The Vedanta Kesari December 2014 by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Vedanta Kesari

101

Year of Publication

VOL. 101, No. 12

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

CENTENARY ISSUE DECEMBER 2014

CONTENTS The Vedanta Kesari (1914 - 2014)—A Journey of 100 years ‘Let the Lion of Vedanta Roar’ Benedictions  Swami Atmasthananda President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Smaranananda Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Vagishananda Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Prabhananda Vice President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Suhitananda General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Editorial  The Lion of Vedanta—Its Eternal Roar Articles  The Brahmavadin: Chronicler of Early Ramakrishna Movement Somenath Mukherjee Compilations  ‘Let this Paper be Your Ishtadevata’ Swami Vivekananda  The Vedanta Kesari—An Overview  Days at the Vedanta Kesari: Recollections of Past Editors

485 487 488 489 490 491

492 504

496 512 529

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

Feature (Simhâvalokanam)  Eight Decades (1914-1997) of the Vedanta Kesari: A Look Back B.N. Sikdar

2 0 1 4

519

Spotlight: Spirituality Today An overview of contemporary trends in spiritual living and essentials of spirituality

Editorial  Why Spirituality Today?

540

Compilations  ‘One Must Practise Spiritual Discipline’—Sri Ramakrishna  ‘Spirituality, the Science of the Soul’— Swami Vivekananda  ‘Hear Ye Children of Immortal Bliss!’—Timeless Wisdom of Spirituality

544 548 637

Feature (Simhâvalokanam)  Spiritual Life— Swami Bhuteshananda  The Synthesis of Science and Spirituality— Swami Ranganathananda  Science and Spirituality— Swami Tapasyananda

556 560 564

Articles  Upanishads: The Eternal Spring of Spiritual Life Swami Smaranananda  Message of the Hindu Scriptures for the Youth Swami Harshananda  Spiritualisation of Life Swami Gautamananda  Naumi Guru Vivekanandam: Contemplation on Swami Vivekananda: An Aid to Spirituality Swami Chetanananda  Yoga in the Eyes of Swami Vivekananda Swami Bhaskarananda  Global Spiritual Movement and Swamiji’s Universal Vedanta Swami Bhajanananda  Living the Spiritual Life Swami Dayatmananda  Resolving Inner Conflicts: A Spiritual Perspective Swami Atmarupananda  How To Lead An Enriching Life: Lessons from Vedanta Swami Brahmeshananda  A Life of Fulfillment and Peace—the Vivekananda Way Swami Nityasthananda  Sarada Devi—A Great Spiritual Wonder

568 571 574 578 590 594 606 611 617 622 632

T h e

                  

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

Swami Suvirananda The Atman—Our Divine Core Pravrajika Vrajaprana Spiritual Life for Students Swami Abhiramananda Spirituality Today—Lessons from Ramakrishna Swami Atmapriyananda Spiritual But Not Religious Swami Tyagananda Practical Vedanta in the Contemporary Western Context Swami Baneshananda Conveying Spirituality to the Youth Swami Sarvapriyananda The Practical Spirituality of Holy Mother Swami Mahayogananda A Modern Approach to an Ancient Religion Prema Nandakumar Science of Spirituality NVC Swamy The Impact of Swami Vivekananda in the West: An Overview Jeffery D. Long Unselfishness—the Core of Spiritual Practices R. Balasubramaniam ‘Character is Spirituality’ : Cultivating Character of Youth in America Vandana Jani Is Virtue It’s Own Punishment?: Spiritual Quest and Pursuit of Virtues Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani Keys To Understanding Spirituality M. Sivaramkrishna Spirituality and Scientific Temperament: A Vedantic Perspective N. Gokulmuthu Seva—the Foundation-stone of Spirituality Pramod Kumar Man, the Maker of His Own Destiny: A Spiritual Perspective R. Gopalakrishnan Spirituality in the 21st Century—A Scientific Overview Jay Lakhani Annual Index Cover Story: Page 8

2 0 1 4

653 657 664 671 675 685 690 695 699 705 712 715 723 726 731 736 741 749 754

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Fax : (044) 2493 4589 Email : thevedantakesari@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS

 You can subscribe to The Vedanta Kesari from any month.  On your address slip, the number on the left of the first line of address is your subscription-number. Always mention this in your correspondence.  If you do not receive your copy by 2nd week of a month, please intimate us. Complaints Vedanta Kesari Subscription Rates (inclusive of postage)  India  Other Countries All overseas dispatch by Air Mail.

reaching us before this or after one month (for overseas subscriptions, two months) of posting of the journal are not entertained.  To ensure continuity, please renew your subscription well in advance.  For fresh subscriptions, renewals, placing advertisements in The Vedanta Kesari, please write to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari Office. 

Annual

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Rs.100

Rs.290

Rs.475

Rs.1000

Rs.1500

Rs.4500

Rs.7500

---

Please send your subscription to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Payments / donations can be made Online using your Master or Visa Cards. For Online subscription rates, please visit our Website.

We invite our readers to liberally contribute to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. This will go a long way in placing this 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. Every contribution will be gratefully acknowledged and the donor’s name will be published in the Vedanta Kesari. All donations to Sri Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T. Act, 1961. We accept online donations also.

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

N Cover Story N Steady Flame and Fresh Flowers Says the Gita (6.19), ‘As a lamp in a spot sheltered from the wind does not flicker— even such has been the simile used for a Yogi of subdued mind, practising concentration on the Self.’ The steady flame of a lamp is perfect example of a calm and controlled mind. Fresh flowers, too, convey a sense of purity and holiness. Swami Vivekananda referring to the external conditions suitable for meditation says (CW, 1.145), ‘Place flowers in that room always; they are the best surroundings for a Yogi . . .’ Steady flame and fresh flowers, thus, represent the ideal of spirituality—self-control and purity, leading to calmness and unselfishness. Spirituality is the quality of the inner Spirit of Man which is of the nature of Perfection, Immortality and Bliss. This is the Goal of spirituality in all times. The cover page picture, taken in the Puja room of a devotee in Karnataka, communicates this ideal. o

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 695. Mr. Vishal Anand Gupta, Mumbai 696. Ms. A.R. Vasanthalakshmi Sridharan, Bangalore 697. Mohan Mirchandani, Mumbai

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

5816. Dr. B.V.S.S.S. Prasad, Chennai 5817. -do5818. -do5819. -do5820. -do-

AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

Shri S.H. Naik College, Maharastra - 425 418 SPB Patel Eng. College, Mehsana, Gujarat - 384 435 Laxmi Venkatesh Desai College, Raichur, Karnataka - 584 103 Govt. First Grade College, Karnataka - 587 301 Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College, Dakshina Kannada - 574 240 To be continued . . .

The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 101, No. 12, DECEMBER 2014 ISSN 0042-2983

E ACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 9

‘Let the Lion of Vedanta Roar’

All the other scriptures keep howling like jackals in the forest, until the Lion of Vedanta, shaking his mane, comes to the scene. —A Traditional Saying Make out of dry philosophy and intricate mythology and queer startling psychology, a religion which shall be easy, simple, popular, and at the same time meet the requirements of the highest minds—is a task only those can understand who have attempted it. The dry, abstract Advaita must become living-poetic—in everyday life; out of hopelessly intricate mythology must come concrete moral forms; and out of bewildering Yogi-ism must come the most scientific and practical psychology—and all this must be put in a form so that a child may grasp it. That is my life’s work. Bring in the light; the darkness will vanish of itself. Let the lion of Vedanta roar; the foxes will fly to their holes. Throw the ideas broadcast, and let the result take care of itself. In whatever way man may progress on the path of spirituality, everyone is unconsciously awakening Brahman within him. But the means may be different in different cases. Those who have faith in the Personal God have to undergo spiritual practices holding on to that idea. If there is sincerity, through that will come the awakening of the lion of Brahman within. Arise, awake; wake up yourselves, and awaken others. Achieve the consummation of human life before you pass off—’Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.’ —Swami Vivekananda (CW, 5.104-5, 4.351, 7.192, 6.512) T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 485 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Vedanta Kesari 1914 - 2014

A Journey of 100 years T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 486 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah West Bengal : 711 202 India Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam

Benediction July 9, 2014 I am extremely happy to know that Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is going to publish The Vedanta Kesari Centenary Issue in December 2014 on the grand occasion of the completion of its 100 years of service to the cause of spreading the message of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta. Today’s competitive and materialistic society, which is characterized by struggle, stress, conflict and fatigue, is in a crying need of spirituality. And as a result of this we can see a surge of spirituality all over the world especially in the West. Today Spirituality has become the greatest need of humankind as people are not able to find the meaning of life. Therefore spreading of spiritual ideas which can give solace to mankind is an urgent necessity. Magazines like The Vedanta Kesari are a great help in fulfilling this need. It is a matter of pride that The Vedanta Kesari is now one of the oldest religious magazines in India which is continuing its hundred years without any break. My earnest prayer to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda to shower their choicest blessings on all of you and hope that this issue will disseminate the universal and eternal message of the Holy Trio. I pray for its grand success.

(Swami Atmasthananda) President Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 487 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah West Bengal : 711 202 India

Benediction July 5, 2014 Dear Gautamanandaji I am glad to learn from your letter of 1 July 2014 that the Vedanta Kesari has completed 100 years of its useful service, bringing the message of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ma Sarada Devi and Swamiji, along with the philosophy of Vedanta, to the people. The Vedanta Kesari started its journey at a time when there were various problems in running a monthly religious journal. Now, it is creditable that the Vedanta Kesari could complete its 100 years. May it continue its service successfully is my prayer! With love and best wishes, Yours affectionately, (Swami Smaranananda) Vice-President Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 488 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah West Bengal : 711 202 India

Benediction 14.7. 2014 It is a great pleasure and pride that The Vedanta Kesari has completed of its hundred years of publication. We can recall here that by the inspiration and advice of Swamiji a monthly journal, ‘Brahmavadin’ took birth in the year 1895 by the endeavour of some young disciples of Madras and in course of time that journal was transformed to The Vedanta Kesari since 1914. On this occasion of hundred years its publication, a centenary volume will be published enriched by the articles and valued writings of many scholars and monastic stalwarts. The journal which germinated with the goodwill, inspiration and advice of Swamiji, founder of the era, is now gradually expanding its branches. Our firm faith that The Vedanta Kesari one day by the blessings of Swamiji will continue to satisfy the thirst of the spiritual aspirants by propagating the spiritual ideals through its circulation. I pray to Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Maa and Swamiji that The Vedanta Kesari will continue and serve people for many years to come.

(Swami Vagishananda) Vice-President Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 489 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah West Bengal : 711 202 India

Benediction July 28, 2014 I am glad to learn that Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is going to publish The Vedanta Kesari Centenary Issue in December 2014 and in this issue the articles on the subject of ‘Spirituality Today’ from the pen of renowned thinkers will be published. Under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda, a monthly journal bearing the title Brahmavadin was started on 14 September 1895 by a group of young men in Madras including Alasinga Perumal. It continued to be brought out regularly for 14 years, until Alasinga passed away in 1909. From 1909-1914, the publication of Brahmavadin became quite irregular. The last issue was brought out in March-April 1914. Soon after, the Brahmavadin’s inheritance was continued by a new journal, Vedanta Kesari, started by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, and has been in circulation ever since. Now the journal is going to celebrate its centenary. I pray to Sri Sri Guru Maharaj, Annai Sri Sarada Devi and Swamiji Maharaj to shower Their blessings on all connected with this noble endeavour.

(Swami Prabhananda) Vice President Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 490 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math P.O. Belur Math, Dist. Howrah West Bengal : 711 202 India

Benediction

26 September 2014

This is a momentous occasion when the Vedanta Kesari has completed 100 fruitful years in spreading the eternal teachings of Vedanta and the ideology of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. In olden days it was believed in India that the highest truths of Vedanta were meant only for the elite group of the society, and that it would be harmful for the masses to even hear of them. But Swami Vivekananda said that our country suffered degradation because the Vedantic thoughts were kept away from the masses. So he took upon himself the task of spreading the Vedantic teachings as his one single mission. To achieve this end he devised many plans; one of which was to start journals in English and other vernaculars. Brahmavadin, the precursor of the Vedanta Kesari, was started in 1895 under his direct guidance by Sri Alasinga Perumal and his other Madras disciples. When Brahmavadin ceased publication in 1914, the Vedanta Kesari took its place immediately and has been a significant instrument in spreading the noble and elevating thoughts of Vedanta for the last one hundred years. Swami Vivekananda was fond of narrating the Vedantic tale of sheep-lion which has now become well known. The lion which thought itself to be a sheep needed the association and wise counsel of another lion to cast off its assumed sheep-hood and assert its true lion- hood. The Vedanta Kesari too in the last one hundred years has undoubtedly awakened true manliness in the hearts of many of its readers and has put them in the path of acquiring godliness. I wish and pray that the Vedanta Kesari may continue to flourish for centuries to come and carry the message of Vedanta and of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to the doorstep of millions of people. (Swami Suhitananda) General Secretary Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 491 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Editorial

The Lion of Vedanta —Its Eternal Roar An Epitome of Strength and Courage ‘You may meditate on whatever you like,’ said Swami Vivekananda to Miss Ansell in America, ‘but I shall meditate on the heart of a lion. That gives strength.’1 That is what the lion stands for—strength, courage, bravery and independence. This is the reason ‘lion’ has been considered an epitome of these qualities in the Indian tradition. No wonder, Vedanta has been compared with a lion and its message of a lion’s qualities. This is what The Vedanta Kesari, the Lion of Vedanta, aims to propagate and broadcast—the message of strength and manliness, based on the timeless truths of Vedanta or Upanishad. Swami Vivekananda was very much fond of the imagery of a lion. He compared lion to Self-knowledge or the Divinity within. On many occasions, he told the following story of a lion cub being raised among sheep and its change when it meets the ‘real lion’: There is a story about a lioness, who was big with young, going about in search of prey; and seeing a flock of sheep, she jumped upon them. She died in the effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the sheep and the sheep brought it up, and it grew up with them, ate grass, and bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, fullgrown lion, it thought it was a sheep. One day another lion came in search of prey and was astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion, to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 492 ~

fled at his approach. However, he watched his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion sleeping. He approached it and said, ‘You are a lion’. ‘I am a sheep’, cried the other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him towards a lake and said, ‘Look here, here is my reflection and yours.’ Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. The lion roared, the bleating was gone. You are lions, you are souls, pure, infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. ‘Why weepest thou, my friend? There is neither birth nor death for thee. Why weepest thou? There is no disease nor misery for thee, but thou art like the infinite sky; clouds of various colours come over it, play for a moment, then vanish. But the sky is ever the same eternal blue.’ Why do we see wickedness? There was a stump of a tree, and in the dark, a thief came that way and said, ‘That is a policeman’. A young man waiting for his beloved saw it and thought that it was his sweetheart. A child who had been told ghost stories took it for a ghost and began to shriek. But all the time it was the stump of a tree. We see the world as we are. Suppose there is a baby in a room with a bag of gold on the table and a thief comes and steals the gold. Would the baby know it was stolen? That which we have inside, we see outside. The baby has no thief inside and sees no thief outside. So with all knowledge. Do not talk of the wickedness of the world and all its sins. Weep that you are bound to see wickedness yet. Weep that you are bound to see sin everywhere, and if you want to help the world, do not condemn it. Do not D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

weaken it more. For what is sin and what is misery, and what are all these, but the results of weakness? The world is made weaker and weaker every day by such teachings. Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood.2

the lion-heart, that the Goddess of Wealth resorts to.’ No need of looking behind. FORWARD! We want infinite energy, infinite zeal, infinite courage, and infinite patience, then only will great things be achieved. . .5 If there is sincerity, through that will come the awakening of the lion of Brahman within. The knowledge of Brahman is the one goal of all beings but the various ideas are the various paths to it. Although the real nature of the Jiva is Brahman, still as he has identification with the qualifying adjunct of the mind, he suffers from all sorts of doubts and difficulties, pleasure and pain. But everyone from Brahma down to a blade of grass is advancing towards the realisation of his real nature. And none can escape the round of births and deaths until he realises his identity with Brahman. Getting the human birth, when the desire for freedom becomes very strong, and along with it comes the grace of a person of realisation, then man’s desire for Self-knowledge becomes intensified. Otherwise the mind of men given to lust and greed never inclines that way. . . . He who is prepared to renounce all, who amid the strong current of the duality of good and evil, happiness and misery, is calm, steady, balanced, and awake to his Ideal, alone endeavours to attain to Self-knowledge. He alone by the might of his own power tears asunder the net of the world. ‘Breaking the barriers of Maya, he emerges like a mighty lion.’6

This is the Eternal Roar of the lion of Vedanta—be strong and assert your divinity, fill yourself with the positive thoughts of your own divine nature. The Lion Imagery Swami Vivekananda admired lion and leonine qualities. Those who lived with Swamiji heard him many times glorifying the need to be as strong as a lion. He likened Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, with lion. He valued the lion-like qualities of courage and strength needed to realize the Brahman and manifest the divinity in life. He wished everyone to be as strong as a lion and face life. Sister Nivedita said, Swami Vivekananda said: The whole of life is only a swan song! Never forget those lines: The lion, when stricken to the heart, gives out his mightiest roar. When smitten on the head, the cobra lifts its hood. And the majesty of the soul comes forth, only when a man is wounded to his depths.3 Seek the Highest, always the Highest, for in the Highest is eternal bliss. If I am to hunt, I will hunt the lion. If I am to rob, I will rob the treasury of the king. Seek the Highest.4

