Shri Ramakrishna's Experiments - 3

[Guest guest]

As the last spiritual discipline, which was to

prove unity of existence that would go beyond and as a

culmination of dualism, Sri Ramakrishna undertook sadhana of

Advaita Monism under the Teachership of Tota Puri. This

great Yogi who had realized the highest Truth of unity

of Atman and Brahman came to Sri Ramakrishna at the

'behest of Ma Kali' as Sri Ramakrishna would put it. The

guru encouraged Ramakrishna to go beyond dualism, even

to 'annihilate the idea of Mother Kali' from his

consciousness. Reluctantly, though, taking as an ordained

directive from the Mother, Sri Ramakrishna with the power

of discrimination and renunciation went beyond Her

Form, his most coveted landmark or 'picnic spot' on the

spiritual path. <br>This was the highest degree of

discrimination and renunciation. The resultant non-dual

experience where 'there is no pleasure or pain, where one

does not taste the sweetness of sugar but becomes

sugar itself' was not possible even for Sri Ramakrishna

to describe in words. From here the mind with

language return empty-handed. The result was acquisition

of such knowledge, which lifts a human being to the

level of Brahman, and does not require certification

from any else. It also emphasizes the fact that one

cannot become what one already is not, or one becomes

That what one already Is! Thus, Sri Ramakrishna showed

mankind its true divine nature. <br><br>What next! For

most souls who merge with Absolute there is no 'coming

back'. Unique and rare is the tradition of a few who

live as 'free souls' (Jeevan Mukta) to which Sri

Ramakrishna belonged. This highest possible stage in human

evolution was telescoped into his short span of fifty

years. As Romain Rolland puts it, "The man whose image I

evoke was the consummation of two thousand years of

spiritual life of three hundred million people."

[Guest guest]

"Zen is like soap. First you wash with it, and then you wash off the

soap."<br><br>Yamako Tesshu

[Guest guest]

The mails are real illuminators, thanx Baburoy.

<br>Would you mind if I prefer to exclude Sri Ramakrishna

from the Jeevan Mukta group. Not that he did not

possess the qualities of Jeevan Mukta but that putting

him in that group would rather undermine what he was.

He is an Avatar, much above Jeevan Muktas.<br>Jeevan

Muktas do return to the world even after illumination

and that is why we call them so. The disciples of

Ramakrishna could be more appropiately put to that group,

except Swami Vivekananda who came specially on request

of Sri Ramakrishna.<br>Carry on posting on Sri

Ramakrishna, the mails will be the guiding star for true

seekers. Expecting more on Sri Sarada Devi and Swami

Vivekananda. May He be with you.