Ramakrishna said...I want to taste sugar, not be sugar..

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I just want to taste the sugar.
I don't need to become the sugar.
However, if I have created the illusion that there is the sugar and the taster - well, then, so be it.
Let me enjoy that separation to the fullest...as I created it to be.
Taster and the tasted.
Lover and Beloved.

That is very sugary to me.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by mattie

Even those who’ve made substantial progress here have quite a ways to go before getting to the level of what one would call God, the highest level of BEing in the Universe.

We are in charge of our journey & will only advance as far as we desire, so this isn’t an issue. If we see God as separate, this is what we will experience. If we want to feel that we are part of an integrated Universe where what we call God is manifesting in everything, this is what we will have. It’s completely our choice.

Excellent post.

[Jyotir]

Hi Miss Hepburn,

Here is an excerpt from The Gospel Of Sri Ramakrishna which contains the bit about the sugar, but this is not the only instance.

The Gospel for those not familiar, is one of the great world classics of spiritual literature. One of Ramakrishna's students, "M", recorded events as they transpired while he was present during the last 3 years of the Master's life.

It is a wonderful, inspiring book, one that I always imagine reveals what the character of Jesus' visits and preaching must have been like.

Master in samādhi
Sri Ramakrishna was in his room talking with Vijay and Haralal. Some disciples of Keshab entered. Bowing before the Master, they said to him: "Sir, the steamer has arrived. Keshab Babu has asked us to take you there." A small boat was to carry the Master to the steamer. No sooner did he get into the boat than he lost outer consciousness in samādhi. Vijay was with him.

M. was among the passengers. As the boat came alongside the steamer, all rushed to the railing to have a view of Sri Ramakrishna. Keshab became anxious to get him safely on board. With great difficulty the Master was brought back to consciousness of the world and taken to a cabin in the steamer. Still in an abstracted mood, he walked mechanically, leaning on a devotee for support. Keshab and the others bowed before him, but he was not aware of them. Inside the cabin there were a few chairs and a table. He was made to sit on one of the chairs, Keshab and Vijay occupying two others. Some devotees were also seated, most of them on the floor, while many others had to stand outside. They peered eagerly through the door and windows. Sri Ramakrishna again went into deep samādhi and became totally unconscious of the outer world.

As the air in the room was stuffy because of the crowd of people, Keshab opened the windows. He was embarrassed to meet Vijay, since they had differed in certain principles of the Brāhrno Samaj and Vijay had separated himself from Keshab's organization, joining another society.

The Brahmo devotees looked wistfully at the Master. Gradually he came back to sense consciousness; but the divine intoxication still lingered. He said to himself in a whisper: "Mother, why have You brought me here? They are hedged around and not free. Can I free them?" Did the Master find that the people assembled there were locked within the prison walls of the world? Did their helplessness make the Master address these words to the Divine Mother?

God dwells in devotee's heart
Sri Ramakrishna was gradually becoming conscious of the outside world. Nilmadhav of Ghazipur and a Brahmo devotee were talking about Pavhari Baba. Another Brahmo devotee said to the Master: "Sir, these gentlemen visited Pavhari Baba. He lives in Ghazipur. He is a holy man like yourself." The Master could hardly talk; he only smiled. The devotee continued, "Sir, Pavhari Baba keeps your photograph in his room." Pointing to his body the Master said with a smile, "Just a pillow-case."

The Master continued: "But you should remember that the heart of the devotee is the abode of God. He dwells, no doubt, in all beings, but He especially manifests Himself in the heart of the devotee. A landlord may at one time or another visit all parts of his estate, but people say he is generally to be found in a particular drawing-room. The heart of the devotee is the drawing-room of God.

Attitude of jnānis and bhaktās
"He who is called Brahman by the jnanis is known as Ātman by the yogis and as Bhagavan by the bhaktas. The same brahmin is called priest, when worshipping in the temple, and cook, when preparing a meal in the kitchen. The jnani sticking to the path of knowledge, always reasons about the Reality, saying, 'Not this, not this'. Brahman is neither 'this' nor 'that'; It is neither the universe nor its living beings. Reasoning in this way, the mind becomes steady. Then it disappears and the aspirant goes into samādhi. This is the knowledge of Brahman. It is the unwavering conviction of the jnani that Brahman alone is real and the world illusory. All these names and forms are illusory, like a dream. What Brahman is cannot be described. One cannot even say that Brahman is a Person. This is the opinion of the jnanis, the followers of Vedanta philosophy.

"But the bhaktas accept all the states of consciousness. They take the waking state to be real also. They don't think the world to be illusory, like a dream. They say that the universe is a manifestation of God's power and glory. God has created all these - sky, stars, moon, sun, mountains, ocean, men, animals. They constitute His glory. He is within us, in our hearts. Again, He is outside. The most advanced devotees say that He Himself has become all this - the twenty-four cosmic principles, the universe, and all living beings. The devotee of God wants to eat sugar, not to become sugar. (All laugh.)

