Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

[Hari]

Is there anything that is impossible for faith? And a true devotee has faith in everything: the formless Reality, God with form, Rama, Krishna, and the Divine Mother.

[Nagaraj]

A man should have such fiery faith as to be able to say, 'I have uttered the name of God; how can I be a sinner?' Imagine a man repeating the name of Hari day and night and at the same time saying that he is a sinner! ॐ

[Nagaraj]

Let me assure you that a man can realize his inner Self through sincere prayer. But to the extent that he has the desire to enjoy worldly objects, his vision of Self becomes obstructed.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

ॐ

[Nagaraj]

There are two kinds of yogis, the 'revealed' and the 'hidden'.
The householder may be a 'hidden' yogi. None recognises him.
The householder should renounce mentally,
not outwardly.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

ॐ

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Nagaraj,

Yes. That is why Sri Bhagavan said, householder-ship, the grahastasrama is no bar for self realization. e.g  King Janaka; Echammal.

Arunachala Siva.

[Ravi.N]

'All troubles come to an end when the ego dies.' If by the grace of God a man but once realizes that he is not the doer, then he at once becomes a
Jivanmukta".
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

You see, mere study of books avails nothing. One may recite the written part for the drum glibly from memory, but to play the drum is exceedingly difficult.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Nagaraj]

Where there is knowledge there is also ignorance. The sage Vasishtha was endowed with great knowledge and still he wept at the death of his sons. Therefore I ask you to go beyond both knowledge and ignorance. The thorn of ignorance has pierced the sole of a man's foot. He needs the thorn of knowledge to take it out. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ॐ

[Ravi.N]

"Chaitanyadeva set out on a pilgrimage to southern India. One day he saw a man reading the Gita. Another man, seated at a distance, was listening and weeping. His eyes were swimming in tears. Chaitanyadeva asked him, 'Do you understand all this?' The man said, 'No, revered sir, I don't understand a word of the text.' 'Then why are you crying?' asked Chaitanya. The devotee said: 'I see Arjuna's chariot before me. I see Lord Krishna and Arjuna seated in front of it, talking. I see this and I weep.'
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

One should not reason too much; it is enough if one loves the Lotus Feet of the Mother.Too much reasoning throws the mind into confusion. You get clear water if you drink from the surface of a pool. Put your hand deeper and stir the water, and it becomes muddy.Therefore pray to God for devotion.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Nagaraj]

Do you know why images of Krishna or Kāli are three and a half cubits high? Because of distance. Again, on account of distance the sun appears to be small. But if you go near it you will find the sun so big that you won't be able to comprehend it. Why have images of Krishna and Kāli a dark-blue colour? That too is on account of distance, like the water of a lake, which appears green, blue, or black from a distance. Go near, take the water in the palm of your hand, and you will find that it has no colour. The sky also appears blue from a distance. Go near and you will see that it has no colour at all.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

ॐ

[Ravi.N]

Bhakti is the one essential thing. To be sure, God exists in all beings. Who,then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God. But this is not possible as long as one
has egotism and vanity. The water of God's grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism. It runs down. I am a mere machine.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

God doesn't easily appear in the heart of a man who feels himself to be his own master.But God can be seen the moment His grace descends.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Ravi.N]

Any name will do-Durga, Krishna, or Siva. Then if, through the chanting of the name, one's attachment to God grows day by day, and joy fills the soul, one has nothing to fear. The delirium will certainly disappear; the grace of God will certainly descend.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

[Nagaraj]

You have taken so much trouble to come here. You must be seeking God. But almost everyone is satisfied simply by seeing the garden. Only one or two look for its owner. People enjoy the beauty of the world; they do not seek its owner. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrisha ॐ