Divine Messages - 112 : The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by 'M'ahendranath Gupta - Explanation of Evil

Explanation of evil

A NEIGHBOUR: "Why does a man have sinful tendencies?"

MASTER: "In God's creation there are all sorts of things. He has created bad men as well as good men. It is He who gives us good tendencies, and it is He again who gives us evil tendencies."

NEIGHBOUR: "In that case we aren't responsible for our sinful actions, are we?"

MASTER: "Sin begets its own result. This is God's law. Won't you burn our tongue if you chew a chilli? In his youth Mathur led a rather fast life; so he suffered from various diseases before his death."

"One may not realize this in youth. I have looked into the hearth in the kitchen of the Kāli temple when logs are being burnt. At first the wet wood burns rather well. It doesn't seem then that it contains much moisture. But when the wood is sufficiently burnt, all the moisture runs back to one end. At last water squirts from the fuel and puts out the fire."

"So one should be careful about anger, passion, and greed. Take, for instance, the case of Hanuman. In a fit of anger he burnt Ceylon. At last he remembered that Sita was living in the aśoka grove. Then he began to tremble lest the fire should injure her."

NEIGHHBOUR: "Why has God created wicked people?"

MASTER: "That is His will, His play. In His maya there exists avidyā as well as vidyā. Darkness is needed too. It reveals all the more the glory of light. There is no doubt that anger, lust, and greed are evils. Why, then, has God created them? In order to create saints. A man becomes a saint by conquering the senses. Is there anything impossible for a man who has subdued his passions? He can even realize God, through His grace. Again, see how His whole play of creation is perpetuated through lust."

"Wicked people are needed too. At one time the tenants of an estate became unruly. The landlord had to send Golak Choudhury, who was a ruffian. He was such a harsh administrator that the tenants trembled at the very mention of his name."

"There is need of everything. Once Sita said to her Husband: 'Rama, it would be grand if every house in Ayhodhya were a mansion! I find many houses old and dilapidated.' 'But, my dear,' said Rama, 'if all the houses were beautiful ones, what would the masons do?' (Laughter.) God has created all kinds of things. He has created good trees, and poisonous plants and weeds as well. Among the animals there are good, bad, and all kinds of creatures - tigers, lions, snakes, and so on."

Sri Ramakrishna Web Site – belurmath.org

Divine Messages - 111 : The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by 'M'ahendranath Gupta - God's Ways Are Inscrutable

Extracts from the book “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” by ‘M’ahendranath Gupta (conversations between Sri Ramakrishna, the Master, and his disciples / devotees)

God's ways are inscrutable

"The ways of God are inscrutable indeed.  Bhishma lay on his bed of arrows.  The Pandava brothers visited him in Krishna's company.  Presently Bhishma burst into tears.  The Pandavas said to Krishna: 'Krishna, how amazing this is! Our grandsire Bhishma is one of the eight Vasus.  Another man as wise as he is not to be found.  Yet even he is bewildered by maya and weeps at death.' 'But', said Krishna, 'Bhishma isn't weeping on that account.  You may ask him about it.' When asked, Bhishma said: 'O Krishna, I am unable to understand anything of the ways of God; God Himself is the constant companion of the Pandavas, and still they have no end of trouble.  That is why I weep.  When I reflect on this, I realize that one cannot understand anything of God's ways.'"

"God has revealed to me that only the Paramatman, whom the Vedas describe as the Pure Soul, is as immutable as Mount Sumeru, unattached, and beyond pain and pleasure.  There is much confusion in this world of His maya.  One can by no means say that 'this' will come after 'that' or 'this' will produce 'that'."

SURENDRA (smiling): "If by giving away money in a.  previous birth one gets wealth in this life, then we should all give away money now."

MASTER: "Those who have money should give it to the poor and needy.  (To Trailokya) Jaygopal Sen is well-to-do.  He should be charitable.  That he is not so is to his discredit.  There are some who are miserly even though they have money.  There is no knowing who will enjoy their money afterwards."

No finality about God's nature

A BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "Sir, has God forms or has He none?" 

MASTER: "No one can say with finality that God is only 'this' and nothing else.  He is formless, and again He has forms.  For the bhakta He assumes forms.  But He is formless for the jnani, that is, for him who looks on the world as a mere dream.  The bhakta feels that he is one entity and the world another.  Therefore God reveals Himself to him as a Person.  But the jnani-the Vedantist, for instance-always reasons, applying the process of 'Not this, not this'.  Through this discrimination he realizes, by his inner perception, that the ego and the universe are both illusory, like a dream.  Then the jnani realizes Brahman in his own consciousness.  He cannot describe what Brahman is."

