A collection of the parables of Sri Ramakrishna. These are drawn from everyday life of the people around him. Some are based on Puranic stories. Their genius lies in their conveying profound spiritual truths in a lucid and often humorous way. They bear witness to the Master's consummate wit and keen observation.
Those who have succeeded in attaching or detaching their minds at will have succeeded in Pratyahara, which means gathering towards, checking the outgoing powers of the mind, freeing it from the thralldom of the senses. When we can do this, we shall really possess character; then alone we shall have taken a long step towards freedom. Before that, we are mere machines.
-Swami Vivekananda