At the Feet of Kali

 For Sri Ramakrishna, Kali was not simply the deity worshipped in the temple at Dakshineswar. His relationship with the Divine Mother became the central reality of his spiritual life. Harding describes his worship of Kali as something that gradually moved beyond ordinary ritual, as his longing for the Mother became more and more intense. When Sri Ramakrishna first served as a priest of the Kali temple, he worshipped the image of the Mother with extraordinary devotion. His longing to see Her became so strong that ordinary temple duties were no longer enough for him. He prayed to Kali, sang to Her and wept before Her, asking that She reveal Herself to him. His desire was not for an idea about God, but for direct experience of the Mother. Harding describes Sri Ramakrishna's worship as unusual even to those around him. At times he would place flowers on his own head before offering them to Kali. At other times he would give food intended for the Mother to a cat, or even eat it himself....