"Do you know how a lover of God feels? His attitude is: 'O God, Thou are the Master, and I am Thy servant. Thou art the Mother, and I am Thy child.' Or again: 'Thou art my Father and Mother. Thou art the Whole, and I am a part.' He doesn't like to say, 'I am Brahman.'

Attitude of yogis
"The yogi seeks to realize the Paramatman, the Supreme Soul. His ideal is the union of the embodied soul and the Supreme Soul. He withdraws his mind from sense-objects and tries to concentrate it on the Paramatman. Therefore, during the first stage of his spiritual discipline, he retires into solitude and with undivided attention practises meditation in a fixed posture.

"But the Reality is one and the same. The difference is only in name. He who is Brahman is verily Ātman, and again, He is the Bhagavan. He is Brahman to the followers of the path of knowledge, Paramatman to the yogis, and Bhagavan to the lovers of God."

The steamer had been going toward Calcutta; but the passengers, with their eyes fixed on the Master and their ears given to his nectar-like words, were oblivious of its motion. Dakshineswar, with its temples and gardens, was left behind. The paddles of the boat churned the waters of the Ganges with a murmuring sound. But the devotees were indifferent to all this. Spellbound, they looked on a great yogi, his face lighted with a divine smile, his countenance radiating love, his eyes sparkling with joy-a man who had renounced all for God and who knew nothing but God. Unceasing words of wisdom flowed from his lips...

- from "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna", Chapter 5, The Master and Keshab

The entire Chapter can be read here:

Chapter 5, The Master and Keshab

The entire text here:

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna


~ J

[peteyzen]

speaking of ramakrishna, has anyone read `the great swan` by lex Hixon, its a beautiful book about rama krishna one of the most beautiful books on spirituality i ve ever read., well worth a read.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

speaking of ramakrishna, has anyone read `the great swan` by lex Hixon, its a beautiful book about rama krishna one of the most beautiful books on spirituality i ve ever read., well worth a read.

NO! But thank you!!!!!

I'm on it!

http://books.google.com/books/about/Great_Swan.html?id=IEISZscMUscC

Ah, by reading more about this book I now have a new title for mine ----but
I can't tll you what it is!!! Ha! I'm very happy.

[Miss Hepburn]

~J,

I can't believe you just put the entire Gospel link for us!!!!

Thank You!!!
I mean, I have it and sev other books - not to make you jealous, but I have the
thickest book by Swami Chetanananda
on his life I got for maybe $2 at Goodwill!!!

[Xan]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

''I want to taste sugar not be sugar.''

I really relate to this.

I want to feel God, not "be" God.

Any comments?

I want to recognize that I am God feeling God.

Why make it an either/or?


Xan

[Xan]

Since this thread has turned to Ramakrishna... When I read his biography I was high for days afterward. What an amazing being.


Xan

Originally Posted by Xan

I want to recognize that I am God feeling God.

Why make it an either/or?


Xan

In this context I agree. I don't only want to taste the Sugar, I want to be it. It reminds me of my favorite word in the world which is the Sanskrit greeting "Namaste" meaning the Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you.

[Miss Hepburn]

Ah, want...

This is where I am coming from:
I have been the Sugar - I have experienced the Bliss that is ''God'' a dozen times to the point of being Brahma in timeless eternal ecstasy from head to toe.
I have known my body to be an enormous floating bunch of atoms in the Universe, but with all the Universe inside of it...being the Universe.
Yes, I know I am part of the Godhead and being God, at the same time have experienced what God experiences and feels - I experienced the Paradox of
incredible, burning Agony, the flip side being Ecstasy and wow.
And much more.


Funny, how these moments don't last...for me.
I don't question that.
I accept it. Yogananda and others were not in Bliss, Ecstatic Union 24/7, nor St Francis or St. Teresa...
They weren't ---it was given and then taken away; these Moments of Divine Insight and Wisdom....I've had many like the Mystics we read about.
(Note: I don't know about all of the great yogis and masters and their daily experiences.)


BUT...what does last (for me) is worship and tasting the love.
Feeling the Divine Presence ----instead of being the Divine One in glimpses.

Feeling and being bathed in the love of my Father - or Creator or the Holy Spirit - whatever It is called by people... The Sacred Spirit of the Divine.

I worship This.

If one day I evolve to the point of total and complete Awareness of Reality - that I am the Lord 24/7---so be it.

I am evolving upward like a spiral - and where I am at right now is tasting and sunbathing - not being the Sugar or the Sun.

And it is working for me right now. When I pop into having another experience that I am God Himself, by His Grace - fine - right now I am having fun co-creating and manifesting things just by my connection to the Divine.

That may not resonate with anyone reading this...insisting they are God or wanting to be the 'Sugar'.

But luckily - I don't mind. I'm with Ramakrishna on this.