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শ্রীশ্রীরামকৃষ্ণকথামৃত
"তব কথামৃতং তপ্তজীবনং কবিভিরীড়িতং কল্মষাপহম্।
শ্রবণমঙ্গলং শ্রীমদাততং ভুবি গৃণন্তি যে ভূরিদা জনাঃ।।"
শ্রীমদ্ভাগবত, গোপীগীতা
শ্রবণমঙ্গলং শ্রীমদাততং ভুবি গৃণন্তি যে ভূরিদা জনাঃ।।"
শ্রীমদ্ভাগবত, গোপীগীতা
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1902
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3375 people want to read
About the author
Mahendranath Gupta
43 books23 followersMahendranath Gupta (Bengali: মহেন্দ্রনাথ গুপ্ত), who wrote under the pen name 'M', was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the author of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 4, 2025
Now, I am a fervent Catholic, but I intellectually see the symbolic logic of the Hindu cult of Kali, to whom Ramakrishna was devoted. Kali is the coniunctio oppositorum - the Sacred Marriage (as William Blake reiterated) of Heaven and Hell.
Kali's Seesaw goes in two directions. Ramakrishna's ecstasy, however, is wasted on psychiatric survivors like me, a tired senior dutifully blitzed on neuroleptics. But Ramakrishna nonetheless found his truth.
Psych ward vets like me and T.S. Eliot, though, sing along in wasted unison:
We are glad when the day ends, when the play ends
And ecstasy is too much pain.
We Catholics are believers like Ramakrishna believed in the goddess - with all our hearts - but, all having come out in the wash, advise discretion to all newcomers. And a good lick of sense to boot! Like the Catholic TV app…
That entertainment venue sees the light side of us as well as the dark. At first I was uncomfortable with it; but now I see it’s life - shadow as well as light.
We still believe goodness in this world is invariably rewarded in the next, however.
Heaven, as Warren Beatty said, can wait - while we’re still alive in a vale of tears.
For now.
***
When I was younger, my Mom would hold an annual Christmas Party for her library employees at our home. My Dad played overworked bartender (all drinks were on his and Mom's dime) in the kitchen while Mom worked her wrist shot on quick returns of any and all repartees.
Well lubicated, the partygoers put their future on the line when our Mayor joined the fun. Their rule of thumb was that risque one-liners worked as long as they were delivered with plenty of verbal bows and scrapes as well.
My sister, brother and I played dumb waiters to these partygoers. Dumb, in the sense of see, hear and say no evil, though my bro always connected the dots to their necessary aftermaths. He knew the staff wouldn’t have their cake after eating it.
But I - like Ramakrishna - haven’t got the stomach for cake. I habitually avoid all such partying behaviour routinely. Meds, doncha know...
Dullsville.
Kali would never smile on me hopefully!
***
But smile on Ramakrishna she did (for my part, my guardian Angel forever hides his chuckles at my gaffes with his one free wing)!
And Ramakrishna was a Hindu saint.
But, back in the day, I once wished for a similar enlightenment to his!
If only I'd known:
That the roots of the Tree of Wisdom -
Are hopelessly ENTANGLED with the roots of the Tree of Good and Evil -
Mitigated as they are by God’s priceless gift to us of His Cross.
Kali's Seesaw goes in two directions. Ramakrishna's ecstasy, however, is wasted on psychiatric survivors like me, a tired senior dutifully blitzed on neuroleptics. But Ramakrishna nonetheless found his truth.
Psych ward vets like me and T.S. Eliot, though, sing along in wasted unison:
We are glad when the day ends, when the play ends
And ecstasy is too much pain.
We Catholics are believers like Ramakrishna believed in the goddess - with all our hearts - but, all having come out in the wash, advise discretion to all newcomers. And a good lick of sense to boot! Like the Catholic TV app…
That entertainment venue sees the light side of us as well as the dark. At first I was uncomfortable with it; but now I see it’s life - shadow as well as light.
We still believe goodness in this world is invariably rewarded in the next, however.
Heaven, as Warren Beatty said, can wait - while we’re still alive in a vale of tears.
For now.
***
When I was younger, my Mom would hold an annual Christmas Party for her library employees at our home. My Dad played overworked bartender (all drinks were on his and Mom's dime) in the kitchen while Mom worked her wrist shot on quick returns of any and all repartees.
Well lubicated, the partygoers put their future on the line when our Mayor joined the fun. Their rule of thumb was that risque one-liners worked as long as they were delivered with plenty of verbal bows and scrapes as well.
