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 and the clay image — 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 homā bird — Master praises Narendra — Fourth visit — The peacock and the opium — Hanumān’s devotion to Rāma.
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.
Iswar Chandra Vidyāsāgar — 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 — Jnāni 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.
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 — Duty toward family — 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 — Narendra’s many virtues — Meditation on God with form — Brahman and Divine Incarnations — Master’s ecstasy at Vrindāvan.
Master’s boat trip with Keshab — Master in samādhi — God dwells in devotee’s heart — Attitude of jnānis and bhaktas — Attitude of yogis — Reasoning of jnānis — Identity of Brahman and Śakti — Different manifestations of Kāli — Beginning of a cycle — Creation is 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.
6. THE MASTER WITH THE BRĀHMO DEVOTEES (I)
Master’s joy on seeing Shivanath — Worldly people’s indifference to spiritual life — Power of God’s name — Three classes of devotees — Three kinds of bhakti — Utilizing tamas for spiritual welfare — Illustration of physicians — Three types of gurus — No finality about God’s nature — Illusoriness of “I” — Sign of Perfect Knowledge — Personal God for devotees — Intense longing enables one to see God — Why so much controversy about God? — Parable of the chameleon — Vedāntic Non-dualism — Seven planes of the mind — Duties drop away with deepening of spiritual mood — What happens after samādhi — Reincarnation of soul — Inscrutability of God’s ways — Master at the circus — Necessity of spiritual discipline — Master on caste-system — Entanglement of householders — Futility of reasoning — Master on Theosophy — The pure in heart see God — Turning passions to God — Why so much suffering in God’s creation? — Compassion and attachment.
7. THE MASTER AND VIJAY GOSWAMI
Vijay, the Brāhmo preacher — Tendencies from previous births — Suicide after the vision of God — Four classes of men — Parable of the fish and the net — Worldly-minded forget their lessons — Bondage removed by strong renunciation — Parable of the two farmers — Attachment to “woman” creates bondage — Story of Govindaji’s priests — Story of twelve hundred nedās — Degrading effect of serving others — Worshipping woman as Divine Mother — Difficulties of preaching — Ego alone the cause of bondage — Māyā creates upādhis — Seven planes of the mind — Indescribability of highest plane — The “wicked I” — The “servant I” — The “ego of a devotee” — Path of bhakti is easy — Premā-bhakti — Purity of heart — God’s grace is the ultimate help — Vision of Divine Mother — God’s nature like that of a child — Two ways of God-realization — Constant practice urged.
8. THE MASTER’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT DAKSHINESWAR
Master’s attitude toward the wicked — Paths of knowledge and devotion — God’s name destroys sin — Mystery of God’s ways — God-vision through pure love — Guru and Ishta — Life of worldliness — Master’s love for Rakhal — Adhar’s first visit — Much reasoning condemned — Master’s birthday celebration — Warning to monks — Incarnation of God — Master’s different spiritual moods — Efficacy of earnest japa — Dogmatism condemned — Parable of the elephant and the blind men — Illustration of the ocean and the ice — Rakhal’s inborn spiritual nature — Parable of the homā bird — Renunciation, false and true — Nature of the ever-perfect — Master’s experiences in samādhi.
Narendra’s music — True renunciation — Study of scriptures for the beginner — Trailanga Swami and Bhaskarananda — The seer of God transcends good and evil — Seeing God in everything — Characteristics of divine love — Indications of God-realization — Efficacy of japa and prayer — Parable of the two friends — Zeal for the Lord destroys sin — Traits of bound souls — Two classes of perfect souls — The ever-perfect — Worldly people lack perseverance — Master consoles a bereaved father — Difficulty of overcoming vanity — Different manifestations of divine power — Free will and God’s will.
10. THE MASTER WITH THE BRĀHMO DEVOTEES (II)
Master’s visit to Brāhmo festival — Love and prayer — How to lead a householder’s life — Why there is evil in the world — The need of a guru — Personal God and formless Deity — God’s true nature cannot be described — The three gunas — Parable of the three robbers — Why temples are holy — How to spiritualize the passions — Responsibility for sins — Brāhmo worship — Religious quarrels condemned — Single-minded devotion — Spiritual inspiration comes from God — Ramchandra Dutta — Story of Harischandra — Story of Uddhava — Characteristics of divine love — Parable of the three friends.
11. WITH THE DEVOTEES AT DAKSHINESWAR (I)
Master’s attitude toward young disciples — His yearning for Narendra — Reminiscences of his God-intoxicated state — Reassurance to the devotees — Parable of the tigress — Parable of the false ascetic — The world is a dream — Parable of the farmer — Law of karma — Different kinds of samādhi — Paths of love and knowledge — Master’s exhortation to a devotee to go forward — Reminiscences of boyhood — Earnestness in spiritual life extolled — Different manifestations of God — Traits of a true devotee — Seven planes of the Vedas — Advice to householders — Problem of good and evil — Result of yoga through bhakti — Different classes of men.
Festival at Pānihāti — Different states of bhakti — Essence of the scriptures — Ideal of the Gītā — Nitya and Līlā — Different forms of divine manifestation — The ways of God are inscrutable — Body-consciousness produces duality — Everything is possible for God — Māyā is the cause of ignorance — Different psychic centres — Master’s visits to various devotees — Dogmatism condemned — Oneness of God — Shallow faith of the worldly-minded — Various classes of devotees — Signs of God-vision — Knowledge and ignorance — Difficulty of the Vedāntic method — Charity and attachment — The three gunas — Nature of Brahman cannot be described — Parable of the four friends — God and religious organization — Two kinds of ego — Man’s inordinate attachment — Black complexion of the Divine Mother — Seeing God in everything — Mystery of Divine Incarnation.
Householders and Non-dualism — Māyā and compassion — Pleasure and pain are characteristics of physical life — Law of karma — Joy of God-Consciousness — Ideals of jnāni and bhakta — Brahman and Śakti are not different — Master extols Narendra — Nature of Brahman — Master’s deep spiritual experiences — Nature of the Divine Incarnation — Master’s attitude toward women — Good use of money — Occult powers condemned — Master’s renunciation of money — Krishnakishore’s faith in God — Vijnāna or Transcendental Knowledge — Faith in the guru.
14. INSTRUCTION TO VAISHNAVAS AND BRĀHMOS
Eulogy of Narendra — Master in spiritual mood — Efficacy of truthfulness — Difference between scholar and holy man — Path of love suited to modern times — Description of various monks — Divine grace removes bondage — Surrender to the Divine Mother — Visit to Adhar’s house — Glories of the Divine Mother — Master’s harmony of religions — Different classes of spiritual aspirants — Futility of worship without yearning — Unwavering devotion to God — The many and the One — Knowledge and ignorance — Chanting God’s holy name — Truthfulness leads to God — Advice to householders — Steps of bhakti — Transitoriness of earthly things.
Master’s visit to Keshab — Keshab’s serious illness — Brahman manifesting Itself as the universe — Signs of a true devotee — Identity of Brahman and Śakti — Master’s love for pure-souled disciples — Meditating on God and not on His glories — Different classes of worshippers — Meaning of Keshab’s illness — Master’s own illness — Master praises Keshab — Advice to the worldly-minded — Ideal householder’s life — Solitude and holy company — God and the world — Virtue and vice.
16. WITH THE DEVOTEES AT DAKSHINESWAR (II)
Chaitanya’s exalted state — Practice of hathayoga — Master’s intimate relationship with disciples — Story of a Vaishnava devotee — Work and worship — How to live in the world — Women as embodiments of the Divine Mother — Image worship — God-vision through yearning — Singing of devotional songs — Story of Prahlāda — Master admonishes M. — Human affection and divine love — Brahman and the world — Nature of Brahman — “Woman and gold” — Different stages of spiritual progress — Is the world unreal? — Divine Mother is the Universal Consciousness.
Nature of worldly people — Obstacles to samādhi — Path of the Impersonal God — God and His devotee — Divine Incarnations — The gopis’ yearning for Krishna — God manifesting Himself as living beings — Master’s childlike mood — Formless Brahman — Different manifestations of the Absolute — Master’s vision of Gaurānga — Parable of the grass-eating tiger — Nature of ecstatic love — God, incarnated as man, acts like man — Master’s reminiscences of Mathurā and Vrindāvan — The six psychic centres — Proper time for spiritual unfoldment.
Brahman and Śakti identical — Many forms of divine manifestation — Duties and ceremonial devotions — Practice of God-communion — Necessity of spiritual discipline — Self-surrender to God — Illustration of monkey and kitten — God with form and the formless Deity — The Master’s prayer for pure love — Unswerving devotion to God — How to receive God’s grace — Renunciation of worldly attachment — Unselfish love of God — Futility of reasoning — The Master’s visions — Master exhorts M. not to reason — Different attitudes toward God — Master and the Brāhmo Samāj — Master and philanthropy — Meaning of free will — Master’s prayer to the Divine Mother — Advice to M.
