When the fruit appears the blossom drops off. Love of God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom

When the fruit appears the blossom drops off. Love of God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom

Ramakrishna, the great mystic and spiritual teacher of 19th century India, often spoke in simple yet profound parables to convey deep spiritual truths. One of his most famous teachings is the analogy of the fruit and the blossom: "When the fruit appears, the blossom drops off. Love of God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom."

In this analogy, Ramakrishna is emphasizing the importance of cultivating a deep and genuine love for God over mere adherence to rituals and external practices. He is pointing out that rituals, like the blossoms of a tree, are beautiful and necessary in their own way, but they are ultimately transient and must give way to the true essence of spirituality, which is love for the divine.

For Ramakrishna, love of God is the ultimate goal of spiritual practice. It is the fruit that nourishes the soul and brings true fulfillment and joy. Rituals, on the other hand, are like the outer trappings of religion – they can be helpful in creating a sense of discipline and structure, but they are not an end in themselves. Without the inner essence of love and devotion, rituals can become empty and meaningless.

Ramakrishna himself was a living embodiment of this teaching. He was known for his intense love and devotion to the divine, which he expressed through ecstatic worship and meditation. He often spoke of his personal experiences of divine communion, describing how he would lose himself completely in the love of God.