My sister, brother and I played dumb waiters to these partygoers. Dumb, in the sense of see, hear and say no evil, though my bro always connected the dots to their necessary aftermaths. He knew the staff wouldn’t have their cake after eating it.
But I - like Ramakrishna - haven’t got the stomach for cake. I habitually avoid all such partying behaviour routinely. Meds, doncha know...
Dullsville.
Kali would never smile on me hopefully!
***
But smile on Ramakrishna she did (for my part, my guardian Angel forever hides his chuckles at my gaffes with his one free wing)!
And Ramakrishna was a Hindu saint.
But, back in the day, I once wished for a similar enlightenment to his!
If only I'd known:
That the roots of the Tree of Wisdom -
Are hopelessly ENTANGLED with the roots of the Tree of Good and Evil -
Mitigated as they are by God’s priceless gift to us of His Cross.
August 11, 2016
I've read a lot of biographies of both Christian and Hindu holy persons, including St Francis, St Therese, and Paramahansa Yogananda. And The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is my absolute favorite. His spirituality is so simple and childlike, yet profound. And since the book consists of a 19th-century, first-person account by one of his disciples, it seems more complete and immediate.
January 11, 2016
This massive philosophical and spiritual tome with gold-trimmed pages has been sitting on my bookshelf for almost two years. A spiritual mentor of mine recommended it to me a long time ago. I attempted to read it in bits and pieces many times, but quickly realized that this extraordinary book is of the kind that demands your full attention. I am a busy person, so it took me a long time for the day to dawn when I would finally have enough time and mental energy to read The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna in it's entirety.
First, some explanation as to what exactly this book is. Sri Ramakrishna didn't write this book, because he was illiterate. His disciple Mahashaya (known by his pen name "M") wrote this book. It's essentially a series of transcripts of conversations Ramakrishna had with his disciples and other people. Who is Ramakrishna? He is a great spiritual guru of India, unique among the plethora of India's gurus because of the intensity and constancy of his spiritual experiences. Ramakrishna would be drunk with divine ecstasy and be rendered immobile or child-like, unable to function in daily life. His critics said that Ramakrishna was just insane, but his followers were convinced he was nothing short of a divine avatar or a reincarnation of Chaitanya (a famous Bhakti saint from ancient India).
Regardless of what one thinks of Ramakrishna, his impact on the world is undeniable. Ramakrishna taught the unity of all religions. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and all of its various denominations, Sikhism, etc are all just so many paths to God, which He creates to benefit different people in different times. The Christian kneels before Christ, the Shaivite kneels before Shiva, the Muslim kneels before Allah, and Ramakrishna says they all kneel before the very same God who has merely decided to take different forms to suit different people and also for His own good pleasure. This teaching helped to end violence between Hindus and Muslims in India. This idea of Ramakrishna's is ubiquitous among New Age crowds and open-minded spiritual people now, but at the time it was quite shocking.
Swami Vivekananda, a figure instrumental in bringing Yoga to the west, was a disciple of Ramakrishna, also.
So regardless of rather or not Ramakrishna's constant visions and ecstasies were his spiritual glory revealing itself or a bizarre mental illness, to be able to read his words is truly a blessing.
There are three things any reader should know about this book before they read it. The first is that even though it is very long, and the book does follow Ramakrishna's life from when he began teaching to his death of throat cancer and the founding of the monastic order that followed his death, one can pick it up at any page at any time and start reading. Mahashaya recorded a TON of conversations had with his Guru, and because different people would ask Ramakrishna the same questions there are certain parts of the book that kind of repeat themselves. This isn't a bad thing because A) Ramakrishna's humble wisdom never gets boring and B) The human mind is recalcitrant and needs wisdom to be hammered into it by being repeated over and over and over again.
The second thing you should know is that Ramakrishna central message, besides the unity of all religions, was renunciation. Ramakrishna said that only the mind freed from worldliness (which for him meant greed and sexual desire) could reach the highest spiritual states. It is possible for one to reach enlightenment even whilst living the life of a householder with a big family, but it is very difficult. Really, the parts of the book where he goes on about the necessity of renunciation are my favourites. If earthly desires are like red-hot flames then Ramakrishna's words are like cool rain that extinguish those fires and leaves only peace in their wake. Reading this book is a very sobering experience. You don't carry your riches with you when you die, and the desires of the flesh are inherently unsatisfactory.
