In the moments of love when their powers meet, they are two bodies but not two souls. In those moments they start feeling a deep synchronicity with existence itself – with the grass, with the trees, with the birds, with the clouds, with the stars – something which only heart is capable of. It is not a question of reasoning, but of experiencing.

So remember, power has some spirituality in it. Force is animal. Muhammad Ali may have force; I do not have. What connects me to you? It is not power of the same kind as that with which Muhammad Ali is connected to his fans. It is so different. You are not my fans. You are me, as if I am extended in you.

In Ramakrishna’s life – and Ramakrishna is one of the very significant persons of the last century – he became sick, he had cancer of the throat. He could not eat anything. And he had always loved delicious food, so much so that even his disciples had advised him, “This is not right for an enlightened man; this makes us feel embarrassed before others.”

He would be talking about great things, and then in the middle he would say, “Wait, I will be coming back. I smell something. Sharda is cooking something really great” – Sharda was his wife. And he would go to the kitchen, leaving the disciples wondering what kind of enlightened man he is. And now he could not eat.

Sharda was also a rare woman. They had never had a wife-and-husband relationship from the very first day, when Ramakrishna was only fourteen years old, and he had gone to see Sharda, with his parents and relatives, to see whether he liked her or not.

His mother had put one rupee in his pocket in case he needed it – he was going to the nearby city. One rupee was more than enough in those days; one could live the whole month comfortably on one rupee.

When Sharda came – and this is the traditional way, that the girl will come with the food, with the plates, and place the plates before all the guests, and that is the time when the boy can see her, his parents can see her. When she came to put the plate of food before Ramakrishna, his eyes were full of tears. He took out his one rupee, put it at her feet, touched her feet.

His parents thought, What is he doing! He destroyed the whole thing. Husbands don’t touch the feet of their wives, although wives can touch their husband’s feet. And putting this one rupee at her feet, and touching her feet; what does he think – is she a goddess, or what?

And they asked Ramakrishna, “Do you like the girl?”

He said, “Immensely.”

They got married. The girl’s family was also a little bit shaky about whether to let this marriage happen or not, because the boy seemed to be a little crazy. Nobody had ever heard of this kind of thing. But he was such a lovely, healthy, silent, beautiful young man, they could not refuse. And Sharda insisted that if she married anyone, then she would marry Ramakrishna. They said, “Are you mad? – because what he has done is simply a proof that he can do anything.”