I am posting the English translation of 'Sri Ramakrishna - The great master by Swami Saradananda' by Swami Jagadananda. It tells us about the Master's Islamic phase.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA - THE GREAT MASTER
2.16 EPILOGUE OF THE MASTER’S VEDANTA SADHANA AND HIS PRACTICE OF ISLAM
- The severe disease of the Master and his unique behaviour at this time
Now the Master’s strong body was shattered and he suffered from
illness for a few months, either as a result of his curing the fatal
disease of Jagadamba Dasi, as mentioned above, or of his superhuman
efforts for six long months to dwell continually in the plane of the
non-dual consciousness. We were told by him that he had then a severe
attack of dysentery. His nephew Hriday engaged himself in nursing him
day and night. Mathur placed him under the treatment of Gangaprasad
Sen, the famous physician, and made special arrangements for his diet
etc. Although his body was so severely ill, the extraordinary calmness
and the incessant bliss enjoyed by his mind, freed from all
body-consciousness, beggared description. His mind would separate
itself from the body, the disease and all other objects of the world
at the slightest suggestion,1 and would soar to the far-away
Nirvikalpa plane at once. No sooner did it hear the word Brahman, Self
or Isvara than it merged in its content, forgetting all other things
and its own separate existence for some time. Therefore, it is clear,
that in spite of that severe pain in his body owing to the fury of the
disease, he actually felt very little of it. But that pain due to the
disease, we heard from the Master himself, brought down his mind at
times from high planes of spiritual experience and made it conscious
of his body. The Master said it was during this period, that the
foremost of the Paramahamsas, the followers of the Vedanta, used to
come to him. His room was then always reverberating with the sounds of
their utterances on the discussion of the Vedantic truths, “Not this,
not this”, “Being-Revealing-Rejoicing”, “This Self in Brahman”2, and
so on and so forth. When, during the discussions of those high
Vedantic dicta, they could not arrive at the right conclusion on any
question, the Master had to become the umpire and decide it. Need we
say that had he been always distracted like other people on account of
the disease, it would never have been possible for him constantly to
take part in those abstruse philosophical discussions?
- The Master’s auditive experience when he was established in the non-dual state. The results of that experience
By the end of the period when he was continually in the Nirvikalpa
plane, the Master had, we have said elsewhere,3 a wonderful auditive
experience, a realization — he was now commanded for the third time
“to remain in Bhavamukha” Though we call it an auditive experience,
the reader should understand by it a realization in his heart of
hearts. For, the Master did not hear it, unlike as he did twice
before, from the mouth of any visible figure. But the Master’s mind
had the immediate consciousness of the existence of that idea or will
in the cosmic mind of the omnipresent Brahman, as it was remaining
most of the time in complete oneness with the Absolute, the non-dual
Being; and, at times, getting separated from It partially, was
realizing that it was a part of the all-pervading Brahman with
attributes, the Mother of the universe.4 On account of that
realization, the future purpose of his life stood completely revealed
to him.
For, not standing in need of a body, nor at all desirous to continue
in life, yet commanded again to “remain in Bhavamukha”, according to
the inscrutable will of the universal Mother, the Master now came to
know that he had to live in the body thenceforward in accordance with
the will and purpose of the sportive Divine, and that he had been so
commanded because his body could not continue to live, were he to
remain eternally identified with Brahman. He also came to know his
former lives, through Jatismaratwa (the power of remembering past
lives) and that he was an Adhikarika person, or rather, an incarnation
of God, eternally pure in nature, who now assumed a body and performed
austerity etc., in order to rescue the modern age from the decline of
religion and to bring about the well-being of humanity. He came to
know, moreover, that, it was with a view to accomplishing some special
purpose of Hers that the universal Mother had brought him down on
earth into a poor Brahmin family, as one devoid of all grandeur of
external powers. He came to know, further, that only a few people
would be able to know and understand, during his lifetime, the mystery
of that play of the divine Mother and that as soon as the generality
of people would begin to understand it, the Mother would absorb Her
child into Her own Person; but that the spiritual waves, which his
body and mind would generate, would go on surging with ever greater
momentum and would bring after his passing away plenitude of
well-being to humanity for all time.
