Osho on Ramakrishna Paramhansa Leaving the Body and Sharda Ma
At the time of Ramakrishna’s death, it had become clear three days before that Ramakrishna is taking leave now. So his wife Sharda became very worried and upset. Ramakrishna asked her, ”Why do you cry? Because the one who is, is not going to die. And did you love this body known as me or did you love the one who is?” Sharda said, ”I loved the one who is.” Ramakrishna said, ”Then drop the worry. Then, when he who is not dies, do not break your bangles.” There was only one widow in India who did not break her bangles after her husband’s death Then Ramakrishna died.
Everybody else cried and wept but Sharda did not agree to break her bangles. She remained the same as she always was. Everybody said, ”What are you doing? Ramakrishna is dead.” She said, ”One who has died was not there in the first place, and the one who was there, still is. These bangles are in this memory. Sharda remained a bride even after Ramakrishna’s death. She never said that Ramakrishna is dead and whenever somebody asked she would say, ”That body had become worn and torn, he has only changed clothes.” In reality, only clothes are changed, only garbs are changed.
-Osho, "Sun of Consciousness, #6"