Sri Ramakrishna's truthfulness

[Guest guest]

NAMASTE

 

I will be sending, twice week, a thought or experience of Sri Ramakrishna,

Holy Mother, Swamiji, and the Apostles. When the birthdays of other spiritual

giants come around, I'll mail out relevant quotes and experiences from their

lives.

 

Truthfulness and Truth itself is the fundamental pillar by which spirituality

is supported. Here is something on Sri Ramakrishna's devotion to

truthfulness.

 

Sri Ramakrishna used to say: " The virtue of truthfulness is most important.

If a man always speaks truth and tenaciously holds to truth he will realize

God; for God is Truth. I prayed to the Divine Mother saying: 'Mother, here

is knowledge, here is ignorance - take them both and give me pure love for

You. Her is purity, here is impurity - take them both and give me pure love

for You. Here is good, here is evil- take them both and give me pure love

for You.' But I could not say, 'here is truth, here is untruth.'

" If I give up truthfulness in this way, " said the Master, " how can I

keep the truth that I have offered everything to the Mother of the universe? "

One of the many events in Sri Ramakrishna's life that exemplify his

devotion to truthfulness is the following: The master had gone to one of his

devotees' houses, Shambhu Mallick. Sri Ramakrishna was having stomach

trouble so Shambhu suggested that he take some opium from him and take a

little everyday to get rid of the condition. They then conversed about

spiritual matters and so, the Master left the house. He had totally

forgotten the opium and so he turned back to Shambhu's house. But, Shambhu

had left the house just before. So, the Master asked the manager of the

house for the opium and went on his way. As he was walking the road became

very hazy and blurry, and his legs could not move forward as if they were

paralyzed. He came back again to the house and tried to walk forward again

but he could not. He thought and remembered that Shambhu had told him to

take the opium from him, but instead he took it from the manager and that too

without Shambhu's knowledge. He realized that the Divine Mother would not

let him take a false step even in the slightest degree. So, he went to a

window of the compound and threw the packet of opium inside saying, " Hullo,

here is your opium! " He then proceeded on his way with no weight on his mind.

 

This utmost devotion to truthfulness is an extremely rare thing. Let us all

be inspired by Sri Ramakrishna's truthfulness concerning even such trifling

matters and let us work to even eliminate white lies and practice

truthfulness in thought word and deed.

 

Hari Om

 

-Om Lala