Sri Ramakrishna Teachings Quotes Swami Vivekananda Teachings Quotes

Sri Ramakrishna on keeping pictures of sannyasis and holy men in one's room

2012-04-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna was walking up and down, now in his room, now on the south verandah. Occasionally pausing on the semicircular porch west of his room, he would look at the Ganges. After a little while he returned to his room and sat on the small couch. It was past three in the afternoon. The devotees took their seats on the floor.

The Master sat in silence before them, now and then casting a glance at the walls, where many pictures were hanging. To Sri Ramakrishna's left was a picture of Sarasvati, and beyond it, a picture of Gaur and Nitai singing kirtan with their devotees. In front of the Master hung pictures of Dhruva, Prahlada, and Mother Kali. On the wall to his right was another picture of the Divine Mother, Rajarajesvari. Behind him was a picture of Jesus Christ raising the drowning Peter.

Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna turned to M. and said: "You see, it is good to keep pictures of sannyasis and holy men in one's room. When you get up in the morning you should see the faces of holy persons rather than the faces of other men. People with rajasic qualities keep 'English' pictures on their walls—pictures of rich men, the King, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and white men and women walking together. That shows their rajasic temperament."

Sri Ramakrishna: "You acquire the nature of the people whose company you keep. Therefore even pictures may prove harmful. Again, a man seeks the company that agrees with his own nature. The paramahamsas keep near them a few young boys five or six years old. They allow such boys to be near them. Attaining the state of a paramahamsa, a man loves the company of boys. Like the paramahamsas, the boys are not under the control of the gunas—sattva, rajas, or tamas. By looking at trees a man awakens in his heart the picture of a hermitage in which a rishi is practising austerity."

Source- From Book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Sri Ramakrishna - What is there to enjoy in the world? 'Woman and Gold

2012-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna - Worldly people wander about to the four quarters of the earth for the sake of happiness. They don't find it anywhere; they only become tired and weary. When through their attachment to 'woman and gold' they only suffer misery, they feel an urge toward dispassion and renunciation. Most people cannot renounce 'woman and gold' without first enjoying it.

There are two sorts of people: those who stay in one place and those who go about to many places. There are some sadhakas who visit many sacred places. They cannot settle down in one spot; they must drink the water of many holy places. Thus roaming about, they satisfy their unfulfilled desires. And at last they build a hut in one place and settle down there. Then, free from worry and effort, they meditate on God.

But what is there to enjoy in the world? 'Woman and gold'? That is only a momentary pleasure. One moment it exists and the next moment it disappears.

Source - From Book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Swami Vivekananda Quotes on Courage and Bravery

2012-04-20T02:56:00.001-07:00

Swami Vivekananda Quotes on Courage and Bravery

The brave alone can afford to be sincere. Compare the lion and the fox.
“Face the brutes.” That is a lesson for all life—face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them.
Have you got the will to surmount mountain-high obstructions? If the whole world stands against you sword in hand, would you still dare to do what you think is right?
Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear.” Tell this to everyone—“Have no fear.”
Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you. Even though you know you are going to be killed, fight till you “are killed.” Don’t die of fright. Die fighting. Don’t go down till you are knocked down.
Brave, bold men and women, these are what we want. What we want is vigor in the blood, strength in the nerves, iron muscles and nerves of steel, not softening namby-pamby ideas. Avoid all these. Avoid all mystery. There is no mystery in religion.
Look here--we shall die! Bear this in mind always, and then the spirit within will wake up. Only then will meanness vanish from you, practicality in work will come, you will get new vigor in mind and body, and those who come in contact with you will also feel that they have really got something uplifting from you.
Anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness, touch it not with the toes of your feet.
Are great things ever done smoothly? Time, patience, and indomitable will must show.
Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.
Every step I take in light is mine forever.
Don't look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished.
When once you consider an action, do not let anything dissuade you. Consult your heart, not others, and then follow its dictates.
Live for an ideal, and that one ideal alone. Let it be so great, so strong, that there may be nothing else left in the mind; no place for anything else, no time for anything else.