While a lion is a symbol of strength, not everyone admires a lion in toto. And Swami Vivekananda was well aware of it. He used the term lion in the sense of courage, and not cruelty. He wanted men to be straightforward, develop inner strength and squarely face the life. He did not appreciate cunningness which he considered as weakness. He said,

Can anything be done unless everybody exerts himself to his utmost? ‘It is the man of action,

The cruelty of the fox is much more terrible than the cruelty of the lion. The lion strikes a

Swamiji himself said,

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 493 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

blow and is quiet for some time afterwards, but the fox trying persistently to follow his prey never misses an opportunity.7 . . . It is my firm conviction that no great work is accomplished in this world by low cunning. . .8

Dwelling further on the lion-imagery, one may point out that often in one’s softmoments, one fails to recognise the importance of strength in life. The Upanishad says that the Atman cannot be experienced by the weak. One needs to be strong, and in a spiritual sense, being strong means to be able to give up the temporary and hold on the eternal. Says Swami Vivekananda, Vira, the Sanskrit word for ‘heroic’ is the origin of our word ‘virtue’, because in ancient times the best fighter was regarded as the most virtuous man.9 The ordinary man cannot understand anything that is subtle. Well has it been said that the masses admire the lion that kills a thousand lambs, never for a moment thinking that it is death to the lambs, although a momentary triumph for the lion; because they find pleasure only in manifestations of physical strength. Thus it is with the ordinary run of mankind. They understand and find pleasure in everything that is external.10

see it as such. Read man, he is the living poem. We are the light that illumines all the Bibles and Christs and Buddhas that ever were. Without that, these would be dead to us, not living. . . . Stand on your own Self.11

It is the strong that understand strength, it is the elephant that understands the lion, not the rat. How can we understand Jesus until we are his equals? It is all in the dream to feed five thousand with two loaves, or to feed two with five loaves; neither is real and neither affects the other. Only grandeur appreciates grandeur, only God realises God. The dream is only for the dreamer, it has no other basis. It is not one thing and the dreamer another. The keynote running through the music is—‘I am He, I am He’, all other notes are but variations and do not affect the real theme. We are the living books and books are but the words we have spoken. Everything is the living God, the living Christ;

From another perspective, in the context of ‘lions’, one is reminded of ‘Lion Clubs’ or the world-wide Lions Clubs International, founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones, a Chicago businessman. Jones asked, ‘What if these men who are successful because of their drive, intelligence and ambition, were to put their talents to work improving their communities?’ And thus was born a secular movement with the idea of promoting and uniting efforts in community service. But Swami Vivekananda went further and taught Practical Vedanta, a concept much higher than common idea of charity and

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 494 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

generosity. He pointed out the highest ideal of mankind thus: The pleasures of the senses are great. Greater than those is the pleasure of the intellect. When you attend the fine fifty-course dinner in Paris, that is pleasure indeed. But in the observatory, looking at the stars, seeing . . . worlds coming and developing—think of that! It must be greater, for I know you forget all about eating. That pleasure must be greater than what you get from worldly things. You forget all about wives, children, husbands, and everything; you forget all about the sense-plane. That is intellectual pleasure. It is common sense that it must be greater than sense-pleasure. It is always for greater joy that you give up the lesser. This is practical religion—the attainment of freedom, renunciation. Renounce!12

Vedanta Personified Finally, while one speaks of the lion of Vedanta and its eternal roar, one should turn to Swami Vivekananda who was Vedanta Personified. He was, and will continue to be for eons, the true lion of Vedanta. One of Swamiji’s western disciples described Swamiji thus: We saw [in Swami Vivekananda] a soul struggling to escape the meshes of Maya, one to whom the body was an intolerable bondage, not only a limitation but a degrading humiliation. ‘Azad, Azad, the Free’, he cried, pacing up and down like a caged lion. Yes, like the lion in

the cage who found the bars not of iron but of bamboo. ‘Let us not be caught this time,’ would be his refrain another day. . .13

Swami Vivekananda came with a mission and described it thus. I have a message, and I will give it after my own fashion. I will neither Hinduize my message, nor Christianize it, nor make it any ‘ize’ in the world. I will only my-ize it and that is all. Liberty, Mukti, is all my religion, and everything that tries to curb it, I will avoid by fight or flight. . .14

To his disciple Saratchandra, Swamiji confided, [Adi] Shankara left this Advaita philosophy in the hills and forests, while I have come to bring it out of those places and scatter it broadcast before the workaday world and society. The lion-roar of Advaita must resound in every hearth and home, in meadows and groves, over hills and plains. Come all of you to my assistance and set yourselves to work.15

On this happy and historic occasion when The Vedanta Kesari completes a hundred years of its service to the cause of spreading Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda’s universal message of man-making, strength and freedom, let us rededicate ourselves to the noble mission the magazine has been carrying on—and will continue to do! Let the Eternal Roar of the Lion of Vedanta reverberate and resound in every heart, everywhere! 

References 1.

Life 2.529

2. 3.

CW, 2.87 CW, 9.416

4. 5.

CW, 5.275 CW, 6.384

CW, 7.192

7. 8. 9.

CW, 1,428 CW, 7.125 CW, 7.78

10. CW, 2.65 11. CW, 7.89 12. CW, 4.243

13. Life, 2.35 14. Life, 2.17 15. CW, 7. 162

Teach yourselves, teach every one his 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 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 495 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Compilation

‘Let this Paper be Your Ishtadevata’ SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda was instrumental in starting three magazines during his life time. Besides the Bengali journal, Udbodhan (started in Kolkata in 1899), two English magazines started under his inspiration and instruction were: Brahmavadin (started in 1895) and Prabuddha Bharata (1896). Both the English magazines were launched in Madras (now Chennai). While Prabuddha Bharata is now published from Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Uttarakhand, the Brahmavadin, in its reincarnation as The Vedanta Kesari continues its publication from Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. When these three magazines were being started in 1890s, Swami Vivekananda wrote a few letters to some of his brother-disciples and disciples (to Alasinga Perumal and others in Madras) which contain some of his very insightful and inspiring ideas and plans regarding publication of magazines. The following compilation from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda in nine volumes gives a glimpse of it. The passages given below, although classified under broad headings, have many overlapping ideas and references. The classification is more to help facilitate reading than actual. ‘What About the Magazine . . .’ Were you [brother disciples] not going to start a paper or something of that sort, what about that? We must mix with all, and alienate none. All the powers of good against all the powers of evil—this is what we want. Do not insist upon everybody’s believing in our Guru. . . . You shall have to edit a magazine, half Bengali and half Hindi—and if possible, another in English . . .1 What about the magazine which I heard was going to be started? Why are you [Swami Brahmananda, a brother-disciple] nervous about conducting it? . . . Come! Do something heroic! Brother, what if you do not attain Mukti, what if you suffer damnation a few times? Is the saying untrue?2 What about a certain magazine that Haramohan was trying to publish? If you can manage to start one, it will indeed be nice.3 [To Swami Brahmananda] I am trying to raise money for the magazine. See that the sum T h e

of Rs. 1,200 which I gave for the magazine is kept only for that account.4 ‘The Brahmavadin is a Jewel’ Put your energies together to start a magazine. Shyness won’t do any more. . . He who has infinite patience and infinite energy at his back, will alone succeed. You must pay special attention to study.5 With a magazine or journal or organ— you [Alasinga] become the Secretary thereof. You calculate the cost of starting the magazine and the work, how much the least is necessary to start it, and then write to me giving name and address of the Society, and I will send you money myself, and not only that, I will get others in America to subscribe annually to it liberally. So ask them of Calcutta to do the same.6 I learnt from your [Alasinga] letter the bad financial state the Brahmavadin is in. I will try to help you when I go back to London. You

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 496 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

must not lower the tone. Keep up the paper. Very soon I will be able to help you in such a manner as to make you free of this nonsense teacher business. Do not be afraid. Great things are going to be done, my child. Take heart. The Brahmavadin is a jewel—it must not perish. Of course, such a paper has to be kept up by private help always, and we will do it. Hold on a few months more.7 Since writing to you [Alasinga] a few days ago I have found my way to let you know that I am in a position to do this for the Brahmavadin. I will give you Rs. 100 a month for a year or two, i.e. £60 or £70 a year, i.e. as much as would cover Rs. 100 a month. That will set you free to work for the Brahmavadin and make it a better success. Mr. Mani Iyer and a few friends can help in raising fund that would cover the printing, etc. What is the income from subscription? Can these be

employed to pay the contributors and get a fine series of articles? It is not necessary that everybody should understand all that is written in the Brahmavadin, but that they must subscribe from patriotism and good Karma. . .8 I received your [Dr. Nanjunda Rao’s] note this morning. As I am sailing for England tomorrow, I can only write a few hearty lines. I have every sympathy with your proposed magazine for boys, and will do my best to help it on. You ought to make it independent, following the same lines as the Brahmavadin, only making the style and matter much more popular. As for example, there is a great chance, much more than you ever dream of, for those wonderful stories scattered all over the Sanskrit literature, to be rewritten and made popular. That should be the one great feature of your journal [a reference to Prabuddha Bharata]. I will write stories, as

Vivekananda Illam where the Ramakrishna Math was started in 1897 in Chennai T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 497 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

many as I can, when time permits. Avoid all attempts to make the journal scholarly—the Brahmavadin stands for that—and it will slowly make its way all over the world, I am sure. Use the simplest language possible, and you will succeed. The main feature should be the teaching of principles through stories. Don’t make it metaphysical at all. As to the business part, keep it wholly in your hands. ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth.’ . . . I have also promised to help starting a magazine in Bengali in Calcutta. Only the first year I used to charge for my lectures. The last two years, my work was entirely free of all charges. As such, I have almost no money to send you or the Calcutta people. But I will get people to help you with funds very soon. Go on bravely. Do not expect success in a day or a year. Always hold on to the highest.9 . . . Let this paper be your Ishtadevata, and then you will see how success comes. . . . On receipt of this letter you send me a clear account of all the income and the expenses of the Brahmavadin so that I may judge from it what best can be done.10 Now we have got one Indian magazine in English fixed. We can start some in the vernaculars also. Miss M. Noble of Wimbledon is a great worker. She will also canvass for both the Madras papers. She will write you [Alasinga]. These things will grow slowly but surely. Papers of this kind are supported by a small circle of followers. Now they cannot be expected to do too many things at a time— they have to buy the books, find the money for the work in England, subscribers for the paper here, and then subscribe to Indian papers. It is too much. It is more like trading than teaching. Therefore you must wait, and yet I am sure there will be a few subscribers here. Again, there must be work for the people here to do when I am gone, else the whole thing will go T h e

to pieces. Therefore there must be a paper here, also in America by and by. The Indian papers are to be supported by the Indians. To make a paper equally acceptable to all nationalities means a staff of writers from all nations; and that means at least a hundred thousand rupees a year.11 You [Alasinga] are very welcome to publish the Jnana-yoga lectures, as well as Dr. (Nanjunda Rao) in his Awakened India— only the simpler ones. They have to be very carefully gone through and all repetitions and contradictions taken out. I am sure I will now have more time to write. Work on with energy.12 . . . I have marked the passage to be quoted; the rest of course is useless for a paper. I do not think it would be good just now to make the paper a monthly one yet, unless you are sure of giving a good bulk. As it is now, the bulk and the matter are all very poor. There is yet a vast untrodden field, namely—the writing of the lives and works of Tulasidasa, Kabir, Nanak, and of the saints of Southern India. They should be written in a thorough-going, scholarly style, and not in a slipshod, slovenly way. In fact, the ideal of the paper, apart from the preaching of Vedanta, should be to make it a magazine of Indian research and scholarship, of course, bearing on religion. You must approach the best writers and get carefully-written articles from their pen.13 Miss Muller was the person who offered that money I promised. I have told her about your new proposal. She is thinking about it. In the meanwhile I think it is better to give her some work. She has consented to be the agent for the Brahmavadin and Awakened India. Will you write to her about it? Her address is Airlie Lodge, Ridgeway Gardens, Wimbledon, England.14

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 498 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Get a little money and buy those things I have just now stated, hire a hut, and go to work. Magazines are secondary, but this is primary. You [Alasinga] must have a hold on the masses. Do not be afraid of a small beginning, great things come afterwards. Be courageous.15 What about The Brahmavadin? Are you [Mary Hale] pushing it? If four pushful old maids cannot push a journal, I am blowed. You will hear from me now and then. I am not a pin to be lost under a bushel.16 Also the Brahmavadin, if any have arrived. Max Muller wants to know about our plans . . . and again about the magazine. He promises a good deal of help and is ready to write a book on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.17 I hope you [E. T. Sturdy] will consider well the plan for the big magazine. Some money can be raised in America, and we can keep the magazine all to ourselves at the same time. I intend to write to America on hearing about the plan you and Prof. Max Muller decide upon. ‘A great tree is to be taken refuge in, when it has both fruits and shade. If, however, we do not get the fruit, who prevents our enjoyment of the shade?’ So ought great attempts to be made, is the moral.18 References to Prabuddha Bharata The numbers of Prabuddha Bharata have been received and distributed too to the class. It is very satisfactory. It will have a great sale, no doubt, in India. In America I may get also a number of subscribers. I have already arranged for advertising it in America and Goodyear has done it already. But here in England the progress will be slower indeed. The great drawback here is—they all want to start papers of their own; and it is right that it should be so, seeing that, after all, no foreigner T h e

will ever write the English language as well as the native Englishman, and the ideas, when put in good English, will spread farther than in Hindu English. Then again it is much more difficult to write a story in a foreign language than an essay. I am trying my best to get you subscribers here. But you must not depend on any foreign help . . . One point I will remark however. The cover is simply barbarous. It is awful and hideous. If it is possible, change it. Make it symbolical and simple, without human figures at all. The banyan tree does not mean awakening, nor does the hill, nor the saint, nor the European couple. The lotus is a symbol of regeneration. We are awfully behindhand in art especially in that of painting. For instance, make a small scene of spring reawakening in a forest, showing how the leaves and buds are coming again. Slowly go on, there are hundreds of ideas to be put forward. You see the symbol I made for the Raja-yoga, printed by Longman Green and Co. You can get it at Bombay. It consists of my lectures on Rajayoga in New York.19 I have returned about three weeks from Switzerland but could not write you [Alasinga] further before. I have sent you by last mail a paper of Paul Deussen of Kiel. Sturdy’s plan about the magazine is still hanging fire.20 Struck by the sayings and teachings of Shri Ramakrishna published in the two well-established journals, the Brahmavadin and the Prabuddha Bharata, and reading what the Brahmo preacher, Mr. Pratap Chandra Mazumdar, wrote [‘Paramahamsa Sreemat Ramakrishna’ published in Theistic Quarterly Review, October, 1879] about Shri Ramakrishna, he was attracted by the sage’s life.21 [Wrote Sister Nivedita:] At this time the transfer of the Prabuddha Bharata from

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 499 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Madras to the newly established Ashrama at Mayavati was much in all our thoughts. The Swami had always had a special love for this paper, as the beautiful name he had given it indicated. He had always been eager too for the establishment of organs of his own. The value of the journal in the education of modern India was perfectly evident to him, and he felt that his master’s message and mode of thought required to be spread by this means as well as by preaching and by work. Day after day, therefore, he would dream about the future of his papers, as about the work in its various centres. Day after day he would talk

To The Awakened India Once more awake! For sleep it was, not death, to bring thee life Anew, and rest to lotus - eyes for visions Daring yet. The world in need awaits, O Truth! No death for thee! Resume thy march, With gentle feet that would not break the Peaceful rest even of the roadside dust That lies so low. Yet strong and steady, Blissful, bold, and free. Awakener, ever Forward! Speak thy stirring words. Thy home is gone, Where loving hearts had brought thee up and Watched with joy thy growth. But Fate is strong— This is the law—all things come back to the source They sprung, their strength to renew.

About Udbodhan The Bengali fortnightly magazine, Udbodhan, had been just started by Swami Trigunatita under the direction of Swamiji for spreading the religious views of Shri Ramakrishna among the general public. After the first number had come out the disciple had come to the Math at Nilambar Babu’s garden one day. Swamiji started the following conversation with him

Advaita Ashrama Mayavati

of the forthcoming first number under the new editorship of Swami Swarupananda. And one afternoon he brought to us, as we sat together, a paper on which he said he had ‘tried to write a letter, but it would come this way.’22 T h e

about the Udbodhan. Swamiji: (humorously caricaturing the name of the magazine) Have you seen the Udbandhana (the word means ‘suicide by hanging’.)

