Alert and Careful

Sri Ramakrishna spoke about nothing but God. He used to tell me, 'Do you notice this human body? Today it is and to-morrow it is not. And coming to this world it suffers no end of misery and pain. Why should one worry about taking another birth? God alone is eternally true. If one can call on Him, it is good. Taking a body one has to suffer from its accompanying troubles!' 

The other day Bilas said to me, 'Mother, we have to be always very alert. We always tremble with fear lest we should think any unholy thought.' That is very true. A monk is like a bleached cloth, and the householder is like a black one. One does not notice the spots in a black cloth so much, but even a drop of ink looks so prominent on white linen. The monk's life is always beset with dangers. The whole world is engrossed in lust and gold. The monk must always practise renunciation and dispassion. 

Therefore Sri Ramakrishna used to say, 'A monk must be always alert and careful.' 

                     - Holy Mother, The Gospel of the Holy Mother, P57