The third thing you should know is that this book is full of songs translated from Bengali and Sanskrit into english. The rhythm and rhymes of these songs is lost as the translator preferred clarity of meaning over style.
There are lots of things I love about this book, and one of them is that Ramakrishna, being an illiterate Bengali country boy of sagely wisdom, is always profound but simple at the same time. His metaphors, parables, etc are always rustic and often humorous but the meaning is always very powerful. The other thing I love about it is that Ramakrishna's disciples would often debate and argue with each other, and the answers to these questions they would debate over remain unresolved as Ramakrishna simply admitted that he didn't know and that metaphysical speculations weren't necessarily an aid in spiritual development. So for example, Girish Ghosh (one of Ramakrishna's disciples) debates with Vivekananda over rather or not a soul can ever reach a state like Krishna's. A very young Vivekananda says that one can eventually do it through enough merit, but Girish Ghosh says it's impossible because Krishna is an avatar of God and therefore a unique soul that cannot be matched. Ramakrishna says that loving God is like being in a garden full of mangoes. You are just supposed to eat the mangoes and enjoy them, there is no point in counting how many mangoes there are. In other words, cultivating devotion for God is more important than abstract metaphysical questions.
Even though I have spent more than a month diving in this ocean of wisdom, I have no doubt there are many pearls of insight I have yet to find. I look forward to returning to this utterly sublime book that shot to the top of my favourite books I've ever read list before I was even done reading it.
Oh, and Aldous Huxley's forward is awesome, and it's clear he sincerely has reverence for Ramakrishna and his teachings and isn't trying to adulterate them to make money. Swami Nikhilananda's short biography of the early years of Ramakrishna's life that follows the forward is also excellent.
The only flaw (THERE IS ALWAYS A FLAW) is the title. It shouldn't be called the "Gospel" of Sri Ramakrishna, because that makes it sound like it is trying to compete with christianity when that is nearly the opposite of what it is trying to do. The original title of M's book translated literally into english is "The Nectarine Words of Sri Ramakrishna". That's a more accurate and more unique title. Why did the publishers decide to change it? It's a mystery to me. But that's the way the Wheel of Samsara rolls: there is always a flaw. If there weren't any flaws we would already be in the Heavenly Realms and wouldn't appreciate it. We have to overcome this earthly plane before we can transcend it to a higher one and be able to appreciate flawlessness.
Aum.
First, some explanation as to what exactly this book is. Sri Ramakrishna didn't write this book, because he was illiterate. His disciple Mahashaya (known by his pen name "M") wrote this book. It's essentially a series of transcripts of conversations Ramakrishna had with his disciples and other people. Who is Ramakrishna? He is a great spiritual guru of India, unique among the plethora of India's gurus because of the intensity and constancy of his spiritual experiences. Ramakrishna would be drunk with divine ecstasy and be rendered immobile or child-like, unable to function in daily life. His critics said that Ramakrishna was just insane, but his followers were convinced he was nothing short of a divine avatar or a reincarnation of Chaitanya (a famous Bhakti saint from ancient India).
Regardless of what one thinks of Ramakrishna, his impact on the world is undeniable. Ramakrishna taught the unity of all religions. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and all of its various denominations, Sikhism, etc are all just so many paths to God, which He creates to benefit different people in different times. The Christian kneels before Christ, the Shaivite kneels before Shiva, the Muslim kneels before Allah, and Ramakrishna says they all kneel before the very same God who has merely decided to take different forms to suit different people and also for His own good pleasure. This teaching helped to end violence between Hindus and Muslims in India. This idea of Ramakrishna's is ubiquitous among New Age crowds and open-minded spiritual people now, but at the time it was quite shocking.
Swami Vivekananda, a figure instrumental in bringing Yoga to the west, was a disciple of Ramakrishna, also.
So regardless of rather or not Ramakrishna's constant visions and ecstasies were his spiritual glory revealing itself or a bizarre mental illness, to be able to read his words is truly a blessing.
There are three things any reader should know about this book before they read it. The first is that even though it is very long, and the book does follow Ramakrishna's life from when he began teaching to his death of throat cancer and the founding of the monastic order that followed his death, one can pick it up at any page at any time and start reading. Mahashaya recorded a TON of conversations had with his Guru, and because different people would ask Ramakrishna the same questions there are certain parts of the book that kind of repeat themselves. This isn't a bad thing because A) Ramakrishna's humble wisdom never gets boring and B) The human mind is recalcitrant and needs wisdom to be hammered into it by being repeated over and over and over again.
