Not for Ordinary Men

Suppose a man is grasping the thorny branch of a plum-tree. His hand bleeds profusely; but he says, "There is nothing the matter with me; I am quite well." (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 690, abr.)

Bhakti (love of God): It is to adore God with body, mind, and words. Meditate and think of His lila (play) and glories. (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 680, abr)

Love of God: Such love . . . is not for ordinary men. (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 679)

One's inward Self may be addressed in the cage of the heart as the finite Personal God. [cf. Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 684)

One day as Ramakrishna plucked a leaf, a bit of the bark came off. He felt grieved because he had hurt the tree. Then he tried to pluck some durva grass, but had to force himself to pluck it.

He said, "I cannot cut a lemon. The other day I managed to cut one only with great difficulty . . . and cut the fruit as they slaughter an animal . . . One day I was about to gather some flowers. I could not pluck them. (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 687-88, abr)

Compare: "You should not cut down grass or trees." - Buddha to his monks. [◦Link]. - Your immediate task could be to find out why, for there are many who want you to think otherwise and mow the lawn weekly and well too.

God is like a child. He who sees God becomes like a child. (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 688, mod)

Ramakrishna Reflections

Pride of scholarship is due to ignorance. (Cf Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 899)

If a mirror is covered with dirt, it won't reflect one's face. (Ramakrishna, in Gupta 1942, 581)

Mirrors

Can landscape elements be reflections of your soul or what is good for you, ultimately? If so, attune to them. That is part of the Taoism of Lao Tzu. But what if you don't fit in? Then you may get in trouble later on, if not earlier -

Mirrors may be of many kinds and may be judged too. Some at least may be ascertained and made use of for one's benefit. It matters to find out which and how.