There are many teachings of Sri Ramakrishna which are of utmost importance to us today.
One, he said, ‘Ekhane, ekhane jnan; shekhane, shekhane ajnan’, “”Here! Here!” is knowledge; “There! There!” is ignorance’. This is his unique way of putting the great Upanishadic teaching that the infinite atman is our nature. This we must manifest in this life itself. But, thinking of going to some far away heaven, by performing some ritual, is ignorance.
Second, ‘If you want to see God, seek him in the human being; in him or her He is more manifest than in anything else. Among human beings again, God is more manifest in a devotee. A devotee’s heart is the Lord’s drawing room, where you can get an interview with God’.
Third, addressing some householder devotees he said, ‘Live in Samsara, there is no harm. But don’t allow Samsara to get into you, for then you will become stagnant. Just as a boat should be in water, but water should not be in the boat, for that would make it stagnant’.
These few spiritual ideas, when understood by our people, will transform our society.