SRK

 Here’s a well-known anecdote associated with Ramakrishna—simple but sharp in its message:

Two men lived in the same village.

One of them went every day to listen to the sacred recitation of the Bhagavata Purana (Bhagavatam). He would sit among devotees, hearing stories of God.

The other man, meanwhile, went regularly to visit a prostitute.

Outwardly, their lives seemed completely opposite—one religious, one sinful.

But inside, something else was happening.

The man sitting at the Bhagavatam kept thinking:

“Ah, that fellow is enjoying himself while I’m stuck here listening to all this.”

And the man visiting the prostitute thought:

“What a wretched life I’m living. That man is listening to holy teachings and thinking of God—I wish I could be like him.”

Time passed, and both men died.

According to the story, the messengers of God took the second man (who went to the prostitute) to heaven, while the first (who attended the scripture readings) was taken elsewhere.

Why?

Because God looks not at outer actions alone, but at the inner state of mind.

Moral (as Ramakrishna taught it):

It’s not just what you do—it’s what your heart dwells on. A mind turned toward the divine, even in imperfect circumstances, is closer than a mind distracted, even in holy places.

If you want, I can share a few more of Ramakrishna’s short parables like this—they’re all very direct and a bit disarming.