Tales and Parables Of Sri Ramakrishna

Tales and Parables
Of
Sri Ramakrishna

Once a man went to a certain place to see a theatrical performance, carrying a mat under his arm. Hearing that it would be some time before the performance began; he spread the mat on the floor and fell asleep. When he woke up all was over. Then he returned home with the mat under his arm!

Sri Ramakrishna

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• PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
• PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
• Introduction
  • Bhagavat Lines
• The World
  • IN THE FOREST OF THE WORLD
  • WHAT THE WORLD MAKES OF MEN
• Men of the World
  • WHEN ALL TEETH FELL
  • THERE ARE SUCH MEN INDEED!
  • THE JACKAL THAT WON’T LEAVE THE COMPANY OF A BULLOCK
  • THE PLUNDERERS WHO GO ABOUT AS RELIGIOUS
  • HOW THEY QUARREL!
  • A WORLDLING IS A POOR EXPONENT OF THE SASTRAS
  • ELDER, THE PUMPKIN CUTTER
  • THERE IS NEED FOR EVERYTHING
  • THERE ARE MEN AND MEN
• The Bane of Worldliness
  • ALL FOR A SINGLE PIECE OF LOIN-CLOTH
  • THE TIGER THAT LURKS BEHIND WORLDLY JOYS
  • THAT OPPRESSING STENCH OF WORLDLINESS
  • WORLDLY GOODS ARE NOT THINE FOR EVER
  • THE JAR OF DESIRE CAN NEVER BE FILLED UP
  • WHY YOGI SLIPS DOWN FROM HIS YOGA
• Kama-Kanchana’ (Lust and Gold)
  • COURT MARRIAGE AND YOU COURT SERVITUDE
  • THE FALL OF THE TWELVE HUNDRED
  • MASTER OF EVERYTHING, SLAVE OF SEX!
  • BHAGAVATA IN THE EAR, BROTHEL IN THE MIND
  • GREATER EVEN THAN THE GURU!
  • MODERN JANAKAS!
  • HOW’S A FALLEN SANNYASI
  • IF YOU WOULD CONQUER LUST, LOOK ON WOMEN AS MOTHER
  • MONEY IS ALSO A GREAT UPADHI
  • SUCH IS THE PRIDE THAT MONEY BEGETS
  • ENMESHED IN MAYA, BRAHMAN WEEPS!
  • HOW IS MAYA
  • SUCH INDEED IS MAYA!
  • MAYA VANISHES THE MOMENT IT IS KNOWN
  • THE PROLONGED DREAM THAT WE CALL LIFE
  • “IT’S NOTHING, IT’S NOTHING!”
  • IF ALL IS REALLY UNREAL!
  • A SIDDHA STOPS THE STORM
  • OCCULT POWERS ARE MORE A HINDRANCE THAN A HELP TO GOD-VISION
  • THE PANDIT WHO COULD NOT SWIM
  • FOR MAN PROPOSES AND GOD DISPOSES
  • AS ONE THINKS, SO ONE RECEIVES
  • ‘SHE IS SO WELL OFF!’
  • FEIGNING MADNESS TOO IS RISKY!
  • WELCOME GOOD, AND EVIL WELCOMES YOU
  • WHAT OCCULT POWERS ARE LIKE
  • HORSES IN COWSHED!
