Once Swami Brahmananda, one of the foremost disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, was visiting a remote place in Bengal. While he was waiting for a train at a station, among those who came to see him off was a young devotee and his sister. Suddenly the devotee said to Swami Brahmananda, ‘Maharaj, this is my sister, and she has not had a chance to meet you before. Will you please give her some advice?’ Brahmanandaji then told the girl, ‘My child, there is very little time now to give you detailed instructions; just read The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Whatever is necessary for your spiritual life and mental peace you will find in the Gospel.’

The Original Title of The Gospel written in Bengali

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna in English was originally written in Bengali and titled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita. This Bengali title is very suggestive as it means ‘The Nectar-like-words of Sri Ramakrishna’. Nectar is an elixir, drinking which one becomes immortal. Similarly, by studying the words of Sri Ramakrishna, the celebrated mystic of modern India, one becomes immortal; of course not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense. Such study will remove all sufferings, doubts, fears, and anxieties from which modern people often suffer. It will fortify them with courage, strength, and wisdom, and enable them to face the challenges of life successfully, and at the same time attain inner joy and peace.

The Method of Studying The Gospel

The study of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna does not mean mere reading but understanding, remembering, and then putting those words of nectar into practice. Though the words of Sri Ramakrishna appear to be simple and easy to understand, they are deep and profound. This is a book which should not be read quickly and then tucked away after one reading. It should be studied slowly, thoughtfully, and repeatedly in the backdrop of one’s own life experiences, and then put into practice as far as possible.

If studied in this way, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna will bring not only new light to our understanding of life every time we read it, it will also give us many practical hints on how to lead a life of values, both moral and spiritual, bringing into it a new understanding of the Self, of the world and of God. Thus, the study of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna becomes profitable as it transforms one’s life slowly but surely without one even being aware of it.

Advent of Sri Ramakrishna in the Modern Age

The teachings of great spiritual masters like Sri Krishna, Buddha, Christ and Mohammed have no doubt eternal values, but such masters were born in ages past, and since then societies have changed drastically. The obvious question is, how these teachings delivered in the context of the societies of their times can be practiced today. The answer can be found in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, as Sri Ramakrishna was born in the modern age and was aware of the various problems of modern life. He offers valuable and practical suggestions on life and on spiritual practices. Thus, devotees of religions other than Hinduism, and followers of prophets other than Sri Ramakrishna, also find the study of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna very beneficial. There are cases which show Christian devotees who had lost interest in the study of the Bible, having their faith in it restored and developing a better understanding of Jesus in the light of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

Authentic Record of The Gospel

‘M’, or Mahendra Nath Gupta the author of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna [henceforth The Gospel] meticulously maintained diaries, a habit which he had developed over many years. In these diaries he recorded the outline of what he had seen and heard when he met the Master. The Gospel was written on the basis of these diary notes. Thus the unique feature of The Gospel is that for the first time in the history of hagiography the words of a spiritual master of the level of Jesus and Buddha have been faithfully recorded in his very lifetime, and also authenticated by others around the prophet. The Gospel is validated by Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, and other direct disciples of the Master who were constant companions of the Master and thus knew him well. The task of recording The Gospel for posterity seemed to be assigned to ‘M’ by Sri Ramakrishna himself, and the study of “M’s” biography shows that he prepared himself over a long period to be able to accomplish this great task successfully. This enabled ‘M’ to leave behind a huge treasure-house of spiritual gems in the form of The Gospel for the benefit of successive generations of spiritual aspirants and afflicted souls around the world. This immortalized M even as by recording the Gospel of Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John became immortal.

Scenario of Sri Ramakrishna’s Message

‘M’ not only recorded the dialogues of the Master faithfully, but also presented these dialogues in the backdrop of the time, the Master’s mood, persons around him, the natural surroundings such as the flow of the Ganga with its murmuring sound, the scents and colours of flower gardens, gentle breeze in the pine grove, or the sonorous sound of the temple bells –all of which create an ethereal atmosphere.

The descriptions of the Master’s surroundings in The Gospel are so vivid and so lively that they help the readers to visualise the whole scene with the Master occupying the centre stage. ‘M’ later confided that he purposely gave all these details of the surroundings of Sri Ramakrishna, so that the devotees could later visualise him during their meditation, which would help them in their spiritual practice.

While presenting the words of the Master, ‘M’ checked the temptation of focusing also on himself or trying to give any interpretation of Sri Ramakrishna’s words. Though he has made some suggestive comments in the form of questions, he has completely hidden himself in The Gospel, and focused only on Sri Ramakrishna; this fact impressed Swami Vivekananda and drew his appreciation. But ‘M’ did not hide the Master disapproving some of M’s ways of thinking and behaviour, or the Master ridiculing or chiding him severely whenever he faltered. When the Master criticized, from the highest standpoint of morality and spirituality, the actions of some prominent people of the day, ‘M’ courageously incorporated them in The Gospel without bothering how the admirers of those personalities would react.

