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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA

destroying everything. She is called Kali, the Divine Mother. Kali is Brahman, Brahman is Kali, one and the same Being. I call Him Brahman when He is absolutely inactive; that is, when He neither creates, nor preserves, nor destroys phenomena; but when He performs all such actions, I call Him Kali, the Eternal En- ergy, the Divine Mother. They are one and the same Being, the difference is in name and form, just as the same substance water is called by different names in different languages, such as jal, aqua, pani, etc. Yes, the Being is the same, One God has many names. only the names are different under different aspects — like the same sub- stance expressed in different languages, such as jal, water and pani. A tank may have four Ghats (landing-places with steps). The Hindus drink at one Ghat and call it jal; the Moham- medans drink at another and call it pani; while the English who drink at a third call it water. Similarly, God is One, only His names are different. Some call Him by the name of Allah, some God, some Brahman, others Kali, others again Rama, Hari, Jesus, Buddha.

Keshab, smiling: Please tell us once more,Revered Sir, in what different ways Kali, the

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