- What the scriptures say about the attainment of the power of remembering previous lives just before realizing Brahman
We must remember some of the statements in the scriptures, if we are
to understand how the Master could have those extraordinary
experiences. The aspirant, say the scriptures, attains Jatismaratwa5
before he becomes fully established in the Pure Consciousness Itself
with the help of the non-dual mood. In other words, with the fullest
development of this remembrance, his memory reaches such a mature
state that the entire history of his transmigration — how, where and
how many times he had had to be encased in bodies and what actions,
good or evil, he had performed — is revealed with a terrible
vividness. Consequently, the transitoriness of everything in the world
and the futility of the pursuit of worldly enjoyments, and of being
born again and again under the same general conditions, are driven
home to him. The intense detachment which then arises in his heart
frees him from all desires whatsoever.
- What the scriptures say about the attainment of Yogic powers, and the state in which all resolves come true
The Upanishad6 says that the resolves of such persons always come
true. And their minds through Samadhi can perceive any sphere they
like, whether of gods or of forbears or of any other beings.
Patanjali, the great sage, mentions in his Yoga-sutras that all kinds
of Yogic powers are attained by such persons. Again, the author of the
Panchadasi, synthesising this apparent contradiction coexisting in the
same person viz., the attainment of Yogic powers and the absence of
desires, says that although they attain such wonderful powers, they
never apply them to further their own interests for the simple reason
that they do not have any such desire. Absolutely dependent on the
will of God, the Adhikarika persons alone amongst them apply at times
those powers for the well-being of the many. That is why the author of
the Panchadasi says that such a person has the power, but not the
urge, to change the worldly circumstances in which he attains the
knowledge of Brahman, and spends his time in that state.
- The causes producing the Master’s extraordinary realization become understandable when we study his life in the light of the
above-mentioned sayings of the scriptures
If one studies the Master’s life of this period in the light of the
scriptural sayings quoted above, the how and why of most of the
extraordinary realizations, if not all of them, stand fully revealed.
One can understand how as a result of his whole-hearted offering of
himself at the lotus feet of the divine Lord, he could attain perfect
desirelessness and how in so short a time he ascended and firmly
established himself in the Nirvikalpa plane of knowledge of Brahman.
One can understand how he attained Jatismaratwa, as a result of which
he had the immediate knowledge that the One, who had manifested
Himself as Rama and Krishna in past ages and did good to humanity, had
again assumed a body and manifested Himself in the present age as
“Ramakrishna”7 One can understand why he never applied the divine
powers for the comforts of his own body and mind, though their
manifestations for the good of humanity were matters of almost daily
occurrence; why he could and did awaken in others the power of
realizing spiritual truths by a mere glance or wish; and why his
extraordinary influence is slowly and surely spreading into and
acquiring mastery over all the countries of the world.
- Why the experiences mentioned before were not had simultaneously
Thus did the Master know the past and future of his life at the time
of his coming down to the realm of ideas from the non-dual state,
though he was finally established in that state. But all those
experiences do not seem to have come to him on one day or all of a
sudden. He, we infer, had the perfect knowledge of all these things in
a year after his coming down to the realm of ideas. During this time
the Mother of the universe was removing, as it were, veil after veil
from before his eyes, explaining clearly those things to him day after
day. If we are asked why all those experiences were not revealed
simultaneously to the Master’s mind, we reply that, established in the
non-dual state of consciousness and completely lost in the bliss of
Brahman, he had no time or inclination to know them, till the
modification of his mind took an outward direction. Thus was fulfilled
the Master’s earnest prayer to the Mother of the universe at the
beginning of his Sadhana, “Mother, I do not know at all what I should
do; I’ll learn what Thou Thyself wilt teach me.”
- The realization of the Master that the attainment of the non-dual consciousness is the ultimate aim of all disciplines
Firmly established in the plane of the non-dual consciousness, the
Master had the realization of another fact also. He came to feel in
his heart of hearts that the realization of non-duality was the
ultimate aim of all kinds of disciplines. For, having performed
Sadhanas according to the teachings of all the main religious
denominations prevalent in India, he had already been convinced that
they all took the aspirants towards the non-dual plane. Asked about
the non-dual state, he, therefore, said to us over and over again, “It
is the finale, my child, the acme, which comes of itself in the life
of all aspirants as the ultimate development of their love of God.
Know it to be the last word of all faiths, and the faiths are only
paths (and not the goal).”
