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Sri Ramakrishna
Mahendra Nath Gupta (M.)
These reminiscences have been culled from the Bengali book: Sri Ma-Darshan, (1st Edition, by Swami Nityatmananda, published by General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata) and printed in the June 2000 issue of Udbodhan from where it has been translated into English by Sri Indranil Chatterjee & another, and is being published here with the kind permission of the publishers.
Sri Ramakrishna used to say that one has to listen to the scriptures directly from the Guru. Whatever little we have understood is because of his holy company. Scriptures speak of the grades of competency.
In the present context, 'Guru' means an Avatara or Incarnation of God. God Himself takes the form of human being and comes to the earth to expound the scriptures, as in the case of Sri Ramakrishna.
Those who do not get such an opportunity may read the scriptures, if they so desire. But they must verify this with the Avatara's words. Whatever is in tune should be taken and the rest discarded. The Master used to say rightly, 'The scriptures are like a mixture of sand and sugar. One has to be like an ant to take only the sugar out of it.' And this is possible only for the Guru--the Avatara.
What is the purpose of studying scriptures? It is to know that the foremost goal of human life is to realize God. If this realization comes by having faith in the Guru's words, then why should one study the scriptures at all ? That is because, if one cannot have faith in Guru's words, one must listen to the scriptures right from Guru's mouth. The Master used to say, 'It is better to listen than to read and even better to see than to listen.' If this is so easy, why should one exert unnecessarily ? One afternoon, a devotee asked the Master, 'What is the way?' He answered at once, 'Faith in Guru's words.'
Most of the people study scriptures to become a scholar. This helps them to earn a livelihood as well as name and fame. Some, however, study this as a support to realize God. Scriptures have two sides--the literary meaning and the underlying significance. Those who aspire for God-realization, grasp the inner significance. ...
The Chhandogya Upanishad refers to Narada. ... He had mastered all branches of knowledge--anthropology, botany, geology, eschatology and many more subjects, but could not find peace in the mind. Being upset, he approached the sage Sanatkumara and said, 'Sir, I have heard from the rishis that peace can be attained by acquiring knowledge. But, why, having acquired the knowledge of so many subjects, I do not find peace of mind?' Sanatkumara said, 'My dear, you have acquired the literal meaning of the scriptures, which cannot give peace of mind. Peace of mind can be achieved by assimilating the real purport of the scriptures.' Narada, on the advice of the rishi, attained the knowledge of Brahman and got peace of mind.
The Master, could hear Anahata-dhvani (a subtle unstruck sound) at midnight. All external sounds are created by friction. (M. struck the floor by his hand and said:) This is what is called Ahata-dhvani (struck sound). This is produced with the help of air, earth, striking, etc. Anahata sound is not like this. The Anahata sound is Brahman; it is present always-Yogis hear it. The knowledge of such unstruck sound is the knowledge of Brahman. This is the connotation. Proceeding with the help of sound one can reach Brahman in the end.
Pointing to the superficial knowledge of scholars, the Master said, 'Hawks and vultures soar very high in the sky, but their eyes are always fixed on the carrion-ground. Here 'carrion-ground' refers to creature comforts represented by lust and gold.
[This section has been culled from Sri Ma-Darshan, 1st Edition, by Swami Nityatmananda, published by General Printers and Publishers (Pvt.) Ltd., Kolkata, p.14:64-66; hereafter cited as Darshan.]
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(14th February 1926. Sri Ramakrishnadev's Birthday Celebration at Belur Math)
Only a few people gathered at Dakshineswar on the first birthday celebration of The Master. Kedarbabu arranged it. Now thousands of people join. The Master himself had forecast this. Today is a day for celebration. Everyone's face beams with delight, and why not? God himself has come down as man. It is only the other day that he left us. The air is still filled with his fragrance. This over-flowing joy is due to his advent. The Master himself gave hints to his devotees that this would happen. Whenever an Avatara or incarnation comes on the earth, such a stream of joy starts flowing.
