Black complexion of the Divine Mother

Tantric Master, Sri Ramakrishna, speaks about the fundamental facts which our reality is based upon. He was completely devoted and surrendered to Goddess Kali.

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Govinda: "Revered sir, why does the Divine Mother have a black complexion?"


MASTER: "You see Her as black because you are far away from Her.  Go near and you will find Her devoid of all colour.  The water of a lake appears black from a distance.  Go near and take the water in your hand, and you will see that it has no colour at all.  Similarly, the sky looks blue from a distance.  But look at the atmosphere near you; it has no colour.  The nearer you come to God, the more you will realize that He has neither name nor form.  If you move away from the Divine Mother, you will find Her blue, like the grass-flower.  Is Syama male or female? A man once saw the image of the Divine Mother wearing a sacred thread.  He said to the worshipper: 'What? You have put the sacred thread on the Mother's neck!' The worshipper said: 'Brother, I see that you have truly known the Mother.  But I have not yet been able to find out whether She is male or female; that is why I have put the sacred thread on Her image.'

That which is Syama is also Brahman.  That which has form, again, is without form.  That which has attributes, again, has no attributes.  Brahman is Śakti; Śakti is Brahman.  They are not two.  These are only two aspects, male and female, of the same Reality, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute."

Govinda: "What is the meaning of 'yogamaya'?"

MASTER: "It signifies the yoga, or union, of Purusha and Prakriti.  Whatever you perceive in the universe is the outcome of this union.  Take the image of Śiva and Kāli.  Kāli stands on the bosom of Śiva; Śiva lies under Her feet like a corpse; Kāli looks at Śiva.  All this denotes the union of Purusha and Prakriti.  Purusha is inactive; therefore Śiva lies on the ground like a corpse.  Prakriti performs all Her activities in conjunction with Purusha.  Thus She creates, preserves, and destroys.  That is also the meaning of the conjoined images of Radha and Krishna.  On account of that union, again, the images are slightly inclined toward each other.

To denote this union, Sri Krishna wears a pearl in His nose, Radha a blue stone in hers.  Radha has a fair complexion, bright as the pearl.  Sri Krishna's is blue.  For this reason Radha wears the blue stone.  Further, Krishna's apparel is yellow, and Radha's blue.

Who is the best devotee of God? It is he who sees, after the realization of Brahman, that God alone has become all living beings, the universe, and the twenty-four cosmic principles.  One must discriminate at first, saying 'Not this, not this', and reach the roof.  After that one realizes that the steps are made of the same materials as the roof, namely, brick, lime, and brick-dust.  The devotee realizes that it is Brahman alone that has become all these-the living beings, the universe, and so on.

Mere dry reasoning-I spit on it! I have no use for it! (The Master spits on the ground.)

Why should I make myself dry through mere reasoning? May I have unalloyed love for the Lotus Feet of God as long as the consciousness of 'I' and 'you' remains with me!

(To Govinda) "Sometimes I say, 'Thou art verily I, and I am verily Thou.' Again I feel, 'Thou art Thou.'  Then I do not find any trace of 'I'.   It is Śakti alone that becomes flesh as God Incarnate.  According to one school of thought,  Rāma and Krishna are but two waves in the Ocean of Absolute Bliss and Consciousness."



From "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna", chapter 12 - 'The Festival at Panihati':
http://www.rkmhq.org/gospel/