QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS



SRI RAMAKRISHNA



SRI RAMAKRISHNA ANSWERS:
[PART-I (Q:1-10)]

Q-1[DEVOTEE]: "How ought we to live in the world?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA' ANSWER: “Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God.

A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She brings up her Master's children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as 'my Rāma' or 'my Hari'. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all.

If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief, its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you will be attached to them.

First rub your hands with oil and then break open the jack-fruit; otherwise they will be smeared with its sticky milk. First secure the oil of divine love, and then set your hands to the duties of the world.

But one must go into solitude to attain this divine love.

Further, by meditating on God in solitude the mind acquires knowledge, dispassion, and devotion. But the very same mind goes downward if it dwells in the world.

Together with this, you must practise discrimination: 'Lust and Greed' is impermanent. God is the only Eternal Substance. What does a man get with money? Food, clothes, and a dwelling-place - nothing more. You cannot realize God with its help. Therefore money can never be the goal of life.

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Q-2 [Devotee]: "Is it possible to see God?"

Sri Ramakrishna: "Yes, certainly. (i) Living in solitude now and then, (ii) repeating God's name and singing His glories, and (iii) discriminating between the Real and the unreal - these are the means to employ to see Him."

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Q-3 [Devotee]: Under what conditions does one see God?

Sri Ramakrishna: "Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.

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

God reveals Himself to a devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions: (i) the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, (ii) the child's attraction for its mother, and (iii) the husband's attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions, then through it one can attain Him.

The point is, to love God even as the mother loves her child, the chaste wife her husband, and the worldly man his wealth. Add together these three forces of love, these three powers of attraction, and give it all to God. Then you will certainly see Him.

It is necessary to pray [To know about PRAYER click] to Him with a longing heart. The kitten knows only how to call its mother, crying, 'Mew, mew!' It remains satisfied wherever its mother puts it. And the mother cat puts the kitten sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed. When it suffers it cries only, 'Mew, mew!' That's all it knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be; she comes to the kitten.

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Q-4 [DEVOTEE]: If a wicked man is about to do harm, or actually does so, should we keep quiet then?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "A man living in society should make a show of tamas to protect himself from evil-minded people. But he should not harm anybody in anticipation of harm likely to be done him.

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Q-5 [DEVOTEE]:”How can we know that all paths are true?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "A man can reach God if he follows one path rightly. Then he can learn about all the other paths. It is like reaching the roof by some means or other. Then one is able to climb down by the wooden or stone stairs, by a bamboo pole, or even by a rope.

"A devotee can know everything when God's grace descends on him. If you but realize Him, you will be able to know all about Him. You should somehow meet the master of a house and become acquainted with him; then he himself will tell you how many houses he owns and all about his gardens and government securities."

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Q-6 [DEVOTEE] : "How does one receive the grace of God?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Constantly you have to chant the name and glories of God and give up worldly thoughts as much as you can. With the greatest effort you may try to bring water into your field for your crops, but it may all leak out through holes in the ridges. Then all your efforts to bring the water by digging a canal will be futile.

"You will feel restless for God when your heart becomes pure and your mind free from attachment to the things of the world. Then alone will your prayer reach God. A telegraph wire cannot carry messages if it has a break or some other defect.

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Q-7 [DEVOTEE]: "How can one attain yoga?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: By completely renouncing attachment to worldly things. The mind must be pure and without blemish, like the telegraph wire that has no defect.

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Q-8 [DEVOTEE]: "How can one attain vision of God?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "The thing is that one must love God. Through intense love one attains the vision of Him. The attraction of the husband for the chaste wife, the attraction of the child for its mother, the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man-when a man can blend these three into one, and direct it all to God, then he gets the vision of God."

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Q-9: [A devotee]: "How may we fix our minds on God?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company. Now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. It is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude. To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or retire to a secluded corner or to the forest.

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Q-10 [A DEVOTEE]: “what is the way out of this world?"



SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Prayer and the company of holy men. You cannot get rid of an ailment without the help of a physician. But it is not enough to be in the company of religious people only for a day. You should constantly seek it, for the disease has become chronic. Again, you can't understand the pulse rightly unless you live with a physician. Moving with him constantly, you learn to distinguish between the pulse of phlegm and the pulse of bile."

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SPIRITUAL VISIONS



SRI RAMAKRISHNA IN TRANCE

 SRI RAMAKRISHNA’S FIRST VISION OF GOD:

When Sri Ramakrishna was first appointed priest of Kali temple his whole current of his mind began to flow towards Divine Mother. In the agony of his restlessness for the vision of God he vowed to the Divine Mother that he would kill himself if he did not see God.

He expressed later about what happened at the peak of his longing for the vision of God. He said, ‘as if some one had hold of my heart and mind, and was wringing them like a wet towel. Afflicted with the thought that I might never have Mother’s vision, I thought there was, then, no use in living this life.

My eyes fell on the sword on the wall of the Mother’s temple. I made up my mind to end my life that very moment. Like one ran and caught hold of it, when suddenly I had the wonderful vision of the Mother and fell down unconscious. I did not know what happened then in the external world – how that day and the next slipped away. But in my heart of hearts there was flowing a current of intense bliss, never experienced before, and I had the immediate knowledge of the light that was Mother.’

VISIONS

Having faith in God is very vital factor in one’s spiritual life. Our faith in God will increase manifold when we come across spiritual Visions and Experiences of enlightened persons and incarnations. Sri Ramakrishna who is regarded and worshiped worldwide as God-incarnate had innumerable spiritual experiences daily. They are great inspiration for all spiritual aspirants. 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA’S FIRST VISION OF GOD:

SRI RAMAKRISHNA IN ECSTASY

MOTHER KALI

When Sri Ramakrishna was first appointed priest of Kali temple his whole current of his mind began to flow towards Divine Mother. In the agony of his restlessness for the vision of God he vowed to the Divine Mother Kali that he would kill himself if he did not see God.

He expressed later about what happened at the peak of his longing for the vision of God. He said, ‘as if some one had hold of my heart and mind, and was wringing them like a wet towel. Afflicted with the thought that I might never have Mother’s vision, I thought there was, then, no use in living this life.

My eyes fell on the sword on the wall of the Mother’s temple. I made up my mind to end my life that very moment. Like one ran and caught hold of it, when suddenly I had the wonderful vision of the Mother and fell down unconscious. I did not know what happened then in the external world – how that day and the next slipped away. But in my heart of hearts there was flowing a current of intense bliss, never experienced before, and I had the immediate knowledge of the light that was Mother.’

 INTIMATE TALK WITH GOD:

"God talked to me. It was not merely His vision. Yes, He talked to me. Under the banyan-tree I saw Him coming from the Ganges. Then we laughed so much! By way of playing with me He cracked my fingers. Then He talked. Yes, He talked to me.”

"I have had many amazing visions. I had a vision of the Indivisible Satchidananda."

VISION OF MAYA:

"One day He showed me the māyā of Mahamaya. A small light inside a room began to grow, and at last it enveloped the whole universe."

A SECRET EXPERIENCE OF KUNDALINI:
“Just before my attaining this state of mind, it had been revealed to me how the Kundalini is aroused, how the lotuses of the different centres blossom forth, and how all this culminates in samādhi. This is a very secret experience. I saw a boy twenty-two or twenty-three years old, exactly resembling me, enter the Sushmana nerve and commune with the lotuses touching them with his tongue. He began with the centre at the anus and passed through the centres at the sexual organ, naval, and so on. The different lotuses of those centres-four-petalled, six-petalled, ten-petalled, and so forth-had been drooping at his touch they stood erect.

