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The quotes of Ramakrishna

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T he Divine Mother revealed to me in the Kali temple that was She who had become everything. She showed me everything was full of Consciousness. The image was Consciousness, the altar was Consciousness, the water-vessels Consciousness, the door-sill was Consciousness, the marble floor was Consciousness -- all was Consciousness. I found everything inside the room soaked, as It were, in Bliss,

Bliss of God. I saw a wicked man in front of the Kali temple; but in him also I saw the power of the Divine Mother vibrating. That was why I fed a cat with the food that was to be offered to the Divine Mother. I clearly perceived that all this was the Divine Mother-even the cat.

quote 3875 | Ramakrishna
Nikhilananda, 1942; pp. 15-16

I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered with a great restlessness and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly my glance fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother's temple. I determined to put an end to -my -life. When I jumped -up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific Poise, to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world I did not know; but within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother.

quote 3874 | Ramakrishna
Nikhilananda, 1942; pp. 13-14

T here is the saying: "I don't want to become sugar; I want to eat it." I never feel like saying, "I am Brahman." I say, "Thou art my Lord and I am Thy servant." My desire is to sing God's name and glories. It is very good to look on God as the Master and on oneself as His servant. Further, you see, people speak of the waves as belonging to the Ganges; but no one says that the Ganges belongs to the waves. The feeling "I am He" is not wholesome… He deceives himself as well as others. He cannot understand his own state of mind.

quote 3200 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, pp. 230-231

I saw the visions described in the scriptures. Sometimes I saw the universe filled with sparks of fire. Sometimes I saw all the quarters glittering with light, as if the world were a lake of mercury. Sometimes I saw the world as if made of liquid silver. Sometimes again, I saw all the quarters illumined as if with the light of Roman candles.

quote 3198 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 333

W hen I was ten or eleven years old … I first experienced samadhi. There are certain characteristics of God-vision. One sees light, feels joy, and experiences the upsurge of a great current in one's chest, like the bursting of a rocket.

quote 3197 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 218

V ijay:
Sir, why are we bound like this? Why don't we see God?
Ramakrishna:
Maya is nothing but the egotism of the embodied soul. This egotism has covered everything like a veil. "All troubles come to an end when the ego dies." If by God's grace a man but once realizes that he is not the doer, then he at once becomes a jivanmukta: though living in the body, he is liberated. He has nothing else to fear.
This maya, that is to say, the ego, is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of a thin patch of cloud; when that disappears one sees the sun. If by the guru's grace one's ego vanishes, then one sees God.

quote 3196 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, pp. 226-227

B rahmo devotee:
Is spiritual knowledge impossible without a guru?
Ramakrishna:
Satchidananda alone is the Guru. If a man in the form of a guru awakens spiritual consciousness in you, then know for certain that it is God the Absolute who has assumed that human form for your sake. The guru is like a companion who leads you by the hand. After realizing God, one loses the distinction between the guru and the disciple. The relationship between them remains as long as the disciple does not see God.

quote 3195 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 253

R amakrishna:
The roof is clearly visible, but extremely hard to reach.
Narendra:
Yes sir.
Ramakrishna:
But if someone who has already reached it drops down a rope, he can pull another person up.

quote 3194 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 488

H ave faith in the guru's words, and work. If you have no guru, then pray to God with a longing heart. He will let you know what He is like.

quote 3193 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 352

B e His servant, surrender yourself to Him, and then pray to Him.

quote 3192 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 159 (p. 159)

G od has put you in the world. What can you do about it? Resign everything to Him. Surrender yourself at His feet. Then there will be no more confusion.

quote 3191 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 353

D evotee:
How can I develop love for God"
Ramakrishna:
Repeat His name, and sins will disappear. Thus you will destroy lust, anger, the desire for creature comforts, and so on.
Devotee:
How can I take delight in God's name?
Ramakrishna:
Pray to God with a yearning heart that you may take delight in His name. He will certainly fulfil your heart's desire.

quote 3190 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 246

G od has made different religions and creeds to suit different aspirants.

quote 3189 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 316

T he way of love is as good as the way of knowledge… But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love.

quote 3188 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 156

T hose who cannot give up attachment to worldly things and who find no means to shake off the feeling of I, should rather cherish the idea, "I am God's servant; I am His devotee." One can also realize God by following the path of devotion.

quote 3187 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 155

I t will be very good if you can practise unselfish love for God. A man who has such love says: "O Lord, I do not seek salvation, fame, wealth, or cure of disease. None of these do I seek. I want only Thee." Many are the people who come to a rich man with various desires. But if someone comes to him simply out of love, not wanting any favour, then the rich man feels attracted to him.

quote 3186 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 284

T here is a great deal of difference between daya, compasion, and maya, attachment. Daya is good, but maya is not. Maya is love for one's relatives -- one's wife, children, brother, sister, nephew, father, and mother. But daya is the same love for all created beings without any distinction.

quote 3185 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 266

I ask people to renounce mentally. I do not ask them to give up the world. If one lives unattached and seeks God with sincerity, then one is able to attain Him

quote 3184 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, pp. 338-339

L esson of the Gita is: "O man, renounce everything and seek God alone." Whether a man is a monk or a householder, he has to shake off all attachment from his mind.

quote 3183 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 157

I f there are no desires, the mind naturally looks up toward God.

quote 3182 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 346

N o salvation is possible for a man as long as he has desire, as long as he hankers for worldly things.

quote 3181 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 325

E veryone can attain Knowledge. There are two entities: jivatma, the individual soul, and Paramatma, the Supreme Soul. Through prayer all individual souls can be united to the Supreme Soul.

quote 3180 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 247

K eshab:
Sir, if one gave up the I, nothing whatsoever would remain.
Ramakrishna:
I am not asking you to give up all of the I. You should give up only the "unripe I." The "unripe I" makes one feel: "I am the doer. These are my wife and children. I am a teacher." Renounce this "unripe I" and keep the "ripe I" which will make you feel that you are God's servant, His devotee, and that God is the Doer and you are His instrument.

quote 3179 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, pp. 266-267

T he ego is like a stick that seems to divide the water in two. It makes you feel that you are one and I am another. When the ego disappears in samadhi one realizes Brahman as one's own inner consciousness.

quote 3178 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 284

G irish:
Narendra says that God is beyond our words and thought.
Ramakrishna:
That is not altogether true. He is, no doubt, unknowable by this ordinary mind, but He can indeed be known by the pure mind. The mind and intellect become pure the moment they are free from attachment…

quote 3177 | Ramakrishna
Mahendranath Gupta. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Trans. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942, 1948, 1958, p. 372

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