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The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

By: Vedanta Society San Francisco
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 “Suppose at the Name of the Lord your hair stands on end or tears of joy start from your eyes; verily I say unto you the term is over for your ‘work for the Lord.’” – Sri Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886).

These are the first words of the great Hindu saint Sri Ramakrishna chronicled by his future disciple, Mahendranath Gupta (M.) in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. It is an extraordinary document of spirituality, which makes spirituality simple to practice for a person in any situation in life. Spirituality can be practiced while continuing to carry out the duties and responsibilities of life, but those duties are not the end of life. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna takes you where you stand and lifts you up one step at a time without stopping until you reach the highest heights of spirituality.

“Sandhya ends in Gayatri; Gayatri, in the simple symbol Om.”- Sri Ramakrishna

The drama of his banter, songs, preaching, ecstasy, worship, and love is vividly and minutely recorded by M. in the setting of Dakshineswar Temple and surrounding areas. Great monks, students, businessmen, meditators, and seekers of truth came to him and nobody went away empty-handed.

"Here the Gods are ministered unto from day to day -- from morning till night. Here too holy men and the poor are daily fed out of the offerings made to the Deity." – Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

The speaker's introduction:

Swami Tattwamayananda, currently the Minister of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, (originally founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1900) served in various centers of the Ramakrishna Order in India as editor, publisher, and teacher of Sanskrit, Advaitic texts such as Sri Shankaracharya's commentaries on the 'Prasthanatraya' (the fundamental Sanskrit texts of Vedanta philosophy), Buddhism and Indian philosophy. He underwent traditional training in Hindu scriptures, Sanskrit, Vedic and Vedantic literature for many years, from his early days. Before coming to the United States in January 2012 he was teaching Sanskrit, Vedantic scriptures and Indian philosophy at the Training center in Belur Math, the institution that trains the monks of the Ramakrishna Order at the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, Kolkata, India. Apart from his traditional education, the Swami has also received modern University education in English literature, psychology, European history, and Western philosophy. He is frequently invited for lectures on Yoga, Vedanta, and traditional Hindu scriptures and for participating in interfaith dialogues.

Swami Tattwamayananda's discourses were given at the Lake Tahoe Retreat "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Finding Fulfillment in Everyday Life" (July 19-27, 2014). Discourses were also given at the New Temple of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco (founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1900).

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All Original Content © Vedanta Society of Northern CaliforniaCopyright Vedanta Society, San Francisco Spirituality
Episodes
  • "Sir, How Ought One to Live in the World as a Householder?" | 9 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda

    "Sir, How Ought One to Live in the World as a Householder?" | 9 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda
    May 1 2019
    From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
    M.: "Sir, how ought one to live in the world as a householder?"
    Master: "Do all your duties with your mind always fixed on God. As for your parents and wife and children, serve them as if they were your own, but know in the inmost recesses of your heart that they are not really yours, unless they too love the Lord. The Lord alone is really your own, and also those who love the Lord."

    “A rich man's maid-servant will do all her duties, but her thoughts are always set upon her own home. Her master's house is not hers. She will, indeed, nurse her master's children as if they were her own, saying often; 'My own Rama,' 'My own Hari,' But all the while she knows full well the children are not hers.”

    The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna describes Sri Ramakrishna’s last visit to Keshab Sen, the great leader of one of the major Hindu reform movements of those days.

    The Master speaks highly of Keshab before his disciples. “Keshab is free from the vulgar pride of the preceptor who comes in his own name. Very often has he said to many of his disciples, ‘Go to the Temple at Dakshineswar where you will have your doubts solved.’ It is my way also to say, ‘Let Keshab increase a million-fold.' What shall I do with fame? Yes, Keshab is great, honoured alike by men of the world and by holy men who seek God alone.”

    This lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on July 27, 2014.
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    57 mins
  • “But Take Care You Do Not Run Away with the Idea That Your View Alone Is True” | 8 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda

    “But Take Care You Do Not Run Away with the Idea That Your View Alone Is True” | 8 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda
    May 1 2019
    Sri Ramakrishna’s message was universal. Following Vedic tradition, he was not in conflict with the innumerable spiritual paths.
    M. said: “I should like Sir, to meditate upon God as the Formless rather than as a Being ‘with form.’”
    Sri Ramakrishna: “That is good. There is no harm in looking at Him from this or that point of view. Yes, yes, to think of Him as the Formless Being is quite right. But take care you do not run away with the idea that your view alone is true and all others false. Meditating upon Him as a Being `with form’ is equally right. But you must hold to your particular point of view until you realise – until you see God, when everything will become clear.” – The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
    One Shankaracharya of Sringeri Math, a great monk and teacher of Advaita, nondualism, the formless God, was once asked why he continued to be immersed in worshipping in the shrine and in the temple. His reply was, “what else should I do?” The worshipper of the formless has no conflict with the worshipper of God with form.

    This lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on July 26, 2014.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • “The Holy Man Said to Him, ‘My Good Man, Go Forward.’” | 7 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda

    “The Holy Man Said to Him, ‘My Good Man, Go Forward.’” | 7 Tahoe Retreat 2014 | Swami Tattwamayananda
    May 1 2019
    -"The mind is everything. If the mind loses its liberty, you lose your liberty. If the mind is free, you too are free. The mind may get dipped in any color like a white cloth fresh from the wash-house." – The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
    -“Tat Tvam Asi” – Chandogya Upanishad
    -“How can I go back home, the place I belong to?” – The parable of the three robbers
    From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
    "Once upon a time a wood-cutter went into a forest to chop wood. There suddenly he met a brahmachari. The holy man said to him, 'My good man, go forward.' On returning home the wood-cutter asked himself, 'Why did the brahmachari tell me to go forward?' Some time passed. One day he remembered the brahmachari's words. He said to himself, 'Today I shall go deeper into the forest.' Going deep into the forest, he discovered innumerable sandal-wood trees. He was very happy and returned with cart-loads of sandal-wood. He sold them in the market and became very rich.
    "A few days later he again remembered the words of the holy man to go forward. He went deeper into the forest and discovered a silver-mine near a river. This was even beyond his dreams. He dug out silver from the mine and sold it in the market. He got so much money that he didn't even know how much he had.
    "A few more days passed. One day he thought: 'The brahmachari didn't ask me to stop at the silver-mine; he told me to go forward.' This time he went to the other side of the river and found a gold-mine. Then he exclaimed: 'Ah, just see! This is why he asked me to go forward.'
    "Again, a few days afterwards, he went still deeper into the forest and found heaps of diamonds and other precious gems. He took these also and became as rich as the god of wealth himself.
    "Therefore I say that, whatever you may do, you will find better and better things if only you go forward. You may feel a little ecstasy as the result of japa, but don't conclude from this that you have achieved everything in spiritual life. Work is by no means the goal of life. Go forward, and then you will be able to perform unselfish work. But again I say that it is most difficult to perform unselfish work. Therefore with love and longing in your heart pray to God: 'O God, grant me devotion at Thy Lotus Feet and reduce my worldly duties. Please grant me the boon that the few duties I must do may be done in a detached spirit.' If you go still farther you will realize God.
    You will see Him. In time you will converse with Him."

    This lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on July 25, 2014.
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    1 hr and 27 mins

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