Jai Kali Ma - Dakshineshwar Evening Aratrikam

2011-08-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Evening Kali Aratrikam (Aarti) at Dakshineshwar Temple, from the video CD Evening Aratrikam from the Ramakrishna Math.

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on Truth, Ramakrishna Sayings on Truth

2010-08-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on Truth

Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar.
Even those engaged in worldly activities, such as office work or business, should hold to the truth. Truthfulness alone is the spiritual discipline in the Kaliyuga.
If a man holds to truth he will certainly realize God.
The world is indeed a mixture of truth and make-believe. Discard the makebelieve and take the truth.
The feeling of ego has covered the Truth. Narendra once said, 'As the "I" of man recedes, the "I" of God approaches.' Kedar says, 'The more clay there is in the jar, the less water it holds.'.
The path of knowledge leads to Truth, as does the path that combines knowledge and love. The path of love, too, leads to this goal. The way of love is as true as the way of knowledge. All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth. But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love.
The Truth established in the Vedas, the Puranas, and the Tantras is but one Satchidananda. In the Vedas It is called Brahman, in the Puranas It is called Krishna, Rama, and so on, and in the Tantras It is called Siva. The one Satchidananda is called Brahman, Krishna, and Siva.
If a man leads a householder's life he must have unflagging devotion to truth. God can be realized through truth alone.
The feeling of 'I and mine' has covered the Reality. Because of this we do not see Truth. Attainment of Chaitanya, Divine Consciousness, is not possible without the knowledge of Advaita, Non-duality. After realizing Chaitanya one enjoys Nityananda, Eternal Bliss. One enjoys this Bliss after attaining the state of a paramahamsa.
It is said that truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kaliyuga. If a man clings tenaciously to truth he ultimately realizes God. Without this regard for truth, one gradually loses everything. If by chance I say that I will go to the pine-grove, I must go there even if there is no further need of it, lest I lose my attachment to truth.
Truthfulness in speech is the tapasya of the Kaliyuga. It is difficult to practise other austerities in this cycle. By adhering to truth one attains God.
Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. A lake has many ghats. From one ghat the Hindus take water in jars and call it 'jal'. From another ghat the Mussalmans take water in leather bags and call it 'pani'. From a third the Christians take the same thing and call it 'water'.

Sri Ramakrishna on Trailanga Swami of benaras

2010-08-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on Trailanga Swami of benaras

Reasoning and discrimination vanish after the attainment of God and communion with Him in samadhi. How long does a man reason and discriminate? As long as he is conscious of the manifold, as long as he is aware of the universe, of embodied beings, of 'I' and 'you'. He becomes silent when he is truly aware of Unity. This was the case with Trailanga Swami.
There are two classes of paramahamsas, one affirming the formless Reality and the other affirming God with form. Trailanga Swami believed in the formless Reality. Paramahamsas like him care for their own good alone; they feel satisfied if they themselves attain the goal.
Trailanga Swami once said that because a man reasons he is conscious of multiplicity, of variety. Attaining samadhi, one gives up the body in twenty-one days. Spiritual consciousness is not possible without the awakening of the Kundalini.

A man who has realized God shows certain characteristics. He becomes like a child or a madman, or an inert thing or a ghoul. Further, he is firmly convinced that he is the machine and God is its Operator, that God alone is the Doer and all others are His instruments. As some Sikh devotees once said to me, even the leaf moves because of God's will. One should be aware that everything happens by the will of Rama.

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on God, Ramakrishna Sayings on God

