“The feeling of ‘I and mine’ has covered Reality. Because of this we do not see Truth. Attainment of Chaitanya, Divine Consciousness, is not possible without the knowledge of Advaita, Non-duality. After realizing Chaitanya one enjoys Nityananda, Eternal Bliss. One enjoys this Bliss after attaining the state of a paramhansa.
“Do you know what the vision of Divine Consciousness is like? It is like the sudden illumination of a dark room when a match is struck.
“The Incarnation of God is accepted by those who follow the path of bhakti. A woman belonging to the Kartabhaja sect observed my condition and remarked : ‘You have inner realization. Don’t dance and sing too much. Ripe grapes must be preserved carefully in cotton. The mother-in-law lessens her daughter-in-law’s activities when the daughter-in-law is with child. One characteristic of God-realization is that the activities of a man with such realization gradually drop away. Inside the man [meaning Sri Ramakrishna] is the real Jewel.’
“Watching me eat, she remarked, ‘Sir, are you yourself eating, or are you feeding someone else?’
“The feeling of ego has covered Truth. Narendra once said, ‘As the “I” of man recedes, the “I” of God approaches.’ Kadar says, ‘The more clay there is in the jar, the less water it holds.’
“Krishna said to Arjuna: ‘Brother, you will not realize Me if you possess even one of the eight siddhis [powers].’ These give only a little power. With healing and the like one may do only a little good to others. Isn’t that true?
“Therefore I prayed to the Divine Mother for pure love only, a love that does not seek any return. I never asked for occult powers.”
While talking thus, Sri Ramakrishna went into samadhi. He sat there motionless, completely forgetful of the outer world. Then, coming down to the sense world, he sang:
‘Ah, friend! I have not found Him yet, whose love has driven me mad… .