, Nārada said: 'O Rāma, all men are parts of Thee. All women are parts of Sita, the personification of Thy māyā. Please deign to grant that I may have pure love for Thy Lotus Feet and that I may not be deluded by Thy world bewitching māyā. I do not want any other favour than that.' "

"But on attaining the state of the paramahamsa one becomes like a child. A child five years old doesn't know the difference between a man and a woman. But even a paramahamsa must be careful, so as not to set a bad example to others."

MASTER (to Bankim): "'Woman and gold' alone is the world; that alone is māyā. Because of it you cannot see or think of God. After the birth of one or two children, husband and wife should live as brother and sister and talk only of God. Then both their minds will be drawn to God, and the wife will be a help to the husband on the path of spirituality. None can taste divine bliss without giving up his animal feeling. A devotee should pray to God to help him get rid of this feeling. It must be a sincere prayer. God is our Inner Controller; He will certainly listen to our prayer if it is sincere.”

The two great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata describe how great men fall due to lust and greed. Ramayana describes how Ravana, in spite being an accomplished warrior and a great devotee of Shiva, fell due to his lust to possess Sita. On the other hand, Mahabharata teaches that Duryodhana’s greed to rule the entire kingdom and his unwillingness to part with even five villages as requested by Yudhishthira led to the complete destruction of Kauravas.

Remembering the lessons taught by the two great epics, let us pray like Narada, “Oh God! Please grant that I may have pure love for Thy Lotus Feet and that I may not be deluded by Thy world bewitching māyā. I do not want any other favour than that.”

Pride is a Cancerous Disease

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi had great reverence towards monks.

Once a monk asked the Mother, “Are not all equal who have taken refuge in the Master [Sri Ramakrishna], irrespective of their being monks or householders, inasmuch as they will all be freed [from rebirth]?”

The Mother replied, “Good gracious! Can the monk and householder be equal? The householders are a prey of passions and desires, while the monks have come away leaving everything behind. How can they be compared?”

Although she revered the monks, she cautioned them against pride. Once Swami Arupananda said to her, “Mother, sanyasa brings with it a great conceit,” she replied, “Yes, a great conceit – ‘I have not been saluted, I am not honoured, I have not been treated with the respect due to me!’ Compared with all that, I am much better as I am (pointing to her white saree, and implying her internal renunciation).”

While discussing the above comments of the Holy Mother in a discourse,¹ Swami Purushottamananda² quoted a Kannada 4-liner by DVG,³ a rough translation of it may be given as follows:

Miserable is the craving for food

More so is the man-woman attraction

Craving for recognition is worse than the previous two

As it eats away the very soul, my ignorant friend

Swami Purushottamananda further narrated an episode from his life to drive home the importance of humility. One day, he was walking in the Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore with a senior monk from Belur Math, Calcutta. A devotee saw them and came towards them to pay his respects. As Swami Purushottamananda was more familiar to the devotee than the other monk, he tried to prostrate to Swami Purushottamananda first. Stopping him and pointing to the senior monk, Swami Purushottamananda told the devotee, “Pay your respects to him, first. He is much elder.” Hearing this, the senior monk replied it seems, “Where is the question of elder and younger among monks? A Tulsi plant whether big or small is equally sacred.”

What a great level of humility! How many people can think like that? What a beautiful example he chose! And how true is that example! Tulsi plant whether big or small is indeed sacred. So are the world-renouncing monks.

Let us remember Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s words regarding pride and a craving for recognition. Let us keep a close watch on our own behaviour and do not let this cancerous disease called ‘pride’ eat away our soul.   

----------------------------

¹ I heard this recently from a CD, whereas the original talk was given probably around 1985.

² Swami Purushottamananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He was with the Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore for more than 30 years and later was the President of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Belgaum. See Wikipedia to know more about him. I would like to write more about him, if God permits, as soon as possible.
³  DVG stands for Padma Bhushan DV Gundappa, a great writer of Karnataka, India. See Wikipedia to know more about him.

Cycling 32 km each day

"A primary school teacher in Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu has bicycled 32 kilometers each day for the past 20 years without missing a single day of school." This appeared in Times of India in May 2005.

Because of his commitment and also his ability to inspire students, a surprising number of his former students went on to become hugely famous. When asked about the roots of his motivation, he answered, "Teaching is my dharma."

