Sri Ramakrishna used to emphasize that God cannot be seen without the yearning of heart and that this yearning is not possible unless one has gone through a deep transformation of life based on experiences. He used to add that those who live a life immersed in lust and lucre have not come to the end of their experiences and hence would not have much of yearning for God.
In this connection he used to narrate an incident from his life at Kamarpukur (his birth place). His nephew’s son, a child of about four or five years, used to spend a lot of time with him. The boy used to be very happy in his company during the entire day. But, as soon as the evening time arrived, he would say, “I want to go to my mother”. Sri Ramakrishna would try to cajole him in various ways and would try to divert his mind with the offer of various toys etc., but the boy would not be consoled by such things and would weep and cry again and again expressing a deep desire to go to his mother. The boy no longer enjoyed Sri Ramakrishna’s company or playing with toys. His condition would bring tears to the eyes of Sri Ramakrishna. The life of a spiritual aspirant can be compared to the condition of that boy who wept inconsolably for his mother at the end of the day, after enjoying the playthings earlier.
According to Sri Ramakrishna one should cry for God in that manner, like a child. This is what is meant by restlessness for God or yearning for God. One does not enjoy worldly attractions. Once a person is through with the experiences of the world, he feels restless for God and weeps for Him. Only such a person gets the vision of God.