Page 191 - Hinduism

parables or images. Questioned, for instance, on the problem of evil, Sri Ramakrishna said:" Evil exists in God as poison in a serpent. What is poison to us is not poison to the serpent. Evil is evil only from the point of view of man." In other words, from the absolute standpoint, there is no evil, but from the relative standpoint evil is a terrible reality. Ramakrishna preached that realization is the essence of religion and that all religions are paths leading to the same goal. He deprecated metaphysical subtleties and insisted on deep devotion. He claimed that through his intense devotion to the image of the Divine Mother in Dakshineshwar that realization had come to him. Swami Vivekananda said:" If men like Sankara, Chaitanya and Ramakrishna found image worship helpful, there is no sense in declining it."
Ramakrishna's religion and the movement he founded by gathering around him a band of devoted workers were essentially practical. This aspect was expounded and universalized by Swami Vivekananda. Under the inspiration of Ramakrishna, he changed from scepticism to religious realization and travelled all over the world, preaching the essence of the truths of Hinduism. He dedicated himself to the service of India and particularly to the service of those who were starving, depressed, or beyond the social pale. The work for the uplift of the Indian masses was for him as important as meditation or Yoga.
191