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 500 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Disciple: Yes, sir; it is a good number. Swamiji: We must mould the ideas, language, and everything of this magazine in a new fashion. Disciple: How? Swamiji: Not only must we give out Sri Ramakrishna’s ideas to all, but we must also introduce a new vigour into the Bengali language. For instance, the frequent use of verbs diminishes the force of a language. We must restrict the use of verbs by the use of adjectives. Begin to write articles in that way, and show them to me before you give them to print in the Udbodhan. Disciple: But, sir, it looks rather odd in our eyes that Sannyasins in ochre robe should go about from door to door as the Swami is doing. Swamiji: Why? The circulation of the magazine is only for the good of the householders. By the spread of new ideas within the country the public at large will be benefited. Do you think this unselfish work is any way inferior to devotional practices? Our object is to do good to humanity. We have no idea of making money from the income of this paper. We have renounced everything and have no wives or children to provide for after our death. If the paper be a success, the whole of its income will be spent in the service of humanity. Its surplus money will be profitably spent in the opening of monasteries and homes of service in different places and all sorts of work of public utility. We are not certainly working like householders with the plan of filling our own pockets. Know for certain that all our movements are for the good of others. Disciple: So this magazine will be a fortnightly. We should like it to be a weekly. Swamiji: Yes, but where are the funds? If through the grace of Sri Ramakrishna funds T h e

Swami Trigunatitananda

are raised, it can be made into a daily even, in future. A hundred thousand copies may be struck off daily and distributed free in every street and lane of Calcutta. Disciple: This idea of yours is a capital one. Swamiji: I have a mind to make the paper self-supporting first, and then set you up as its editor. You have not yet got the capacity to make any enterprise stand on its legs. That is reserved only for these all renouncing Sannyasins to do. They will work themselves to death, but never yield. Whereas a little resistance or just a trifle of criticism is bewildering to you. Disciple: Sir, the other day I saw that Swami Trigunatita worshipped the photograph of Sri Ramakrishna in the Press

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 501 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

before opening the work and asked for your blessings for the success of the work. Swamiji: Well, Shri Ramakrishna is our centre. Each one of us is a ray of that light-centre. So Trigunatita worshipped Shri Ramakrishna before beginning the work, did he? It was excellently done. But he told me nothing of it. Disciple: Sir, he fears you and yesterday he told me to come to you and ask your opinion of the first issue of the magazine, after which, he said, he would see you. Swamiji: Tell him when you go that I am exceedingly delighted with his work. Give him my loving blessings. And all of you help him as far as you can. You will be doing Shri Ramakrishna’s work by that. Immediately after saying these words Swamiji called Swami Brahmananda to him and directed him to give Swami Trigunatita more money for the Udbodhan if it was needed. The same evening, after supper, Swamiji again referred to the topic of Udbodhan in the following words: In the Udbodhan we must give the public only positive ideas. Negative thoughts weaken men. Do you not find that where parents are constantly taxing their sons to read and write, telling them they will never learn anything, and calling them fools and so forth, the latter do actually turn out to be so in many cases? If you speak kind words to boys and encourage them, they are bound to improve in time. What holds good of children, also holds good of children in the region of higher thoughts. If you can give them positive ideas, people will grow up to be men and learn to stand on their own legs. In language and literature, in poetry and the arts, in everything we must point out not the mistakes that people are making in their thoughts and actions, but the way in which they will gradually be able to T h e

do these things better. Pointing out mistakes wounds a man’s feelings. We have seen how Shri Ramakrishna would encourage even those whom we considered as worthless and change the very course of their lives thereby! His very method of teaching was a unique phenomenon. Your history, literature, mythology, and all other Shastras are simply frightening people. They are only telling them, ‘You will go to hell, you are doomed!’ Therefore has this lethargy crept into the very vitals of India. Hence we must explain to men in simple words the highest ideas of the Vedas and the Vedanta. Through the imparting of moral principles, good behaviour, and education we must make the Chandala come up to the level of the Brahmana. Come, write out all these things in the Udbodhan and awaken everyone, young and old, man and woman. Then only shall I know that your study of the Vedas and Vedanta has been a success. What do you say? Will you be able to do this?’23

It is no doubt a good idea that Trigunatita has of starting a magazine. But I shall consent to it if only you [members of the Alambazar Math] can work jointly.24 If all the money even for the magazine is to be collected by me and all the articles too are from my pen—what will you [Swami Brahmananda] all do? What are our Sahibs then doing? I have finished my part. You do what remains to be done. Nobody is there to collect a single penny, nobody to do any preaching, none has brains enough to take proper care of his own affairs, none has the capacity to write one line, and all are saints for nothing! . . . If this be your condition, then for six months give everything into the hands of the boys—magazine, money,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 502 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

preaching work, etc. If they are also not able to do anything, then sell off everything, and returning the proceeds to the donors go about as mendicants.25 Put forth all nerve for the magazine that Sarada is wanting to publish. Ask Shashi to look to it.26 Now is the time for you to apply yourself to start the magazine. Come, here is a task for you [Sarada], conduct that magazine. Thrust it on people and make them subscribe to it, and don’t be afraid. What work do you expect from men of little hearts?—nothing in the world! You must have an iron will if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong enough to pierce mountains. I am coming next winter. We shall set the world on fire—let those who will, join us and be blessed, and those that won’t come, will lag behind for ever and ever; let them do so. You gird up your loins and keep yourself ready. . . . Never mind anything! In your lips and hands the Goddess of Learning will make Her seat; the Lord of infinite power will be seated on your chest; you will do works that will strike the world with wonder.27 Sarada is talking of bringing out a Bengali magazine. Help it with all your might. It is not a bad idea. You must not throw cold

water on anybody’s project. Give up criticism altogether. Help all as long as you find they are doing all right, and in cases where they seem to be going wrong, show them their mistakes gently. It is criticising each other that is at the root of all mischief. That is the chief factor in breaking down organisations.28 I got all the news from your [Swami Brahmananda] letter. . . . My opinion regarding what you have written about Sarada is only that it is difficult to make a magazine in Bengali paying; but if all of you together canvass subscribers from door to door, it may be possible. In this matter do as you all decide. Poor Sarada has already been disappointed once. What harm is there if we lose a thousand rupees by supporting such an unselfish and very hardworking person?29 Sarada writes that the magazine is not going well . . . Let him publish the account of my travels, and thoroughly advertise it beforehand—he will have subscribers rushing in. Do people like a magazine if three-fourths of it are filled with pious stuff? Anyway pay special attention to the magazine. Mentally take it as though I were not. Act independently on this basis. ‘We depend on the elder brother for money, learning, everything’—such an attitude is the road to ruin.30 

References 1.

CW, 6.274

CW, 5.110

13. CW, 5.116

19. CW, 5.109

25. CW, 8.469

CW, 6.314

CW, 5.111

14. CW, 5.118

20. CW, 5.116

26. CW, 6.355

CW, 6.324

CW, 5.108

15. CW, 5.36

21. CW, 4.411

27. CW, 6.296

CW, 8.453

10. CW, 5.112

16. CW, 8.378

22. CW, 9.369

28. CW, 6.326

CW, 6.305

11. CW, 5.123

17. CW, 8.380-81

23. CW, 7.167-171

29. CW, 8.454

CW, 5.41

12. CW, 5.115

18. CW, 8.3 81

24. CW, 7.491

30. CW, 8.468

Do your duty; never grow anxious and do not think of the future. Whenever anxiety arises in you, you become an atheist; you do not believe in God and that He cares for you. If you have real faith, you can never grow anxious. —Swami Ramakrishnananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 503 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

The Brahmavadin: Chronicler of Early Ramakrishna Movement SOMENATH MUKHERJEE

Brahmavadin, the monthly started in 1895 at Madras, was the predecessor of The Vedanta Kesari. While we commemorate the centenary of The Vedanta Kesari, it is quite appropriate to recall Brahmavadin’s pioneering role and contribution to the early days of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission (collectively called as Ramakrishna Movement). In 2010, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, brought in CD all the available old issues of the Brahmavadin. These digitised format, available at the Math sales counter, provide an opportunity to the discerning readers the hitherto inaccessible treasure trove of ideas, facts and events that Brahmavadin was privileged to publish. The following article aptly chronicles this. Swamiji’s Three Magazines Swami Vivekananda was the founder of three magazines; two were in English—the Brahmavadin and the Prabuddha Bharata, and the Bengali one was—Udbodhan. The Brahmavadin one was discontinued in April 1914, and in the very next month, in May 1914 The Vedanta Kesari was launched—continuing with ease the poineering role of Brahmavadin in being a vehicle of spreading the man-making message of Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda. The Brahmavadin was conceived and inspired by Swami Vivekananda. Since inception Alasinga Perumal, his devoted disciple from Madras, became its ownereditor and ran the magazine according to his Guru’s wish. Many other disciples of Swamiji at Madras were equally involved in the cause. A brief look into the history of this magazine will give us ideas about its glorious contribution. Why Magazines?

We must know first when and why Swamiji thought of bringing out a magazine. Three reasons are offered by Professor Sankari Prasad Basu (now deceased), the well-known researcher and scholar from Kolkata, in his magnum opus in Bengali, Vivekananda O Samakalin Bharatvarsha. First, the intention might have come up when Vivekananda decided to propagate the life and message of Sri Ramakrishna. Secondly, from his American experience he knew that the eulogistic attention he was receiving from the Indian press would fade away in a moment if he failed to toe their line. Therefore, to propagate his views and carry on the Vedanta movement, he had to have a publication of his own—either a magazine or a paper. Thirdly, he knew too that his enormous success in the West brought great impact in India; and instead of allowing that to feed his own image, he decided to utilize the trend to start an organization with a mouthpiece attentive to its cause.

The author, Somenath Mukherjee, is a researcher at Swami Vivekananda Archives, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 504 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Thakur of Limbdi and others who will subscribe and then it will go on. Be perfectly unselfish, be steady and work on. We will do great things, do not fear. Make it a point to have a translation of one of the three Bhasyas in each issue . . . The first volume ought to be very nicely got up. I will write an article for it, and get some other strong articles from fine writers in India on different subjects. One ought to be a translation of the Dvaita Bhasya. On the Cover will be the names of the articles and the writers. On the four margins of the Cover will be the names of the strongest [?] articles and that of the writers. Within the next month I [will] send you the money with the article.1

Alasinga Perumal

Leaving out a few other letters of Swamiji assuring Alasinga of his financial support to the magazine, let us see what he wrote on July 30:

Since it was Madras where his early ambitions were focused on, he chose Alasinga Perumal to run the magazine. Besides, since the middle of 1894, according to Marie Louise Burke, Swamiji became inclined to make Vedanta the world religion. This could also have contributed to his interest in starting the magazine.

You have done well. The name 2 and the motto [Name: ‘Brahmavadin’; motto: ‘Ekam Sadvipra Bahudha Vadanti’] is all right. Do not deliberate on the social reforms. Prior to spiritual impressions social traditions cannot be built up. Who told you that I want social reforms? I do not want that. Spread the name of God, and do not talk a word against the social evils and traditions. The ‘song of the Sannyasin’ is my first contribution for your journal. Don’t feel depressed. Don’t lose faith in your guru. Do not lose faith in God. Oh, Child! as long as the inspiration and faith in the guru and God is within you, nothing will be able to defeat you. Day by day I am experiencing a manifestation of power in me. Oh, my courageous children! go on working.3

The Starting of Brahmavadin In his letter to Alasinga Perumal on 11 July 1894 Swamiji first expressed his desire for a magazine. But it took almost a year before he was more specific to his trusted disciple on 6 May 1895: Now I am bent upon starting the journal. It must not be flippant but steady, calm and high-toned. I will send you money; do not fear work . . . I will get you many subscribers here, I will write articles myself and get articles written from time to time by American writers. You get hold of a band of fine steady writers. Your brother in law is a fine writer. Then I will give you letter to Haridas bhai, Dewan of Junagad, Khetri Raja, T h e

On receiving the first number of the Brahmavadin dated 14 September 1895, Swamiji wrote to Alasinga on October 24:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 505 ~

Received the two numbers of the Brahmavadin. It is all right, go on. Try to improve the covering a little and make the short editorial remarks a little more light in style and more brilliant. Heavy styles should only be reserved for the leading D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

First volume and page of Brahmavadin, September 1895

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 506 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

articles . . . Pay all attention to the paper. Make it a great success. Mr. Sturdy will write from time to time, so will I . . . Put all your energies to make the paper a success now.4

Notwithstanding his unceasing inspiration and guidance, Vivekananda never overlooked the financial imperatives of Brahmavadin; he writes on 18 November 1895: I have to make a few suggestions as to the Brahmavadins. I have already news that it has got a good many subscribers in America. I will get you some in England too . . . The Brahmavadin ought in every number write something on Bhakti or Yoga or Gnana. Secondly the style is too stiff, try to make it a little brighter. . . Hold on to your own ideas with strength and purity and whatever obstructing may be now—the world is bound to listen to you in the long run.

In the same letter Vivekananda tried to teach some practical points too, Try for more advertisements. That is what keeps up a paper. I will write you a long thing on Bhakti but you must remember that I have no time even to die as the Bengalees say, work, work [,] work . . .5

The prospectus appearing in the first issue broadly spelt out the aims and objectives of the magazine: The main object of the journal is to propagate the principles of Vedantic religion of India, and to work towards the improvement of the social and moral conditions of man by steadily holding aloft the sublime and universal ideal of Hinduism . . . The New India of to-day is, in many respects, far different from the old India of centuries ago, and all our old institutions have to get themselves re-adjusted, so as to be in consonance with the altered conditions of modern life. For this purpose, it is highly necessary to see that the Hindu religion is more than ever earnestly engaged in the service of man in this ancient land of ours. . . T h e

Nanjunda Rao

As the Contemporaries Viewed It Briefly, this was how the Brahmavadin began its journey. But the magazine could never be a financial success on its own, and the swami had to struggle hard to collect money and patronage for it besides what his Madras disciples could do in this regard. However, fiscal adversities notwithstanding, enlightened readers welcomed and followed the magazine with enthusiasm. The Madras Times, an Anglo Indian paper, wrote on 20 February 1896: It is a scholarly exponent of philosophical Hinduism, and is of considerable literary merit. It has lately met with commendation from high quarters, none other than Professor Max Muller . . . It is at least evident that the Professor’s interest in Hinduism was no passing freak. . . He asks for the particulars of the lives and teachings of the Paramahamsa Sri Ramakrishna and of Ramaniya [Ramanuja].6

Echoing almost same view, the Madras Mail, another Anglo Indian paper, wrote on 31 December 1896:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 507 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

. . . In the short time of its existence [the Brahmavadin] has done much to clear up a large amount of misconception which prevailed hitherto in regard mainly to Vedantism.7

Even after one year, the same paper was equally appreciative on 15 September 1897: The paper is considered one of the best exponents of the Vedanta Philosophy, and seems to uphold the excellence of the early issues, of which we have already have occasion to speak well.8

revival of religion from the mire of mere reaction against wholesome social changes.12

Literary and Editorial Challenges Alasinga Perumal took every measure to keep the flag of Brahmavadin held high. But he had his limitations as well. Sankarai Prasad Basu writes: For in spite of all his admirable qualities, Alasinga was never known for his ability to write lofty philosophical articles etc. More so, we just have seen a letter wherein, on 17 February 1896, Vivekananda wrote to Alasinga, ‘Your brotherin-law has been editing the paper efficiently. He is a ripe scholar and indefatigable worker.’13

The views of the Indian papers obviously revealed the contemporary impact of Brahmavadin. The Hindu of Madras on 16 September 1895 wrote: The Brahmavadin . . . has made its appearance, and the first number is very good. Hindus and those that have any acquaintance with the philosophic literature of the Hindus will find in it much interesting matter.9

Equally appreciating was The Theosophic Thinker of 12 October 1895: Hitherto we have been having only most orthodox or most radical journals. A journal, progressive and tolerant in aim, has been a long felt want. . . We have no doubt in saying that the Brahmavadin would fill up the gap.10

The Indian Mirror was all praise on 22 December 1895: A new era of religious thought and aspiration is dawning everywhere, and it is hoped that Brahmavadin in its catholicity and unsectarian spirit will be in accord with the spirit of the age. The ability and originality with which some of the articles are discussed establish its writers on the list of the strongest thinkers. . .The journal is a notable contribution to the religious literature of the day.11

The Indian Social Reformer was no less admiring in what they wrote on 25 October 1896: . . . We have no hesitation in according to the Brahmavadin the high praise of having lifted the T h e

This ‘brother-in-law’ of Alasinga Perumal was Professor M. Rangacharya, the de facto editor of the Brahmavadin during its initial phase. It was hardly surprising that Brahmavadin could achieve what it did under the brilliant supervision of Professor Rangacharya. On various parameters he was a man of high distinction in Southern India. Some information 14 on this extraordinary man would help us to understand the quality of people Swamiji could impress upon even before he went to the West. Prof. Rangacharya Prof. Rangacharya studied Physical Science in the college and had passed two out of three examinations that were required in those days for the M. B. & C. M. Degree. Persuaded by the then principal of the Madras Medical College, Dr James Kees, he later gave up his medical studies and joined the Department of Education to become Science Lecturer at the Government College of Kumbakonam. Subsequently he obtained his M. A. in Chemistry and became a Professor of Chemistry at the Presidency College of Madras. Alongside, he developed himself as an erudite Sanskrit scholar and writer.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 508 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Lord Ampthill (Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill, 1869–1935), the Governor of Madras (1900 to 1906) who acted as the Viceroy of India from April to December 1904), considered Prof. Rangacharya as the best person to be appointed as the Professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology at the Presidency College in 1901. It was in December 1892 at Trivandrum where Swamiji first met Prof. Rangacharya, and thus begun an enduring relation that withstood the test of time. An Overview of Its Contents The birth of Brahmavadin preceded by twenty months the official beginning of the Ramakrishna Mission; this no doubt gave historical importance to what appeared in the magazine during its short but eventful years. Let us discuss a few of the significant items that used to appear in the Brahmavadin. A regular column entitled ‘Vedanta Missionary Work’ used to report the work carried out by the monks of the Ramakrishna Mission within India and abroad. Another great aspect was its regular publication of the ‘Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna’, which began from the very first issue. Reports of philanthropic activities of the Order since the early days were regularly published and efforts were made to draw patronage essential for those activities at various places. The role played by Swami Ramakrishnananda in this regard is beyond praise. Lectures, letters, poems of Swamiji were regularly published, so also were those of many other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Articles, reviews and letters of both Indian and Western disciples and admirers of Swamiji T h e

Swami Ramakrishnananda

found places in regular issues. Erudite people did also contribute important writings in conformity with the ideal and motto of the magazine. Apart from these, activities and celebrations, as well as incidents of importance of the Mission were always reported. Price and Periodicity Initially the cost of a single issue of the magazine was 4 Annas,15 while annual subscriptions were Rs4/= within India, and 7s 6d for overseas subscribers. Later, from the XII issues in 1907 this became 6 Sh for UK and 2 Dollars for US with no change for the Indian subscribers. Since this time single issues within India and abroad became 6 annas and 6d respectively. As regards its periodicity, the magazine ran as a fortnightly till 28 August 1897.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 509 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

From September 1897 Brahmavadin became bimonthly and was published on the 1st and 15th of every month. It became a monthly since Volume V in November 1899 and remained so till the concluding issue. The ‘Manager’s Notice’ in the first monthly issue announced that: ‘From the commencement of the Fifth Volume it has been arranged to issue the Brahmavadin as a Monthly with almost double the number of pages of the Fortnightly.’ The terms of advertisements were Rs.8, Rs.5 and Rs.3 for full, half and quarter page insertions respectively. Space hardly permits to include here the list of impressive books that could be published utilizing the infrastructure of the magazine. Alasinga Perumal stewarded the magazine till his demise in May 1909 with determination and sacrifice perhaps unmatched in religious history. Afterwards it was managed by his inheritors with presumable involvement of people committed to its continuity. The concluding number of the Brahmavadin and the inaugural issue of the Vedanta Kesari coincided in the same month—May 1914. Reports of Growth and Expansion It seems remarkable that without losing attention to almost everything that came upon the Ramakrishna Mission, Brahmavadin was equally attentive to other movements which began to grow by imbibing inspiration from the spirit and message of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. To give instance, we shall see what the magazine wrote in October 1900: We hear from our Vanyambody correspondent that a building for the Vivekananda Society at Dharmapuri is almost complete and that another at Arsampatti Village is rapidly progressing. Lectures are being delivered in the surrounding villages on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his mission. At Vanyambody T h e

itself the building appears to have been extended so as to accommodate the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who may go there from time to time. It is a matter for congratulation that all this work is being done by a person who knows neither English nor Bengali, but whose ardent devotion to the cause is none the less highly remarkable.

