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Friday, September 7, 1883
Sri Ramakrishna and M. were talking in the Master’s room at half past seven in the evening. No one else was present.
Master’s deep spiritual experiences
For a time Master and disciple remained silent. Then Sri Ramakrishna began to describe his experiences of Brahman.
“One day I had the vision of Consciousness, non-dual and indivisible. At first it had been revealed to me that there were innumerable men, animals, and other creatures.
Among them there were aristocrats, the English, the Muslims, myself, scavengers, dogs, and also a bearded Mussalman with an earthenware tray of rice in his hand. He put a few grains of rice into everybody’s mouth. I too tasted a little.
“Another day I saw rice, vegetables, and other food-stuff, and filth and dirt as well, lying around. Suddenly the soul came out of my body and, like a flame, touched everything. It was like a protruding tongue of fire and tasted everything once, even the excreta. It was revealed to me that all these are one Substance, the non-dual and indivisible Consciousness.
“Another day it was revealed to me that I had devotees — my intimate companions, my very own. Thereafter I would climb to the roof of the kuthi as soon as the bells and the conch-shells of the evening service sounded in the temples, and cry out with a longing heart: ‘Oh, where are you all? Come here! I am dying to see you!’
(To M.) “Well, what do you think of these visions?”
“Perhaps Hazra was a poor man in his previous life, and that is why he wants so much to see the manifestation of power. He wants to know what I talk about with the cook.
He says to me:
(M. laughs aloud.)
“Many a time you have said that a devotee who loves God for the sake of love does not care to see God’s powers.
A true devotee wants to see God as Gopala. In the beginning God becomes the magnet, and the devotee the needle. But in the end the devotee himself becomes the magnet, and God the needle; that is to say, God becomes small to His devotee.”
Both remained silent for some time.
M. was silent. He said to himself:
“The Master referred to ’the sun at dawn’ and ’the tree unrecognizable by man’. Did he mean an Incarnation of God? Is this the play of God through man? Is the Master himself an Incarnation? Was this why he cried to the devotees from the roof of the kuthi: ‘Where are you? Come to me!’?”
Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the steps of the southeast verandah of the Kāli temple. Rakhal, M., and Hazra were with him. He talked light-heartedly about his boyhood days.
When it was dusk he returned to his room and sat down on the small couch. Soon he went into samādhi and in that state began to talk to the Divine Mother.
The Master was to go to a devotee’s house. Was it for this that he was asking the Divine Mother’s permission?
Again he spoke to Her, perhaps praying about an intimate disciple:
Remaining silent a moment, he said:
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