GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA
usual, and after finishing his work he came home and found his wife and the other members of the family still weeping and wailing and plunged in deep sorrow. The wife reproached him, saying: "How heartless you are! you have not shed a single tear for your only child." The farmer then calmly replied: "Shall I tell you why I do not weep? Last night I had a wonderful dream. I saw that I was a king, and the father of eight beautiful children, and that I was enjoying all the pleasures and comforts of life. Suddenly I woke up and the dream passed away. Now I am in great confusion,—whether I shall weep and wail for my eight children or for this only one." The farmer was an Advaita Jnani, therefore he realized that the waking state was as unreal as the dream state, and that the one permanent Reality was Atman. But I accept all states as true,—the state of Samadhi, which is the fourth state, and again, the waking, dream and dreamless sleep state, I accept Brahman the Absolute and Maya, Jiva (the individual soul) and the world. If I do not take all, a portion will be missing and the weight will be less. A devotee: How could the weight be less? Ramakrishna: Brahman the Absolute is with
94
