Sri Ramakrishna as they saw Him
[Selections from the book by Swami Chetanananda with translation by]
Mary Saaleman
SCROLL NAAR BENEDEN VOOR DE NEDERLANDSE VERSIE
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
My first visit to Sri Ramakrishna was in the temple garden in Dakshineswar, in his own room. That day I sang two songs. As soon as I had finished the first song1, the Master stood up, took my hand, and led me to the north-facing veranda. It was winter, so the open spaces between the pillars were covered with screens of mats to keep out the north wind; and that means that when the door of the room was closed, everyone standing on the veranda was hidden and thus could not get in, both inside and out. As soon as we got to the porch, the Master closed the door. I thought he would give me some instructions privately. But what he said and did next was something I never thought possible. Suddenly he took my hand and began to shed tears for joy. He said to me, heartwarming as to an ordinary friend, “You came so late! Was that okay? Couldn’t you have guessed how I waited for you? My ears are almost burnt, listening to the talk of these worldly people. I thought I was going to burst, with no one to tell how I really felt! ”He went on like this, —- furious and crying. And then suddenly he folded his palms together and started to address me as if I were some divine being, “I know who you are, my Lord. You are Nara, the very old sage, the Incarnation of Narayana. You are back. come to earth to take away the suffering and sorrow of mankind. ”
I was absolutely speechless. I said to myself, “What kind of a man is this? He must be madly mad! How can he talk to me like that, who is nobody —- the son of Vishwanath Datta?” But I didn’t answer him, and I let this great fool continue to talk the way he chose. Soon he asked me to stay there on the veranda, and he entered the room again and came out again with butter, candy, and a few pieces of sandesh; and then started feeding me with his own hands. I kept asking him to give me the treats so I could share them with my friends, but he didn’t want to. “They’ll get it later,” he said. “You take this one for yourself.” And he wasn’t satisfied until I ate it all. Then he took my hand and said, “Promise me – you’ll come back here soon, alone.” I couldn’t refuse his request, it was made so sincere. So I had to say, “I will.” Then I went back into the room with him and sat down next to my friends. I was looking at him. There was nothing wrong with his words, movements or behavior towards others. His spiritual words and ecstatic states made him seem more like a man of genuine renunciation. And there was a clear connection between his words and life. He used the simplest language and I thought, “Can this man be a great teacher?” I crawled up to him and asked him the question I had asked so many times, “Sir, have you seen God?” “Yes, I did. see him just as I see you here, only in a much more intense sense. “God can be realized,” he continued. One can see and talk to him as I see you and talk to you.
Swami Vivekananda
EERSTE ONTMOETING MET SRI RAMAKRISHNA

TWEEDE BEZOEK
HET EERSTE LIED DAT SWJI VIVEKANANDA VOOR SRI RAMAKRISHNA ZONG
[Luister hier naar dit nummer in het origineel: song

Mary Saaleman
is a Vedantist since three decades. Her life is Mother, Ramakrishna and Swamiji. She is a student of the lives of the Master, Mother and Swamiji and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
is een vedantist sinds drie decennia. Haar leven is Moeder, Ramakrishna en Swamiji. Ze bestudeert de levens van de Meester, Moeder en Swamiji en het evangelie van Sri Ramakrishna.