him “Christ,” while others called him “Ram.” However, these were just different names of the same God.

Ramakrishna would say, “Just like you cannot see your face clearly in a dirty mirror; it is difficult to experience Divine Love until the heart is pure. Once the heart is clean, then you can see God by His grace.”

HIS FOLLOWING

People thronged to Ramakrishna for spiritual guidance. Everyone who came to him felt spiritually elevated in his association. They started calling him “Paramhansa,” or one who, having attained God, is detached from the world. True to his name, Ramakrishna had no desire for anything material. He had known God through various religious paths. He wanted to teach those who had a strong desire to know more about God.

People flocked to him. Finally, one day a young man, Narendranath Dutta came to him. With skepticism, he asked Ramakrishna if he had seen God. Ramakrishna replied, “Yes, I have seen God. I talk to Him and see Him just as I see you now.” Narendra was so impressed with Ramakrishna that he surrendered to him. Ramakrishna was waiting for a true disciple and taught the secrets of God-realization to Narendra, who later became famous around the world as Swami Vivekananda. Ramakrishna chose Narendra to spread his teachings worldwide, and personally trained him for the task. Ramakrishna left a handful of disciples under the tutelage of Swami Vivekananda, along with the responsibility of spreading the Divine message across the world.

MAHA SAMADHI

In 1886 A.D., Ramakrishna passed away due to throat cancer. He was 50 years old at that time. Even those who attain the Highest cannot escape death. However, by accepting death so gracefully, Ramakrishna showed that a Saint accepts it too as God’s Prasad, or Grace.

Saints of India

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