2010-07-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on God

I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world. But you must direct your mind toward God; otherwise you will not succeed. Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over, you will hold to God with both hands.
If a man repeats the name of God, his body, mind, and everything become pure. Why should one talk only about sin and hell, and such things? Say but once, 'O Lord, I have undoubtedly done wicked things, but I won't repeat them.' And have faith in His name."
Why shouldn't one be able to realize God in this world? King Janaka had such realization.
If you can give a spiritual turn to your tamas, you can realize God with its help. Force your demands on God. He is by no means a stranger to you. He is indeed your very own.
It is easier to attain God by following the path of devotion.
God reveals Himself in the form which His devotee loves most. His love for the devotee knows no bounds. It is written in the Purana that God assumed the form of Rama for His heroic devotee, Hanuman.
One may enter the world after attaining discrimination and dispassion. In the ocean of the world there are six alligators: lust, anger, and so forth. But you need not fear the alligators if you smear your body with turmeric before you go into the water. Discrimination and dispassion are the turmeric. Discrimination is the knowledge of what is real and what is unreal. It is the realization that God alone is the real and eternal Substance and that all else is unreal, transitory, impermanent. And you must cultivate intense zeal for God. You must feel love for Him and be attracted to Him.
Man may be likened to grain. He has fallen between the millstones and is about to be crushed. Only the few grains that stay near the peg escape. Therefore men should take refuge at the peg, that is to say, in God. Call on Him. Sing His name. Then you will be free. Otherwise you will be crushed by the King of Death.
Even if one lives in the world, one must go into solitude now and then. It will be of great help to a man if he goes away from his family, lives alone, and weeps for God even for three days. Even if he thinks of God for one day in solitude, when he has the leisure, that too will do him good. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. But who cries for the Lord? Now and then one must go into solitude and practise spiritual discipline to realize God. Living in the world and entangled in many of its duties, the aspirant, during the first stage of spiritual life, finds many obstacles in the path of concentration. While the trees on the foot-path are young, they must he fenced around; otherwise they will be destroyed by cattle. The fence is necessary when the tree is young, but it can be taken away when the trunk is thick and strong. Then the tree won't be hurt even if an elephant is tied to it.

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on Divine Love

2010-06-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna Quotes on Divine Love

The one goal of life is to cultivate love for God, the love that the milkmaids, the milkmen, and the cowherd boys of Vrindavan felt for Krishna.
Faith and devotion. One realizes God easily through devotion. He is grasped through ecstasy of love.
The means of realizing God are ecstasy of love and devotion – that is, one must love God.
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.
The bliss of worship and communion with God is the true wine, the wine of ecstatic love. The goal of human life is to love God, Bhakti is the one essential thing. To know God through jnana and reasoning is extremely difficult.
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.
Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities; 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. When a tree is young it should be fenced all around; otherwise it may be destroyed by cattle.
The path of knowledge leads to Truth, as does the path that combines knowledge and love. The path of love, too, leads to this goal. The way of love is as true as the way of knowledge. All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth. But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love.
God cannot be realized through mere scholarly reasoning.
One is able to realize God just through love. Ecstasy of feeling, devotion, love, and faith – these are the means.
What is needed is absorption in God – loving Him intensely. The 'Nectar Lake' is the Lake of Immortality. A man sinking in It does not die, but becomes immortal. Some people believe that by thinking of God too much the mind becomes deranged; but that is not true. God is the Lake of Nectar, the Ocean of Immortality. He is called the 'Immortal' in the Vedas. Sinking in It, one does not die, but verily transcends death.

Sri Ramakrishna - God cannot be realized without childlike faith

2010-04-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna - Unless a man is guileless, he cannot so easily have faith in God. God is far, far away from the mind steeped in worldliness. Worldly intelligence creates many doubts and many forms of pride—pride of learning, wealth, and the rest.

(Pointing to the doctor) But he is guileless. "How guileless Keshab Sen was! One day he visited the Kali temple at Dakshineswar. At about four in the afternoon he went around to the guesthouse, where the poor are fed, and asked when the beggars would be fed. He didn't know

that it was too late in the day for the feeding of the poor. As a man's faith increases, so does his knowledge of God. The cow that discriminates too much about food gives milk in dribblets. But the cow that gulps down everything—herbs, leaves, grass, husks, straw—gives milk in torrents. (All laugh.)

"God cannot be realized without childlike faith. The mother says to her child, pointing to a boy, 'He is your elder brother.' And the child at once believes that the boy is one hundred per cent his brother. Again, the mother says that a bogy man lives in a certain room, and the child believes one hundred per cent that the bogy man lives in the room. God bestows His grace on the devotee who has this faith of a child. God cannot be realized by the mind steeped in worldliness."

