Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/332

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It was evening. After the usual prayers and other religious exercises enjoined on the pious Hindu were over, there was yet another meeting between the Master and the same disciple. The disciple then asked, referring to the apparently contradictory systems of religious faith among the Hindus: Bhagavan, is this a contradiction: some among the Hindus hold that Sri Krishna is identical with Kali, the Divine Mother, while others hold that Sri Krishna is the Atman, the Absolute, and that Radha is Chitsakti, the self-conscious Power that rules the universe, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, the Per-sonal God? Bhagavan: The former view is that of the Devi Puran. Be it so, but there need be no contradiction. God is Infinite. Infi- nite are the Forms in which He mani- fests Himself. Infinite also are the ways leading to Him. Disciple: Oh, I see! The end in view is to get on the roof of the house. The means may be various, as Thou hast often said, — a single rope, a bamboo, a wooden ladder, or a staircase? Bhagavan: Quite so. That you can under