Shri Ramakrishna Kathamrita
Shri Shri Ramakrishna Kathamrita or sometimes in English known simply as the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna is a book written by the close disciple of the Saint - Mahendranath Gupta, also known in text as M. and consists of descriptions of author's personal meetings and experiences with the great teacher, his own conversations with Shri Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay, a Bengali mystic and saint, and those of other disciples, who were living and learning together with him, and sharing the teachings as directly from the mouth of Shri Ramakrishna.
The work was translated from Bengali to English by Swami Nikhilananda in 1942.
I am sure people of all religious paths will find many useful teachings and famous quotes in Shri Ramakrishna Kathamrita and I am going to gradually publish them all for the benefit of all beings, so more and more people would be able to receive great blessings and teachings through inner spiritual connection with the great Master. Often the inner connection is even a greater gift as words themselves, but yet - words are the main medium available to us.
Shri Ramakrishna Kathamrita
INDEX
Chapter 1 - MASTER AND DISCIPLE
M.'s first visit to the Master - Formalities and essentials of religion - Second visit - Master's love for Keshab - Sri Ramakrishna on M.'s marriage - God with and without form - God the only real teacher - Need of holy company & Meditation in solitude - God and worldly duties - Practice of discrimination - How to see God - Longing and yearning - Third visit - Narendra - How the spiritually minded should look upon the worldly - God in every being - Parable of the "elephant God" - How to deal with the wicked - Parable of the snake - Four classes of men - Redeeming power of faith - Parable of the homa bird - Master praises Narendra - Fourth visit - The peacock and the opium - Hanuman's devotion to Rāma
Chapter 2 - IN THE COMPANY OF DEVOTEES
Master at Balaram's house - Devotees in trance - Bigotry condemned - The mind's inability to comprehend God - Master's visit to Keshab - God and His glory & Dangers of worldly life - Prayer and holy company & Earnest longing - Explanation of evil - Washing away the heart's impurities with tears - Need of a guru
Chapter 3 - VISIT TO VIDYASAGAR
VISIT TO VIDYASAGAR - Master's visit to the scholar - Uninspired scholarship condemned - The world of duality & Transcendental nature of Brahman - Brahman cannot be expressed in words - Parable of ant and sugar hill - Parable of salt doll - Rishis of ancient India - Jnani and Vijnāni - Path of love is easy - God's supernatural powers - Different manifestations of God's power - Ego causes our sufferings - Evil of "I" and "mine" - Power of faith - Brahman and Śakti are identical - Growth of divine love lessens worldly duties - Parable of the wood-cutter
Chapter 4 - ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS
ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS - Secret of divine communion - Master's respect for other faiths - Many names of one God - Spiritual disciplines necessary at the beginning - "Woman and gold" is the obstruction to yoga - God and worldly duties - Different groups of devotees - Different moods of aspirants - Seeing God everywhere - Worship of the Divine Mother - Master's attitude toward women - His love for Narendra - Krishnakishore's faith - Master's outspokenness - His anguish at worldly talk - His ecstasy in Kirtan - A devotee's dream - Disciplines of Tantra - All is possible with God - Discrimination and dispassion - Futility of mere lecturing - Purification of mind - Meditation on God with form - Brahman and Divine Incarnations - Master's ecstasy at Vrindāvan
Chapter 5 - THE MASTER AND KESHAB
Master's boat trip with Keshab - Master in samādhi - God dwells in devotee's heart - Attitude of jnānis and bhaktās - Attitude of yogis - Reasoning of jnanis - Identity of Brahman and Śakti - Different manifestations of Kāli - Beginning of a cycle - Divine Mother's sport - Reassurance to householders - Bondage and liberation are of the mind - Redeeming power of faith - Master's prayer - Solitude for householders - Malady of worldly people and its cure - Disagreements necessary for enriching life - Master's humility - Difficulty of preaching - Doing good to others - Path of devotion most effective for Kaliyuga