  • THOSE FASCINATING OBSTRUCTIONS
• Egoism: Vanity
  • EGOTISM IS RUINOUS
  • SANKARACHARYA AND HIS FOOLISH DISCIPLE
  • WHEN SIVA’S BULL BARED ITS TEETH
  • HOW VANITY TURNS A PERSON’S
• Previous Tendencies
  • A HINDU WHO WAS FORCED TO EMBRACE ISLAM
  • NOTHING IS LOST IN THE ECONOMY
  • THE INEVITABLES
• The Way
• Faith
  • A BOY ACTUALLY FED GOD
  • A DISCIPLE AND HER POT OF CURDS
  • THE SIMPLE SECRET
  • THE BASIC FAITH
  • A TRUE DEVOTEE’S FAITH
  • FAITH ABSOLUTE
  • FAITH UNBOUNDED
  • FAITH TREMENDOUS
  • THE POWER OF FAITH
  • HANUMAN SINGH AND THE WRESTLER FROM THE PUNJAB
  • FAITH KNOWS NO MIRACLES
  • BUT FAITH WORKS MIRACLES
  • FAITH IS THE MOTHER OF MIRACLES
  • POWER OF THE HOLY NAME
  • THE DOUBTING SOUL PERISHES
• Devotion
  • THE LOVE THAT FREELY GIVETH IS THE HIGHEST
  • WHO WINS THE PRIZE
  • THAT GREAT DEVOTEE OF A CROW
  • THREE FRIENDS AND THE TIGER
  • SINGLE-MINDED DEVOTION TO ONE IDEAL
  • IN WEAL AND WOE, GOD FOR EVERMORE
  • RAVANA-THE GREAT DEVOTEE OF RAMA
  • DEVOTION, THE DIVINE OPEN SESAME
  • A DEVOTEE AVOIDS WHAT THE WORLD RUNS AFTER
  • GLORY UNTO KRISHNA!
  • THAT PURE LOVE FOR GOD
  • BACK TO THE DIVINE MOTHER
  • CONCEIT IS TO DEVOTION WHAT CANKER IS TO BUDS
  • GOD ALONE IS THE GIVER
  • NO BEGGAR, I, FOR COMMON FRUIT
  • THORNS DENIED PRICK NO LESS KEENLY
  • SINGLE-MINDEDNESS IS ANOTHER NAME FOR DEVOTION
• Yearning
  • THAT DIVINE YEARNING
  • IF YOU ARE EARNEST
  • HOW A GURU TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLE TO SEE GOD
• Self-Help & Self-Surrender
  • LORD NARAYANA AND HIS SELF-DEFENDING DEVOTEE
  • SELF-SURRENDER KNOWS NO COMPLAINT
• Humility
• Tyaga and Vairagya
  • HE WENT AWAY, TOWEL ON HIS SHOULDER
  • DISPASSION COMES LIKE A FLOOD AND NEVER BY DROPS
  • NOT UNTIL THE ILLUSION BREAKS
  • NONE WILL FOLLOW THEE AFTER DEATH
  • TODAY’S IMITATION IS TOMORROWS INSPIRATION
  • SIMULATION OF HOLINESS MAY BECOME A STIMULATION FOR IT
  • EQUAL VISION IS THE FIRST AND LAST SIGN OF RENUNCIATION
  • HARD ARE THE RULES FOR A SANNYASI
  • A BAHURUPI IMPERSONATING SIVA
  • HOLD HARD YOUR SPADE
  • AS YOU GO FROM NEAR TO NEARER
  • THE KING AND THE PANDIT
  • EVEN IF YOU WISH TO RENOUNCE THE WORLD
  • WHEN RENUNCIATION BECOMES THE LIFE-BREATH
  • A GHOST SOUGHT A COMPANION
  • A SALT DOLL WENT TO FATHOM THE OCEAN
• Brahman
  • WHERE SILENCE IS ELOQUENT AND SPEECH DOTH FALTER
  • NEITHER ‘YES’ NOR ‘NO’!
  • THE KING AND THE MAGICIAN
  • WHEN FACE TO FACE
  • ‘BEHOLD, O KING! BEHOLD’
  • AN ANT WENT TO A SUGAR HILL
  • HE EATS, YET EATS NOT
  • ALL PURE SPIRIT
• Aspects of the Divine
  • MAN WITH A TUB OF DYE
  • WHAT THE DIVINE MOTHER REVEALED TO ME
  • HOW A MONK KNEW THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD
  • GOD ALONE HAS BECOME ALL THINGS
  • STRIP NAME AND FORM AND LOOK BEYOND
  • FEW, VERY FEW ARE THEY
  • SHE CAME AND WENT AWAY
  • THUS SAW ARJUNA
  • NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM
  • TO HIM THESE ARE MERE DUST AND STRAW
  • NATURE OF GOD
  • GOD IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF HIS DEVOTEES
  • ALL ELSE IS UNREAL
  • THE LURE OF DIVINE LILA
  • A PEACOCK THAT TASTED OPIUM
  • KA! KA! KA!