The second thing you should know is that Ramakrishna central message, besides the unity of all religions, was renunciation. Ramakrishna said that only the mind freed from worldliness (which for him meant greed and sexual desire) could reach the highest spiritual states. It is possible for one to reach enlightenment even whilst living the life of a householder with a big family, but it is very difficult. Really, the parts of the book where he goes on about the necessity of renunciation are my favourites. If earthly desires are like red-hot flames then Ramakrishna's words are like cool rain that extinguish those fires and leaves only peace in their wake. Reading this book is a very sobering experience. You don't carry your riches with you when you die, and the desires of the flesh are inherently unsatisfactory.
The third thing you should know is that this book is full of songs translated from Bengali and Sanskrit into english. The rhythm and rhymes of these songs is lost as the translator preferred clarity of meaning over style.
There are lots of things I love about this book, and one of them is that Ramakrishna, being an illiterate Bengali country boy of sagely wisdom, is always profound but simple at the same time. His metaphors, parables, etc are always rustic and often humorous but the meaning is always very powerful. The other thing I love about it is that Ramakrishna's disciples would often debate and argue with each other, and the answers to these questions they would debate over remain unresolved as Ramakrishna simply admitted that he didn't know and that metaphysical speculations weren't necessarily an aid in spiritual development. So for example, Girish Ghosh (one of Ramakrishna's disciples) debates with Vivekananda over rather or not a soul can ever reach a state like Krishna's. A very young Vivekananda says that one can eventually do it through enough merit, but Girish Ghosh says it's impossible because Krishna is an avatar of God and therefore a unique soul that cannot be matched. Ramakrishna says that loving God is like being in a garden full of mangoes. You are just supposed to eat the mangoes and enjoy them, there is no point in counting how many mangoes there are. In other words, cultivating devotion for God is more important than abstract metaphysical questions.
Even though I have spent more than a month diving in this ocean of wisdom, I have no doubt there are many pearls of insight I have yet to find. I look forward to returning to this utterly sublime book that shot to the top of my favourite books I've ever read list before I was even done reading it.
Oh, and Aldous Huxley's forward is awesome, and it's clear he sincerely has reverence for Ramakrishna and his teachings and isn't trying to adulterate them to make money. Swami Nikhilananda's short biography of the early years of Ramakrishna's life that follows the forward is also excellent.
The only flaw (THERE IS ALWAYS A FLAW) is the title. It shouldn't be called the "Gospel" of Sri Ramakrishna, because that makes it sound like it is trying to compete with christianity when that is nearly the opposite of what it is trying to do. The original title of M's book translated literally into english is "The Nectarine Words of Sri Ramakrishna". That's a more accurate and more unique title. Why did the publishers decide to change it? It's a mystery to me. But that's the way the Wheel of Samsara rolls: there is always a flaw. If there weren't any flaws we would already be in the Heavenly Realms and wouldn't appreciate it. We have to overcome this earthly plane before we can transcend it to a higher one and be able to appreciate flawlessness.
Aum.
October 21, 2015
One of the most enlightening book I ever read, no concept or idea, only experience of God-consciousness from one of the most revered saint of India, and humanity. You will found every answer of life in this book, he is really a treasure of the world. Mahendranath Gupta, who record this conversations, become a devotee after first meeting with Sri Ramakrishna, because of his humble and simply enlightened being he is. Read this book, it will change your life..!!
April 10, 2010
I can say without any hesitation that this book is the book closest to my heart. When asked the common question, ‘which is your favorite book’, most people who want to give an honest answer would be mildly taken aback and also perhaps irritated as they go mentally over the books they have loved, which are all possibly ‘favorite books’ in different ways.
But in this, I have an advantage over most people in that I can say straight out, ‘this (the present book) is my favorite book’.
This has always been a book that has always had a deep influence on me. I would keep the book beside me, on my bedside, and from time to time open at any page randomly and read a few passages. The simplicity of the message always got to me without fail. For a few moments at least, I would be transported from my world of hectic work and money to a world where all this did not matter, where only the love of god mattered and where to love god and be immersed in Him were not a philosophy to be discussed but something which was entirely real and a way of life.
Ramakrishna is the living proof that men even in this world, men who are not historical legends but who are almost within our reach in time, can still ‘touch’ God, have mystical experience of oneness with God.
