[Bliss comes in meditation.] Then turning towards Visvanatha and His numerous devotees, He said: Meditate upon God, the sole Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Eternal, and you also shall have bliss. That Being of Knowledge and Bliss is always here and everywhere, only It is covered and obscured by ignorance. The less is your attachment towards the senses, the more will be your love for God.

Visvanatha: The more we near our home at Calcutta, the farther we are from Benares, and the more we near Benares, the farther we are away from our home.

[Lover of God.] Bhagavan: As Srimati (Radha) [**] neared Sri Krishna, she perceived more and more the charming fragrance of His sweet person. The more one approaches God, the more does one's love toward Him increase. The more the river nears the sea, the more it is subject to ebb and flow. The Ganges of knowledge flowing in the soul of a wise man runs only in one direction. To him the whole universe is a dream. He always lives in His own True Self (Atman). But the Ganges of love in a devotee's heart does not run in one direction. It has its ebb and flow. A devotee laughs, weeps, dances, sings. He wants sometimes to enjoy his Beloved, to merge into his Beloved! He swims in Him, dives, rises up in his joy as merrily as a lump of ice floats upon the water. [God the Absolute and God the Creator one.] But in fact God the Absolute and God the Creator are one and the same Being. The Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is the All-knowing, All-intelligent and All-blissful Mother of the Universe. The precious stone (Mani) and its brightness cannot be separated in thought, for

we cannot think of the stone without its brightness, nor can we think of the brightness apart from the stone. The Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss, the Undifferentiated, appears as differentiated into many. He has various names applied to Him according to the various powers manifested. That is the reason of His having many forms. Hence a devotee has sung: "O my Mother Tara, [**] Thou art even all that." Wherever there is action, such as creation, preservation and destruction, there is Sakti or Intelligent Energy. But water is water whether it is calm or disturbed. That One Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is also the eternally Intelligent Energy which creates, preserves and destroys the universe. Thus it is the same Visvanatha whether he does nothing or performs his worship or visits the Governor-General. In all cases it is the same Visvanatha, only these are his different Upadhis or states.

Visvanatha: Yes, Sir, that is so.

Bhagavan: I said this to Keshab Chandra Sen.

Visvanatha: Well, Sir, Keshab Chandra Sen does not respect our orthodox Hindu manners, customs and laws. How can he be a real saint?

The Bhagavan (turning towards His devotees): Visvanatha never wants me to go to see Keshab Sen.

Visvanatha: But Thy Holiness will go. What can I do?