Yugavani

Prayer W hat can a man achieve through mere scholarship? What is needed is prayer and spiritual discipline. Devotee: ‘Does God listen to our prayer for bhakti?’ Sri Ramakrishna: ‘Surely. I can assure you of that a hundred times. But the prayer must be genuine and earnest. Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? Devotee: ‘How can I take delight in God’s name?’ Sri Ramakrishna: ‘Pray to God with a yearning heart that you may take delight in His name. He will certainly fulfil your heart’s desire.’ Devotee: ‘Which one is the way—love or prayer?’ Sri Ramakrishna: ‘First love, and then prayer.’ Cry to your Mother Syama, with a real cry, O mind! And how can She hold Herself from you? How can Syama stay away?

How can your Mother Kali hold Herself away? O mind, if you are in earnest, bring Her an offering Of bel-leaves and hibiscus flowers;

Lay at Her feet your offering And with it mingle the fragrant sandal-paste of Love. God is our very own. We should say to Him: ‘O God, what is Thy nature? Reveal Thyself to me. Thou must show Thyself to me; for why else hast Thou created me?’ Some Sikh devotees once said to me, ‘God is full of compassion.’ I said: ‘But why should we call Him compassionate? He is our Creator. What is there to be wondered at if He is kind to us? Parents bring up their children. Do you call that an act of kindness? They must act that way.’ Therefore, we should force our demands on God. He is our Father and Mother, isn’t He? To my Divine Mother I prayed only for pure love. I offered flowers at Her Lotus Feet and prayed to Her: ‘Mother, here is Thy virtue, here is Thy vice. Take them both and grant me only pure love for Thee. Here is Thy knowledge, here is Thy ignorance. Take them both and grant me only pure love for Thee. Here is Thy purity, here is Thy impurity. Take them both,

Mother, and grant me only pure love for Thee. Here is Thy dharma, here is Thy adharma. Take them both, Mother, and grant me only pure love for Thee. I used to pray to Her in this way: ‘O Mother! O Blissful One! Reveal Thyself to me. Thou must!’ Again, I would say to Her: ‘O Lord of the lowly! O Lord of the universe! Surely I am not outside Thy universe. I am bereft of knowledge. I am without discipline. I have no devotion. I know nothing. Thou must be gracious and reveal Thyself to me.’ I used to cry for God all alone, with a longing heart. I used to weep, ‘O God, where art Thou?’ Weeping thus, I would lose all consciousness of the world. —Compiled from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna