03 the vedanta kesari march 2013

The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

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India’s Timeless Wisdom

It is always good to speak in a manner which can please others and make others happy. Is there dearth of words?

—A Traditional Saying

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The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 100, No. 3

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 MARCH 2013

Vedic Prayers

85

Editorial  Freedom from Narrowness

86

Articles  Sage Vasishtha’s Advice to Prince Rama Swami Sarvadevananda  Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University Swami Atmapriyananda  Spiritual Significance of Rituals Swami Yatiswarananda  The Golden Amulet Which Sri Ramakrishna Wore: Some Facts Girish  Life Beyond Numbers Sushruth L  Our Attitudes Towards Work N Gokulmuthu Glimpses of Swamiji  Find Out the Truth for Yourself!

91 97 101 104 109 114

96

New Find  Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

107

The Order on the March

116

Book Review

121

Features  Simhâvalokanam (Vedantic View of Indian History)  Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories

89 103

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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We invite our readers to liberally contribute to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. This will go a long way in placing this nearly 100 years old magazine on firm financial footing to continue its service to the cause of a holistic and meaningful life. Your contributions (minimum of Rs.1000/- or US$ 25) by Cheque/ DD/MO should be sent to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, along with a covering note stating that it is meant for Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund.

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We accept online donations also.

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N Cover Story N Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math Showing a stretch of land near Belur Math, Swami Vivekananda told his brother disciple on 4 July 1902 (the day he passed away in mahasamadhi), 'We should establish a University on these grounds.'

These prophetic words of Swamiji came true when the university was formally inaugurated on 4th July 2005 and a magnificent central building of the university was inaugurated in 2008. This imposing 4-storeyed building, fully stone-clad in Rajasthani architectural style, with 100-foot long corridors and life-size pictures of Swamiji on each floor, has classrooms, computer laboratories, a library, and residential quarters for scholars, faculty and monks.

Another massive 3-building complex comprising School of Mathematical Sciences and School of Indian Heritage, with the buildings as mirror images of each other, reflecting Swamiji's vision of a blend of Indian spiritual heritage and Western science and technology, is coming up at the same campus and will be fully functional by January 2014.  For a detailed article on the University, please see page 97 of this issue.

T he V edanta K esari P atrons ’ S cheme We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that the enclosed amount is for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only).

PATRONS 650. Mr. Sridharan, Chennai 651. Mr. Niranjan Mishra, Bhubaneswar 652. Mr. Adarsh B.Nagesh Baba, Bangalore 653. Dr. A. Rajeswar Raju, M.P 654. Mr. Dipak Manna, W.B 655. Mr. Dulal Kuity, W.B. DONORS Dr. Prasad BVSS, Chennai

A Devotee, Chennai Dr. Nandini Neelakantan, Kanpur Mr. N. Rangappa, Bangalore Mr. Bishan Basu, New Delhi Mr. Udaynath Sahoo, Orissa Mr. Santosh S. Raman, Bangalore Mr. Sreyas S, Chennai Rs. 5000 Mr. R. Ganesan, Chennai

Rs. 5000 Rs. 10000 Rs. 10000 Rs. 5000 Rs. 1000 Rs. 2000 Rs. 2000 Rs. 1000

The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS

5685. Dr. Vinitha Kariappa, Coorg 5686. Sri Parmodh Kumar Saleharwal, H.P 5687.

-do-

AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

BVB Kodagu Vidyalaya School, Coorg, Karnataka - 571 201 G.S.S.S. BIR, Kangra, H.P - 176 077 G.S.S.S. Sakri, Kangra, H.P - 176 007 To be continued . . .

VOL. 100, No. 3, MARCH 2013 ISSN 0042-2983

E ACH

SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

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GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 5

Vedic Prayers

Tr. by Swami Sarvananda

The invisible is the Infinite, the visible too is the Infinite. From the Infinite, the visible universe of infinite extension has come out. The Infinite remains the same, even though the infinite universe has come out of it.

Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

 In this external world, which is full of finite things, it is impossible to see and find the Infinite. The Infinite must be sought in that alone which is infinite, and the only thing infinite about us is that which is within us, our own soul. Neither the body, nor the mind, nor even our thoughts, nor the world we see around us, are infinite. The Seer, He to whom they all belong, the Soul of man, He who is awake in the internal man, alone is infinite, and to seek for the Infinite Cause of this whole universe we must go there. In the Infinite Soul alone we can find it. What is here is there too, and what is there is here also.

—Swami Vivekananda, 2:175-176

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Editorial

Freedom from Narrowness ‘Nothing Like Leather’ ‘Expansion is life, contraction is death.

Love is life, hatred is death.’ In these few words Swami Vivekananda summarizes the essence of life and of spirituality. All higher life is centred round this idea of growth and expansion. But it is not the soul that grows; it is the mind. The soul or atman is beyond all changes. It ever IS, sat—the Eternal Presence.

What evolves is not atman but the jivatman, the embodied being, which feels bound, as it were, in delusion of limitations and narrowness and seeks freedom from it—to manifest its real nature.

The jivatman functions through the principle of lack and deficiency—called ‘desire’. Only if we lack something, we will desire and work for it. Though at its core, the jivatman is essentially eternal and everfulfilled, it feels bound and imperfect. It has these dual aspects—freedom and bondage.

Hence we feel, in the midst of all experiences of good and bad, something which never dies or ceases to be—we always know our being. Our ever-changing ‘becoming’ is firmly established in our never-changing being. What a state of contradiction! But that is what we call life.

What binds us is the idea that we are little, small, narrow. ‘This much’ is what we call as ‘me’! It is narrowness of vision that binds us. Yamaraja says in the Kathopanishad,1

reality: beyond this, nothing exists. One who is convinced of this false belief falls in my trap—the trap of birth and death, again and again.

Narrowness, the old and yet young child of ignorance, has many siblings. It has a large family. Born of ignorance and principle of finitude, it is never tired of encouraging its companions—obstinacy, fanaticism, intolerance, inequality, cruelty and numerous others. Narrowness of understanding and a limited vision is what characterizes the state of ignorance and bondage. Swami Vivekananda, the master story-teller, once narrated the following anecdote to illustrate it:

Childish are those who are deluded by the attractions and temptations of the world, and consequently they fail to comprehend the higher truth. To them this world is the only T h e

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There was once a king who hearing that the prince of a neighbouring territory was advancing upon his capital to lay siege to it, held a council, calling all the people for advice as to how to defend the country from the enemy. The engineers advised the building of a high earthen mound with a huge trench all around the capital; the carpenters proposed the construction of a wooden wall; the shoe-makers suggested that the same wall be built of leather, for ‘there is nothing like leather’, they said. But the blacksmiths shouted out that they were all wrong and that the wall should be built of iron. And then came in the lawyers with the argument that the best way to defend the State was to tell the enemy in a legal way that they were in the wrong and out of court in attempting to confiscate another’s property. Finally came the priests, who laughed them all to scorn, saying, ‘You are all talking like lunatics! First of all the gods must be propitiated with sacrifices, and then only can we be invincible.’ Instead of defending their kingdom they argued and fought among themselves.

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Meanwhile the enemy advanced, stormed and sacked the city. Even so are men.2

We all have our ‘leathers’, our reference points, our ‘best’ solutions to the challenges that we face. Life, in its widest sense, is a limitation, a kind of narrowness. We are born somewhere, we have a certain body-mind, we have certain name and form, we exist in one place and not in all places—all these define us.

Restricted by numerous factors that make us what we are, we live our lives. But life is much more than our little views.

Outgrowing Narrowness Narrowness has many dimensions: ignorance, selfishness, meanness and what not! The term ‘narrow’ can be understood, for instance, in its physical dimension as narrow road, narrow entrance, narrow seat, narrow bed or size. Here narrowness is something physical and tangible. It is based on what our senses perceive and communicate to us.

Mental narrowness is another aspect of the term ‘narrow’. To be mentally narrow means to be narrow-minded. It is due to one’s limited understanding or ignorance.

Mental narrowness may imply intellectual and emotional immaturity. It may refer to a childish mindset, unwilling to understand higher ideas or ideals, struck in one’s infantile imaginations. Moral and spiritual narrowness is the cause of moral crisis in the world. Says Swami Vivekananda,

in various forms. Higher life begins only when one acknowledges and accepts (i.e., has faith in) the higher dimension of life. There is more to life than mere being a body and even mind.

Says an eminent spiritual teacher, We always feel and think in terms of body and mind. In fact, we are not aware of any other dimension of personality. When told that we are not body, nor the mind, but that we are the eternal spirit, we think: ‘Is this not madness?’

We are told that the sun does not move but it is only the earth that does so, yet we see that the sun rises and sets. Is it not madness to say the contrary? The scientists experimented on those lines and discovered that in fact it is the earth, and not the sun, that moves. Likewise, in spiritual life too, many have discovered that the reality in us is the atman, other than the body and the mind. We have to take their word as true, have faith in them, and proceed.4

Higher life begins when we outgrow the idea that we are only this body-mind, or ego. This outgrowing is the true basis of a noble personality and the solid foundation for building a strong and pure character.

Behind the narrow and superficial reality lies the infinite and profound reality.

It is like ocean behind the wave. Big or small waves have the infinite ocean behind them. In Swamiji’s insightful elucidation of this idea:

The majority of us cannot see beyond a few years, just as some animals cannot see beyond a few steps. Just a little narrow circle—that is our world. We have not the patience to look beyond, and thus become immoral and wicked. This is our weakness, our powerlessness.3

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We take up something—we know it is finite; but as soon as we begin to analyse it, it leads us beyond our reason, and we never find an end to all its qualities, its possibilities, its powers, its relations. It has become infinite. Take even a common flower, that is finite enough; but who is there that can say he knows all about the flower?

There is no possibility of anyone’s getting to the end of the knowledge about that one flower. The flower has become infinite—the flower which was finite to begin with. Take a grain of sand.

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Thee.’ Though they may take various roads, all are on the way. Some may run a little crooked, others may run straight, but at last they will all come unto the Lord, the One. Then and then alone, is your Bhakti of Shiva complete when you not only see Him in the Linga, but you see Him everywhere.

is infinite; all the same, we have looked upon it as finite. The flower is similarly treated as a finite something. So with all our thoughts and experiences, physical and mental.5

Where Bhakti and Jnana Merge Not that this is only the ‘Jnana approach’ to life; this holds true through the ‘Bhaktiapproach’ as well. Discovering the infinite behind the finite may refer to the Jnana approach where one analyses the apparent to reach the real. It may seem more intellectual and less emotional. But by emotions too, through the Bhakti-approach, one ultimately reaches the same goal—freedom from narrowness. In its lower stages, Bhakti itself may look promoting narrowness, wanting the growing spiritual child not to pay attention to other forms of God. It has its own psychological justification—unless the young sapling is fenced around, it has the fear of being destroyed by stray animals. But once it grows up, it outgrows its primary fencing, finding and worshipping the Beloved everywhere.

Once again, let us turn to Swamiji for a lucid explanation: The one great lesson, therefore, that the world wants most, that the world has yet to learn from India, is the idea not only of toleration, but of sympathy. Well has it been said in the Mahimnah-stotra: ‘As the different rivers, taking their start from different mountains, running straight or crooked, at last come unto the ocean, so, O Shiva, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead unto

He is the sage, he is the lover of Hari who sees Hari in everything and in everyone. If you are a real lover of Shiva, you must see Him in everything and in everyone. You must see that every worship is given unto Him whatever may be the name or the form; that all knees bending towards the Caaba, or kneeling in a Christian church, or in the Buddhist temple are kneeling to Him whether they know it or not, whether they are conscious of it or not; that in whatever name or form they are offered, all these flowers are laid at His feet; for He is the one Lord of all, the one Soul of all souls. He knows infinitely better what this world wants than you or I. It is impossible that all difference can cease; it must exist; without variation life must cease. It is this clash, the differentiation of thought that makes for light, for motion, for everything. Differentiation, infinitely contradictory, must remain, but it is not necessary that we should hate each other therefore; it is not necessary therefore that we should fight each other.6

All goodness of heart springs from oneness or recognizing the oneness of life. All evil comes from separation, from being narrow in one’s thoughts and perception of life. Being broad does not, however, mean losing one’s intensity of being. One should be intense and yet broad. That is the secret of life and of spirituality. o

References 4. How to Seek God, Swami Yatiswarananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p.33 2. Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and 5.

CW, 2.398 Western Disciples, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 6.

CW, 3.114-115 1.317 1. Kathopanishad, 1.2.7

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The Lion of Vedanta Looks Back

Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (March, 1922-23, Pp. 413-415)

Vedantic View of Indian History (Based on lecture delivered in Bombay)

by Swami Sharvananda

The whole civilisation in ancient India was imbued with spiritual instinct. Immortality can be attained by renunciation alone, and this spirit of renunciation is driven deep into the consciousness of the nation. Society being run on the basis of Dharma, the culture of the nation has been so much spiritualised that in spite of much stultification of that ideal, the old feeling is still there. As Swami Vivekananda said: ‘However we may go astray from the path of our ancient national life, so long as the blood of the Rishis is coursing in our veins we must come back to our own ancient paths.’ Whenever there came any such stultifi­cation there came some correction—some movement that brought the national consciousness back to its own ideal of life, because it has a purpose to serve in the economy of nature, and India has to contribute something to the general well-being of humanity. However we may try to change the tide of our national life, India will ever follow her own spiritual ideal.

