We are very fortunate that Sri Ramakrishna was born before us and made the spirituality real, tangible, and clear. From his life, he showed that the highest state of “God Consciousness” is real. While living like a normal person in the world he showed that one’s mind can be uplifted often to the level of God Consciousness. He guided his disciples to God Realization and showed us that the goal of spirituality is tangible. There are various and contradictory looking thoughts in spirituality, but Sri Ramakrishna showed that they are not contradictory. For example, he said that God has a form and God is also formless. The ocean water has no form. But, due to cold, at some places the water becomes ice. Similarly, by the devotion of the devotee, God assumes a form. Then, when the sun of knowledge shines, then the ice melts and becomes the formless water.

We can know Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings through Swami Vivekananda’s lectures, Shri Mahendranath Gupta’s “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”, Swami Saradananda’s “Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play” and other direct disciples’ teachings. They had personally witnessed Sri Ramakrishna’s life and had received guidance from him. Thus, Sri Ramakrishna’s life is not a myth.

Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings are like a big ocean of nectar in which we can take deeps and uplift ourselves spiritually. To celebrate his birthday, we have to reflect upon one of his life incidents or his teachings. Sri Ramakrishna’s many teachings are ‘sutratmaka’, like formulas. We can easily remember, reflect, and follow them.

I was thinking about one of Sri Ramakrishna’s main teachings:

(In Bengali) “মানব জীবনের উদ্দেশ্য – ঈশ্বর লাভ”

 In Devanagari transliteration: “मानब जीबनेर उद्देश्य – ईश्वर लाभ”.

In English, “The Goal of Human Life is – God Realization.”

For most people, the goals of life are: going to school, going to college, study, get a degree, find a good job, make as much money as possible, acquire name-fame, recognition, power, position, get married, have a family, raise children and grand-children and die. Enjoy the world as much as you can. For the majority of people, these goals are satisfactory. Every now and then questions may come about the significance of these goals, but people brush them off as useless thoughts.

However, for some people, these goals are not satisfactory. They ask questions, such as : (1) is there any purpose for my birth? (2) Is there any meaning in my life? (3) Money, power, worldly pleasures do not give longer lasting happiness. Is there something else which can give me permanent happiness which does not depend on any worldly object or a person? (4) Is there life after death? (5) What is my true identity? (6) is there something beyond my body and mind?

For such inquiry-oriented people who cannot be happy with the temporary pleasures of the world, Sri Ramakrishna reminded the goal of life and it is ‘God Realization’. From his life, he showed that ‘God Realization’ is not an abstract or imaginary thing. He showed that this goal can be achieved in life.

Human beings want to know, to be immortal, to be fearless, to be permanently happy, and to love and to be loved. “God-Realization’ gives all these things and more.

Sri Ramakrishna showed a way to realize God. He said that regularly go into solitude, pray to God, discriminate between what is temporary and what is permanent, and keep holy company. When a person has an intense desire to see God, then God reveals to that person.

May we practice what Sri Ramakrishna taught and make progress towards the achievement of this goal of human life – God Realization.