"When he reached the heart-I distinctly remember it-and communed with the lotuses there, touching it with his tongue, the twelve-petalled lotus, which was hanging head down, stood erect and open its petals. Then he came to the sixteen-petalled lotus in the throat and two petalled lotus in the forehead. And last of all, the thousand-petalled lotus in the head blossomed. Since then I have been in this state."

REVEALATION OF ESSENCE OF SCRIPTUERS:
"For three days I wept continuously. And He revealed to me what is in the Vedas, the Puranas, the Tantras, and the other scriptures.”

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SIKH PRAYERS:

PRAYER OF GURU NANAK:   

             

O You eternal, the formless one!

I beseech You, O true Guru, the true Being, God’s own,

GURU NANAK

We, the humble and the lowly, have sought Your refuge,

Take pity and awaken the name in us,

Neither chastity nor truth nor wisdom

Do I, ignorant wretch, have in life, O Lord!

Nanak, therefore, seeks humbly the refuge of those who forget You not.

Says Nanak: Impurities attach to my name.

But I surrender to You, O Lord,

We, the meek and lowly belong to You, O Lord,

Save us, O save us, You the Highest of High.

Your name is Nanak’s only mainstay and in Your name lies his peace.

O Nanak, may we rise up on the current of the Holy Name – to your presence;

And wish peace unto all the world, by Your will!

Dress polluted pleases not my Love,

To His pure bed how can I move?

O true Lord of Benignity!

Let me an utter sacrifice be To You and remembering You,

O Love, to You let me sacrificed eternally.

COURTESY: punjabijanta.com

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PRAYERS:

Prayer is an essential and integral part of our life. We find prayers in all Religions viz. Christianity, Islam, Sikhism etc. It may be for worldly gain or spiritual progress and attainment. Spiritual prayers are more rewarding than worldly prayers. By means of spiritual prayer one goes nearer to God.

Does God listen to our prayers?

Yes. He listens to our prayers if they are sincere. In prayer the mind and heart must be united. He responds to our prayer in a way which is for our own good. Moreover, faith and self-surrender are essential in our prayers. It is not strange that even an agnostic has a prayer:  ‘O God, If there is God save my soul, if I have a soul.’

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HINDU PRAYERS:
GAYATRI:

Gayatri, the ancient prayer is the most sublime  and repeated

even now by thousands and thousands of pious devotees.                                               

 GAYATRI MANTRA: [CLICK BELOW VIDEO TO LISTEN]

Om Bhoor Bhuwah Swaha,               

Tat Savitur Varenyam                         
Bhargo Deasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayat.


MEANING:
‘Let us meditate on the Supreme glory of the divine Being who illumines the three  worlds. May He enlighten our minds.’

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2. ANOTHER FAMOUS PRAYER:

Asatoma sat gamaya,

Tamasoma Jyotir gamaya,

Mirtiyorma amirtam gamaya.

MEANING:

“Lead me from unreal to Real,

Lead me from darkness to Light,

Lead me from death to Immortality”
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3. UPANIZAD PRAYER FOR PURITY:
‘Whatever sins have been committed by me, by thought, word and deed, may the supreme Lord forgive me, cleanse me of them all.’

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4. PRAYER FOR SELF-SURRENDER:

‘Thou art our Mother,

      ,,                Father,

      ,,                Friend,

      ,,               Companion,

      ,,               Knowledge,

      ,,               Wealth,

                       all in all.’

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5. PRAYERS OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA:

 

a. Prayer to the Divine Mother for the Welfare of the Devotees:

The Master was weeping and praying to the Mother in a voice choked with emotion.  He prayed to Her with tearful eyes for the welfare of the devotees: "Mother, may those who come to You have all their desires fulfilled! But please don't make them give up everything at once, Mother.  Well, You may do whatever You like in the end.  If You keep them in the world, Mother, then please reveal Yourself to them now and then.  Otherwise, how will they live? How will they be encouraged if they don't see You once in a while? But You may do whatever You like in the end."

