.BEST COLLECTION OF RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHANSA ( PART -6) 624. Jesus Christ was one day walking along the seashore when a devotee approached him and asked him, Lord, how can one attain God ? Jesus directly walked into the sea with the enquirer and immersed him in the water. After a short time he released him, and raising him by the arm, asked him, How did you feel ? The devotee replied, I felt as though my last moment had come—the condition was desperate. Upon this Jesus said, You shall see the Father when your heart wants for Him as it has wanted for a breath of air just now.1 630. In this age of Kali three days ardent yearning to see God is enough for a man to obtain Divine grace 632. Verily, I tell you, he who wants Him finds Him. Go and verify it in your own life. Try for three days, try with genuine zeal, and you are sure to succeed. 633. Pray to the Divine Mother, begging Her to give you unswerving Love and adamantine faith 636. The child said, Mother dear, wake me up when I shall be hungry. The mother replied, Darling hunger itself will awaken you. 638. As long as the spiritual aspirant calls on the Lord with mere lip-prayers—Come, O Lord —the Lord will not appear 651. Bhagavan (the Lord), Bhagavata (His word or scripture) and Bhakta (devotee) are all one and the same. 654. A patient in high fever and excessively thirsty imagines that he can drink a sea of water; but when the fever subsides and he regains his normal temperature, he can barely take a single cupful of water and his thirst is easily quenched with even a very small quantity of it. So a man, being under the feverish excitement of Maya and forgetful of his own littleness, imagines that he can receive the whole of the Infinite God within his heart, but when the illusion passes away, a single ray of Divine light becomes sufficient to flood him with the eternal bliss of God. 660. The truly pious man gives three-fourths of his mind to God; only the remaining one-fourth he gives to the world 669. Does the Lord care for all the wealth that one may offer him? Oh, no! His grace lights on him alone who offers Him love and devotion. What He values are only love and devotion, discrimination and renunciation for His sake, 682. So long as no breeze is blowing, we fan ourselves to alleviate heat; but when the breeze begins to blow, giving relief to all men, rich and poor alike, we give up fanning. We should ourselves persevere to reach our final goal so long as there is no help from above; but when fortunately that help comes to one, one might stop toiling, otherwise not 685. God never appears in the heart of him whq thinks himself to be the doer, 687. Who is whose Guru (spiritual guide and teacher) ? God alone is the guide and Guru of the universe 695. If you are in right earnest to learn the mysteries of God, He will send you the Sadguru, the right teacher. You need not trouble yourself about finding out a Guru. 710. When Bhagavan Ramachandra came into this world, only twelve sages recognised that He was an Incarnation of God. So when God incarnates in this world, only a few recognise His divine nature. 717. Do you seek God? Then seek Him in man. His divinity is manifest more in man than in any other object. Look around for a man whose heart overflows with the love of God, a man who lives, moves and has his being in God—a man intoxicated with His love. In such a man God manifests Himself. 731. Those who come with the Avataras are either souls who are eternally free, or who are born for the last time 741. Knowledge leads to unity : ignorance to diversity 743. Jnana Yoga is exceedingly difficult in this age of Kali. 748. It is a rare thing—this love of God. Bhakti can arise only when there is whole-hearted devotion to God such as that of a chaste wife to her husband. Pure Bhakti is very difficult to obtain. Through Bhakti the mind and soul must be absorbed in God. Then comes Bhava (the higher form of Bhakti). In Bhava a man becomes speechless, his breath is stilled and the Kumbhaka (suspension of breath in Yoga practice) sets in of itself, just as, when-one shoots at an aim, one becomes speechless and the breath is stopped. 757. In the path of Bhakti, self-control comes of itself—and it comes very easily. 758. He needs no devotional practices whose heart is moved to tears at the mere mention of the name of God. 768. The Sattvic devotee performs his devotions in secret. 770. These are the stages of Sadhana (devotional practice) for the purification of the soul: (1) Sadhu-sanga or the company of holy men; (2) Sraddha or faith in, and devotion to things relating to the Spirit; (3) Nishtha or single-minded devotion to ones ideal; (4) Bhakti or intense love of God; (5) Bhava or the state of speechless absorption in the thought of God; and (6) Mahabhava—When Bhava is intensified, it is called Mahabhava. The devotee sometimes laughs and sometimes weeps like a mad man. He has completely conquered the flesh and has no consciousness of his body. This stage is not generally attained by ordinary souls but by Mahapurushas or Incarnations of God only. (7) Prema or the most intense love of God. It goes hand in hand with Mahabhava. The two marks of this stage are: first, forgetfulness of the world ; second, forgetfulness of self, which includes ones own body. This brings the devotee face to face with God, and he thus attains the goal of life. 772. There is the kind of Bhakti which is called Vaidhi-bhakti (devotion as enjoined by the scriptures). Repeating the name of God a certain number of times, fasting on certain occasions, making pilgrimages to certain shrines, worshipping with certain articles—these and other observances constitute Vaidhi-bhakti. Practice of this for a long time leads one to the higher aspect of devotion known as Raga-bhakti. Love is the one thing needful. Worldly ideas must go away completely ; the mind should be set on Him in all its sixteen annas (i.e., wholly) and only then you can reach Him. Without Raga-bhakti one cannot attain Him. 774. Prema or ecstatic Love comes not before the realisation of God. 777. The stage of devotion called Bhava (speechless absorption in God) is like an unripe mango; Prema or ecstatic Love is like the ripe fruit 791. Pure Knowledge and pure Love are both one and the same.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 03:11:24 +0000
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