[Lay cares on God.] why do you not execute a power of attorney in favor of the Lord? Let all your cares and responsibilities rest on Him. If any one trusts an honest man, will that man do any wrong? God alone knows whether He will punish sinful acts or not.

Doctor: He alone knows what is in His mind. How can man surmise it? He is beyond all human calculation.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Syam Babu): You people of Calcutta always find fault with Divine Justice. You often complain that God is partial because he makes one happy and another unhappy. You foolish people see in God the same nature as your own. Hem used to come to Dakshineswara with his friends. Whenever he saw me he would say: "Sir, there is only one thing worth having in this world and that is honor, is it not so?" Very few understand that the end of human life is to attain God.

[Subtle body.] Syam Babu: Sir, is it possible for anyone to show the subtle body? Can anyone show that the subtle body goes out of the gross body?

Sri Ramakrishna: Those who are true Bhaktas will not care to show you all this. They do not care in the least whether fools will respect

them or not. They do not seek the favor of rich people.

Syam Babu: Well, Sir, what is the difference between the gross body and the subtle body?

Sri Ramakrishna: This physical body made of gross elements is called the gross body. Manas (mind), the Buddhi (intellect), Ahamkara (egoism) and Chitta, all these are in the subtle body. The inner body which feels the joy of the Lord and Divine ecstasy is called Karana Sarira (causal body). The Tantras call it Bhagavat-Tanu, or the body derived from the Divine Mother. Beyond these is the Mahakarana, the first Great Cause. It is the fourth state. It cannot be expressed by words.

[The importance of practice.] What is the use of hearing all this? Practise and you will know. You repeat the words "Siddhi, Siddhi" (hemp-leaves). Will that make you drunk? No, you must swallow some. There are threads of various numbers, No. 40, No. 41, and so on; but you do not know one number from another unless you are in the trade. It is by no means hard for those in-the trade to know a particular number from that of another number. That being so, I say, practise a little. That done, it will be easy for you to have correct ideas as to

the gross body, the subtle body, the Karana (the causal body made of joy) and the Mahakarana (the Great Cause or the Unconditioned).

When you pray, ask for Bhakti, devotion to His Lotus Feet. After Ahalya [**] was made free from the curse called down upon her by her husband, Rama Chandra said: "Ask for a boon from me." Ahalya replied: "O Rama, if Thou wilt give me a boon, do Thou grant that my mind may, ever be on Thy feet beautiful like the lotus. O, I may be born among swine, but that will not matter."