If you must be mad, be it not for the things of the world. Be mad with the love of the Lord.
… Some men shed streams of tears because sons are not born to them, others eat away their hearts in sorrow because they cannot get riches. But alas! how many are there who sorrow and weep for not having seen the Lord! Very few indeed!
Verily, he who seeks the Lord, who weeps for Him, attains Him. …
He who yearns after God cannot bestow any thought on such trifles as food and drink …
He who feels thirsty does not discard the water of the river merely because it is muddy, nor does he begin to dig a well to find clear water. So he who feels real spiritual thirst does not discard the religion near at hand, be it Hinduism or any other, nor does he create a new religion for himself. A really thirsty man has no time for such deliberations. … Let your heart pant for Him as a miser longs for gold. … As the drowning man pants hard for breath, so must one’s heart yearn for the Lord, before one can find Him.
Do you know what kind of Love is required for gaining the Lord? Just as a dog with a bruised head runs restlessly, so must one become distressed for His sake.
O heart, call on your almighty Mother sincerely and you will see how She quickly comes running to you. When one calls on God with heart and soul, He cannot remain unmoved.
Source - Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna (Madras: Ramakrishna Math, 2000), 165–6.