The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - 11

[Guest guest]

• After coming down from samadhi, one sees that it is God

Himself who has become the universe, the living beings, and all that

exists.

 

• Only through great tapasya and good fortune does one acquire

these three things: a human birth, the desire for liberation, and

refuge with a great soul (Sankaracharya).

 

• One must pant and pine for God; only then may one have the

vision of Him.

 

• It seems to me that men and other living beings are made of

leather and that it is God Himself who, dwelling inside these leather

cases, moves the hands, the feet, the heads.

 

• Suffering is inevitable when one assumes a human body.

 

• 'Woman' (lust) and 'gold' (greed) are the 'maya of

ignorance'. Knowledge, renunciation, devotion, and other spiritual

qualities are the splendours of the 'maya of knowledge'.

 

• When one realizes Svarupa, the true nature of one's Self, one

attains a state that is something between asti - 'is', and nasti -

'is not'.

 

• The experience of a Buddha is beyond both 'existence'

and 'non-existence'.

 

• One truly realizes God if one performs one's worldly duties

in a detached spirit, if one lives in the world after realizing that

everything is illusory.

 

• Those who regretfully renounce the world belong to an

inferior class.

 

• A man of true renunciation never speaks about anything but

God.

 

• A man needs God's grace to fix his whole mind on Him.

 

• When one develops love of God, one needs nothing else.

 

• They alone make good use of their money who spend it for the

worship of God or in the service of holy men and devotees. Their

money bears fruit.

 

• It is very necessary for women to be modest.

 

• As long as 'I-consciousness' exists, one should assume the

servant-and-master relationship with God.