What did Ramakrishna teach?
- Ramakrishna taught no creed or dogma. His only concern was man's uplift. According to him, there is infinite moral and spiritual potential in man. To develop that potential is man's foremost duty in life. He taught man to strive to develop that potential without wasting time over sense pleasure or religious quibblings.
- Religions are like so-many paths leading to the same goal, i.e., God. Man reaches his religious goal when he attains his highest moral development.
- God is both personal and impersonal. It is difficult to conceive an impersonal God, so to begin with, God has to be thought of as a person. Can anyone think of the white color without thinking of a white object? One can look at the morning sun, but not at the midday sun. Similarly, when God is manifest in a person we know what God is like, otherwise God is impersonal and beyond thought and speech.
- Be in the world but not of it. Perform your duties as well you can, but do not count too much upon the fruits of your action. Rather, surrender them to God. try to feel as if you are only a tool in the hands of God.
- Religion is an experience. religion makes no sense unless its truths are experienced. Is your thirst satisfied unless you drink water when you are thirsty?
- God is everywhere but He is most manifest in man. So serve man as God. That is as good as worshipping God.