Ramakrishna's religion was love, love of god. It seemed almost immaterial to him which God it was. He deliberately set out to explore different religions and by turns worshipped Jesus and also in the Islamic way. He found the mystical experience through all religions and thus was able to declare them true. Moreover, he experienced oneness not just with the dualistic Gods of different religions but also the Absolute of Advaita. His words therefore spring from a deep well of wisdom, and they resonate with a clearness and lucidity which will touch the hearts of all. His simple words
M (Mahendra Gupta) was a lay devotee, that is, a householder devotee. But there is almost nothing about him in the book, it is all about the Master. It is rare for anyone to be able to efface himself so completely and bring to life the subject only. The translation is excellent, although the English translations of Bengali songs can be awkward at times, but this rather adds to the enchanted nature of the book.
Going through the book for writing this review, I rediscovered once more the earthy humor, the simple examples and fables, the wisdom of each and every word of this Master. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone who is searching for a genuine word of a man of God. This is the word from such a man, not someone lost in history but someone comparatively recent. I can give my word that if you have an open heart and mind, these are words that will touch you deeply.
But in this, I have an advantage over most people in that I can say straight out, ‘this (the present book) is my favorite book’.
This has always been a book that has always had a deep influence on me. I would keep the book beside me, on my bedside, and from time to time open at any page randomly and read a few passages. The simplicity of the message always got to me without fail. For a few moments at least, I would be transported from my world of hectic work and money to a world where all this did not matter, where only the love of god mattered and where to love god and be immersed in Him were not a philosophy to be discussed but something which was entirely real and a way of life.
Ramakrishna is the living proof that men even in this world, men who are not historical legends but who are almost within our reach in time, can still ‘touch’ God, have mystical experience of oneness with God.
Ramakrishna's religion was love, love of god. It seemed almost immaterial to him which God it was. He deliberately set out to explore different religions and by turns worshipped Jesus and also in the Islamic way. He found the mystical experience through all religions and thus was able to declare them true. Moreover, he experienced oneness not just with the dualistic Gods of different religions but also the Absolute of Advaita. His words therefore spring from a deep well of wisdom, and they resonate with a clearness and lucidity which will touch the hearts of all. His simple words
M (Mahendra Gupta) was a lay devotee, that is, a householder devotee. But there is almost nothing about him in the book, it is all about the Master. It is rare for anyone to be able to efface himself so completely and bring to life the subject only. The translation is excellent, although the English translations of Bengali songs can be awkward at times, but this rather adds to the enchanted nature of the book.
Going through the book for writing this review, I rediscovered once more the earthy humor, the simple examples and fables, the wisdom of each and every word of this Master. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone who is searching for a genuine word of a man of God. This is the word from such a man, not someone lost in history but someone comparatively recent. I can give my word that if you have an open heart and mind, these are words that will touch you deeply.
April 5, 2012
I used to have this book and would like to get another copy and re-read again. Fond memories of reading this from years ago...
June 1, 2012
One of my absolutely favourite books. A priceless insight into the life of Sri Ramakrishna, it captures so beautifully the experience of learning directly from a God-realised spiritual Master. The stories are intimate and alive with detail, transporting the reader as though directly back in time to 19th Century Bengal.
July 15, 2008
Absolutely inspiring. My daily guidance and companion book to "Mother as I saw her"
Read
November 6, 2009A great book about a great master.
September 12, 2014
One of my all time favourites. It gives you the complete details about the life of an enlightened master. I consider Swami Ramakrishna as one of the most enlightened and spiritually elevated souls.
December 8, 2014
A must read for all spiritual aspirants. . . . answers all questions about God/Soul/Consciousness . . . duality and non-duality concepts . . . and dispels the doubts of his existence.
April 25, 2018
Ramakrishna was an ecstatic presence of God. The book amply illustrates this in his bursts into song and dance praising the Divine Mother, Kali, the Lord, the path of devotion. He samadhic states of no pulse, no breath were pure demonstrations of Spirit. The book is long and there are plenty of incidents to plow through, but the wisdom, the simple parables, and ecstatic love are always present adding richness to whatever is going on. The miracle was how this man M could have recorded all of it. What a gift to the world.
I find Ramakrishna's seeing the presence of God in all things very analogous to how Jesus may have approached life.
I find Ramakrishna's seeing the presence of God in all things very analogous to how Jesus may have approached life.