In contrast to the above case, a study on government primary school teachers in India revealed that one out of four teachers is absent and one in four, although present, is not teaching. Thus one out of two teachers in our primary schools is not doing his/her job.

I read the above facts in a book titled, The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das. I tried to search in the internet for the name of the teacher mentioned in the first paragraph of this blog. I could not get it. I would have felt lot more happier if I could have mentioned his name. Anyways, I admire his sincerity.

I am reminded of a Tamil couplet, its rough translation may be given as follows:

Establishing a thousand free food distribution centres
Building 16,000 temples
More rewarding than all those
Is educating one poor person

I truly admire the dedication of that primary school teacher of Dharmapuri. May his tribe expand and flourish.  

From the Gospel - 40

M: "Sir, what is the meaning of the realization of God? What do you mean by God-vision? How does one attain it?"

MASTER: "According to the Vaishnavas the aspirants and the seers of God may be divided into different groups.  These are the pravartaka, the sadhaka, the siddha, and the siddha of the siddha.  He who has just set foot on the path may be called a pravartaka.  He may be called a sadhaka who has for some time been practising spiritual disciplines, such as worship, japa, meditation, and the chanting of God's name and glories.  He may be called a siddha who has known from his inner experience that God exists.  An analogy is given in the Vedanta to explain this.  The master of the house is asleep in a dark room.  Someone is groping in the darkness to find him.  He touches the couch and says, 'No, it is not he.' He touches the window and says, 'No, it is not he.' He touches the door and says, 'No, it is not he.' This is known in the Vedanta as the process of 'Neti, neti', 'Not this, not this'.  At last his hand touches the master's body and he exclaims, 'Here he is!' In other words, he is now conscious of the 'existence' of the master.  He has found him, but he doesn't yet know him intimately. 

There is another type, known as the siddha of the siddha, the 'supremely perfect'.  It is quite a different thing when one talks to the master intimately, when one knows God very intimately through love and devotion.  A siddha has undoubtedly attained God, but the 'supremely perfect' has known God very intimately.

But in order to realize God, one must assume one of these attitudes: Śānta, Dāsya, sakhya, Vātsalya, or Madhur.  

Śānta, the serene attitude.  The rishis of olden times had this attitude toward God.  They did not desire any worldly enjoyment.  It is like the single-minded devotion of a wife to her husband.  She knows that her husband is the embodiment of beauty and love, a veritable Madan. 

Dāsya, the attitude of a servant toward his master.  Hanuman had this attitude toward Rama.  He felt the strength of a lion when he worked for Rama.  A wife feels this mood also.  She serves her husband with all her heart and soul.  A mother also has a little of this attitude, as Yaśoda had toward Krishna.

Sakhya, the attitude of friendship.  Friends say to one another, 'Come here and sit near me.' Sridāmā and other friends sometimes fed Krishna with fruit, part of which they had already eaten, and sometimes climbed on His shoulders.

Vātsalya, the attitude of a mother toward her child.  This was Yaśoda's attitude toward Krishna.  The wife, too, has a little of this.  She feeds her husband with her very life-blood, as it were.  The mother feels happy only when the child has eaten to his heart's content.  Yaśoda would roam about with butter in her hand, in order to feed Krishna.

Madhur, the attitude of a woman toward her paramour.  Radha had this attitude toward Krishna.  The wife also feels it for her husband.  This attitude includes all the other four."

From the Gospel - 39

M: "How long should a man feel obliged to do his duty toward his wife and children?"

MASTER: "As long as they feel pinched for food and clothing.  But one need not take the responsibility of a son when he is able to support himself.  When the young fledgling learns to pick its own food, its mother pecks it if it comes to her for food."

M: "How long must one do one's duty?"

MASTER: "The blossom drops off when the fruit appears.  One doesn't have to do one's duty after the attainment of God, nor does one feel like doing it then.

If a drunkard takes too much liquor he cannot retain consciousness.  If he takes only two or three glasses, he can go on with his work.  As you advance nearer and nearer to God, He will reduce your activities little by little.  Have no fear. 

Finish the few duties you have at hand, and then you will have peace.  When the mistress of the house goes to bathe after finishing her cooking and other household duties, she won't come back, however you may shout after her."

From the Gospel - 38

In this part, we get the answer to the common query of all householders: "Is it correct to make an effort to earn more money?"