Likewise, we find a list of Vivekananda Societies which were functioning at different parts of Southern India with targets to ‘continue on a larger scale the humanitarian work they have begun already.’ Further news adds that those societies were inspired by ‘the immense influence of . . . Swami Vivekananda’, and the ‘quiet, laborious, and useful work’ of Swami Ramakrishnananda. To sum it up, we may say that since the Brahmavadin was in existence during the greater part of the early phase of the Ramakrishna Movement (1893-1920) 16, it became witness to many historical happenings including untimely demises of many of the stalwarts. And none can claim that Brahmavadin did ever fail to do justice to those vital incidents—disregarding whether they brought glory or gloom. Therefore, anyone inclined to look into the early history of the Ramakrishna Order of Monks can never ignore what were published in the magazine around a century back. A Pioneering Work We shall conclude with a wonderful observation available in a review entitled ‘Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’ by K Vyasa Rao, which appeared in the issues of July, August-September and December 1910. The reviewer opened up:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 510 ~

Not many had known the name of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa before that day when a young man in orange robes from a British D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Dependency in the East stood before the Parliament of Religions and took captive a vast and cultured assembly of divines, philosophers and orators.

most while Vivekananda was a broad-day reality.

Then came the verdict with supreme finesse: . . . To discern the spiritual parentage of Vivekananda in Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would have been by no means easy in the absence of the present publication [The Gospel], as it is to this we owe our insight into Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, whose personality all along has been no more than the abstract Guruship to Vivekananda. It is now that we get the real identity of Sri Ramakrishna, and once this is obtained, we obtain as well the point of contact between the Guru and the chela.

But this was only the prelude; the writer had more to say: Yet, it may truly be said that the Era proper of Sri Ramakrishna commences from the publication of his Gospel.

Now the text slowly approaches the final mark in a captivating way: To the critical it was difficult to explain the point of contact between a disciple so militant in his attitude and aggressive in his outlook and a master so supremely good and self-effacing. It was tacitly assumed after a fruitless endeavour at analysis that Ramakrishna like the bidding source of a river must remain a mystery to

Thus we can form some idea as to the minds which stood behind and encircled an extraordinary historical magazine called the Brahmavadin. o

References and Notes Vide original letter at Belur Math Here we find the swami approving the name of the magazine which seemingly was proposed by Alasinga Perumal. But the obituary of Alasinga Perumal in the Hindu states that, ‘. . .on the suggestion of the Swami himself the characteristic name of the Brahmavadin’ was given 3 Vide the Prabuddha Bharata, July 30, 1977, page 287 4 Vide original letter at Belur Math 5 Vide original letter at Belur Math 6 Sankari Prasad Basu, Editor, Swami Vivekananda in Contemporary Indian News (1893-1902), Volume II (RMIC, Calcutta, 2007), p. 405 7 Ibid, p. 540 8 Ibid, p. 602 9 Contemporary Indian News, Volume I (RMIC, Calcutta, 1997), p. 60 10 Theosophic Thinker, 12 Oct. 1895, Ref.: Sankari Prasad Basu, Vivekananda O Samakalin Bharavarsha, 1. 2

Vol. 5 (Mondal Book House, Kolkata, 2006), p. 14 11 Sankari Prasad Basu and Sunil Bihari Ghosh, Editors, Vivekananda in Indian Newspaper-1893-1902, (Basu Bhattacharyya and Co. Pvt., Ltd., Calcutta, 1969, p. 86 12 Ibid, p. 428 13 Vide original letter at Belur Math 14 Life Sketch of Rao Bahadur M. Rangacharya, M.A., 1861-1916 Vide URL: http://hinduhighschool.net/ lifesketches/life_sketches5.htm > Accessed September 1, 2011 15 Indian Currency contemporary to the time was based on Taka, Anna and Paisa. Each Taka comprised sixteen annas, while each anna was composed of four paisas 16 Vide the Story of Ramakrishna Mission : Swami Vivekananda’s Vision and Fulfilment, (Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 2006)

Don't look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished. We must set the whole world afire. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 511 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Compilation

The Vedanta Kesari—An Overview COMPILED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

Brahmavadin The Vedanta Kesari was started in 1914. Earlier in 1895, under the constant urging of Swami Vivekananda who was then in America, a group of Swamiji’s disciples in Madras which included G. Venkatranga Rao, MC Nanjunda Rao and Alasinga Perumal started 14 September 1895 a monthly journal bearing the title Brahmavadin. This was the first journal, published ‘under the advice and with the encouragement of Swami Vivekananda’. Brahmavadin means ‘The Messenger of Truth’ or ‘The Voice of Highest Truth’. Students of Swami Vivekananda’s life would be well acquainted with how Swamiji’s inspiration guided this pioneering journal. It was when he was in America that Swami Vivekananda first took an active interest in publishing a journal, and the first person that came to his mind to take charge of it was Alasinga Perumal, a close associate and disciple of Swamiji in Madras. And like his master, Swami Vivekananda, Alasinga too felt the need for a journal and wrote to Swamiji about it. Within a short time Swamiji gave his approval to Alasinga’s proposal. In the letter of 11 July 1894 he wrote to Alasinga: Start the journal and I will send you articles from time to time. . . I shall try to send you money from time to time to publish paper, etc. . . what about Madras magazine?. . .

It was with Swami Vivekananda’s approval that the journal was named the Brahmavadin and took a verse from Rig Veda: Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti—‘Truth is T h e

one; sages call it by various names’—as its motto. Brahmavadin made its appearance in Madras on Saturday, 14 September 1895, as a ‘Religious and Philosophical Journal’. It was printed by Thompson and Co. In its prospectus it was stated ‘. . . it is proposed to start a weekly journal. The main object of the journal is to propagate the principles of the Vedanta Religion of India. . . .’ The prospectus was signed by G. Venkataranga Rao, M.A.; M. C. Nanjunda Rao, B.A., M.B. & CM.; and M. C. Alasinga Perumal, B.A. Even though the prospectus stated that it was to be a weekly, it was a fortnightly magazine. For the first two years it was brought out in a bigger format; afterwards its size was reduced. The number of pages varied. The first issue contained 14 pages. Although The Brahmavadin was not an official organ of the Ramakrishna Mission, its contribution to the Mission is immense. Swamiji told Alasinga, the founder-editor of the Brahmavadin, ‘Let this journal be your God.’ And Alasinga responded to Swamiji’s call wholeheartedly. Swamiji’s help, support, and inspiration, as well as Alasinga’s backbreaking labours, made the Brahmavadin a success so long as Alasinga was alive. But within a few years of Alasinga’s death, its publication ceased. Financially, the journal was never a success. It was sustained more by its life-giving ideas. A small portion of the history of its tremendous struggles can be found in hints contained in Vivekananda’s letters.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 512 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Later Alasinga Perumal, with the help of others, started Brahmavadin Publishing Company from Madras, which, besides publishing Brahmavadin, also brought out some of Swami Vivekananda’s lectures in book form. In the early years, the news and reports on the Ramakrishna Mission’s philanthropic activities were published mainly in the Brahmavadin. Hence the archives of the journal have great historical value and documentary importance. The Brahmavadin was the first to publish in India many lectures of Swami Vivekananda delivered in the West. The journal rendered a great service towards the furtherance of the ideals of the Ramakrishna Movement. From the very first issue, the Brahmavadin published ‘Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna’ almost regularly, sometimes on the first

page. In the first year, 198 sayings in all were published. Besides this, the works of Swami Vivekananda were serially published in ‘The Open Column’, e.g. ‘Bhakti-Yoga’, ‘Karma-Yoga’, ‘The Real and the Apparent Man’, ‘Song of the Sannyasin’. It also included articles by Swami Saradananda, ET Sturdy, Mahendranath Gupta, (i.e. ‘M’) and others. Brahmavadin was regularly brought out for 14 years, until Alasinga’s demise in 1909. From 1909 to 1914, the publication of Brahmavadin became quite irregular. The last issue was brought out in 1914 (March-April). Soon after, the Brahmavadin’s legacy was continued by a new journal, The Vedanta Kesari, started by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai, and has been in circulation ever since. In December 2012, the digitized archives of Brahmavadin, was released at function at

An archival photo of old shrine of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 513 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Chennai Math. Consisting of 265 issues, with contributions from 247 authors, running into more than 14000 pages (1895-1914), these are available in a CD with easy-to-use features such as search facilities—indexed author-wise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, and other features. The CD can be had from the Chennai Math book sales counter.

Here is another report about Vedanta Kesari: It is to be hoped that Dr. Mehta's labour of love will receive the serious attention of English educated India. The following pages were written by him for the Vedanta Kesari of Madras and are now printed in their present from for circulation throughout India. The question of vernaculars as media of instruction is of national imporance; neglect of the vernaculars means national suicide. One hears many protagonists of the English language being continued as the medium of instruction pointing to the fact that English-educated Indians are the sole custodians of public and patriotic work. If would be monstrous if it were not so. for the only education given in this Vernaculars as media of Instruction

The Vedanta Kesari 1913-16 Annual Report of Ramakrishna Mission from Belur Math records thus: In May 1914, a high-class religious and philosophical monthly-magazine named the ‘Vedanta Kesari’ was started by the Math with the object of propagating the higher ideals of life in .the light of the Vedanta. It is satisfactory to note that the magazine has kept up to its ideal and is gaining ground.

(Introduction to Dr. Mehta's ‘SelfGovernment Series’)

A recent photo of old shrine of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 514 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Contributors The Vedanta Kesari has a long scholarly tradition. Its contributors include John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon, the Englishman known for pioneering work in Tantra studies), Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, C. Rajagopalachari (the first Governor General of Independent India), T.L. Vaswani (the founder of Vaswani Mission, Pune), K.M. Munshi(the founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Dr Karan Singh, H.H.Dalai Lama and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Many learned monks of the Ramakrishna Order also contribute to the magazine. The usual pattern of the contents published in the Vedanta Kesari is—editorial, Simhavalokanam (articles from the Archives of the Vedanta Kesari), articles based on the teachings and incidents in the lives of the Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda—on Vedanta, Indian culture and philosophy, self-improvement and the ideal of service. There is a section on book review where latest books published in religion, philosophy, culture and selfimprovement are reviewed by eminent men in the concerned fields. And also a news section detailing service activities carried out by world-wide centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Since 1978, the Vedanta Kesari has been regularly bringing out an annual number dedicated to a theme. Some of its popular theme-based issues published so far are: Yoga and its Aspects, Values for the Present Age, Globalization, Religion Today, Culture and Civilization, Channeling Youth Power, Nurturing Inter-personal Relationship, Upanishads in Daily Life, Indian Culture—its Timeless Appeal and Ageless Charm, Swami Vivekananda—The Man and His Message, among others. T h e

Many of these numbers have later been made into books and published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Some of the wellknown books published from the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, were originally serialized in the Vedanta Kesari. Among such are included such popular volumes such as Upanishad Series (Sanskrit, with English translation by Swami Sharvananda), Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master (by Swami Saradananda), some sections of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (by Mahendranath Gupta), Bhakti Schools of Vedanta (by Swami Tapasyananda), and so on. Editors From May 1914 to April 1928, there was no name of the editor mentioned. Towards the end of the April 1926 issue, page 478 it was mentioned in the News and Reports:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 515 ~

Swami Sharvananda who has been the President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Madras since 1911 and has been editing the Vedanta Kesari from its very start is retiring from work after nineteen years of strenuous labour. He means to lead at present a life of perfect solitude and retirement. Swami Yatiswarananda who has been in charge of the Ramakrishna Ashrama in Bombay for nearly the last two years has come over to take charge of the Math and Mission in Madras. He has spent eight years of his monastic life in South India and has an intimate knowledge of several of its parts. He is the late editor of the Prabuddha Bharata and is well known for his scholarship and literary abilities. He was also intimately connected with the editorial work and the publication of the Vedanta Kesari for a long period. Our Journal will appear under his editorship from May next. All official correspondence must hereafter be addressed to him. We pray to the Lord to crown his work with complete success. D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

First volume and page of the Vedanta Kesari, May 1914

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 516 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Swami Sharvananda (1885-1970) —the 2nd President of the Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, who started The Vedanta Kesari in 1914

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 517 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

From 1928 May onwards, 14 years after its start in May 1914, the Vedanta Kesari started printing the names of the editors. It would mention both the names (President of Madras Math and the actual

editor) as ‘Editors’. September 1993 onwards, nomenclature was changed over to ‘Managing Editor and Editor’. The following is the list of editors of the Vedanta Kesari.

Editors of Vedanta Kesari S.No

Period

Editor

May 1928 to April 1931

Br. Jnana chaitanya (Swami Taijasananda)

May 1931 to April 1939

Swami Tapasyananda

May 1939 to April 1941

Swami Vimalananda

May 1941 to April 1942

Prof. PN Srinivasachar

May 1942 to November 1948

Swami Nityabodhananda

December 1948 to September 1951

Swami Kailasananda

October 1951 to July 1956

Swami Budhananda

August 1956 to April 1962

Swami Swahananda

May 1962 to April 1967

Swami Paratparananda

May 1967 to July 1971

Swami Kailasananda

August 1971 to September 1979

Shri R. Ramakrishnan

October 1979 to December 1986

Shri CS Ramakrishnan

January 1987 to December 1997

Swami Tyagananda

January 1998 to December 2000

Swami Brahmeshananda

January 2001 to March 2004

Swami Baneshananda

Since April 2004

Swami Atmashraddhananda

The digitised archives of the Vedanta Kesari for 96 years were released in October 2010. An updated DVD containing 100 years of the archives will be released soon.  What does Vedanta teach us? In the first place, it teaches that you need not even go out of yourself to know the truth. All the past and all the future are here in the present. No man ever saw the past. Did any one of you see the past? When you think you are knowing the past, you only imagine the past in the present moment. To see the future, you would have to bring it down to the present, which is the only reality—the rest is imagination. This present is all that is. There is only the One. All is here right now. One moment in infinite time is quite as complete and all-inclusive as every other moment. All that is and was and will be is here in the present. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 518 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Simhâvalokanam - 1 From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (1998 February, Pp.69-72 and March, Pp.108-112 )

Eight Decades (1914-1997) of the Vedanta Kesari: A Look Back B.N. SIKDAR

Prolegomenon A critical view of individual men or of isolated works in the Vedanta Kesari (hereafter called VK) cannot be done satisfactorily within the compass of space available. The strong law of necessity must determine the scale of treatment of authors or writings contained in a monthly that stepped into its eighty-fourth year of existence in 1997. A rapid look-back through VK’s thousands of pages makes clear to a careful reader certain characteristics. These characteristics have dominated the journal’s policy and purpose, overtly or covertly; they also distinguished VK from kindred publications in the opening decades of the twentieth century (e.g. Satyartha Prakash, Tattwabodhini Patrika, Dhyana Prakash). VK’s roots lie in the Ramakrishna Movement, which led to the establishment of ashramas by the apostles of Sri Ramakrishna and by their disciples, and which in due course assumed proportions grand enough to encompass continents. The times were critical for India as well as the world. Weeks after VK’s appearance on the scene, the powder-magazine that was Europe burst into a blaze (World War I). Nearer home, Indian intellectuals, both Hindus and Muslims, reeling under the impact of vigorous Anglo-Saxon culture, had lost their moorings. The British rule was firmly established; the Christian missionaries were free to persuade, force or tempt the poor or the T h e

illiterate; the reaction and rivalry of churches had ensued. By 1894-95 Swami Vivekananda could convince the West that beneath the surface overgrown with moss there was much precious gold in the most ancient religion of India. Most of this gold lay buried in Vedantic literature which, if mined, he was sure, could stem the tide of materialism. To scatter the seeds of this literature among the educated was one of his first duties, as he saw it. To do this, Vivekananda inspired the starting of three journals: Brahmavadin and Prabuddha Bharata, both in English, and Udbodhan, in Bengali. 2 The Brahmavadin (first editor Dr. Nanjunda Rao, a profound scholar in Sanskrit) abounded in scholarship, also technicalities, not within the parameter of the ordinary scholars’ talent. Its presentation too was not much to the taste of readers who liked elegant English and easier treatment of themes. One of its attractions was the writings of Vivekananda which ceased to appear after his serious illness (1900–1902). How and why the Brahmavadin was reborn as Vedanta Kesari is not clear, but the subject has been succinctly and feelingly treated in the January 1995 issue of VK in the editorial ‘Where Shall I Come?’ By the end of the first decade of the present century the Brahmavadin had declined into a nondescript affair, so much so that

