Sri RamaKrishna says Sense of I vanishes at the approach of Divine wisdom

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Each attribute limits the soul and modifies its nature. He who dresses

smartly will naturally sing love songs, play cards and carry a cane, and

such things will appeal to him. If you have a pencil in your hand, you will

unconsciously scribble on anything; such is the power of the pencil. Money

has great power. When a man becomes wealthy his nature is entirely changed. He

is a different being. A poor Brahmin, for instance, used to come here. He

was very humble. He lived on the other side of the Ganges. One day as I was

landing from a boat, I saw him sitting at the riverside. Seeing me, he

shouted in a disrespectful tone, " Hello! is it you, my good fellow? "

Immediately I understood by his manner that he had got hold of some money,

otherwise he would not dare to address me thus.

 

A toad had a Rupee in its hole. An elephant was coming that way and passed

over the hole. The toad was very angry; it came out and was about to kick

the elephant, saying: " How darest thou pass over me? " Such is the power of

wealth! It makes one so egotistic. This sense of " I, " however, vanishes at

the approach of Divine wisdom, which leads to super-consciousness (Samadhi)

and eventually to God-consciousness. But it is very difficult to acquire

this Divine wisdom. [p. 53]

 

You may cut the branches of a fig-tree to-day, but to-morrow you will see

that new twigs are sprouting. If this sense of " I " will not leave, then let

it stay as the servant of God. " O God! Thou art my Lord, I am Thy servant! "

Think in this way: " I am His servant, I am His Bhakta, devotee. " There is no

harm in this kind of " I. " Sweet things cause dyspepsia and acidity, but

crystallized sugar-candy is harmless. The path of wisdom is very difficult.

It cannot be followed so long as the sense of " I " is connected with the

body. In this age the consciousness of the body and the sense of " I " cannot

be overcome easily. [p. 56]

 

But in the path of devotion, through prayer and the repetition of His Holy

Name with extreme longing, God can be reached without fail. Devotee:

Bhagavan, dost Thou teach us to renounce the worldly " I " and not the sense

of the servant " I " ? Ramakrishna: Yes, the servant " I " or " I am the servant

of God, " " I am His devotee, " this egoism is not bad but on the contrary it

helps us to realize God. Devotee: Bhagavan, does he who has the sense of the

servant " I " possess passion and anger? Ramakrishna: If this attitude of a

servant be genuine and perfect, then passion and anger will drop off leaving

only a scar in the mind. This " I " of a Bhakta or devotee does no harm to any

living creature. It is like a sword which, after touching the Philosopher's

Stone, is turned to gold. The sword retains the same form but it cannot cut

or injure anyone. The dry leaves of the cocoanut-tree drop off in the wind,

leaving a mark on the trunk; that mark proves that there was a leaf there at

one time. Similarly, the scar of the sense of " I " remains in the mind of one

who has realized God, but his whole nature is transformed into that of an

innocent child. [p. 57]

 

The mind may be compared to a needle. If a needle be covered with thick mud,

it is not attracted by the magnet; but when the mud is washed off, the

magnet attracts it. [Power of repentance] Similarly, when the mind is

covered with the mud of worldliness, it does not feel the attraction of the

Lord; but whosoever repents, saying: " O Lord, I shall never again commit

such an act, " and sheds tears of true repentance, washes off all impurities

and the magnet of the Lord then attracts the needle of the mind. Instantly

super-consciousness comes and is followed by God-vision.[p. 60]

 

Source: THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA Revised by SWAMI ABHEDANANDA

 

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Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram

 

Love And Love Alone