Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/278

 way? Without Divine will no one can com- mand such respect from the masses. A man cannot become a true spiritual leader unless he practises absolute renun- ciation. Without this people will have no faith in him. They will say: "This man is worldly. He himself enjoys the pleasures of the flesh and wealth, yet he tells us that God is Truth while the world is unreal like a dream." The world will not receive his teach- ings unless he has renounced everything. A few people may listen to him and follow him. Keshab Sen was in the world and had his mind on worldly things. He tried to support his family by giving lectures and by marrying his daughter to a prince, thus protecting his worldly relations and social position. Once Keshab

asked me : "Why can I not see God ?" I answered: "Because you have ab- sorbed yourself in seeking the honor and respect of people, in education and so on. So long as the child is absorbed in playing with its dolls, the mother does not come. But when the child throws away the doll and cries for the mother, the mother cannot stay away. You think that you are a leader, but the Divine Mother thinks: 'My child believes that he has become a leader