About Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
- Date of Birth – 18 February 1836.
- Place of Birth – Kamarpukur.
- State of Living? (Samadhi or Alive) – Samadhi on 16 August 1886.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Message to the World
These mind-blowing teachings from Ramakrishna made him a saint. He not only preached these teachings but lived them.
- The goal of Human life is Self-realization which alone can give a man a supreme bliss and everlasting peace.
- Ultimate truth is one. It is both personal and impersonal. Names are different in different religions, you can call it by many names.
- The purity of mind consists of two things. Freedom from lust and freedom from greed. These conditions will help a man to realize his true self.
- Spiritual Practices are beneficial to overcome man’s tendencies. Divine grace will redeem even the worst sinner.
- One shouldn’t worry about past mistakes. But, he should have a positive outlook on life by depending on God.
- The manifestation of divinity varies from person to person even though God resides in all people.
- In saints, it will be more and women are the manifestation of the divine mother. They should be treated very well.
- You should help the needy people not out of compassion but as a humble service to the god.
- Suffering is due to the egoism caused by ignorance.
- One should leave everything to God’s will by treating the dualities of life such as good and bad, success and failure, pleasure and pain equally.
Path of Enlightenment
Tantra Yoga (Path of Kriya)
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion)
Karma Yoga (Path of Work/Service),
Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge)
He followed all the path.
You can find very few people who have the capability to follow all the paths.
In fact, all the paths merge into the path of devotion.
How did Ramakrishna Paramahamsa experience Enlightenment?
Through Tantra Yoga, Ramakrishna experienced the state of Savikalpa samadhi (one step before the actual enlightenment).
Gurus of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Ramakrishna had many gurus in his spiritual journey.
Promoninent two of them are:
Bhairavi Brahmani – Woman who was an advanced Spiritual Adept in Dakshineshwar.
Totapuri – A wandering monk who helped him to attain the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is said to be the highest possible state of consciousness one can experience mentioned in the scriptures.
Things that Ramakrishna learned from Tantrik Adept Bhairavi Brahmani
Bhairavi Brahmani initiated Ramakrishna into the path of Tantra. She taught him the different methods of invoking the goddess within through the three paths which deal with Tantra. Samaya marga, Dakshinachara, and Vama marga.
She also taught him the kundalini yoga. Ramakrishna followed all the 64 major sadhanas under the guidance of Bhairavi Brahmani.
Initially, he began with mantra sadhana such as mantra Japa, Purushcharana and many other rituals pertaining to cleanse his mind at the subtlest level and develop self-control.
He then started off with Tantrik Sadhanas, Ramakrishna finished all the sadhanas except the rituals that involved meat eating with drinks and sexual intercourse.
Bhairavi had also taught him Kumari Puja which involved worshipping a virgin young girl in the form of the goddess.
Source :
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa experiencing Nirvikalpa Samadhi under the guidance of his master Totapuri
Totapuri another great master from the discipline of Advaita Vedanta. He was the head of the monastery of 700 sannyasis who have been under his leadership.
He had experience of the world around him as a Maya.
He was a monk of orthodox type, never stayed at a place for more than 3 days.
Totapuri noticed Ramakrishna be a fit to be a student of Vedanta. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa requested Totapuri to initiate him to its mysteries.
Ramakrishna taking the permission from the Mother Kali he agreed to take initiation to Sannyasa as it was the primary requirement to know the truth under Totapuri guidance.
Totapuri then started explaining about the operations of Maya, it’s realities and the Brahman (super-consciousness) as the absolute reality.
He also said there is no duality as such, it is only the play of Maya. Quoting from the upanishad he said to Ramakrishna, “That knowledge is shallow by which one sees or hears or knows another. What is shallow is worthless and can never give real felicity. But the knowledge by which one does not see another or hear another or know another, which is beyond duality, is great, and through such knowledge, one attains the infinite bliss. How can the mind and senses grasp which is beyond its comprehension? That which shines in the heart of all is the Eternal Subject, not an object. “
On the initiation day, Ramakrishna followed every ritual instructed by Totapuri but failed to leave the devotion to the mother Kali.
He was bound by the Maya of devotion to the goddess Kali.
Ramakrishna explained to totapuri that every time when he tries to merge with the supreme reality goddess Kali would appear and failed to continue with the process. For that, Totapuri insisted him to continue and experience the absolute reality by himself.
Totapuri then takes a piece of glass and stuck in between his eyebrows and told him to concentrate on this point.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa again sat with his mind fixed on the point of object of meditation. He went into deep samadhi.
The experience of the samadhi in which Ramakrishna was turned out to be 3 days.
Totapuri cried to see this and astonished by the fact that he had taken 40 years to experience this but here is a man who got it in just a single day.
Totapuri then brought back Ramakrishna Paramahansa to his normal consciousness of relative plane of existence.
This was the Ramakrishna’s experience of enlightenment.
Here is a video clipping from the movie.
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Prajnatma eBook DownloadBrief Introduction to the Spiritual Practice Ramakrishna Paramahamsa followed
Kriya Yoga (Path of Energy) – He followed series of Tantrik Sadhanas under the guidance of his great guru Bhairavi Brahmani.
Karma Yoga (Path of Service/Work) – He was not an renunciant and dedicate his life to teach others and serve humanity.
Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge) – Under the path of Knowledge, he understood the concepts from both Vedic and tantrik perspectives along with self-contemplation.
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion) – He was an extremely ardent devotee and his devotion for the mother Kali was unquestionable.
