One day Sri Ramakrishna became a kalpataru (the wish-fulfilling tree) and fulfilled the wishes of his disciples. Some asked for devotion, some knowledge, and some liberation. Seeing Sharat silent, the Master asked him: “How would you like to realize God? What divine vision do you prefer to see in meditation?” Sharat replied: “I do not want to see any particular form of God in meditation. I want to see Him in all beings. I do not like visions.” The Master said with a smile: “That is the last word in spiritual attainment. You cannot have it all at once.” “But I won’t be satisfied with anything short of that,” replied Sharat. “I shall strive my best until I am able to attain it.” At last the Master blessed him, saying, “Yes, you will attain it.”
The following incident indicates how that blessing was fulfilled towards the end of his life: “One of the devotees who was nurtured by Swami Saradananda’s loving care one day remarked, ‘Swami, why do you love us so much?’ Swami Saradananda did not say anything. After a few days when that devotee came to Udbodhan, the swami said: ‘A few days ago I went to Belur Math and prostrated before Sri Ramakrishna. The Master appeared before me and said, “You love all because you find me in all.” That is the answer I would give today.’”
Swami Vivekananda Says —
- After so much austerity, I have understood this as the real truth— God is present in every jiva; there is no other God besides that, ‘Who serves jiva, serves God indeed.[Source]
- He is in everything, He is everything. Every man and woman is the palpable, blissful, living God.[Source]
- He is the all in all; He is all and in all.[Source]
- In worshipping God we have been always worshipping our own hidden Self.[Source]
- Losing faith in one’s self means losing faith in God.[Source]
- The ideal of man is to see God in everything. But if you cannot see Him in everything, see Him in one thing, in that thing which you like best, and then see Him in another. So on you can go.[Source]
- The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him—that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
- The nearer we approach God, the more do we begin to see that all things are in Him.[Source]
“Do you know what I see? I see Him as all. Men and other creatures appear to me only as hollow forms, moving their heads and hands and feet, but within is the Lord Himself.” – Sri Ramakrishna
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- Among thousands of men, one strives for perfection and even among those who strive and succeed, one knows Me in essence. (BG 7.3)
- At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vāsudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person. (BG 7.19)
- Highest Worship
- Among things conducive to Liberation, devotion (Bhakti) holds the supreme place. The seeking after one’s real nature is designated as devotion. (Vivekachudamani, Verse 31)
- The sage harmonised in yoga sees the Self in all beings, and all beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere. (BG 6.29)
- He who sees Me in all beings and all beings in me never becomes lost to me, nor do I become lost to him. (BG 6.30)
- The Yogi who worships Me abiding in all beings and who is established in unity abides in me in whatever manner he is acting. (BG 6.31)
- Its hands and feet are everywhere; Its eyes, heads, and faces are everywhere; Its ears are everywhere; Its existence envelops all. (BG 13.14)
- He who sees the Supreme Lord abiding alike in all beings, and not perishing when they perish— verily he alone sees. (BG 13.28)
- Because he sees the Lord present alike everywhere, he does not injure Self by self, and thus he reaches the supreme state. (BG 13.29)
- The wise man beholds all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings; for that reason he does not hate anyone. (Isha Upanishad, Verse 6)
- Seeing the Atman in all beings, and all beings in the Atman, one attains the highest Brahman – not by any other means. (Kaivalya Upanishad, Verse 10)
Rāmānanda Rāya continued speaking to Lord Caitanya: “First I saw You as a sannyāsī, and then I saw You as a cowherd boy. I see before You a golden doll, and due to its presence Your complexion has become golden. Yet I see that Your complexion is dark, like a cowherd boy’s. Will You please explain why I am seeing You in this way? Please tell me without reservation.”
“It is the nature of highly elevated devotees to see Kṛṣṇa in everything,” Lord Caitanya replied. “Whenever they see anything, they do not see the form of that particular thing. They see Kṛṣṇa.” This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.2.45):sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyedbhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥbhūtāni bhagavaty ātmanyeṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ
“One who is highly elevated in devotional service sees the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa, who is the Soul of all individual souls.” A similar passage is found in the Tenth Canto (SB 10.35.9) where it is stated that all creepers, plants and trees, laden with flowers and fruits, were bent in the ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa was the Soul of their soul. After Kṛṣṇa left them, those trees and plants became thorny.
🌸 Bhagavata Purāṇa (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)
11.2.45:
“The highest devotee sees his beloved Lord in all beings, and all beings within the Lord. For him, nothing exists apart from God.”
7.9.43 (Prahlāda’s vision):
Prahlāda prays: “O Lord, You are within and without, You pervade all beings. Where can I go to find You are not?”
“Whatever is perceived with mind, tongue, eyes and other sense-organs, is nothing besides Me. There is no entity besides Me. Understand, this fact carefully” (Śrīmadbhā. 11/13/24).
🌸 Yoga Vāsiṣṭha
Teaches that the enlightened one sees the universe as nothing but Brahman in manifold forms.
“The sage delights equally in seeing a king, a beggar, or a stone — for all is the same Self.”
🌸 Vivekachūdāmaṇi (by Ādi Shankaracharya)
Verse 241: “That by which all beings are pervaded, That indeed am I. In reality, there is no other.”
Verse 260: “Seeing the Self in all beings, and all beings in the Self, the knower becomes free from all delusion.”
🌸 Avadhūta Gītā (Dattātreya)
Chapter 1, Verse 3: “In me, the boundless ocean of bliss, the waves of the universe arise and subside.”
Declares that everything perceived is Brahman alone, the difference is only apparent.
🌸 Ribhu Gītā (part of Śivarahasyam)
“All this is only Brahman. The knower sees no difference between Self, world, or God.”
Swami Vivekananda used to recommend reading this to disciples for the vision of oneness.
🌸 Ashtavakra Gītā
Chapter 6, Verse 2: “I am in all beings; all beings are in me. Thus I am ever free.”
Radical non-dual vision: everything is the Self alone.
🌸 Tirumantiram (Tamil Śaiva text, by Saint Tirumūlar)
Verse 222: “He who sees all beings as Śiva, and Śiva as all beings, truly worships Him.”
🌸 Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture, echoes Vedanta deeply)
“The One Lord is pervading in all beings; the Guru has shown me this vision.” (Ang 45)
“Recognize all of humankind as one.” (Ang 349)
🌸 Swami Vivekananda’s Complete Works
“It is practical Vedanta — to see God in the poor, the sick, the weak, the ignorant. This is the worship we must now practice.”
He draws directly from Upanishads + Gītā and rephrases them for modern life.