What will be the future of India? India’s future is very bril­liant. No doubt people are all now concentrating their attention on politics, especially in this Presidency, where political conscious­ness has been much whetted by some recent developments, and that is the reason it is said by some that Bombay is essentially a political city and has no ear for spirituality or religion. But so long as we have the blood of the Rishis in our veins we must come back to our spirituality. The political and economic conditions have become so keen that some of our great thinkers say that their hearts are bleeding to see the sufferings of the people and they think the remedy is Political Swaraj. That is why they are attempting to concentrate their whole attention on politics. But that is not the path to the salvation of the country. The present condition of the country is brought about by the fact that the countries outside India have not yet reached such a stage of ethical development as to feel the equality of man, unity of life and the solidarity of man. The major portion are still in the animal plane and that is why we suffer. India was never a conquer­ing race, gentle India, peaceful India. This is told of us in derision. But this is our glory. If we want to free ourselves from the sway of the foreigners, we must either develop greater brutish power and increase our armaments etc., or try to change the very brute-man. The first does not suit the genius of the Indian nation which would never succeed in becoming great brutes. So our ideal is the metamorphosis of T h e

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the brute itself by taking away all its teeth and claws. If a man is well established in the spirit of Ahimsa , even the ferocious beast would forget its brute nature. If Indians develop their spirituality, the outside world would accept their ideal, which is unity of life and solidarity of man. Socialism, Bolshevism, etc., show that the whole humanity is moving towards that ideal. All artificial dis­tinctions between man and man will disappear and we will be welded into humanity. . . This conquest of the world is the ideal which Swami Vivekananda has put before Indians. Our spirit has to be awakened, we should go out and preach the reality of the soul, and the doctrine of love. Advanced thinkers of the West are slowly being influenced by the thought-life of India. That would hasten the salvation not only of India but of the whole world. The solution of the Indian problems lies in the harmony of the different religions, races, colours and creeds, and this harmony cannot be brought about unless it is based upon the real basic principle of unity, that is, spirit. All political or economic interests are too artificial to exist long.

This is the ideal for which India is still living. She will deliver her message to the world by solving first the problem of her own life, adjusting her own home. There would come about a perfect feeling of harmony and amity amongst the different religions and races which have come to live in the country. Not a spirit of ‘Live and let live,’ but a positive feeling of respect for all religions will arise. Let every Indian keep this in view, and the nation will hasten not only her own salvation but the salvation of the world at large. o Statement about ownership and other particulars about The Vedanta Kesari (according to Form IV Rule 8, circulated by Registrar of Newspapers for India).

1. Place of Publication : Chennai - 600 004 2. Periodicity of Publication : Monthly 3. Printer’s Name : Swami Asutoshananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math

Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 4. Publisher’s Name : Swami Asutoshananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math

Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 5. Editor’s Name : Swami Atmashraddhananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math

Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 6. Names & Addresses of the individuals who own the newspaper and partners or share-

holders holding more than 1% of the capital : Sri Ramakrishna Math

Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 I, Swami Asutoshananda, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowlSd/edge and belief.

Swami Asutoshananda Date: 1.3.2013

Signature of the Publisher

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Sage Vasishtha’s Advice to Prince Rama Notes on Yoga-Vasishtha-Sara translated by Swami Dhireshananda SWAMI SARVADEVANANDA

‘The Yoga-Vasishtha is not a sectarian book. It is a philosophical book, but one whose style of composition is very charming to the mind, even saturated with sweetness’.

These are the exact words used by Swami Dhireshananda, one of the revered monks of Ramakrishna Order, to describe the text YogaVasishtha-Sara.

This text is like a bright lamp, which illumines all Vedantins, especially any aspirant following the path of Knowledge. Many editions of the Yoga-Vasishtha, in Sanskrit and many other languages including English, are available under various titles, such as, Yoga-Vasishtha Ramayana, Yoga Vasishtha Sara and so forth.

Translators of these books have tallied with the verses alone. Swami Dhireshananda, however, when he worked on this book, did not play the part of translator merely, but also acted as a commentator.

Swami Dhireshananda has written, Many years ago during my stay at Uttarkashi, a tranquil place of pilgrimage in northern India, Swami Atmananda (a dear friend, who has since merged with Brahman) presented me with a

copy of the Yoga Vasishtha Sara. That volume, containing Mahidhara’s commentary, was published by the Kashi Sanskrit Press in 1884 (1941 Sambat). I could not find a second copy of this book even after an intense search. It is no longer available.

H e started translating this book from Sanskrit to Bengali with appropriate explanatory notes.

That time he authored another book, Vedanta Samjna Malika (‘A Garland of Frequently used Terms in Vedanta’). Swami Dhireshananda, disciple of Swami Saradananda (one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) had opportunities to study scriptures under the guidance of many great souls. Naturally, the explanatory notes of the text Yoga Vasishtha Sara became especially powerful. As it is mentioned in the introduction of his Bengali book, Different explanations of Vedanta which I have heard at different times and in different contexts from my greatly revered spiritual teachers and which I have preserved in precious memory have found their place in the explanations given here.

Swami Sarvadevananda is the Head of Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA. This article is based on excerpts from his forthcoming English translation of Yoga Vasishtha (translated into Bengali by Swami Dhireshananda, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata). The English translation is likely to be published in a couple of months.

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Additionally, from the very beginning Swami Dhireshananda has shared his perspective with the aspirant. We can share an example here: the goal of spiritual practice is to go beyond the limitations of name and form; to attain liberation. As soon as Swami Dhireshananda notices that the compiler’s name of the text is not printed anywhere, right away he draws the attention of the reader towards the practical application of the spiritual practice by saying, ‘In reality, it is well nigh impossible to ascertain who wrote it. Earlier spiritual teachers composed many excellent books for our benefit in which they never mentioned their own names.’ Similar observations are the special asset of the book also.

In this article, readers will find selected verses from each chapter, along with Swami Dhireshananda’s commentary. The purpose of this article is to provide a glimpse of the English translation of the text Yoga Vasishtha Sara to all Vedantins.

Swami Vivekananda told his San Francisco students, ‘I have lectured to you on Vedanta; in Turiyananda you will see Vedanta personified.’ The

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translator of Yoga Vasishtha Sara, Swami Dhireshananda, also dedicated his work in Bengali to Swami Turiyananda, the embodiment of Vedanta. This English translation of that Bengali book is a humble offering to Swamis Vivekananda and Turiyananda, on the occasion of their sesquicentennial birth anniversary.

Swamis Satswarupananda and Dhireshananda of the Ramakrishna Order have provided a deep and clear description of the text. Swami Dhireshananda categorized the importance of the text according to the as pirant at different levels:

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To a yearning soul, the Yoga Vasishtha is like a book of instruction (shravana), to a person of discrimination, the Yoga Vasishtha is like a book of reflection (manana), to one who practices meditation, the Yoga Vasishtha is like a book of contemplation (nididhyasana), and to a knower of Truth, the Yoga Vasishtha is like Selfabsorption (samadhi).

Many of its stories, examples, and conclusions, presented with true artistry, touch the heart deeply. This book appears to be one of the original texts of Advaita Vedanta after the Upanishads. Many verses of the Yoga Vasishtha are found in other texts, such as Atmabodha,

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Viveka-cudmani, Aparoksha-anubhuti, Mandukyakarika, and so on. Unlike other Vedanta texts of the later period, this one is not congested with rituals or entangled in arguments and counterarguments in support of various doctrines and dogmas. In this book prominence is accorded only to the proof of one’s own realization. The direct realization of the truth (Self) alone, with the help of intense spiritual discrimination, is the sole objective here.

As we move forward through the text, it is found to be divided into ten chapters, clearly named according to the subject matters discussed. These ten chapters are like stepping stones of a staircase: v Detachment (Vairagya-prakarana) v The Unreal Nature of the Universe (Jagat-mithyatwa-prakarana) v Self-Knowledge (Tattva-jnana-prakarana) v Dissolution of the Mind (Manolayaprakarana) v Destruction of Latent Impressions (Vasana-upashama-prakarana) v Contemplation of the Self (Atmamanana-prakarana) v Ascertaining the Means of Purification (Shuddhi-nirupana-prakarana) v Adoration of the Self (Atma-archanaprakarana) v Ascertainment of the Self (Atmanirupana-prakarana) v The State of Emptiness and Fullness (Shunya-ashunya-pada-prakarana) The first chapter is Detachment, wherein the spiritual practices for acquiring the knowledge of Brahman are described, after ascertaining the competence of the practitioner who should think thus: aham baddho vimuktah syamiti yasyasti nishcayah, natyantamajno no tajjnah sohasmimcchastre’dhikaraban. 1.2 T h e

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One is only competent to study this scripture, who is neither altogether ignorant nor a knower of Truth and who has the firm resolution that, ‘I am bound in the worldly bondage and intend to be liberated from this state of bondage’.

The practices are three: service to the sad-guru, holy company and discrimination (vichara). Enormous emphasis is placed on the discriminative acumen of the disciple.

There are two types of competent students to study Vedanta, based on their distinction as primary or secondary. The primary student is one who instantly attains the knowledge listening to the great dictums from his spiritual teacher. Secondary students are of two categories. The one, who is capable of Vedantic discrimination, attains the direct knowledge of the Self by his discrimination alone. That knowledge is called nididhyasana according to the author of Vartika; it is the well-established knowledge, which finally arises by the continual practice of shravana and manana. This nididhyasana does not

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connote meditation. Rather, this is known as the immediate and direct knowledge of the Self. . . Again, for those who do not favour discrimination, whose mind naturally becomes concentrated in meditation, such students of secondary competence, need to practice dhyana-samadhi and the like as prescribed in the scriptures. Such students will try to attain this knowledge either in this life or in the plane of the Brahman, listening to the instructions of guru, keeping faith in him, and practicing dhyana etc.

Referring to the Varaha Upanishad (4.3444), Swami Dhireshananda has shown that the ‘spiritual paths of the two aforementioned types of competent student are well-known in the Upanishad as “the path of the ants”, pipilika and “the path of the birds”, vihangam, shuka.’

The Path of the Ants: An ant, by moving slowly, perceives a trace of sweets, and achieves satisfaction by eating it. Similarly, an ordinary aspirant also, by practicing internal and external self-restrains (shama-dama) and the like, and by performing selfless work and devotional practices, slowly over many life times, becomes pure in heart. Then gradually by following the practices in the path of knowledge, he becomes fully accomplished by attaining the knowledge of the Brahman.

This is verily the royal path. In this way almost everyone attains the realization of the oneness of Brahman and Atman. In this path one attains gradual liberation, that is, the emancipation comes gradually.

The Path of the Birds or of the Shuka: Very rarely, someone travels in the path of Shuka.

It is like the bird Shuka (parrot or myna) which suddenly comes flying and hits a wellripened fruit with its beak, becomes perfectly satisfied after tasting that fruit. Similarly, some competent students suddenly and unexpectedly attain the knowledge of the T h e

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Truth by following some practices and thus they achieve the consummation of their lives.

They need no longer proceed gradually by the practice of various spiritual disciplines such as shama-dama and the like. For example, we find the mention of the name of king Janaka in the Yoga Vasishtha. While wandering in his garden, king Janaka suddenly heard someone chanting the ‘siddhagita’. He returned to his abode with a mind saturated with dispassion.

In a short period, practicing Self-analysis, due to attainment of the knowledge of the Truth, his mind became perfectly tranquil and he attained the fulfillment of life. This type of competent person is very rare indeed. Instant liberation is attained in this shuka-path.

In either path the importance of holy company for the attainment of Self-realization is immense; as: mahanubhavasamparkat samsararnavalamghane. yuktih samprapyate rama dririha nauriva navikat. 1.4 O Rama, only from a sailor one can obtain a steady boat capable of crossing the ocean. Just so, from the guru who has attained the knowledge of the truth one can obtain the means to cross over the ocean of worldliness.

How to define holy company? How to have it at all times? Swami Dhireshananda explains: The primary meaning of the word satsanga is the company of the holy, meaning, association with and becoming one with the supreme Self, which is of the essential nature of Truth. That means—to remain steady in mental modification merged in the form of Brahman (brahmakara-vritti). All ignorance and worldly bondage become annihilated if the mind remains even for a moment in that mental modification.

The secondary meaning of the word satsanga is the company of holy people, sadhus, who remain mediating on the supreme Self

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whose essential nature is Truth. To study the books written by the great souls who are the knowers of Truth, and to read their instructions illuminated by their experiences are also termed sat-sanga. That is because it is through their instructions that union between the aspirant and the supreme Self, whose essential nature is Truth, can occur.

