Signs of Knowledge

-
March 23, 1884

MASTER: "There are two signs of knowledge.  First, an unshakable buddhi.  No matter how many sorrows, afflictions, dangers, and obstacles one may be faced with, one's mind does not undergo any change.  It is like the blacksmith's anvil, which receives constant blows from the hammer and still remains unshaken.  And second, manliness-very strong grit.  If lust and anger injure a man, he must renounce them once for all.  If a tortoise once tucks in its limbs, it won't put them out again though you may cut it into four pieces".  

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Chapter 20, Rules for Householders and Monks

Popular posts from this blog

Our duties to our parents

-
April 5, 1884 MASTER: "Then build them a separate home.  That will be a different thing.  You will defray their monthly expenses.  How worthy of worship one's parents are!  Rākhāl  asked me if he could take the food left on his father's plate.  'What do you mean?' I said.  'What have you become that you cannot?' But it is also true that good people won't give anyone, even a dog, the food from their plates." GIRINDRA: "Sir, suppose one's parents are guilty of a terrible crime, a heinous sin?" MASTER: "What if they are? You must not renounce your mother even if she commits adultery.  The woman guru of a certain family became corrupt.  The members of the family said that they would like to make the son of the guru their spiritual guide.  But I said: 'How is that? Will you accept the shoot and give up the yam? Suppose she is corrupt; still you must regard her as your Ishta. ...
Read more

"Go forward"

-
June 15, 1884 MASTER: "Once upon a time a wood-cutter went into a forest to chop wood. There suddenly he met a brahmachari. The holy man said to him, 'My good man, go forward.' On returning home the wood-cutter asked himself, 'Why did the brahmachari tell me to go forward?' Some time passed. One day he remembered the brahmachari's words. He said to himself, 'Today I shall go deeper into the forest.' Going deep into the forest, he discovered innumerable sandal-wood trees. He was very happy and returned with cart-loads of sandal-wood. He sold them in the market and became very rich. "A few days later he again remembered the words of the holy man to go forward. He went deeper into the forest and discovered a silver-mine near a river. This was even beyond his dreams. He dug out silver from the mine and sold it in the market. He got so much money that he didn't even know how much he had. "A f...
Read more

Signs of God vision

-
June 15, 1884  DEVOTEE: "What, sir, are the signs of God-vision?" MASTER: "Yes, there are such signs. It is said in the Bhagavata that a man who has seen God behaves sometimes like a child, sometimes like a ghoul, sometimes like an inert thing, and sometimes like a madman. "The man who has seen God becomes like a child. He is beyond the three gunas; he is unattached to any of them. He behaves like a ghoul, for he maintains the same attitude toward things holy and unholy. Again, like a madman, he sometimes laughs and sometimes weeps. Now he dresses himself like a dandy and the next moment he goes entirely naked and roams about with his cloth under his arm. Therefore he seems to be a lunatic. Again, at times he sits motionless like an inert thing." Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Chapter 23, Festival at Surendra's house 
Read more