Devotees are above caste rules

Radhu’s mother, insane sister-in-law of the Holy Mother, entered the room and said,“ Lakshmimani (Sri Ramakrishnas niece) is going to Navadvip on a pilgrimage. I wanted to go with her. But you have stood in my way.” She left the room in a pique. The Mother said, “ How can I allow her to go with Lakshmi ? Lakshmi is a devotee. She would sing and dance with other devotees. She would not observe the distinction of caste and would dine with others. But Radhu’s mother would not understand this. She hardly knows that the devotees need not observe caste rules among themselves. So she would come back and criticize the conduct of Lakshmi before others. Have you met Lakshmi ? ”

Devotee: No, Mother.

Mother: She is in Dakshineswar. Visit her one day. Have you been to Dakshineswar ?

Devotee: Yes, Mother, I have visited the place many a time. But I did not know that she had been living there.

Mother : Have you seen the Nahabat at Dakshineswar, where I used to stay ?

Devotee: Yes, Mother, I have seen it from the outside.

Mother : When you visit the place another day, go inside the room. When I stayed there, my entire world consisted of that small room. . . .

Have you seen Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday festival at Belur ?

Devotee : No, Mother. I have never been to the monastery at Belur. I have heard that the monks who live there do not like a crowd of women in the monastery. Therefore I hesitate to go there.

Mother : Go there once and see the celebration of Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday.

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It was evening when I went to Baghbazar to see the Holy Mother. She was kind enough to ask me to spread her small carpet on the floor and fetch her beads. She soon became absorbed in her meditation. Across the lane there was an open space. A few laborers lived there with their families. One of the male members began to beat a woman severely, probably his wife. Slaps and fisticuffs began to be showered upon her. Then he kicked her with such force that she was thrown to a distance with a child in her arms. Then he started kicking her again. The Mother could not proceed with her meditation any more. Though she was extremely modest and would not usually talk even loud enough to be heard by people on the ground floor, she now came to the porch of the second floor, stood by the iron railing, and cried aloud in a tone of sharp reprimand, “ You rogue! Are you going to kill the girl outright ? I am afraid she is already dead ! ” Hardly had the man looked at her than he became quiet like the snake before its charmer, and released the woman.

The sympathy of the Mother made the woman burst into loud sobs. We heard that her only fault was that she had not cooked in time. Afterwards the man became his old self again and wanted to be at peace with the woman. The Holy Mother saw this and came back to her room.

Some time later, the voice of a beggar was heard in the lane. He was crying, “ Radha-Govinda! Glory unto God! Please be kind to the blind.” The Mother said, ” This beggar passes yonder lane almost every night. At first he would cry, ‘ Please be kind to the poor blind.’ But Golap one day rightly said to him, ‘ Please utter with that, Radha-Krishna—the name of God. This will serve the double purpose of uttering the holy name and also of reminding the householders of God. Otherwise you will, day and night, think of your blindness alone.’ Since that, the blind man, while passing this lane, shouts the name of God. Golap gave him a piece of cloth He also gets alms in other forms.”

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