02 the vedanta kesari february 2013

The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

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Swami Vivekananda’s statue at the entrance of his Ancestral House in Kolkata where he was born on 12 January 1863

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The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 100, No. 2

ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.

For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org

CONTENTS February 2013

Vedic Prayers 45 Editorial Celebrating Vivekananda

46

Articles  ‘Multiplicity Is Only Apparent’ Jay Lakhani  Education for Life Swami Supradiptananda  When Shraddha ‘Enters’ Life Swami Shrimohanananda

61 68 72

Glimpses of Swamiji  12 January 1863

53

Travelogue  The House Where Swami Vivekananda Was Born A Traveller

55

Reports  Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2011-12  The Landing Named After Vivekananda

64 75

New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

70



The Order on the March 76 Book Reviews 80 Features Simhâvalokanam(The Master As I Saw Him)—51, Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories—67 Cover Story: Page 4

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The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Fax : (044) 2493 4589 Email : mail@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org To Our Subscribers

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n Cover Story n The Front Façade of Swamiji’s House, Kolkata Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in his ancestral house located in Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in North Kolkata. This historic house was in a very dilapidated condition when the Ramakrishna Mission acquired it in 1999. The restoration of the house was carried out with meticulous care by a group of conservation engineers, skilled masons, volunteers and others.

The renovated and restored house, but retaining its original plan, was inaugurated in 2004 by the President of India, Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam and Swami Ranganathanandaji, the President of the Ramakrishna Order. Now this sacred monument is daily visited by hundreds of visitors who pay their homage to Swamiji, visiting the room where he was born (made into a shrine and a meditation hall, on the first floor), different sections of the house and a museum, where some of the articles used by Swamiji, his father, mother and brothers have been preserved. The cover page picture is a view of the entrance (added later) to the house from the well-known road Bidhan Sarani.

The house in itself has its conventional entrance from the Gourmohan Mukherjee Street.

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PATRONs Basant Kumar Sharma, UP Mrinalini Natesa, New Delhi Vijayaraghavan TS, Chennai Ramakumar KS, Bangalore

649. Mr. Biswantha Patra, Bengal DONORs Mr. Rathindra Kumar Mitra, Gujarat Rs. 2000 Mr. Rathankumar R. Kamath Rs. 1000

The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme Sl.No. Names of Sponsors

5680. Mr. N. Madhan, Chennai 5681.

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Awardee Institutions

V.P. M. & M.A. College, Krishnan Koil, T.N. - 626 190 Govt. College, Ganjam, Orissa - 760 001 Govt. College, Cuddapah, A.P. - 516 004 Govt. College, Bangalore Rural Dist., Karnataka - 562 114 Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, K.G. Marg., New Delhi - 110 001 To be continued . . .

VOL. 100, No. 2, february 2013 ISSN 0042-2983

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soul is potentially divine.

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goal is to manifest the divinity within.

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Vedic Prayers

Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda

î Ż

The finite, manifested man forgets his source and thinks himself to be entirely separate. We, as personalised, differentiated beings, forget our reality, and the teaching of monism is not that we shall give up these differentiations, but we must learn to understand what they are. We are in reality that Infinite Being, and our personalities represent so many channels through which this Infinite Reality is manifesting Itself; and the whole mass of changes which we call evolution is brought about by the soul trying to manifest more and more of its infinite energy.

We cannot stop anywhere on this side of the Infinite; our power, and blessedness, and wisdom, cannot but grow into the Infinite. Infinite power and existence and blessedness are ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our own, and we have only to manifest them. —Swami Vivekananda, 2:339

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Editorial

Celebrating Vivekananda Speaking and Doing ‘We should spread Swami Vivekananda’s message to one and all,’ said young Manu in his college meeting convened to discuss ways to celebrate Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary.

He went on enlisting the programmes and events that he had in mind. ‘We should . . .’ he said, and for over twenty minutes continued his spirited discourse, full of enthusiasm and creative, imaginative ideas as to how to spread Swamiji’s message far and wide. All in the audience were impressed with his eloquence and ideas, except Ramu. He quietly stood up and addressed Manu and others in the audience, ‘It is wonderful to find our young friend filled with so much enthusiasm and ideas. While I appreciate his keenness, what is needed is action—putting things in practice.

As Swami Vivekananda said, “An ounce of practice is better than a ton of talk.” Many of us talk, but few act upon their talk. How many are going to come forward to carry on Manu’s plans? What we want is men—“men, men, these are wanted; everything else will be ready.”’

Ramu continued, ‘Let me quote a story from Swamiji’s Complete Works, in his own words.’

There was a certain king who had a huge number of courtiers, and each one of these courtiers declared he was ready to sacrifice his life for his master, and that he was the most sincere being ever born. In course of time, a Sannyasin came to the king. The king said to him that there never was a king who had so many sincere courtiers as he had. The Sannyasin smiled and said he T h e

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did not believe that. The king said the Sannyasin could test it if he liked.

So the Sannyasin declared that he would make a great sacrifice by which the king’s reign would be extended very long, with the condition that there should be made a small tank into which each one of his courtiers should pour a pitcher of milk, in the dark of night.

The king smiled and said, ‘Is this the test?’ And he asked his courtiers to come to him, and told them what was to be done. They all expressed their joyful assent to the proposal and returned.

In the dead of night, they came and emptied their pitchers into the tank. But in the morning, it was found full of water only. The courtiers were assembled and questioned about the matter.

Each one of them had thought there would be so many pitchers of milk that his water would not be detected. Unfortunately most of us have the same idea and we do our share of work as did the courtiers in the story.1

Indeed, this is the problem, or the challenge, in our efforts to do anything truly beneficial for us and others. We want others to change first or contribute first, and then, if time permits, us! We forget that self-change is the key to all changes at every level.

With regard to spreading Swamiji’s message, however, there are many ‘silent soldiers’ of Swamiji who are celebrating Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary in their own ways, often invisible to public eyes. They believe in the transforming power of Swamiji’s message and this belief carries them forward.

One individual, for instance, told one of our monks, ‘I wish to narrate Swamiji’s life story

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in 150 high schools—that is my way of paying tribute to Swamiji. The more people read of Swamiji, the more they will benefit and grow for better.’ Another person spoke of his way of celebrating the event—to re-read Swamiji’s Complete Works in nine volumes, cover to cover. Silent tributes!

for spiritual regeneration of the world in particular as one sees in Swamiji. He was ‘condensed India’. He is also called the ‘patriotic saint of India’. Much credit goes to him for holding aloft the Indian culture and spiritual heritage on the world stage. He stood firm in the World Parliament of Religions held in 1893 in Chicago and calmly declared,

The Celebrations Generally to celebrate means to rejoice, to observe a feast or a holiday. But an extended meaning of the term ‘celebration’ is to pay homage or pay tribute. It often includes a public event involving lectures, music and, at times, a procession. On such occasions, unveiling of a statue or a portrait of the person whose personality and message is being celebrated may also be done.

The point is to honour and give expression to our appreciation of the works of a great person’s personality and teachings.

This is especially true of saints and sages.

Spirituality grows only where spiritual men and women are honoured and respected. For spirituality is not an academic subject but a living force, transforming a person from a brute to a divine personality. It is all about practice and that gives its power. And those blessed few who reach the splendid heights in their spiritual journey should be respected and honoured in every way. That augurs well for the followers too—it strengthens their faith and inspires them further.

Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual luminary with a difference. He intensely felt for the poor and the deprived masses.

India has been blessed with many such great sages and savants and they have contributed immensely for the spiritual uplift of the masses. Yet no one seems to have articulated in the present times in word and action this intense concern for India in general and

I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.

I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.2

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Again, when he returned to India from the West, he was given a rousing reception by the nation and he infused love for the country, her inestimable and rich culture through his electrifying speeches and also set in motion the Ramakrishna Movement, with the founding of Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897. Thanks to his invigorating foresightedness and heroic message, he inspired, and continues to inspire, numerous men and women across the country and beyond to live the ideal—‘for one’s own liberation and for the good of others’ (atmano mokshartham jagad hitaya cha). His immortal words continue to ring in the nation’s heart: ‘It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body—to cast it off like a worn-out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.’ And indeed he continues to inspire millions!

He was not satisfied with inspiring others. He said,

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. . . May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls—and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable. My God f e b r u a r y

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the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of worship.3

service. Introducing his remarkable life his biography states,

No wonder people from all walks of life are paying their homage to Swamiji by organizing lectures, seminars, conventions, retreats, processions, sports-events, and cultural presentations and so on. A number of books have been brought out in various Indian and other languages to mark the event.

These are being held at various levels and will surely benefit a large mass of people. The real and long term result of this will be known after some years. It is a world of its own— different from all political, economic and other happenings, tucked in some corner but casting a powerful influence on contemporary social thinking.

Added to these are many schemes and projects for serving the poor and needy that uphold Swamiji’s ideal of service, by various organizations and individuals. Many State Governments, as also the Central Government, are organizing functions and extending assistance to mark 150th Birth Anniversary of Swamiji. There are historic celebrations organized in America, Europe and elsewhere

by Vedanta Societies, other organizations, devotees and admirers of Swamiji.

To introduce the life of Swami Vivekananda is to introduce the subject of spiritual life itself.

All the intellectual struggle, all the doubts, all the burning faith, all the unfolding process of spiritual illumination were revealed in him.

As a man and as a Vedantist he manifested the manliness that is sanctity, and the sanctity that is manliness; he manifested the patriotism that proceeds from the vision of the Dharma and the universality that comes when God is seen in everything; and through the true insight of divine wisdom, he lived a life of both intense activity and Supreme Realization. Indeed, his life revealed throughout, the glory of the supersensuous life.5

To Celebrate is to Follow Reaching Swamiji’s message to ever greater number of people is important but what is even more important is to follow him in our life. What was Swamiji’s ideal? He said,

Swamiji himself observed during his stay at the Thousand Island Parks in 1896: Those who give themselves up to the Lord do more for the world than all the so-called workers.

One man who has purified himself thoroughly accomplishes more than a regiment of preachers.

Out of purity and silence comes the word of power.6

This, then, is the core of celebration—to ‘purify oneself thoroughly’, freeing oneself from all selfishness and worldliness. One then becomes an instrument for doing the highest good. This is what constitutes true celebration, this becoming pure, which leads to feeling for the poor and the suffering, and doing silent and genuine service to them. As Swamiji further explains:

My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.4

Swami Vivekananda’s appeal and uniqueness springs from his life and personality.

He was an embodiment of love and strength, humility and self-confidence, spirituality and T h e

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He who has realized the Atman becomes a storehouse of great power. From him as the centre a spiritual force emanates, working within a certain radius; people who come within this circle become inspired with his ideas and are overwhelmed by them. Thus without much religious striving they derive benefit from the

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spiritual experience of an illumined person. This is called grace.7

not. He goes straight on his own way. So it is always, when a great soul appears there will be numbers to bark after him.’8

A Great Monk Above all, Swami Vivekananda was truly a great monk of the highest order. His immaculate life and purity of character left an indelible impression on everyone who ever met him. As to the ideal of a monk, his own words will be best to quote:

Unconcerned by fame and criticism, a true sannyasin, Swamiji lived his great life of selfless dedication for the good of others which had its origin from the realization of divinity in others. We should not forget that he was essentially a spiritually illumined person.

But was Swamiji against marriage then?

Far from it. He knew all cannot take up the monastic life and hence there should be sanctification of the institution of marriage.

Swamiji wrote in one of his letters:

O great sages! You were right. One cannot serve the God of Truth who leans upon somebody.

Be still, my soul! Be alone! and the Lord is with you. Life is nothing! Death is a delusion! All this is not, God alone is! Fear not, my soul! Be alone. . . Dream no more! Oh, dream no more, my soul!

In one word, I have a message to give, I have no time to be sweet to the world, and every attempt at sweetness makes me a hypocrite. I will die a thousand deaths rather than lead a jelly-fish existence and yield to every requirement of this foolish world, no matter whether it be my own country or a foreign country. . . Liberty, Mukti, is all my religion, and everything that tries to curb it, I will avoid by fight or flight. Pooh! I try to pacify the priests!! . . . You have not yet drunk of that fountain which makes ‘reason unreason, mortal immortal, this world a zero, and of man a God’. Come out if you can of this network of foolishness they call this world. Then I will call you indeed brave and free. If you cannot, cheer those that dare dash this false God, society.

You do not know the Sannyasin. ‘He stands on the heads of the Vedas!’ say the Vedas, because he is free from churches and sects and religions and prophets and books and all of that ilk! . . .

I take them as Bhartrihari says, ‘Go thou thy ways, Sannyasin! Some will say, “Who is this mad man?” Others, “Who is this Chandala?”

Others will know thee to be a sage. Be glad at the prattle of the worldlings.’ But when they attack, know that, ’The elephant passing through the marketplace is always beset by curs, but he cares T h e

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In my opinion, a race must first cultivate a great respect for motherhood, through the sanctification and inviolability of marriage, before it can attain to the ideal of perfect chastity.

The Roman Catholics and the Hindus, holding marriage sacred and inviolate, have produced great chaste men and women of immense power. To the Arab, marriage is a contract or a forceful possession, to be dissolved at will, and we do not find there the development of the idea of the virgin or the Brahmacharin.

Modern Buddhism—having fallen among races who had not yet come up to the evolution of marriage—has made a travesty of monasticism.

So until there is developed . . . a great and sacred ideal about marriage (apart from mutual attraction and love), I do not see how there can be great monks and nuns. . . the glory of life is chastity, so my eyes also have been opened to the necessity of this great sanctification for the vast majority, in order that a few lifelong chaste powers may be produced.9

Swamiji had, thus, a holistic and complete picture of the human situation and needs. What he upheld was the ideal of renunciation of selfishness and service to others. Sanctification of the institution of marriage, Swamiji believed, is the basis of all spiritual living, individual and collective.

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Conclusion There are three ways to celebrate the life and message of a great personality.

The first is to organise a public function and conduct a mass level event like a competition in essay writing or painting and so on. Such an event plays a vital role in spreading the message far and wide, awakening and invigourating a whole lot of people.

It brings his message and achievements into public discourse—through formal writings, debates, speeches and so on. It also includes publication of books and articles, special issues of magazines, issue of postal stamps, erecting statues, naming of a railway station after him, and so on.

The second way of celebrating his message is personal. It may be less exciting— like studying his message, discussing it with one’s friends and colleagues, and placing a portrait of his in one’s study. One can look at it occasionally to derive strength and inspiration.

The third and the ultimate form of celebrating a great person is to become the type of person and lead the type of life which he wanted. Becoming, or being, is what makes the message alive—it is ‘living’ or ‘putting into practice’ which imparts a life and meaning to his message. It is practice, action, effort, doing which fulfils the great person’s efforts. For it is

‘Men, men, these are wanted: everything else will be ready, but strong, vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, are wanted.’ In this context, the real celebration of Swamiji’s message is to take his message of renunciation and service and become the ‘man’. It is the message of being and becoming, of scaling heights of service and spirituality, of unselfishness and strength, of knowing God. To celebrate Swami Vivekananda, hence, means to follow him. That is the core of all celebrations. Public events, private celebrations and personal observations have a pivotal role in spreading Swamiji’s message far and wide.

But what is ever more pivotal is to take up the ideal of God-realization and doing good to others, the ideal of manifesting divinity in every act of our life, to worship the ‘poor and afflicted God’—and manifest it in our personal lives. True celebrations consist in experiencing Swamiji’s intense feelings for others, his concern for the poor and the suffering, in experiencing God whose manifestation this world is.

Swamiji’s words are a blazing fire and they burn their way into every receptive heart.

‘Do not be frightened at whatever drops from my lips,’ Swamiji wrote to Miss Mary Hale, ‘for the power behind me is not Vivekananda but He the Lord, and He knows best.’ o

References 1. CW, 1:427,428 Advaita Ashrama, p.1

2. CW, 1:3 6. CW, 7: 16

3. CW, 5.137 7. CW, 7.241

4. CW, 7:501 8. CW, 5:72

5. Life of Swami Vivekananda, 9. CW, 5:180

Strength is What We Want Strength, strength it is that we want so much in this life, for what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause, and that is our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance, and with ignorance comes misery. It will make us strong. Then miseries will be laughed at, then the violence of the vile will be smiled at, and the ferocious tiger will reveal, behind its tiger's nature, my own Self. That will be the result. That soul is strong that has become one with the Lord; none else is strong.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1.381 T h e

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The Lion of Vedanta Looks Back

Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (January-February, 1922-23, Pp. 326-328)

The Master As I Saw Him (Lecture by the late Swami Vimalananda)

Before I knew Swamiji personally, I had heard much about his greatness from persons who had moved and lived with him on the closest terms of intimacy. When therefore it was announced in the year 1893 that he had gone over to America to represent our religion at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, I was following his movements with the closest attention and the greatest interest. I was anxiously waiting to see if his achievements would not confirm me in my very high estimate of him. I need not tell you, people of Madras, that every bit of my expectation was much more than satisfied. But till I saw him with my own eyes the perfect satisfaction of knowing the man could not come. Till then I could not be quite free from the secret misgivings that I might be after all labouring under a delusion.

So you see, gentlemen, that I did not meet Swamiji as one in any way biased against him.

The throbbing interest and convincingness which attach to the glowing description of the conquest of opponents of a great man of overmastering personality does not belong to my subject. I may say, I was already a great admirer of his. But I must say at the same time that it was not too late in the day to retrace my steps and give Swamiji up as one unworthy of my love and esteem if facts were found to give the lie. Perhaps, the shock which such a disclosure would have given to my mind would be too painful; perhaps it would have cost a great wrenching of the heart. But I can assure you that the instinct of moral self-preservation was yet stronger than my admiration for Swamiji, and cost how much it would, the heart could not long cling round him if reason and moral sense condemned him with one voice.

And what was the nature of the greatness I was expecting to see in Swamiji? It was not the dashing and daring spirit displayed by a heroic warrior on the battlefield, nor the fine etherial vision and ecstasy of the poet, nor the vast erudition of a scholar, nor the dazzling intellectual flourish of the master controversialist nor the quick penetration and the wide comprehension of the philosopher, nor the weeping heart of a true lover of humanity. It was not that I had not had enough testimony as to these qualities of head and heart being abundantly present in him, but because my conception of religion was not wide enough to include all these under it. His marvellous achievements in the West were bringing us overwhelming evidences of his wonderful intellectual powers. But either from some T h e

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constitutional necessity or my extreme poverty in that direction I was always attributing the brightness of his intellect to his highly elevated religious life and it was this religious life that I expected to see in him. My idea of religion was then confined to purity and meditation.

Sitting at the feet of the holy and good disciples of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, I had learnt that these two were the indispensable conditions of acquiring spirituality and are the sure marks by which a religious man can always be known. My debt of gratitude to the blessed Swamis at whose feet I had learnt these great lessons is too large to be repaid. Personal contact with Swamiji instead of diminishing the value of purity and meditation in my eyes, has only enhanced it. At the same time it has heightened and intensified my conception of religion by adding new elements to it. Till I came in personal contact with Swamiji my temperament had lead me to expect to see in him a man of intense purity and meditative inwardness. And I need not tell you that I was not disappointed.

The first sight of Swamiji, the peculiar brightness of his face, his lustrous yet soft and sweet eyes, at once carried into my heart an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that I had come to a man the like of whom I had never seen before. Then when he began to talk to us making personal inquiries and giving us words of hope and encouragement with the cordiality of one truly interested in our welfare, we felt that our hearts were being drawn closer to him. To us who were very insignificant compared with his friends and visitors who were standing or sitting around him in large numbers, this kindness on his part filled us with great joy and gratitude. Then the wonderfully free and frank way in which he was talking to his visitors revealed to us a heart that knew nothing of guile or fear nor cared a bit for social conventionality. The transparently clear and pointed words that were shooting out of his lips like meteors gave us a peep into the keen penetration of his intellect and the breadth and profundity of his mental vision. We felt ourselves in the presence of an overpowering personality whose immensity it was not possible for us to gauge, but which was drawing us to itself as by a tie of close personal relationship. There arose on the first day of our meeting an excellent opportunity of knowing something of his real humility. . . A question from one of the visitors as to why Swamiji’s lecture on his Master delivered in America had not seen the light of day, brought the bold confession: ‘I did not allow it to be published as I had done injustice to my Master. My Master never condemned anything or anybody. But while I was speaking of him I criticised the people of America for their dollar-worshipping spirit. That day I learnt the lesson that I am not yet fit to talk of him.’ These words were really startling to us for more than one reason. Here was a man who was being idolised, nay actually worshipped by so many, and this man in their very presence confessing his inability to represent his Guru! ‘What an unpretentious man is before us’ said we to ourselves. ‘What a wonderful man must his Guru had been to occupy such a high place in the heart of this great man!’ o T h e

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Glimpses of Swamiji

12 January 1863 Whoever knows the longing of a mother that a son should be born to her, enters into the world of Bhuvaneshwari, the wife of Vishwanath Datta. Though she had been blessed with motherhood at an early age, her first child, a son, and her second, a daughter, had died in their childhood. Her next three children were all daughters—Haramohini (also called Haramoni), Swarnamayi, and another who also died in childhood. So, she longed for a son to carry on the family tradition, to be the link, forged out of the materials of love and suffering, between the past and the future. It has been the practice of Hindu women down the ages to place their wants and complaints before the household Deity, and to practise austerities while waiting to receive the blessings of the Lord. Thus, as Bhuvaneshwari went about her daily tasks, she prayed silently that her desire might be fulfilled.

Now, it was customary in those days-and still is—for one in dire need, or anxious that some special event should come to pass, to make offerings and sacrifices to Shiva in Varanasi. Those who lived a long distance from that holy city could make their offerings through a relative or friend who might be resident there. Accordingly, Bhuvaneshwari Devi wrote to an old aunt of the Datta family in Varanasi, asking her to make the necessary

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offerings and prayers to Vireshwar Shiva that a son might be born to her. It was arranged that on Mondays the aunt would offer worship to Vireshwar Shiva, while Bhuvaneshwari would practise special austerities on those same days.

It is said that by observing a vow of this sort for one year, one is blessed with a son. Thus Bhuvaneshwari was content to wait in perfect assurance that her prayers would be answered.

She spent her days in practising Japa and meditation. She observed fasts and intensified her many other austerities, her whole soul given over to constant recollectedness, her heart fixed in love on the Lord Shiva. Often did her mind go to Varanasi, uniting in thought with the venerable aunt as the latter poured the sacred Ganga water on the symbol of Shiva, or worshipped Him with flowers and mantras.

One night Bhuvaneshwari had a vivid dream. She had spent the day in the shrine and, as evening deepened into night, she fell asleep. The household was hushed in silence and rest. Then in the highest heavens the hour struck—the time had come for the pious woman to receive the special grace of the Lord. In her dream she saw the Lord Shiva rouse Himself from His meditation and take the form of a male child who was to be her son. She awoke. Could this ocean of light

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in which she found herself bathed be but a dream? Shiva! Shiva! Thou fulfillest in various ways the prayers of Thy devotees! From the inmost soul of Bhuvaneshwari a joyous prayer welled up, for she was confident that her long months of supplication were over and that the vision was an announcement that her prayers were to be answered. Her faith was justified; for in due course a son was born to her.

The light of the world dawned for the first time upon the future Swami Vivekananda on Monday, January 12, 1863. It was the holy morning hour—33 minutes and 33 seconds after six, a few minutes before sunrise. At the time of his birth the constellation Sagittarius was rising in the east, the moon was in the constellation Virgo, the planet Jupiter was in the eleventh house, and Saturn was in the tenth from that of his birth. It was the seventh day of the new moon (Krishna Saptami) and, as chance would have it, the last day of the ninth Bengali month Poush, known as Makara Sankranti day—a great Hindu festival. The millions of men and women who were observing the festival unknowingly greeted the new-born babe with prayers and worship. They little knew

that he had just been born, who was to usher in a new age of glory for his country, who was to reorganize the spiritual and national consciousness of India . . . preaching unto the world the message of Vedanta. And only a few miles north of Calcutta, in the garden of Dakshineshwar, a great seer was waiting for the coming of this babe, who was to grow into manhood to carry on his great work.

The household members were surprised at the features of the new-born babe. They believed that they resembled in many ways those of his grandfather, Durgaprasad, who had renounced the world; and they wondered if the monk had been born again. Thus when the time came for a name to be given to the infant, there was much discussion. Some thought it should be Durgaprasad. But when they asked the mother, she looked into the depths of the child’s eyes, as if she would see into his very soul. There was a strange stillness for some moments; then she turned to them and with much feeling said: ‘Let his name be Vireshwar! So shall he be called.’ Those who heard this were satisfied.

They called him Bileh for short. Later he came to be called Narendranath or Naren. o

vvv Reference: Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, pp. 10-11 Twelve centuries ago Sankaracharya was the only great personality, who not only spoke of the purity of our religion, not only uttered in words that this religion was our strength and wealth, not only said that it was our sacred duty to preach this religion in the length and breadth of the world—but also brought all this into action. Swami Vivekananda is a person of that stature—who appeared towards the last half of the nineteenth century.

—Bal Bangadhar Tilak

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Travelogue

The House Where Swami Vivekananda Was Born A Pilgrimage to Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House in Kolkata A Traveller

Down the Memory Lane It was in November 2012. We had long wanted to pay a visit to Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral house in north Kolkata. The muchawaited day had arrived.

Kolkata! The ‘City of Joy’, the famed capital of British Raj, the place where India’s struggle for freedom began and the city of maach, chai, and dhak! Calcutta or Kolkata is the capital of the West Bengal, located on the east bank of the Hooghly river. The city landscape is still reminiscent of its colonial past, though the impact of changing socio-political scenario can easily be perceived.

It was early noon when we reached the Bidhan Sarani, the well-known road in north Kolkata. Driving through the hustle and bustle of busy Kolkata roads—all quite reminiscent of that ‘Calcutta boy’—we entered the area called Simula, and this brought to our mind several details from Swamiji’s early life. His boyhood days, his childlike pranks, his unexplained calming down at the mere mention of the word ‘Shiva’ when his mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi poured water on his head, his ‘alarming’ acts of renunciation such as giving away his clothes to the beggars who came to his house, his mother’s forbearance, his meeting with Sri Ramakrishna—details appeared like scenes on a canvas. We were all eager to see that historic house.

As we reached the place, we saw a host of people, young and old, sauntering around.

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On all sides stood plain-looking, rather old, greyish and congested houses. Little children played in the street, young mothers were busy giving bath to babies, a mechanic was repairing a car, a few auto-rickshaw drivers waited idly for passengers, the loud sound of a TV programme, a small heap of garbage in the street corner—all familiar scenes in a truly middle-class residential locality in India. And this is where our Swami Vivekananda was born, we reflected. Not in a place far removed from our everyday life but right in our midst!

Sign board pointing to Swamiji’s house—on the Vidhan Sarani reads: Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House. . .

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A Brief History of the House Swamiji’s House is a very old house, almost 250 years old, built by Swamiji’s great grandfather, Ram Mohan Dutta. He was employed in the office of an English attorney and had earned a good fortune including much landed property. Built on a half an acre plot, it was a large, fashionable house, as in vogue among the upper middle class of those days in Kolkata. Unfortunately, after the sudden demise of Swamiji’s father, Vishwanath Dutta, in February 1884, the whole structure slowly lost much of its original grandiose features.

Vishwanath Dutta had a lucrative legal practice and was very generous by nature. A number of his relatives lived on his generosity, in the same house. But most of them were very self-centred people.

Soon after Vishwanath’s passing away, they tried to grab the very house where they lived as guests! As the property dispute grew complicated, a long drawn litigation had to be fought in the Calcutta High Court.

They, in fact, wanted to oust Swamiji’s family from their own house. After a protracted legal

battle, the Dutta family could finally retain just a portion of the house for themselves.

After the legal battle, the large house of Duttas was partitioned into ten portions.

In due course, a narrow lane ran along the partition. Thus the whole property got fragmented. As Swamiji’s younger brothers— Mahendranath Dutta and Bhupendranath Dutta—were not married, there are no descendants of the Dutta family. Only from one of Swamiji’s sister’s side, a descendant lived in a corner there.

The original house had a big courtyard (comprising inner and outer courts), a tworowed five-vaulted Puja-Dalan, separate apartments for women with a big tank for their exclusive use, a number of living rooms, a big drawing room, stables for horses and sheds for cows and so on. But how do we know what was original and what was added later? Well, we learnt, Swamiji’s two brothers have left many details of the house in some of their writings, for example, in Vivekananda Charit by Mahendra Nath Dutta. Moreover, the original floor plan of the house is available.

Side wall (with protective grill) and entrance to Swamiji’s house (the picture on the right) on Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street

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At the time of partition of the house, as per the requirements of the laws governing property-disputes, a floorplan of the disputed structure had to be submitted to the Calcutta High Court. Fortunately for us, it has been possible to retrieve it from the court records. (For a detailed account of the restoration work of Swamiji’s House, please see The Vedanta Kesari, ‘Reconstructing a Glorious Past’, 2001 July 249-253 and August 306307).

The House Now A view of the conventional / old entrance of the house We thought of entering the house An impressive bronze statue of Swamiji from the conventional door of the house on the right side of the entrance welcomes the that we had seen in Swamiji’s biographies. pilgrims. It is written on the pedestal below It consisted of a small wooden door with the statue: Swami Vivekananda was born in this cement ramp connecting it with the road. A House on 12 January 1863. marble plaque gave the identity of the house: The entry to the ancestral house is 3, Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street, Swami through an ornate building, with marble floor Vivekananda’s House. As per the viewing-plan and a modern reception-cum-guide office. It of the restored house, the entrance was closed has been built on a piece of plot next to the and we had to return to the Bidhan Sarani to original house to provide a quick and direct enter the house.

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entry to the room on the first floor where Swamiji was born.

How did they know that this is where Swamiji was born? Well, we learnt, in those days the custom was to allot a separate room to the expectant mothers. Called Andar Mahal in Bengali, this room used to have no regular roof. This was an all-purpose place for the womenfolk of the house. Being a private enclosure, they could dry their hair or spread their clothes or carry on other such activities in privacy. During the rainy season, however, a temporary straw roofing was erected for protection from rain. There is sufficient material to establish that this was indeed the room where he was born.

At present there is a beautiful shrine where Andar Mahal once existed. Swamiji’s portrait is kept on a wooden altar and there is an ornamental dome above it. Fresh flowers and agarbatis added a holy charm to the place.

We humbly bowed down at the sacred place and sat in deep silence.

Right beneath Swamiji’s room is a shrine dedicated to Vireshwar Shiva—named after

A view of the altar in the room (above) where Swamiji was born and Puja Dalan and other rooms (below)

the famed temple in Varanasi. As is well known, Swamiji was born of his mother’s prayers to Vireshwar Shiva for a son. Daily worship to Lord Shiva is done in this shrine.

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Bhuwaneshwari Devi, Swamiji's mother

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Swamiji’s siblings

Swarnamayee Devi (sister)

Mahendranath Dutta (brother)

We went around the house. We went through an open space with an exquisite verandah having several arch-like pillars called the Puja or Thakur Dalan. In traditional

Another view of Swamiji’s house T h e

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Bhupendranath Dutta (brother)

houses in those days, the first thing that one encountered was a place for conducting pujas.

Dalan means a hall. On many occasions, elaborate worship of Divine Mother used to be performed in this place. We also saw the room where the young Naren was supposed to have been locked up to keep him away from doling out his clothes, etc., to the beggars who came to his door. We saw the window from where young Naren would do it.

We recalled many childhood incidents: young Biley (as Naren was fondly called by his mother; Biley is shortened form of Bireshwar or Vireshwar Shiva) sampling various hookas to test what happened if he violated caste rules; his intent listening to the stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata lying in his mother’s lap, absorbing every bit of them; his tremendous restlessness which often forced his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, to say ‘I prayed to Shiva for a son–and he has sent me one of His demons’; Biley’s favourite play of conducting a court, with him as the king sitting at the head of the staircase and his friends acting as courtiers and so on. It was re-living a splendid past.

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We also saw the room where Bhuvaneshwari Devi lived, as also the rooms where Swamiji’s brothers resided. We went through the museum on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. It has many articles associated with the memory of Swami Vivekananda, his mother, and his two illustrious brothers.

Other Activities Swamiji’s ancestral house (the Memorial, as it is called) is surrounded by a couple of new buildings on the pieces of plots acquired/ bought by the Ramakrishna Mission. It is now a branch centre of the Ramakrishna Mission.

Here a number of welfare activities are held for the benefit of the local populace. There is a textbook library, a spoken English unit, a computer-training centre, a non-formal education centre for slum children, a charitable allopathic-cum-homeopathic dispensary and so on. There is also a research centre under the ambit of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math.

Musical instruments used by Swamiji kept at the museum

Regular weekly classes and discourses by monks are held in the open space adjacent the text-book library. Many well-known scholars and speakers discourse on various aspects of Swamiji’s life, Indian culture and spiritual matters and a good number of people come to attend the events. There is a separate building housing a Ramakrishna monastery (Math).

Visiting the place of birth of a luminary such as Swami Vivekananda is definitely a pilgrimage. Hundreds of pilgrims and visitors come here daily—to recharge their battery of inspiration, to enrich their lives and feel Swamiji’s living presence.

Don't miss this sacred place when you visit Kolkata next. o The magnificent entrance to Swamiji house

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‘Multiplicity Is Only Apparent’ Lessons in Pluralism from Vivekananda, My Mentor Jay Lakhani

Getting Introduced to Swamiji Since childhood the aspect of religion that attracted me most was its experiential side. Its narratives or liturgy had limited attraction for me. Religious personalities that captured my attention were those individuals whose lives were guided by firsthand spiritual experiences.

Hence in my young days I spent a lot of time exploring the lives of personalities like Ramana Maharshi and Sri Ramakrishna.

At the age of seventeen I joined Imperial College in London to read physics and quite ironically at the same time I came across the Complete Works of Vivekananda (then in eight volumes, and now in nine volumes).

While at the college, in the mornings I was exposed to the teachings of most physical of physical sciences and in the evenings I immersed myself in the spiritual stream that flows from the lectures of Vivekananda. During that period, many a day and night were filled with intense spiritual fervour. By the grace of my mentor, Swami Vivekananda, spiritual truths

were no more a matter of belief or intellectual acceptance; they became a reality for me. I had a real struggle to keep attending college lectures that focused on material science but somehow I persevered, and even went on to do a Masters’ degree in quantum physics. At that time I did not know why I was so attracted to the Quantum phenomenon but now I know.

The Place of Religious Pluralism One of the greatest divides we face in this century is the divide between science and spirituality.

On one side sits not one, but a multitude of religious worldviews and on the other side sits a more unified, science oriented, rationally founded world-view.

A reconciliation is crucial else the marvellous discoveries at the heart of all religions are in danger of being snuffed out by the far more popular human enterprise—science. My mentor holds the key for that much needed reconciliation.

For a rationalist, the first issue is how can all religions be right? They talk of different Gods or sometimes of no God. Either one

Jay Lakhani, the Head of the Hindu Academy, as also Education Director, the Hindu Council, United Kingdom, and a theoretical physicist, explores how the findings of modern physics relate to the broader ideas of spirituality. He is a teacher at Eton College, and author of several books relating to the teaching of Hinduism in schools in United Kingdom. Born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania, he came to London in his teens for his schooling and later studied physics in Imperial College. He completed his postgraduate degree in Quantum Mechanics in 1970.

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religion is right, or the rest are in error, or quite likely the whole lot are in error! Vivekananda reconciled this disjoint in his address at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. He suggested that at the experiential level all prophets encountered the same spirit but a variation takes place when they try and give expression to their spiritual experiences.

This variation is inevitable because it reflects a variation in the mind-sets of different cultures in different historic periods. Over time, each expression ossifies into a religion or a different sect within the same religion. It is not that one is right and the rest are wrong—they are various attempts to infuse spirituality in greater society. This insight is popularly called Religious Pluralism.

Religious pluralism recognises variation in spiritual expressions and challenges exclusivist claims made by any religion.

Since the time of Vivekananda’s famous speech, Religious Pluralism has entered social vocabulary. Recent surveys show that a large percentage of even the evangelical Christians are comfortable with the concept of pluralism. Recently one of the main Shia groups in London happily published my article on pluralism on the front page of its publication! Without much drum beating or fanfare, pluralism has gently entered public consciousness. I am frequently asked to speak at inter-faith meetings in the UK and I vociferously promote religious pluralism thus acquiring the title ‘evangelical pluralist’. This is what my mentor has turned me into!

What Modern Youth Like Majority of youngsters I interact with at schools and colleges do not like to be called religious; they see themselves as being spiritual. When asked to explain what they mean by spiritual they struggle because it is T h e

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difficult to intellectualise something that they feel is essentially intuitive. Most of them like humanism but not necessarily the materialistic humanism promoted by the likes of Richard Dawkins. Without realising, what they are actually attracted to is spiritual humanism that Vivekananda promoted so strongly.

Materialistic humanists see humanity as the extension of the material kingdom while spiritual humanists see themselves as spiritual beings on a material journey. The second form of humanism is far more attractive to modern youngsters. Dignifying and empowering humanity was Vivekananda’s passion. In the process he was quite happy to diminish his own importance! At one point he said something very prophetic, something that has broken the mould used by earlier prophets: He said [not exact words but implied], ‘Do not bow down to a Vivekananda, become better than a Vivekananda’. Such uttering ensured that one continues to empower humanity to resolve its own issues by its own efforts.

Spirituality and Quantum Physics Thanks to Swamiji’s inspiration, I have taken on a very challenging task. This comprises making a robust attempt to reconcile the findings at the cutting edge discoveries of modern science with the esoteric concepts at the heart of Hinduism. In the process, this means challenging the paradigm of materialism. I offer talks on this theme at various universities including Oxford and Cambridge. These talks are well-received. I make no secret that the relevant and engaging materials I bring out in my talks have come straight out of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.

Let me just touch on one such notion that exhibits a clear linkage between science and spirituality and challenges materialism.

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At the heart of physics sits a marvellous discovery called the Quantum. Scientists find this concept stupendously successful and yet impossible to grasp conceptually. When it comes to understanding the fabric of reality, physics cannot do without the Quantum. This discovery is far more relevant than all the other discoveries of science rolled together. It offers rigorous mathematical articulation of everything from the workings of the computer chip to the structure of DNA. And yet conceptually the same phenomenon remains a mystery. The reason why it is so intriguing is because it insists that the underpinning to the world of matter scientists are so fixated on is essentially non-material. ‘Matter is a mere appearance’ says Erwin Schrödinger, one of the fathers of Quantum Physics.

To get a conceptual grasp of the Quantum we have to refer to one of the talks by Vivekananda on Raja Yoga. In this talk he said that the whole creation can be explained in terms of just two entities! The first is all-

penetrating existence (akasha) and the second entity is a shudder in existence (prana). He gave this talk in 1895 when Quantum was unheard of; so a linkage with physics in his time was not possible. He seems to have left that task for future generations! Quantum physics insists that the world we see and experience as the empirical universe is not an objective reality but multitude of wiggles in existence. Keeping this in mind, I tell the physicists that the only way they can appreciate Quantum is by giving up a fixation on matter and trying to explain the world in material terms. Science has entered a new phase where matter has been severely demoted—in fact it is valued as a mere appearance. Adi Shankara and Vivekananda, the great teachers of this grand idea, must be smiling!

A major paradigm shift is in the making—a shift that will merge science into spirituality. This is one of the most decisive contributions of Swami Vivekananda to the modern world. o

Science is nothing but the finding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus Chemistry could not progress farther when it would discover one element out of which all others could be made.

Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfil its services in discovering one energy of which all the others are but manifestations, and the science of religion become perfect when it would discover Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the constant basis of an ever changing world. One who is the only Soul of which all souls are but delusive manifestations. Thus it is, through multiplicity and duality that the ultimate unity is reached.

Religion can go no farther. This is the goal of all science. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1: 14

India’s Timeless Wisdom

^doV² gË`§ Z dº$ì`§ dº$ì`_Z¥V§ ^doV²& `ÞmZ¥V§ ^doV² gË`§ gË`§ dm AZ¥V§ ^doV²&& One can utter a lie if it can give greater ‘punya’ than telling the ‘truth’. A lie which can give the result of telling a ‘truth’ such lies can be uttered. At such times it is not necessary to tell the truth.

—A Traditional Saying

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Annual Report

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2011-12 The 103rd Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, the 16th December 2012 at 3.30 p.m. Following is the synopsis of the annual report presented at the meeting which was attended by monastic and lay members. The meeting also included presentation of the Report on the Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Sri Ramakrishna’s 175th Birth Anniversary was celebrated by the Headquarters and the branch centres by conducting Seminars, Interfaith Meets, Parliaments of Religions, Processions, etc.

In commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, UNESCO Headquarters at Paris inaugurated an exhibition on Swamiji at the Town Hall of Paris. In collaboration with Kolkata Metro Railway, telecast of programmes on Swamiji in the CCTVs at the different metro stations of the city was arranged.

Centres in Karnataka organized Swami Vivekananda Jyoti Yatra covering almost all the districts of Karnataka traversing 4000 km. The four-year-long service programmes started in different parts of the country in 2010 continued. A sum of Rs.28.40 crore was spent on these centralgovernment-aided service projects from 08.10.2010 to 31.08.2012. A brief report is given below: In educational field, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) Vivekananda University started PhD courses in Agricultural Biotechnology and Rural T h e

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Development, and a one-year PG Diploma course in Sports Science at its Narendrapur Campus, (ii) Vidyamandira college of Saradapitha centre started MSc course in Applied Chemistry affiliated to Calcutta University; (iii) Vivekananda College of Chennai Vidyapith was awarded ‘A’ grade (the highest grade) by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

In medical field, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) Inauguration of a modernized Cardiac Operation Theatre comprising five-bed Cardiac Surgery ITU, Heart Lung Machine, Ventilators, etc in Lucknow hospital; (ii) Installation of 16-Slice CT Scanner System, RX Lithotripter Compatible Busket with Accessories, etc. at Seva Pratisthan hospital in Kolkata; (iii) Setting up of a Dual Slice Spiral CT Scan unit at Vrindaban hospital; (iv) starting of rural mobile medical service by Deoghar centre.

In rural development, the following new projects deserve special mention: (i) 2227.76 acres of land was brought under paddy seed production, 13 irrigation units and 117 percolation tanks were constructed, and a

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mobile soil analysis laboratory was started

by Ranchi (Morabadi) centre; (ii) Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur centre started a number of projects viz., promotion of rural eco-entrepreneurs by imparting training on lac and tasar cultivation, processing of medicinal non-timber forest products, remote village electrification, starting of an adult education centre, etc. (iii) Narainpur centre (Chhattisgarh) dug 16 deep tube-wells, 4 ponds and 6 wells in remote villages.

During the year under review, the Ramakrishna Math upgraded two subcentres—one at Sinthi, Kolkata, and another at Gourhati, Hooghly, both in West Bengal—to independent branch centres.

Under the Ramakrishna Math, the following new projects deserve special mention: (i) Production of India’s first stereoscopic 3D animated movie on Swami Vivekananda

by Chennai Math; (ii) starting of mobile book stalls by Pune and Thrissur centres, (iii) Installation of Ultrasound scanning machine with Echocardiogram and colour doppler at Thiruvananthapuram hospital; (iv) construction of a school building and a vocational training centre building at Parevada village for the Madari (snake charmers) community and a shed for students at Bhuj by Rajkot centre.

Outside India, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) Japan centre conducted relief operations in the wake

of the devastating earthquake and tsunami; (ii) Nadi centre in Fiji conducted flood relief and rehabilitation programme; (iii) A postal stamp on Swami Vivekananda was brought out by Pos Malaysia (a post services company in Malaysia), at the initiative of our Malaysia centre; (iv) Durban centre in South Africa built an educational and skills development centre for a high school at Kwa Mashu.

During the year, the Ramakrishna Mission and Math undertook several relief and rehabilitation programmes in different parts of the country involving an expenditure of Rs. 4.93 crore, benefiting 3.64 lakh people belonging to 1.27 lakh families in 1658 villages.

Welfare work by way of providing scholarships to poor students, pecuniary help to old, sick and destitute people, etc (about 55.88 lakh beneficiaries); the expenditure incurred was Rs. 27.85 crore.

Medical service was rendered to more than 77.82 lakh people through 15 hospitals, 123 dispensaries and 59 mobile medical units; the expenditure incurred was Rs. 119.87 crore.

Nearly 3.23 lakh students were studying in our educational institutions from kindergarten to university level. A sum of Rs. 220.42 crore was spent on educational work.

A number of rural and tribal development projects were undertaken with a total expenditure of Rs.37.46 crore benefiting about 67.74 lakh rural people.

Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda A brief progress report of the Central-Government-grant-aided service projects from 08.10.2010 to 31.08.2012 Print Media Project: Printed 10.82 lakh copies of books on Swamiji’s life and teachings in 23 languages and 13.25 lakh copies on 15 other titles in 10 languages. A sum of Rs.254.26 lakh was spent.

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Cultural Programmes Project: Organized six state-level seminars on religious harmony / interfaith harmony, interfaith dialogues in four states, and a regional programme on tribal and folk culture. A sum of Rs.73.34 lakh was spent.