MASTER: "Perform your duties in an unselfish spirit.  The work that Vidyasagar is engaged in is very good.  Always try to perform your duties without desiring any result."

M: "Yes, sir.  But may I know if one can realize God while performing one's duties? Can 'Rama' and 'desire' coexist? The other day I read in a Hindi couplet: 'Where Rama is, there desire cannot be; where desire is, there Rama cannot be.' "

MASTER: "All, without exception, perform work.  Even to chant the name and glories of God is work, as is the meditation of the non-dualist on 'I am He'.  Breathing is also an activity.  There is no way of renouncing work altogether.  So do your work, but surrender the result to God."

M: "Sir, may I make an effort to earn more money?"

MASTER: "It is permissible to do so to maintain a religious family.  You may try to increase your income, but in an honest way.  The goal of life is not the earning of money, but the service of God.  Money is not harmful if it is devoted to the service of God."

Great Spiritual Teachers – Why a life of suffering?

The lives of the ten Sikh Gurus, or the life of Jesus Christ, or Gautham Buddha, or Sri Ramakrishna, or Swami Vivekananda, or any other great saint who attempted to teach the world had always been a life of extreme suffering. We, ordinary humans, may ponder over this fact and enquire, “They lived like us, suffered like us. Why should they be looked upon as partial incarnation of God and hence worshipped as God? How can they show us the way? In which way do they differ from us?” Here is a story to understand the role, the mission, of all our great spiritual gurus (teachers).

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who didn't believe in God but his wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to have faith in God and in the teaching of gurus, despite her husband's disparaging comments.

One dark evening, the farmer’s wife was taking their children to a shrine near the place they lived. She asked him to come along, but as expected he refused. "All that is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to send a part of himself to earth as a man if God is really such a great soul as you say?  That's ridiculous.” So she and the children left, and the farmer stayed home.

A little while later, the winds grew stronger and the darkness turned into a dust storm. As the man looked out of the window, all he saw was a blinding storm with dust taking over everything outside. When he sat down to relax, he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see due to dust filling his eyes.

When the storm settled down a little, he peeped outside to see what could have hit the window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of pigeons.

Apparently, they had been sitting on trees nearby when those poor pigeons got caught in the dust storm and couldn't reach their destination. They were lost and stranded on his farm with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. Probably, a couple of them might have banged into the window. The man felt sorry for those pigeons and wanted to help them. ‘The big store room outside would be a great place for them to stay’, he thought. It will be warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and can wait for a bright morning. So he walked over to the store room and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open store room and go inside. But innocent birds just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice open doors or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some grains, spread them, and made a trail leading to the store. They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward that big store room, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward open doors. Everything he did could not get the birds to go into the room where they would be warm and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed in anger. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm safely?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were also a pigeon, then I could save them," he said loudly.

Then he had an idea. He went into the store, got one of his own domesticated pigeon, and carried it in his hands as he circled around behind the flock of poor storm struck pigeons. He then released it.... His pigeon flew through the flock and straight into the room - and one-by-one, the other pigeons followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier re-played in his mind: "If only I were a pigeon, then I could save them!" 

Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the pigeons – blind, lost, perishing. God sent his messengers who appear like us but they don’t lose their way in the midst of the pain and suffering of this world, since they are His messengers. They live a blemish-free life in spite of their suffering, show us the way, and save us.

As the winds and blinding dust died down, his soul became calm and pondered over this wonderful incident. He understood why Gurus had also lived a life full of struggles and pain. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm.

He fell to his knees in the field, and prayed his first prayer: 
"Thank You, Oh Lord..... Thanks for coming in human form to get me out of the storms of life..."

From the Gospel – 37

MASTER (to M.): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Have you ever seen the spring trap for fish, called the 'satka-kal'?"

M: "No, sir, I haven't seen it."

MASTER: "They use it in our part of the country.  One end of a bamboo pole is fastened in the ground, and the other is bent over with a catch.  From this end a line with a hook hangs over the water, with bait tied to the hook.  When the fish swallows the bait, suddenly the bamboo jumps up and regains its upright position. 

Again, take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga. 

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again.

 The mind of the yogi is always fixed on God, always absorbed in the Self.  You can recognize such a man by merely looking at him.  His eyes are wide open, with an aimless look, like the eyes of the mother bird hatching her eggs.  Her entire mind is fixed on the eggs, and there is a vacant look in her eyes.” 