19. THE MASTER AND HIS INJURED ARM
Master’s injured arm — Yearning for God — Master’s prayer to the Divine Mother — Prayer and discrimination — The power of God’s name — Ego separates one from Brahman — Warning about lust — Hard discipline for sannyāsi — Four stages of life — Master’s childlike impatience — God’s manifestation as man — Trailokya’s songs — Process of negation and affirmation — God Himself has become everything — The world does not exist apart from God — Three classes of devotees — Vision of God destroys doubts — Master’s sympathy for Narendra’s suffering — God’s ways are inscrutable.
20. RULES FOR HOUSEHOLDERS AND MONKS
God and His splendour — God Himself has become everything — Influence of company — Obstacles to yoga — Spiritual discipline — Will-power needed for renunciation — Master denounces hypocrisy — The ideal of a spiritual family — Different forms of austerity — Sin and repentance — Rules for concentration — Two forms of meditation — Meaning of Om — Ignorance, knowledge, and Supreme Wisdom — The two egos — God’s manifestation through man — The Eternal Religion — Man teaches by God’s power — Signs of Knowledge — Two kinds of renunciation — Advantage of a householder’s life — Practice of continence — Sannyāsi’s absolute self-control.
How the Lord Himself is deluded by His own māyā — The Anāhata sound — Reincarnation — The “ego of Devotion” — The “ego of Knowledge” — The signs of a jnāni — The ego of a jnāni — Jnāni looks on the world as illusory — The state of a vijnāni — Master’s adherence to truth — A teacher must renounce the world — Synthesis of jnāna and bhakti — Friction between different religious sects — Harmony of religions — Our duties to father and mother — Through divine love man transcends his worldly duties.
Passions should be directed to God — Money is the source of trouble — Do your duties and remember God — Means of Self-realization — Keeping the pictures of holy persons — God in human forms — Divine Incarnation — Master and Keshab — God, the scripture, and the devotee are identical — Brahman and Śakti — Difficulties of householder’s life — The three gunas — The bondage of “woman and gold” — Corrupting influence of lust — Prema — Strict rules for sannyāsi’s life — The sannyāsi is a world teacher.
23. FESTIVAL AT SURENDRA’S HOUSE
Krishna and gopis at Vrindāvan — Master’s ecstasy — Rādhā’s anguish at separation from Krishna — Master’s praise of Niranjan — Be mad for God alone — Egotism brings calamity — Parable of the calf — Signs of God-vision — Harmless ego — Secret of work — The path of bhakti for this age — First God and then worldly duties — Go forward — The story of the wood-cutter — Master’s advice to Pratap — Knowledge and ignorance — Baburam’s spiritual nature — Concerning Rakhal — Niranjan’s guilelessness — Two classes of Master’s devotees — Significance of the Master’s injuring his arm — How a jnāni looks on the illusory world — Supreme power of Ādyāśakti in the relative world.
Sufferings in the worldly life — Pundit Shashadhar — Efficacy of bhakti for modern times — Futility of lecturing — Rituals prepare the way for divine love — Preacher with God’s commission — Divine wisdom is inexhaustible — Master exhorts the pundit to cultivate divine love — Many paths to realize God — Three yogas explained by Master — Difficulties of the paths of jnāna and karma — God fulfils all desires of His devotees — Devotee’s prayer to God — About pilgrimage — Three kinds of teachers — Advice to householders.
25. ADVICE TO PUNDIT SHASHADHAR
Nature of Brahman — Glories of Kāli — Mere study of scriptures is futile — Reading, hearing, and seeing — The nature of jnānis and vijnānis — Both Nitya and Līlā easily accessible to the vijnāni — All-embracing realization of the vijnāni — Three states of God-Consciousness — Samādhi described — The vijnāni is fearless and joyous — Parable of the weaver woman — The two kinds of ego — God listens to our prayer — Different classes of perfect souls — Description of the nitya-siddha — Different stages of divine love — Different paths to suit different tastes — Image of Kāli — Master’s advice to householders — Balaram’s father — Dogmatism in religion — Master’s harmony of religions — Childlike nature of a paramahamsa — Other traits of a paramahamsa — Master and Keshab — Three kinds of bhakti — Faith in God’s name.
