Sri Ramakrishna
Songs of Sri Ramakrishna
1
Dwell, O mind, within yourself;
Enter no other's home.
If you but seek there, you will find
All you are searching for.
God, the true Philosopher's Stone,
Who answers every prayer,
Lies hidden deep within your heart,
The richest gem of all.
How many pearls and precious stones
Are scattered all about
The outer court that lies before
The chamber of your heart!
2
Oh, when will dawn for me that day of blessedness
When he who is all Good, all Beauty, and all Truth
Will light the inmost shrine of my heart?
When shall I sink at last, ever beholding him,
Into that Ocean of Delight?
Lord, as Infinite Wisdom thou shalt enter my soul,
And my unquiet mind, made speechless by thy sight,
Will find a haven at thy feet.
In my heart's firmament, O Lord, thou wilt arise
As Blissful Immortality; and as, when the chakora
Beholds the rising moon, it sports about for very joy,
So, too, shall I be filled with heavenly happiness
When thou appearest unto me.
Thou One without a Second, all Peace, the King of Kings!
At thy beloved feet I shall renounce my life
And so at last shall gain life's goal;
I shall enjoy the bliss of heaven while yet on earth!
Where else is a boon so rare bestowed?
Then shall I see thy Glory, pure and untouched by stain;
As darkness flees from light, so will my darkest sins
Desert me at thy dawn's approach. Kindle in me, O Lord,
The blazing fire of faith to be the pole–star of my life;
O Succour of the weak, fulfill my one desire!
Then shall I bathe both day and night
In the boundless bliss of thy Love, and utterly forget
Myself, O Lord, attaining thee.
3
I have joined my heart to thee: all that exists art thou;
Thee only have I found, for thou art all that exists.
O Lord, Beloved of my heart!
Thou art the Home of all;
Where, indeed, is the heart in which thou dost not dwell?
Thou hast entered every heart: all that exists art thou.
Whether sage or fool, whether Hindu or Mussalman,
Thou makest them as thou wilt: all that exists art thou.
Thy presence is everywhere, whether in heaven or in Kaaba;
Before thee all must bow, for thou art all that exists.
From earth below to the highest heaven, from heaven to deepest earth,
I see thee wherever I look: all that exists art thou.
Pondering, I have understood;
I have seen it beyond a doubt;
I find not a single thing that may be compared to thee.
To Jafar it has been revealed that thou art all that exists.
Sri Ramakrishna, one of the great figures in world mysticism, was born in Bengal, North India, in 1836. He taught, and lived out in his own life, that God can be realized within any of the world's major religions if one seeks with completely unified desire. He worshipped God as the Divine Mother. These songs, by different composers, are among the many that Sri Ramakrishna used to enjoy. They are selected from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, by "M.", a disciple (New York: Ramakrishna -- Vivekananda Center, 1942).