From the Gospel - 36

MASTER (to M.): "I should like to visit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar a few times more.  The painter first draws the general outlines and then puts in the details and colours at his leisure.  The moulder first makes the image out of clay, then plasters it, then gives it a coat of whitewash, and last of all paints it with a brush.  All these steps must be taken successively.  Vidyasagar is fully ready, but his inner stuff is covered with a thin layer.  He is now engaged in doing good works; but he doesn't know what is within himself.  Gold is hidden within him.  God dwells within us.  If one knows that, one feels like giving up all activities and praying to God with a yearning soul."

The Master talked with M. - now standing, now pacing up and down the long verandah.

MASTER: "A little spiritual discipline is necessary in order to know what lies within."

M: "Is it necessary to practise discipline all through life?"

MASTER: "No.  But one must be up and doing in the beginning.  After that one need not work hard.  The helmsman stands up and clutches the rudder firmly as long as the boat is passing through waves, storms, high wind, or around the curves of a river; but he relaxes after steering through them.  As soon as the boat passes the curves and the helmsman feels a favourable wind, he sits comfortably and just touches the rudder.  Next he prepares to unfurl the sail and gets ready for a smoke.  Likewise, the aspirant enjoys peace and calm after passing the waves and storms of 'woman and gold'.

From the Gospel - 35

MASTER (To Kedār and the other devotees): "God can be realized through all paths.  All religions are true.  The important thing is to reach the roof.  You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.  You can also climb up by a bamboo pole. 

 

You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion.  I should reply: Suppose there are.  Every religion has errors.  Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time.  It is enough to have yearning for God.  It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him: Don't you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul.  Suppose a man has several sons.  The older boys address him distinctly as 'Baba' or 'Papa', but the babies can at best call him 'Ba' or 'Pa'.  Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well.  All children are the same to the father.  Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names.  They call on one Person only.  God is one, but His names are many."

From the Gospel – 34

The Master explained to the devotees the secret of communion with God. 

MASTER: "With the realization of Satchidananda one goes into samādhi.  Then duties drop away.  Suppose I have been talking about the ostad and he arrives.  What need is there of talking about him then? How long does the bee buzz around? So long as it isn't sitting on a flower.  But it will not do for the sadhaka to renounce duties.  He should perform his duties, such as worship, japa, meditation, prayer, and pilgrimage.

If you see someone engaged in reasoning even after he has realized God, you may liken him to a bee, which also buzzes a little even while sipping honey from a flower."

The Master was highly pleased with the ostad's music.  He said to the musician, "There is a special manifestation of God's power in a man who has any outstanding gift, such as proficiency in music."

MUSICIAN: "Sir, what is the way to realize God?"

MASTER: "Bhakti is the one essential thing.  To be sure, God exists in all beings.  Who, then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God.  But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity.  The water of God's grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism.  It runs down.  I am a mere machine.”

From the Gospel – 33

After writing four blogs to highlight the importance of brahmacharya and chastity through the lives of two divine personalities – Sri Krishna and Hanuman, and two disciples of Sri Ramakrishna – Swami Vivekananda, a sanyasin and Nag Mahashay, a householder, we get back to the Gospel (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by M.) to know about the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna regarding this topic, and also tricks to overcome lust and greed.

MASTER (to M. and other devotees): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga.

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' [meaning lust and greed] alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again."

Nag Mahashay – His Humility Accomplished the Impossible

I was reading about Nag Mahashay, a householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna in the book They Lived with God by Swami Chetanananda. When I read the various anecdotes from Nag Mahashay’s life, I was left spellbound. His life is the best example of an ideal householder as defined in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. The utter simplicity of Nag Mahashay and his deep sincerity to his chosen ideal brought out in those anecdotes made me understand that he should be branded as the finest ‘householder-sanyasin’ disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