Sri Ramakrishn - One should trust in the words of holy men and great souls

2010-04-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna - It is very difficult to understand that God can be a finite human being and at the same time the all-pervading Soul of the universe. The Absolute and the Relative are His two aspects. How can we say emphatically with our small intelligence that God cannot assume a human form? Can we ever understand all these ideas with our little intellect? Can a one-seer pot hold four

seers of milk?

Therefore one should trust in the words of holy men and great souls, those who have realized God. They constantly think of God, as a lawyer of his lawsuits.

Swami Vivekananda Quotes and Sayings

2010-04-10T06:59:00.001-07:00

Swami Vivekananda Quotes and Sayings

All that is real in me is God; all that is real in God is I. The gulf between God and me is thus bridged. Thus by knowing God, we find that the kingdom of heaven is within us.
Do not hate anybody, because that hatred which comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you. If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle.
Every individual is a center for the manifestation of a certain force. This force has been stored up as the resultant of our previous works, and each one of us is born with this force at our back.
First get rid of the delusion “I am the body,” then only will we want real knowledge.
Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time. … Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.
If the mind is intensely eager, everything can be accomplished—mountains can be crumbled into atoms.
If you think that you are bound, you remain bound; you make your own bondage. If you know that you are free, you are free this moment. This is knowledge, knowledge of freedom. Freedom is the goal of all nature.

Swami Vivekananda Quotes and Sayings

2010-01-29T04:03:00.001-08:00

Above Swami Vivekananda photo is of colombo-1897

Swami Vivekananda Quotes and Sayings

All truth is eternal. Truth is nobody’s property; no race, no individual can lay any exclusive claim to it. Truth is the nature of all souls.
Always discriminate--your body, your house, the people and the world are all absolutely unreal like a dream. Always think that the body is only an inert instrument. And the Atman (Soul) within is your real nature.
Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you. Even though you know you are going to be killed, fight till you “are killed.” Don’t die of fright. Die fighting. Don’t go down till you are knocked down.
Be strong! Don’t talk of ghosts and devils. We are the living devils. The sign of life is strength and growth. The sign of death is weakness. Whatever is weak, avoid! It is death. If it is strength, go down into hell and get hold of it! There is salvation only for the brave.
Bless people when they revile you. Think how much good they are doing by helping to stamp out the false ego. Hold fast to the real Self. Think only pure thoughts, and you will accomplish more than a regiment of mere preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power.
Come out into the broad light of day, come out from the little narrow paths, for how can the infinite soul rest content to live and die in small ruts?
Desire, ignorance, and inequality—this is the trinity of bondage.
Despondency is not religion, whatever else it may be.

Sri Ramakrishna - God with form is my Mother, the formless God my Father

2009-10-28T04:53:00.000-07:00

MANILAL: "Sir, where shall I meditate on God when I perform my daily worship?"

Sri Ramakrishna : "Why, the heart is a splendid place. Meditate on God there."
Manilal, a member of the Brahmo Samaj, believed in a formless God. Addressing him, the Master said: "Kabir used to say: 'God with form is my Mother, the formless God my Father. Whom should I blame? Whom should I adore? The two sides of the scales are even.' During the day-time Haladhari used to meditate on God with form, and at night on the formless God. Whichever attitude you adopt, you will certainly realize God if you have firm faith. You may believe in God with form or in God without form, but your faith must be sincere and whole-hearted.

Sambhu Mallick used to come on foot from Baghbazar to his garden house at Dakshineswar. One day a friend said to him: 'It is risky to walk such a long distance. Why don't you come in a carriage?' At that Sambhu's face turned red and he exclaimed: 'I set out repeating the name of God! What danger can befall me?' Through faith alone one attains everything. I used to say, 'I shall take all this (His spiritual experiences.) to be true if I meet a certain person or if a certain officer of the temple garden talks to me.' What I would think of would invariably come to pass."

M. had studied English logic. In the chapters on fallacies he had read that only superstitious people believed in the coincidence of morning dreams with actual events. Therefore he asked the Master, "Was there never any exception?"