July 5, 2018
It’s a pity that Goodreads does not have a 20 Star rating. If so then this book deserves no less.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand Hinduism in its simplistic form, exactly the same way as Thakur was, a simple, jovial mahatma with childlike innocence.
It took me a while to complete this book, namely because I wanted to digest every chapter.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand Hinduism in its simplistic form, exactly the same way as Thakur was, a simple, jovial mahatma with childlike innocence.
It took me a while to complete this book, namely because I wanted to digest every chapter.
March 26, 2015
The truth is not about characterization and physical identification. This book simply simplifies the experience of truth by a true yogi.Mr M simply records. He doesn't have any idea or belief. He simply writes his Master's life and interactions with people. That is amazing. Because if you start identifying, characterizing and defining truth you miss the point. You live truth. That is the best you can do. This book simply without saying that says that. It is sad the world still has not woken up to Ramakrishna.
September 1, 2015
The Best book for a Spiritual aspirant...
January 3, 2013
Beautiful book about a beautiful guru, who constantly teachers with short stories ripe with metaphor.
July 31, 2013
A very good book for soul searching and understanding the universal truth. Also helps in many ways to overcome common life problems.
February 11, 2014
A must read to realize the infinite. shows how to Love him with all our hearts. shows how to love everyone with all heart.
January 22, 2017
Transformed me for better.
Must read for every individual having slightest of spiritual inclination and even a trace of love for God. My thousands salutes to the compiler M. .
Must read for every individual having slightest of spiritual inclination and even a trace of love for God. My thousands salutes to the compiler M. .
February 6, 2014
A great book. Ramakrishna is one of the great mystics. His penetration into the reality behind the appearances is rare and wonderful, as is his ability to compress his elusive mystical experience into aphoristic nuggets and short parables.
Two of my favorite “sayings:”
114. “None knows the immensity of the sacrifice which the Godhead makes when it becomes incarnate in human form.”
405. “When I look upon chaste women from respectable families, I see in them the Divine Mother arrayed in the garb of a chaste lady; and again when I look upon the public women of the city, sitting in their verandas, arrayed in the garb of immorality and shamelessness, I see in them also the Divine Mother sporting in a different way.”
Two of my favorite “sayings:”
114. “None knows the immensity of the sacrifice which the Godhead makes when it becomes incarnate in human form.”
405. “When I look upon chaste women from respectable families, I see in them the Divine Mother arrayed in the garb of a chaste lady; and again when I look upon the public women of the city, sitting in their verandas, arrayed in the garb of immorality and shamelessness, I see in them also the Divine Mother sporting in a different way.”
December 4, 2016
excellent for spiritual seekers a very rare account of the simple teachings of a great soul
one of the best books for spiritual seekers both for house holders and renouncing aspirants of all castes and creeds
one of the best books for spiritual seekers both for house holders and renouncing aspirants of all castes and creeds
March 4, 2012
Read this often...just keep it with me, kind of like people do the bible.
April 15, 2013
Conversations of the Guru with many disciples or visitors. Long book but full of wisdom.
May 5, 2014
Probably one of the best book to begin with Spirituality. The magnificent life of the great mystic is portrayed and the experiences and reminiscences of the author, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.
January 22, 2016
A regular read for me. A beautiful reminder of simple devotion.
September 25, 2018
This book is a great way to understand what Sri ramakrishna was like. The abridged edition is almost 650 pages of actual text. The letter size is big enough to be easily read.
April 16, 2025
Am I qualified enough to review this divinity? I guess not. All I can say is that it answers a lot of my questions that kept haunting me for years . Question on - life, death, peace, morality, happiness, sadness etc .
November 19, 2019
This book made all the difference to the way I see my own faith. It made me go back to my old Christian church with a totally new understanding of devotion. A gem. A repetitive gem, but a gem nonetheless.
October 29, 2020
Fabulous!
August 1, 2019
It's not that often that a contemporary of a religious leader, moreso in India, records so faithfully significant events over several years. In this case, Mahendranath Gupta, a householder who visited the temple, did so. He goes by simply "M." in this rather long diary. Even if Sri Ramakrishna didn't have supernatural powers, he maintained good wit and humor up to his painful illness, and eventual death. The vocabulary remains simple enough for the lay person to make sense of much of the text. I also noted many elements of Indian culture, the oft-repeated narrations of the Master, and the prevailing superstitions of the time. The glossary is adequate for those wanting to know some of the characters and terms the Master refers to throughout this story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews