Some Core teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s teachings virtually cover the entire gamut of Hinduism and its various facets. It is very difficult to consolidate his core teachings to a few lines. Anyhow I will make a humble try:

• The purpose of Human life is to realize God.
• One must strive to realize God in this very birth.
• Knowing God is the real knowledge. All other other knowledge is ignorance.
• Without sacrificing Kamini and Kanchana (lust and gold) no spiritual progress is ever possible.
• Yat mat, tat pat – “As many religions, so many paths”. In attaining God, every religion is valid.
• God is with form, without form and He could manifest in so many other ways too, beyond our comprehension.
• An idol is not just clay. God’s consciousness manifests in it. Doesn’t God know that when you worship an idol, you are only worshiping Him?
• God can be seen. If you yearn for God with the same intensity of the following three yearnings combined, you can see God — The love a miser has for his wealth, the love a mother has for her child and the love a chaste wife has for her husband. If you become so desperate as a person pushed deep into water gasping for air, you can have the vision of God.
• Brahman (God) and its Shakti are not two different entities (Like fire and heat; like milk and its whiteness and like a snake and its zigzag movement).
• Who can ever comprehend and explain God fully? If one aspect of him is great, another aspect of him is greater.
• God and his name are not different.
• For this Yuga, Bhakti (devotion) is the best means to attain God.
• Bhakti (devotion) is the easiest of way attain to God.
• Pure mind, pure intellect and pure Atman (Self) are one and the same
• What a devotee calls as Kali, what a Yogi calls as Paramatman and what a Jnani calls as Brahman are one and the same.
• Association with Sadhus (Satsang) is the best means to acquire spiritual wisdom.
• God’s message comes to people through Avatars
• Seeing God and seeing an Avatara Purusha are one and same. Avatars are not limited to ten. Srimad Bhagavatam says there are 24 avatars, even more avatars and also avatars are beyond count.
• Whatever love and care people receive (through parents or others) is nothing but God’s love.
• Social service? Uplifting the world? Who are we to help others? Is the world too small for us to help and uplift it? It is the work of God. By trying to help the world, you are indeed helping yourself. See every being as a form of God and do service to them humbly as if a worship.

We can go on with more, but let me stop with the above.

(Source: Sri Ramakrishnarin amutha mozhikaL – Tamil)