Sri Ramakrishna : "No. At that time everything happened that way. I would repeat the name of God and believe that a certain thing would happen, and it would invariably come to pass. (To Manilal) But you must remember, unless one is guileless and broad-minded, one cannot have such faith. Bony people, the hollow-eyed, the cross-eyed — people with physical traits like those cannot easily acquire faith. What can a man do if there are evil omens on all sides?"

Swami Vivekananda Quotes

2009-08-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

Swami Vivekananda - "I could not believe my own ears when I heard Western people talking so much of consciousness! Consciousness? What does consciousness matter! Why, it is nothing compared with the unfathomable depths of the subconscious and the heights of the superconscious! In this I could never be misled, for had I not seen Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gather in ten minutes, from a man's subconscious mind, the whole of his past, and determine from that his future and his powers?"

Swami Vivekananda - "All these (visions etc.) are side issues. They are not true Yoga. They may have a certain usefulness in establishing indirectly the truth of our statements. Even a little glimpse gives faith that there is something behind gross matter. Yet those who spend time on such things run into grave dangers.

Swami Vivekananda - "I am the servant of the servants of the servants of Buddha. Who was there ever like him? — the Lord — who never performed one action for himself — with a heart that embraced the whole world! So full of pity that he — prince and monk — would give his life to save a little goat! So loving that he sacrificed himself to the hunger of a tigress! — to the hospitality of a pariah and blessed him! And he came into my room when I was a boy, and I fell at his feet! For I knew it was the Lord Himself!"

Swami Vivekananda - "How great his renunciation was! Born a prince, he renounced everything! If a man has nothing, no wealth at all, what does his renunciation amount to? After attaining Buddhahood and experiencing Nirvana, Buddha once visited his home and exhorted his wife, his son, and many others of the royal household to embrace the life of renunciation. How intense his renunciation was! But look at Vyasa's conduct! He forbade his son Sukadeva to give up the world, saying, 'My son, practise religion as a householder.'"

Swami Vivekananda Stories - Discussion with Pundits

2009-08-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Swami Vivekananda in london, 1896

In the year of 1897, Swami Vivekananda stayed at the house of late Gopal Lal Seal at Cossipore. One day many pundits came to meet Swami Vivekananda in the hope of having an philosophical discussion with SwamiJi.

All the pundits were well versed in Sankrit and they were discussing the matter in fluent sankrit. So Swamiji also spoke in sanskrit with them. But at one occassion, Swamiji made a grammatical mistake in the spoken sanskrit language. He used the word Asti instead of Svasti, which made the Pundits laugh out. Swamiji quickly accpeted his mistake and the discussion went on. In the end Pundits were convinced of the Swami Vivekananda arguments and they accepted his view points and left gladly.

After the pundits left, Swami Vivekananda explained the whole discussion to the disciples and also told about the fact that they laughed at him because they had picked up a grammatical mistake in his words. Swamiji further said that as He had stayed for a long period of time away from india, so he has not spoken sanskrit for so many years. After that day disciples started speaking with Swamiji in sanskrit only.

Swamiji spoke further about this discussion and said that in the West no one would make a big point of the small grammatical mistake which he made. But they would have given more importance to the point which he wanted to assert. Pointing at the mistake deviates the attention from the real topic. He further said that in our country, all the fighting is going on over the husk, nobody searches for the kernel within.

Note : All the pundits who have came, it seems wanted to put down the Swamiji and that small grammatical mistake was the only occasion they got to bring Swamiji down. But it made no difference to Swamiji and he accepted his mistake humbly. Pundits were not able to challenge his arguments and in the end they were convinced with Swami Vivekananda. Moral of the story is that we need to focus on the essential and not on the mundane things.

Every one has to find out the essential seeking for his life. One should look deep into the things and see what is the essential quality which always remains with us and we can carry it in our next life also. A sincere seeker is never going to deviate from his goal and will always focus on realizing the truth.