There is a belief among Hindus that those who bathe in the holy river Ganges during Ardhodaya Yoga (an auspicious day that comes once in 50 years) become free from impurities and ignorance and go to heaven. So, people throng to Calcutta which is located on the bank of Ganges for a bath on the auspicious day. But few days before the auspicious day, Nag Mahashay, who was living in Calcutta, left the city and went to his native village in Deobhog. When his father got furious and shouted, he humbly said, “If a man has true devotion, Mother Ganges reveals Herself in his house.” She indeed did. On the day of Ardhodaya Yoga, a stream of water started gushing from ground in the southeast corner of their courtyard. On seeing the stream, Nag Mahashay bowed to it reverently. Then he poured a little water on his head and prayed, “Victory to Mother Ganges! Mother, purify us.” Word of the mysterious stream spread throughout the village and on that auspicious day, devotees and villagers alike were blessed by bathing in it. Hearing of this episode, Swami Vivekananda commented later, “The wish of a great soul like Nag Mahashay can make the impossible possible.”

Even though Nag Mahashay was a householder, he lived like a sanyasin. He lived with wife and father but was totally unattached to them. Once he told his young wife, “Love on physical plane never lasts. Blessed is he who can love God heart and soul. Take refuge in the Divine Mother and think of Her alone. Your life will be blessed here and hereafter.” His wife Sharatkamini was herself like a nun – very pure, dedicated, and unselfish. She did not try to possess her husband, instead she simply considered herself as his co-pilgrim. She was happy to serve her husband, father-in-law, and later the many devotees who came to their house.

Regarding marriage, Nag Mahashay once said, “Marriage with the pure desire for progeny does not defile a man. But only saints and sages of yore were fit for such marriages. After observing austere brahmacharya [chastity] for many years, they would marry and then, having sons like Vyasa, Sukadeva, Sanaka, and Sanathkumara, they would finally retire to the forest to lead the life of a recluse. But it cannot be so in this Iron Age. Nowadays, people do not have sufficient austerity and self-control, so the children born out of lust become wicked and immoral.”

To Nag Mahashay, all women were veritable manifestations of the Divine Mother. Desire for wealth, progeny, name, and fame simply could not enter his mind. He once observed, “A man can overcome the temptation of gold and diamond through renunciation, but he needs the grace of God to overcome lust. Where there is lust, there is no God; and where God is, there is no lust. As long as your body is burned into ashes, do not be proud of your chastity. No one can escape Maya unless the Divine Mother allows one to pass.”

Without taking monastic vows, Nag Mahashay lived the life of a true monk. Let his life inspire us to pray to the Almighty to protect us from Maya and shield us from lustful temptations.

"Oh God, be always with me so that lust will never come near me."

Swami Vivekananda – Tests Made Him the Best

When I think about brahmacharya, I can’t help thinking about Swami Vivekananda. There might have been many fine men in the past, many may exist now, and lot more may come in the future who may all be categorized as role models of blemish-free brahmacharya. But the qualities that make Swami Vivekananda the best are his burning fire of renunciation and his extreme compassion, love for his fellow beings. In this blog, I will try to bring out both those aspects.

In his early 20s, Narendra (Swami Vivekananda’s pre-monastic name) lost his father who, unfortunately, had left several unsettled debts. As the eldest son of the family, all the responsibility fell on Narendra. Many times he attended classes without having eaten and was often faint with hunger and weakness. In the later years he recalled, “Various temptations came my way. A rich woman sent me an ugly proposal to end my days of penury, which I rejected with scorn. Another woman also made similar overtures to me. I said to her, ‘You have wasted your life seeking the pleasures of flesh. The dark shadows of death are before you. Have you done anything to face that? Give up all these filthy desires and remember God.’”

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda attended the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago and gave his famous speech. Mrs. S.K. Blodgett, an American lady who first saw him at the Parliament said later, “I was at the Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893 and when that young man [Swami Vivekananda] got up and said, ‘Sisters and Brothers of America,’ nearly 7000 people rose to their feet as a tribute to something, they know not what. When it was over, I saw scores of women walking over the benches to get near him, and I said to myself, ‘Well, my lad, if you can resist that onslaught, you are indeed a god.’”

He was indeed able to resist the onslaught and that’s what made him what he was and exactly that’s the reason why we are celebrating his 150th birth anniversary this year, and I am thinking and writing about him today.

