“The shadows of evening fall thick

and deep,and the darkness of love

envelopes the body and mind.

Open the window to the west, and be

lost in the sky of love;

Drink the sweet honey that steeps the

petals of the lotus of the heart.

Receive the waves in your body: what

splendor is in the region of the

sea!

Hark! The sounds of conches and bells

are rising.

Kabir says: “O brother, behold! The

Lord is in this vessel of my body.”

“Entering theroom , they  ("M" and his friend) found Sri Ramakrishna alone, seated on the wooden couch. Incense had just been burnt and all the doors were shut. He he entered, M, with folded hands saluted the Master. Then, at the Master’s bidding, he and Sidhu sat on the floor. Sri Ramakrishna asked them:”Where do you live? What is your occupation? Why have you come to Barranagore?” M answered the questions, but noticed that now and then the Master seemed to become absent minded. Later he learned that this mood is called bhava, ecstacy. It is like the state of the angler who has been sitting with his rod: the fish comes and swallows the bait, and the float begins to tremble; and the angler is on the alert; he grips the rod and watches the float steadily and eagerly; he will not speak to anyone. Such was the state of Sri Ramakrishna’s mind. Later M. heard, and himself noticed, that Sri Ramakrishna would often go into this mood after dusk, sometimes becoming totally unconscious of the outer world.

M:”Perhaps you want to perform your evening worship? In that case may we take our leave?”

Sri Ramakrishna: (stillinecstacy) “ No----evening worship? No, it is not exactly that.’

Afteralittle conversation M. saluted the Master and took his leave.

“Come again”, Sri Ramakrishna said.”

Not very far from the famous Madan Mohan's Temple in Vrindavana is Kaliyadaha, the part of river Yamuna, where Krsna once danced over the head of the multiheaded cobra called Kaliya. On the bank of the river is a beautiful spot surrounded by trees. Imagine that in the midst of the trees in front of an old cottage is seated an old mahatma (Sri Jagadisa Dasa Baba Ji). Though old, he is tall and well-built. The luster of his naked body seems to penetrate and dispel the growing darkness of sunset. The slow movement of his lips and the tulasi rosary in his hand indicate that he is engaged in japa. But his raised neck, fixed gaze and the glowing smile on his face indicate that he is completely lost in the enjoyment of a scene of transcendent beauty. By his side is sitting a very handsome young boy, wearing only a loin-cloth of jute. He is also engaged in japa. He looks at the face of Baba and then in the direction in which his gaze is fixed. But not being able to see anything in that direction he keeps on looking at Baba's face with curiosity.

Baba suddenly exclaims, "See, Gopala, see! Krsna and Balarama returning from the forest and the cows trailing behind. Oh! How beautiful they look!"

"I do not see anything Baba," replies Gopala with tears in his eyes.

"You will see. I have said, you will see," says Baba, affectionately giving a mild slap on his cheek.