Belur Math Pilgrimage guide book

2009-08-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna lovers will be delighted to know that a new book has just been published by Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. This book is a guide to the holy places and pilgrimage sites related with Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, specially on BelurMath

Author : Swami Asutoshananda
Price : Rs. 25
Title : Belur Math Pilgrimage
Pages :114 + A colour sketch map of Belur Math
Weight :115 gm
Product Code : 978-81-7823-515-8

Contact person for ordering a copy of the book :
The Manager
Ramakrishna Math
Mylapore, Chennai 600 004,
Phone: 044-2462-1110 (4 lines)
Fax: 044-2493 4589 , Email: srkmath@vsnl.com

For Online Shopping : www.sriramakrishnamath.org , www.belurmath.org

Sister Nivedita work and Swami Vivekananda

2009-07-05T11:19:00.001-07:00

Sister Nivedita was born in October 28, 1867 in Ireland. Her father gave the valuable idea to her that service to mankind is the true service to God. Serving mankind is one of the prominent ideas in the Christian religion. These words made a profound impression on her. She was very fond of music and art (much like her mentor Swami Vivekananda). After completing her education, she took up the job of a teacher and worked in the teaching profession for a long period of ten consecutive years from 1884 to 1894. She was a very gifted teacher and used to take part in social activities.

Before she met Swami Vivekananda in 1895, She was taking interest in Buddhist teachings. Swami Vivekananda stressed on the fact that, mankind is suffering because of ignorance and selfishness. When she met Swami Vivekananda - at that time Swami Vivekananda had already become very famous in the west and many prominent people were listening and following his ideas. Swami Vivekananda's teachings left a deep impact on her mind also and she left England to come to India. She became the first Western woman to be received into an Indian monastic order.

If Gauri Ma was instructed by Sri Ramakrishna to do work for women welfare, then Sister Nivedita was inspired by Swami Vivekananda to start the social work for women in India.
In November 1898 she started a school for girls who were deprived of even a basic education. She took part in various altruistic activities. She worked to improve the lives of Indian women of all castes, especially of Hindu widows who were often condemned to a life of poverty.

Sister Nivedita was always ready to help the poor and needy people. e.g. when the plague struck Calcutta city, then Sister Nivedita worked very hard for providing relief work to the needy people and didn't even cared about her own health. This tradition of serving the poor people is still continued in Sri Ramakrishna missions and society.

Yugapurush Swami Vivekananda - Documentary film

2009-06-24T04:58:00.000-07:00

7 minute documentary film made on Swami Vivekananda is available for free download,
(size - 5.97 mb) as well as for viewing is available at Belurmath Site

This documentary film is produced by Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi and has been telecast nation wide in DD National and Zee Network on the auspicious occasion of National Youth Day on 12th January, 2006.

Director of the film : Shri Amlan Kusum Ghosh, H.O.D. ,
Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Film and Television
Script : Ms. Anu Vasudev
Voice : Babla Kochar

Totapuri, Paramhansa Totapuri & Sri Ramakrishna Enlightenment

2009-06-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Totapuri was born in Punjab. He was very strongly built and very rarely fell ill in life. Totapuri was head of a monastery in the Ludhiana district of punjab state. The monastry was once very affluent, but at the time when Totapuri was its head, it had some 700 Sannyasins. Totapuri path was of Advaita Vedanta. He used to see world as an illusion and used to denounce the worshipping of gods and goddesses as a mere play of mind. Prayers, religious ceremonies, rites, and rituals had no meaning for him.

Totapuri had a good will power and a desire to seek truth. He practised austere discipline on the bank of the sacred Narmada for 40 years and after that he finally realized the Abolsute truth. Somewhere Totapuri was carrying the idea that realizing truth takes long time, as he was very much surprised, when Sri Ramakrishna realized truth in a single day with his able guidance.

Totapuri had arrived at the Dakshineswar temple garden toward the end of 1864. He used to roam from one place to another and never stayed in one place for more than 3 days. Only exception to this rule was this 11 months time which he spend with Sri Ramakrishna.