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Electronic Media Project: Audio DVDs on ‘Personality Development’ (Part-1) and ‘Education as viewed by Swami Vivekananda’ with multimedia effect were produced. Work on producing a full-length feature film on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda is in progress. A sum of Rs.87.99 lakh was spent.

Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa (Integrated Child Development): 174 units started in 23 states. About 17,500 children were benefited. A sum of Rs.1,107.12 lakh was spent.

Vivekananda Swasthya Parisheva Prakalpa (Health Services Project for Mothers & Children): 126 units started in 22 states. About 13,000 children were benefited. A sum of Rs.720.70 lakh was spent.

Sarada Palli Vikas Prakalpa (Women Self-Empowerment): 10 units started in 8 states. In all, 1619 women were benefited. A sum of Rs.99.76 lakh was spent.

Swami Akhandananda Seva Prakalpa (Poverty Alleviation): 10 units started in 6 states. Altogether 1135 people were benefited.

A sum of Rs.97.28 lakh was spent.

Special Programmes for the Youth: Started 6 Youth Counseling Cells in 5 states; Organized State Level Youth Convention / Camps in 5 states—total participants: 10,111; Held 6 State Level and 3 Regional Level Youth Competitions—total participants: 1,61,654; Conducted Sustained Graded Value Education Programmes through (a) 381 units (Non-formal type) in 13 states with 16,360 students of 253 institutions, and (b) 2,290 units (Classroombased) in 14 states with 1,02,965 students of 656 schools; printed 15.49 lakh books for 182

titles in five languages under the Non-formal Programme. A sum of Rs.400.62 lakh was spent.

In all, a sum of Rs.28.40 crore was spent on the above projects.

Besides, a number of centres organized various programmes without government aid, e.g. Chennai Math centre launched a state-of-the-art multimedia gallery ‘Experience Vivekananda’ at Vivekandar Illam; Port Blair centre organized ‘Vivekananda Value Inculcation Programme’ for students; Rajkot centre started ‘Vivekananda Service Corps’—a unit of 52 young men, who are being trained in first aid, disaster management and other reliefrelated services.

We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our members and friends for their kind cooperation and help.

Swami Suhitananda General Secretary

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Sri Ramakrishna was a master story-teller. While he spoke of profound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply used stories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and change the tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. The following stories, mainly culled from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are an attempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishna’s rich store-house of stories which are both illuminating and simple.

26 Man Absorbed in Angling.

A man was angling in a lake all by himself. After a long while the float began to move. Now and then its tip touched the water.

The angler was holding the rod tight in his hands, ready to pull it up, when a passer-by stopped and said, ‘Sir, can you tell me where Mr. Bannerji lives?’ There was no reply from the angler, who was just on the point of pulling up the rod. Again and again the stranger said to him in a loud voice, ‘Sir, can you tell me where Mr. Bannerji lives?’ But the angler was unconscious of everything around him. His hands were trembling, his eyes fixed on the float. The stranger was annoyed and went on.

When he had gone quite a way, the angler’s float sank under water and with one pull of the rod he landed the fish. He wiped the sweat from his face with his towel and shouted after the stranger. ‘Hey!’ he said. 'Come here!

Listen!' But the man would not turn his face.

After much shouting, however, he came back and said to the angler, ‘Why are you shouting at me?’ ‘What did you ask me about?’ said the angler. The stranger said, ‘I repeated the question so many times and now you are asking me to repeat it once more!’ The angler replied, ‘At that time my float was about to sink; so I didn't hear a word of what you said.’

(Pp.744) T h e

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Golap and the Job-seeker A job-seeker got tired of visiting the manager in an office. He couldn’t get the job.

The manager said to him, ‘There is no vacancy now; but come and see me now and then.’ This went on for a long time, and the candidate lost all hope. One day he told his tale of woe to a friend. The friend said: ‘How stupid you are!

Why are you wearing away the soles of your feet going to that fellow? You had better go to Golap. You will get the job tomorrow.’ ‘Is that so?’ said the candidate. Golap was the manager’s mistress. The candidate called on her and said: ‘Mother, I am in great distress.

You must help me out of it. I am the son of a poor brahmin. Where else shall I go for help? I have been out of work many days. My children are about to starve to death. I can get a job if you but say the word.’ Golap said to him, ‘Child, whom should I speak to?’ She said to herself: ‘He has been suffering too much.’ He said to her, ‘I am sure to get the job if you just put in a word about it to the manager.’ Golap said, ‘I shall speak to him today and settle the matter.’ The very next morning a man called on the candidate and said, ‘You are to work in the manager’s office, beginning today.’ The manager said to his boss: ‘This man is very competent. I have appointed him. He will do credit to the firm.’ (p.748)

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Education For Life Swami Supradiptananda

The Purpose of Education Education is indispensable for the progress and growth of an individual.

Education makes a man what he is.

Unfortunately, however, formal education is often restricted only to career-making and acquisition of working skills for earning a livelihood. This approach also leads to mushrooming of schools and colleges where the purpose of all activity is only to make the students score high marks or grades, overlooking other aspects of life. The students thus do not know how to face life or solve the problems of life. They end up becoming depressed, confused and anxious, leading to many social and psychological problems.

The real purpose of education should be to create right type of human beings. ‘Men, men, these are wanted,’ said Swami Vivekananda.

Indeed, ‘men’ or ‘women’ who are skilled in work and strong in character is what is wanted.

How do we achieve it? Through ‘man-making’ or personality development.

Education and Development While a nation may be rich in natural resources, it is the human resources that are most important. To have the right kind of humans, or proper ‘human resource management’, therefore, is vital for a nation’s growth and development. This means taking care of the education given to an individual. It is the key to nation-building.

Learning or education starts right when one is in mother’s womb. Mother’s thoughts and activities shape the growing child. Various researches have confirmed the pre-natal influence on human personality.

And as a child, one learns by watching and observing his parents and others around. One learns to co-relate the things that one observes, right or wrong, and thus one’s personality begins to develop. Further, formal education and interaction with others develop the individual’s personality. Education, however, is much more than formal education. Whole life itself is a learning process. Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘As long as I live, I learn.’

Developing the Complete Personality According to Indian Tradition, human personality has three dimensions—physical, intellectual (and emotional) and spiritual.

Education should deal with all the three. Let us briefly understand them: Physical Dimension: The first dimension of man’s personality is his body. It is the physical dimension. It refers to man’s physical needs and growth. One should learn how to be physically strong and healthy. Right education should help in developing a strong stamina and healthy habits. Strong physical constitution helps one accept and face challenges of life. One should also learn the importance of right eating habits. Food is the source of energy for physical growth. One

o The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at Ramakrishna Mission, Narottam Nagar in Arunachal Pradesh.

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should also learn the importance of physical exercises and games. They should become part of one’s life. Yogasanas and simple forms of pranayama also are of much value in this context.

Intellectual Dimension: Intellectual growth refers to a person’s thinking, logical and memory skills. Reading books and articles, watching movies, visiting places and interacting with men of intellectual eminence—all these go a long way in one’s intellectual growth. Exposure to healthy literature and a proper approach to learning help develop intellectual faculty. If one is given right direction at the primary level itself, it goes a long way in making one intellectually strong. Lessons in concentration and selfdiscipline play a key role in developing one’s intellect. Along with intellectual development one must develop strength of mind and steadiness of character.

Moral and Spiritual Dimension: Unfortunately, moral dimension is given least attention in modern society. With overemphasis on money-earning and career building, moral training of an individual is awfully neglected. Mere intellectually bright people, without moral and spiritual training, turn out to be a burden and a threat to society.

Morality is the basis of character building. The training in moral principles begins at home, early in life, while the growing child observes and interacts with his parents, siblings, friends and others. But there are many contemporary challenges to this aspect of early training in moral refinement. Changing socioeconomic situation keep the parents busy with their profession and personal issues and they leave the whole thing to schooling system which itself lacks in many ways. Added to it is the rise of information technology. Today the world has become small, thanks to instant T h e

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communication and information technology.

While it has a bright side, there are many darker aspects to it. Easy access to Internet and entertainment has exposed the young minds to all kinds of low, obscene and negative thoughts and they become a prey to many wrong things at an early age.

One of the best ways to check this is that the parents and elders should spend quality time with children and also make them aware of the life-building ideas of great personalities including Swami Vivekananda. The students should be encouraged to read and discuss Swamiji’s life and teachings through forming Vivekananda Study Circles. The Study Circles should hold regular reading classes and also encourage the young minds to understand Swamiji’s teachings through interactions with knowledgeable persons.

Moral education cannot be given by books only. One needs an example in order to develop faith in moral principles. Hence, the teachers of moral principles should themselves practice what they preach. Values cannot be taught but they can be caught—by observing the life of an exemplary person.

Conclusion Complete education means harmonious development of all faculties of man—physical, intellectual and spiritual. Swami Vivekananda (CW, 6:49) succinctly placed the ideal of such an education thus:

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We want the man whose heart feels intensely the miseries and sorrows of the world. . . And [we want] the man who not only can feel but can find the meaning of things, who delves deeply into the heart of nature and understanding. [We want] the man who will not even stop there, [but] who wants to work out [the feeling and meaning by actual deeds]. Such a combination of head, heart, and hand is what we want.’ o f e b r u a r y

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New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 Math, Belur, Howrah; 20th September 1900.

My dear Mrs.Brown, Your kind letter came to me duly. I am glad to know how much you have acquired in power and expression by this time.

The Father truly resides in us and what we have to do is to make ourselves fit instruments to express His power and glory. That is the one goal for religion and human life. Keep that always in view and your journey will be blest for all time to come.

I am glad to hear what you say of Mrs.Wheeler. I hope she will be well before this reaches you. Kindly tender my regards to her when you meet again.

The famine has almost ended here and our work going on as before.

I am glad to know my friends in Montclair are progressing as fast. Remember me kindly to all.

I will read your book with much pleasure when it comes.

My kindest regards to yourself and love and blessings to the children, I remain Sincerely yours Saradananda On the cover:: Mrs.B.Brown, 109 Mountain Ave.North Montclair, N.J. U.S.America Nov. 10th 1900 Math. Belur. Howrah. India.

My dear Granny,2 S. Turiyananda has requested me to write to you to send him the copies of Mahabharata in Bengali, which I left at Cambridge—three or four big square volumes, you might remember.

Will you kindly see that he gets them for his use?

I am feeling better & stronger each day under the treatment of this doctor and hope to be quite myself again in a short time.

I hope your stay in England is proving pleasant & profitable. Everything is going on as usual here.

With all love & blessings Yours affectionately Saradananda T h e T h e

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Nov. 15th 1900 Math. Belur. Howrah India Dear Mrs.Briggs I thank you for your kind letter of Oct 22nd. I am much better now & having a vacation i.e., a rest from all work for these days; though I have kept myself by to be ready at a moment’s call when necessary. The workers are few & we are passing through hard times. More I cannot write. The kind wishes & constant friendship of friends like yourself have always been & will always be the stay for me ever. Do you not be anxious for me. I am going to be myself again quite soon.

I believe you will get this while with Granny. Does she look strong & happy? She ever hides all this from me—wicked G— With kindest regards to you as ever & best wishes Faithfully your friend Saradananda Nov. 15th 1900 Math. Belur. Howrah India Dear Granny I have had no lines from you last mail & hope you are perfectly well.

I am getting stronger each day under the treatment of the doctor & most possibly the cure will be permanent this time. I am taking perfect rest & mean to do it for a month or two.

