Sri Ramakrishna on Mental State of Self Realised Person

A devotee named Manilal went to meet Sri Trailanga Swami and Sri Bhaskarananda. He came to meet Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna enquired to the devotee what did the saints told you to do. Trailanga Swami had taken a vow of silence so there was not much communication between the two informed the devotee. So Sri Ramakrishna enquired about what instructions did Bhaskarananda give.

Sri Ramakrishna: "Did you have any conversation with Bhaskarananda?"

Manilal: "Yes, sir. We had a long talk. Among other things we discussed the problem of good and evil. He said to me: 'Don't follow the path of evil. Give up sinful thoughts. That is how God wants us to act. Perform only those duties that are virtuous.'"

Sri Ramakrishna: "Yes, that is also a path, meant for worldly-minded people. But those whose spiritual consciousness has been awakened, who have realized that God alone is real and all else illusory, cherish a different ideal. They are aware that God alone is the Doer and others are His instruments.

"Those whose spiritual consciousness has been awakened never make a false step. They do not have to reason in order to shun evil. They are so full of love of God that whatever action they undertake is a good action. They are fully conscious that they are not the doers of their actions, but mere servants of God. They always feel: 'I am the machine and He is the Operator. I do as He does through me. I speak as He speaks through me. I move as He moves me.'

"Fully awakened souls are beyond virtue and vice. They realize that it is God who does everything.

"There was a monastery in a certain place. The monks residing there went out daily to beg their food. One day a monk, while out for his alms, saw a landlord beating a man mercilessly. The compassionate monk stepped in and asked the landlord to stop. But the landlord was filled with anger and turned his wrath against the innocent monk. He beat the monk till he fell unconscious on the ground. Someone reported the matter to the monastery. The monks ran to the spot and found their brother lying there. Four or five of them carried him back and laid him on a bed. He was still unconscious. The other monks sat around him sad at heart; some were fanning him. Finally someone suggested that he should be given a little milk to drink. When it was poured into his mouth he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked around. One of the monks said, 'Let us see whether he is fully conscious and can recognize us.' Shouting into his ear, he said, 'Revered sir, who is giving you milk?' 'Brother,' replied the holy man in a low voice, 'He who beat me is now giving me milk.'

"But one does not attain such a state of mind without the realization of God."

Manilal: "Thakur ji, what you have just said applies to a man of a very lofty spiritual state. I talked on such topics in a general way with Bhaskarananda." 

Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Notes: 

This teaching reflects the mental state of Self Realised Saint who saw the same divinity within oneself and others just like a Mahavakya (the great saying of Upanishad) - sarvam Khalu-idam Brahman  - Everything else is also Brahman or All else is Brahman. A Self Realised Saint not only knows that this true nature is Brahman - Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahman (another Maha vakya) but he also knows that  The world world and all living beings are non-different from him i.e. Brahman. 

Such a blessed soul during his sadhana days is instructed 'Tat Tvam Asi - meaning You are That (Brahman), another Mahavakya. Here 'you' is said by the Guru. So it is a type of updeshak Maha vakya or Instructional type of Maha vakya. Prajnana Brahman is another Maha Vakya meaning Consciousness is Brahman. Here Pragya / Prajnana does not mean intellect but consciousness. Ayam Atma Brahman is another Maha Vakya meaning this Atman is Brahman thus indicating the non-difference between the two. It is also used in the nididhyasana and reflected in Adi Sankara's Atma Shatak or Nirvan Shatak. It is also an Upadeshak Mantra and used in Sadhana too and leads to Self Realisation just getting to know Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahman. 

The fifth Maha vakya, Sarvam Khalu-idam Brahman indicates the fulfilling of Sadhana i.e. a meditator realises I am Brahman in the Nirvikalp Samadhi. But after the meditation is over, he can experience that All else is Brahman too. Until these both experiences of Nirvikalp Samadhi and Experiencing same divinity  in everything else are experienced, doesn't matter in which order a meditator experiences, one must continue to do sadhana.

This fact is hinted by Sri Ramakrishna to Sri Totapuri Baba, his Advaita Guru. 

When Sri Totapuri baba was training Sri Ramakrishna under him, Sri Ramakrishna had a discussion as why such a Self Realised Saint needs to do Sadhana. In reply. Sri Totapuri Baba pointed at his shining Copper pot and said, 'Look how it is shining. If I regularly do not clean it, it wont shine. Mind is also like that. It must be regularly be merged in Brahman by Sadhana, else it can fall down to lower plane.' Sri Ramakrishna acknowledged  the truth behind it and then questioned, ' But what if the pot is made up of Gold (Gold is considered as pure and needs not be cleaned like Copper).'. Sri Totapuri Baba smiled and acknowledged the truth. 

This incident teaches us that sadhana is to be done only until it's fruit moksha is achieved, until one becomes a Jivan Mukta. After that just be in your natural state.

Hari OM