Different Moods of Sri Ramakrishna

Another feature of The Gospel is that unlike other books presenting the great teachers, it exhibits the different moods of Sri Ramakrishna. Sometimes he is seen conversing, explaining abstruse philosophy through stories, anecdotes, and examples from day to day life; or singing and dancing; or cutting jokes and making the listeners laugh with his mimicry. The next moment some suggestive holy words or songs draws him into deep communion with God through samadhi, and he becomes totally oblivious of his environs; a complete silence reigns then with all eyes fixed on him in sheer amazement. All this happens with such spontaneity that no one has any idea how it happens or when it may happen again.

Not only in Dakshineswar, whenever Sri Ramakrishna visited other places in Calcutta, he would create the same ambience around him, making spirituality palpable and bliss overflowing, converting the place into a mart of joy. If The Gospel is read with deep absorption, one is suddenly transported into the congregation, listening to the Master intently, watching him in all of his moods, enjoying and finally being lost in him. This is the reason why the study of The Gospel never becomes boring.

Sri Ramakrishna’s Constant God Consciousness

Once some of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna including Swami Saradananda, Swami Shivananda and ‘M’ were asked what was the most important characteristic of Sri Ramakrishna’s personality. Their answer was – his God Consciousness from which he would not deviate for a single moment. Devotees find mention of Nirvikalpa and Savikalpa Samadhi only in scriptures, and of the Mahabhava in the Vaishnava literature. Having these highest types of spiritual experiences even once is the rarest of the rare happening even for very spiritually advanced souls. What is really amazing is that even in the modern age of skepticism and materialism, The Gospel documents Sri Ramakrishna’s experiences of samadhi and bhava not just once or twice, but sometimes many times in a single day. This shows the exceptional spiritual heights of Sri Ramakrishna and also substantiates the truths about God contained in different scriptures of the world, for, his life was a living demonstration of various spiritual states and experiences mentioned in them.

In Sri Ramakrishna Everyone is Fulfilled

The Gospel notes that among Sri Ramakrishna’s listeners were all types of people: men and women, young and old, monks and house holders, the uneducated and the scholars, common men and celebrities, people of all professions, saints and sinners, materialists and agnostics, and devotees of different sects of Hinduism and of other religions. Most of them came with some lacuna and Sri Ramakrishna fulfilled them, made them whole as Jesus did to his devotees. Sri Ramakrishna accomplished this not by performing any miracles, but by his simple words loaded with spiritual wisdom.

Sri Ramakrishna’s Characteristics as a Spiritual Master

Sri Ramakrishna who was born a poor villager, had no formal education and was later employed as a temple priest with no charisma. Then what was it that drew so many people to Sri Ramakrishna and filled them with joy, peace, and hope? It was Sri Ramakrishna’s realisation of the supreme Reality through different paths; it was a realisation that even surpassed the spiritual experiences of the sages documented in the scriptures. He was familiar with every aspect of these spiritual paths and could easily identify the problems confronted by spiritual seekers of all types and give effective solutions for them. Practitioners of various religious paths also found the fullest manifestations of their respective ideals in Sri Ramakrishna. His ability to harmonise apparently conflicting philosophical ideas and religious practices, his catholicity, deep compassion for the afflicted, positive attitude, keen observations, special skill in driving home a point using examples with appropriate gestures, his deep understanding of human nature, and instructing each devotee according to his background, were the aspects behind his successful spiritual ministration. Again his utmost simplicity, childlike nature, complete ego-less-ness, extreme renunciation, purity, truthfulness, love of fun, sweet voice, charming singing and dance along with the sweetest smile that no photograph could capture, made him a unique and attractive teacher. He was, indeed, all sweetness and also an embodiment of pure joy which he would distribute freely among his visitors.

Sri Ramakrishna: An Incarnation of God

Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual message, though delivered in a particular frame of time and place are eternal, they are as vast as the sky and as deep as any ocean; they combine both faith and rationality. They are individualistic, yet universal and harmonistic, simple yet profound. Nevertheless, the aforesaid qualities cannot completely explain the tremendous attraction of Sri Ramakrishna and his profound impact on his listeners unless a special manifestation of divinity, as was the case with Krishna, Buddha or Jesus, is also recognised in Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was not only a sage or a celebrated spiritual master, he was one of the incarnations of God, whose birth and death are not bound by the laws of karma, and who takes birth once in a while, out of deep compassion for the suffering humanity, to lead them on the path of joy, peace, wisdom, and freedom. Moreover, the impact of Sri Ramakrishna is being felt now not only in the spiritual field but also in the contemporary society and culture.

Consequently, The Gospel which records Sri Ramakrishna’s various spiritual moods and instructions, is now ranked in the same category as the Vedas, Bible and Koran.

