The Mindset of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

The Mindset of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

 Analyzing the mindset of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is akin to searching for a precious ruby in the vast ocean. His profound state of mind was a unique blend of the mundane and the spiritual, offering us valuable insights into our own inner state and the process of spiritual growth. In this article, we explore his mindset in detail, which will help us understand its significance and how it connects to the practice of pranayama and spiritual exercises.

To better understand the connection between mind and breath, it’s important to delve into the state of mind Ramakrishna Paramahamsa maintained throughout his life. As ordinary beings, we often find ourselves caught in the complexities of worldly concerns. This leads to a fragmented state of mind where spiritual pursuits feel disconnected from the struggles of day-to-day life. However, when we observe the life and mindset of Ramakrishna, we get a clear answer. He was able to effortlessly balance the worldly and the spiritual, making him an exemplary model for us to follow in our spiritual practices.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s unique ability to navigate the dual aspects of existence — the worldly and the divine provides us with an important lesson. Even though he lived among people, experiencing the same joys and sorrows, he maintained a continuous connection with the highest spiritual principles. He wasn’t detached from the world in the traditional sense but was deeply grounded in the spiritual realm. This balance brought him an inner peace that transcended ordinary human understanding.

For instance, even someone as learned and disciplined as Swami Vivekananda initially struggled to understand the essence of Ramakrishna's mindset. Swami Vivekananda, a yogi and ascetic, initially felt there might be some confusion in Ramakrishna’s approach to spirituality. However, with time, he realized that there was no confusion but a unique and profound integration of the spiritual with the mundane. This realization led to Swami Vivekananda's deep admiration and reverence for Ramakrishna, affirming that great spiritual beings like him come into the world to awaken humanity to higher principles.

Ramakrishna's example teaches us how deeply one must merge with spiritual principles in order to experience true harmony. While an ordinary yogi may renounce the world entirely and focus solely on spiritual practice, Ramakrishna did not shy away from living his life in the world, all the while being deeply immersed in spiritual truth. This balance between the ordinary and the extraordinary was his distinctive trait. He showed that one can live a normal life while being firmly rooted in the divine consciousness.

A key aspect of Ramakrishna's approach was his genuine devotion to the divine, as exemplified in his worship of Goddess Kali. While performing rituals, his emotions were so intense and pure that he would often lose track of ordinary things, like his own clothes. Once, after emerging from a state of samadhi, he would ask his companion Hridaya, "Can you do it?"—referring to the task of mending his clothes. In that moment, his consciousness was so absorbed in the spiritual principle that the mundane task of caring for his clothes seemed inconsequential. This illustrates the depth of his immersion in the divine consciousness, showing that his feelings and thoughts were completely in tune with the spiritual principles he worshiped.

The very act of worship was, for Ramakrishna, a union of the inner power with the divine. It was not merely the external rituals that mattered but the inner feeling of becoming one with that higher spiritual power. Even though he worshipped an idol of Kali made of stone, he transcended the idol itself and connected directly with the super-spiritual power. This was a significant aspect of his mindset: he saw beyond the external form and entered into a state of oneness with the underlying divine principle.

What we can learn from this is that spiritual practice is not limited to rituals or external symbols. It is the feeling and emotion with which we connect to the divine that truly matters. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s state of mind teaches us that through total immersion in spiritual principles, we can align our thoughts and feelings with that inner power. Whether through worship, meditation, or pranayama, it is the depth of our emotional connection with the divine that leads to spiritual fulfillment.

It is true that the spiritual heights reached by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa are far beyond the capabilities of most people, but that does not mean we cannot draw valuable lessons from his emotional state and apply them to our own spiritual practices, such as pranayama. While we may not be able to fully replicate his profound level of realization, we can certainly learn from his mindset and emotional depth to enhance our practice and bring more meaning into our lives.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s emotional depth can serve as a guiding example for us in our pranayama practice.