Therefore, the spiritual aspirant should use his time wisely by studying and reflecting on the scriptures penned by them, even if the direct contact with the great souls is not available.

Once the mind gets purified through the continuous service to holy ones, the aspirant starts moving in the path of discrimination with questions ‘Who am I, whose are these worldly bondages’.

Five types of vichara are mentioned in the book in details. Due to space constraints, we will mention only the types here: 1. Discrimination between valuable and valueless (artha-anartha vichara)

O

2. Discrimination between the essential and the non-essential (sara-asara vichara) 3. Discrimination between rejectables and acceptables (heya-upadeya vichara) 4. Discrimination resulting from observing the significance of the method by which knowledge is obtained (pramana-tatparyanirikshana vichara) 5. Discrimination resulting from observing the truth of Self-knowledge (atmatattva-nirikshana vichara).

To follow the path of discernment, says the sage, aspirant’s intellect is most important: upadeshakramo rama vyavasthamatrapalanam, jnaptestu karanam shuddham shishya prajnaiva kevala. 1.11 O Rama, the customary method of instruction given by the guru to the disciple is merely to honour the tradition. But the student’s wisdom (sharp intellect fit for discernment) is the only unadulterated cause for the disciple’s knowledge.

(To be continued. . .)

O

This is Renunciation Perfection is always infinite. We are this infinite already, and we are trying to manifest that infinity. You and I, and all beings, are trying to manifest it. So far it is all right.

But from this fact some German philosophers have started a peculiar theory—that this manifestation will become higher and higher until we attain perfect manifestation, until we have become perfect beings. What is meant by perfect manifestation? Perfection means infinity, and manifestation means limit, and so it means that we shall become unlimited limiteds, which is self- contradictory. Such a theory may please children; but it is poisoning their minds with lies, and is very bad for religion. But we know that this world is a degradation, that man is a degradation of God, and that Adam fell. There is no religion today that does not teach that man is a degradation. We have been degraded down to the animal, and are now going up, to emerge out of this bondage. But we shall never be able entirely to manifest the Infinite here. We shall struggle hard, but there will come a time when we shall find that it is impossible to be perfect here, while we are bound by the senses. And then the march back to our original state of Infinity will be sounded. This is renunciation.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2: 172-72 T h e

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Glimpses of Swamiji

Find Out the Truth for Yourself!

Even at this early age Naren evinced impatience with superstition and fear, no matter how hallowed by popular tradition.

As he himself expressed it to a disciple in later years, ‘From my boyhood I have been a dare-devil; otherwise could I have attempted to make a tour round the world, almost without a penny in my pocket?’ An incident that occurred around this time is illustrative of his ‘dare-devilry’, which is to say, courage and independence of thought and action.

To the house of a certain friend he would often have recourse as to a refuge from the monotonous moments that come even to boys.

There was in their compound a favourite tree from which he loved to dangle head down. It was a Champaka (Michelia Champaca) tree, the flowers of which are said to be liked by Shiva, and which Hindu boys would go a long way to collect. It was the flowers of this tree that

Naren also loved. One day as he was swinging from the tree, the old and nearly-blind grandfather of the house recognized his voice, which he knew and loved so well. The old man was afraid that the boy might fall, and that he himself might lose his Champaka flowers; he called Naren down and told him that he must not climb the tree again. Naren asked the reason. The old man answered, ‘Because a Brahmadaitya [ghost of a Brahmin] lives in that tree, and at night he goes about dressed all in white, and he is terrible to look at.’ This was news to Naren, who wanted to know what else this ghost could do besides wander about. The old man rejoined, ‘And he breaks the necks of those who climb the tree.’

Naren said nothing, and the old man went away smiling to himself in triumph. As soon as he had gone some distance Naren climbed the tree again just to spite the ghost of the Brahmin. His friend remonstrated, ‘The Brahmadaitya is sure to catch you and break your neck.’ Naren laughed heartily, and said, What a silly fellow you are! Don’t believe everything just because someone tells you! Why, my neck would have been broken long ago, if the old grandfather’s story were true.

Only a boyish lark it was, true, but significant when viewed in the light of later developments: a forecast of the time when, as Swami Vivekananda, he was to say to large audiences, ‘Do not believe a thing because you read it in a book! Do not believe a thing because another has said it is so! Find out the truth for yourself! That is realization!’ o Reference: Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, Pp. 30-31 T h e

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Ramakrishna Mission

Vivekananda University A Brief Profile SWAMI ATMAPRIYANANDA

Origin Swami Vivekananda envisioned a University at Belur Math and prophesied just a few days before he passed into mahasamadhi on 4 July 1902, that The spiritual impact which has come to Belur [Math] will last fifteen hundred years; and it will be a great university. Do not think I imagine it; I see it.

On day of his mahasamadhi, he instructed his brother-disciple Swami Premananda: Keeping the ancient Indian spiritual heritage and wisdom intact and blending it with modern scientific knowledge, a University should be established at Belur Math.

On another occasion Swamiji wrote: Now the aim is to gradually develop this [Belur] Math into an all-round University.

The Foundation What kind of university Swami Vivekananda envisioned has been a matter of debate over several decades spanning almost a century among the followers and admirers of Swamiji. After several attempts Ramakrishna Mission could finally succeed in taking the first step in actualizing Swamiji’s vision of a university at Belur Math in the establishment of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University. The university is a multi-campus University headquartered at Belur Math and declared by the Government of India as an institution deemed-to-be-University.

By a happy coincidence, the University was inaugurated on 4 July 2005 at Belur Math, the day of Swamiji’s mahasamadhi when he prophesied the inauguration of a university at

A closer view of the Vivekananda University building at Belur Math o The author is the Vice-chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, West Bengal.

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University building at Ranchi Ashrama (left) and at Swamiji’s house, Kolkata (right)

Belur Math, by the President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

Thrust Areas During the brief period of its service in the field of higher education, this University has been, by the blessings of Swami Vivekananda and support from the Government of India and University Grants Commission, able to make rapid strides, particularly in certain ‘thrust areas’ which are in a sense ‘gap areas’ in that these areas scarcely receive the attention that they deserve in any conventional Indian University. The choice of these ‘thrust areas’ was guided by Swamiji’s educational vision as found in his utterances and writings on the one hand, and on the other, by the expertise that Ramakrishna Mission has developed in these areas over the last century in its various branchcentres.

The emphasis on benefiting the common man, the underprivileged, the rural and tribal masses of our country is one cardinal feature of the University bearing Swamiji’s hallowed name.

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Headquartered at Belur Math where Swami Vivekananda lived and passed away, this University operates through its main campus at Belur as well as various ‘offcampus’ centres located at Ramakrishna Mission centres spread across the country. The ‘thrust areas’ chosen and the various ‘Schools’ operationalizing these areas in various campuses are given below: v Disability Management and Special Education, through ‘School of Rehabilitation Science and Physical Education’ with the following Faculties: (i) Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education, and (ii) Faculty of General & Adapted Physical Education and Yoga, located at Ramakrishna Mission Centre in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. v Integrated Rural and Tribal Development, through ‘School of Agriculture and Rural Development’ with following Faculties: (i) Faculty of Integrated Rural Development and Management, including Agricultural Bio-technology, located at Ramakrishna Mission Centre at Narendrapur, Kolkata, West Bengal, and (ii) Faculty of Integrated Rural & Tribal Development and Management,

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University building at Coimbatore Vidyalaya

including Agricultural bio-technology, located at Ramakrishna Mission Centre at Ranchi, Jharkhand. v Indian Spiritual and Cultural Heritage including Value Education, through ‘School of Indian Heritage’ with the Departments of (i) Sanskrit Studies, (ii) Indian Spiritual Heritage, (iii) Ancient Indian Scientific Heritage, (iv) Value Education located at the Belur main campus in West Bengal, and ‘School of Humanities & Social Sciences’ with the Departments of (i) Bengali Studies, and (ii) Philosophical Studies at the Belur main campus. v Fundamental Science Education and Research, through ‘School of Mathematical Sciences’ with the Departments of (i) Mathematics, (ii) Computer Science and (iii) Physics at the Belur campus, and at Vivekananda Research Centre at Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House in Kolkata. v Environmental and Disaster Management, through ‘School of Agriculture and Rural Development’ located at Ramakrishna Mission Centre at Narendrapur, Kolkata, West Bengal.

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Awards and Recognitions This is the first and only private University in West Bengal with dedicated qualified monks at the helm of affairs in teaching and research as well as academic administration. With the grace of Swamiji, this University bearing his hallowed name, has been able, within such a short time, to make a mark particularly in the field of Mathematical Sciences. It is a matter of delight that one of our brilliant monkfaculty, Mahan Maharaj, has won the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for mathematical sciences. This is the first time in the history of this Award that a mathematician from an institution from West Bengal has won this Award in the field of mathematics. It is the first time in recent Indian history that a monk has excelled to such a degree in a subject like mathematics as to be awarded one of the most coveted awards in sciences.

On account of its unique features and commitment to society, our University has been awarded full membership of Global

University building at Narendrapur, Kolkata

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University Network for Innovation (GUNI), a Europe-based global organization networking Universities with social commitment all over the world. Also, in recognition of its emphasis on rehabilitation and inclusive education, UNESCO has created a Chair in the field of ‘Inclusive Adapted Physical Education and Yoga’—the first of its kind in any higher education institution in the whole of Asia.

Marching Forward Taking the help of modern technology to serve the underprivileged in remote rural parts, the University has also been able to launch a unique project called VIVEKDISHA. It is a Space and ICT-enabled project, with 14 Village Resource Centres (VRCs) in West Bengal and Jharkhand, through which teleeducation and tele-medicine services are provided to remote rural areas.

As part of its extension service activity, VIVEKDISHA is also conducting classes in science for school children in the locality on Sundays. VIVEKDISHA Project is eager to expand its extension services in the field of school and college education to set up tele-education service centres. This is aimed to reach out to school children and college students in remote and rural areas of Bengal through online courses on the Internet followed up by contact classes and workshops free of charge. This will be a

Swamiji’s statue in front of University building, Ranchi

part of Swamiji’s 150th birth anniversary celebration. The network of thousands of poor students in remote rural areas who are already benefiting from VIVEKDISHA will considerably get widened in scope with the projected expansion.

Swami Vivekananda’s vision of a University at the Belur Math is thus slowly taking a shape and one looks forward to its growth and progress in all ways. o

Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library.

The ideal of all education, all training, should be this man-making. We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet.

—Swami Vivekananda

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Spiritual Significance of Rituals SWAMI YATISWARANANDA

‘Why should we immerse the image of Ganesha after Puja?’ In tantric worship, we raise the Prana in us. It is raised to the Sahasrara when all differentiation goes and the soul is merged in the universal soul.

Differentiation starts when the mind descends to the level of the forehead and is complete at the heart centre. Hence in the heart we meditate on the deity which is an aspect of the Divine. These instructions are given to all during initiation. During Puja we impart Prana to the image or picture as the case may be. After Puja, the Prana is taken back into the heart again and the image becomes lifeless. It is, thereafter immersed in a river or a lake. So the true image is in the heart; only the form is immersed. After the Durga Puja, Mathur Babu did not like to part with the Durga image. So Sri Ramakrishna told him: ‘Devi is seated in your heart, worship Her there.’ So we worship the Supreme in the form of the Ishta Devata. If we remember this we will not fight about ‘our God’ being the only real God and ‘your God’ being inferior God etc.

For us religion has come to mean some external rituals. Do you know why we put sandal paste on the forehead? The centre of the eyebrows is the seat of the jnana chakshu, the eye of divine wisdom. We do namaskara to one another. Now it has become a mechanical custom just like one doll bowing to another one. Actually we salute the Lord in the other.

Remember the significance of every custom.

Learn to go deeper.

Tirtha-bhranti has two meanings— wandering about the places of pilgrimage and maintaining the delusion that it is the most important thing to do. Wandering in the centres of pilgrimage is an elementary sadhana. Some may need it. When people go on a pilgrimage in groups, they usually quarrel among themselves and the pilgrimage is spoiled. Then there are some really great souls who wander from place to place in a spirit of carefree detachment. They are in a class by themselves. The environment has no effect on them. Again, there are beggars who wander about as a matter of habit. When they are tired of a place, they go elsewhere. As Sri Ramakrishna said, we have to create solitude in our own hearts and do sadhana there. It is no use wandering in search of it. The Dharma Vyadha of the Mahabharata is the ideal.

Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Divine Mother that She might manifest Her glory, not only to Himself but to all that visit Her Shrine. Hence, those who go to that divine spot have a great responsibility. They should not pollute the place with impure thoughts. They should contribute to the holy atmosphere of the temple with their own purity. If you create the right mood, you will be in tune with the atmosphere of the temple. Not only that, you will be contributing something to it. That is

A deep thinker and a pioneer in spreading the message of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and Vedanta in the West and India, Swami Yatiswarananda (1889-1966) was Vice-president of the Ramakrishna Order. This article contains excerpts from his book How to Seek God published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Pp.82-87 T h e

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why we pray for physical and mental purity before sitting for worship.

