[Egotism.] Egotism comes to all those who have studied a few books and have acquired a little learning. I had a talk with Tagore [**] about the nature of God. He said to me: "I know all about it." I replied: "He who has been to Delhi does not go about telling others 'I have been to Delhi' and so on. He who is a true gentleman does not boast of being a gentleman."

Syam Babu: Sir, Tagore has great respect for you.

Sri Ramakrishna: My dear sir, shall I tell you of the vanity of the sweeper-woman in the temple at Dakshineswara? She had a few ornaments

[Vanity.] on her person and she was so vain that whenever she walked along the road, if she found anyone near she would shout: "Get out of my way! Get out of my way!" What shall I say about the vanity of wealthy people of higher castes!

A devotee: If God is the one Actor in the Universe, then whence come good and evil, 1 virtue and vice? Do they exist by His will?

[The Lord untouched by good and evil.] Sri Ramakrishna: In this world of relativity, good and evil, virtue and vice, exist, but they do not touch the Lord. God is unattached to them--like the wind which is unaffected by the good or bad odor which it carries. His creation is of dual nature, consisting of good and evil, real and unreal. As among trees there are some which bear good fruits, others poisonous, so among human beings there are good men and wicked, sinful men. Wicked people have their place in the world. Do you not see that wicked people are necessary to govern the law-breakers and evil-doers of a community?

Syam Babu: Sir, we are told on the one hand that man is punished for his sins, and on the other that God is the sole Actor, all creatures

being humble instruments in His hands. How shall we reconcile these two things?

Sri Ramakrishna: You talk like a gold merchant weighing things with his delicate balance.

Vivekananda: What the Bhagavan means to Calculating say is that you are talking like one intellect. who has a calculating intellect.

Sri Ramakrishna: I say, O Podo, eat these mangoes! What is the use of counting how many mango-trees there are in the garden, how many thousands of branches, how many millions of leaves, and so on? You are here to eat the mangoes. Eat them and go away. (To Syam Babu) You have come into this world to realize God by means of religious works. Your first effort should be to acquire love (Bhakti) for the lotus feet of the Almighty. Why do you trouble yourself with other things? What will you gain by discussing philosophy? Do you not see that, four ounces of wine are quite enough to intoxicate you? Why do you then inquire how many barrels of wine there are in the wine-shop? Of what use is such vain calculation?

Doctor: God's wine, again, is beyond all measure. The supply can never be exhausted.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Syam Babu): Furthermore,