[Divine Mother in all women.] Every woman represents Divine Motherhood. The same Divine Mother appears in all women under various forms. It is said the Scriptures that Narada in prayer thus addressed Rama: "O Rama, Thou art Purusha, Thou appearest in the form of all men, and Sita, Thy Prakriti, appears in the form of all women. Thou art man and Sita is woman.

[paragraph continues] Wherever there is masculine form, it is Thy manifestation; and wherever there is feminine form, it is the manifestation of Sita, the Divine Mother."

[Attachment to the body.] So long as there is attachment to worldliness, and thirst for objects of lust, so long there is attachment to the body. As attachment to the world grows less, the mind goes towards the Atman or the true Sett and the attachment to the physical body becomes less. When the attachment to the world has entirely vanished, Self-knowledge comes and the Atman is separated from the physical body. When an ordinary cocoanut is cut into halves, it is very difficult to separate the kernel from the shell; but when it is dried, the kernel becomes separate from the shell by itself. You can feel it by shaking it. A man who has realized God becomes like the dry cocoanut, his soul becomes separate from his body and all attachment to the body leaves him. He is not affected by the pleasure and pain of the body; he does not seek the comforts of the body; he moves from place to place like an emancipated soul. "A true devotee of my Divine Mother attains absolute freedom in this life and is eternally blissful." When you notice that

tears flow and the thrill comes at the repetition of the Name of the Lord, then you may know that attachment to sense-objects has become less and the devotee is on the path of realization. For instance, if the match is dry it will ignite the moment it is struck; but if it be wet, you can strike it fifty times and yet you cannot get a light. Similarly when the mind is soaked in the water of lust and thirst for worldly objects, Divine enlightenment does not come in it, however hard you may try; it is merely a waste of time and labor. But when that water dries up, spiritual illumination comes instantly.

Brahmo devotee: By what method can that water be dried up?

[The Divine Mother will cure worldly attachment.] Ramakrishna: Pray to the Divine Mother with an earnest and sincere heart; when you see Her, the water of worldly attachment will dry up. Attachment to lust and wealth will drop away from you. If you can feel Her as your own mother, it will come to you at that very moment. She is not like a godmother, but she is your own Mother. Go to Her and importunately ask for what you want. An importunate child hangs on its mother's gown and begs a penny to buy a paper kite. The mother