Shri Ramakrishna Quotes and Teachings
Contribution of Shri Ramakrishna in the world’s cultural heritage:
1. Spiritual ideal: One of the most significant contributions of Shri Ramakrishna in religious culture was the revival of the ideal of inquiry of God in contemporary world. While trust of people in the whole world to traditional religions has significantly deteriorated, influenced by relentless attacks of atheism, materialism and scientific method of thinking, Shri Ramakrishna proclaimed the possibility to acquire direct personal experience of transcendental Reality. His life example inspired thousands of people to acquire or revive the faith in God and eternal truths of religion. Mahatma Gandhi has said: “His (Ramakrishna’s) life made it possible for us to meet the God face to face. Nobody can read the story of his life without coming to conviction that God alone is real and all the rest just illusions. ”
2. Harmony of Religions: Shri Ramakrishna is famous around the world as a prophet of harmony among religions. He didn’t say that all religions are the same. Ramakrishna recognized differences between religions, but demonstrated that regardless of all those differences all religions are leading to the same final goal and that’s why they are true and precious. Some people today may label this approach “pluralism”. Shri Ramakrishna was the father of this approach. The uniqueness of Shri Ramakrishna’s worldview was that it was not based on speculative constructions but his own experience, received as a result of practice. Since conflicts between religions and the rise of religious fundamentalism - is the main threat to peace, prosperity and development of mankind, the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna about harmony of all religions have a great importance for contemporary world. The well-known British historian Arnold Toynbee has said on this subject: “… the principle of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi and the testimony of Shri Ramakrishna about harmony of religions is the proper attitude and spirit in which all mankind may become like a one family and in the nuclear age it is the only alternative to our self-destruction.”
3. The bridge between old and new: Sri Ramakrishna was truly like a bridge between the old and the new. He showed how the old ideals and the experience of the past can be carried out even in conditions of a normal modern life.
4. The rise of morality: Shri Ramakrishna emphasized the importance of truthfulness and renunciation from lust and greed and it has become a serious fundament of moral life in our time. In addition he cleared religious life from practices that contradicted to good moral, external pomp, speculations with miracles, etc.
5. Spiritual love: Shri Ramakrishna elevated love from the level of emotions to the level of unity of all beings in God. Even the principle of the highest Self as inseparable from all living beings have the fundamental place in Upanishads, it was rarely applied in the daily life. Shri Ramakrishna saw divinity in his wife, his disciples and other beings – even in fallen women, and treated everybody with great respect. Shri Ramakrishna became a living embodiment of the well-known verse from New Testament – “God is Love”. Revival of spiritual love and spirituality in human relationships was a contribution of Shri Ramakrishna, very important for the benefit of all mankind.
Some Quotes of Shri Ramakrishna
=> A man who has received the human birth, which is so difficult to attain, and not trying to realize God in this very life has born in vain.
=> In the night there are so many stars in the sky, but when the sun is rising, they disappear. Can we conclude that there are no stars in the sky during a day? Oh men, if you can’t find God in days of your confusion, don’t tell there is no God!
=> A man cannot see the God while he got these three – shame, hatred and fear.
=> Don’t lie in your thoughts. Be sincere; do according to your thoughts and you will succeed. Pray with sincere and pure heart and your prayers will be heard.
=> Don’t let your mind to be waived by mundane thoughts and worries. Do on time all that is needed, but your mind fully focus on God.
=> Remember that the heart of devotee is the abode of God. Of course, He dwells in all beings, but in the heart of devotee He manifests the best. The heart of devotee is a home of God.
=> Pure knowledge and pure love is the same. One and another leads devotee to the same goal. The path of love is much easier.
=> Who is the best devotee of God? – The one who after has reached the Brahman sees that it’s God who became all beings, the universe and twenty-four universal principles. First a man should distinguish, repeating “Not this, not that” and clamber up the ladder. And finally he realizes that the steps are made from the same sort as the upper deck – from bricks, lime and dust. The devotee realizes that it’s Brahman who became all of this – living beings, the universe, etc.
=> Live in this world like waterfowl. The water sprinkles the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in in the world like a mudfish. The fish is living in the mud, but its scales are always bright and shiny.
=> I am telling the truth: there is nothing wrong to live in this world. But you should direct your mind towards God; otherwise you will not succeed. Perform your duties with one hand and with other – hold to God. When you will finish your duties you will hold to God with both hands.
=> The breath of His mercy envelops your head day and night. Fan the sail on your boat (mind) if you want to cross the ocean of life fast. => Always repeat the name of God. God’s name is very effective in Kali-yuga. It’s impossible to practice asceticism in this age, because life of man depends on the food. Clap your hands chanting the name of God and all your sins will fly away.