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 519 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

even the salvage operations probably proved quite herculean. Swami Sharvananda was the president of Sri Ramakrishna Math at Mylapore, Madras when Brahmavadin’s offshoot came out. The principles of the earlier version were left unchanged, even reaffirmed. Thus the two magazines—Brahmavadin and Vedanta Kesari—while intimately connected with each other, are yet definitely different. At the core of the Brahmavadin was Vedanta, so is it with the VK. Basically one, the difference lay in diversity and depth. There is positive evidence (See Vol. 12, p. 478, ‘News and Reports’) that Swami Sharvananda was the first editor, manager, compositor, proofreader. He was evidently a tough, vigorous man of conviction and sincerity. VK was published at Mylapore, as it is even now. However Mylapore was not yet a part of the city of Madras. About five kilometres from the centre of the Presidencytown, it was jungled and sparsely inhabited. The town and its suburbs had already been thoroughly infected by the virus from the northwest. In Volume 4 (Sept. 1915) of VK, an anonymous writer has left us some pertinent comments in this regard: ‘... a hoary place of antiquity, Saivite and Vaishnavite temples, the birthplace of saints, the great sage Tiruvalluvar (c AD 1), author of Thirukkural; the grand temple of Kapaleeswara with its magnificent tower . . . . the modern day educated Hindu considers all this as superstitious nonsense and spends his evenings in clubs and light talks . . .’ The writer bewails the degeneracy of the intellectual class and is too nervous to add his name for fear of ridicule, even contempt. The extract is internal evidence which indicates the critical juncture at which VK was launched. In Madras the tide turned in favour of India’s ancient wisdom. T h e

3 First Principles The motto chosen for the first issue of VK, as for subsequent ones, was the wellknown words of Vivekananda: ‘Let the Lion of Vedanta Roar,’ amplified by another quote from the same source: ‘Let me tell you—strength, strength is what we want. And the first step in getting strength is to uphold the Upanishads and believe that “I am the Atman.” ’ This subcontinent was then verily a babel of tongues, nothing less voluble than roaring could be heard, no murmurs. Murmuring is for feeble men. The speaker was certainly not feeble, as even his addresses in print sound tempestuous. To a modern reader the opening issue of VK will certainly look pitiable, if not contemptible, for its paper, presentation and getup. Printed in double column, it consisted of 15 leaves within lean covers. The headlines are not prominent. Obviously there was not enough paper or letters or both. To publish a journal and keep it running is not as easy a matter as one would think. The manager-editor has to take care of the budget and the marketing, procure articles and advertisements. In order to be able to sift the grain from the chaff, he must be a jack of all trades. Swami Sharvananda was just that but also a master in innovative skill. The reading public was superficial and undiscriminating, addicted to horror news, scandalous reports and indecent words. VK could not increase its sale, popularity and income by appealing to those interests of the public which were anything but intellectual. Therefore a number of first issues seem disappointing. The none-too-impressive collection of two formats was introduced in the market by an editorial under the Latin heading, Avant

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 520 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Propos, which said inter alia: ‘Dedicated to the good of the many,’ to preach ‘with the voice of peace and benediction, the revival of the grand Saswata Dharma, and carry its message to the door of every devout son of India’— were the proclaimed principles. The editorial also stressed that the voice would be devoid of hatred or antagonism and ‘free of abusive language towards any individual or sect,’ that it would be geared to do service to all classes. It seems the crier in the wilderness was a product of the college system, his composition is modelled on academic form. We live in days of too many declarations and few fulfilments or adherences. It is to the credit of VK that, for more than eight decades, it has abided by these principles conscientiously. 4 Included in the first issue is an essay on ‘Vivekananda, Our Supreme Teacher’ (pp. 6–11) by K. Sundararam Ayer. His pen has bequeathed to posterity a document of inestimable biographical value. He wrote in 1914: ‘. . . on arrival at Trivandrum in December 1892, Vivekananda was directed to my home and received with regards due to a Hindu Sannyasi.’ Ayer had not yet heard of Sri Ramakrishna. Vivekananda told him, ‘India’s immediate needs are not religious but economic. . . Keshab Chandra Sen, Dayananda Saraswati and other modern religious leaders are simply feeble echoes— however disguised—of foreign religious ideas which are far below the lofty level and the rich products of India’s own spiritual genius. . . . Their work is calculated to destroy her mission in the world as the spiritual leader and saviour of the human race, and its unique and marvellous fruits. . . Sri Ramakrishna alone has taught the true ideal of unity of thought, work and aim for Modern India to strive after.’ T h e

Vivekananda said that at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago he wished to proclaim his guru’s message regarding ‘the harmony of all religions.’ This takes us directly into the future Vivekananda’s frame of mind and to the gist of the speech he was to deliver less than a year later. From the first there was nothing theoretic or abstract about Swamiji. A year later, our journal presented that tireless pilgrim, as he must have looked to K. Sundararam, a staff in hand, on his legs, head shaven, in a ‘loongi and chadar.’ It was a realistic sketch, not an embellished photograph, the tall gaunt figure reminiscent of John Wyclif’s poor priests living in poverty and journeying about western Europe, clad in simple russet. To come back to theology. We smell the aroma of the Upanishadic lore in most of the issues of VK over the ten years following, until greater diversity creeps in slowly at first in 1920–21, faster afterwards in 1927. The fragrance now faint, now exhilarating, wafts in such pieces (to name a few): ‘The Vedantic View of Social Progress’ (by Satyakam); ‘Is the World Real or False?’ (Suddhananda; a translation); ‘A Spiritual Basis of Life in Ancient and Modern Times’ (Saswata Chaitanya); ‘The Destiny of Man in the East and the West’; ‘The Sannyasin and the Householder’ (Swami Vireswarananda); ‘Sri Ramakrishna and the Higher Religious Synthesis’ (S. K. Yagnanarayana Aiyer, Principal of Salem College); ‘The Self-imposed Struggle’ (Swami Prabhavananda’s lecture at the Hindu Temple at San Francisco, USA); ‘Evolution or Revolution’ (Swami Ramakrishnananda). These essays scattered in VK’s pages, prove one fact: VK’s message preached with so much insistence—occasionally with great energy

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 521 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

of utterance though subdued in tone (as in Vireswarananda’s in May 1920)—had begun to permeate the land of Ayers, Sundararams and Raos. Volume 11 opens with Ramakrishnananda’s ‘Work and Worship’ with echoes of Carlyle in it. There is a deeply moving account of the last night of Sri Ramakrishna’s earthly existence under ‘Gleanings.’ The saint kept talking ‘to the very last,’ took ‘a whole half glass of payasam (gruel) and seemed to relish it.’ Then he sat up against five or six pillows supported by Ramakrishnananda. He asked them to fan him. Vivekananda started rubbing his feet. His last words to Vivekananda were ‘Take care of these boys.’ Like Shakespeare’s sonnets, or the Man in the Iron Mask, or the explanation of Napoleon’s rout at Waterloo, the saint and his dearest disciple have inspired a spiritelevating literature. Some of it is in VK, for instance, ‘Ramakrishna the Great Master,’ ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’ (by M.), ‘Echoes of the Teaching of Swami Vivekananda’s Re-orientation of Religions’ (an illuminating analysis). Later on, the profiles tend to become over-coloured. 5 VK’s offer of hitherto unpublished letters, some lively others pensive, written by stalwarts of the Sangha [Ramakrishna] like Vivekananda and Brahmananda, belong to epistolary didacticism and constitute the addition of a peculiar interest to theological literature. Vivekananda’s lovely lyric, ‘To an early Violet,’ was a portion of his letter to Sister Christine. The September 1923 issue, in which it is printed, is Vivekananda from cover to cover. Meanwhile there has been considerable improvement in the quality of contents as well as paper and printing. T h e

Besides the Vedantic themes, VK began to deal with themes such as ‘On Buddhism and Tamil Literature,’ ‘Vocational Training,’ ‘India’s Problems,’ ‘Sixth Sense: Its Possibilities,’ ‘The Pancharatra and Vaishnava Daily Life,’ ‘Gospels and Acts,’ ‘Vernacular as the Medium of Instruction in Schools and Colleges of India.’ Though of assorted merit, their worth is not to be measured in the literary or theological qualities but by the fact that in them were implicit the taste and sentiments of the readership. The respectable reading public, which corresponds roughly to the section in society described as middle classes, wanted diversity. There is an essay ‘On the Tenth Guru’ written by Swami Aurobindo in his usual terse, compact manner, reproduced in VK from The Khalsa Patriot. To Tagore’s international reputation, tributes were paid in ‘Spiritual Beauty of Tagore’s,’ ‘The King of the Dark Chamber,’ and ‘Inner Meaning of Tagore’s The Post office.’ In the output during the first decade also figure a Maharajadhiraj Bahadur, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E. and D. Rajan, an M.R.C.S, L.R.C.D. Most of the English verses printed are bungling performances in trinky measures, ‘The Sannyasi, a Petrarchan sonnet,’ is an exception. By 1917, VK had begun to receive and review important books by eminent authors. These include such diverse books as ‘Copper Plate Inscription,’ ‘The Dream Problem,’ ‘Enquiry after God’ by Kutubdir Sultan. Of historical interest are the reports on the work and growth of the Ramakrishna Math in India and overseas. This decade may be described by the trite phrase of ‘teething times.’ The blemishes of manner and treatment may lead the eclectics of today who are proud of their better taste to grimace. Every age is entitled to pronouncing

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 522 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

judgment on the past. De gustibus non est disputandum, ‘there is no disputing about tastes.’ Should we however forget that the primary justification of VK lies not in intellectual stimulation but the moral influence it has been exercising ever since its inception? Since 1920–21 faulty generalizations of casual reading begin to give place to intensive timeconsuming studies. The first principles still hold fast. The monk-editors never give in to sectarian or racial prejudice. 6 The Third and Fourth Decades It is the end of an era and also a new beginning in the affairs of the world as well as India. The thirties, forties and fifties of this century passed through, and were affected by two upheavals: World War II and the partition of India. The former broke out in 1939 and the whole of continental Europe was overrun by satanic forces. A staggering totality of loss of life, property, women’s honour, took place before and after a bifurcated India got liberty. Through all this inhuman brutality and massacre, the Vedanta Kesari tried its best, both directly and indirectly, to help the world and India to retain and recuperate moral values through its ‘Notes and Comments’ and editorials. To this end, the Vedantic thought was the main propelling force. Volume 16 (1929–30) mentions things that point from which quarter the wind blows. Girls have commenced joining physical culture tournaments; Sivananda Vidyalaya opens in a Ceylon [Sri Lanka] village. Government Agent Harrison Jones speaks at the opening ceremony, of ‘the Mission’s good work in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomaly.’ Sharvananda, president of the Madras Math for 15 years, opines in an open meeting that the people of Madras exhibited T h e

simplicity of life and purity of Vedic culture (Vol.13; 1926; p.77). In the same volume we read of the independent centres started by Swami Abhedananda in Darjeeling and Calcutta. By 1952, the Ramakrishna Mission has got a foothold in such far-flung areas as Burma, Singapore, Mauritius, and Fiji. In East Pakistan it maintained its existence ‘with some difficulty.’ The Second World War compels VK’s management to lump three or four issues owing to scarcity of paper and other printing materials. The quality of its externals could not but deteriorate. The volumes of this period, which saw upheavals, particularly those between c.1940 and c.1950, naturally exhibit belated appearance, hastiness in printing and proofreading, thinner and colourless covers, faulty spacing of paragraphs as well as lines, even partially incorrect quotes. March 1949 issue has no motto, only the emblem. No wonder. The monks of the Ramakrishna Order are busy writing and lecturing on the oneness of all religions, and organizing in a desperate attempt to salvage as much of the morally ruined mankind all over the world, and to reconcile sharp decline in culture with revolutionary zeal, as the reports in VK tell us. Like the other journals issued by the Mission, VK too bears in its pages a fairly comprehensive account of the expansion and development of the Ramakrishna Movement in India and abroad, especially in the Deccan. 7 Volume 43 prints articles whose writers are struggling with an obssessive past, e.g. ‘Challenge of the Eternal Religion’ in which the eternal religion stands for Hinduism. One of the longest (pp. 366–77), the essay is full of a pseudo-scholar’s vituperations. A saner product is ‘Where Hinduism and Islam Meet’

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 523 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

by a Muslim writer. The meeting points as enunciated could not be disputed, they are so broad and inclusive: faith in God, faith in angels, faith in scriptures, faith in prophets, faith in resurrection and final judgment. Many an effort is little more than elucidation or summarization of the Gita or of the more wellknown Upanishads. The obituary in volume 34, no. 10, after M. K. Gandhi’s assassination adopts rather highfalutin language (‘Nature heaved and sobbed in an anguish that wrenched her heart’—which is no English.) Gems are also there though not so easily available as in the years following. For instance, ‘Sri Ramanuja’s Conception of Mukti’ by P. N. Srinivaschari; Veritas’s demolition of J. K. Koar’s contention on the extent of Keshab Chandra Sen’s influence on Ramakrishna. Through VK, it seems, humanistic tradition has been able to penetrate the culinary area (see ‘Humanitarianism in Food as the Basis of Humanitarianism in Life’ by K. S. Ramaswami Shastri); also the dark prison in Rao Sahib C. R. Aiyer’s ‘Humanizing Influences in British Gaol.’ Raman Chandra Bhattacharya’s ‘Growth of Ahimsa as an Idea’ is a study of Ahimsa in the ages before M. K. Gandhi’s enunciation of the concept. It may seem ironical to recall what Republic of China’s Minister of Justice and Finance—Liang Chichad—said when he opened his talk on ‘China’s Debt to Buddhist India’: ‘India is China’s nearest and dearest brother . . .’ One historically valuable (anonymous) piece is ‘The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement’ of which there is a profounder treatment in Swami Ranganathananda’s essays in later issues. The swami, as VK tells us, arrived at Madras from Burma via Karachi to emerge in our journal with ‘The Bhagavad Gita—A Universal Gospel’ and ‘Arjuna’s First Lessons in Discipleship.’ These T h e

two essays presage the depth, critical acumen and confidence of his copious later works. VK’s glory in this lap of its journey consists in printing some of the first apostles’ letters. Thus they were committed to eternity. 8 Since about the middle of the thirties, publishers are sending books and pamphlets by scholars and political personages for review. They must have, by this time, noted the prestige and popularity the journal was gaining. We can but make a flitting glance at some: Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar; Anil Kumar Roy Chowdhury’s The Doctrine of Maya; Devatmananda’s Basis of Indian National Awakening; Jean Herbert’s Le Mythologue Hindousen Message (French). S. K. Maitra’s Nicolia Hartmann’s Ethics, a critical exposition of Annie Besant’s The New civilization. From Charing Cross, London, came the Romance of the Soul, and R. B. Gregg’s The Economics of Khaddar. There are also A. Osborne’s Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-knowledge, Dilip Kumar Roy’s Among the Great, introduced by S. Radhakrishnan. (Incidentally, D. L. Roy’s worthy son forgets to include Sri Ramakrishna among the five men he considered great, and later makes the failure up with a beautiful, competent English verse on the Saint, Holy Mother and Vivekananda.) The white Umbrella by D. Mackenizie Brown presents a survey of Indian political thought from Manu to Gandhi (an almost impossible task even for a board of scholars to do adequately). We have also the Septuagint Bible (ed. by C. A. Muses), Essays in Honour of A. R. Wadia (ed. by S. Radhakrishnan and others). While most of the earlier reviews are anonymously written or initialled, like S.S.P., K.S., R.V., G.S.S. now we have T. V. Satyamurthi, B. Natarajan, C. T. Krishnamachari. The journal’s phase of pseudo-scholarship would soon be over. Besides, VK helps us to measure the Advaita

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 524 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Asrama’s expanding activities in publication of the texts of the apostolic band by means of advertisements. The widening gulf between the two major communities in India is evident in many essays that spit fiery vehemence. The Modern Review, having chosen to criticize VK’s sober stance in this regard, earned a slap in the face in the form of a spiritual reply. The Modern Review was already an influential magazine popular among India’s intellectuals; occasionally VK had to borrow articles from it. Specialism is apparent in the general content, editorials, notes and comments, some of which are exceptionally well-written (e.g. volume 41, pp. 352–54). The co-editors’ moral courage is evident in the salvo fired at the then all-powerful Prime Minister of free India. Jawaharlal Nehru, who had a rather loose tongue chose to call sadhus ‘the parasite-class living on other peoples’ earning,’ slandering begging as ‘theft’ and indulging in all sorts of glib talks so usual with him. VK displayed its guts by replying politely, firmly, sarcastically: ‘It is the politician’s pleasure to imagine that he alone keeps human life possible on earth. . . . The greater the stature Pandit Nehru attains in leadership, the firmer his hold on the mind and hearts of men, the more dangerous becomes his personal follies for the entire nation, even for humanity. . . .’ (p. 311). How many editors in those days, when Nehru’s smile or frown could make or mar princes and when he was the virtual dictator, could throw such observations to his face? Those were the times when politics and culture were getting closer, culture being more and more contaminated in consequence. And therefore the Vice-President, much less ‘wise’ than Nehru, Justices, Governors, Ministers, M.L.A.s, Commissioners of Police, District Magistrates are flocking to the shrines of the semi-literate man of God and his consort. T h e

9 Hearteningly, more and more lay men are coming forward to study and meditate and listen to the Gospel. Apart from monkdevotees like Virajananda, Vimalananda, Ramakrishnananda, Sadashivananda, reputed pundits and political figures begin to fill VK’s pages. We picked these illustrious names among the contributors: C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer (a Knight), Proves Jiban Chowdhury, B. G. Kher, J. B. Kripalani, G. Cruiz Sants, Dr. A. C. Sen, Floyd H. Ross (‘On Ecclesiastical Control of Education’). Floyd Ross’s piece as well as the editorial note after C. T. K. Chari’s ‘The Unwalled City of Spirit’ (November 1951) are a pointer to VK’s efforts at diversification. More and more essays on education and village welfare find a place. Our journal is exerting hard towards the all-round development of India along the lines proposed and initiated by Vivekananda. The cultural attache to the American embassy in India, Dr. Horace Isac Pobman, attended the Math and Mission’s sixteenth session at Lucknow (‘A Culture Yatra’, pp. 262–69 by Dr. V. Raghavan, M.A. Ph.D., Head of the Sanskrit Department, University of Madras). Despite the tributes to Holy Mother, prejudice against womanhood lingers in T. R. Venkatarama Sastri’s ‘The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women,’ subtitled ‘Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s View’s Examined.’ For the first time volume 39 (1952–1953) introduces two features: Index of Book Reviews and Letters to the Editor. The October issue opens with a translation of Ramprasad’s song to Goddess Kali, an attempt sincere but hazardous because no rendering even by a genius can reproduce the original flavour of it. Unusually, we have a series of editorials on Varnashram ‘Dharma,’ which is called ‘a superb service scheme.’

