Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/250

 bow down before everybody and would ask them to repeat the Holy Name of the Lord. As in a violent storm a screen of dust rises, hiding the trees of different kinds and making all trees appear alike, so in that storm of spiritual vision I could not distinguish one man from another as high or low. A devotee: Bhagavan, how can a man live in the world and experience any of these kinds of madness ? Sri Ramakrishna: These states are not for those who are living in the world and perform- ing the duties of the world, but for those who have absolutely renounced internally and externally. External renunciation is not for those who live in the world. They should practise internal renunciation or mental non-attachment. (To a disciple) A man brought a bottle of wine; I went to touch it but could not. Disciple: Why, Bhagavan? Ramakrishna: When Divine bliss is attained, one becomes intoxicated with it, he does not need to drink wine. When I see the feet of my Divine Mother, I feel as intoxicated as if I had drunk five bottles of wine. In this state one cannot eat anything and everything.