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What examples of spontaneous divine ecstasy are recorded in the text?
Several vivid episodes in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna bring spontaneous divine ecstasy to life:
The Kali Temple Rapture
While performing puja before the image of Kali, Sri Ramakrishna suddenly broke into uncontrollable weeping and laughter. His body bent backward, hands raised, eyes rolled up—the world fell away as he seemed to merge totally with the Mother. Onlookers watched, jaws on the floor, as he alternated between tears of yearning and shouts of “Kali! Kali!”—a full-blown possession by the Goddess herself.The Jnana “Water” Samādhi
After intense meditation under the guidance of the monastic Totapuri, he entered a state called “jnana water.” In this formless, blissful absorption, speech and movement ceased completely. Devotees had to pour water into his mouth and feed him by hand. When he re-emerged, he described the experience as tasting the infinite, a moment so sweet that it eclipsed every sense—turning him momentarily into pure awareness.Dancing in Divine Love
During a simple play of Lord Krishna’s childhood antics—with a pot of yogurt balanced on his head—he spontaneously launched into a dance, twirling as if on invisible wheels. The pot never fell, his voice rang out with kirtan melodies, and nearby worshippers felt the ground pulse beneath them. It was as if he’d slipped into Gokul itself, recalling the cosmic dance that echoes through Vaishnava lore.Ecstasy in Everyday Tasks
One afternoon, while cooking fish for the temple, every chop and stir dropped away. His face glowed, tears streamed, and he murmured the holy names of Radha-Krishna. The mundane kitchen transformed into a sacred arena. Disciples standing by experienced hairs-on-end goosebumps, as if the Divine had crashed right into their midst.Unbidden Harp of the Heart
On a misty evening by the Ganges, he paused mid-conversation with a visitor and, without warning, began singing tender verses to Jesus and Buddha—voices blending East and West as if continents dissolved. For minutes, only that hymn filled the air, leaving disciples spellbound at the seamless unity of all faiths.
Each of these spontaneous outpourings reads like a lightning bolt—brief, brilliant, and impossible to ignore. They bridge the gap between earthbound life and that timeless realm where only pure joy remains.