On one occasion, Swami Shivananda spoke highly of the glory of the Belur Math.

Many of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna had lived there. It is a holy place with a great spiritual atmosphere. But how many can visit it and how many can live there?

No doubt there is a divine manifestation there. But the source is the Supreme Being.

Staying at Belur Math, depending on the outer atmosphere,—will that solve our problems? Through japa and meditation you must be able to enter into the realm of spirit. Only then, outside help in the shape of a holy place will be of some use. Otherwise the place will not have any effect on us. Too much dependence on the place is of no use.

No doubt, the atmosphere at such places is divine, but unless you attune yourselves properly, you will not perceive it. So, having tasted the joy of the place once, something of the atmosphere must be created within and around you, wherever you may be. We visit shrines, but what can we find there? We have to work within ourselves, create the spiritual atmosphere within ourselves. For that you must be pure in heart. Go deeper. Forgetting the Lord within, no amount of other help will be of any avail. Holy places become holy by the presence of the devotees. The illumined devotees carry the Lord in their hearts and they impart spirituality to holy places. We should reach the Lord within. So, the ideal is to go beyond desha, kala and nimitta (time, space and causation). If we get some inspiration from a place and feel too much dependent on that, we should work ourselves out of that dependence. For this japa and meditation are necessary. Mahapurush Maharaj used to say: ‘Merge everything into Him including Belur Math and meditate upon Him.’ All T h e

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holy places are in our heart. Why? The Lord dwells within. If one feels His presence within, then that heart becomes a temple. We are not separate from Him. If we cannot discover the Lord within, we cannot see Him in temples.

Outside temples awaken the consciousness of the temple inside. Dive deep, you will get something which you do not get elsewhere.

Through japa and meditation we reach the state of inner spiritual atmosphere. Awaken that spiritual mood, and then you may stay at any place. Through spiritual practice, reach that holy Benares within you.

After undergoing all spiritual disciplines, a stage comes when one wants to feel and experience one’s identity with the Supreme.

There is a verse in Sri Sankara’s Kashi-panchaka: ‘The body is the city of Kashi and the discriminative knowledge flowing through it is the Ganga. Gaya is faith and devotion.

Prayaga is the Yoga of meditation on the holy feet of the Guru. Why so? Because by that, the devotee, the Guru and the Ishta become one. In fact, the self of the devotee, the Guru and the Ishta are not different. Meditation on the Guru’s feet reveals this truth. Hence it is Prayaga where the three holy rivers meet. The Supreme Consciousness, which is our inner Self and Witness is Vishveshvara, the Lord of Kashi. This consciousness is not different in different individuals. It is the witness of the mind and Buddhi in all beings. Thus when all the holy places exist in myself, what other holy place does exist? Why should I go in search of holy places?’ Of course, some do attain a sudden transformation in some holy places.

Recall the example given by Sri Ramakrishna: A spring is blocked by a stone. Accidentally someone removes that stone and the water gushes out. Consciousness of the Self is like a hidden spring in us. When the obstruction of the ego is removed, It manifests Itself. o

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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.

27 Magician and his magic Siva was seated in Kailas. His companion Nandi was near Him. Suddenly a terrific noise arose. ‘Revered Sir,’ asked Nandi, ‘what does that mean?’ Siva said: ‘Ravana is born. That is its meaning.’ A few moments later another terrific noise was heard. 'Now what is this noise?’ Nandi asked. Siva said with a smile, ‘Now Ravana is dead.’ Birth and death are like magic: you see the magic for a second and then it disappears. God alone is real and all else unreal. Water alone is real; its bubbles appear and disappear. They disappear into the very water from which they rise. (Pp. 787-788) Diamond and Eggplant Seller One offers a price for an article according to one's capital. A rich man said to his servant: ‘Take this diamond to the market and let me know how different people price it. Take it, first of all, to the egg-plant seller.’ The servant took the diamond to the egg-plant seller. He examined it, turning it over in the palm of his hand, and said, ‘Brother, I can give nine seers of egg-plants for it.’ ‘Friend,’ said the servant, ‘a little more—say, ten seers.’ The egg-plant seller replied: ‘No, I have already quoted above the market price. You may give it to me if that price suits you.’ The servant laughed. He went back to his master and said: ‘Sir, he would give T h e

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me only nine seers of egg-plants and not one more. He said he had offered more than the market price.’

The master smiled and said: 'Now take it to the cloth-dealer. The other man deals only in egg-plants. What does he know about a diamond? The cloth-dealer has a little more capital. Let us see how much he offers for it.’

The servant went to the cloth-dealer and said: ‘Will you buy this? How much will you pay for it?’

The merchant said: ‘Yes, it is a good thing. I can make a nice ornament out of it. I will give you nine hundred rupees for it.’ ‘Brother,’ said the servant, ‘offer a little more and I will sell it to you. Give me at least a thousand rupees.’ The cloth-dealer said: ‘Friend, don’t press me for more. I have offered more than the market price. I cannot give a rupee more. Suit yourself.’ Laughing the servant returned to his master and said: ‘He won’t give a rupee more than nine hundred.

He too said he had quoted above the market price.’

The master said with a laugh: ‘Now take it to a jeweller. Let us see what he has to say.’

The servant went to a jeweller. The jeweller glanced at the diamond and said at once, ‘I will give you one hundred thousand rupees for it.’ (Pp.759)

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The Golden Amulet Which Sri Ramakrishna Wore: Some Facts GIRISH

What is an amulet? A popular online encyclopedia describes it thus: an amulet, similar to a talisman, can be any object but its most important characteristic is its supposed power to protect its owner from danger or harm. The word ‘amulet’ comes from the Latin amuletum; the earliest extant use of the term is in Pliny’s Natural History, meaning ‘an object that protects a person from trouble.’

There are many references in the Ramakrishna literature to a golden amulet that Sri Ramakrishna wore. The presence of amulet is referred to in many critical phases of the life of Sri Ramakrishna and the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. This article, compiled from many sources, traces the reason why Sri Ramakrishna wore the amulet till its final disappearance from Belur Math.

Sri Ramakrishna’s Intense Longing After his first vision of the Divine Mother, a series of extraordinary changes came over Sri Ramakrishna’s body because of the surge of devotional love. He underwent much suffering on many occasions from this burning sensation.

As the students of Sri Ramakrishna’s life are aware, during his spiritual practices Sri Ramakrishna had crossed the normal limits of devotion as described in the scriptures and worshipped the Divine Mother with ragatmika bhakti or spontaneous supreme devotion. This caused him intense burning sensation all over the body. This burning sensation increased so much that he could not find relief even when he placed a wet towel on his head and kept his body immersed in the waters of the Ganga for three or four hours. Bhairavi Brahmani, Sri Ramakrishna’s Tantrik guide, temporarily cured it and pointed out that this sensation owed its origin to his intense longing for the full vision of the Divine Lord and his pang

of separation from Him. The Master suffered again from that burning sensation later at the time of practicing the Madhura-bhava, the ‘sweet mood as of the spouse of God.’ According to Hriday, Sri Ramakrishna’s nephew who took care of his physical needs for a long time, ‘The Master then suffered from a pain and a burning sensation similar to that felt by one when a potful of live embers is placed within one’s breast. A few years after his Sadhana came to an end, he became acquainted with Ramkanailal Ghosal, a lawyer of Barasat, who was an advanced Sadhaka of Shakti.

Ramkanailal Ghosal (whose son Tarak later became Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna) was both a successful lawyer and an extremely generous man. Sri Ghosal used to visit the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, both in his capacity as attorney for the Rani Rasmani estate and as a spiritual seeker. It was on one of those occasions that he met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time.

o The author is a devotee from Bangalore.

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Hridayram recalled, He advised the Master to put on his person an amulet encasing the Mantra of his chosen Ideal.

That (burning) sensation came to an end when the amulet was put on.

The Holy Mother said, His [Sri Ramakrishna’s] complexion was like the color of gold–like that of harital (yellow orpiment). His complexion blended with the colour of the golden amulet which he wore on his arm. When I used to rub him with oil, I could clearly see a luster coming out of his body. . .

When he would come out of his room in the temple, people used to stand in line and say to one another, ‘Ah, there he goes!’ He was fairly stout. Mathur Babu gave him a low stool to sit on. It was a rather wide stool, but it was not quite big enough to hold him comfortably when he would squat on it to take his meals. People would look at him wonder-struck when he went with slow steady steps to the Ganges to take his bath.

More References to Amulet On one occasion in 1880, Sri Ramakrishna went to his village, Kamarpukur, and from there wanted to visit Jayrambati, three miles away. His body was so delicate that he could not walk such a long distance, so Hriday arranged a palanquin to carry him. After lunch that day, Sri Ramakrishna put on a scarlet silk cloth and a gold amulet around his arms. His lips were crimson by chewing betel. As he was about to get into to the palanquin, he noticed that a large crowd had gathered, and he asked Hriday the reason for it. Then Hriday said; ‘The thing is, you look so handsome in that silken cloth, and your lips shine with a crimson colour, that is why they want to see you.’ Sri Ramakrishna was shocked to hear that the people were attracted by his physical beauty, which was external and ephemeral, instead of wanting to see the God within. ‘What!’ he T h e

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exclaimed. ‘People are crowding to see a man!

I won’t go. Wherever I may go, people will crowd about like this!’ He returned to the room and took off his silk cloth in utter disgust. In spite of entreaties from Hriday and others, he did not go out that day. Afterwards they returned to Dakshineswar.

During his last illness, Sri Ramakrishna gave the amulet to Sri Sarada Devi. After the Master’s passing away in 1886, she used to worship and wear the amulet on her arm.

In September 1886, while proceeding towards the holy Brindavan, the Holy Mother had a unique vision of the Master. She was sleeping, in the train, with her arm having the amulet exposed, when the Master appeared to her in a vision and warned her of the danger of losing it. Describing the incident, she said, ‘While I was going to Brindavan, I saw the Master look at me through the window of the railway carriage and say, ‘You have my gold amulet with you. See that you do not lose it.’

She got up at once, and put the amulet in the tin box in which she carried the photograph of the Master.

Many years later, after a long stay in Kolkata, the Holy Mother was eager to return to her village. Early one morning she asked, ‘Who performs the worship at the Math now?’

Ganendranath fetched Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) who used to perform the worship at her behest. Handing over to Baburam Maharaj Master’s amulet, she bade him worship it daily. Hiring a boat at once, Baburam Maharaj carried it to Belur Math.

After he had left, Mother observed, Master’s amulet has been in my keeping all this while, I’ve made it over to the [Belur] Math.

One’s health is uncertain and who knows what may befall?

In 1910, the amulet was lost, but fortunately recovered. A devotee told the Holy

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Mother, ‘That amulet, it seems, was lost this year on the Master’s Tithi Puja day. Along with flowers and Bel leaves, that also was thrown into the Ganges, unknowingly. When water receded at the ebb tide, Ram Babu’s son found it while playing there and brought it back.’

The Holy Mother said, ‘It is His amulet.

It must be preserved carefully.’

The Master’s amulet was worshipped at the old shrine in Belur Math until March 1931. Unfortunately some thief broke into the old shrine and made away with it. Swami Sarvatmananda recalls what happened then:

Venetian blinds had been hung on this door.

As a result, this door had to be locked from the outside. I saw that the latch had been broken and was lying there with the padlock still attached.

Then I understood that there had been a theft. I quickly ran up and called Swami Gangeshananda. He saw everything and told me to finish the mangal arati.

After mangal arati, many sadhus and brahmacharis of the Math gathered in the shrine room.

Among them was the former pujari, Swami Jyotirmayananda. Together we searched the room to see what things had been stolen. We discovered that Sri Ramakrishna’s amulet, a few gold coins from the urn, two German-made silver vessels for rose water, a silver vessel used for puja, and a pale orange chadder which Sri Ramakrishna had used and which was worshipped daily—all these had been stolen.

After some time had passed in the midst of great confusion, I went to Mahapurushji’s room. I made pranams, and when I got up, he said, ‘You are not at all to blame. You have been performing Sri Ramakrishna’s worship to the best of your ability.’ He seemed especially saddened by the theft of Sri Ramakrishna’s amulet. I was feeling so depressed at heart that I don’t remember what else he said at the time.

One day, very likely in the year 1931, I opened the door to the [old] shrine room at four in the morning to perform the mangal arati. When I lit the lantern, I saw that all the things in Sri Ramakrishna’s bedroom were scattered here and there and in a state of total disarray. There was a cupboard in the northeast corner of the bedroom.

Some of the things which Sri Ramakrishna had used were kept there. There was another one in the northwest corner where all the required things for Sri Ramakrishna’s daily worship were kept. Sri Ramakrishna’s amulet also used to be there, resting on a small silver throne.

