Teachings of Ramakrishna

A man becomes liberated even in this life when he knows that God is the Doer of all things. -  P. 159 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

"What is this maya?"

Sri Ramakrishna: "Whatever you see, think, or hear is maya. In a word, 'woman and gold' is the covering of maya. There is no harm in chewing betel-leaf, eating fish, smoking, or rubbing the body with oil. What will one achieve by renouncing only these things? The one thing needful is the renunciation of 'woman and gold'. That renunciation is the real and supreme renunciation. Householders should go into solitude now and then, to practice spiritual discipline in order to cultivate devotion to God; they should renounce mentally. But the sannyasi should renounce both mentally and physically." P. 291 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna

By repeating a hundred times, 'I am a sinner', one verily becomes a sinner.
P. 159 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Teachings of Holy Mother

The body means the existence of desire, otherwise it would not have existed. It all ends when one no longer has any desires. C84 In the Company of the Holy Mother.  By Her Direct Disciples.   Calcutta : Advaita Ashrama, 1980

Teachings of Holy Mother

Rebirth is inevitable so long as one has desires. It is like taking the soul from one pillow-case and putting it into another. Only one or two out of many men can be found who are free from all desires. TN292 Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Nikhilananda. Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother; Life and Conversations. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1977.

Teachings of Holy Mother

Desire may be compared to a minute seed. It is like a big banyan tree growing out of a seed, which is no bigger than a dot. TN292 Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Nikhilananda. Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother; Life and Conversations. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1977.