Extracts
from the book “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” by ‘M’ahendranath Gupta
(conversations between Sri Ramakrishna, the Master, and his disciples /
devotees)
Maya
Maya obstructs vision of God
Maya
MASTER: "The
gopis worshipped Katyayani in order to be united with Sri Krishna.
Everyone is under the authority of the Divine Mother, Mahamaya, the Primal
Energy. Even the Incarnations of God accept the help of maya to fulfil
their mission on earth. Therefore they worship the Primal Energy.
Don't you see how bitterly Rama wept for Sita? 'Brahman weeps, ensnared in the
meshes of maya.' "Vishnu incarnated Himself as a sow in order to kill the
demon Hiranyaksha. After killing the demon, the sow remained quite happy
with her young ones. Forgetting her real nature, she was suckling them
very contentedly. The gods in heaven could not persuade Vishnu to
relinquish His sow's body and return to the celestial regions. He was absorbed
in the happiness of His beast form. After consulting among themselves, the
gods sent Śiva to the sow. Śiva asked the sow, 'Why have you forgotten
yourself?' Vishnu replied through the sow's body, 'Why, I am quite happy here.'
Thereupon with a stroke of his trident Śiva destroyed the sow's body, and
Vishnu went back to heaven."
"One cannot see
God unless maya steps aside from the door. Rāma, Lakshmana, and Sita were
walking together. Rāma was in front, Sita walked in the middle, and
Lakshmana followed them. But Lakshmana could not see Rāma because Sita
was between them. In like manner, man cannot see God because maya is
between them. But maya steps aside from the door when God shows His grace
to the devotee. When the visitor stands before the door, the door-keeper
says to the master, 'Sir, command us, and we shall let him pass.'
Maya obstructs vision of God
"Maya won't
allow us to know the will of God. On account of God's maya the unreal appears
as real, and the real as unreal. The world is unreal. This moment it exists and
the next it disappears. But on account of His maya it seems to be real. It is
only through His maya that the ego seems to be the doer. Furthermore, on
account of this maya a man regards his wife and children, his brother and
sister, his father and mother, his house and property, as his very own.
"There are two
aspects of maya: vidya and avidya. Avidya deludes one with worldliness, and
vidya-wisdom, devotion, and the company of holy men-leads one to God. "He
who has gone beyond maya, through the grace of God, views alike both Vidyā and Avidyā.
Worldly life is a life of enjoyment. After all, what is there to enjoy in
'woman and gold'? As soon as a sweetmeat has gone down the throat, one doesn't
remember whether it tasted sweet or sour.
This universe is
created by the Mahamaya of God. Mahamaya contains both Vidyā-māyā, the
illusion of knowledge, and Avidyā-māyā, the illusion of ignorance.
Through the help of Vidyā-māyā one cultivates such virtues as the taste for
holy company, knowledge, devotion, love, and renunciation. Avidyā-māyā
consists of the five elements and the objects of the five senses-form, flavour,
smell, touch, and sound. These make one forget God."
"One need not be
afraid of the world after one has had the vision of God. Both vidya and avidya
exist in His maya; but one becomes indifferent to them after realizing God. One
understands it rightly after attaining the state of a paramahamsa. Only a swan
can discard the water and drink the milk from a mixture of milk and water. A
robin cannot do so."
Compassion and attachment
MASTER:
"Remember that daya, compassion, and maya, attachment, are two different
things. Attachment means the feeling of 'my-ness' toward one's
relatives. It is the love one feels for one's parents, one's brother,
one's sister, one's wife and children. Compassion is the love one feels
for all beings of the world. It is an attitude of equality. If you
see anywhere an instance of compassion, as in Vidyasagar, know that it is due
to the grace of God. Through compassion one serves all beings. Maya
also comes from God. Through maya God makes one serve one's
relatives. But one thing should be remembered: maya keeps us in ignorance
and entangles us in the world, whereas daya makes our hearts pure and gradually
unties our bonds.
"God cannot be
realized without purity of heart. One receives the grace of God by
subduing the passions-lust, anger, and greed. Then one sees God. I
tried many things in order to conquer lust. "When I was ten or eleven
years old and lived at Kamarpukur, I first experienced samādhi. As I was
passing through a paddy-field, I saw something and was overwhelmed. There
are certain characteristics of God-vision. One sees light, feels joy, and
experiences the upsurge of a great current in one's chest, like the bursting of
a rocket."
