“He who has attained this knowledge of Brahman is liberated in this very life. He rightly realizes that the body and the Soul are separate.“After God-realization one’s identification with the body disappears. One realizes that the body and the Soul are separate – like a dry coconut.

When the milk inside it dries up, the kernel becomes separate from the shell.

The Atman continues to move about in the body.

As soon as the water of worldliness dries up, one realizes the Self – one knows that the Atman is separate from the body.

An unripe betel nut and an unripe almond cannot be separated from their shells.“But when they are mature, the betel nut and the almond are separate from their shells.

When ripe, the juice is dried up. Similarly, on realizing Brahman, the water of worldliness dries up.

“But this knowledge is very difficult to attain.

Brahmajnana is not attained by just talking.

Some people pretend to have attained it.

(Laughing) A certain person used to tell lies, but he said:

‘I have attained Brahmajnana.’

When reprimanded, he retorted:

‘But why not? This world is like a dream. If it is all illusion, is the truth otherwise? Falsehood is, of course, false – but truthfulness is also false.’ ” (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna

The gospel of sri Ramakrishna

Section XII -Sri Ramakrishna with the Devotees at the Dakshineswar TempleChapter I -Sri Ramakrishna at the Kali Temple in Dakshineswar with devotees