- Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar.
- Even those engaged in worldly activities, such as office work or business, should hold to the truth. Truthfulness alone is the spiritual discipline in the Kaliyuga.
- If a man holds to truth he will certainly realize God.
- The world is indeed a mixture of truth and make-believe. Discard the makebelieve and take the truth.
- The feeling of ego has covered the Truth. Narendra once said, 'As the "I" of man recedes, the "I" of God approaches.' Kedar says, 'The more clay there is in the jar, the less water it holds.'.
- The path of knowledge leads to Truth, as does the path that combines knowledge and love. The path of love, too, leads to this goal. The way of love is as true as the way of knowledge. All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth. But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love.
- The Truth established in the Vedas, the Puranas, and the Tantras is but one Satchidananda. In the Vedas It is called Brahman, in the Puranas It is called Krishna, Rama, and so on, and in the Tantras It is called Siva. The one Satchidananda is called Brahman, Krishna, and Siva.
- If a man leads a householder's life he must have unflagging devotion to truth. God can be realized through truth alone.
- The feeling of 'I and mine' has covered the Reality. Because of this we do not see Truth. Attainment of Chaitanya, Divine Consciousness, is not possible without the knowledge of Advaita, Non-duality. After realizing Chaitanya one enjoys Nityananda, Eternal Bliss. One enjoys this Bliss after attaining the state of a paramahamsa.
- It is said that truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kaliyuga. If a man clings tenaciously to truth he ultimately realizes God. Without this regard for truth, one gradually loses everything. If by chance I say that I will go to the pine-grove, I must go there even if there is no further need of it, lest I lose my attachment to truth.
- Truthfulness in speech is the tapasya of the Kaliyuga. It is difficult to practise other austerities in this cycle. By adhering to truth one attains God.
- Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. A lake has many ghats. From one ghat the Hindus take water in jars and call it 'jal'. From another ghat the Mussalmans take water in leather bags and call it 'pani'. From a third the Christians take the same thing and call it 'water'.
- The one goal of life is to cultivate love for God, the love that the milkmaids, the milkmen, and the cowherd boys of Vrindavan felt for Krishna.
- Faith and devotion. One realizes God easily through devotion. He is grasped through ecstasy of love.
- The means of realizing God are ecstasy of love and devotion – that is, one must love God.
- The point is, to love God even as the mother loves her child, the chaste wife her husband, and the worldly man his wealth. Add together these three forces of love, these three powers of attraction, and give it all to God. Then you will certainly see Him.
- The bliss of worship and communion with God is the true wine, the wine of ecstatic love. The goal of human life is to love God, Bhakti is the one essential thing. To know God through jnana and reasoning is extremely difficult.
- If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief, its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you will be attached to them.
- Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities; it is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude. When a tree is young it should be fenced all around; otherwise it may be destroyed by cattle.
- The path of knowledge leads to Truth, as does the path that combines knowledge and love. The path of love, too, leads to this goal. The way of love is as true as the way of knowledge. All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth. But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love.
- God cannot be realized through mere scholarly reasoning.
- One is able to realize God just through love. Ecstasy of feeling, devotion, love, and faith – these are the means.
- What is needed is absorption in God – loving Him intensely. The 'Nectar Lake' is the Lake of Immortality. A man sinking in It does not die, but becomes immortal. Some people believe that by thinking of God too much the mind becomes deranged; but that is not true. God is the Lake of Nectar, the Ocean of Immortality. He is called the 'Immortal' in the Vedas. Sinking in It, one does not die, but verily transcends death.
Sri Ramakrishna - Unless a man is guileless, he cannot so
easily have faith in God. God is far, far away from the mind steeped in
worldliness. Worldly intelligence creates many doubts and many forms of
pride—pride of learning, wealth, and the rest.
(Pointing
to the doctor) But he is guileless. "How guileless Keshab Sen was! One
day he visited the Kali temple at Dakshineswar. At about four in the
afternoon he went around to the guesthouse, where the poor are fed, and
asked when the beggars would be fed. He didn't know
that it
was too late in the day for the feeding of the poor. As a man's faith
increases, so does his knowledge of God. The cow that discriminates too
much about food gives milk in dribblets. But the cow that gulps down
everything—herbs, leaves, grass, husks, straw—gives milk in torrents.
(All laugh.)
"God cannot be realized without childlike faith.
The mother says to her child, pointing to a boy, 'He is your elder
brother.' And the child at once believes that the boy is one hundred per
cent his brother. Again, the mother says that a bogy man lives in a
certain room, and the child believes one hundred per cent that the bogy
man lives in the room. God bestows His grace on the devotee who has this
faith of a child. God cannot be realized by the mind steeped in
worldliness."
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