– Sri Ramakrishna
The below post has been excerpted from the book Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Abhedananda.
A devotee once asked Sri Ramakrishna: “When a person is annoyed with me, Bhagavan, I feel unhappy. I feel that I have not been able to love everyone equally.”
Sri Ramakrishna: “When you feel that way, you should have a talk with that person and try to make peace with him. If you fail after such attempts, then you need not give it further thought. Take refuge with the Lord. Think upon Him. Do not let your mind be disturbed by any other thing.”
Devotee: “Christ and Chaitanya have both taught us to love all mankind.”
Sri Ramakrishna: “You should love everyone because God dwells in all beings. But to wicked people you should bow down at a distance. (To Bijoy, smiling): Is it true that people blame you because you mix with those who believe in a Personal God with form? A true devotee of God should possess absolute calmness and never be disturbed by the opinions of others. Like a blacksmith’s anvil, he will endure all blows and persecutions and yet remain firm in his faith and always the same.”
“Wicked people may say many things about you and blame you; but if you long for God, you should endure with patience. One can think on God even dwelling in the midst of wicked people. The sages of ancient times, who lived in forests, could meditate on God although surrounded by tigers, bears, and other wild beasts.”
“The nature of the wicked is like that of a tiger or bear. They attack the innocent and injure them. You should be specially cautious in coming in contact with the following: First, the wealthy. A person who possesses wealth and many attendants can easily do harm to another if he so desires. You should be very guarded in speaking with him; sometimes it may even be necessary to agree with him in his opinion.”
“Second, a dog. When a dog barks at you, you must not run, but talk to him and quiet him. Third, a bull. When a bull chases you, you should always pacify him by talking to him. Fourth, a drunkard. If you make him angry, he will call you names and swear at you. You should address him as a dear relative, then he will be happy and obliging.”
“When wicked people come to see me, I am very careful. The character of some of them is like that of a snake. They may bite you unawares. It may take a long time and much discrimination to recover from the effects of that bite. Or you may get so angry at them that you will wish to take revenge. It is necessary, however, to keep the company of holy men. Through such association right discrimination will come.”
~ Pulkit Mathur
