Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

Can one find God in the sacred books? By reading the scriptures one may feel at the most that God exists. But God does not reveal Himself to a man unless he himself dives deep.Only after such a plunge, after the revelation of God through His grace, is one's doubt destroyed. You. may read scriptures by the thousands and recite thousands of texts; but unless you plunge into God with yearning of heart, you will not comprehend Him. By mere scholarship you may fool man, but not God.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

Do you know what that means? People like the author of this book believe that knowledge is impossible without the study of books. They think that first comes the
knowledge of books and then comes the knowledge of God. In order to know God one must read books!
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[eranilkumarsinha]

"but unless you plunge into God with yearning of heart, you will not comprehend Him. By mere scholarship you may fool man, but not God."

Dear Sri Ravi,
Pranam,

Sri Bhagwan has also said that if there is yearning in the heart, Realisation will be forced upon you whether you desire it or not.

Thanks very much, sir.

Pranam,
  Anil

[Ravi.N]

Longing is like the rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Tusnim,

Sri Bhagavan has said this in Talks No. 256. This yearning for liberation is called Subechha, the first of the 7 Jnana Bhoomkis.

Arunachala Siva. 

[Ravi.N]

'Woman and gold' alone is maya. If maya is once recognized, it feels ashamed of itself and takes to flight. A man put on a tiger skin and tried to frighten another man. But the latter said: 'Ah! I have recognized you! You are our Hare.' At that the man dressed in the skin went away smiling to frighten someone else.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

However much a bhakta may experience physical joy and sorrow, he always has knowledge and the treasure of divine love. This treasure never leaves him.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

He is indeed a real man who has harmonized everything. Most people are one-sided. But I find that all opinions point to the One. All views-the Sakta, the Vaishnava, the Vedanta have that One for their centre. He who is formless is, again, endowed with form. It is He who appears in different forms: The attributeless Brahman is my Father. God with attributes is my Mother. Whom shall I blame? Whom shall I praise? The two pans of the scales are equally heavy.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

Excellent. This excellent idea has also been reflected in Manikkavachagar's verse 1 in Kovil Mootha Tirupadigam.


 உடையாள் உன்தன் நடுவிருக்கும் உடையாள் நடுவுள் நீயிருத்தி
அடியேன் நடுவுள் இருவீரும் இருப்பதானால் அடியேன்உன்
அடியார் நடுவுள் இருக்கும் அருளைப்புரி யாய் பொன்னம்பலத்தெம்
முடியா முதலே என்கருத்து முடியும் வண்ணம் முன்னின்றே. 378


Once Sri Bhagavan was asked at to why He was not singing any praise for Uma. Sri Bhagavan said: It is she who is within
me and making me write about Siva!

Arunachala Siva.

[Nagaraj]

M: "Should one throwaway both knowledge and ignorance?"

MASTER: "Yes. That is why one should acquire vijnana. You see, he who is aware of
light is also aware of darkness. He who is aware of happiness is also aware of
suffering. He who is aware of virtue is also aware of vice. He who is aware of good
is also aware of evil. He who is aware of holiness is also aware of unholiness. He who
is aware of 'I' is also aware of 'you'.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

ॐ

[Ravi.N]

Once a man went to a certain place to see a theatrical performance, carrying a mat under his arm. Hearing that it would be some time before the
performance began, he spread the mat on the floor and fell asleep. When he woke up it was all over. (All laugh.) Then he returned home with the mat under his arm.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

A BRAHMO: "Sir, have you read the Panchadasi?"

MASTER: "At first one should hear books like that and indulge in reasoning. But later on-
"Cherish my precious Mother Syama
Tenderly within, O mind;
May you and I alone behold Her,
Letting no one else intrude".
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[atmavichar100]

Krishna(atmavichar),
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna was written by M(Sri Mahendranath Gupta) who was an intimate householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.You may find a good deal of information on M and the way he wrote this great classic as Sri Sri Ramakrishna kathamrita in Bengali, in The Rough Notebook thread.

M,The Apostle and Evangelist is the English translation of Sri Ma Darshan -a set of 16 volumes of M's talks by his devotee and associate,Sri jagabandhu(who later became Swami Nityatmananda).Here is a short note on Swami Nityatmananda:

"SWAMI NITYATMANANDA was a learned sannyasin-bhakta of Sri Ramakrishna. He served the Ramakrishna Maths and Missions at Calcutta, Madras and Deogarh Vidyapeeth.

Since his early youth, he had the privilege of sitting at the feet of M. for several years. During that period, he recorded the talks of M. [Mahendranath Gupta], an intimate house-holder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the renowned writer of the 'Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.'

M. heard these readings from his diary in Bengali and made corrections at places. SRI MA DARSHAN, is a compilation of these diaries, which comprises 16 volumes. This work is the result of twenty years of hard and incessant work and tapasya, on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh, in the Himalayas.

Says Swami Shraddhananda, Head Monk of the Vedanta Society of Sacramento U.S.A: "It was my great good fortune to know Swami Nityatmananda even when he was Jagabandhu Babu. How he served the venerable sage day after day! He seemed to be a constant shadow by the side of M." It was during that period that Swami Nityatmananda recorded the talks of M.

Adds Swami Shraddhananda, "One wonders at the unusual capacity of Swami Nityatmananda in recording these day to day conversations of this Vyasadeva of our time - M. - and later developing his notes into his masterly work. One cannot fail to discover the special training he received from M. himself in this direction while he was serving as a teacher in M.'s school and living with him for years."

Swami Nityatmananda was born May 29, 1893. He quit his mortal frame on July 12, 1975"
You may refer to this site:
http://www.kathamrita.org/

Namaskar.
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Ravi

Thanks for the info regarding the book "M, The Aposltle and Evangelist" , I have downloaded the PDF Version of the same .
Om Peace

[Ravi.N]

A DEVOTEE: "Then what is the way for a householder?"
MASTER: Faith in the guru's words. You should depend on his instruction. Do your duties in the world, holding fast to his words, like a person whirling round and holding fast to a pillar.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

Muruganar has written a verse 735 of Guru Vachaka Kovai, in the same vein.

Those who live in this world, embracing God with their whole heart, are like those (children) who whirl around, holding tigjhtly
to a pillar. Because those who cling to the Suprme Unshakable support do not become victims of the ego, they will not
drown in this world, which is an enchanting sea of delusion.

(tr. David Godman & Ors.)

Arunachala Siva.