Yoga and the six centres — The state of samādhi — Keeping individuality after samādhi — Two classes of paramahamsas — Paramahamsas as teachers of men — Master sings of divine joy — Renunciation, true and false — Prema, the rarest love of God — How to attain pure love of God — Degrees of knowledge — The time factor in spiritual progress — Master teaches M. — Master at Adhar’s house — Narendra’s music — Master in ecstasy.
Signs of a perfect soul — Description of the Bāuls — Different paths leading to God — Devotion to one’s own path and respect for others’ — The tides in the Ganges — Master in ecstasy — Advice to Adhar about renunciation — Signs of a real devotee — Master’s genuine love for his disciples — God takes charge of His devotees — Living in the world after realization of God — Futility of mere study of scriptures — Futility of reasoning — Glory of God’s name — Master at Jadu’s garden — His worry over Rakhal’s illness.
Master praises Captain’s devotion — The spell of Divine Śakti — Nature of gopis’ love for Krishna — Unfulfilled desires make one deviate from yoga — About Rakhal — Balaram’s devotion — Narendra’s first visit — Master warns the devotees about women — Master’s attraction for people — His own reminiscences — Master’s following of different paths — His acceptance of all religions — Master’s praise of Vijay Goswami — Bondage and freedom are of the mind — Master’s prayer to Divine Mother — Advice to Hazra — Scriptures and sādhanā — Master’s spiritual practice — Master praises Naran — Occult powers — Divine madness — Master’s God-intoxicated condition — Two kinds of yogis — Identity of Brahman and Śakti — Master at Star Theatre.
Master’s catholicity — Different paths for different temperaments — Dogmatism condemned — Encouragement to Vijay — How to deal with wicked people — Advice to householders — Difference between ordinary men and Incarnations — Nature of the ever-perfect — Illustration of homā bird — Discrimination about food — Master’s divine madness — Oneness of Śakti and Brahman — Knowledge and ignorance — Childlike faith — Danger of Tāntrik discipline — Master’s inner experiences — Duty toward mother — Master at Adhar’s house.
30. THE MASTER IN VARIOUS MOODS
Inscrutability of God’s ways — Two ways of yoga — Efficacy of bhakti-yoga — Householder’s duty — Complete renunciation for religious teachers — Hard rules for a sannyāsi — About Keshab and Vijay — Praise of guilelessness and purity — Master’s guilelessness — Nature of Brahman — What happens after death — Māyā hides Knowledge — Master’s renunciation — Liberation — Path of devotion for Kaliyuga — Power of inborn tendencies — Various forms of divine love — Chaitanya’s spiritual moods — Practice of japa — Master with Brāhmo devotees — Hazra’s eccentricities — Master’s attitude toward women — Physical signs indicating character — Master and Nilkantha.
The worldly Jadu Mallick — Warning devotees about women — How to conquer passion — Disciplines during the sādhanā period — Planes of mind — On meditation — Tendencies from previous births — Dayananda — Theosophy — Preparation for God-vision — Purusha and Prakriti — Knowledge and ignorance — Hollowness of worldly love — Reason and love — Different attitudes toward God — Master and Ishan — Characteristics of Knowledge — Path of devotion — Path of karma — Rituals are only steps — Master exhorts Ishan — Master sings of the Divine Mother — The worship in the temple.
32. VISIT TO THE SINTHI BRĀHMO SAMĀJ
Occult powers — Four classes of devotees — Difference between intellectual understanding and actual vision — Advice to Brāhmos — Need of firmness and conviction — Faith of the worldly-minded — Seek the Creator and not the world’s beauty — Futility of mere study — Different degrees of divine manifestation — Advice to the worldly-minded — Prayer in solitude — Danger of “woman and gold” — Sin and God’s name — Self-surrender to God — Duty to wife and children — Signs of God-vision — Force your demand on the Divine Mother — Futility of egotism — Sattva, rajas, and tamas — Four classes of men — The entangled soul — Thought of God at the hour of death — Master’s humility — Brahman and Kāli — Way to Brahmajnāna — Master and the Mārwāri pundit — Different kinds of samādhi.