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 525 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Meanwhile VK is receiving transcripts of talks over the All India Radio (Madras; Dec. 1951). A Cambridge man, G. N. Mathram, writes on ‘The Appeal of the RamakrishnaVivekananda Movement to the Modern Mind’; Liovid Elvin, Director of Education, UNESCO, contributes an essay titled ‘The Problem of Free and Compulsory Schooling’ and foresees the practical hindrances to the implementation of a good idea and the consequent decline in quality, a view amply justified by history. 10 Among other highlights are ‘Spiritual Beauty of Tagore’s “The King of the Dark Chamber,”’ Girish Chandra Ghosh’s letter to Ramakrishnananda which is of great historical value. It calls Rakhal Maharaj a ‘Mahapurush’ and says of the saint: ‘. . . the prema of Ramakrishna has been flowing in a hundred streams through the channel of his devotees. . . . I have an aspiration that I should correct a wrong notion of people. Many people think that the ideas of Naren are different from those of Sri Ramakrishna. I have a strong desire of exploding this error.’ Dr. F. S. C. Northrop’s ‘The Difficulty in Relating the Diverse Spiritual Value of the Orient and the Occident’ is an address delivered at the unveiling of the bronze portrait of Vivekananda in New York. Northrop was then a Professor of Law and Philosophy. It contains a brilliant touch in ‘This is why no people are understood until their philosophy is known’ (p. 213). The fine occidental mind’s power to go to the root of a problem, its faith in logic, its distrust of emotionalism and other virtues are perceptible in this illuminating address. Another of less intrinsic merit but of greater historical interest is by U Win, Education and acting Foreign Minister of Burma, who spoke at a gathering at Ramakrishna Ashrama in Rangoon on 14 June T h e

1950 (volume 37). We learn from it, among other things, that Manipuri scholars acted as court chaplains to Burmese kings. ‘Charaiveti’ is one of the regular features of the magazine. There is an editorial note appended to ‘The Hollywood Swami (i.e. Prabhavananda) and the Literate’— summarized so succinctly and containing the substance of Vedantic lore: ‘Vedanta is frequently but less correctly referred to as Hinduism. . . Three basic tenets form the core of Vedanta: Man’s inner nature is divine; man’s purpose on earth is to manifest this divinity; truth is universal.’ This reminds us of Swamiji’s brilliant observation on the nature of truth: ‘I will compare truth to a corrosive substance of infinite power. It burns its way in wherever it falls—in soft substance at once; hard granite slowly, but it must. What is writ is writ.’ The Contemporary Phase (C 1975 - C 1995) I am quite conscious that by taking leaps across the span of years I am apt to be guilty of evoking confusion in the peruser’s mind. The critic who attempts to survey the Vedanta Kesari’s course during eight decades cannot take a rigid position if he hopes to be read. Earlier in the seventies the journal had to fight social problems which grew keener and more multifarious than before and consequently it had to devise fresh designs to catch the readers’ eye. Perhaps we cannot open this phase better than by a backward glance, by quoting from Vidyatmananda’s heart-rending account of the final moments of the saint’s earthly life: ‘. . .He (Sri Ramakrishna) was lying on the left side with legs drawn up, eyes open, mouth partly open. His disciples, some at least, were under the impression that he was in samadhi, not dead. I dispelled their impression. . .’ quoted

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 526 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

from Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar’s hand-written diary, Monday, August 16, 1886, (Vol 63, Jan, 1977). The year 1977 saw the introduction of a new feature, ‘The Kesari Looks Back Half a Century,’ which reminds us of the assessment of Vedanta Kesari’s virtues by Romain Rolland, Devamata, Dorothy Kruger and many other eminent personages. However, the less known of such appreciations exhibit a tendency to overwrite. Light is thrown on the higher side of Swamiji’s multifaceted personality in the quote from one of his letters to a European lady: ‘In your country, Madam, a bachelor is feared. And here you see, they are worshipping me, a bachelor.’ Of special value are the Bhakti numbers in a series. It was a brilliant stroke conceived by the Editorial Board and later on there were a Shakti number, a Shanti number, a Vaishnava number, a Youth number, and so on. To the Bhakti and other series such clerics as eminent as Vireswarananda (SelfSurrender), Nityabodhananda (Bhakti in the Bible), and others; such lay scholars as Dr. B. B. Kundu (who attempts a rather vast field, ‘The Vedic Economic Structures’ since 2500 to 800 B.C.), T. Rajagopala Aiyer—contributed. The editorials too begin to improve appreciably in style as well as treatmenting (compare Matter Judges Spirit and Sri Ramakrishna on the Canvas of History). Certainly the author of An Open Letter to the People of India is a close observer of the realities of life as was then lived in India. Contentious races, regional favouritism, and barriers put across the path of those individuals who were keen on social welfare—all served to create an atmosphere of distrust, dislike and lethargy. A host of contemporary records also find a prominent corner in this phase of the VK’s course, e.g., the Government of India T h e

chose belatedly in 1985 to declare January 12 (Swamiji’s date of birth according to the Julian Calendar) the national Youth Day. Among the travelogues are Lokeswarananda’s accounts of journeys in Bulgaria and Russia sponsored by the Union of Soviet Writers, including the paper the Swami presented at Sophia Peace Conference. C. S. Ramakrishnan’s ‘Kiddies Corner’ is still going strong with breaks feeding Pauranic/Vedantic legends in a form calculated to be palatable to innocent childhood. Essays on Rabindranath Tagore, on Sri Aurobindo, on the saints of southern India, of Japan, Malay, Siam (New Thailand), St. Francis of Assissi, Sufism and other allied topics; on the right sort of education required to stop the rot—show the unprejudiced, careful choice made by the Editors one after another. The VK has further broadened its base in order to compass sea and land, telescoping centuries of moral progress. In less than two decades, our magazine will celebrate one hundred years of its existence. The introduction of computerprinting, varied artistic touches, discriminated use of shades, more rational sectionalisation, alternations, cover designs, have made each volume lovely. Probably, these externals are not entirely unappealing to the contemporary reader, terrylene and terrycot of shining hues being the current craze. What we see of any spectacle depends on where we are standing. Just now we are in a valley—rather a deep one—it is not for us to measure with some correctness the eminences presented by our journal. The first editors were Sri Thakur’s direct disciples, then came disciples’ disciples, one after another fired by the same zeal. Every editor since Sharvananda down to Tyagananda have persistently seen to it that the ideals the

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 527 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

paper stood for (as proposed in Avant Propose) are maintained in letter and spirit. Sustained by the spirit of the frail ascetic at Dakshineswar and by the ideal of Swami Vivekananda, this organ of the noble Ramakrishna Math and Mission preached through eight decades, directly or indirectly, that socialism cannot be instituted by a few days of fighting or genocide, or

mass exemption. The paper’s gradualism has consisted in a moral objection to force in the belief that a process of true and traditional education is the supreme necessity. The Kesari often roared but did never bite. That is the Kesari’s glory. hinc Incem et pecula sacra [From this source, (we draw) light and draughts of sacred learning.] o

Who is the seer? The Self of man, the Purusha. What is the seen? The whole of nature beginning with the mind, down to gross matter. All pleasure and pain arise from the junction between this Purusha and the mind. The Purusha, you must remember, according to this philosophy, is pure; when joined to nature, it appears to feel pleasure or pain by reflection.. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 528 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Compilation

Days at the Vedanta Kesari Recollections of Past Editors In its centenary of service to the cause of spreading the message of Vedanta and that of the Holy Trio, The Vedanta Kesari has been privileged to have monks and lay devotees who served as editors and guided the publication and production of the magazine. Unfortunately, there is no systematic record of the functioning of the magazine. Of course, it would have been truly valuable to have recorded the early days of The Vedanta Kesari. As per the oral tradition, in its early days The Vedanta Kesari had to pass through difficult times. Be the literary side or production side or the financial side, the magazine had to struggle to keep it going. By the divine grace, the magazine overcame all the hurdles that lay in its way and is now in its 101st year. It speaks volumes of the commitment of the people involved in the making and running of the magazine. In its early days, the magazine was printed using the technology extant then. It had its own challenges and hiccups. But thanks to technological advancements, now the making and the printing work is much easier. Use of computers, Internet and email has gone a long way in improving the efficiency of the magazine. Now one can download the monthly as well as a few past issues from the Chennai Math website (www.chennaimath.org). Happily, we have recollections by three senior monks of the Ramakrishna Order who served as editors of The Vedanta Kesari in the last three decades. At our request they have written down the memories which provide us a glimpse of the work involved in making of the magazine. The article by Swami Ashokananda is a compilation. It also, alongside, chronicles the growth of the magazine and its production and subscription aspect. We are grateful to all contributors for sharing their precious memories on this historic occasion.

‘Do A Little Work for the Brahmavadin’ Swami Ashokananda Swami Ashokananda (1890-1969) was the Editor of Prabuddha Bharata and after that Head of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, USA, from 1932 to 1969. He was in Madras Math between 1920-1922. Though he was not the Editor of The Vedanta Kesari, his recollections are of much value since they provide a graphic picture of the early days. Before the answer from Mayavati [Advaita Ashrama] came, there was a telegram from Madras asking him [Swami Brahmananda] to send me at once. So one morning when I went to him from my hotel he gave me the good news. The swami in charge T h e

of that monastery, Swami Sharvananda, was a disciple of his of whom he was exceedingly fond. Swami Brahmananda said with a smile, ‘He always needs workers—as many as can be supplied.’ He continued half in English and half in Bengali, ‘You are very fortunate to have

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 529 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

An Archival Picture

Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the sixth President of the Ramakrishna Order, along with monks and devotees in front of Sri Ramakrishna Centenary Hall, 1939, at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. The building now houses Math's Printing Press, located next to the present Vedanta Kesari Office (mark the bricks in the corner indicating the upcoming building)

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 530 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

found such a monastery at the very first. Live there five years, and your training will be over. Do a little work for the Brahmavadin.’ He was referring to the Vedanta Kesari, the monthly magazine that was in a sense the successor to the Brahmavadin . . .1 *** In addition to such odd jobs, Yogesh [pre-monastic name of Swami Ashokananda] was given the task of counting words for the magazine the Vedanta Kesari. He resolved to put his heart and soul into this and do the best counting possible. But soon some further editorial work came his way. It so happened that the editor swami was not given to his work. Each month, he approved the manuscripts with barely a glance at them, and inevitably, as Yogesh counted their words, the innumerable errors they contained would, as it were, shout at him. Although he had determined to simply count words, the de plorable state of the articles was too much to overlook, and almost every month, unknown to everyone, he carefully corrected the manu scripts before they went to the printer. Almost every month. At this time, the swami in charge of the monastery—Swami Sharvananda, a great favourite of Swami Brahmananda’s— was holding a class for the monks on the Brahmasutras. (‘Two big volumes we had to study,’ Swami Ashokananda later recalled, ‘Commentary on commentary, arguments, counterarguments, all kinds of things. It was a wonderful experience. After the class we would feel as if we had come from a deep meditation.’) The class was being serially published in the Vedanta Kesari, and Yogesh would correct it along with everything else. One month, however, he grew impatient and decided that he would let the whole thing go as it was. After all, it was not his job or T h e

responsibility to correct the manuscripts. So Swami Sharvananda’s class was published as it was. There was consternation in the Math: Swami Sharvananda was horrified, and the editor, much abashed. The next month Yogesh quietly resumed his self-imposed task of copy editor. . .2 *** Recalling those days, Swami Rudrananda once said that Swami Ashokananda was much admired among the younger monks for his bold thought and his daring to question long-established ideas. Swami Rudrananda said modestly that he had been appointed editor of the Math’s Tamil-language magazine only because he knew the language. ‘But I translated in that job,’ he added more modestly still, ‘because I simply translated Swami Ashokananda’s ideas into Tamil.’3 *** During his last years in Madras, Swami Ashokananda and Swami Akhilananda went off on a tour through South India in order to get subscriptions for the Vedanta Kesari and Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam, the latter a Tamillanguage magazine published by the Madras Math. In later years he told of this tour:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 531 ~

We travelled all over to large counties in southern India for two months, going from village to village, staying three or four days in each one. We knew the names of current subscribers and would seek them out. They would become our hosts and would themselves talk to prospective subscribers. In that way, we would get thirty or forty new subscriptions in each village. Wherever we went the people greeted us with great warmth and respect. Everyone we asked subscribed, and people would invite us to dinner, and so on. We could not speak the Tamil language, but it was not necessary, because almost everyone could speak English. Of course they also spoke among themselves in D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Tamil when we were there. In one village there was a brahmin who invited us to dinner. He showed me a book he was working on—a Tamil encyclopedia. Every day, after his regular work, he would work on the encyclopedia. Little by little he had finished hundreds of pages. That is the way to work!’

‘Akhilananda,’ Swami said, ‘was all the time talking about Mahatma Gandhi, and I would hurry him along. We covered a large territory, going from one town to another by train. In the towns themselves, we walked. We canvassed for one or two months and got quite a number of new subscribers for both the magazines. . .’ ‘Towards the end of our trip,’ he related another time, ‘I discovered that I

could understand everything that was said in Tamil. I had not learned the language, but I instinctively understood the sense of what was being said. It was as though the thoughts were communicated to my mind. If one hears a language enough, that happens. ‘I am not good at learning languages. Sanskrit came easily to me and also English. But otherwise I have no aptitude for languages. I can’t learn them and don’t like to study them.’ It was successful tour. The two swamis must have increased the subscriptions to the Vedanta Kesari and to the Tamil magazine by hundreds, if not thousands. And certainly they enjoyed themselves, for they got on well together, loved on another.4 

References 1. 2.

Swami Brahmananda As We Saw Him, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, pp. 95-95, Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda by Sister Gargi (Marie Louise Burke), Kalpa Tree

3. 4.

