Sri Ramakrishna, the Avatar took birth for the sole purpose of uplifting humanity which has lost its way and gotten enmeshed in the jungle of communalism, hatred, violence and religious fanaticism. Enclosed below are some of his most powerful teachings, which Sri Ramakrishna arrived at based on his own spiritual realizations.
“I practised each religion for a time — Hinduism, Islam, Christianity. Furthermore, I followed the paths of the Saktas, Vaishnavas, and Vedantists. I realized that there is only one God toward whom all are travelling; but the paths are different.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“As out of one gold, ornaments of various forms are made; so it is the same God that is worshipped by different nations under different names and different forms.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“One should not think, ‘My religion alone is the right path and other religions are false.’ God can be realized by means of all paths. It is enough to have sincere yearning for God. Infinite are the paths.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“In a potter’s shop there are vessels of different shapes and forms — pots, jars, dishes, plates, etc., but all are made of one clay. So God is One, but is worshiped in different ages and climes under different names and aspects.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“It has been revealed to me that there exists an Ocean of Consciousness without limit. From It come all things of the relative plane, and in It they merge again. These waves arising from the Great Ocean merge again in the Great Ocean. I have clearly perceived all these things.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“When I think of the Supreme Being as inactive – neither creating nor preserving nor destroying – I call Him Brahman or Purusha, the Impersonal God. When I think of Him as active – creating, preserving and destroying – I call Him Sakti (Divine Mother) or Prakriti, the Personal God. But the distinction between them does not mean a difference. The Personal and Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its lustre, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
God is the Soul of Our Soul – Wisdom leads to Unity, but Ignorance to Separation: “So long as God seems to be outside and far away, there is ignorance. But when God is realized within, that is true knowledge.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“It’s enough to have faith in one aspect of God. You have faith in God without form. That is very good. But never get into your head that your faith alone is true and every other is false. Know for certain that God without form is real and that God with form is also real. Then hold fast to whichever faith appeals to you.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“Although God resides in all human beings, still there are good men and bad men; there are lovers of God and those who do not love God. We should recognize Divinity in all, but we should not mix with bad people or with those who do not love God. Our relation with them must not be very close. It is wise to avoid the company of such people.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth. Discard the untruth and take the truth. 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. Dwell in the truth and you will certainly realize God.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Why Children Must Be Taught Spiritual Ideals: “The young bamboo can be easily bent, but the full-grown bamboo breaks when it is bent with force. It is easy to bend the young heart towards God, but the untrained heart of the old escapes the hold, whenever it is so drawn.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
“He who in the past was born as Rama and Krishna is now living in this very body as Ramakrishna.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
