wealth. When the mind dwells in the purified heart, spiritual light is perceived by the soul. At that time the soul exclaims: "What is this! What is this!" When it rises near the throat and remains there, the devotee loves to hear and speak of God. When the mind rises still higher, near the space between the eyebrows, it beholds the vision of the Infinite Being, whose nature is absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss. The soul then desires to touch and embrace that Being, but fails. As a light within a lantern can be seen but cannot be touched from outside, so the soul beholds the vision but cannot lay hold on it. cannot enter into it, cannot become one with it. In the seventh stage, however, the mind is bereft of the sense of "I," enters into God-consciousness and realizes its oneness with the Infinite.

Devotee: Bhagavan, what happens after reaching the seventh stage when Divine wisdom comes? What does the man see?

Ramakrishna: It cannot be described by words. In the seventh stage when the mind goes into its causal form, Samadhi comes and what happens then no one can tell.

This sense of "I" which makes one worldly

[Difference between soul and God.] and attached to lust and wealth is the cause of bondage. The difference between the Supreme and the individual soul is created by this sense of "I" which stands between. If you hold a stick on the surface of a stream, the water will appear to be divided into two parts, but in reality the water is one. It appears as two because of the stick. The sense of "I" may be compared to this stick. Remove this limiting adjunct and the current will be one and unbroken. What is this sense of "I" which clings to man? That which says: "I am this, I am that. I possess so much wealth. I am great and powerful; who is greater than I?" If a thief has stolen ten Rupees and been detected, the owner takes his money first, then beats him, then hands him over to the police and finally puts him in jail. [The worldly "I."] The worldly "I" says: "Doesn't he know that he stole ten Rupees which belonged to me? How dared he?"

Devotee: Bhagavan, if we cannot get rid of worldliness except by losing the sense of "I" in Samadhi, is it not better to follow the path of wisdom which leads to Samadhi, since in the path of devotion the sense of "I" still remains?