GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA
rebirth in this world of sorrow and suffer- ing. A devotee: How can Jiva become free from egoism (Ahamkara)? Bhagavan: Egoism does not leave until one has realized God. If anyone has become ab- solutely free from egoism (Ahamkara) you must know that that person has seen and realized Divinity. Devotee: Revered Sir, what are the signs of one who has seen and realized God ? Bhagavan: The signs of one who has seen God are thus described in Bhagavatam. There are four kinds. First, His conduct Signs of one who has real-ized God. is like that of a child. A truly wise man who has seen the Lord becomes like a child. A child has no real egoism. He is not bound by any custom. The self of the child is nothing at all like the self of the grown- up man. The second sign is that one who has seen God does not care for his body or his dress. Purity and impurity seem to him the same. Third, Such an one sometimes acts like a mad- man, now laughing, now weeping, and the next moment talking to himself; now dressed like a Babu (gentleman) and now taking his one gar-
ment under his arm and going quite naked like
237
