Evolution of love

PARABLE BY SRI RAMKRISHNA

Sri Ramakrishna - "A Man Wanted to Smoke. He went to a Neighbour's house to Light his Charcoal. It was the Dead of Night and the household was asleep. After he had knocked a great deal, Someone Came down to open the door. At Sight of the Man he Asked, 'Hello! What's the Matter?' The Man Replied: 'Can't You Guess? You know How Fond I am of Smoking. I have Come here to Light My Charcoal.' The Neighbour Said: 'Ha! Ha! You are a Fine Man indeed! You Took the Trouble to Come and Do All this Knocking at the Door! Why, You have a Lighted Lantern in Your hand!' (All laugh.)”
Sri Ramkrishna ----"What a Man Seeks is Very Near to him. Still he Wanders About From Place to Place.”
2. Sri Ramakrishna: "Through Restlessness —
The Restlessness, a Child Feels for his Mother. The Child Feels Bewildered When he is Separated From his Mother, and Weeps Longingly for her. If a Man Can Weep Like that for God he can Even See Him.
3. "A Disciple Asked his Teacher, 'Sir, Please Tell Me How I Can See God.'
Come With Me,' Said the Guru, 'and I shall Show You.' He took the Disciple to a Lake, and Both of them got into the Water. Suddenly the Teacher Pressed the Disciple's Head Under the Water.
After a Few Moments he Released him and the Disciple Raised his Head and Stood Up. The Guru Asked him, 'How did you Feel?' The Disciple Said, 'Oh! I thought I should die; I was Panting (suffocating) for Breath.'
The Teacher Said, 'When You Feel Like That for God, Then You will Know that You have no Longer to Wait for His Vision.”
4. "A man Received a Letter from Home informing him that Certain Presents were to be Sent to his Relatives. The Names of the Articles were Given in the Letter. As he was About to Go For Shopping for Them, he Found that the Letter was Missing.
He Began Anxiously to Search For it, Several Others joining in the Search. For a Long Time They Continued to Search. When at Last the Letter was Discovered, his joy Knew no Bounds. With Great Eagerness he Opened the Letter and Read it.
It Said that he Was to Buy Five Seers of Sweets, a Piece of Cloth, and a Few Other Things. Then he Did not Need the Letter Any More, for it had Served its Purpose. Putting it Aside, he Went out to Buy the Things.
How Long is Such a Letter Necessary? As Long As its Contents are not Known.
When the Contents are Known One Proceeds to Carry Out the Directions.”
SRI RAMKRISHNA ----
----- “In the Scriptures You will Find the Way to Realize God. But After Getting All the Information About the Path, You Must Begin to Work. Only then You Can Attain Your Goal.”
5. "What is the Necessary to Avail a Mere Scholarship by a Man ? A Pandit May have Studied Many Scriptures, he may Recite Many Sacred Texts, But if he is Still Attached to the World and if Inwardly he Loves 'Woman and Gold', then he has not Assimilated the Contents of the Scriptures. For Such a Man the Study of Scriptures is Futile.”
6. Parable of the elephant and the blind men
Sri Ramakrishna: "Once Some Blind Men Chanced to Come Near an Animal that Someone Told them, It was an Elephant.
They Were Asked What the Elephant was Like. The Blind Men began to Feel its Body. One of them said the Elephant was Like a Pillar; he had Touched only its Leg. Another Said it was Like a Winnowing-Fan; he had Touched Only its Ear.
In this way the others, having touched its Tail or Belly, Gave their Different Versions of the Elephant.
Sri Ramkrishna -----
Just So, a Man Who has Seen Only One Aspect of God, Limits God to that Alone. It is his Conviction that God Cannot be Anything else.
7. Parable of Illustration of the Ocean and the Ice.
Sri Ramakrishna: (To the Goswami) "How Can You Say that the Only Truth About God is that He has Form?
It is Undoubtedly True that God Comes down to Earth in a Human Form, As in the Case of Krishna.
And It is Also True As Well that God Reveals Himself to His Devotees in Various Forms.
But It is Also True that God is Formless; He is the Indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.