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b.Prayer for Pure Love:

 

"I prayed to the Divine Mother for pure love.  I said to Her: 'Here is Thy righteousness, here is Thy unrighteousness.  Take them both and give me pure love for Thee.  Here is Thy purity, here is Thy impurity.  Take them both and give me pure love for Thee.  O Mother, here is Thy virtue, here is Thy vice.  Take them both and give me pure love for Thee.' " 

ISLAM PRAYERS:

In Islam Prayer means experiencing the presence of God, strengthening bonds of attachment, hymning His praise and humbly expressing gratitude for all the blessings. The Holy Quaran says: “Verily in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest.”(13:28)

ISLAM’S OBLIGATORY PRAYER(Salat)[DAILY FIVE TIMES]:

 “In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

Praise is only to God, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds,

Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

Master of the Day of Judgement.

Thee (alone) do we worship. And to Thee (alone) we pray for help.

Show us the straight way,

The way of those whom Thou hast blessed; (not the way) of those who incur Thine wrath, not of those who go astray.”

The Holy Quaran teaches an important expression of entreaty to God which is repeated daily again and again by Muslims:

“O Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and the Hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of fire.”(2:201).

CHRISTIAN PRAYERS

JESUS CHRIST’S INSTRUCTION ON PRAYER:

MOTHER MARY

Pray in secret when you pray, you are not 

to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

CHRISTIAN PRAYER:  
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom
and the power
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Courtesy: thechristianwallpapers.com

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PARABLES OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA:

CONTENTS [ UPDATED]:
4. SELF-SURRENDER
5. GO FORWARD 
6. GUILELESS FAITH 
7. GURU’S GRACE 

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GUILELESS FAITH [Posted on 22.8.10]

Once there was an Annaprasana [first offering of boiled rice to a baby] ceremony in a guru’s house. His disciples volunteered, according to their capacity to supply the different articles of food.

The guru had a very poor widow disciple called Indukumari. She owned a cow. She milked it and brought the guru jar of milk. He thought she would take charge of all the milk and curd for the function. Angry at her poor offering, he threw the milk away. He then said to her, “Go and drowns you”.

Indukumari accepted his words as a command. Immediately she went to the river to drown herself. But God was pleased with her guileless faith and appearing before her, said: ‘Take this pot of curd. You will never be able to empty it. The more curd you pour out, the more will come from the pot. This will satisfy your guru.’

The guru was speechless with amazement when the pot was given to him. After hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he went to the river, saying to her, I shall drown myself if you cannot show God to me.’ God appeared then and there, but the guru could not see Him. Addressing God, the widow said, ‘If my teacher gives up his body because Thou dost not reveal Thyself to him, then I too shall die.’ So God appeared to the guru-but only once. Now you see, because of faith in her guru the disciple herself had the vision of God and also showed to her guru. 

Source:The Gospel of Sri Ramakrisahna

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GURU’S GRACE

Once a tigress attacked a flock of goats. As she sprang upon her pray, she gave birth to a cub and died on the spot. The cub grew up in the company of the goats. The goats ate grass and so also the cub. They bleated; the cub bleated too. Gradually it grew into a big tiger.

One day another tiger came and attacked the same flock. It was amazed to see the grass eating tiger. Running after it, the wild tiger at last seized it, where upon the grass eating tiger began to bleat.

The wild tiger dragged it to the water and said:  “Look at your face in the water. It is just like mine. Here is a little meat. Eat it.” Saying this it thrust some meat into its mouth. But the grass eating tiger would not swallow it and began to bleat again. Gradually, however, it got the taste and began to relish the meat.

Then the wild tiger said: “Now you see there is no difference between you and me. Come along and follow me into the forest.”