God in all beings — Master and Hriday — Bhāva and mahābhāva — Discipline for God-vision — Futility of mere study — Yearning for God — Work hard for His realization — Favourable conditions for realization of God — See God in the world — Story of “the will of Rāma” — Master’s first meeting with Keshab — Master and Devendra Tagore — Colonel Viswanath — Essence of Vedānta — Qualified Advaita — Synthesis of Śankara and Rāmānuja — Explanation of “Aum” — Duty to one’s mother — God supplies the needs of devotees — Three classes of sādhus — Faith in guru — “I-consciousness” — Sincere and formal devotion — Sign of a true devotee — Advantage of a householder’s life — Master and Narayan.
Adhar — Meaning of Rādhā and Krishna — Purusha and Prakriti imply each other — Their inner harmony — Master and preaching — Preaching without God’s command — Life after death — Duties of life — Master scolds Bankim — Devotees and the worldly-minded — Charity — The sannyāsi’s duty — The householder’s duty — Difficulty of karmayoga — Spirituality and book-learning — God and the world — Faith in guru — Yearning for God-vision.
Assimilation of spiritual ideas — Master sees a performance — Signs of God-vision — Different moods of liberated souls — The ego of the devotee — Three classes of devotees — Restlessness for God-vision — Worldly man’s spiritual discipline — Master and Girish — Master and book-learning — First God and then the world — Master’s spiritual experiences — Chaitanya — The Divine Incarnation and the ordinary man — Yoga and God-vision.
Master’s love for Narendra — Master’s samādhi — Hazra’s eccentricities — Goal of scriptural study — Occult powers — Go beyond duality — Advice to Surendra — Duties of householders — Master praises charity — Master and Girish — Selfless divine love — Knowledge of Brahman — Two paths of Brahmajnāna — The ego of the Divine Incarnation — The path of bhakti — Meaning of liberation — Master warns against lust — Sannyāsi’s discipline — Householder’s discipline — Different aspects of bhakti — Different kinds of samādhi — How to cultivate longing for God — Master at the theatre.
Two kinds of devotion — Vision of God — How a liberated soul lives in the world — Detachment of a child — “I-consciousness” after God-realization — Master warns Narendra about householders — Worldly people have no time for spiritual practice — Akbar and the holy man — Master talks about his young disciples — Master’s eagerness for a spiritual companion — False piety — Genuine bhakti — Nature of Ātman — Jīvanmukta — Separation of body and soul — Revelation about himself — About Girish — Master warns Tarak.
38. WITH THE DEVOTEES IN CALCUTTA
Balaram Bose — Master’s exalted spiritual state — The younger Naren — Mystery of Divine Incarnation — Seek God in man — God known to the pure mind — Master’s love for Narayan — The purpose of the scriptures — Mere scholarship condemned — Narendra’s many virtues — Master’s prayer — At Girish’s house — Narendra and Girish argue about God — Qualified Monism — Futility of mere reasoning — Kāli and Brahman — Master’s love for Narendra — About Purna — Master at Devendra’s house — Master praises renunciation — About Girish.
39. THE MASTER’S REMINISCENCES
Master’s own reminiscences — Various forms of his meditation — Master’s meditation on formless Spirit — Three kinds of sādhanā — Nature of deep concentration — Single-mindedness in meditation — Occult powers — A false teacher — Master’s visions during sādhanā — Experience of mahābhāva — Power of “woman and gold” — Efficacy of truthfulness — Nārada and Śukadeva — Special traits of a Divine Incarnation — Master urges intense dispassion — Advice to householders — Discussion with Trailokya — Divine bliss is the highest — Holding to both God and the world — Worldly man’s charity — Discussion about Divine Incarnations.
40. THE MASTER AT THE HOUSES OF BALARAM AND GIRISH
Master and M. — Discussion about Divine Incarnation — Kirtan about Rādhā and Krishna — About Hazra — Master’s exalted mood — Difference between a jīva and an Incarnation — Divine knowledge destroys egotism — The ego after God-vision — Hazra’s selfishness — God’s grace — Unreality of all worldly relationships — Narendra’s scepticism — Narendra’s music — Vidyāmāyā and avidyāmāyā — Knowledge of Brahman — The all-powerful māyā.
Nitya and Līlā — The seed of bhakti cannot be destroyed — Reality includes both Absolute and universe — Futility of mere scholarship — Advice to the worldly — The real teacher — Go beyond knowledge and ignorance — Nature of the worldly — Master’s adherence to truth — Divine Incarnation — Master reprimands Captain — Significance of Rādhikā — Master’s boyhood reminiscences — Magician and his magic — Harmless ego — “Wicked ego” must be killed — Signs of God-realization — Man’s peace in God — Sincere yearning enables one to realize God — Advice to householders.