When I entered the room, I saw that the two cupboards had been opened. The urn which was used for Lakshmi puja (on the full moon day of Kojagari) was lying upside down on Sri Ramakrishna’s bed. The silver throne was lying there, but the amulet was gone. I became frightened and entered the shrine room where I saw that the middle of the three southern doors was open. Just a few days before, some

Thus ended the journey of the amulet, which helped Sri Ramakrishna when he was undergoing his Sadhana, was worshipped by the Holy Mother and treasured at Belur Math for many years. Perhaps it was the will of the Lord that the amulet be taken to a place where its need was greater and one day it will find its way back to the place it belongs! o

Bibliography 1. Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master, 4th edition, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p.149 2. The Gospel of the Holy Mother, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p.95 3. Reminiscences of Sri Sarada Devi by Monastics, T h e

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Devotees, and others, compiled and edited in Bengali

by Swami Purnatmananda, translated by Maloti Sen Gupta, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata.

4. Reminiscences of Swami Shivananda by Swami Sarvatmananda (Vedanta Kesari, Sept 1992)

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New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 January 10th 1901 Math. Belur. Howrah.

Granny dear2 Your kind greetings for Xmas has arrived last mail. I cannot tell you how glad I was to get them. Our friendship has grown a year older and the firmer & purer for it. May the Master be blessed who brought us together! I am glad to know of your new children.

My love & blessings to Olea & all the new ones.

The Bank has showed a balance of Rs.5445-15-11 of all the funds which I have kept there, including Rs.747/- which you have sent lately. I have not as yet been able to look over the accounts to tell you exactly the amount which we have on our joint account besides the other funds such as famine & c. I will let you know in a week or two. I am quite well & strong. Do tell me dear friend whether or not you are doing the same.

My friend goes to the pilgrimage in a week. I have promised to pay Rs.150/- for it from our account. Is it right & do you approve?

My father is still suffering though stronger in other respects & my mother doing well.

They are both sending their cordial regards to you & the friend her heartfelt love.

The Swami is at Mayabati & will return on February with Mrs.Sevier. They both go to London on April next.

I have had a letter from Mr.Sturdy last mail. The relation between him & the Swami is still strained & he has sent back a Draft for Rs 159-5-5, which was left with him & Mrs.Johnson for Vedanta work in England. Can you not do anything to make them friends again?

Sarada Devi is at Calcutta. Her health is improving. She ever asks of you, Jojo & Nivedita.

Jojo will come to Calcutta for a month in February next. I wish you were with her too.

My dearest love to you & blessings. May the Master bring you all that you wish to your door.

Ever yours affecly Saradananda.

Jan 24th 1901.

Math. Belur. Howrah. India.

Dearest Granny – I thank you for your kind letter of Jan 2nd. I believe I forgot to send you the new year’s greetings. Your kind letter has reminded me of it. But I am glad I forgot for my heart turns so often to you each day & months that I do not feel any difference in especial times. Each day T h e T h e

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is a Xmas & a new year to your boy & each day he sends his grateful thoughts to you. May you ever be happy & at peace, the Peace which is the Light & which true Love brings to our doors!

My father & mother are sending their grateful regards to you. The former is still the same.

A dear news! Our dear Yuno[?] has come to us on the morning of the 21st inst. She is staying at the Great Eastern Hotel with her friends the Scholefields. I went to the station to meet her. I do not think she is getting good chef nowadays.

The Swamiji has just arrived from Mayabati. He is in Calcutta just now & I hear doing well.

He has been so good to us all this time. May Sri R.[Ramakrishna] bless him.

We hear the Queen is dead! We have had other losses too—The Raja of Khetri, a dear disciple of Swamiji, has died a few days ago. He stumbled down from some height while visiting Secandarll[?], the tomb of Akbar. The Swami has not heard of it as yet & I am afraid it will prove a blow to him.

Mrs.Sevier is still at Mayabati awaiting the arrival of some law papers from England. She will come to Calcutta after receiving them & will sail with the Swami on April next. Such is the plan for the present.

I am doing well since Dec. last. I have no plans now & work but little, just enough to manage the Math affairs & answering my correspondence. I do not believe lecturing will do much good in this country. It is a foreign idea & has not taken roots as yet in this country. If the Master wills so that I might be made an instrument for the carrying out of His Mission further, the way will be opened clear. In the meantime I rest secure in His love & the love which He has revealed to me through the hearts of such dear friends as yourself.

I am sorry to hear of the dangerous illness of Mr.Briggs. Poor Santi is having bad days indeed. However as it is not possible to send her a few lines I will send her my good thoughts as much as possible.

I hope Mrs.Vaughan is well. You have not written of her for a long time. My kindest regards to her when you write next, also to Mr. & Mrs. Thorp.

I am sending a little ivory watch-guard to your address. Will you kindly send it to Agnes as a present from me, if it is proper for me to send it to her or as a present from yourself. It was presented to me here & my first thought was to send it to you; but Agnes having written at that time with rather downfallen spirits (meeting with disappointments with her struggles to get work) I have decided to send it to her. Tell me dear Granny whether or not you approve of this.

If you do not kindly keep it yourself. If you do—kindly send it to her & I will send you another later.

With my love & blessings to you as ever & kindly greetings to Margot, I am Ever yours affectionately Saradananda References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 108 ~ M A R C H 2 0 1 3 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 108 ~ M A R C H 2 0 1 3

Life Beyond Numbers SUSHRUTH L

Numbers Everywhere Life! What is life! Different people answer it differently. Profession, education, age, status—one’s views of life are influenced by a variety of factors. Let us try to understand life from a different angle from what may be called the ‘number game’. Modern life is life of numbers—we tend to quantify everything in life. Be it birth or education or income or ‘progress’ in life, everything is a mere quantification. We do not know much about the ancient world but the modern world is full of ‘numbers’. Numbers have acquired an incredible place in our lives. This has brought a strange frenzy. Numbers, numbers, and yet more numbers—that is our present life. By number is meant some digits, measuring and defining us, our needs, our income, our life, even our ‘self’ in a weird way.

Numbers All the Way Numbers start ruling us right from our birth, or, if gynaecologists should insist, right from the events that precede our birth which includes conception. In some cases Obstetricians are all the more concerned about numbers especially if the expectant ‘life’ happens to be a ‘generous’ gift of assisted reproduction technology. They speak of the number of eggs released, number of fertilized embryos, and number of foetuses that o

develop and so on. Assuming one is fortunate enough to be a normal foetus, accommodated spaciously and uncompromisingly in the comfort of the womb, numbers begin to influence one’s existence from as early as sixth week of one’s intra-uterine life—the time when the heart starts beating! One’s prenatal measurements are important then.

These ‘numbers’ reveal whether one is viable and healthy, without any ‘manufacturing defects’! The radiologist too certifies the yetto-born’s development with a set of numbers he measures, using the ultrasound machine.

After some numbers are achieved in terms of fetal growth, when the time is ‘ripe’, one elicits the obstetrician’s concern depending on the time one takes to descend, the dilatation one causes, the rate of one’s heart-beat—all these are numbers. As soon as one is born, time and date are noted which are again numbers. And if one is a believer in astrology, these numbers are of consequence; they indicate how one’s life is going to unfold!

Medically speaking, one is weighed the moment one is born—again, a number. One’s survival soon after birth depends on some ‘numbers’ and scores which are calculated by observing new-born’s cry, breathing rate and so on. There are many measurable factors to rule out any congenital anomalies and abnormalities, and some scores to measure how healthily one is born. Again, these are a set of numbers.

A medical practitioner, the author is a young devotee of Sri Ramakrishna from Mysore, Karnataka.

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Growing in Numbers After one succeeds in satisfying one’s paediatrician with one’s numbers (birth weight, head circumference, height and so on), one will soon get into another set of numbers—the school examination system. Here one will be judged with the grades or ‘marks’ one gets in examinations. These will label a person intelligent or dull. The play of numbers can be quite cruel. The numbers in one’s school progress-card can authoritatively stamp one’s intellectual abilities. Though these numbers are seldom reflective of one’s potentials, the very fear of not securing these numbers rips one off of all innocence and commonsense. It reduces one to mere a book worm whose only goal is to chew pages of text-books and get those desirable numbers printed on a sheet of paper at the cost of losing all the fun of childhood.

Once one learns to deal with these numbers ‘successfully’ in school (i.e., he gets ‘high’ marks), life in college begins. During college one is at the peak of one’s physical youth and hence one is evaluated in terms one’s physical characteristics. If boys lose their mind on some numbers that measure their height, biceps, etc, it is a little more complex for girls! One is reduced to a mere numbered object.

After the heightened excitement about these numbers dies down, the focus is shifted back to numbers on one’s degree certificate. These will determine how many interviews one gets and how hopeful one can be of landing a good job in a high-paying company. This in turn determines and shifts T h e

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the entire focus of one’s till-now-peaceful life to another vital set of numbers. Salary!

How much salary you draw! Everything depends on that. One’s marriage, social status, relations, interaction with people, attitude, neighborhood, recognition, hobbies, and entire life depends on this vital number—how much is your salary!

Life in Numbers After settling in a job, one worries about the numbers in a different way. If one works in a corporate office, what matters is the number of clients, presentations, conferences, meetings, business growth, sales statistics, career-graph, customer ratings, a whole array of numerals responsible either to push one’s career upwards or pull it downwards.

In this computer-savvy, internet-dependant age, if one is fed up of these numbers and thinks, for a change, about socializing, one has a wide range of social networking sites waiting to tell one how many ‘friends’ one has, how many ‘like’ you, how many ‘likes’ your nearest rival gets, and so on. These are painful numbers.

If one turns out to be successful and becomes a celebrity, one’s life will be a hell full of numbers. Age, which is a number that is never on one’s side, keeps gnawing at one’s ‘image’, market-value. Number of fans one has, number of Likes on one’s social networking pages, number of hits one’s website gets, number of hairs one loses, number of scandals you get involved in . . . every number is a headache or a prestige symbol depending on the way one take it!

If one is troubled by these numbers and visit a physician for a routine check-up,

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he will worry one with more dangerous/ scary set of numbers. One’s BP, one’s sugar levels, one’s cholesterol are all mere numbers but they have the capacity to ruin one’s peace.

If one is shell-shocked by this number-crazy world and takes time off to have a chat with one’s psychologist he will ask one to describe one’s mental status using some numbers on a scale. Then he will grade one using various quotients—emotional quotient, lifestyle quotient, empathy quotient, etc.

And in the hunt for a ‘successful life’, when one plans to acquire some material prosperity, some more numbers will gnaw into one’s peace of mind. The dimensions of one’s plot (of land), the size of one’s house, the size of one’s budget or personal TV, the specifications of one’s car, the monthly bills, the amount of loans one takes, the Easy Monthly Installments (EMI)—all are worrisome numbers. These along with more numbers will rule one’s adulthood and make one stressed out sapping all of one’s youthful energy.

When All Things Are Numbered Right from the speed of one’s computer and internet to the speed of one’s bike or car, everything is weighed by numbers irrespective of whether the full potential indicated by those numbers are made use of or not. Technology is measured with mega pixels of one’s mobile camera and memory available on your card.

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is measured by TRP of TV channels, number of subscribers of newspapers, e-magazines, blog-spots etc. One’s house or apartment, foot-size and chest-size, reading glasses, all are numbered. May be convenience was the purpose of all this, but now it has replaced human living with just some numbers.

Food items are measured in terms of calories they offer, workouts in a gym are measured with calories burnt. Nutrition and health is measured by a range of indices. Dietary guidelines and nutritional requirements are a bunch of numbers. Foodstuff is weighed by the nutritional ‘value’ it possesses.

If one is health-conscious, one is advised to digest the label on the food stuff before one can even think of gulping it down! All medical tests are based on numbers. Be it a bacteria, virus or fungus, everything is countable and made accountable.

If microbiology counts microscopic organisms, environmental biology counts tigers and endangered species. Medicine has its own set of numbers ranging from cholesterol and hemoglobin percentage to red cell count, white cell count, and various other counts which tell not just about your health but also about your functionality! Be it intensity of light or sound, be it concentration of alcohol in your blood or levels of recreational drugs most things can be measured using meters in fraction of a second.

There are various specialized ways to express these numbers. Starting with body-mass index you have a whole bunch of indices that are used in various fields to indicate many things. Then you have different quotients—IQ, EQ, SQ, etc. From averages, to ratings, to grading, to indices, to quotients and percentages, it is a whole foray of numbers.

We live in a world where even one’s doctor asks one to grade one’s pain on a scale if one

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complains of pain. Right from the size of one’s shoes, to the size of one’s hair, every integral and measurable part of our personality is sized up.

If one happens to seek solace in modern day, new-age spirituality, one gets into another cycle of numbers. This is particularly true in case of gullible and tired urban people. Here one’s achievement will be measured on the number of courses one attend—this or that type of ‘yoga’, the number of diverse and contradictory paths one take (that further lead you far away from real peace of mind), number of times one meditates, number of times one does Pranayama and so on. Some of these newage spiritual groups even provide one with a chart to record these numbers so that they can assess how much one has ‘progressed’ at the end of one’s course!