"Do you know what I mean? Think of Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, as a shoreless ocean.  Through the cooling influence, as it were, of the bhakta's love, the water has frozen at places into blocks of ice.  In other words, God now and then assumes various forms for His lovers and reveals Himself to them as a Person.  But with the rising of the sun of Knowledge, the blocks of ice melt.  Then one doesn't feel any more that God is a Person, nor does one see God's forms.  What He is cannot be described.  Who will describe Him? He who would do so disappears.  He cannot find his 'I' any more.

Illusoriness of "I"

"If one analyses oneself, one doesn't find any such thing as 'I'.  Take an onion, for instance.  First of all you peel off the red outer skin; then you find thick white skins.  Peel these off one after the other, and you won't find anything inside.” 

"In that state a man no longer finds the existence of his ego.  And who is there left to seek it? Who can describe how he feels in that state-in his own Pure Consciousness-about the real nature of Brahman? Once a salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean.  No sooner was it in the water than it melted.  Now who was to tell the depth?

Sign of Perfect Knowledge

"There is a sign of Perfect Knowledge.  Man becomes silent when It is attained.  Then the 'I', which may be likened to the salt doll, melts in the Ocean of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute and becomes one with It.  Not the slightest trace of distinction is left.

"As long as his self-analysis is not complete, man argues with much ado.  But he becomes silent when he completes it.  When the empty pitcher has been filled with water, when the water inside the pitcher becomes one with the water of the lake outside, no more sound is heard.  Sound comes from the pitcher as long as the pitcher is not filled with water.”

"People used to say in olden days that no boat returns after having once entered the 'black waters' of the ocean."

"All trouble and botheration come to an end when the 'I' dies.  You may indulge in thousands of reasoning, but still the 'I' doesn't disappear.  For people like you and me, it is good to have the feeling, 'I am a lover of God.'”

Sri Ramakrishna Web Site – belurmath.org

Divine Messages - 110 : The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by 'M'ahendranath Gupta - Philanthropy and Charity

Extracts from the book “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” by ‘M’ahendranath Gupta (conversations between Sri Ramakrishna, the Master, and his disciples / devotees)

Master and philanthropy

"God can be realized when a man acquires sattva.  Householders engage in philanthropic work, such as charity, mostly with a motive. That is not good. But actions without motives are good. Yet it is very difficult to leave motives out of one's actions.”

"When you realize God, will you pray to Him, 'O God, please grant that I may dig reservoirs, build roads, and found hospitals and dispensaries'? After the realization of God all such desires are left behind.”

"Then mustn't one perform acts of compassion, such as charity to the poor? I do not forbid it. If a man has money, he should give it to remove the sorrows and sufferings that come to his notice. In such an event the wise man says, 'Give the poor something.' But inwardly he feels: 'What can I do? God alone is the Doer. I am nothing.'”

"The great souls, deeply affected by the sufferings of men, show them the way to God. Sankaracharya kept the 'ego of Knowledge' in order to teach mankind. The gift of knowledge and devotion is far superior to the gift of food. Therefore Chaitanyadeva distributed bhakti to all, including the outcaste. Happiness and suffering are the inevitable characteristics of the body. You have come to eat mangoes. Fulfil that desire. The one thing needful is jnāna and bhakti. God alone is Substance; all else is illusory.”

"It is God alone who does everything. You may say that in that case man may commit sin. But that is not true. If a man is firmly convinced that God alone is the Doer and that he himself is nothing, then he will never make a false step.”

 

Charity and attachment

"The activities that Vidyasagar is engaged in are good. Charity is very noble. There is a great deal of difference between daya, compassion, and maya, attachment. Daya is good, but not maya. Maya is love for one's relatives-one's wife, children, brother, sister, nephew, father, and mother. But daya is the same love for all created beings without any distinction."

M: "Is daya also a bondage?"

Doing good to others

"You people speak of doing good to the world. Is the world such a small thing? And who are you, pray, to do good to the world? First realize God, see Him by means of spiritual discipline. If He imparts power, then you can do good to others; otherwise not."

A BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "Then, sirs, we must give up our activities until we realize God?"

MASTER: "No. Why should you? You must engage in such activities as contemplation, singing His praises, and other daily devotions."

BRAHMO: "But what about our worldly duties-duties associated with our earning money, and so on?"

MASTER: "Yes, you can perform them too, but only as much as you need for your livelihood. At the same time, you must pray to God in solitude, with tears in your eyes, that you may be able to perform those duties in an unselfish manner. You should say to Him: 'O God, make my worldly duties fewer and fewer; otherwise, O Lord, I find that I forget Thee when I am involved in too many activities. I may think I am doing unselfish work, but it turns out to be selfish.' People who carry to excess the giving of alms, or the distributing of food among the poor, fall victims to the desire of acquiring name and fame.” 

