Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna Tales and Parables Of Sri Ramakrishna Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 2 Once a man went to a certain place to see a theatrical performance, carrying a mat under his arm. Hearing that it would be some time before the performance began; he spread the mat on the floor and fell asleep. When he woke up all was over. Then he returned home with the mat under his arm! - Sri Ramakrishna Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 3 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION ......................................................16 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION..................................................20 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................23 BOOK FIRST....................................................................................59 THE WORLD ....................................................................................59 THIS IS INDEED THE WORLD!.................................................................59 IN THE FOREST OF THE WORLD............................................................. 61 WHAT THE WORLD MAKES OF MEN .....................................................63 MEN OF THE WORLD...........................................................................65 WHEN THEY ARE ANNOYED ..................................................................65 WHEN ALL TEETH FELL ..........................................................................66 THERE ARE SUCH MEN INDEED!............................................................ 67 THE JACKAL THAT WON'T LEAVE THE COMPANY OF A BULLOCK..........68 THE PLUNDERERS WHO GO ABOUT AS RELIGIOUS.........................69 HOW THEY QUARREL!...........................................................................71 A WORLDLING IS A POOR EXPONENT OF THE SASTRAS ......................73 ELDER, THE PUMPKIN CUTTER...........................................................74 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 4 THERE IS NEED FOR EVERYTHING..........................................................75 THERE ARE MEN AND MEN ...................................................................76 THE BANE OF WORLDLINESS .................................................................78 THE ROOT OF ALL TROUBLES.................................................................78 ALL FOR A SINGLE PIECE OF LOIN-CLOTH.......................................80 THE TIGER THAT LURKS BEHIND WORLDLY JOYS...................................83 THAT OPPRESSING STENCH OF WORLDLINESS .....................................85 WORLDLY GOODS ARE NOT THINE FOR EVER ....................................86 THE JAR OF DESIRE CAN NEVER BE FILLED UP .......................................87 WHY YOGI SLIPS DOWN FROM HIS YOGA ............................... 90 'KAMA-KANCHANA'............................................................................92 COURT MARRIAGE AND YOU COURT SERVITUDE.............................. 92 THE FALL OF THE TWELVE HUNDRED....................................................94 MASTER OF EVERYTHING, SLAVE OF SEX!....................................96 BHAGAVATA IN THE EAR, BROTHEL IN THE MIND.......................98 GREATER EVEN THAN THE GURU!.........................................................99 MODERN JANAKAS! ............................................................................101 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 5 HOW'S A FALLEN SANNYASI................................................................ 103 IF YOU WOULD CONQUER LUST, LOOK ON WOMEN AS MOTHER......104 MONEY IS ALSO A GREAT UPADHI.......................................................106 SUCH IS THE PRIDE THAT MONEY BEGETS ..........................................108 ENMESHED IN MAYA, BRAHMAN WEEPS! ..........................................109 HOW IS MAYA .....................................................................................110 SUCH INDEED IS MAYA!.......................................................................111 MAYA VANISHES THE MOMENT IT IS KNOWN....................................113 THE PROLONGED DREAM THAT WE CALL LIFE....................................115 "IT'S NOTHING, IT'S NOTHING!".......................................................... 117 IF ALL IS REALLY UNREAL!....................................................................118 PITFALLS ........................................................................................119 A SIDDHA STOPS THE STORM.............................................................. 119 OCCULT POWERS ARE MORE A HINDRANCE THAN A HELP TO GOD- VISION.................................................................................................120 THE PANDIT WHO COULD NOT SWIM.................................................122 FOR MAN PROPOSES AND GOD DISPOSES..........................................123 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 6 AS ONE THINKS, SO ONE RECEIVES......................................................126 'SHE IS SO WELL OFF!'..........................................................................128 FEIGNING MADNESS TOO IS RISKY!.....................................................130 WELCOME GOOD, AND EVIL WELCOMES YOU....................................131 WHAT OCCULT POWERS ARE LIKE.......................................................133 HORSES IN COWSHED!........................................................................134 THOSE FASCINATING OBSTRUCTIONS.................................................135 EGOISM: VANITY..............................................................................137 FROM 'HAMBA' TO TUHU'...................................................................137 EGOTISM IS RUINOUS .........................................................................138 SANKARACHARYA AND HIS FOOLFSH DISCIPLE...................................139 WHEN SIVA'S BULL BARED ITS TEETH..................................................140 HOW VANITY TURNS A PERSON'S HEAD!............................................141 PREVIOUS TENDENCIES......................................................................142 POWERFUL ARE THE INBORN TENDENCIES.........................................142 A HINDU WHO WAS FORCED TO EMBRACE ISLAM ............................. 