From Measurable to Immeasurable Now that we have devised various scales and units to measure all measurable things, the focus has gradually shifted towards assigning a numerical value to arbitrary things like pain, love, happiness, emotions, stage performance, etc. An effort at times is made even to measure some immeasurable attributes of one’s personality like one’s emotionality, likeability, friendliness, etc. No effort is spared in trying to measure the value of things—living and nonliving—by assigning them a numerical value,

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by conceptualizing a numerical scale that is deemed to measure their ‘level’ of capability and usefulness.

The day is not far when man’s whole personality itself would be given a number very much like the registration number of one’s vehicle or even better, one’s roll number in school. A time may come when the first question one will be asked in an interview would be ‘what is the size of your personality’. A new CT scanning machine with ultra penetrative power may be invented to measure the number of neurons in your brain and the number of interconnections in order to establish your worth and ability which establishes your numerical superiority!

This unrestrained fanfare of numbers is surely responsible for the increased anxiety levels in the modern world. It is all one disastrous game of numbers.

Life Beyond Numbers In this mad rush for numbers the aspects of life that give one fulfillment, without bothering one with numbers, are often sidelined. Virtues like interpersonal relations, humane bonding, selfless service, empathy, concern for others are to be found in moral education books only.

The craze for achieving these numbers in every aspect of life is forcing people to sacrifice their ethical values and morality. It has led

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to cut-throat competition, quite literally. In the mad rush for numbers, being human is forgotten. Stress is inevitably and unwittingly welcomed in this chase of numbers. Undue focus on numbers has made people overlook true joy of life, the contentment life offers in ‘numerically insignificant’ ways. People ensnared by numbers seldom have the ability to see the hidden potentials of a human being, the emotional connect, the common thread that runs through the entire creation, the natural sweet fragrance of life. Simplicity is pushed aside for it is never on the side of ‘numbers’.

Extravagance is worshipped, glitz is invoked, and pomp and glory are beseeched which ultimately brings frustration and restlessness.

Humanity is made to surrender to the power of numbers, believe in its omniscience.

People have failed to realize in this maze of numbers that the real essence is far away from the realm of numbers. As Einstein says, It would be possible to describe absolutely everything scientifically, but it would make no sense. It would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure.

But why are we so carried away by the superficial prominence of numbers? Are numbers everything? Are numbers the whole and soul of our existence? Why should we lose ourselves acquiring numbers? Isn’t quality more essential than quantity? Should we always procure a certificate from ‘quantity’ to authenticate one’s quality? Though the

purpose of quantifying something is to estimate its quality, quantity seldom correlates with quality.

Moreover numbers fail miserably when it comes to the inner aspect of life which forms the core of our existence. The innocent joys of life are to be simply enjoyed and not quantified. A child-like acceptance stays far above the reach of the number-oriented ‘adults’!

The true treasure of peace and bliss is neither accessible to numbers nor to any outward show backed by numbers. Still if one is eager to be a participant in this game of numbers and if one’s mind wants to run after numbers, why not chase and comprehend infinity? After all, that is the most challenging experience of all numbers.

Conclusion Science deals with measurements and quantifications. It wants ‘exactness’ before it can make a conclusion. It measures in terms of objects, time, place and other factors. But is this measuring-everything-attitude all about life? What about life beyond measures, beyond exactness, beyond numbers? There is ‘living’ aspect of life, much more important than ‘measuring’ aspect. Possibly, life would be so much better, peaceful and blissful, if only we realize that of all the numbers the only number that matters eventually is 6‘ by 3’ (if one is buried) or a few grams or kilograms of ashes, if one is cremated! o

The man of self-control, moving among objects with his senses undr restraint, and free from attachment and hate, attains serenity of mind. In that serenity there is an end of all sorrow; for the intelligence of the man of serene mind soon becomes steady.

—Bhagavad Gita

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Our Attitudes Towards Work N GOKULMUTHU

Work is something which we are constantly engaged in. Work is the way by which we interact with the world. There are two components to work—action and result.

Action is what flows from us to the world.

Result is what flows from the world to us. This strictly follows the law of cause and effect.

‘As we sow, so shall we reap.’ As our current action is one of the contributors towards the result, depending on the situation, sometimes we get the desired result and sometimes we do not get the desired result.

The other factor—situation—is the result of the accumulated, unfructified effect of all our previous actions. According to Vedanta, God is the personification of this law of cause and effect—‘He is the Giver of all fruit of actions’ (karma phala data). God is also the substratum of our being, the world and all its animate and inanimate things. God, again, is the material of which everything is made of (jagat karanam). He also the bestower of grace.

With Vedantic background there are several attitudes possible towards work such as: 1. We want some result. We work towards the result. If we get the desired result, we jump with joy, become greedy for more and become proud of our result or achievement.

If we do not get the desired result, we become depressed, get angry and become jealous of others who have got the result that we were seeking.

This is a wrong attitude resulting from non-understanding of the deeper meaning of action and of life. It is the cause of most strife and dissatisfaction.

2. We understand that our own past actions and our current actions are responsible for the result. We believe in the fairness of the system of cause and effect. If we get the desired result, we are happy. And we will see how we can get more of the desired result. If we do not get the desired result, we will try harder to overcome the effects of one’s past actions, which were, knowingly or unknowingly in the opposite direction.

To enable a better and deeper acceptance of the fairness of the system of cause and effect, we personify it as God. We seek the blessings of God before we start the action, by physically offering something (flowers, agarbatis, fruits, etc.). When the action is complete, if we get the desired result, we offer something in return to God as a token of gratitude.

This is a better attitude towards work, considering God as the karma-phala-data. It makes a person less-egocentric and more God-centric, through the problem of spiritual well-being 3. We understand, there is a higher purpose to work. The result is only an incidental temporary phenomenon. What is more permanent is the lesson that we have learned, in both success and failure. Every work that we do makes a change in us as a

o A devotee of the Lord, Gokulmuthu N. works as a software engineer in Bangalore.

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person. Every work polishes us and makes us a wiser person with a better understanding of the world and ourself. Every work is a file to round of the rough edges in our personality and make us more wholesome.

We also understand that God is the ‘system’. The world is not different from God. So our every action is an offering to God. The result of our action is His response to our

offering. Work is not separate from worship.

Work itself is worship. The person starts with the attitude, ‘Whatever I do, I do it for you.’ and finally ends with the attitude, ‘Whatever I do, I do it to you.’

This is the best attitude considering God as the Cause of this world (jagat karanam). It leads to spiritualization of all works making our whole life a spiritual endeavour. o

Man works with various motives. There cannot be work without motive. Some people want to get fame, and they work for fame. Others want money, and they work for money.

Others want to have power, and they work for power. Others want to get to heaven, and they work for the same. Others want to leave a name when they die, as they do in China, where no man gets a title until he is dead; and that is a better way, after all, than with us. When a man does something very good there, they give a title of nobility to his father, who is dead, or to his grandfather. Some people work for that.

Some of the followers of certain Mohammedan sects work all their lives to have a big tomb built for them when they die. I know sects among whom, as soon as a child is born, a tomb is prepared for it; that is among them the most important work a man has to do, and the bigger and the finer the tomb, the better off the man is supposed to be. Others work as a penance; do all sorts of wicked things, then erect a temple, or give something to the priests to buy them off and obtain from them a passport to heaven. They think that this kind of beneficence will clear them and they will go scotfree in spite of their sinfulness. Such are some of the various motives for work.

There are some who are really the salt of the earth in every country and who work for work's sake, who do not care for name, or fame, or even to go to heaven. They work just because good will come of it. There are others who do good to the poor and help mankind from still higher motives, because they believe in doing good and love good. The motive for name and fame seldom brings immediate results, as a rule; they come to us when we are old and have almost done with life. If a man works without any selfish motive in view, does he not gain anything? Yes, he gains the highest. Unselfishness is more paying, only people have not the patience to practise it. It is more paying from the point of view of health also. Love, truth and unselfishness are not merely moral figures of speech, but they form our highest ideal, because in them lies such a manifestation of power.

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The Order on the March Ramakrishna Math and Mission—News and Notes

150th Birthday Celebrations of Swami Vivekananda ‘Shashwata Bharat’ Launched On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Math (Yogodyan) Kankurgachi, Kolkata, has launched a unique mobile tableau named ‘Shashwata Bharat’ (depicting Indian Spiritual and Cultural Heritage from Vedas to Sri Ramakrishna) to spread the eternal message of Swami Vivekananda in West Bengal. Most Revered Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, inaugurated it on Sunday the 6th January, 2013 at Belur Math.

He also launched a website about the new project: www.shashwatabharata.in The launching of Shashwata Bharat at Belur Math The main features of Shaswat Bharat: 1. A thematic representation of India in the vision of Vivekananda, created by fibre-glass sculptures mounted on a chassis of a vehicle in order to make an year-long journey throughout West Bengal.

2. Processions accompanying ‘Shashwata Bharata’ during its journey through different localities enroute, arranged in association with the local organizers.

3. Workshops on Personality Development and Value Education at educational institutions with audiovisual presentation, public meetings focusing on man-making, character-building, national Integration, etc, concluded by film shows.

4. Display-cum-sale of literatures, audio and video cassettes, photos, posters, stickers, etc., on Swamiji’s thoughts and allied subjects at highly subsidized prices.

5. A mobile exhibition of portraits depicting the lives and teachings of the Holy Trio. o Special Events Sri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, inaugurated Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission’s celebration of Swamiji’s 150th Birth Anniversary at Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Kolkata, on 18 January. Sri M K Narayanan, Governor of West Bengal; Sri Jawhar Sircar, CEO of Prasar Bharati; Swami Smaranananda and Swami Prabhananda, Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order, and Swami Suhitananda, the General Secretary addressed the gathering. About 400 people, including monks and distinguished guests, attended the function.

As a sequel to the above function, a daylong programme, highlighting the ‘Relevance and Significance of the Life and Message and Work of Swami Vivekananda in the Present-day World’ was held at Belur Math on Sunday, 20 January. The first two sessions were presided over by Swamis Smarananandaji and Prabhananda respectively. Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, the President of Ramakrishna Order, T h e

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presided over the last session in which Smt Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Swami Suhitananda, the General Secretary of the Order, addressed the gathering. Nearly 15,000 people, including monks, nuns, delegates and invitees, attended the programme.

Swamiji’s Ancestral House & Cultural Centre did not have a direct access from Vivekananda Road.

So, on our request, Kolkata Municipal Corporation acquired an adjacent five Katha plot for the Centre.

Smt Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, handed over the deed for the free lease of the plot for 999 years to the General Secretary in a function held at the Centre on 11 January.

Ministry of Culture, Government of India, organized the inaugural function of Swamiji’s 150th birth anniversary celebration at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on 12 January. Sri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India; Smt Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson; Sri A K Antony, Union Defence Minister; Smt Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Union Culture Minister, and Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary,

Newly released commemorative postal cover, stamps, postal cancellation and coins

addressed the gathering. Commemorative coins of Rs. 5 and Rs. 150 denominations were released by Sri P Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, and four commemorative postage stamps (one of Rs. 20 denomination and three of Rs. 5 denomination) were released by Sri Kapil Sibal, Union Communication Minister.

University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, has instructed all the higher educational institutions in India (colleges, universities, etc) to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda befittingly with various events throughout the year. o Two-day Seminar held at Jammu A two-day seminar on Unity in Diversity was organised on 8-9 January 2013 by the Ramakrishna Mission in Jammu. The seminar was held to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Dr. T h e

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Karan Singh, Member of Parliament and eminent statesman and scholar, inaugurated the seminar and gave the keynote address. Dr. Sudhir N. Bloeria, Vice Chancellor, Central University, Jammu and President of the management committee, Ramakrishna Mission, Jammu, Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai, eminent Sanskrit scholar, Sri PP Srivastav, Member, North East Council, and a host of distinguished scholars and monks addressed the seminar. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Sri NN Vohra, gave the valedictory address. Swami Girijeshananda, the secretary of Jammu Ramakrishna Mission, welcomed the gathering and thanked the speakers and the gathering.

The subject of unity in diversity was discussed from various viewpoints such as enlightened citizenship, education and spirituality, with reference to the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The seminar was held at the Police Auditorium, a prestigious public hall centrally located in the city of Jammu. The seminar was attended by around 200 delegates. The Jammu branch of Ramakrishna Mission, it may be recalled here, was started around 12 years ago and is located in Uddhowala and carries out a number of spiritual and philanthropic activities including running a well- Dr. Karan Singh inaugurating the seminar at Jammu equipped medical centre in its premises. o Massive Public Meeting Held at Bangalore To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore organized a one-day programme at National College Grounds, Basavanagudi, on 12 January 2013. The programme was in particular meant for motivating the college students to learn from the inspiring life and message of Swami Vivekananda.

Inculcating a sense of pride in India’s spiritual and cultural heritage and a sense of nationalism—this is what the programme aimed at.