"Sambhu Mallick once talked about establishing hospitals, dispensaries, and schools, making roads, digging public reservoirs, and so forth.  I said to him: 'Don't go out of your way to look for such works. Undertake only those works that present themselves to you and are of pressing necessity-and those also in a spirit of detachment.' It is not good to become involved in many activities. That makes one forget God. Coming to the Kalighat temple, some, perhaps, spend their whole time in giving alms to the poor. They have no time to see the Mother in the inner shrine! (Laughter.) First of all manage somehow to see the image of the Divine Mother, oven by pushing through the crowd. Then you may or may not give alms, as you wish. You may give to the poor to your heart's content, if you feel that way. Work is only a means to the realization of God. Therefore I said to Sambhu, 'Suppose God appears before you; then will you ask Him to build hospitals and dispensaries for you?' (Laughter.) A lover of God never says that.  He will rather say: 'O Lord, give me a place at Thy Lotus Feet.  Keep me always in Thy company.  Give me sincere and pure love for Thee.'’

Sri Ramakrishna Web Site – belurmath.org

Divine Messages - 109 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• The worst amongst us will surely have some virtues. May we see the virtues and not the faults.
• Prayer is - establishing a relationship.
• To be childlike is: To renounce criticism, To rejoice life, To share all we have with all, To love and laugh.
• Enter love: exit fear ! The two can never dwell together.
• When the body suffers, it is very likely that the spirit is getting polished.
• If you find a saint, NEVER leave him.
• True treasure of life is not applause nor praise of people neither riches, luxury or comfort, it is the service of the saints.
• If you want the rainbow, you must accept the rain! If you want the rose, you must accept the thorns.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 108 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• Spread the love to all around you! Sometimes one smile means more than a dozen roses.
• Very often we become blind to our faults. We magnify the faults of others. A little reflection a period of calm introspection can set the balance right.
• If you want the rainbow, you must accept the rain! If you want the rose, you must accept the thorns.
• Speak sweetly and gently to all and to everyone who meets you, Pass on the sunbeams of your smile.
• Let me look at everything as though I was looking at it for the last time - and all around me the world will smile!
• The Will of God is wiser than my Will
• Speak sweetly to each other, for the Lord is seated in the hearts of all.
• The greatest austerity is patience.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 107 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• The best way to deal with temptations is to chase them away the moment they appear.
• What is impossible for man is possible for God. But where are those who are prepared to try God?
• Forgiveness is the noblest virtue. Forgiveness is above justice. Justice seeks to punish, forgiveness seeks reconciliation.
• Without love, the world is like a neglected garden where no flowers bloom!
• When I move on to the other side, they will not ask me, "What plans did you make?" they will ask me, "What did you do?"
• Forgiveness is the precious lubricant which keeps all our relationships smooth and friction-free.
• Speak words of compassion. You can help to soften the sorrow of a person.
• We are punished not for our sins but by our sins.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 106 : Quotes from Speaking Tree

Some quotes from Speaking Tree.

• Things that are Real are given and received in Silence – Meher Baba
• It is sure to be dark if you close your eyes. - Swami Chinmaya
• There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient. - Swami Sivananda
• To live a single day and hear a good teaching is better than to live a hundred years without knowing such teaching. – Buddha
• My nature is love Him. And therefore I love. I do not pray for anything. I do not ask for anything. Let Him place me wherever He likes. I must love Him for love's sake. I cannot trade in love. - Swami Vivekananda
• That which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to increase brutality in you is vice - Swami Vivekananda.
• We can define the process of understanding how to become more aware but not the awareness to be understood - Thomas M Easley

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 105 : Quotes from Speaking Tree

Some quotes from Speaking Tree.

·         Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. - Buddha

·         The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. - Buddha

·         The Mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness. - Buddha

·         Thou one man conquers a thousand men, a thousand times in battle, he who conquers himself is the greatest warrior – Buddha

·          Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine. - Buddha

·         This desire [for Bliss] is born of the sense of incompleteness. To whom is this sense of incompleteness? Enquire. In deep sleep you were blissful. Now you are not so. What has interposed between that Bliss and this non-bliss? It is the ego. Seek its source and find you are Bliss. - Ramana Maharishi

·         The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourself strong. - Swami Vivekananda  

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 104 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• Apology is not defeat. Indeed it is a sense of victory over the self & over a bad situation which ceases to be irreparable once you apologize.
• Love and fault-finding never go together. The more you love, the less you judge.
• Hatred is self-punishment. When you hold the grudge against someone, it only disturbs your peace of mind.
• Love is not love until it expresses itself in action. Another name for love-in-action is service and sacrifice.
• Every pleasant or unpleasant experience is for my good, never lose your faith in God. Let your faith in the Lord be absolute.
• What is the secret of contentment? The faith that whatever happens, happens for the very best.
• Out of the heart are the issues of life; as is the heart so is the man!

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org