143 NOTHING IS LOST IN THE ECONOMY OF GOD .....................................144 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 7 THE INEVITABLES ................................................................................146 THE WAY .......................................................................................148 THE ONLY WAY....................................................................................148 BOOK THE SECOND ......................................................................149 FAITH............................................................................................149 THIS FAITH OF A CHILD........................................................................149 A BOY ACTUALLY FED GOD..................................................................151 A DISCIPLE AND HER POT OF CURDS ...................................................153 THE SIMPLE SECRET.............................................................................155 THE BASIC FAITH .................................................................................157 A TRUE DEVOTEE'S FAITH....................................................................158 FAITH ABSOLUTE.................................................................................159 FAITH UNBOUNDED............................................................................160 FAITH TREMENDOUS ..........................................................................161 THE POWER OF FAITH .........................................................................163 HANUMAN SINGH AND THE WRESTLER FROM THE PUNJAB ..............164 FAITH KNOWS NO MIRACLES .............................................................. 165 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 8 BUT FAITH WORKS MIRACLES............................................................. 166 FAITH IS THE MOTHER OF MIRACLES ..................................................168 POWER OF THE HOLY NAME ............................................................... 170 THE DOUBTING SOUL PERISHES.......................................................... 171 DEVOTION......................................................................................172 THE BEST OFFERING TO GOD IS LOVE..................................................172 THE LOVE THAT FREELY G1VETH IS THE HIGHEST.......................... 173 WHO WINS THE PRIZE.........................................................................177 THAT GREAT DEVOTEE OF A CROW.....................................................178 THREE FRIENDS AND THE TIGER.......................................................... 179 SINGLE-MINDED DEVOTION TO ONE IDEAL........................................180 IN WEAL AND WOE, GOD FOR EVERMORE..........................................181 RAVANA—THE GREAT DEVOTEE OF RAMA.........................................184 DEVOTION, THE DIVINE OPEN SESAME...............................................185 A DEVOTEE AVOIDS WHAT THE WORLD RUNS AFTER.........................186 GLORY UNTO KRISHNA! ......................................................................187 THAT PURE LOVE FOR GOD.................................................................189 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 9 BACK TO THE DIVINE MOTHER............................................................ 190 CONCEIT IS TO DEVOTION WHAT CANKER IS TO BUDS .......................192 GOD ALONE IS THE GIVER ...................................................................194 NO BEGGAR, I, FOR COMMON FRUIT..................................................196 THORNS DENIED PRICK NO LESS KEENLY ............................................198 SINGLE-MINDEDNESS IS ANOTHER NAME FOR DEVOTION.................201 YEARNING ......................................................................................203 TO HAVE GENUINE YEARNING FOR GOD IS TO ATTAIN HIM ...............203 THAT DIVINE YEARNING......................................................................204 IF YOU ARE EARNEST...........................................................................206 HOW A GURU TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLE TO SEE GOD............................... 207 SELF-HELP & SELF-SURRENDER............................................................208 SELF-HELP AND SELF-SURRENDER ......................................................208 LORD NARAYANA AND HIS SELF-DEFENDING DEVOTEE......................209 SELF-SURRENDER KNOWS NO COMPLAINT........................................210 HUMILITY.......................................................................................211 IT'S NOT EASY TO ATTAIN TRUE HUMILITY..........................................211 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 10 TYAGA AND VAIRAGYA ......................................................................213 THE HOMA BIRD..................................................................................213 HE WENT AWAY, TOWEL ON HIS SHOULDER ......................................215 DISPASSION COMES LIKE A FLOOD AND NEVER BY DROPS .................217 NOT UNTIL THE ILLUSION BREAKS.......................................................218 NONE WILL FOLLOW THEE AFTER DEATH ...........................................220 TODAY'S IMITATION IS TOMORROWS INSPIRATION........................... 222 SIMULATION OF HOLINESS MAY BECOME A STIMULATION FOR IT ....224 EQUAL VISION IS THE FIRST AND LAST SIGN OF RENUNCIATION........225 HARD ARE THE RULES FOR A SANNYASI ..............................................226 A BAHURUPI IMPERSONATING SIVA...................................................228 HOLD HARD YOUR SPADE ...................................................................229 AS YOU GO FROM NEAR TO NEARER...................................................231 THE KING AND THE PANDIT.................................................................233 EVEN IF YOU WISH TO RENOUNCE THE WORLD..................................234 WHEN RENUNCIATION BECOMES THE LIFE-BREATH .......................... 