So, there can be no fear if the guru’s grace descends on one. He will let you to know who you are and what your real nature is.  [Source:The Gospel of Sri Ramakrisahna] 

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SELF-SURRENDER:

A Bird wants to cross the ocean and sits on the mast of a ship. Being impatient, it tries to fly in all directions to reach the shore. Failing in it and realising its own effort can not take it to the destination, it comes back to the ship and sits on its mast. The ship in its own time takes it across the sea to the other shore.
True resignation can come only after we have exhausted all our efforts. And when we are truly resigned to God. He bestows His Grace. So Sadhana and Self-surrender accompanied by Self -effort must go on all through our life.  [Source:The Gospel of Sri Ramakrisahna]  

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GO FORWARD

A wood cutter, named Muthukumar lived near a forest. He used to go to forest for collecting wood. He sold it in the market for his livelihood.

On his way to forest, one day he met a brahmachari and saluted him. The holy man said, “Go forward”.

Muthukumar obeyed his advice and went further into the forest. He found sandal wood trees. He cut them and sold in the market. He got some more money. Some days passed. He then reflected on the words of the holy man: ‘The holy man asked me to go forward. He did not tell me to stop here.’ So he went forward and found a silver-mine. Then he became richer. After a few days he went still further and discovered a gold- mine. By selling the gold he became very rich. Then later he found mines of diamonds and precious stones which made him immensely rich.

A spiritual aspirant too should not be satisfied with his little progress. He has to strive more and more until he becomes the possessor of the Almighty, the richest of all riches. Thus by going forward one reaches the ultimate goal of life and attains eternal Peace and Joy.

SOURCE: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

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RAJA YOGA OR DHYANA YOGA

Raja Yoga (Dhyana Yoga):
Path of Meditation:

Raja Yoga is the path of Meditation. Patanjali, the teacher of Raja Yoga has given us a spiritual ladder with eight steps that takes us to perfection.

 1. Yama – observance of five virtues:

  a)Ahimsa – non-violence

  b)Satya - truth

  c)Asteya- non-stealing

  d)    Brahmacharya- continence

  e)     Aparigraha- non – dependence on others’ charity.  

2. Niyama – five rules of conduct:

a)    Sauca—purity of body and mind

b)    Santosa – contentment

c)     Tapas – austerity of life

d)    Svadhyaya – self study

e)     Ishvara-pranidhana – self-surrender ot God.

3. Asana – sitting postures

4. Pranayama – breathing exercises

5. Pratyahara – detachment

6. Dharana – fixing the mind

7. Dhyana – meditation

8. Samadhi – realization of the Paramatman, the Supreme Being

It is shown above that by  following this path of spiritual ladder one attains spiritual perfection.

Source: 'Meditation and Spiritual Life'

JNANA YOGA

Jnana Yoga:Path of Knowledge

The jnani seeks to realize Brahman, the Absolute. He discriminates, saying, ‘Not this, not this’. He discriminates, Brahman is real and the universe illusory’. He discriminates between the Real and the unreal. As he comes to the end of discrimination, he goes into samathi and attains the knowledge o f Brahman.

Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

SPIRITUAL PATHS

There are mainly four yogas which are spiritual paths leading to Self-realization or God. 

Yoga means union with God. This is union of Individual self or jivatma with Universal Self  or Paramatama, the God. There are mainly four Yogas viz. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga , Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga.

Karma Yoga: Path of Work

Karma Yoga’s aim is to fix one’s mind on God by means of work. It consists of breath-control, concentration, meditation, and so on, done in a spirit of detachment. If a householder performs his/her duties in the world in a spirit of detachment, surrendering the results to God and with devotion to God in his heart, he too may be said to practise Karma Yoga. Further if a person performs worship, japa (repetition of divine name) and other forms of devotion, surrendering the result to God, he may be said to practise Karma Yoga. Attainment of God alone is the aim of Karma Yoga.

BHAKTI YOGA:

2.Bhakti Yoga: Path of Devotion

It is to keep the mind on God by chanting His name and glories. For the Kaliyuga ( present age) the path of devotion is the easiest. Learn more about its practice from Guided meditation[Click here]