The Gospel of SRI RAMAKRISHNA

I‘ve finished reading another spiritual gem and sharing my reading experience with you. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is a gift from my father in law on my last birthday. He had gifted me two more books on my birthday namely Swami Vivekananda on himself and Sri Sarada Devi The Holy Mother Life and Teachings. Ma sarada was the wife (spiritual life partner) of Sri RamKrishna. It’s a very short book but would give me an idea of who she was and her teachings. I’ve started reading “Swami Vivekananda on himself” and I am already hooked to it. 

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Many books have been written on Sri Ramakrishna but this one is the best so far in my opinion. Sri Ramakrishna was/is the spiritual guide of Swami Vivekananda. This book was originally written in Bengali known as “KathaMrito” by the M ( Mahendra Nath Gupta). M was one of the closest disciples of Sri RamaKrishna. The English version of the book is translated by Swami Nikhelananda . This one is a abridged edition. This book is also available in 7 different volumes in the shop. Price of this masterpiece is very low firstly because it’s a priceless book and secondly because the idea is to spread the messages and teachings of Sri RamKrishna aka Thakur (meaning God) to the mass. A devotee of Thakur donated Rs 5 lakh to make it available to the common man at an affordable price. 

This book contains the conversations of the Master with his disciples. While reading this book you would feel that you are sitting among those spiritual people and listening to the valuable words of the Thakur. This book will take you back to the old times. M used to record his conversations with the Master in his personal diary. He published this after the death of the Master. First chapter is the description of how M met this great man and became his disciple. 

You would learn all the practical teachings about religion from this book. Sri Ramakrishna was the first man on earth who had claimed that he had seen God like he see every human being around him. He believed in every religion and followed all of them and concluded that God is one and different people use different ways according to their nature to realize God. This book would also help you to deal with your day to day life. 

The great man like him was born on earth to guide people to the right spiritual path and he had chosen Vivekananda and few others to accomplish his goal. After the death of the Master they dedicated their life to realize Master’s dream of enlightening souls and they were able to achieve. Today there is thousands people in India and around the world that follow his teachings. 

Many organizations have been established in his name. The main organization is in Belur, west Bengal which was built by swami Vivekananda. They have built various schools and college and work for the welfare of the poor and for differently able person. Even my father in law did his schooling from one of their school and I tell you he did really well both spiritually and professionally.  He is one of the perfect enlightened souls I have seen in my life till now. I am lucky to be his daughter in law though I never felt that. He treats me like his own daughter. Anyways enough about my father in law, I may write a separate post on him later.

Writing style is in conversational form and written in very simple language so that everyone can understand it. Few phrase from the book:

"The potter puts his pots in the sun to dry. Havent you noticed that among them there are both baked and unbaked ones? When a cow happens to walk over them, some are broken to pieces. The broken pots that are already baked, the potter throws away, since they are of no more use to him. But the soft ones, though broken, he gathers up. He makes them into a lump and out of these form new pots. In the same way, so long as a man not realized God, he will have to come back to the potter’s hand, that is, he will have to be born again and again."

"A man must work. Only then can he see God. One day, in an exalted mood, I had a vision of the Haldarpukur. I saw a low caste villager drawing water after pushing aside the green scum. Now and then he took up the water in the palm of his hand and examined it. In that vision it was revealed to me that the water cannot be seen without pushing aside the green scum that covers it; that is to say, one cannot develop love of God or obtain the vision of him without work. Work means meditation, worship and the like. The chanting of God’s name and glories is work too. You may also include charity, sacrifice and so on."

"A man cannot see God if he has even the slightest trace of worldliness. Match sticks, if damp, wont strike fire though you rub a thousand of them against the match box. You only waste a heap of sticks. The mind soak in worldliness is like a damp match-stick." 

I strongly recommend this book to everyone. Once you start reading it you will somehow finish it. Some may take time to finish it but that is alright because I think spiritual books should be read slowly. You may read it before you start your day and before you go to sleep. That way you will feel inspired and under the guidance of God and his love.  Happy reading :)

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Last week was uneventful for my family. One of our uncle’s mothers died suddenly. We had spoken to him the day before and everyone was happy and fine and next day we got this shocking news. He is sad and broken and I find no words appropriate to console him L whenever I talk to him after this incident I never bring this up. I feel my words would hurt him more. 

And today we got this news that our uncle (not the one whose mother died) is in hospital. His daughter’s engagement is just few days away and they are really in helpless situation. Please pray for our uncles.