When he saw Sri Ramakrishna, then he instantly got attracted towards Sri Ramakrishna. In Sri Ramakrishna he saw a seeker fit for realizing truth. Totapuri had asked Sri Ramakrishna to withdraw his mind from the world, its objects, including the gods and goddesses, and to concentrate on the Absolute. Sri Ramakrishna was able to follow this instruction but He could not remove the image of Mother Kali from his mind.

Mother Kali was the last hurdle in Sri Ramakrishna Enlightenment. Sri Ramakrishna tried again and again to remove the image of Mother Kali from his Mind but he could not. Finally Totapuri said to Sri Ramakrishna that close your eyes and when you see mother kali then cut her head with a imaginery sword and the moment Sri Ramakrishna did this, He realized the absolute truth and stayed in Samadhi state for 3 days.

With Totapuri guidance Sri Ramakrishna realized truth in a day

Cyclone Aila and relief work by Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

2009-06-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Cyclone Aila which started on May 21 has cause huge Damage in the region of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. This Cyclone caused heavy rains, wind, and an enormous storm surge of seawater that pushed inland and damaged or virtually destroyed thousands of homes in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. According to the Reports, around 23 Lakh people were affected by Aila Cyclone.

In the Wake of Destruction, loss of Life and Property - Sri Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission is engaged in Relief operations to help cyclone victims in West Bengal and Bangladesh. They are distributing Food, Water, Hygiene Kits and other required Stuff.

People who would like to contribute or donate in the Relief work can visit this link
Belur Math Relief Work Details

Sri Ramakrishna - can one retain Perfect Knowledge permanently?

2009-05-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Doctor : "But can one retain Perfect Knowledge permanently? You say that all is God. Then why have you taken up this profession of a paramahamsa? And why do these people attend on you? Whv don't vou keep silent?'

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): "Water is water whether it is still or moves or breaks into waves.
"I must tell you something else. Why should I not listen to the 'mahut Narayana'? The guru had taught his disciple that everything was Narayana. A mad elephant was coming toward the disciple, but he did not move away since he believed the guru's words. He thought that the elephant was Narayana.

The mahut shouted to him: 'Get away! Get away!' But the disciple did not move. The elephant picked him up and threw him to the ground. The disciple was not quite dead; when his face was sprinkled with water he regained consciousness. Being asked why he had not moved away, he said 'Why should I? The guru said, "Everything is Naravana."' 'But, my child,' said the guru, 'why didn't you listen to the words of the mahut Narayana?'

"It is God who dwells within as the Pure Mind and Pure Intelligence. I am the machine and He is its Operator. I am the house and He is the Indweller. It is God who is the mahut Narayana."

Doctor: "Let me ask you something. Why do you ask me to cure your illness?"
Sri Ramakrishna : "I talk that way as long as I am conscious of the 'jar' of the 'ego'. Think of a vast ocean filled with water on all sides. A jar is immersed in it. There is water both inside and outside the jar; but the water does not become one unless the jar is broken. It is God who has kept this 'jar' of the 'ego' in me."

Source: from Book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Sri Ramakrishna : Self Knowledge is discussed in Ashtavakra Samhita

2009-05-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.) : "Self-Knowledge is discussed in the Ashtavakra Samhita. The non-dualists say, 'Soham', that is, 'I am the Supreme Self.' This is the view of the sannyasis of the Vedantic school. But this is not the right attitude for householders, who are conscious of doing everything themselves. That being so, how can they declare, 'I am That, the actionless Supreme Self?

According to the non-dualists the Self is unattached. Good and bad, virtue and vice, and the other pairs of opposites, cannot in any way injure the Self, though they undoubtedly afflict those who have identified themselves with their bodies. Smoke soils the wall, certainly, but it cannot in any way affect akasa, space. Following the Vedantists of this class, Krishnakishore used to say, 'I am Kha', meaning akasa. Being a great devotee, he could say that with some justification; but it is not becoming for others to do so.

"But to feel that one is a free soul is very good. By constantly repeating, 'I am free, I am free', a man verily becomes free. On the other hand, by constantly repeating, 'I am bound, I am bound', he certainly becomes bound to worldliness. The fool who says only, 'I am a sinner, I am a sinner', verily drowns himself in worldliness. One should rather say: 'I have chanted the name of God. How can I be a sinner? How can I be bound?'