So don’t think I am hard with myself. I wish only you were with me here & Santi during this time. I will have to be near the Math though or in some place whence I can come in a day or two when necessary.

I believe I have told you the Swami has paid back the money which he took from the Math fund & has also sent money for his law suits. He told me to let you know this as soon as possible.

Remember me kindly to Margot & tell her the Holy Mother will be in Calcutta in a fortnight. She has sent her love & blessings to you & her & Jojo.

My father & mother have desired to be kindly remembered & the friend her best love.

Hoping you are well & strong & the stay in London is doing good every way. I am as ever yours with all love & blessings Saradananda References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math T h e T h e

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When Shraddha ‘Enters’ Life Swami Shrimohanananda

What is Shraddha Shraddha, a Sanskrit term, has no English equivalent. While it is at times translated as ‘faith’, shraddha is much more than that. Adi Shankaracharya describes shraddha as astikya buddhi—‘intellect of right understanding’.

Shraddha means deep conviction in the words of wisdom of sages. It refers to an attitude of ‘is-ness’ (astikya) of a something.

What are the characteristics of shraddha?

Let us take the Nachiketa episode given in the Katha Upanishad to understand it.

The Episode The Katha Upanishad, one may recall here, was dear to Swami Vivekananda. He greatly admired the poetic charm and depth of understanding with which the idea of shraddha the Katha Upanishad describes.

Swamiji liked the idea of shraddha or immense faith in the is-ness of one’s being, or faith in oneself. He said (CW, 3:190), Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God—this is the secret of greatness. If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, and in all the gods which foreigners have now and again introduced into your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you.

Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.

Nachiketa, a young boy, is the central character of the Katha Upanishad. The

recipient of the highest knowledge, which the Upanishad elucidates, is a young boy, kumara.

This suggests that a seeker should be pure like a young boy.

The Nachiketa story goes like this.

His father Vajashravasa was famous for his generosity. Vajashravas was performing a very big Vedic fire-sacrifice (yajna). As part of the fire-sacrifice, he was expected to give away everything. But as he was attached to his wealth and son, his gifts were not honest and earnest. He was making a show of it. He was giving away old and unwanted things. It was a mere show-off and a half-hearted act.

When Shraddha ‘Entered’ It was at this stage that shraddha ‘enters’ into Nachiketa. Imbued with shraddha, Nachiketa wakes up to the situation and begins questioning the probity of his father’s act of fake charity. He begins to examine what he was witnessing. Indeed, an unexamined life is not worth living. Nachiketa developed courage worthy of a man of shraddha. Often one overlooks others’ wrongs because one is weak and lacks courage to point them out. He does not want to face its unpleasant consequences. But when shraddha enters a man’s heart, like Nachiketa, one becomes strong and courageous to ask unpleasant questions and face unpleasant situations.

Nachiketa begins pondering: ‘Being a son, I should help my father to attain some

o The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at Ramakrishna Math, Khar, Mumbai.

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higher worlds after death (‘a son is called putra in Sanskrit as he helps his father to cross over the hell named pun’—cf. Manusmriti 9.138). On the contrary, my father will go to some unpleasant, sorrowful next world because of his attachment to me. So, I must do something to save him.’ According to Adi Shankaracharya, this kind of introspection leads to good. When one is keen on others’ well-being, he is imbued with shraddha. Here Nachiketa is concerned about his father’s wellbeing.

But Nachiketa is respectful to his father.

He does not harshly express his views to his father who was sitting among wise people, performing the Vedic sacrifice. He is circumspect in his behaviour. This is something to note. Being truthful should be the real purpose of one’s speech. He should not be overpowered by a desire to hurt and prove one’s superiority and call it truthfulness. It is really the game one’s ego plays. It is the ego that wants to hurt and insult under the garb of ‘speaking the truth’. A man of shraddha must be careful about it. Nachiketa knew this hidden enemy.

One may also cite here the instance of Sri Ramakrishna asking young Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) as to what he will think if he finds the worldly-minded people speaking against the spiritual-minded people.

Narendra replied, ‘I will consider them as dog’s bark.’ Sri Ramakrishna immediately corrects and tells him one should not go so far!

One should be indifferent to them.

Nachiketa knew his father’s weakness but he did not desire to vilify him before others. Hence he quietly goes to his father and asks him to whom he shall offer him (Nachiketa) in this sacrifice, since son is also the property of his father and he has to offer all his property in this mighty sacrifice. Nachiketa T h e

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wanted himself to be given away as a gift! In today’s context, this ‘giving away’ may seem an infringement of individual’s freedom. But this is an indication of the deep bond of love between father-son—the hallmark of a highly refined culture.

The Power of Shraddha At first, Nachiketa’s father does not respond to his son’s question. Nachiketa repeats his question and this makes his father lose his temper and he tells in an admonishing tone: ‘Unto death I give you’. Die! One may hear such words from an angry person but no one takes them seriously. They are taken to be just words of scolding.

On the contrary, his father’s words set Nachiketa thinking. ‘What does my father want to fulfill by sending me to the God of Death?’ he asks himself. ‘Am I so worthless that my existence is of no value? I am best among many and middlemost among others, but never am I the last.’ He also realizes the plight of his father who cannot take back his words. This is something to note: one should value what one speaks and keep one’s words.

Maintaining the sanctity of one’s promise is an important virtue of a man of culture.

Vishnu Smriti (verse 8) says: ‘If a thousand Ashvamedha Yajnas and truthfulness are weighed on a scale, truthfulness outweighs all those.’ Nachiketa does not want his father to go back on what he has said.

He ponders over the issue deeply and finally makes a choice—he chooses good over pleasant, permanent over transitory.

He tells himself that no permanent benefit can be derived from falsehood. Men die and take birth like corn; life is impermanent.

Hence there is no point in treading the path of falsehood. One should stick to truth—to that which is permanent. Those who run after

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the transitory gains are like babies, lacking in wisdom and maturity.

Thinking thus Nachiketa goes to the abode of death, to meet the god of death, Yama. He waits for three nights, as Yama was not in station. When he returns, Yama grants him three boons in lieu of this wait and the rest is the Katha Upanishad. This is how when shraddha ‘enters’ the heart—one becomes humble, courageous and faithful.

Shraddha: Further Dimensions In the Bhagawad Gita the word shraddha occurs in several places. Sri Krishna speaks highly of a man of shraddha. Without shraddha, a person is unfit to carry on anything significant. What distinguishes one person from another is this shraddha.

An entire chapter in the Gita (chapter 17) is dedicated to shraddha where Sri Krishna describes the ‘three-fold shraddha’.

Shraddha, he says, is the very essence of a person. One behaves as guided by the type of shraddha one has. One’s shraddha depends on the predominance of one of the three gunas (qualities) which are the very fabric of life. These three are sattva, rajas, and tamas— serenity, activity and inertia.

Adi Shankaracharya in one of his commentaries calls shraddha as the storehouse of all auspicious tendencies. It is the very core of human existence. Shraddha is ever present in us but has been covered up by primal ignorance (avidya). It is said that even before the sense of I-ness (ahamkara), shraddha is present in man. Hence, shraddha is not something to be acquired but one has to only discover or uncover it.

In his famous lecture given in Madras in 1897, Swami Vivekananda said (CW, 3: 320),

you is the great task to get that faith. Give up the awful disease that is creeping into our national blood, that idea of ridiculing everything, that loss of seriousness. Give that up. Be strong and have this Shraddha, and everything else is bound to follow.

We also find in another Upanishad, the Chandogya Upanishad the story of Shvetaketu and his father Uddalaka. Uddalaka tries hard to teach his son about Highest Truth through various examples but fails to convince him.

Shvetaketu wants further explanation. Unable to explain further, Uddalaka concludes, ‘Have faith, O good one’. (shradhyasva somya).

We must not confuse quest with unending questioning. Questioning can take us forward to some limit but intellect has its limitations. One needs inner purity to know the truth. We have to have faith, shraddha. It is the very basis of life. If one starts doubting one’s kin and colleagues, or the medicine which a doctor prescribes, or the driver who drives our car and so on, we cannot continue our sane living! We will become abnormal.

Whether in mundane matters or in spiritual matters, one has to have shraddha.

Conclusion Sincerity of purpose—this is the core of shraddha. Nachiketa had shraddha and that led him to question the god of death, and know the Highest Truth. Possessed with such shraddha, one can achieve anything. It is the secret of success.

To put this idea in Swami Vivekananda’s words (CW, 3: 445),

This shraddha is what I want, and what all of us here want, this faith in ourselves, and before T h e

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First, have faith in yourselves. Know that though one may be a little bubble and another may be a mountain-high wave, yet behind both the bubble and the wave there is the infinite ocean.

Therefore there is hope for every one. There is salvation for every one. o f e b r u a r y

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Report

The Landing Named After Vivekananda The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre of New York in celebrating the 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda organised a function at the Thousand Island Park, where Swami Vivekananda lived and taught for seven weeks in the summer of 1895. As a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on the occasion, the Board of Directors of Thousand Island Park (the village administration) issued a Proclamation permanently naming a central place along the shore of the St. Lawrence River ‘Vivekananda Landing’. The spot marks the very place where Vivekananda landed on June 18, 1895 for his seven week stay at Thousand Island Park. The following is the text of the Proclamation presented by the Board of Directors of Thousand Island Park:

Thousand Island Park Corporation Board of Directors Proclamation Whereas, Swami Vivekananda, the patriot saint of modern India, an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness, and a lover of mankind who strove to promote peace and human brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence, arrived at Thousand Island Park on June 18th, 1895 and Whereas, Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, compiled from his seven week stay at the Park, continues to inspire followers around the World, and Whereas, upon his departure from the Park, he said the words; ‘I bless these Thousand Islands’ and, Whereas, to commemorate the celebration of the 150th Birthday of Swami Vivekananda, in a suitable manner and reflective of its admiration for the Good Swami and its appreciation for his many Devoted Followers, the Thousand Island Park Corporation, by its Board of Directors, Hereby proclaims on this day, July, 28th, 2012 that the place along the shore, near the easterly corner made by St. Lawrence Avenue and East Coast Avenue, and overlooking the beautiful St. Lawrence River will henceforth be known as Vivekananda Landing.

And furthermore, be it resolved that a suitable marker shall be erected at the aforementioned site so that all who come to view it shall be reminded of Swami Vivekananda and his welcomed stay in our community.

William N. Burns, President Michael Stedem, Vice President Thousand Island Park Corporation Board A view of the Vivekananda Landing of Directors T h e

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The Order on the March Ramakrishna Math and Mission—News and Notes Citizens’ Committee Formed in Tamilnadu To commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda, a Citizens’ Committee has been formed in Tamilnadu. It consists of senior monks from various centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Tamilnadu, and eminent citizens of Tamilnadu from various walks of like such as members of media, judiciary, literature, business, social work and others. Swami Gautamananda, Adhyaksha, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, is the Adhyaksha for the Committee, and, Sri Pollachi Dr. N. Mahalingam, well-known industrialist, the President.

The Citizens’ Committee held its first meeting on 25 November 2012 at Swami Ramakrishnananda Hall at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai. Among the various issues and proposals the Committee discussed, some of them are: requesting the Tamilnadu Government to institute a Vivekananda Youth Award, advice all schools and colleges in Tamilnadu to celebrate Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary in a befitting way, to introduce Swamiji’s life and teachings in the school syllabus, name some of the important buildings and roads after Swamiji, and so on.

