Ramakrishna Flashcards
What is mysticism?
The search for contact with the divine in this lifetime, Ramakrishna was dedicated to a giving unity with the divine.
Give three facts about Ramakrishna
- He was born to a poor brahmin family and had very little education. 2. His father died when he was young, so his older brother took on this role. 3. He became a priest at a temple dedicated to Kali.
What was Ramakrishna’s relationship with the goddess Kali like?
He was completely devoted to her, he would dress as a women to identify with her and eat offerings dedicated to her. This concerned his mother, especially after his brother died, so she brought him home and married him to a 5 year old!
How did Ramakrishna worship Kali?
He became aware of the divine in all things and worshipped a temple cat as her. His devotion became so strong that he was no longer able to perform his duties as a priest.
Who influenced him?
A female guru named Bhariavi Brahmani, she taught him tantric techniques to control his spiritual energy.
Who else influenced him?
A sadhu called Totapuri who taught him how to meditate to achieve liberation. He achieved this through pursuing visions of god through sadhanas (spiritual techniques.)
What did Ramakrishna think about other religions?
All deities are manifestations of the same ultimate reality, ergo, all religions are true and the same, eternal and blissful being is at the heart of all religions.
Who was Sarada Devi?
Ramakrishna’s wife, he worshipped her as an incarnation of Kali and saw women as incarnations of Shakti. She was known as the holy mother and was considered as a guru in her own right.
Did Ramakrishna have any influence on his own?
No, he made no effort to convert others or teach his practice and critiqued those who focussed on social reform as he thought that the caste system would disappear by itself as more people followed Bhakti.
How was Ramakrishna seen by his disciples?
Despite not preaching, he attracted his own followers who saw him as a sannyasin and renouncer of the world. One of these followers would be integral to making the moment known across the world.