Around 35,000 students from about 200 colleges took part in the event and were seated in a large pandal erected for the purpose.

Some 1000 volunteers worked round-the-clock to organize the programme. The Department of Higher Education and Department of PreThe view of the audience at Bangalore meeting University Education, Government of Karnataka issued circulars urging the college authorities to encourage students to participate in the programme.

This paved the way to assemble a large number of students—one of the biggest of its kind organized by Bangalore (Basavanagudi) Math.

The morning session consisted of Vedic chanting and Bhajans, lighting of lamp, administering the swadesha mantra, addresses by Swami Harshananda, Adhyaksha, Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi, Bangalore; Sri Visweswar Hegde Kageri, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Government of T h e

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Karnataka and Dr Gururaja Karajagi, renowned educationist. The special feature of the morning session was Vivekananda Namana, a tribute to Swamiji through narration and songs (compositions of noted Kannada poets such as K V Puttappa, Dr Shivarudrappa and monks of the Ramakrishna Order), directed by renowned music director Sri Praveen D Rao. After sumptuous lunch, the forenoon programme featured Jago Bharat, a cultural presentation on nationalistic ideas by Sulibele Chakravarti and troupe.

In the evening session, a special lecture by Sri K Suryanarayana Rao was held. The session, presided over by Swami Harshananda, concluded with a flute recital by Sri Praveen Godkhindi. Vivekananda Darshana, an exhibition on the life and teachings of Swamiji, comprising of 30 art sketches with description depicting key events of his life was set up. A computerized quiz, with gift vouchers for prizewinners was also organized. The bookstall set up for the sale of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and Vedanta literature was thronged by a large number of participants. o Celebrations at Vivekanandar Illam Blessed with the nine-day stay of Swami Vivekananda, the Vivekanandar Illam on the picturesque Marina Beach Road is a place of pilgrimage. One feels Swamiji’s presence there, in the room where he lived, in the whole ambience of the place.

It is indeed a sacred place and it is matter of great happiness that now the Government of Tamilnadu has leased out the entire building along with the front land for 99 years to Mylapore Ramakrishna Math. This year, for the first time in Illam’s recent records, a function was held in the front land, consisting of puja and homa in the morning, followed by a public meeting addressed by Swami Gautamananda, the Adhyaksha of Mylapore Math, Swami Tyagananda, Head of Vedanta Society, Boston, and Swami Vimurtananda, editor, Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam, Chennai. In Floral offering to Swamiji the evening, bhajans, display of asanas and feats on Malakhamba and Villupatam were held.

Besides, a large number of visitors came to Illam to pay their homage to Swamiji on his 150th Birthday—on 12 January 2013.

Chennai Math also organized competitions on the quotations of Swami Vivekananda in which about ten lakh (one million) students from 3000 educational institutions of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu participated. In all, 15,000 students, the first three winners in each group, received Public meeting at the front land in Illam the prizes. o T h e

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Public Meeting at Salem A large public meeting was held at Salem to mark the 150th Birthday of Swami Vivekananda where Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, gave the keynote address. He spoke for forty minutes and interacted for fifteen minutes with students. All the participants numbering 5300 were given Vivekananda: His Call to the Nation. Dr. Kalam also released a book in Tamil for youth written by Swami Virabhadrananda, Adhyaksha, Ramakrishna Math, Haripad, Kerala. Lunch prasad was Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Salem function distributed to all participants. o Book-sales Counter Opened at Ulsoor As a mark of respect to Swami Vivekananda, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. has provided a place for a book stall namely, Vivekananda Centre in the premises of Swami Vivekananda Road Metro Station. Sri.D.D.Pahuja, Director (RSM & O & M), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. inaugurated the Vivekananda Centre on the National Youth Day, 12th January 2013. o Pongal Celebrated Thai Pongal or Pongal, the popular harvest festival celebrated in Tamilnadu, was observed by the students of Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home, Mylapore, Chennai, on 14 January 2013. Pongal marks the beginning of the northward journey of the sun from its southernmost-limit (uttarayana). It coincides with Makara Sankranti. The word pongal refers to the ‘boiling over’ of milk and rice and as the festival is held in the Tamil month of Thai, it is called Thai Pongal. People thank Sun God (Surya) for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him.

People decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves and embellish the floor with kollam (rangoli), decorative patterns using rice flour. Pongal is also the name of the rice-pudding made on this and other festive occasions.

The Students’ Home students cooked the Pongal in groups and danced to the tune of traditional folk songs. The cooked Pongal was offered at the Home altar, enshrining the pictures of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda. The Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home, it may be mentioned, is more than 100 years and is a residential institution catering to the educational needs of 700 students coming from Preparation of Pongal by students orphan, single-parent or destitute family background. o T h e

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Book Review

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

A BLESSED LIFE— BIOGRAPHY OF PRAVRAJIKA BHARATIPRANA

by Pravrajika Jnanadaprana Published by Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswar, Kolkata - 700 076. 2012.

Paperback, pp.332, Rs.100 The metamorphosis of a little known village girl Parul as the founding President of Sri Sarada Math, revered as Pravrajika Bharatiprana, forms the subject of A Blessed Life.

Born in an orthodox family in rural Bengal in 1894, married under duress in her teens, she left home unnoticed. This transition was masterminded by her teacher and well-wisher Sudhira Devi who smartly managed her escapades. However, before settling down to the blessed life of serving Holy Mother, Parul fell into her family’s hands but twists and turns finally led her to the care of Holy Mother.

Realizing her resolve, family members wisely reconciled to the situation.

Parul’s remarkable courage and determination was fascinating. Equally fascinating was the character of her brave teacher. At enormous risk, Parul’s adventure was conducted ignoring the concern expressed even by Sister Nivedita who remarked whether it would be accepted ‘in this country of Sita and Savitri.’ Living under the pseudonym of Sarala, the name that stuck to her till she was ordained into sannyasa, she earned the goodwill of Sarat Maharaj and was assigned to serve Holy Mother. That was a turning point in her life. How Parul (now Sarala) was chosen, in 1953, to assume charge as the founder President of Sri Sarada Math and manage it is the core of the story.

The Introduction recalls that Sri Ramakrishna, having delivered the purpose of his incarnation, left several tasks and follow up action with T h e

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Holy Mother. With amazing skill and foresight, Holy Mother carried his mission for 35 years.

Holy Mother knew that Sarala was destined to undertake important assignments. Realising this she consoled the grieving Sarala that after fulfilling the unfinished part of the agenda she will merge in her. She foresaw that women would volunteer with the spirit of atmano mokshartham jagadhitaya cha. Orthodoxy could no longer hold back the fundamental right of women to be educated and serve society. This paved the way for setting up of a Math similar to Ramakrishna Math, exclusively for women and administered by women, without domination by men.

Swami Saradananda knew that though Sarala was busy working all day, there was more in her than working capacity. His sagely advice was; ‘You are born as a human being. . . die in such a way as to leave behind an ideal for others to follow.’ Swami Saradananda ordained her into sannyasa and gave her the name Sri Bharati. To her colleagues and others, she was simply Ma. The events leading to the establishment of Sri Sarada Math, the keen involvement of Swami Sankarananda (then President of Ramakrishna Order), and Sarala, as Bharatiprana, assuming the office of President and much more are detailed in the chapter ‘The Dawn of a New Era’. The opening of the Sarada Math Centres in Chennai and New Delhi are also elaborately described in separate chapters. Thus, over a century ago, Swamiji ensured equal rights for men and women. He demonstrated that delegation of authority was total, not partial.

Holy Mother set high standards of discipline.

Ma’s daily routine was influenced by those values; strict personal discipline without being dogmatic, loving affection to all, timekeeping, optimum utilisation of resources, a low profile, self-effacing and simple, never finding fault with others and so on. Ma believed in women’s liberation and discouraged dowry for marriage. Like Holy Mother she never used footwear even when proceeding to Kamarpukur from Jairambati. She ensured

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comforts of her attendants; while on tour she would confine herself to the purpose of visit but arrange for her attendants to go sightseeing. Asking a brahmacharini to bow down to a member of Sri Ramakrishna’s family, she explained, ‘Even a dog or a cat from the family of your Ishta is worthy of your worship’ (p.169).

Poignant episodes have lessons on how to bear extreme hardships. Parul was uneducated but had dignity and self-confidence. What more does a modern youth need to fight negative instincts? As the author puts is, ‘Greatness is directly imbibed by contact with the great’. The hagiography of Jivanmuktas should be read not for any thrill or storyline but to benefit from events in their lives.

Parul abandoned a transitory life, stood her ground, and with no euphoria, scripted history in the spiritual opportunities for women.

As the Foreword hopes, this moderately priced book should ‘fulfil Swami Vivekananda’s prophecy that even if one woman becomes a brahmavid [knower of Brahman]…she will inspire thousands’. _______________________________ P.S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI

THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION’S RELIEF SERVICES—AN ILLUSTRATED OUTLINE OF A CENTURY & BEYOND OF SERVICE (18972010) Published by Ramakrishna Mission, P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah, West Bengal 711 202. First Edition 2010, First reprint 2011, paperback, pp.36, price not given.

Ramakrishna Mission has been providing distress relief for over a century. The ‘relief-work’ began during Swami Vivekananda’s life-time itself.

What characterizes the monks and volunteers engaged in relief operations is their palpable sense of dedication to the ideal of serving God or divinity in man. This booklet provides a bird’s eye-view of Ramakrishna Mission’s approach, philosophy, T h e

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pioneering projects, growth and organisational network in proving relief. Be it flood in Assam or Tsunami in Tamilnadu, or earthquake in Jammu or fire in Odisha, the brave soldiers of Swamiji do their best to assuage the sufferings of the people affected.

The book is well illustrated with many pictures and many impressive figures. An inspiring account of how Ramakrishna Mission has played a vital role in times of worst natural and man-made disasters India has faced. _______________________________________________ VK OFFICE

SEVEN QUARTETS OF BECOMING

By Debashish Banerji.

Published by Nalanda International, CA, USA and Printworld (P) Ltd, Sri Kunj, F-52, Bali Nagar,Ramesh Nagar Metro Station, New Delhi- 110 015.2011, Paperback, Pp441. Rs.580.

US $ 26 Man is not the final stage in the evolution of life. Right now he seems to be perfect enough as an instrument, and Hamlet has given a near-perfect description of man: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!

However, the flawless man has not yet emerged. But perfection can be acquired on earth itself, say the yogis and siddhas of India. They have programmed many elaborate pathways for achieving individual perfection. It has been an ongoing process. Among the most celebrated yogis of the twentieth century was Sri Aurobindo.

According to him, we are still an evolving species.

Nor need we remain inactive, allowing Mother Nature alone to chisel us to perfection. We can also take upon ourselves the exertions of improving our nature to make the passage to the higher rungs of evolution speedier. From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Tirumoolar’s Tirumandiram onwards, there has been a constant honing up of yogic apparatus by individual thinkers. Sri Aurobindo recorded his own experiences encountered during his tapasya

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and noted seven broad pathways to perfection.

This is the saptha-chatushtaya which is the subject of Debashish Banerji.

Seven Quartets of Becoming is, of course, an academic treatise and one must be prepared to wrestle with the diction associated with contemporary philosophical discourse. Nevertheless, thanks to Sri Aurobindo’s style of breaking down ideas and experiences into identifiable modules, and then listing them for our benefit, we find ourselves in a fordable ocean. To those of us who find Sri Aurobindo’s volumes on yoga and philosophy too formidable, Mr. Bannerji extracts the modules and explains them in his non-complicated style.

The seven perfections the yogi seeks are: peace (samata), power (shakti), knowledge (vijnana), body (sharira), Being (Brahma-experience), action (karma) and integral perfection (siddhi). Each has been given a four step programme of self-advancement. In actuality, it is not unlike Indra’s net of pearls one hears of in Mahayana Buddhism where each pearl reflects all the other pearls in the net. Such is the integrality of these disciplines. We are not dealing with building blocks of discipline. The discipline is integral though we necessarily place the emphasis on a particular subject.

The quartet of the body is found to be the easiest by people today but for wrong reasons, says Mr. Banerji. According to them ‘. . . this is the domain of cosmetology (saundarya)—gyms, vitamins and the pharmaceutical and health industry (arogya), mood enhancing drugs (ananda) and in the horizon of things to come, arogya realised through genetic engineering and cryogenics (immortality).

The body translated into a pattern of information, de-materialisation and re-materialisation (utthapana) is no longer unimaginable, the exceeding of the human made possible through lateral splicing of universal genetic materials.’ (p. 218) But the idealist plods on and posits victories too. Such has been the experience of the Indian since Patanjali posited his Yoga Sutras. While the summation of Sri Aurobindo’s personal experiences has been given in his The Synthesis of Yoga, the integral yoga of perfection is actually an endless progression as is revealed in this book by the considerable number of significant quotes from the Record of Yoga, and Banerji’s own crystallization T h e

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of certain experiences that effect the change in one’s consciousness. Krishna Darshana, for instance: Preliminary–Krishna sensed behind the disguise 1st intensity–Krishna seen behind the human mask 2nd intensity–Krishna seen in the human being 3rd intensity– The human being seen in Krishna Consummation. The human being = Krishna.

