In the Evening Talks, Sri Aurobindo observes that one can determine the spiritual aptitude of a person from the "signs in the eyes and the face".  In several places in the Gospel, Ramakrishna also makes notes of such signs. This is a compilation of some of these related those observations.

In Evening Talks, 15 January 1940

 

Nirodbaran: They say about Z also that they don't find any sign by which he can be said to have made any progress.

 

Sri Aurobindo: But every time I see him I see the stamp of a Yogi on him. Of course he is not a Siddha but one who is doing Yoga.

 

Purani: It is not always easy to make out, especially in people who follow an ordinary profession. I met Lele; nobody could say that he was a Yogi. He moved about just like an ordinary man.

 

Sri Aurobindo: One must have the vision. There are signs also, signs in the eyes and face, which one must know.

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita2/k2sec24.htm

It depends on physical traits. A dwarfish stature and dents here and there on the body are bad signs. Such a person takes a long time to attain jnana

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita4/k4SectionXXIII.htm

Sri Ramakrishna: "Maybe so. But he doesn't have a high spiritual ideal. His physical signs aren't so good. He has a puggish face. These other youngsters are of a different class.

 

When this state of divine intoxication came to me the first time in Dakshineswar, a brahmin lady belonging to a respectable family came. She had very good signs. As soon as a garland was put around her neck and incense burnt before her, she went into samadhi.

 

Sri Ramakrishna: "At first Narendra called them [Ramakrishna's visions] hallucinations of the mind. Now, he accepts everything."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita3/k3sec03.htm

When I was leaving my bed, I saw a certain person's face and thought that Rakhal was coming! (All laugh.) Oh, yes! You must notice all these physical signs.

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita2/k2sec19.htm

A certain Mallick went to Jadu's house. I could see from his eyes how clever and deceitful he was. Looking him straight in the eye, I said to him, “It's not good to be too clever. The crow is a very clever bird, but it eats excreta of others and dies.” I also saw that he was wretched and not well off. Speechless with wonder, Jadu's mother asked me, “Baba (father), how did you know all this, that he had nothing?” “I knew it by looking at his face."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita/k1sec%2001.htm

His egotism is getting crushed. After a while, Thakur Sri Ramakrishna looks at him kindly and speaks affectionately, ''See, you have some good signs. I can know it by looking at one's eyes and forehead."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/mbionit.html

He felt sad when he came to know that M. was married and had children. But he also told him that there were very good (yogi like) signs on his forehead and eyes

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita4/k4SectionXXXII.htm

 

Thakur strokes Narendra's face and hands and says, "All these are the signs of a devotee. The features of a man of knowledge are different: his face and body are dry."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita/k1sec12.htm

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahimacharan and others)—I once went with Sejo Babu  to meet Devendra Tagore. I said to Sejo Babu, “I have heard that Devendra Tagore meditates on God. I wish to see him.” [...]

 

To see Devendra's trait I said to him, “Well, let me examine your body.” Devendra took off his shirt. He was fair and his body (roughed) as if sprinkled with vermilion.

 

"Initially I noticed that there was some pride in him. And why not? He had so much wealth, so much learning, name and fame. Seeing his pride I said to Sejo Babu, “Well, does pride come from jnana or ajnana? Does a person who has attained the knowledge of Brahman has the pride of learning, of jnana or wealth?”

 

“Suddenly I went into that very state while talking to Devendra. When I am in that particular state, I can see what kind of person one is. A peculiar laughter, 'Hee-hee' arose within me on seeing him. When I am in such a state, I feel that the learned are just like pieces of straw—when I see that there is no discrimination and dispassion in a pundit, he appears to me just as dry pieces of grass and straw (unworthy person). I then see as though a vulture is flying high but its eyes are on charnel pits.

 

I saw that he had both yoga and bhoga. He had many small children; the doctor had arrived. It is for this reason that though a man of knowledge, he had to lead the life of a householder. I said, “You are the 'Janak' of Kaliyuga. Janak was loyal to both matter and spirit and at the same time drank his cup of milk. You are living with your family keeping your mind on God. I heard about it, so I have come to see you. Please talk to me about God.”

 

Then he narrated some portions from the Vedas. He said, “This world is like a chandelier and every being is a lamp in it.” When I was meditating here in Panchavati I had seen exactly the same. Seeing that it resembles with Devendra's words, I thought he was really a great man. I asked him to explain further what he had said. Then he said, “Who knew this world? God made men to proclaim His glory. If there is no light in the chandelier, it is all dark around. You cannot even see the chandelier."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita4/k4SectionXV.htm

Sri Ramakrishna (to Shashadhar): "There are signs of spiritual knowledge. The first is a serene nature. The second is absence of pride. You have both these signs.

 

"There are other signs in a man of knowledge, too. In the company of a sadhu, he is a man of renunciation; when at work, he's like a lion—for example, while lecturing. He's full of humour in the company of his wife, witty as a pundit. (The pundit and others laugh.)

 

"The vijnani has a different disposition. For example, Chaitanya Deva acted like a child, or like a madman, or an inert object, or a ghoul.

 

"There are, again, in the state of a child, adolescent as well as youthful moods. In the state of an adolescent, he is full of fun, but when he teaches others, he has the strength of a young man."

 

"There are, again, in the state of a child, adolescent as well as youthful moods. In the state of an adolescent, he is full of fun, but when he teaches others, he has the strength of a young man."

 

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita4/k4SectionXV.htm

[Shashadhar and talk on the principles of love and devotion—burning faith is needed—humility of the Vaishnavas]

 

Sri Ramakrishna: There are three kinds of bhakti, depending on one’s nature: the sattva of bhakti, the rajas of bhakti and the tamas of bhakti.

 

In sattvic bhakti, only God knows about it. Such a devotee loves God secretly, perhaps meditating under his mosquito net without anyone knowing about it. When one develops the purest sattva,—sattva of sattva—the vision of God is very near, just as at dawn one knows that there will be no more delay for the sun to rise.

 

Those who have rajasic bhakti have a desire for people to see that they are devotees. They perform the worship with sixteen items. They go into the temple wearing pure silk. They wear a rudraksha rosary round their necks. The rosary has pearls and here and there gold rudrakshas.

 

The tamas of bhakti is devotion like an attack of dacoits. Dacoits are armed with weapons while committing dacoity and have no fear even of eight police officers. They shout, “Kill, rob!” Like mad people they shout, “Hara, Hara, Hara; Vyom, Vyom! Victory to Kali!” They have immense strength of mind, and burning faith.

Shaktas have this kind of faith. “Why, I have once chanted the name of Kali, the name of Durga. I have once chanted the name of Rama. How can I be touched by sin?”

 

Vaishnavas have a very meek and humble disposition. They only tell the rosary (Thakur looks at Balaram’s father) and weep and sob, “O Krishna, Be merciful to me! I am pitiable, I am a sinner.”

 

One should have such burning faith as to be able to say, “I have taken God’s name, how can there be any sin in me?” Imagine a person repeating the name of God day and night, yet calling himself a sinner!