Press, 65 East 96th Street, Suite 12D, New York, NY 10128, United States of America., p.76 Ibid., p.78 Ibid., Pp.92-94

The Vedanta Kesari Memories Swami Tyagananda Head, Vedanta Society, Boston, USA I was editor of The Vedanta Kesari for 11 years, from January 1987 to December 1997—the first monastic editor after a gap of around 20 years, during which period the Vedanta Kesari was managed by two reliable devotees, R. Ramakrishnan (RR) and C. S. Ramakrishnan (CSR). Until my departure from Chennai, The Vedanta Kesari was considered a ‘Madras Math journal’ and hence Belur Math did not take the responsibility of posting any monk specifically as editor, like they always did for Prabuddha Bharata and Udbodhan. Swami T h e

Brahmeshanandaji was the first Vedanta Kesari editor to be specifically sent for this work by the Belur Math. We did not have any office for The Vedanta Kesari and I worked from my living room. Nor was there any computer. All manuscripts were typed on an old-fashioned typewriter by Srinivasan (who is still happily working at the Math). Most of the manuscripts we received were typed (no digital copies, obviously) and a few were handwritten. The handwritten ones had to be typed by Srinivasan after I had edited them, and the

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 532 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

typed ones also had to be re-typed if the revisions were substantial. Then they were ‘composed’ in the hotmetal press, and galley-proofs arrived. After they were proofread, page-proofs arrived and sometimes we needed 2 (occasionally 3) page-proofs before all the corrections were carried out. The Vedanta Kesari cover was same throughout the year and was printed for all the year’s issues at the same time. The number of subscribers was small and never exceeded 4,000 during those days. In 1988 we finally got a simple typesetting machine and that was when I saw a computer for the first time in my life. We also got an offset printing machine and the first issue of The Vedanta Kesari printed on it was the March 1988 edition. From that point forward, the layout and printing quality of the journal began to improve. In the beginning it was all a new experience for us. I sat by the typesetter for the for-

matting of every issue and gave ideas regarding layout, design, etc., which I enjoyed doing. Soon we started having two covers for The Vedanta Kesari, which we used for alternate issues. Since two devotees were editors before me, the business side of the journal (such as procuring advertisements, improving circulation, etc.) was taken care of by Manager Maharaj, and this continued even after I became editor. This freed me considerably from these matters and I could focus exclusively on the content of the journal. V. Raghunandan (who continues to serve The Vedanta Kesari) used to help me whenever possible with some of The Vedanta Kesari work. It was a great advantage to have our own printing press. One instance comes to mind. When the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated late on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur, the news

A view of the building housing the present Vedanta Kesari Office (a door with two side windows) at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 533 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

reached us early in the morning the following day. Since it was so terrible an event and so close to where we were, I felt that The Vedanta Kesari must respond to it in some way. It had to be done immediately, so as to have it in the June edition which was being printed. The news would be too old for the July issue. Unfortunately, the printing—except the inner cover—was already completed by then. On 22nd morning, the only available space was the second-cover page, which normally carried an advertisement. I hurriedly wrote a response in less than 30 minutes, it was quickly typeset and printed—and we were thus able to include it in the June issue, which was mailed 3 days later. All of this became possible

only because we had our own press at the Math. Over many years a tradition had developed in the journals of the Order: the head of the publication center had the position of the editor, while the one who actually edited the journal was the ‘joint editor’. (I have heard that this arrangement came about when Swami Nihsreyasanandaji was editor of Prabuddha Bharata and Swami Gambhiranandaji was the head of Advaita Ashrama.) It was Swami Smarananandaji, when he became head of Madras Math, who made a change: the head of the center became ‘managing editor’ and the real editor became the ‘editor’. This arrangement was put in place in 1993. 

At The Vedanta Kesari (1998-2000) Swami Brahmeshananda Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh It is indeed a joy to recount my memorable three years as the Editor of The Vedanta Kesari. I was asked to be the editor on the basis of the sporadic articles I used to write for The Vedanta Kesari, the Prabuddha Bharata, and other magazines and souvenirs, etc., for a number of years. Yet I was never sure if I could write in English! In fact, I protested to the then General Secretary, Revered Swami Smarananandaji, that I was not qualified to be the Editor. However, when I took over the charge from Swami Tyagananda, I found a venerable person in C.S. Ramakrishnan, endearingly called CSR, as my friend, philosopher and guide, and all my anxiety and hesitations were soon dispelled. [CSR was a long-standing devotee of the Math. Often addressed as Professor, for he had taught Chemistry T h e

for some years, he was associated with Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, for over 70 years. He passed away in April, 2008, at the age of 93 at Chennai]. At that time, there were no inter-com connections in the Math and we had to convey things personally. The hand-written manuscript of The Vedanta Kesari was typed by Mr. Srinivasan, or Mr. Vasu in the main office of the Math, and its print was proofread by at least three persons including the editor and CSR. Sri Ramanayya (now, also, Dr. Ramanayya) used to type it and then format it in the Page-Maker in the computer. The print of this Page-Maker set was again read and reread and corrected. The editor and Ramanayya would then make the final correction. Finally 40 plates were taken out and given to the press— positively before a specific date.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 534 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

In Sri Ramanayya, one found a most cooperative and pleasant person. It was indeed a delight not only to work with him alone but with all the persons involved in the work of The Vedanta Kesari. The work culture was remarkably perfect. There was no separate office for The Vedanta Kesari then. The Editor had a chair and a table in the main office of the Math. Even after the construction of the new building and shifting of the main office in front of the new temple, the old office used to be shared by various people. At that time, the membership of The Vedanta Kesari was extremely low; probably it had come down to 1500 only! One of the reasons was that the Editor did only the editing job and was not involved in the issue of membership. Distribution was supposed to be the responsibility of the Manager of the Math. The new Editor, however, decided to take interest in the membership issue. He used to be invited for lectures, etc., outside the Math. While accepting it, he would set a condition that he shall go only if a specific number of new members of The Vedanta Kesari were enrolled by the host. Thus by the end of the tenure of three years, the membership went up above 3000. The ‘Patron Scheme’ was also introduced. The contents of The Vedanta Kesari were modified and we did the following: Apart from an editorial, hitherto unpublished reminiscences of the Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, mostly translated from Bengali were introduced, as a regular feature. Luckily good translators from Bengali to English were available. Or at times, the Editor did the translation himself. Next, there was one serious article on Vedanta, since the magazine is named The Vedanta Kesari. There would be two or three T h e

more articles: one on applied Vedanta, or on religions of the world, another on purely secular subjects like Science, Sociology, Arts, etc. And often there would be travelogue or other descriptive articles. The idea was to have a variety of reading material. Although, even earlier, the matter was published in two columns, a line dividing the two columns was introduced. This was to increase the readability, for it has been shown that this makes the matter better acceptable to the eyes. Some more regular features, apart from the regular ‘Book Reviews’ and ‘News’ items, were introduced. An important introduction was ‘Symbols’. It used to occupy half a page, as a vertical column on 3rd or 4th page. Often the shaded figure of the symbol was printed in the background of the printed message of the symbol. CSR, with his prodigious knowledge generally wrote the message of the symbols. To begin with, the emblem of the Ramakrishna Mission and the standard symbols of the world religions were taken up. Indeed, there was no dearth of symbols even afterwards. Then there used to be inclusion of an anecdote—an inspiring short event from real life, a poem, and three fillers consisting of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. Although it was not possible to have the ‘Questions & Answers’ in each issue they were introduced as often as possible. During those days only one cover was allowed for all the issues of the year except the December special issue. The Editor provided the idea and the covers were designed and prepared by artist (late) Sri Ravi and his brother Maniyam Selvam. Except for the special December issue, in all other issues, the list of contents was printed on the front cover. 

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 535 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Days of Innovation and Enrichment Swami Baneshananda Head, Vedanta Society, Germany I am thankful to the present editor of The Vedanta Kesari (hereafter VK for short) for inviting me to share my experiences as the editor of VK from January 2000 to March 2004. I did not spend a long time in that office. But it was certainly a special privilege for me that I joined at a very important moment of change over to improved technology. I lament that my illustrious predecessors could not enjoy this advantage. Earlier, we used to print the magazine outside. Ramakrishna Math, Chennai modernized its printing section with new press, image-setter, etc., in those days. So we shifted the printing-job to Math press. As a result, for me, things and life became much easier in bringing out the monthly issues. When I took over from Swami Brahmeshanandaji I noticed that I had the scope to be involved in all varieties of works concerning the magazine as a whole. In hindsight I feel that it was a fulfilling experience; I utilized the possibility; and I enjoyed my work. In those days the office of the magazine used to be shared with some volunteers who were giving their service to the main Math office. With the help of the Math administration we could use that space and induct new volunteers for the VK work. This considerably reduced the load of the editor. We had an old computer and no printer. One of the Math office staffs used to help us typing some articles and getting things printed at either in Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam (our monthly in Tamil from Chennai Math) office or in the main office. We acquired a new computer and a good printer. With the increase in the number of subscribers which was around 4000 when I took over our work T h e

in the office increased. So we appointed a whole-time DTP staff (for some years, Sri G. Radhakrishna, and since 2003, Sri D. Sekar). This was a big help. We could do the coverdesign and compose the whole magazine in our office. Then we decided to go for four-colour covers (front and back, inside and outside) and print pictures of Sri Ramakrishna temples on the front page. For this purpose, our printing section suggested that we should use good papers—it had financial implications also. After initial hesitation we gave green signal to change the quality of paper for the whole magazine. The whole magazine got an attractive new look! The Swami in charge of the printing section, Swami Satyajnananandaji, suggested that we could opt for positive-printing and centre-pinning. We had the in-house imagesetter. So there would be minimal increase in the overall cost. His demand went on increasing! Finally we had to give in and it improved the overall production quality of the magazine. Then I had a look at the advertisements. We found that we were spending more on printing an ad-page than the amount we were receiving from advertisers! We decided to increase the tariff. Some feared that we would lose some ads. But actually it worked better. This helped us to stabilize our finances. Simultaneously we explored possibilities on how to increase single-copy sale. The retail vendors requested for more commission from us. So we agreed to 30% discount on more than 10 copies of order. This also turned out to be a good trial.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 536 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

This concept of more commission to the vendors called for an increase in the singleissue price. So we took up the overhauling of the whole pricing system including monthly subscription and life-membership fees. We went for the minimal increase in the prices. My predecessor Swamiji introduced a Patrons’ Scheme. This was going on well together with the donors’ scheme. We also collected some endowment donations for VK from some friends. At this point, some of our monastic brothers casually mentioned about the library scheme to me. This scheme gave a big boost to Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam sales and subscription in the past, they said. I planned to try with it in a different way. The readers know about this scheme. This scheme helped us to reach 10,000 subscribers during the 150th Birth Anniversary of Holy Mother in 2003.* On the whole the financial health of VK improved. We decided to give our magazine to all our centres and some libraries of our centres free of cost for ever and also to send magazines to foreign subscribers by airmail! I am glad that VK maintains this rare example of generosity even today! One of the senior monks of Belur Math, Swami Bhajananandaji, mentioned to me that the contents page could be designed in a better way. We tried with some samples and finally decided on the form that VK continues to maintain. I will fail in my duty if I do not mention the name of the late Prof. C S Ramakrishnan (CSR) who, having long experience in the art of running the magazine (he was also an ex-editor of VK) at his command, would many a time help me take a suitable decision. We were also assisted by *

a nice batch of good volunteers like dear K. Srikanth, Mr. Mukundan, Mr. Sundaram, dear Raghu and others in collecting ads, enrolling new subscribers, proof-reading, copy editing and so on. Following my predecessor’s (Swami Brahmeshanandaji’s) practice, I also started visiting the IIT Chennai to conduct spiritual classes for the students. These young people, in their own way, also supported me in my work. I had to read more to conduct the classes for them and thus, without my knowledge, was able to enrich my ideas further. On a light note, let me mention a funny story: Someone said that Kesari in Tamil language means Halwa, a cooked sweet dish made out of Samolina (Suji or broken wheat) together with milk or water, saffron, cardamom, sugar and ghee (clarified butter)! So, we decided to make the English rendering of the name—The Lion of Vedanta-—prominent so that people should not be misled to think that one could eat VK! So we increased the font-size of the English name! It is a humbling experience for me now to recall how many people—the Math administration, our monastic brothers, volunteers, donors, reviewers, advertisers, staffmembers and a host of such others—came forward to help the entire enterprise wholeheartedly! A hundred years of continuous publication of a monthly magazine is a great mile stone indeed! I congratulate all who had helped us in the past and have been doing so in realizing this tremendous feat in spreading the messages of Sri Ramakrishna and the ageold universal spiritual ideals of India! 

At present The Vedanta Kesari has over 12000 subscribers, including some 5000-plus public libraries, on its monthly roll. Besides, over 1000 copies are sold in retails by various centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission and a few book distribution agencies in India and an average of 600 free downloads of the soft copy of the monthly issues of the VK are made every month from our website: www.chennaimath.org T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 537 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Vedanta Kesari CENTENARY ISSUE

Spotlight:

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 538 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

‘Let the Lion of Vedanta Roar’

Vedic Prayer

[The sage says:] ‘I have known that great Being [that Cosmic Self]. It is beyond ignorance, and it is self-luminous like the sun. If a spiritual seeker knows that Self, he [automatically] goes beyond death. There is no other way of reaching the goal.’

He first created Brahma and then presented the Vedas to him. I, a seeker of liberation, take refuge in that luminous Lord who reveals Self-knowledge in the mind. —Svetasvatara Upanishad, III.8 and VI.18 May He who is the Shiva of the Shaivites, the Vishnu of the Vaishnavites, the Karma of the Karmis, the Buddha of the Buddhists, the Jina of the Jains, the Jehovah of the Christians and the Jews, the Allah of the Mohammedans, the Lord of every sect, the Brahman of the Vedantists, He the all-pervading, whose glory has been known only in this land—may He bless us, may He help us, may He give strength unto us, energy unto us, to carry this idea into practice. May that which we have listened to and studied become food to us, may it become strength in us, may it become energy in us to help each other; may we, the teacher and the taught, not be jealous of each other! Peace, peace, peace, in the name of Hari! —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 3.154

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 539 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Editorial

Why Spirituality Today? To begin with, why today? Spirituality today—why not yesterday or tomorrow? There could be three ways in which the use of the word today may be explained: The term Today relates the subject (Spirituality Today) to present times, indicating that spirituality is real, contemporary and relevant. Spirituality matters—irrespective of all social, scientific, economic and political changes. Today refers to various trends and changes that are taking place in understanding the practice of spirituality in the current scenario. It indicates a kind of survey or an overview of the subject of spirituality—and how newer ways of looking at the age-old interest in and practice of spirituality are emerging. Today refers to an earnest attempt to reiterate and restate the essentials of living a spiritually rewarding life. It enumerates and discusses the salient features that underlie the practice of spirituality—faith in the Ultimate Reality (whatever be the name we may use to describe It), practice of meditation and prayer, service, purity of character, positive attitude, and cultivation of other helpful qualities of head and heart.

is reported in media, medical profession and other walks of life are to be believed, indeed, material progress has not automatically resulted in peace and happiness. Despite all our material progress, peace and happiness, in their true sense, seem to elude us. More than a century ago Swami Vivekananda had stated, I do not see that what you call progress in the world is other than the multiplication of desires. If one thing is obvious to me it is this that desires bring all misery; it is the state of the beggar, who is always begging for something, and unable to see anything without the wish to possess it, is always longing, longing for more. If the power to satisfy our desire is increasing in arithmetical progression, the power of desire is increased in geometrical progression.1

‘Spirituality’—and not just being pious and religious—alone has the answer to solve the riddle of life and bring peace and enduring joy in life. Why? Says Swami Vivekananda,

Is Spirituality ‘Relevant’? Today? That is the question we need to address. But the question of relevance of spirituality is connected to happiness and peace. Spirituality or no spirituality, have men become truly more happy, peaceful, wise and trustworthy? We all know the answer. If the figures available with crime and justice departments, as also what T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 540 ~

Spiritual knowledge is the only thing that can destroy our miseries for ever; any other knowledge satisfies wants only for a time. It is only with the knowledge of the spirit that the faculty of want is annihilated for ever; so helping man spiritually is the highest help that can be given to him. He who gives man spiritual knowledge is the greatest benefactor of mankind and as such we always find that those were the most powerful of men who helped man in his spiritual needs, because spirituality is the true basis of all our activities in life. A spiritually strong and sound man will be strong in every other respect, if he so wishes.2 D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

As spirituality deals with the deeper issues of life, empowering one to handle one’s desires, moods and actions, it occupies an abiding place in our life. As long as man is what he is, dealing with his desires, fears, thoughts and Karma in its widest sense and meaning, man needs spirituality. Spirituality matters, always. The Changed Perceptions With the passage of time and changed circumstances, the term spirituality is now being viewed in new perspectives. What are the changes? First of all, rapid, almost like science-fiction-made-true advances in the way we convey, commute and connect with each other. Internet and mobile have become a part of ‘necessities’ of life and this has had its impact on the way we perceive and practice spirituality. There are e-pujas, e-darshan, e-satsangs and so on. Thanks to Youtube and similar sites, what was considered private and personal instructions meant for a spiritual aspirant or a group of aspirants, is now available for public viewing. It is a giant leap forward in the ‘liberalization of spirituality’. Spirituality without frontiers! Sitting cozily in one’s house, one can hear or see eminent spiritual leaders and speakers and even interact with them, email them our queries and so on. This, and many more forms of advances in science and technology have redefined the way we look at spirituality and try to practice it. On the other hand, excess use of technology itself has led to restlessness and loss of patience and concentration. Recently a term has been coined to describe one such disorders—‘Internet addiction disorder’! There are also many dangers accompanying these advancements. A lot of unauthentic T h e

people, even charlatans, airing their ideas and ‘techniques’ to the gullibles is one such. Everything is available freely now! But how much is truly useful? Swami Vivekananda had warned the aspiring minds, Give up all vain talk. Read only those books which have been written by persons who have had realisation . . . If we really want to be blessed, and make others blessed, we must go deeper. The first step is not to disturb the mind, not to associate with persons whose ideas are disturbing. . . It is of no use simply to take a course of lessons. To those who are full of Tamas, ignorant and dull—those whose minds never get fixed on any idea, who only crave for something to amuse them—religion and philosophy are simply objects of entertainment. These are the unpersevering. They hear a talk, think it very nice, and then go home and forget all about it.3

Besides the advancements in science and technology, there are two more facts about today—a large number of youth population (especially in India) and a growing section of people who wants to be ‘spiritual but not religious’. Youth population, with little exposure to authentic spiritual education, tends to experiment with many things. The use of technology adds to the confusion caused by strong messages given by popular literature and media, glorifying materialism and its manifestations. They often get caught in these experiments and confusions leading to unpleasant situations. In one of his writings Swami Vivekananda points out the difference between materialism and spirituality. He says when world is the means, and God is the end, it is spirituality. But when God is the means or instruments, the world is the end, it is called materialism. In other words, what the end or the goal of our life is, that makes the whole difference. So there are groups of people to whom God is

