iMeditate

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

This is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. It is the recorded conversations between Sri Ramakrishna and his students. They were recorded by M, one of the master's disciples. For more information about Sri Ramakrishna visit the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.

Those whose spiritual consciousness has been awakened never make a false step. They do not have to reason in order to shun evil. They are so full of love for God that whatever action they undertake is a good action. They are fully conscious that they are not the doers of their actions, but mere servants of God. They always feel: "I am the machine and He is the Operator. I do as He does through me. I speak as He speaks through me. I move as He moves me."

Fully awakened souls are beyond virtue and vice. They realize that it is God who does everything.

There was a monastery in a certain place. The monks residing there went out daily to beg their food. One day a monk, while out for his alms, saw a landlord beating a man mercilessly. The compassionate monk stepped in and asked the landlord to stop. But the landlord was filled with anger and turned his wrath against the innocent monk. He beat the monk till he fell unconscious on the ground.

Someone reported the matter to the monastery. The monks ran to the spot and found their brother lying there. Four or five of them carried him back and laid him on a bed. He was still unconscious. The other monks sat around him sad at heart; some were fanning him.

Finally someone suggested that he should be given a little milk to drink. When it was poured into his mouth he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked around.

One of the monks said, "'Let us see whether he is fully conscious and can recognize us." Shouting into his ear, he said, "Revered sir, who is giving you milk?"

"Brother," replied the holy man in a low voice, "He who beat me is now giving me milk."

But one does not attain such a state of mind without the realization of God.