42. CAR FESTIVAL AT BALARAM’S HOUSE
Master on Purna — Purna’s divine traits — Story of Ranjit Raya — Gopāl Mā — God dwelling in the Master — Worries associated with human birth — Nitya and Līlā — Essence of Vedānta — Absolute and Relative are correlatives — Brahman and Śakti — Synthesis of the formless Reality and God with form — Intimate Knowledge of God — Master’s spiritual experiences — Spiritual fervour of Gopāl Mā — Man and woman devotees — Free will — The Car Festival — Master’s love for young disciples — Master’s praise of Narendra — Knowledge of God is the same as love of Him — Divine love leads to union with God — Two kinds of samādhi — Master praises his young disciples — Respect for one’s own mother — Master’s spiritual experiences.
43. VISIT TO NANDA BOSE’S HOUSE
Pictures at Nanda’s house — Master praises his host — Master’s prayer — Nature of worldly enjoyment — Is God partial? — Liberation for all — Nature of “I” — God, the Wish-fulfilling Tree — About the after-life — Nārada and Hanumān — Different degrees of divine manifestation — Visit to the brāhmani’s house — Brāhmani’s indescribable joy — Master’s visit to Ganu’s mother — He praises the music — Martha and Mary — Master about himself — Master and Jesus — About Dwija.
44. THE MASTER ON HIMSELF AND HIS EXPERIENCES
Beginning of Master’s illness — Advice to the worldly-minded — Instructing Dwija’s father — Man’s several debts — Mahima’s estimate of the devotees — Different kinds of samādhi — Awakening of Kundalini — Master’s intimate vision of God — Master’s vision of māyā — Master saw devotees before their arrival — About Narendra — Master about himself — Totapuri — Mathur Babu — Brahman and Śakti — Brahman is the innermost Reality — Futility of mere scholarship — Divine Incarnations act like men — Jesus and Lazarus — Similarities between Christ and Sri Ramakrishna — Purna’s letter — About rebirth — Girish and Master — The guru and the Chosen Ideal — Two classes of devotees — Kitten and young monkey — Worldly man’s obstacles — Futility of argument — Master’s renunciation — Master could not ask God to cure him.
45. SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT ŚYĀMPUKUR
Master consoles Surendra — Praising the Gītā — Secret of karmayoga — M. and Dr. Sarkar — Master praises doctor’s son — On Divine Incarnation — Absolute and Relative — Dr. Sarkar on Incarnation — Futility of discussion — Go beyond knowledge and ignorance — The story of the “māhut Nārāyana” — Master reasons with Dr. Sarkar — Illusion persists — Master praises the true householder — Advice to householders — Necessity of solitude — Example of Janaka — The householder jnāni — The monk jnāni — Teaching others after realizing God — Knowledge and love of God — Personal God and Impersonal Truth — Illustration of the chameleon — Illustration of ice and water — “I-consciousness” — Parable of the cow — Harmless and injurious ego — “Ripe ego” and “unripe ego” — Childlike nature of perfect souls — “Ego of old age” — Characteristics of tamas — Turn your passions to God — Paths of knowledge and devotion — Difficulty of path of knowledge — Discussion about Divine Incarnation — Childlike faith — Three classes of teachers — Advice to householders — Faith and self-surrender.
Master’s visions — The doctor and M. — Influence of holy company — Master’s mystic experiences — About miracles — Soul is different from body — Guilelessness of the young devotees — Hard rules for sannyāsis — “Woman and gold” — Preaching without God’s command — Confusion of mere scholars — Dr. Sarkar explains samādhi — Narendra’s music — Mahima’s three paths — On japa — Dr. Sarkar on Mahima — Vijay Goswami — Master in ecstasy — Use of scriptures — God’s Incarnation as man — The duty of a physician — Cultivating holy company — Narendra sings — Doctor suppresses his emotion.