Main Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

The following are the main teachings of Sri Ramakrishna which we often come across in The Gospel:

• Realisation of the Self or God, which is basically the same, is the goal of life
• Supreme bliss and wisdom is impossible without such a realisation, because God/Atman is the only source of such bliss and wisdom.
• For such realisation one needs attachment to God and detachment from worldly things; unless one gives up lesser, temporary things, one cannot get higher and eternal things
• Though self-effort is very important for spiritual realisation, finally, it depends on the grace of God.
• While for monks both inner and outer renunciation is necessary, for householders inner or mental renunciation, or giving up attachment to the world is required.
• To achieve detachment one needs to practice discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal.
• It is not enough to read or hear about God, one must do spiritual practices regularly and sincerely and with sincere yearning for God.
• God is limitless; we should not limit Him.
• As many faiths so many paths
• Each should wholeheartedly follow his/ her own religion, and respect the religions of others.
• The two important practices for householders are occasional solitary living for practicing spiritual disciplines, and holy company.
• God incarnates as a human being to show people the path of eternal joy and wisdom and liberate them.
• These are the four paths of realisation: Jnana (Knowledge) Karma (Selfless Work), Bhakti (Devotion) and Yoga (Meditation). And the fifth path is the harmonisation of all those Yogas. One should follow these paths according to one’s ability and aptitude.

Some Common Criticisms

Repetitions in the Gospel

One common criticism against The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is that there are too many repetitions in it. Could that not have been avoided to make reading smoother? When this issue was raised before ‘M’, he justified it saying that if some of the Master’s words were omitted to avoid repetition, it would have affected the flow of his dialogue. Secondly, the same utterances assume different meanings when made to different people or groups in differing contexts. Furthermore, spiritual truths are so subtle and so very contrary to our common experiences that they require repeated explanation. Also, as our attachment to worldly things and hankering for sense enjoyments are very strong and deep, and consequently, our motivation for spiritual practices is very minimal, listening to repeated words of spiritual wisdom is absolutely necessary for most of us; it will reduce the powerful worldly samskaras deep within us, and form new spiritual samskaras.

Woman and Gold

One often comes across in The Gospel references to ‘woman and gold’ – kaminikanchana in the original Bengali. It actually means ‘lust and greed’ about which Sri Ramakrishna was very critical and wanted his devotees to shun. This might baffle those who are reading The Gospel for the first time. Are women really so bad? If not, why was the Master so critical of women? Did he abhor them and instruct others to do so, too?

No, it is far from it. First of all, it should be remembered that Sri Ramakrishna had a deep respect for women: his chosen deity was a Goddess; one of his spiritual teachers was a woman; he treated his wife with love and respect and once literally worshipped her; and he always received with honour women who came to meet him. In fact, he looked upon all women, irrespective of their age or character, as the living embodiments of the Divine Mother.

Secondly, his frequent advice to be careful about the company one keeps was given to spiritual seekers who were to practice purity of body and mind as the foundation of their spiritual lives. Sri Ramakrishna, like other spiritual masters of the world, firmly believed that indiscriminate mixing with people of the opposite sex would be detrimental to a devotee’s practice of purity, and thus affect one’s spiritual life.

Thirdly, ‘M’ recorded in The Gospel, with a few exceptions, only those sessions with Sri Ramakrishna in which men were present. As per the social customs of that time, women did not mingle with men at gatherings. Hence we find Sri Ramakrishna advising men to avoid the company of women for the reasons stated above until their spiritual lives had matured. Similarly, when women devotees met Sri Ramakrishna separately, he would also caution them about the company of men; this has been testified to by the reminiscences of the Master’s lady devotees.

Impact of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

As regards the impact of The Gospel, it is too early to make any definite assessment because it has been only a little more than one hundred years since its first publication in Bengali. But even within this short period it is being observed that thousands of people around the world, irrespective of faith, are getting solace and peace from The Gospel. They discover new meaning of life and find the right direction when they get confused and lose their way along the path. They find important hints from The Gospel on how to lead an ideal householders’ life and invaluable advice on how to grow spiritually. There are also many who, upon reading The Gospel, have been dedicating their lives to the sole purpose of God Realisation and service to humanity, renouncing hearth and home. Thus, The Gospel has been evidenced to be an active and transforming force in the lives of multitudes of people, the number of whom is steadily growing with the passage of time.

Auxiliaries to the Study of The Gospel

However, for a better understanding of Sri Ramakrishna and his utterances in a broader perspective, in addition to the study of The Gospel one should also read The Life of Sri Ramakrishna written by Swami Saradananda which explains the unique life and teachings of the Master, and the works of Swami Vivekananda which throws light on how the Master’s teachings can be put into practice in both one’s individual life and in social life in this modern age. Without this additional reading one may not understand the profundity of Sri Ramakrishna’s message in The Gospel, nor can one understand the rationale of such messages and how the teachings can be practiced.

Source : Vedanta Kesari, March, 2019