Sri Ramakrishna : By practising spiritual discipline one sees God

2009-05-17T10:30:00.001-07:00

Question : "Sir, what is the proof that the soul is separate from the body?"
Sri Ramakrishna : "Proof? God can be seen. By practising spiritual discipline one sees God, through His grace. The rishis directly realized the Self. One cannot know the truth about God through science. Science gives us information only about things perceived by the senses, as for instance: this material mixed with that material gives such and such a result, and that material mixed with this material gives such and such a result.

"For this reason a man cannot comprehend spiritual things with his ordinary intelligence. To understand them he must live in the company of holy persons. You learn to feel the pulse by living with a physician."

Sri Ramakrishna : Jnana and Bhakti by practice of spiritual discipline

2009-05-11T12:37:00.001-07:00

M : "Isn't it possible to develop both jnana and bhakti by the practice of spiritual discipline?"
Sri Ramakrishna : "Through the path of bhakti a man may attain them both. If it is necessary, God gives him the Knowledge of Brahman. But a highly qualified aspirant may develop both jnana and bhakti at the same time. Such is the case with the Isvarakotis — Chaitanya for example. But the case of ordinary devotees is different.

"There are five kinds of light: the light of a lamp, the light of various kinds of fire, the light of the moon, the light of the sun, and lastly the combined light of the sun and the moon. Bhakti is the light of the moon, and jnana the light of the sun.

"Sometimes it is seen that the sun has hardly set when the moon rises in the sky. In an Incarnation of God one sees, at the same time, the sun of Knowledge and the moon of Love.
"Can everyone, by the mere wish, develop Knowledge and Love at the same time? It depends on the person. One bamboo is more hollow than another. Is it possible for all to comprehend the nature of God? Can a one-seer pot hold five seers of milk?"

M: "But what about the grace of God? Through His grace a camel can pass through the eye of a needle."
Sri Ramakrishna : "But is it possible to obtain God's grace just like that? A beggar may get a penny, if he asks for it. But suppose he asks you right off for his train fare. How about that?"
M. stood silent. The Master, too, remained silent. Suddenly he said:
"Yes, it is true. Through the grace of God some may get both jnana and bhakti."

Sri Ramakrishna Teachings on realization of Impersonal God

2009-05-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Question : "Sir, is there no spiritual discipline leading to realization of the Impersonal God?"
Sri Ramakrishna : "Yes, there is. But the path is extremely difficult. After intense austerities the rishis of olden times realized God as their innermost consciousness and experienced the real nature of Brahman. But how hard they had to work! They went out of their dwellings in the early morning and all day practised austerities and meditation. Returning home at nightfall, they took a light supper of fruit and roots.

"But an aspirant cannot succeed in this form of spiritual discipline if his mind is stained with worldliness even in the slightest degree. The mind must withdraw totally from all objects of form, taste, smell, touch, and sound. Only thus does it become pure. The Pure Mind is the same as the Pure Atman. But such a mind must be altogether free from 'woman and gold'. When it becomes pure, one has another experience. One realizes: 'God alone is the Doer, and I am His instrument.' One does not feel oneself to be absolutely necessary to others either in their misery or in their happiness.

"Once a wicked man beat into unconsciousness a monk who lived in a monastery. On regaining consciousness he was asked by his friends, 'Who is feeding you milk?' The monk said, 'He who beat me is now feeding me.'"

M : "Yes, sir. I know that story."
Sri Ramakrishna : "It is not enough to know it. One must assimilate its meaning. It is the thought of worldly objects that prevents the mind from going into samadhi. One becomes established in samadhi when one is completely rid of worldliness. It is possible for me to give up the body in samadhi; but I have a slight desire to enjoy the love of God and the company of His devotees. Therefore I pay a little attention to my body.

"There is another kind of samadhi, called unmana samadhi. One attains it by suddenly gathering the dispersed mind. You understand what that is, don't you?"