In fact, Bhairavi Brahmani came to the conclusion that he is not just like any other spiritual sadhakas (spiritual practitioners) who were just seeking the god but an embodiment of God himself.
Including Totapuri his great guru had a strong conviction that he is not an ordinary human being who is seeking for the divine.
Ramakrishna Paramahamnsa Quotes
Some of his great quotes which have the potential turn any man into saint are listed below.
“He is born in vain who, having attained the human birth, so difficult to get, does not attempt to realize God in this very life.”
“You see many stars in the sky at night, but not when the sun rises. Can you, therefore, say that there are no stars in the heavens during the day? O man, because you cannot find God in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.”
“One cannot have the vision of God as long as one has these three – shame, hatred, and fear.”
“Be not a traitor in your thoughts. Be sincere; act according to your thoughts, and you shall surely succeed. Pray with a sincere and simple heart, and your prayers will be heard.”
“Do not let worldly thoughts and anxieties disturb your mind. Do everything that is necessary for the proper time, and let your mind be always fixed on God.”
“You should remember that the heart of the devotee is the abode of God. He dwells, no doubt, in all beings, but He especially manifests Himself in the heart of the devotee. The heart of the devotee is the drawing room of God.”
“Pure knowledge and pure loves are one and the same thing. Both lead the aspirants to the same goal. The path of love is much easier.”
“Who is the best devotee of God? It is he who sees, after the realization of Brahman that God alone has become all living beings, the universe, and the twenty-four cosmic principles. One must discriminate at first, saying ‘Not this, not this’, and reach the roof. After that one realizes that the steps are made of the same materials as the roof, namely, brick, lime, and brick-dust. The devotee realizes that it is Brahman alone that has become all these — the living beings, the universe, and so on.”
“Live in the world like a waterfowl. The water clings to the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in the world like a mudfish. The fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny.”
“I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world. But you must direct your mind toward God; otherwise, you will not succeed. Do your duty with one hand and with the other hold to God. After the duty is over you will hold to God with both hands.”
“The breeze of His grace is blowing day and night over your head. Unfurl the sails of your boat (mind), if you want to make rapid progress through the ocean of life.”
“One should constantly repeat the name of God. The name of God is highly effective in the Kaliyuga. The practice of yoga is not possible in this age, for the life of a man depends on the food. Clap your hands while repeating God’s name, and the birds of your sins will fly away.”
Swami Vivekananda meets Ramakrishna Paramahansa
Here is a story of Swami Vivekananda meeting his guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa explained by the living yogi Jaggi Vasudev.
Read more at –
https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/stories-swami-vivekananda-life-inspired
Great Yogi Disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Ramakrishna is said to be an avatar of none other than the Maha Vishnu (Pure Consciousness or the Truth) in human form have created wonderful disciples to spread his divine message across the world.
An important thing to be noted here is that he was training the disciples based on their individual temparament which we hardly see in this age and time.
It takes an enormous amount of intelligence, degree of compassion, subject grip over most of the crucial aspects from non-Vedantic, tantrik, and Vedantic concepts.
Only an adept can train the students based on their temparaments.
He has had bifurcated the disciples into 3 categories.
- Monastic Discples
- Women Disciples
- Lay Disciples
Here is the list of all the disciples.
Some of the noted personalities of his time are listed below.
- Swami Vivekananda
- Swami Abhedananda
- Surendra Nath Mitra
- Yogin Ma
- Golap Ma
- Mahendra Nath Gupta
- Gauri M
- Swami Brahmananda
- Swami Sivananda
- Swami Premananda
- Swami Yogananda
- Swami Nirananjananda
- Swami Turiyananda
- Swami Trigunatitananda
Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Book
Below is an excerpt from the gospel of Ramakrishna which depicts the story of a salt doll try to go and measure the depth of the ocea.
He has beautifully explained the egocentric nature of individual who think has known everything and operate in the world with absolute ignorance of the true existence.
A doll made of salt once went to the ocean to measure its depth. It had a desire to tell others Parable of how deep was the ocean.
Alas! Its salt doll. The desire was never satisfied. No sooner had it plunged into the ocean than it melted away and became one with the ocean.
Who would bring the news regarding the depth? Similar is the condition of the Jiva (individual ego) who enters into the Infinite Ocean of the Absolute Brahman.
Someone asked: Bhagavan, is it true that the man who has entered into Samadhi, or who has acquired Brahma Jndnam, does not speak?
Ramakrishna to Vidyasagara: Yes, he who has realized Brahman becomes Silent.
Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna Book Download
You can download the gospel of Shri Ramakrisha from the below link provided.
http://estudantedavedanta.net/Gospel-of-Sri-Ramakrishna-edited-by-Swami-Abhedananda.pdf
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Books
Here is a list of 6 inspiring books on Shri Ramakrishna which instantly inspires anyone to take the path of self-realization.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Ashram Details
- Ashram Name – Belur Math.
- Ashram Place – Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission (HQ) PO Belur Math, Dist Howrah, West Bengal, PIN 711202, India.
- Phone Number – +91-33-2654-5700.
Be Blessed by the master Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
- Place – https://belurmath.org/about-us/
- Website – https://belurmath.org/
- Contact Number – +91-33-2654-5700
- Services – https://belurmath.org/activities/
- Contribute to other’s wellbeing – https://donations.belurmath.org/
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The details put up here are to bring about the awareness of the spiritual master ramakrishna and his noble teachings to the layman’s understanding.
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