The Citizens’ Committee will pursue the various issues with the appropriate authorities and draw a detailed programme for the celebration of Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary in a befitting manner.

Sri Ramakrishna Math proposes to publish books in Tamil worth one crore to propogate Swamiji’s message, adopt a village near Chennai to make a model village, conduct camps for youth, teachers, A view of the Citizen Committee’s meeting auto-rickshaw drivers, corporate employees and so on. These events will be held throughout the whole year, culminating in a grand programme in 2014 January.

Extensive renovation of the Vivekananda Illam (the place in Chennai where Swamiji stayed for nine days in 1897) and a suitable make over of the exhibition on Indian Culture and life of Swami Vivekananda at the Illam is also proposed. The Math will also launch cultural and social welfare activities on the recently leased out land adjacent to the Vivekananda Illam building. o State Level Youth Convention at Mangalore Ramakrishna Mission, Mangalore, organized an All Karnataka State Youth Convention under the guidance of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, on the 22-23 December 2012. About 1800 delegates, T h e

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devotees and volunteers from all parts of Karnataka participated in the two day-event. More than 1200 delegates from outside Mangalore were provided accommodation at various locations.

Delegates from about 22 districts of Karnataka participated in the event.

All the delegates were presented with booklets. The programme was telecast live on local channels on both the days. The 2-day event was inaugurated

by Sri Vishweshara Tirtha Swamiji of Pejawar Math, Udupi, and Justice N Santosh Hegde (former Lokayukta, Karnataka) was the chief guest.

Inauguration of the Youth Convention In his inaugural address, Sri Vishweshara Tirtha Swamiji said that he had attended the Centenary of Swami Vivekananda in 1963 and was happy to be part of it again after 50 years. He pointed out that in olden days, in the Puranic lore, Hanuman was the ideal before the Indian youth.

Hanuman personifies strength, purity, courage and humility. In modern times, the Hanuman-ideal is seen in Swami Vivekananda and hence Swamiji is rightly called the icon of youth.

About 20 monks from different Mission centres and private centres attended the programme. Various Cultural programme resource persons interacted with the delegates on both the days. Cultural events by young artists and students were held in the evenings. o Celebrations at the Mysore Ashrama Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, the renowned residential pre-university composite college, at Mysore, celebrated its Diamond Jubilee and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda through various programmes held from 28 to 30 December 2012. On the first day, the Vidyashala students took part in the elaborate field-display which included march-past, drill, gymnastics, pyramid-formation, yogasana and aerobic exercises, band-display and Karate exercises. Lieutenant General Ramesh Halagali, AVSM, SM the Deputy chief of the Army staff, Indian Army, took the salute and addressed the gathering. This T h e

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Inspecting the students’ troops

The stage programme

The presentation by Karate group

Special musical tribute to Swami Vivekananda

was followed by a multimedia presentation on Swami Vivekananda’s life, titled Navayugacharya Swami Vivekananda, by the students.

Justice S Rajendra Babu, the former Chief Justice of India, and Prof. N. Balakrishnan, Associate Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and other dignitaries spoke on the second day of the function. Nritya-sangeeta-bharata, a multi-dance-drama presentation by the Vidyashala students, displaying various music and dance traditions of India, was the high time in the evening.

A youth convention for the students of various schools in Mysore was held in the evening of 30th December. A number of monks and eminent government officials and journalists addressed the youth who had gathered.

The grand finale of the three-day programme was held on the 30th evening with a special musical presentation by a group of young singers from Bangalore. The well-known music director, Pravin D. Rao, along with Karthik MP and a number of singers and accompanists, presented a two-hour long musical tribute to Swami Vivekananda consisting of songs on and by Swami Vivekananda and the songs sung by him. Most of the songs were in Kannada, but some were in Bengali, Hindi and English. This programme was also released in the form of a CD. A large number of old students, parents, devotees and well-wishers attended the three day celebrations which were held in the Vidyashala’s spacious stadium amidst green ambience. o T h e

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Celebrations at the Nattarampalli Ashrama The Ramakrishna Math at Nattarampalli in north Tamilnadu located in a rural setting has been rendering its services for more than 100 years. Continuing its services to the rural populace, on 8 December 2012, a new building for the hostel for students was inaugurated.

Swami Suhitanandaji, the General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, inaugurated the newly constructed hostel building ‘Swami Shivananda Students' Home’. Later, Dr K Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu, unveiled Unveiling of Swamiji’s Statue by the Governor the newly installed life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda placed in front of the temple. The Nattarampalli Math also launched a mobile bookstall-cum-exhibition. A number of cultural presentation, Bhajans and discourses by monks and learned speakers marked the event. o Narainpur centre conducted a four-day sports meet from 23 to 26 November in which 1800 students from 37 schools of 3 districts participated. Sri Kedar Kashyap, Minister for Tribal Development, Government of Chhattisgarh, inaugurated the meet.

At Narainpur centre, Swami Gautamanandaji Procession by Students of Nattarampalli Ashrama inaugurated on 20 December (i) extension to boys' hostel building 'B', (ii) extension to girls' hostel building, (iii) a building with kitchen store and honorary workers' quarters, and (iv) farmer trainees' hostel building.

Koalpara Ashrama (sub-centre of Jayrambati Math) celebrated its centenary from 15 to 17 December.

Special worship, homa, public meeting and cultural programmes were conducted and a commemorative volume was released. Besides, the newly built first floor of the monks' quarters was inaugurated on this occasion. o At Bangalore Ashrama To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swamiji, Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore, put up a replica of the Art Institute, Chicago, where Swamiji spoke, as the facade of its annual booksales-cum-exhibition held in its premises. Thousands of devotees took part in the annual programme and visited the book stall. o

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Book Review

For review in The Vedanta Kesari, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Vivekananda—His Gospel of Manmaking compiled and edited by Swami Jyotirmayananda Published by Author, 38/1400, H Block, 15th Main Road, Annanagar, Chennai-600 040.

Available at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Coimbatore, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, Thiruvananthapuram and Rashtrothana Sahitya, Bangalore. 2013 (6th edition), hardback, Pp.1000+lxi, Rs.300.

Swami Vivekananda was a phenomenon. He strode the stage of the world like a colossus. Interest in his life and message has been renewed, as the year 2012 marks his 150th birthday. Recently many new monographs, articles and books have been published. Of all the books on Swamiji published in recent years the current book under review is, to say the least, the most outstanding one.

This is actually the reissue, with additions, of a book published by the compiler in August 1988.

It has seen, since then, four editions. The current book is the revised sixth edition, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Swamiji. The compiler has spared no pains in bringing it up-to-date.

The book is massive, running to 1000 pages.

It commences with Benediction from Swamis Ranganathananda, Dayananda Saraswati (to whom this edition is dedicated), Tattvavidananda and Muktananda. There is also a homage ‘with a difference’ by Anandasankar Pandya. After a short essay by the publisher and a foreword by Swami Tapasyananda, there are messages from Dr.M.Lakshmi Kumari, Sri M.V.Kamath and T h e

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Prof.K.R.Srinivasa Iyengar. Then follow a note from the editor and a synoptic view of the book. All these help place the book in the proper perspective.

The book proper comprises of five parts.

Part One contains three sections. The first section is an Introduction, which is fairly lengthy, running almost to 50 pages. Section two consists of articles written by several prominent people. Some of these articles have been carried over from the previous editions, and some are new. The third section is about tributes from several contemporaries and others. Some are from abroad; some are from monks, some savants and saints, and some from statesmen and politicians. This broad spectrum is an indication of the appeal of Swamiji’s message and his influence on the entire cross-section of society.

The Second Part has only one chapter on Swamiji and his mission. This is the longest and perhaps the most interesting. It begins with an index, chronologically listing the important dates of Swamiji’s life. This is followed by another chronological listing of all the world events from the date of Swamiji’s birth to the date of his Mahasamadhi. This part occupies 307 pages and is a veritable treasure house of information. There are so many facts that one wonders how the compiler could have collected so much data!

Part Three is titled ‘Vivekananda–A Voice across the Century’, containing articles about the significant events of Swamiji’s life. This is for the benefit of those readers, who have read only condensed biographies of Swamiji.

The last part contains articles about the influence of Swamiji’s works and message on the Western world. This is of consequence since Swamiji’s message is being spread by many Vedanta Societies abroad, established by Swamiji himself or monks of the Ramakrishna Order. The book ends with a series of photographs and a glossary.

Needless to say, the book is extraordinary.

To publish so much information between the two covers of a book must have been a Herculean task.

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Swami Jyotirmayananda must be complimented on this achievement. This would certainly not have been possible without the blessings of Sri Thakur, the Holy Mother and Swamiji. Readers should be grateful to Swami Jyotirmayananda for this remarkable contribution to the literature on Swami Vivekananda. _____________________________ NVC Swamy, Banagalore

Vivekananda’s Devotion to His Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi

by Swami Tathagatananda.

Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014. 2012 (Second edition), paperback, pp.38, Rs.12.

Many times Swami Vivekananda spoke of his mother with a deep sense of gratitude. ‘It is my mother who has been the constant inspiration of my life and work.’ Naturally, the devotees of Swami Vivekananda would like to know more about his inspiring mother. The book under review satiates the thirst of Vivekananda lovers.

This book begins with a succinct presentation of the Indian concept of Motherhood of God and Swamiji’s parental background, followed by details about the extraordinary personality of Swamiji’s mother.

Bhuvaneshwari Devi, Swamiji’s mother, was very handsome, highly intelligent, deeply religious, skilful, upright, magnanimous and spirited lady.

She always strove to inculcate lofty values in her children. As a growing boy, young Naren (later Swami Vivekananda) confided everything to his mother. And from her he inherited not only moral purity, aesthetic sense and regal gait, but also many intellectual and literary inclinations and a unique memory. Swamiji used to say that ‘I am indebted to my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge.’

She also laid the foundation of Vivekananda’s astonishing English language skills and later conversed with Sister Nivedita in impeccable English. Bhuvaneshwari Devi’s commanding personality could easily win the respect and veneration of all those who came in touch with T h e

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her. Her son’s influence shook the world, and her influence moulded his life considerably.

She was only forty three years old when her husband Viswanath Dutta died. But she faced the situation bravely. She showed exceptional patience, self-control and deftness in handling the situation and sustained her family ably with meagre resources.

The author gives glimpses of Swamiji’s love, concern and anxiousness about his mother. Swamiji helped in getting a house for her purchased, took her to pilgrimages and settled the legal disputes that the family was facing since his childhood. Swamiji had also asked Swami Brahmananda to help her settle the pending suit and take her to another pilgrimage which the latter happily did. The reader comes face to face with this unique Sannyasi, who could reconcile his obligations to his great mother with his search for the eternal. Only great souls like Swami Vivekananda could do it. Several anecdotes of this sweet mother-son relationship are narrated in the book. Swamiji’s utterances in praise of his mother are given at the end of the book.

The reader really is left spell-bound with the vastness and depth of Bhuvaneshwari Devi’s character and Swamiji’s supreme dedication to her.

Swamiji himself had remarked, ‘He who cannot literally worship his mother can never become great.’

Swami Tathagatananda, the author, deserves our gratitude for this vivid and authentic account of the great Hero’s worshipful attitude towards his mother. Though just a slim volume of 38 pages, the book is packed with spiritual insights and inspiration. A befitting tribute to Bhuvaneshwari Devi on Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary! ____________ Chetana Mandavia, Junagadh, Gujarat

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WHAT SHALL I DO?