- The abovementioned realization of the Master was never fully grasped by anyone before
Having thus had the direct experience of non-duality, the Master’s
mind was filled with unbounded catholicity. He had now an
extraordinary sympathy for all the religious communities which taught
that the aim of human life was the realization of God. But he did not
realize at first that the said catholicity and sympathy were his
discoveries8 and that no aspirant, not even the foremost of them, in
the past could attain them as fully as he. He (such is our impression)
became gradually acquainted with that fact by coming in contact with
the wise Sadhakas belonging to various religious communities at the
Kali temple at Dakshineswar and at other well-known places of
pilgrimage. But, thenceforward, he was very much wounded whenever he
came across one-sidedness in religion, and he tried in all ways to
remove that mean attitude.
- The Master’s practice of Islam, an example of the liberality of his mind established in the nondual knowledge
We can clearly understand from an event of this time how liberal the
Master’s mind which was firmly poised in the non-dual knowledge, now
became. The Master, we have seen, was ill for a few months after he
had reached the zenith in the Practice of the non-dual mood. The event
came to pass when he had come round. A short time previously one
Govinda Ray had been in search of truth for some time. Hriday told us
that he was a Kshatriya by birth. He was perhaps learned in Persian
and Arabic. Having studied various religious doctrines and come in
contact with different religious communities, he was at last attracted
by the liberal doctrine of Islam and was formally initiated into it.
Govinda, thirsting for truth, accepted the Islamic faith, but we
cannot say how far he followed its social manners and customs. But,
since he became initiated, he, we were told, engaged himself ardently
in the reading of the Koran and in religious practices according to
the process prescribed by that scripture. Govinda was an ardent lover
of God. The method of worshipping God according to the teaching and
mental attitude prevalent amongst the Sufis, followers of a sect of
Islam, seems to have captivated his mind; for he now became engaged
day and night in practising devotional moods like the Dervishes, the
devotees belonging to that sect.
- The arrival of the Sufi Govinda Ray
Somehow or other Govinda now came to the Kali temple at Dakshineswar
and began to spend his time there with his “seat” spread under the
peaceful shade of the Panchavati, which he thought, was a place
favourable to religious practices. Muslim Fakirs, as well as Hindu
Sadhus, who had renounced the world, were welcome at Rasmani’s Kali
temple and the hospitality of the temple was equally accorded to both
of them Therefore, while staying there Govinda had not to go round for
alms. He spent his days joyfully meditating on his chosen Ideal.
- The Master’s resolve afer talking with Govinda
The Master was attracted towards the devout Govinda, and happening to
converse with him, was charmed with Govinda’s sincere faith in and
love for God. Thus was the Master’s mind now attracted towards the
Islamic religion. “This also”, thought he, “is a path to the
realization of God; the sportive Mother, the source of infinite Lila,
has been blessing many people with the attainment of Her lotus feet
through this path also. I must see how through it She makes those who
take refuge in Her, attain their desired end. I’ll be initiated by
Govinda and engage myself in the practice of that spiritual mood.”
- Initiated by Govinda, the Master succeeded in the Sadhana
Thought was immediately followed by action. The Master expressed his
desire to Govinda, became initiated and engaged himself in practising
Islam according to its prescribed rules. The Master said, “I then
devotionally repeated the holy syllable ‘Allah’, wore cloth like the
Muslims, said Namaz thrice daily and felt disinclined even to see
Hindu deities, not to speak of saluting them, inasmuch as the Hindu
mode of thought vanished altogether from my mind. I spent three days
in that mood, and had the full realization of the result of practices
according to that faith.” At the time of practising Islam, the Master
at first had the vision of an effulgent, impressive personage with a
long beard; afterwards he had the knowledge of the all-pervading
Brahman with attributes and merged finally in the attributeless
Brahman, the Absolute.
- The behaviour of the Master at the time of practising Islam
At the time of practising Islam, the Master wanted, said Hriday, to
take Muslim food. It was Mathur’s solicitous request only that made
him refrain from doing so. Knowing that the childlike Master would not
abstain from it if that desire of his were not at least partially
fulfilled, Mathur had a cook brought, under whose instruction a
Brahmin cook prepared food in the Muslim manner, which was given to
the Master to eat. The Master did not even once enter the inner
courtyard of the Kali temple while practising Islam, but remained in
the mansion of Mathur situated outside.
Sri Ramakrishna - The Great Master by Swami Saradananda translated by Swami Jagadananda
