RamaKrishna Paramhansa

A perfect example of self effort. An embodiment of devotion. Grace personified. Mystic par excellence. Some even thought his teachings whimsical. They considered the master eccentric. He didn’t care. He remained in the glory of his true identity, immersed in ever joy of existence revealed.


It is believed he became engrossed in divine seizures for realising various aspects of Reality as revealed in different scriptures. Perhaps this inspired him to taste the truth in various ways. Every experience he underwent was divine variation, rejoicing in playfulness. He made it look like it was his hobby to experiment. Like a child playing with toys, making a house, dismantling and building again with different designs.


In 1861, he first took the path of Tantric Sadhana at Dakshineswar Temple Garden from Yogeswari Bhairavi Brahmani. In a short period of time, he passed thru fairy ordeals described in sixty-four principal Tantra books. Truth of Tantra was verified yet again by Sri Ramakrishna.


Then in 1864, he was into Vaishnava Path, courtesy of Jatadhari, the revered exponent. After practising all different phases of devotion viz. Shanta, Dasya, Sakya, Vatsalya and Madhura (all deities correspond with various human emotions), he found out the same truth.


Also, he embraced the non-dualistic path, initiated into by Totapury, the Advaya master. In one day, he was in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi ( Highest form of Realization where meditator, meditated and meditation is revealed as one)


Talking about the teaching he received from Kali, Divine mother, Ramakrishna says: First there is ignorance. Then there dawns knowledge. When supreme knowledge (Awareness) manifests, it takes you beyond ignorance and knowledge. He gives an example. When a thorn gets inside your body another thorn is used to take out the first one. Later, both are thrown away.


Indeed Ramakrishna is a Paramhansa, a supreme swan. Swan is a metaphor for sublime discernment. It easily separates milk and water apart in a mixture of milk-water. A man with the quality of a swan also easily separates real and imaginary, Sound and Echoes.