Another interesting incident was recalled by Madame Calve. It happened at Cairo in 1900. One day, she was walking with Swami Vivekananda and they lost their way as they were talking too intently. Suddenly, they found themselves in a squalid, ill-smelling street, where half-clad women lolled from windows and sprawled on doorsteps. The swami [Vivekananda] noticed nothing until a particularly noisy group of women on a bench began laughing and calling to him. “Poor children!” he said. “Poor creatures! They have put their divinity in their beauty. Look at them now!” He began to weep. The women were silenced and abashed. One of them leaned forward and kissed the hem of his robe, murmuring brokenly in Spanish, “Hombre de Dios, hombre de Dios! [Man of God].”

When I read the above anecdote in the book God Lived Them by Swami Chetanananda, I wondered, “In Treta Yuga, Lakshman severed the nose of Soorpanaka for making advances to Ram which led to Sita’s abduction, her subsequent suffering, and Ram–Ravan war. But in this Kali Yuga, which is supposed to be the worst Yuga (Age), here is a man who simply shed tears of sympathy at the condition of those women and made them realize their mistake.” Sword kills but tears of compassion (remember, it is not tears of self-pity) could change minds. So, we are indeed living at a better time than Ram and Sita! 

I would like to conclude this blog with the following words of Swami Vivekananda:

“What do I care if Mohammed was a good man, or Buddha! Does that alter my own goodness or evil? Let us be good for own sake on our own responsibility!”

Won’t you agree?

Hanuman – the most beautiful brahmachari

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing.

I read the above lines in a mail today when I switched on the computer to write a blog on Hanuman and his brahmacharya. Those lines are from an Adidas advertisement and it was sent to me with the heading ‘Inspirational’.  I was amazed at the perfect timing of the ‘Inspirational’ mail and the choice of those words. They accurately fit the character of the divine personality on whom I have been meditating and intending to write. I feel as if Hanuman himself provided those words to me.

The epic Ramayan has six chapters – Chapter 1: Bala Kaanda describes the childhood of Sri Ram; Chapter 2: Ayodhya Kaanda talks about the preparations in Ayodhya for Sri Ram’s coronation, Kaikeyi’s plan to stop the event and its subsequent success, and finally the departure of Sri Ram with Sita and Lakshman to forest; Chapter 3: Aranya Kanda describes the life of Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman in the forest, their meeting various sages such as Bharadvaj, etc. and also Sabari; Chapter 4: Kishkinta Kaanda describes the entry of Soorpanaka, severing of her nose by Lakshman, death of her brothers Khar and Dushan at the hands of Sri Ram and Lakshman, abduction of Sita by Ravan, search for Sita by Ram and Lakshman, their meeting Sugreeva and Hanuman, death of Vali, etc.; Chapter 5: Sundara Kanda describes Hanuman crossing the sea and entering Lanka, Sita’s suffering in Asokavan, Hanuman’s meeting with Sita, and finally the exploits of Hanuman such as setting fire to the city, etc.; the last chapter, Chapter 6: Yudha Kaanda describes the Ram–Ravan war, death of Ravan, return of Sri Ram to Ayodhya and His coronation.

Except for the fifth chapter Sundara Kaanda, all other chapters were named according to the main events connected with Sri Ram’s life that occurred in those chapters. What would be the reason for deviating from this rule while naming the fifth chapter? If it is because it does not talk about Sri Ram, it could have been named as Sita Kaanda. Instead, the great sage Valmiki who compiled the epic Ramayan chose to call it Sundara Kaanda. The word ‘sundara’ means ‘beautiful’. Where is beauty in this chapter? The chapter talks about the sufferings of Sita in captivity, how the raakshas (demonish) women guarding Sita were threatening Sita and compelling her to marry Ravan. Tears will well up without our knowledge while reading this chapter. Then, is the title inappropriate?

More than the suffering of Sita, it is the power of Hanuman, his courage, his faith in the name of Ram, his unselfish motive and, above all, his purity – the beauty of his Shudha Brahmacharya – the most dominating aspect of this chapter. The beauty of shudha brahmacharya surpasses all other forms of beauty and this must be the reason why sage Valmiki named this chapter as Sundara Kaanda.

Who else other than Hanuman would have dared to cross the sea between India and Sri Lanka by a single long jump? Even after He proved that it is possible, neither Sri Ram nor Lakshman gave a try but rather built a bridge to cross the sea!

Let us meditate more on that purity and let us aspire more for that purity. It will make us fearless and give us the courage to accomplish the impossible.