  • INSCRUTABLE ARE THE WAYS OF GOD
  • AN INTERESTING INCIDENT!
  • WHY NOT THROUGH A MAN?
  • WHEN GOD LAUGHS
  • HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
  • WHO CAN TELL?
• Man in Divine State
  • THEY WANDER IN MANY DISGUISES
  • VISHNU EVERYWHERE
  • WHERE IS THE MISERY FOR HIM WHO SEES THE ONE?
  • BOTH FRIEND AND FOE THE SAINTS ADORE
  • ILLUSORY ALIKE!
  • CHILDLIKE SHOULD BE THE MAN OF HIGHEST WISDOM
  • SHE BEHAVED IN A QUEER WAY
  • ON COMPANY OF THE HOLY
  • IN THAT DIVINE STATE
  • THE NATURE OF A PARAMAHAMSA
  • SRI SANKARA AND THE BUTCHER
• Guru (Teacher of Men)
  • THAT INSIGNIA OF AUTHORITY
  • ONE CANNOT TEACH OTHERS WITHOUT RECEIVING COMMISSION FROM GOD
  • THE AVADHUTA AND HIS UPA-GURUS
  • THE GRASS-EATING TIGER
  • HOW SRI CHAITANYA ATTRACTED THE WORLDLY
  • LIKE TEACHER, LIKE DISCIPLE
  • WHEN ALL CONCEPTIONS OF DIFFERENCE VANISH
• Imperatives
  • COUNT NOT LEAVES, EAT MANGOES
  • BE DROWNED!
  • STICK TO YOUR OWN RELIGION
  • HAVE BOTH YOUR HANDS FREE
  • LET NOT THE BELL OF BIGOTRY DEADEN YOUR HEARING
  • SEE ADVAITA EVERYWHERE OR SEE IT NOWHERE
  • GO BEYOND KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE
  • BEWARE OF THE TOUCH OF THE WORLDLINGS
  • DON’T MEASURE SPIRITUAL VALUES BY SECULAR STANDARDS
  • BE WATCHFUL
  • GIVE THE DOG A GOOD BEATING AT TIMES
  • SINK NOW AND THEN
  • KEEP A PART OF THE RIDGE OPEN
  • COUNT NOT ON THE UNKNOWN FUTURE
  • DISCRIMINATE EVEN IN GIVING IN CHARITY
  • HISS YOU MAY, BUT BITE YOU SHALL NOT
  • IF YOU MUST SERVE, SERVE BUT ONE MASTER
  • FIRST CLEANSE THEE PURE, THEN PREACH AND CURE
  • EITHER ‘I’ AD-INFINITUM OR NONE OF IT
• Counsels
  • WHAT TO PRAY FOR?
  • HOW TO ESCAPE PRARABDHA
  • THEN, WHAT’S THE WAY?
  • ONE WHO SEES ‘ELEPHANT GOD’ SHOULD HEED THE WORDS OF ‘MAHUT GOD’
  • DAMN-DAMN-DAMN-DA-DAMN-DAMN
  • BROOD OVER OTHER’S SINS, AND YOU SIN YOURSELF
  • NOT ‘THERE’ BUT ‘HERE’
  • WHAT YOU ARE AFTER, IS WITHIN YOURSELF
  • HOW ONE CAN ENTER THE MANSION OF GOD
  • THEN COMES THE TIME FOR ACTION
  • PARTIAL KNOWLEDGE BREEDS NARROWNESS
  • FANATICISM IS ANOTHER NAME FOR IGNORANCE
  • NO SCRIPTURIST EVER VAUNTS OF HIS LEARNING
  • UNFORTUNATE IT IS TO BE SEIZED BY A WATER-SNAKE