Hence Jesus Christ said, 'Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them?' Do those who accompany the bridegroom ever mourn? No, because they are the companions of the bridegroom; they rejoice. We are comparing with the companions of an Avatara, because Christ was an Avatara. This Christ is now the Master. The Master one day said to me, 'Christ, Gauranga and I are one.'
As long as one can stay in the holy company of an Avatara, one enjoys uninterrupted joy. Adverse times and sufferings come with his passing away. Verily, we forgot about the world for those five years in his company. There was only joy with him. After his departure, we oscillate between joy and misery. [Darshan, 16:28-9]
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(At the Passing Away of Swami Brahmananda, on the Description of His Room at Belur Math:)
The living rooms of great men keep alive their thoughts. The impression of their holy thoughts and high spiritual moods continues there. What a great soul was Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, the spiritual son of the Master! If you enter the room of an ordinary person, you will have a different feeling, a lowly indigent feeling of worldliness. The Master used to say, 'If you peep into the hole of a fox, you will only get some animal's tail, etc., whereas you will get costly gems in a lion's den.' 'Tail etc.' means base taste, worldly desires and enjoyments, and 'costly gems' means Divine disposition. [Darshan, 14:272]
Religious austerity is very important. Without austerity and spiritual practices, how can one have control over enemies like lust, anger, etc.? Therefore, the Master said, 'I regard scholars without discrimination and renunciation like dry straws.' Once, an elderly pundit performed Kali Puja at Kamarpukur. We were all present there. The pundit asked, 'I heard that you are an educated man. How come you have become a disciple of Gadai? Gadai has never studied any kind of scripture.' At this, we replied with a few teachings we had heard from The Master. I told, 'We heard from the Master, "Hawks and vultures soar very high, but their eyes are always fixed on the carrion site, that is, lust and gold." "I am not interested in the mere worldly-minded scholars!" "I look upon the scholars without discrimination and renunciation as dry straws!"' Later on, I heard that thereafter, this pundit became a devotee of the Master. [Darshan, 14:66]
The Master was more concerned with the welfare of the householders. The ways he devised for them are: To try to convert their houses into ashramas; to look upon their near and dear ones as the forms of God and serve Narayana in them through service. With this, to always keep the company of renunciates, and serve them. By their company and service we will realize that having renounced everything they are holding on to God. This will inspire us to remain in the household by taking refuge in God.
The Master told one of his devotees (M.) on the day of his second visit, 'Serve all your family members as if you are serving God. Outwardly, show them that they are so near and dear to you but in the heart of hearts, remember that neither they belong to you nor do you belong to them. God alone is their as well as your own.'
Truly, God belongs to all of us. Man often forgets this by His enchanting maya. He thinks that parents, brothers, friends and relatives are all his own. By His grace he comes to understand that in fact no one belongs to him except God. Those who happened to be our own in the previous birth have not come along with us. And those who are regarded as our own in this birth will not go along with us after the death of this body. God alone remains with us at the time of our birth and shall be with us after death. How long does He remain with us? Until the lost child comes back to his own home, that means, the soul gets liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
How is it? An angry child has gone out of the house; has forsaken food; is insisting that he will drown himself in water. Then the mother runs after the child and persuades him to return home. Even so, God travels with the jiva in all his different births. But He remains unattached. [Darshan, 13:137-8]
Indeed, how little do we understand God's work? From the very beginning, the Master had put me into the habit of writing a diary. I have kept on writing diary (daily accounts of where I had been, what I did, etc.) continuously since 1867 when I was a third standard student of Hare School and finally in 1882, I had the opportunity of meeting the Master. Then the habit of writing diary became useful. In retrospect, when I look back into my past life, it becomes clear that he is making me do everything. Each individual's respective duty is pre-determined by him and he makes them perform it accordingly. Otherwise, why did he choose me from among many others to write the diary? That is how this book (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) could be published. Fifteen years of hard apprenticeship was required. It helped me a lot; it made my memory sharp and improved the art of writing. I used to recall whatever had happened in the last six to seven hours, in fact, the whole day's incidents used to flash in the mind one after the other at night. Such was the Master's training. I used to remember even the first line of the songs one by one. [Darshan, 1:13]
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