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari

A couple of days ago, I was browsing the internet, searching for the spelling of ‘Bhagavatam’, when the following information caught my attention: according to Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Sri Krishna ruled over the kingdom of Dwarka and he had 16,000 wives and expanded himself 16,000 times to live as an example of a perfect householder.

We look upon Gods as role models, who led their life in such a way as to set examples for ordinary humans. I am a Hindu and, naturally, whenever people confronted me with the question, “What kind of God is your God who had so many wives?”, I used to feel unhappy. I used to wonder within me whether such a thing can ever be justified.

A few days ago, I got the answer. Lord Sri Krishna might have had 16,000 wives, but he was an Akanda Brahmachari. This He declares in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

People highlight the statement in Srimad Bhagavatam but they ignore (or hide) Sri Krishna’s own statement. When Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthaama releases an arrow from his bow with a curse that it should kill all the Pandava children, Lord Sri Krishna vows to save the unborn child in Uthara’s (Abhimanyu’s wife) womb. Sri Krishna declares, “If there is any truth in the fact that I am an Akanda Brahmachari, may Uthara’s child be saved from the wrath of Ashwatthaama.”

The child was indeed saved, who grew up to become King Parikshit.  

This was conveyed in a talk rendered by Swami Purushothamananda, many years ago. I was fortunate enough to hear the recorded version of the talk recently.

Now that I know the truth, I don’t have any more doubts about the divinity or purity of Lord Sri Krishna. I also understood how little I know about Hindu Gods.

Only a man (I mean God) of such great purity could have given the immortal song celestial Bhagavad Gita. All power is in preserving one’s purity.  

More on this purity aspect in my next blog…

P.S. If you found this blog interesting, you may read Part 2 and Part 3 of this blog:

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari: Part 2.

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari: Part 3.


  

From the Gospel - 32

MASTER (to Vidyasagar): "Go forward.  A wood-cutter once entered a forest to gather wood.  A brahmachari said to him, 'Go forward.' He obeyed the injunction and discovered some sandal-wood trees.  After a few days he reflected, 'The holy man asked me to go forward.  He didn't tell me to stop here.' So he went forward and found a silver-mine.  After a few days he went still farther and discovered a gold-mine, and next, mines of diamonds and precious stones.  With these he became immensely rich.

Through selfless work, love of God grows in the heart.  Then, through His grace one realizes Him in course of time.  God can be seen.  One can talk to him as I am talking to you."

From the Gospel - 31

MASTER (to Vidyasagar): "The more you come to love God, the less you will be inclined to perform action.  When the daughter-in-law is with child, her mother-in-law gives her less work to do.  As time goes by she is given less and less work.  When the time of delivery nears, she is not allowed to do any work at all, lest it should hurt the child or cause difficulty at the time of birth.

By these philanthropic activities you are really doing good to yourself.  If you can do them disinterestedly, your mind will become pure and you will develop love of God.  As soon as you have that love you will realize Him.

Man cannot really help the world.  God alone does that - He who has created the sun and the moon, who has put love for their children in parents' hearts, endowed noble souls with compassion, and holy men and devotees with divine love.  The man who works for others, without any selfish motive, really does good to himself.

There is gold buried in your heart, but you are not yet aware of it.  It is covered with a thin layer of clay.  Once you are aware of it, all these activities of yours will lessen.  After the birth of her child, the daughter-in-law in the family busies herself with it alone.  Everything she does is only for the child.  Her mother-in-law doesn't let her do any household duties.” 

From the Gospel - 30

MASTER: "What is needed is absorption in God - loving Him intensely.  The 'Nectar Lake' is the Lake of Immortality.  A man sinking in It does not die, but becomes immortal.  Some people believe that by thinking of God too much the mind becomes deranged; but that is not true.  God is the Lake of Nectar, the Ocean of Immortality.  He is called the 'Immortal' in the Vedas.  Sinking in It, one does not die, but verily transcends death.

  
Of little use are worship, oblations, or sacrifice.  

If a man comes to love God, he need not trouble himself much about these activities.  One needs a fan only as long as there is no breeze.  The fan may be laid aside if the southern breeze blows.  Then what need is there of a fan?”

(To Vidyasagar) "The activities that you are engaged in are good.  It is very good if you can perform them in a selfless spirit, renouncing egotism, giving up the idea that you are the doer.  Through such action one develops love and devotion to God, and ultimately realizes Him. “