By Swami Harshananda Published by Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore - 560 019.2012, paperback, Pp.118, Rs.10.

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book aims at, to quote the ‘Preface’, guiding ‘the youth who are on the threshold of life’.

However, there is material to influence the thinking of elders too.

Modern youth may not turn ecstatic hearing that to beat the vicissitudes of life they should turn spiritual and practice renunciation. Why be spiritual? One should be spiritual because we are not physical or psychophysical beings but immortal pure spirit. But all are not ready to grasp it. Hence instructions should be given depending on the state of development of the receiver. In that sense the book prepares the ground to enable the youth to be aware of what is in store for them so that they are no longer under any illusions.

Thus, the book attempts to elevate the human spirit in stages. First one should understand what we value and where we stand. Is our progress based on material wealth or our strength in moral values? The author prompts the youth to think on these lines. At the proper state of their growth, the youth will benefit from the wisdom of great thinkers and scriptures. The book abounds in it. To give one example, a wise man, terminally ill, was not worried about death, and said, ‘for if I die I shall be with God; if I live, He will be with me!’

Optimism is alright until one faces the darker side of life! We search for happiness unaware that it is ‘only a shadow. . . They [the objects of our happiness] trouble us in seeking them, fail to satisfy us while possessing them and make us despair in losing them.’ How true! The chapter titled ‘The Divine Call’ offers a good lesson to aspirants for monastic life and points out the conditions precedent to seeking Nivritti Marga (path of renunciation)—discrimination (viveka) between the eternal and ephemeral leading to dispassion (vairagya).

The chapter ‘Objections of Parents and Guardians’ invites the attention of parents and elders to scriptural observations about their limited role in their hold on children. Beyond a stage, elders should not inflict their views but only provide advice leaving decision making to the youth when it concerns their future. Wisdom does not necessarily sharpen with age. Although the focus in this book is on the benefits of choosing a spiritual way of life symbolized by monks who have renounced material life, the lessons in general are bound to generate thought in the right direction.

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Hopefully, the next generation will have the core of Swamiji’s thoughts built into their curriculum, namely, education that will ultimately help them ‘stand on their own feet’. Education should also promote patriotic spirit. Swamiji, it may be recalled, wanted ‘young men who will renounce everything and sacrifice their lives for their country’s sake’. The current system fails to recognize this aspect.

How the search for an answer to the persistent query ‘What Shall I Do’, finally ends is vividly portrayed in the final chapter which is best left to readers to experience the joy. Written in easy style, exceptionally free from spelling and other errors, here is a valuable publication at an incredibly low cost. ______________________________ P. S. Sundaram, chennai

Mind and Modern Problems

By Swami Bodhamayananda Published by Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad- 500 029 paperback, Pp 151. Rs 25.

‘In this book, we would like to present some of these modern day problems and their suggested solutions.’ (Mind and Modern Problems, pg 9).

So begins this slim volume, which in its 151 pages acts as a complete guide to the workings of the human mind, its vagaries and the ways in which to conquer it such that it becomes strong enough to help a person conquer the ups and downs of life.

The book consists of eight chapters and each of these is packed with wisdom and an understanding of contemporary life situations that are faced by people, especially the young today face.

These are peculiar to the age—to quote the author ‘more conveniences, less time, more degrees, less commonsense, more knowledge, less judgement. . . more experts, more problems . . ’ (ibid, p. 8).

The book’s Introduction is full of examples of those who overcame adversities with the neversay-die attitude. The author has given real life examples from a variety of sources, architecture,

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science and music to prove that adversity is merely a challenge to bring out the best—or the worst—in a human being. The best is courage and the worst is cowardice.

The first chapter, entitled The Mind and You, takes the reader through the benefits of mind control, what it achieves and how it is the first step towards owning the mind, but not being the mind.

A very intelligible analogy is presented: we may own a pen or a book, but we are separate from them. Similarly we are not our minds. So who are we then? According to the author, that search and its discovery is the central point of spiritual life. On the other hand, this life has to be lived and lived well. There are actions which have to be done, work to be undertaken and accomplished. The mind is a tool here for these accomplishments. This brings the reader to the second chapter which considers the mind’s tendencies. It can be controlled by habits which can only be formed by the use of positive thoughts and actions. Here the author emphasizes the role of ethics, which is natural to the mind.

Consequently, thinking and acting basely leads to sickness. However, a man’s character is not merely morality, though it may lead to it. Character is habits repeated and vice versa. Thus, the author brings out the primary importance of habit formation in thinking. Renunciation and spirituality, not religion, it is emphasized, are the ways to the development of character as a faculty.

To achieve this, the most important thing is time-management and author then goes on to give very useful tips for the optimum use of time, so that efficiency is enhanced. When one has prioritised rightly, time is freed up for the actions one has to do in the course of ones day, and days constitute life. The point that is emphasised is that when one is disorganized, one is inevitably distracted, leading to underperformance and thus failure and on to diffidence. A vicious cycle is set up.

This point is emphasized over and over again—that fears cause a human being to fail.

Its antonym, courage, is the underlay of success.

Success is not, however, succeeding every time. It is the ability to rise from a fall, dust oneself off and carry on with renewed vigour and optimism.

How to do that? The answers are in this book.

Simply put—you have the choice and every time you choose your reactions, you choose the course of your life. Change can only take place when T h e

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a human being—the owner of the mind—takes charge. The book stresses over and over the fact that there is no outside agency with a magic lamp waiting to take orders; the power lies within oneself and it is for everyone to embark on this wonderful journey of discovery of the abilities and power of the mind.

Practical hints follow. There are immensely simple, straightforward hints on becoming the agent of change by changing the way one looks at life. However, like everything that sounds simple, the life-enhancing changes can only take place with courage, the one virtue which is the basis of every human endeavour.

This book is a brilliant compendium of life-skills from the pen of a popular motivational speaker, known for his positive, but unflinchingly attitude towards achievement. Every page of the book is full of wisdom. The production too favours continued reading. Since it is small and light enough to be carried about, it is quite handy for instant reference.

Fully recommended for reading to young people waiting on the threshold of life. A workbook-cum-journal would complete the process. ___________________________ Prema Raghunath, chennai

Gita for Professionals

By CA Chetan Dalal Published Narayan K Varma for Bombay Chartered Accountants’ Society, 7, Jolly Bhavan No.2, New Marines Lines, Mumbai - 400 020. 2012, Hardback, pp.

142+xi. Rs.75 The Bhagavad-Gita is a fount of wisdom that has served humanity well, ever since it was revealed by Sri Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of the Mahabharata war. Several are the commentaries that have been written on the text since that time. Most of the traditional commentaries were written by great philosophersages, like Sri Adi Sankara and others. These were used by them to strengthen their case for the establishment of philosophical systems.

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It is only in recent times that scholars have paid attention to the application of the Gita to daily life situations. Swami Vivekananda called the Gita ‘Practical Vedanta’. Great savants like Sri Aurobindo, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Swami Abhedananda and several others have written commentaries in English, so that readers without knowledge of Sanskrit can understand the message easily.

Of late, several books have emerged that take the text even closer to modern people. They have been addressed to select groups of people, like college students. The book under review is one such. It is addressed to Chartered Accountants.

This sounds strange, because one would think that such people, being an integral part of the business community, would be the last to worry about a book like the Gita! But Chetan Dalal does not think so. He has tried to justify the fact that even such people can benefit a great deal by adapting the Gita in their professional activities. This is the raison d’etre for the current book.

The book has seven chapters and seven appendices. It starts with a General Introduction, where the author introduces the Gita to the general reader. In the second chapter, the author discusses the relevance of the Gita to Chartered Accountants and similar professionals. There are two kinds of conflicts they face: on the professional front and on the personal front. These can occur at all the stages of their professional life, whether they are young, middle-aged or old. They arise mainly because of unfair competition, corruption in companies, and clash between family life and profession.

The third chapter is the longest and deals with 26 case studies. This is the core of the book.

Each case study highlights some basic principle or other. It begins with a story from the scriptures, the message it conveys, a parallel case from the profession of Chartered Accountancy and its relevance. The stories are culled out from the Mahabharata and some Puranas. The chapter makes interesting reading.

The fourth chapter is about Meditation. Two slokas of the Gita are quoted with their word-by-

word meaning. There is also a short story, with a very lengthy discussion of its symbolic relevance.

Chapter Five is quite mundane, containing the opinions of great world personalities about the Gita. It also contains a section on the misnomers, concerning the Gita, prevalent in the common minds. This is quite a useful chapter, worth a serious study.

The sixth chapter is just of two pages and talks of the value of the Gita and our scriptures. The last chapter lists all the important lessons one can derive from a study of the Gita.

There are seven Appendices. Appendix A is about some technical aspects of the Gita, while Appendix B is about the Gayatri Mantra.

Appendix C talks of Meditation and its benefits.

It is Appendix D that is quite interesting. It makes use of numerology to highlight the importance of the number 9. The author has matched the English letters, in the order in the alphabet, with numbers in the ascending order. He applies this to the names of Shree Krishna, Mohammed, Mahavir, Guru Nanak, Zarathushtra, Gautam and Esa Messiah.

But, this looks a little far-fetched, since these names are written with other kinds of spellings also! The other appendices are about two people influenced

by Vedanta, Rockefeller of United States and Alexander of Macedonia. They are also about the benefits of soft speech and about anger management.

This is a fascinating book. Its title, however, is misleading, since it gives an impression as if it is a commentary on the book. The Gita is used only as a platform from which the author discusses the problems faced by professionals, as well as common people. One of the appendices uses the word ‘spiritualism’. The more accepted word is ‘spirituality’. There are a few grammatical errors and printing mistakes, which can be corrected in the next edition.

This is a book that can be read if one is interested in getting an overall view of the Gita.

That is the scope of the book and the author has succeeded in his objective. _______________________________ NVC Swamy, Bangalore

Truth is not confined to any particular individual or nation, but it is for everybody. As the sun rises and shines equally upon all nations, even so does the sun of eternal Truth shine and reveal itself among all nations. Whoever will long for such realization will find a way to the attainment of Truth.

—Swami Abhedananda T h e

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Joy of Spirituality Joy is what everyone is searching for.

Irrespective of what one is and does, it is joy that one is seeking. Some succeed in getting joy, some remain unhappy. Real joy, says Sri Ramakrishna, is the joy of the spirituality. Sri Ramakrishna himself was Joy Personified.

This book, comprising the articles published in the 2011 December issue of the Vedanta Kesari, dwells on various aspects of his life and message and how one can become joyful by living the spiritual ideal he embodied.

Pages vi + 329

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Price: Rs. 80/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained

Swami Vivekananda, An Intuitive Scientist Dr. T.G.K. Murty Swami Vivekananda was a multifaceted genius.

Besides his profound insights into spiritual life, Swamiji was well-acquainted with the scientific thoughts of his times and was remarkably accurate in his observations with regard to many scientific notions. What is even more important is the ample hints he gave on ways to train the mind, arousing the unseen power of intuition, which is vital to all scientific pursuits. This book attempts to explore this aspect of Swamiji’s personality.

The author of the book is a retired scientist of ISRO, Bangalore.

Pages xvi + 156

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Price: Rs. 40/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained

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‘We can attain salvation through social work’ – Swami Vivekananda K. Sridhar Acharya Founder/ President

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Vol.100-2 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) February 2013. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. Postal registration number:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 12-14. Licenced to Post without prepayment tn/pmg(ccr)/wpp-259 / 2012-14 Date of Publication: 26th of every month

Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.

—Swami Vivekananda

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