Sri Ramakrishna Daily Sutras

[Guest guest]

--\

----

The devotees seated in the room looked at Sri Ramakrishna as he began

to chant the sweet name of the Divine Mother. After the chanting he

began to pray. What was the need of prayer to a soul in constant

communion with God? Did he not rather want to teach erring mortals how

to pray? Addressing the Divine Mother, he said, " O Mother, I throw

myself on Thy mercy; I take shelter at Thy Hallowed Feet. I do not

want bodily comforts; I do not crave name and fame; I do not seek the

eight occult powers. Be gracious and grant that I may have pure love

for Thee, a love unsmitten by desire, untainted by any selfish ends —

a love craved by the devotee for the sake of love alone. And grant me

the favour, O Mother, that I may not be deluded by Thy

world-bewitching maya, that I may never be attached to the world, to

'woman and gold', conjured up by Thy inscrutable maya! O Mother, there

is no one but Thee whom I mav call my own. Mother, I do not know how

to worship; I am without austerity; I have neither devotion nor

knowledge. Be gracious, Mother, and out of Thy infinite mercy grant me

love for Thy Lotus Feet. "

 

--\

----

 

Excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Swami Nikhilananda Pub

1944) Vol 2: With the Devotees in Calcutta: March 11, 1885