Cultivating inner strength

1882: M.'s fourth visit to the Master

When peasants buy bullocks they select the ones with mettle:
As they were returning to the Master's room, Sri Ramakrishna said to M.: When peasants go to market to buy bullocks for their ploughs, they can easily tell the good from the bad by touching their tails. On being touched there, some meekly lie down on the ground. The peasants recognize that these are without mettle and so reject them. They select only those bullocks that frisk about and show spirit when their tails are touched. Narendra is like a bullock of this latter class. He is full of spirit within.

The Master smiled as he said this, and continued: There are some people who have no grit whatever. They are like flattened rice soaked in milk – soft and mushy. No inner strength!