To the unrestrained horror of his family and friends,, Ramakrishna refused to even come near the main temple. He started dressing like a Muslim, performed Islamic prayers while bowing toward Mecca five times a day as Muslims do, and wouldn't even look at the image of a Hindu god.
Ramakrishna insisted he was going to eat like a Muslim, too. This meant eating beef, which to a Hindu is a virtual equivalent of eating human flesh. . This was just too much. His disciples hired a Muslim cook who prepared a vegetarian meal cooked in the Muslim style. Ramakrishna, who had no idea what beef tasted like, ate the dish in all good faith.
After three days of total commitment to Islam, Ramakrishna had a vision of Mohammed. He saw the Muslim prophet, shinning with spiritual luminosity, dissolve into God and then God dissolve into the Absolute Reality. Ramakrishna went into such ecstasy his disciples were hard pressed to bring him back to this plane of reality.
When he did return, the master announced, " Islam is a true path. I experienced the highest reality by practicing it". Then to his family's immense relief, he went back to being a good Hindu. But more trouble lay ahead.
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