The Bhagavan (affectionately): I quite concur. He is in every object, in every human being; only there is a difference in the manifestation of Divine Energy in those objects. The Divine Energy manifest in some objects leads one away from God and is then called Avidya (ignorance). When it leads Godward it is called Vidya. Again, the manifested

energy is greater in some vessels and less in, others. Thus it is that all men are not equal.

A disciple: What is the use of all this idle talk?

Bhagavan: There is a great deal of use in it.

Girish (to Narendra): How do you know that God does not take a human body, does not incarnate Himself?

Narendra: Oh! God is surely beyond the reach of words and the finite mind!

[God realized by purified soul.] Ramakrishna: Quite so; beyond the finite impure mind. But He can be realized by the purified intellect (Buddhi). Purified= intellect and purified soul are one The holy sages (Rishis) realized the pure universal Spirit by their purified intellect and purified soul.

Girish (to Narendra): If God does not incarnate Himself in a human form, who will explain these difficult problems? He assumes human form to teach mankind Divine Wisdom and Divine Love. Who else has the power to teach in the same manner?

Narendra. Why, He will certainly teach me within the heart.

Bhagavan (affectionately): That is indeed so. He will teach as internal Ruler of the heart (Antaryamin).

The discussion grew warm. It turned on matters too high for ordinary comprehension: Was Infinity indivisible? What did Hamilton say as to the limit of human knowledge; and Herbert Spencer, Tyndall and Huxley?

Ramakrishna: I for my part do not like these things. God is beyond the power of reasoning; He is something more. I see that whatever is, is God. What then is the necessity of reasoning about Him? I do actually see that whatever is, is God. It is He who has become all these things. This is a stage at which the mind and the intellect (Buddhi) are lost in the Absolute and Indivisible Being. At the sight of Narendra my mind becomes merged in the Indivisible Absolute. What, pray, do you say to this?

Girish (smiling): Surely, Revered Sir, we do not pretend that we understand everything except this.

Ramakrishna: Thereupon at the end of Samadhi I must come down two notes at least below the highest note in the scale before I can utter a word. Vedanta has been explained by

[paragraph continues] Sankara. [**] Another point of view is that of Ramanuja, [*+] who has put forward the doctrine of qualified non-dualism.

Narendra (to the Bhagavan): Sir, may I ask what is meant by Visishtadvaitavada (qualified. non-dualism)?