Herculean labour awaits the yogis who are prepared to wrestle with the work of changing consciousness so that ‘even the body shall remember God.’ The first step is provided by Seven Quartets of Becoming as a dependable introduction to Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. ___________________________ PREMA NANDAKUMAR, TRICHY

MANTRA YOGA AND PRIMAL SOUND

by David Frawley Published by New Age Books, A-44 Naraina Phase-I, New Delhi 110 028. 2012, First Indian Edition, Paperback, pp. 193, Rs. 225 The book under review is undoubtedly a fruitful endeavour to throw light upon not just the moral significance but also the philosophical interpretation of the mantras that a Hindu is supposed to be commonly using.

In doing so, the book traverses winding paths to unravel the ‘mantric’ approach to ‘intelligence’ and ‘knowledge’ held within the sound codes of these mantras. The author, David Frawley, well-known worldwide as Pandit Vamadeva Shastri, is a muchfollowed teacher of Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedas, and the author of several books.

The book is divided into three sections dealing with the vast repertoire of behavioural and functional applications of the mystic seed syllables (bija mantras). These three sections are capped with a descriptive forward in the beginning and an appendix at the end respectively. The first part of the book provides a foreword about the mantrapractice in general, and functions as a launch pad to set forth the reader’s intellect into a deeper understanding of wisdom contained in the seed (bija) mantras. It reasons with the reader as to why

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and how he should practice mantra chanting, slowly building in him a thirst for mantra-practice.

The second part of the book presents a tutorial on the usage of mantras that were introduced in the earlier part. It provides a detailed analysis of the Sanskrit pronunciations and nourishes much information regarding the inherent nature of each of the bijas thus making the reader ever aware of the potency of his utterings.

The focus thereafter shifts to discussing the most potent among all the single seed mantras—the Shakti mantras. This section, as the name portrays, throws light upon the nature, potential and application of the many prevalent Devi mantras.

The Mantra Purusha described in the concluding chapters of this part relates every alphabet of the Sanskrit language to various parts of the human body, linking them to the specific characters they represent. The third part deals with more of practical implementation of the mantric discipline. It talks of pranayama practices, of deity worship, of ayurveda and vastu—all in the light of mantric application.

The concluding part gives the final push to the votary: it gives a quick know-how about mantra chanting and the consecration of the entire mantra purusha onto the human body. It also provides a pronunciation guide of the Sanskrit alphabets.

The book has been penned in quite a lucid and easy-to-follow language. The author has made it a point to touch almost every aspect of the mantra science. But the vast plethora of information remains unorganized to some extent which might put a novice reader at a mercy of messed-up thoughts. Nevertheless, a careful study and a bit of guidance can clear all doubts of the seeker and provide him with quite a meaningful insight into the mystic sounds of Hindu mantra-kosha. ________________ PROBAL RAY CHOUDHURY, COIMBATORE

INFLUENCES OF ANCIENT HINDUISM ON EARLY CHRISTIANITY

by A.L. Herman.

Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 41, UA Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007. 2009, First Indian Edition, hardback, pp. 249, Rs. 595 This is a work about influences which some of the world religions had on each other’s T h e

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theology and practices.

The book details the influences of the ancient Indian civilization on the religious beliefs of Mediterranean religions. But the work is not so much an historical, but a kind of a philosophical analysis of concepts. It touches on the phenomenological influences of one set of religious beliefs on two other similar sets. It is more concerned with the nature of the relationship between various religious theologies than making an in-depth analysis. The author gives compelling evidence that Indus valley religion significantly influenced Greek religion which, in turn, influenced the early Christian religion.

This seems to confirm the view that the religion of the Indus valley civilization influenced early Christianity. ________________________ SWAMI VIRESHANANDA, MYSORE

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA’S ANCESTRAL HOUSE AND CULTURAL COMPLEX—A HERITAGE BUILDING AND A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE Compiled by Swami Satyapriyananda Published by Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House & Cultural Centre, 3, Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street, Kolkata - 700 006. 2011, first edition, paperpack, Pp.54, Rs.35.

The slender volume not only describes Naren’s childhood events but also the long drawn legal struggle to acquire the house and the story of its restoration. Enriched many colour pictures of the house and its interiors, the book is a valuable addition to the books on Swami Vivekananda.

A timely publication. _______________________________________________ VK OFFICE

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Universal Temple

Dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, is a landmark, incorporating features of many architectural traditions. Dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, the temple draws hundreds of devotees and visitors daily. This book in multi-colours gives details of the origin and significance of the architectural designs of the temple. It has 40 pictures and also texts of the talks given by Swami Bhuteshananda and Swami Ranganathananda on the significance of Ramakrishna temples.

G. Venkataramana Reddy, the author, is wellknown for his designs of several Ramakrishna temples in different parts of India.

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Pages viii + 72. Price: Rs. 75/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained

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

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Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama

Swami Vivekananda Path, P.O. Bela, Muzaffarpur–843 116, Bihar Phone: 0621-2272127, 2272963 E-mail: rkm.muzaffarpur@gmail.com Website: www.rkmmuzaffarpur.org

An Appeal to join us in medical services to the poor Eye, ENT, Dental Clinic cum Diagnostic Centre Dear Devotees / Friends, Our Sevashrama has been rendering medical services to the poor and downtrodden in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, where facilities for medical care is not easily available. Facilities and infrastructure at the Sevashrama require upgradation to meet the ever increasing demand for health care among the poor.

We have undertaken infrastructure projects to serve the needy and the poor as homage to Swami Vivekananda whose 150th birth anniversary celebrations are on all over India.

Present Infrastructure: Oldest Eye Infirmary (30-bedded) in North Bihar established in 1947, General dispensary, Work for new medical building in progress Dental, Medicine, Homeopathy, X-Ray, Pathology, Eye O.T. Hospital Building and Eye Wards are in dilapidated condition.

Project Plans: Establish Specialty Wards that are well equipped to handle ENT, Eye and Dental care with OPD sections, Operation Theatre, Modern Diagnostics / clinical lab, R&D section, Para medical Training, Quarters for doctors.

First Phase Outlay: Construction on 13000 Sq. ft. area of Medical Block: Rs.40 Lakh (for remaining work), Medical Equipments: Rs.65 Lakh, Permanent Fund: Rs. 1 Crore, Doctor’s Quarters. Rs. 50 Lakh Work in Progress: Foundation stone laid on 1st January, 2011 for the medical block —Plinth work completed in December, 2012. Roof work is complete. Recently purchased Ophthalmic equipments are put to capacity utilisation and three residential surgeons are in service round the clock.

We appeal to you to contribute your mite, however humble it may be to help us complete the above projects so as to serve the poor and the needy in this backward area.

With prayers to Holy Trinity for your health, happiness and prosperity.

Swami Bhavatmananda Secretary Note: All contribution made to our Ashrama are exempted from Income Tax u/s 80G of IT Act 1961.

Contribution can be made by Cheque /Draft in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Muzaffarpur’ or by Transferring the amount to SBI, A/C. No.10877071752; IFS Code: SBIN0006016 with an intimation by email.

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A Treasured Collection and A Researcher’s Delight!

Digitised Archives of Brahmavadin

—the first magazine started under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda Brahmavadin, ‘The Messenger of Truth’, was started in 1895 by Alasinga Perumal and other devotees in Madras. Though it was not an official organ of the Ramakrishna Mission, it played an important role in the furtherance of the ideals of the Ramakrishna Movement.

After the demise of Alasinga in 1909, its publication was irregular and the last issue of Brahmavadin was brought out in 1914. Soon after, the Brahmavadin’s legacy was continued by a new journal, The Vedanta Kesari, started by the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, and has been in circulation ever since.

The CD contains the entire collection of 19 volumes (1895 to1914) of Brahmavadin in a digitised format, with search facility indexed author-wise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, plus other features.

Price: Rs.300/- per CD Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/- (within India) (For overseas orders, shipping charges vary as per destination) Draw your DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai and send to: The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004 Website: www.chennaimath.org Email: mail@chennaimath.org OM NAMOSHIVAYA !

SRI RAMAKRISHNA YATHRA SERVICES ® New no. 120/1, Old no. 216/1 Ramakrishna Math Road (Opp. Ramakrishna Math), Mylapore, Chennai-600 004. Ph. : 044-24616968 / 24950095 Fax: 044-2462 0631 Mob: (0) 9444091428 / 9842711886 E-mail : srk.yathraservices@gmail.com

1. Holy Mount Kailash Manasarovar Yatra:

2. Sri Ramakrishna Yatra:

3. Kashi Yatra:

2013 YATRA PROGRAMMES Kathmandu –Manasarovar- Kathmandu—15 days (MaySeptember), Lahsa Trip (22 days) and Hillsa route by helicopter trip (12 days) is also arranged.

Nandi Parikirama, Inner Parikrama (May-September).

Mukthinath Yatra with Manokamna Sakti Pitha Darshan (at extra cost additional 3 days from Kathamandu) Mt.Everest Darshan—separate trip by chartered flight at extra cost.

Gurupitham Darshan: Belur Math (Kolkata) Kamarpukur, Jayarambati any other important places connected with Sri Ramakrishna.

Bhubaneswar, Puri, Kolkata, Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Kashi, Saranath Vindayachal Sakti Pitha, Sitamarihi, Allahabad, Madhura, Brindavan and Govardhanagiri.

We assist in air tickets (domestic / international), rail, bus tickets & passport, visa services

Organiser - G.S. Anandhan (Mob. # : (0)94431 44808)

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Ramakrishna Math Village and P.O. Gourhati, An Appeal

P.S. Arambagh, Dist. Hooghly, West Bengal – 712 613

Those who are acquainted with the life-history of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna know of his visit to Gaurhati, a small village in Bengal. Sri Ramakrishna came here to see his younger sister, Sarvamangala, who was married to Ramsaday Bandyopadhyay, a resident of this village. Sri Ramakrishna, The Great Master (p.80), describes his visit thus: One day, on a visit to his youngest sister Sarvamangala at Gaurhati, he saw her cheerfully serving her husband. Shortly afterwards, he painted a picture showing the couple in that happy mood, and all the members of the family were surprised to see how lifelike the painting was.

Years later, in order to commemorate this event, local devotees built a small temple of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, doing regular puja and seva to the poor in the area. In 2009, they handed over the temple and the surrounding buildings to Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math. The Gaurhati centre was thus made a sub-centre of Ramakrishna Math, Mayal-Ichapur, West Bengal.

You would be glad to know that from 1 April, 2012, this Ashrama has been made an independent branch centre of Belur Math. Obviously, this sacred place of pilgrimage needs the support of all our devotees and well-wishers. We are in urgent need of building up the necessary infrastructure of the Ashrama as detailed below: 1) A monks’ quarters with kitchen, dining room, store and office, 2) A boundary wall of the entire campus We appeal to all devotees, admirers and well wishers to come forward to extend their helping hand. Needless to say, it will go a long way in serving the people of this backward area.

All cheque and demand drafts should be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Math, Gourhati.’

Our Bank A/c. No. on U.B.I. is 0348010129194, with IFSC CODE: UTB10ARM950. All donations to Ramakrishna Math, Gourhati will be exempted from Income Tax u/s. 80G of the Income Tax Act. 1961.

We cordially welcome all devotees, admirers, well wishers and friends to visit the centre.

May the blessings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda be showered on all.

Yours in the Service of Lord, An artist’s view of young Gadadhar drawing a painting of Sarvamangala with her husband

Swami Achyutatmananda Adhyaksha

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NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE (FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED) TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.] E-mail: sreenavajeevan@gmail.com Website: www.navajeevan.org

An Appeal 34 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012 1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children – Tirupati, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda 2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital

– Tirupati

3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged – Tirupati, Rishikesh, Parlekhimundi and Chennai 4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram

– Kothapeta

5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram

– Tirupati

6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres

-

Berhampur [Orissa]

7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres

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Serango [Orissa]

8. Navajeevan Orphanage Homes – Tirupati, Parlehkimundi, Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag

A Humble Request for Donation 1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged

– Rs. 5000/-

3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year

– Rs. 6000/-

5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area

– Rs. 50000/-

2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations

4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year 6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child

– Rs. 7000/– Rs. 5000/– Rs. 2000/-

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.

Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.

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

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Mother, If only I could know thee Then the empty world. . .

The cold hard facts. . .

The loveless relationship. . .

If only I could know thee!!!

As the only son to the mother, And taste thine nectar of immortality. . .

And see thee in all. . .

Then I will not ask thee for anything more. —Venkat Krishnamurthy

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Vol.100-3 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) March 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: 24th February 2013

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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Subscription 10 years: ` 1000 2 0 1 3 T h e V e(inclusive d a n t a of K postage) e s a r i ~ IVAnnual ~ M A R :C `H 100 Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org