PREFACE

by Swmi Nikhilnanda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is the English translation of the Sri Sri Rmakrishna Kathmrita, the
conversations of Sri Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees, and visitors, recorded by Mahendranth
Gupta,
who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M." The conversations in Bengali fill five volumes, the
first of
which was published in 1897 and the last shortly after M.'s death in 1932. Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Madras, has
published in two volumes an English translation of selected chapters from the monumental Bengali
work. I
have consulted these while preparing my translation.
M., one of the intimate disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, was present during all the conversations recorded
in the
main body of the book and noted them down in his diary. They therefore have the value of almost
stenographic records. In Appendix A are given several conversations which took place in the absence of
M.,
but of which he received a first-hand record from persons concerned. The conversations will bring
before the
reader's mind an intimate picture of the Master's eventful life from March 1882 to April 24, 1886, only a
few
months before his passing away. During this period he came in contact chiefly with English-educated
Benglis;
from among them he selected his disciples and the bearers of his message, and with them he shared his
rich
spiritual experiences.
I have made a literal translation, omitting only a few pages of no particular interest to English-speaking
readers. Often literary grace has been sacrificed for the sake of literal translation. No translation can do
full
justice to the original. This difficulty is all the more felt in the present work, whose contents are of a
deep
mystical nature and describe the inner experiences of a great seer. Human language is an altogether
inadequate vehicle to express supersensuous perception. Sri Ramakrishna was almost illiterate. He
never
clothed his thoughts in formal language. His words sought to convey his direct realization of Truth. His
conversation was in a village patois. Therein lies its charm. In order to explain to his listeners an abstruse
philosophy, he, like Christ before him, used with telling effect homely parables and illustrations, culled
from his
observation of the daily life around him.
The reader will find mentioned in this work many visions and experiences that fall outside the ken of
physical
science and even psychology. With the development of modern knowledge the border line between the
natura