ABSTRACT
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa has left behind a rich cultural and spiritual legacy. This has come down to us not in the form of any systematic philosophical writings, but what has been compiled by his disciples and followers that had existed in the form of his sayings or teachings, or what some have also termed the “Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”. His teachings are more about spirituality, religion, and God and not about material prosperity or happiness that can be achieved in this world. His views and ideas are even less connected with socio-political reforms that Indian society might have needed during his lifetime. Ramakrishna’s ideas are about the existence of God, who may be with form or formless, with attributes or without attributes, and the God realisation, which may come to a pure soul like Naren, popularly known as Swami Vivekananda. Thus, the main objective of this chapter is to understand the socio-religious philosophy of Ramakrishna Paramahansa about truth and reality. This truth is about the God realisation, or experiencing of God, that exists. God can exist in any form, can have many forms, and may even be formless. Everything that exits is the manifestation of God. God can be known, experienced, and realised. This is what would constitute overcoming bondage or attaining freedom. This is what constitutes spiritual realisation for Swami Ramakrishna. However, not everyone can achieve this. It requires one to cultivate Vidya Maya or “Ripe Ego” within. This would require constant meditation on God and the renunciation of material attachment, rather than the renunciation of a worldly life.