235 A GHOST SOUGHT A COMPANION......................................................236 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 11 A SALT DOLL WENT TO FATHOM THE OCEAN .....................................237 BOOK THE THIRD..........................................................................238 BRAHMAN......................................................................................238 FOUR FRIENDS LOOKED BEYOND........................................................238 WHERE SILENCE IS ELOQUENT AND SPEECH DOTH FALTER............239 NEITHER 'YES' NOR 'NO'! ...................................................................240 THE KING AND THE MAGICIAN............................................................ 241 WHEN FACE TO FACE...........................................................................242 'BEHOLD, O KING! BEHOLD' ................................................................ 243 AN ANT WENT TO A SUGAR HILL.........................................................244 HE EATS, YET EATS NOT.......................................................................245 ALL PURE SPIRIT ..................................................................................246 ASPECTS OF THE DIVINE.....................................................................247 THE CHAMELEON................................................................................247 MAN WITH A TUB OF DYE....................................................................249 WHAT THE DIVINE MOTHER REVEALED TO ME...................................251 HOW A MONK KNEW THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD...................................252 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 12 GOD ALONE HAS BECOME ALL THINGS...............................................253 STRIP NAME AND FORM AND LOOK BEYOND .....................................254 FEW, VERY FEW ARE THEY...................................................................256 SHE CAME AND WENT AWAY.............................................................. 258 THUS SAW ARJUNA.............................................................................260 NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM......................................................261 TO HIM THESE ARE MERE DUST AND STRAW......................................262 NATURE OF GOD .................................................................................263 GOD IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF HTS DEVOTEES............................... 264 ALL ELSE IS UNREAL.........................................................................267 THE LURE OF DIVINE LILA ....................................................................268 A PEACOCK THAT TASTED OPIUM.......................................................269 KA! KA! KA! ........................................................................................270 INSCRUTABLE ARE THE WAYS OF GOD................................................271 AN INTERESTING INCIDENT!................................................................ 272 WHY NOT THROUGH A MAN?............................................................. 273 WHEN GOD LAUGHS ...........................................................................274 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 13 HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT? ............................................................ 275 WHO CAN TELL?..................................................................................276 MAN IN DIVINE STATE.......................................................................278 THE WINE OF HEAVENLY BLISS............................................................ 278 THEY WANDER IN MANY DISGUISES ...................................................279 VISHNU EVERYWHERE ........................................................................281 WHERE IS THE MISERY FOR HIM WHO SEES THE ONE?.......................282 BOTH FRIEND AND FOE THE SAINTS ADORE........................................283 ILLUSORY ALIKE!..................................................................................285 CHILDLIKE SHOULD BE THE MAN OF HIGHEST WISDOM.....................286 SHE BEHAVED IN A QUEER WAY.......................................................... 287 ON COMPANY OF THE HOLY ............................................................... 288 IN THAT DIVINE STATE.........................................................................289 THE NATURE OF A PARAMAHAMSA....................................................290 SRI SANKARA AND THE BUTCHER........................................................291 GURU (TEACHER OF MEN)..................................................................292 THE PHYSICIAN WITH HIS JARS OF MOLASSES ....................................292 Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna 14 THAT INSIGNIA OF AUTHORITY........................................................... 294 THE AVADHUTA AND HIS UPA-GURUS................................................297 THE GRASS-EATING TIGER...................................................................300 HOW SRI CHAITANYA ATTRACTED THE WORLDLY .............................. 301 LIKE TEACHER, LIKE DISCIPLE............................................................... 302 WHEN ALL CONCEPTIONS OF DIFFERENCE VANISH............................ 304 BOOK THE FOURTH ......................................................................305 IMPERATIVES...................................................................................305 GO FORWARD!....................................................................................305 COUNT NOT LEAVES, EAT MANGOES..................................................307 BE DROWNED! ....................................................................................308 STICK TO YOUR OWN RELIGION .......................................................... 309 HAVE BOTH YOUR HANDS FREE .......................................................... 311 LET NOT THE BELL OF BIGOTRY DEADEN YOUR HEARING...................313 SEE ADVAITA EVERYWHERE OR SEE IT NOWHERE .............................. 315 GO BEYOND KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE......................................317 BEWARE OF THE TOUCH OF THE WORLDLINGS ..................................319