264 Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna

833. * As long as the mind is not absorbed in Sach­

chidananda, man has to do both-call upon the Lord and
attend to work in the world. But when the mind is
absorbed in Hirn, there is· no more need of any work. For
example, let us take the illustration of the Kirtan. A man
sings: "Nitai amar mata hati (My Nityananda is an
elephant in rut)." When this is sung first, the si1fger pays
attention to all de/ails-the tune,,,time, melody, etc. But
when his mind is a little absorbed in t�e song, he says
simply " Mata hati, mata hati." At a further stage of
absoi;ption he says' only, "Hati, hati." At a still further
stage, he says simply "Ha, ha," and no further.
8.34.* So I say, in the beginning there is much fuss
of Karma. But the more you will proceed towards God,
the less will it grow. Finally comes the complete renuncia­
tion of work and the attainment of Samadhi. Generally
the body does not remain long after the attaimqent of
Sarnadhi. But in the case of some it remains for the work
of teaching the world. Sages like Narada and Divine
lncarnationi. like Sri Chitanya are examples of this. After
a, �ell is dug some throw away all the spades and baskets,
but others preserve them with the idea that they .may be
of some u\e to any of their neighbour�. Such great souls
are moved with pity at the sight of the sufferings of the
world. Tloey are not so selfish as to care only for the
• attainment of J¥na for themselves.

1 Sam.,IJ,fanJl re;lisation of GOii. Thus Karmas� pious duties

• of the type
of Sandhya, have their ultimate erfll in God-realisatiaJ\
 .
CHAPTER.XVll

THE DIVINE
[Bra'hman (The Impersonal or Supra-personal Abso­
lute)-Brahman and Vie reality of relative experiences­
Personal Deity, known also as lsvara. Maya and Sakti­
G�d in everything-The Divine both with and without
form---Some Divine forms-Divine immanence--The
Divin; and man's moral responsibility]
•
BRAHMAN (THE IMPERSONAL OR SUPRA-PERSONAL
ABSOLUTE)

8.35., What is the conception of Brahman ? It cannot

be explain�d in words. If a man is called upon to give
an idea of the ocean to one who has never, seen it, he can
only say, "It is a vast sheet of water, a big expanse of
water ; it is water, water all around... ,.
8.36. The Vedas, the Tantras, the Puranas and all tli,.e
•
sacred.scriptures of the world have become Uchchhishta as
it were (i.e., defiled like the food thrown out of the
mouth). because they have come out of, and have so often
been repeated by, human mouths. But Brahman or the
Absqlute has never been' so defiled, for, no one has yet•
b,een able to express It by SP,eech.
8.37. What is the nature of Brahman ? It is without
.attributes, without•-\4flotion, immovable, unshakaHe, JirlJI as
!he mount Meru.
266 Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna

838. Brahman is unattached to good or evil. It is like

the flame of a lamp. You may read the Bhagavata (a
holy scripture), or forge a document-you can do both
with the help of the same' light. Again, Brahman is like a
serpent. What does it matter i{ it has poison in its fangs ?
It is none the worse for it; the poison does not cause its
death. It is poison only to other creatures whoib it may
happen to bite. Much in the sal',1e way, misery, sin and
whatever other evil we find in this world, are just so o�ly
in relation to us. Brahman is above and beyond all these.
Good and evil in creation are not so to Brahman. , He is.
•
not to be judged by any human standard of good and evil.
839. Brahman is above and beyond both knowledge and
ignorance, good and evil, Dharma and J\dharma. It is
indeed beyond all dual throngs.
840. * Brahman is beyond mind and spee�h. �eyond
concentration and meditation (Dharana and Dhyana),
beyond the knower, the known and knowledge, beyond
even the conception of the real and the unreal. In short.
&
It is beyond all relativity.
1
341. The Absolute is like the air which carries odours,
be they gocv:l or bad, but remains ever untainted by tkem.
842. The Absolute is beyond all , attributes-beyond
whatever is connected with Maya.

BRAHMAN 1AND THE REALITY OF RELATIVE

EXPERIENCE
.
843. God alone is true ; His manifestations as living
.
bein,s eaml the world (Jiva and Jag� are untrue, i.e.•
non-eternal.