47. THE MASTER’S TRAINING OF HIS DISCIPLES
Dr. Sarkar on ecstasy — Master’s humility — M. and Dr. Sarkar — Master’s conception of Kāli — Depth of Sri Ramakrishna’s experiences — Futility of mere scholarship — Master on Bankim — Divine Knowledge is inexhaustible — Master’s unique experience — The will of God — Dr. Sarkar and Girish — Free will and God’s will — God alone is the agent — Dr. Sarkar on duty — Pure love — Narendra’s poverty — Master in samādhi — Narendra’s singing — On knowledge and ignorance — Brahman cannot be described — Egotism condemned — Master scolds Shyam Basu — Master’s prayer — Pairs of opposites — Dr. Sarkar on expressing feelings — Cause of Master’s illness.
48. IN THE COMPANY OF DEVOTEES AT ŚYĀMPUKUR
M. and Dr. Sarkar — The aim of human life — Dr. Bhaduri and Dr. Sarkar — Is the world a delusion? — Master sharply reprimands Dr. Sarkar — Paths of negation and affirmation — Three classes of devotees — Absent-mindedness of worldly people — Different disciplines for different temperaments — Jnāna, ajnāna, and vijnāna — Master’s advice to Shyam Basu — Nature of the world — Master on Purna and Manindra — Dr. Sarkar on bhakti and jnāna — Dr. Sarkar on faith — Advice to Dr. Sarkar — How a jnāni should meditate — Losing consciousness in the thought of God — Story of Vilwamangal — Stories of the Bhāgavata scholars — Uselessness of mere scholarship — Different aspects of Rādhā — Brahman is indescribable — Hariballav — M. explains Master’s conceptions of jnāna and bhakti — Misra’s visit — Master blesses Dr. Sarkar — About Hriday — Worship of Kāli — Manifestation of the Divine Mother through the Master — Master in deep ecstasy.
Master moved to Cossipore — Predicting his passing away — The coming of devotees — Master’s love for devotees — Significance of the Master’s illness — Different classes of devotees — The great visions — Five suppliers of the Master’s needs — Master’s foreseeing of the coming of devotees — Master and Narendra — Narendra’s yearning for God — His intense dispassion — Devotees’ detachment from the world — Brahman is beyond the gunas — Brahman and māyā — Wicked ego and spiritualized ego — No liberation for Divine Incarnations — Master’s great suffering — His vision of unity — Master about himself — Master teaches Narendra Brahmajnāna — “Ego of Knowledge” — Narendra and M.
Narendra’s visit to Bodh-Gayā — Buddha’s doctrines — The meaning of Buddha — Narendra’s enthusiasm about Buddha — Master about himself — Master’s vision of God — Different kinds of samādhi — Power of God’s name — Surendra’s faith — Master’s love for Girish — Nature of the mind — Monks and householders — About Rakhal — Rādhā’s love for Krishna — The crazy woman — Good use of money — Master’s anxiety about M.’s wife.
51. THE MASTER’S LOVE FOR HIS DEVOTEES
Narendra’s scepticism — Narendra and M. — Devotees about the Master — Bliss of Brahman and bliss of the world — Master on Buddha — On “woman and gold” — Sri Ramakrishna and woman — Encouraging Bhavanath — Hirananda — Narendra argues with Hirananda — Narendra’s spirit of renunciation — Master’s exalted vision — Master and Hirananda — Girish and M. — Master’s kindness to M. and his wife.
Barānagore Monastery — First members — Surendra’s magnanimity — Ascetic zeal of the young sannyāsis — Renunciation of “woman and gold” — Śiva festival at the math — Narendra’s reminiscences of the Master — Narendra’s foreknowledge of things — Narendra’s ego — About Nityagopal — Rakhal’s reminiscences of the Master — The Master and Narendra — Master’s love for Narendra — Prasanna’s austere sādhanā — Vidyāsāgar’s reluctance about preaching — About Sashi — Rakhal’s yearning for God — Tarak and Prasanna — Narendra asks Prasanna to practise self-surrender — Narendra’s longing for God-vision — About Rabindra.
APPENDIX A: WITH KESHAB AT DAKSHINESWAR
Keshab’s reverence for the Master — Tasting divine bliss in different ways — Master’s abhorrence of public preaching — Master instructs about humility — Renunciation of “woman and gold” — Yearning for God — Story of the fishwife and her basket — Personal God and Impersonal Reality — The pure mind sees God — Surendra’s vanity curbed — Māyā obstructs vision of God — Renunciation, true and false — God and worldly duties — Faith in the guru — Parable of pearl oyster — Company of holy men extolled — Concerning the ego.
APPENDIX B: A LETTER WRITTEN TO M. BY ASWINI KUMAR DUTTA.