[Messages] - Sri RamaKrishna's parable of a farmer who was an Advaita Jnani

Those who follow monistic (Advaita) Vedanta, however, look upon this world as unreal, like a dream. According to them Paramatman, or the Over-Soul, is the witness of the three states of consciousness,--waking, dream and dreamless sleep. All these are ideas. The dream state is just as real as the waking state. Let me tell you a story.

Parable of the farmer and his only child

There was a farmer who was a monist; he had attained to some realization. He lived like any other farmer with his family, and he had a child. He and his wife had extreme love for this son because he was their only child. The farmer himself was a very spiritual man.

He was respected and loved by everyone in the village. Once he was working in the field, when suddenly a man brought the news of his son's severe illness. He went home, called physicians, took great care, but could not save the child's life.

Everybody in the household was overwhelmed with grief, but the farmer looked as if nothing had happened. He consoled others by saying, "What can be gained by mourning over the child?" The next day he went to the field as usual, and after finishing his work he came home and found his wife and the other members of the family still weeping and wailing and plunged in deep sorrow.

The wife reproached him, saying: "How heartless you are! you have not shed a single tear for your only child." The farmer then calmly replied: "Shall I tell you why I do not weep? Last night I had a wonderful dream.

I saw that I was a king, and the father of eight beautiful children, and that I was enjoying all the pleasures and comforts of life. Suddenly I woke up and the dream passed away. Now I am in great confusion,--whether I shall weep and wail for my eight children or for this only one." [p. 93& 94]

The farmer was an Advaita Jnani, therefore he realized that the waking state was as unreal as the dream state, and that the one permanent Reality was Atman. But I accept all states as true,--the state of Samadhi, which is the fourth state, and again, the waking, dream and dreamless sleep state. I accept Brahman the Absolute and Maya, Jiva (the individual soul) and the world. If I do not take all, a portion will be missing and the weight will be less.

Source: THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA Revised by SWAMI ABHEDANANDA