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 541 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

merely a means or instrument to fulfill their desires or mundane needs. Even such people are ‘spiritual’ but are at the lowest rung of the ladder of spirituality. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, ‘Shall we ask for a pumpkin when we approach the king?’ God is all-capable. Then why ask Him only the pumpkins of our worldly desires when He can bestow the highest knowledge and peace! In addition, the term ‘religion’ is often associated with political aspirations of the unscrupulous religious leaders, conflict and violence. The need for mutual understanding and acceptance has never been more crucial than now. In his famous Opening Address given in the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, Swami Vivekananda proclaimed, Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.4

In his closing address, Swamiji, while pointing the true end of the Parliament of Religions, outlined the ideal of universal spirituality thus: . . . that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion T h e

and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: ‘Help and not Fight,’ ‘Assimilation and not Destruction,’ ‘Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.’5

These, and many other, changing facets of the contemporary world have made people view the world of spirituality in new light. But change or no change, the world moves on. It does not wait for anyone. Swami Vivekananda observed, What I say is not, ‘Reform’, but, ‘Move on’. Nothing is too bad to reform. Adaptability is the whole mystery of life—the principle underneath which serves to unfold it. Adjustment or adaptation is the outcome of the Self pitted against external forces tending to suppress It. He who adjusts himself best lives the longest. Even if I do not preach this, society is changing, it must change. It is not Christianity nor science, it is necessity, that is working underneath, the necessity that people must have to live or starve.6

Change is the changeless law of life. We cannot help change but we can learn to adjust ourselves to change. The secret lies in how to adjust, what to hold on and what to let go. An understanding of essentials and non-essentials is what is needed. This alone can make us live spiritual life in right earnest. Essentials of Spirituality All changes notwithstanding, essentials of spirituality remain unchanged and they will remain for times to come. Yes, a restatement and rewording of these essentials may be needed but no alteration is required with the essentials. What are the essentials of living a spiritual life? Or the most essential condition for spirituality? Purity. Purity of what we want is important and if we want God (‘God

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 542 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

is to religion what Newton’s law of gravity is to falling bodies’, said Swami Vivekananda), we are on the right path. It is this purity of intention or seeking that finally leads the formation of a pure character which is what spirituality finally leads one to. As Swami Vivekananda assured: A sage [Sri Ramakrishna] once told me, ‘To kill others one must be equipped with swords and shields, but to commit suicide a needle is sufficient; so to teach others, much intellect and learning are necessary, but not so for your own self-illumination.’ Are you pure? If you are pure, you will reach God. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ If you are not pure, and you know all the sciences in the world, that will not help you at all; you may be buried in all the books you read, but that will not be of much use. It is the heart that reaches the goal. Follow the heart. A pure heart sees beyond the intellect; it gets inspired; it knows things that reason can never know . . . The pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of truth, so all these disciplines are for the purification of the heart. And as soon as it is pure, all truths flash upon it in a minute; all truth in the universe will manifest in your heart, if you are sufficiently pure.7

This is the goal of all spiritual practices— purity. Swami Vivekananda also called manifestation of divinity within as the true goal of all spiritual disciplines. This divinity within remains covered, as it were—even in the worst of men. The ideal is to purify the medium, the mind, through which this shines forth. In Swamiji’s words, The Light Divine within is obscured in most people. It is like a lamp in a cask of iron, no gleam of light can shine through. Gradually, by purity and unselfishness we can make the

obscuring medium less and less dense, until at last it becomes as transparent as glass. Shri Ramakrishna was like the iron cask transformed into a glass cask through which can be seen the inner light as it is. We are all on the way to become the cask of glass and even higher and higher reflections. As long as there is a ‘cask’ at all, we must think through material means. No impatient one can ever succeed.8

Meditation, prayer, repetition of God’s Name, service, keeping holy company, reading scriptures—or the modern forms of this such as watching spiritually elevating movies or listening to pre-recorded Bhajans and chantings or lectures—all these and many more have only one goal—how to purify the mind. That is the quintessential spirituality— today and for all times to come. *** Spirituality Today, the theme of the Centenary Issue of The Vedanta Kesari, is an all-time relevant and significant subject. This issue aims to explore various aspects of the theme and we are sure it would be well received. A special multicolour feature, with inspiring quotes and colourful pictures (not downloaded from the Net but taken by the editor in different places in India) has been added to highlight the essentials of spiritual life. Our thanks to the learned authors for their valuable writings which have enriched this issue. Our gratitude to all authors, reviewers, admirers—and readers, who have supported the cause of The Vedanta Kesari for the last 100 years. We look forward to their continued support in various ways for all times to come and wish everyone fulfilling and joyful lives! o

References 1. CW, 2.172 6. CW, 6.110 T h e

2. CW, 1.52 7. CW, 1.414

3. CW, 1.116 8. CW, 7.21

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 543 ~

4. CW, 1.4

D E C E M B E R

5. CW, 1:24

2 0 1 4

Compilation

‘One Must Practise Spiritual Discipline’ Selections from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 60004. Tamil Nadu (email: mail@chennaimath.org) The Need for Spiritual Discipline Practise spiritual discipline in solitude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water of the world the two will not mix. The butter will float.1 You see, one must practise spiritual discipline to understand this correctly. Suppose, there are treasures in a room. If you want to see them and lay hold of them, you must take the trouble to get the key and unlock the door. After that you must take the treasures out. But suppose the room is locked, and standing outside the door you say to yourself: ‘Here I have opened the door. Now I have broken the lock of the chest. Now I have taken out the treasure.’ Such brooding near the door will not enable you to achieve anything. You must practise discipline.2 One cannot see God without purity of heart. Through attachment to ‘woman and gold’ the mind has become stained—covered with dirt, as it were. A magnet cannot attract a needle if the needle is covered with mud. Wash away the mud and the magnet will draw it.3 Spiritual discipline is necessary in order to see God. I had to pass through very severe discipline. How many austerities I practised under the Bel-tree! I would lie down under T h e

it, crying to the Divine Mother, ‘O Mother, reveal Thyself to me.’ The tears would flow in torrents and soak my body.4 The essence of the Gita is: ‘O man, renounce everything and practise spiritual discipline for the realization of God.’5 One must have stern determination; then alone is spiritual practice possible. One must make a firm resolve.6 Man should possess dignity and alertness. Only he whose spiritual consciousness is awakened possesses this dignity and alertness and can be called a man. Futile is the human birth without the awakening of spiritual consciousness.7 Yearning and Sincerity—the Only Conditions One must be restless for God. If a son clamours persistently for his share of the property, his parents consult with each other and give it to him even though he is a minor. God will certainly listen to your prayers if you feel restless for Him. Since He has begotten us, surely we can claim our inheritance from Him. He is our own Father, our own Mother. We can force our demand on Him.8 Pray to God with a longing heart. He will surely listen to your prayer if it is sincere. Perhaps He will direct you to holy men with

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 544 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

whom you can keep company; and that will help you on your spiritual path. Perhaps someone will tell you, ‘Do this and you will attain God.’9 Direct the six passions to God. The impulse of lust should be turned into the desire to have intercourse with Atman. Feel angry at those who stand in your way to God. Feel greedy for Him. If you must have the feeling of I and Mine, then associate it with God. Say, for instance, ‘My Rama, my Krishna.’ If you must have pride, then feel like Vibhishana, who said, ‘I have touched the feet of Rama with my head; I will not bow this head before anyone else.’10 One should have faith in the holy name given by the guru and with it practise spiritual discipline. It is said that the pearl oyster makes itself ready for the rain that falls when the star Svati is in the ascendant. Taking a drop of that rain, it dives into the fathomless depths of the ocean and remains there until the pearl is formed.11 There is great power in the seed of God’s name. It destroys ignorance. A seed is tender, and the sprout soft; still it pierces the hard ground. The ground breaks and makes way for the sprout. . . Always keep your mind fixed on God. In the beginning you must struggle a little; later on you will enjoy your pension.12 Even those engaged in worldly activities, such as office work or business, should hold to the truth. Truthfulness alone is the spiritual discipline in the Kaliyuga.13 One cannot be spiritual as long as one has shame, hatred, or fear.14 Satisfy God and everyone will be satisfied. ‘If He is pleased the world is pleased.’ Once the Lord ate a few greens from Draupadi’s cooking pot and said, ‘Ah, I am satisfied.’ Immediately the whole world and all its living beings were satisfied; they felt as T h e

if they had eaten their fill. But was the world satisfied or did it feel that way when the rishis ate their food? One should learn the essence of the scriptures from the guru and then practise sadhana. If one rightly follows spiritual discipline, then one directly sees God. The discipline is said to be rightly followed only when one plunges in. What will a man gain by merely reasoning about the words of the scriptures? Ah, the fools! They reason themselves to death over information about the path. They never take the plunge. What a pity!15 If a man hears that a jar filled with gold is buried at a certain place, he rushes there and begins to dig. He sweats as he goes on digging. After much digging he feels the spade strike something. Then he throws away the spade and looks for the jar. At the sight of the jar he dances for joy. Then he takes up the jar and pours out the gold coins. He takes them into his hand, counts them, and feels the ecstasy of joy. Vision—touch— enjoyment. Isn’t it so?16 Today I enjoyed very much the machine by which a man’s picture is taken. One thing I noticed was that the impression doesn’t stay on a bare piece of glass, but it remains when the glass is stained with a black solution. In the same way, mere hearing of spiritual talk doesn’t leave any impression. People forget it soon afterwards. But they can retain spiritual instruction if they are stained inside with earnestness and devotion.17 The Bound Souls Worldly people should listen to spiritual talk.18 Worldly people say all kinds of things about the spiritually minded. But look here! When an elephant moves along the street, any number of curs and other small animals may

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 545 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

bark and cry after it; but the elephant doesn’t even look back at them.19 There is another characteristic of the bound soul. If you remove him from his worldly surroundings to a spiritual environment, he will pine away. The worm that grows in filth feels very happy there. It thrives in filth. It will die if you put it in a pot of rice.20 Ordinary people practise spiritual discipline and cultivate devotion to God; but they also become attached to the world and are caught in the glamour of ‘lust and gold’. They are like flies, which sit on a flower or a sweetmeat and light on filth as well.21 Some people have their shrine rooms in their attics. The women arrange the offerings and flowers and make the sandal-paste. But, while doing so, they never say a word about God. The burden of the conversation is: ‘What shall we cook today? I couldn’t get good vegetables in the market. That curry was delicious yesterday. That boy is my cousin. Hello there! Have you that job still? Don’t ask me how I am. My Hari is no more.’ Just fancy! They talk of such things in the shrine room at the time of worship!22 Listen to a story. There were two friends. One went into a house of prostitution and the other to hear a recital of the Bhagavata. ‘What a shame!’ thought the first. ‘My friend is hearing spiritual discourse, but just see what I have slipped down to!’ The second friend said to himself: ‘Shame on me! My friend is having a good time, but how stupid I am!’ After death the soul of the first was taken to Vaikuntha by the messenger of Vishnu, while that of the second was taken to the nether world of Yama.23 Loving God Bhakti, love of God, is the essence of all spiritual discipline. Through love one T h e

acquires renunciation and discrimination naturally.24 It is not given to everybody to feel prema, ecstatic love of God. Chaitanya experienced it. An ordinary man can at the most experience bhava. Only the Isvarakotis, such as Divine Incarnations, experience prema. When prema is awakened the devotee not only feels the world to be unreal, but forgets even the body, which everyone loves so intensely. In a Persian book it is said that inside the skin is the flesh, inside the flesh the bone, inside the bone the marrow, and so on, but that prema is the innermost of all. One becomes soft and tender through prema. On account of this prema, Krishna became Tribhanga [‘one who is bent at three places—a reference to Sri Krishna standing with flute, ‘bent’ on knees, waist and neck]. Prema is the rope by which you can tether God, as it were. Whenever you want to see Him you have merely to pull the rope. Whenever you call Him, He will appear before you.25 The less people know of your spiritual life, the better it will be for you.26 Keeping Holy Company Holy company begets yearning for God. It begets love of God. Nothing whatsoever is achieved in spiritual life without yearning. By constant living in the company of holy men, the soul becomes restless for God. This yearning is like the state of mind of a man who has someone ill in the family. His mind is in a state of perpetual restlessness, thinking how the sick person may be cured. Or again, one should feel a yearning for God like the yearning of a man who has lost his job and is wandering from one office to another in search of work. If he is rejected at a certain place which has no vacancy, he goes there again

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 546 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

the next day and inquires, ‘Is there a vacancy today?’27 Why shouldn’t it be possible for a householder to give his mind to God? But the truth is that he no longer has his mind with him. If he had it, then he could certainly offer it to God. But, alas, the mind has been mortgaged—mortgaged to ‘woman and gold’. So it is necessary for him constantly to live in the company of holy men.28

he feels neither ‘I’ nor ‘you’, neither ‘one’ nor ‘many’.30 Even after attaining Jnana, the Jnani can live in the world, retaining Vidyamaya, that is to say, bhakti, compassion, renunciation, and such virtues. This serves him, two purposes: first, the teaching of men, and second, the enjoyment of divine bliss. If a Jnani remains silent, merged in Samadhi, then men’s hearts will not be illumined.31

Experiencing God God cannot be seen with these physical eyes. In the course of spiritual discipline one gets a ‘love body’, endowed with ‘love eyes’, ‘love ears’, and so on.29 The sound Om is Brahman. The Rishis and sages practised austerity to realize that Sound-Brahman. After attaining perfection one hears the sound of this eternal Word rising spontaneously from the navel. What will you gain’, some sages ask, ‘by merely hearing this sound?’ You hear the roar of the ocean from a distance. By following the roar you can reach the ocean. As long as there is the roar, there must also be the ocean. By following the trail of Om you attain Brahman, of which the Word is the symbol. That Brahman has been described by the Vedas as the ultimate goal. But such vision is not possible as long as you are conscious of your ego. A man realizes Brahman only when

Grace of God A man does not have to suffer any more if God, in His grace, removes his doubts and reveals Himself to him. But this grace descends upon him only after he has prayed to God with intense yearning of heart and practised spiritual discipline.32 Why shouldn’t one be able to lead a spiritual life in the world? But it is extremely difficult. While coming here I passed over the bridge at Baghbazar. How many chains it is tied with! Nothing will happen if one chain is broken, for there are so many others to keep it in place. Just so, there are many ties on a worldly man. There is no way for him to get rid of them except through the grace of God.33 Surrender everything at the feet of God. What else can you do? Give Him the power of attorney. Let Him do whatever He thinks best. If you rely on a great man, he will never injure you.34 

References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Gospel, p.82 Ibid, p.128 Ibid, p.173 Ibid, p.238 Ibid, p.255 Ibid, p.210 Ibid, p.844 T h e

8. Ibid, p.384 9. Ibid, p.672 10. Ibid, p.220 11. Ibid, p.1017 12. Ibid, p.210 13. Ibid, p.177 14. Ibid, p.186

15. Ibid, p.543 16. Ibid, p.363 17. Ibid, p.1018 18. Ibid, p.780 19. Ibid, p.84 20. Ibid, p.165 21. Ibid, p.196

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 547 ~

22. Ibid, p.287 23. Ibid, p.539 24. Ibid, p.123 25. Ibid, p.502 26. Ibid, p.292 27. Ibid, p.96 28. Ibid, p.1019 D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

29. Ibid, p.115 30. Ibid, p.404 31. Ibid, p.940 32. Ibid, p.116 33. Ibid, p.1016 34. Ibid, p.369

Compilation

‘Spirituality, the Science of the Soul’ SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

‘The Sublimest Science of All’ ‘That science is the greatest which makes us know Him who never changes!’ The science of nature, changeful, evanescent, the world of death, of woe, of misery, may be great, great indeed; but the science of Him who changes not, the Blissful One, where alone is peace, where alone is life eternal, where alone is perfection, where alone all misery ceases— that, according to our ancestors, was the sublimest science of all.1 Just as the law of gravitation existed before its discovery, and would exist if all humanity forgot it, so is it with the laws that govern the spiritual world. The moral, ethical, and spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual spirits and the Father of all spirits, were there before their discovery, and would remain even if we forgot them.2 Each science requires its own particular method and instruments. An astronomer cannot show you the rings of Saturn by the aid of all the pots and pans in the kitchen. He needs a telescope. So, to see the great facts of religion, the methods of those who have already seen must be followed. The greater the science the more varied the means of studying it. Before we came into the world, God provided the means to get out; so all we have to do is to find the means. But do not fight over methods. Look only for realisation and choose the best method you can find to suit you. Eat the mangoes and let the rest quarrel over the basket.3 T h e

Spiritual facts are to be gathered mostly from the superconscious state of

mind. Let us put ourselves into the same condition as did those who claim to have had special experiences; then if we have similar experiences, they become facts for us. We can see all that another has seen; a thing that happened once can happen again, nay, must, under the same circumstances. Raja-Yoga teaches us how to reach the superconscious state.4 All knowledge, therefore, secular or spiritual, is in the human mind. In many cases it is not discovered, but remains covered, and

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 548 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

when the covering is being slowly taken off, we say, ‘We are learning,’ and the advance of knowledge is made by the advance of this process of uncovering.5 Rising Above the Senses If you ask why man lives, you will be told it is to enjoy the senses, to enjoy possessions and wealth. He cannot dream of anything beyond even if he is told of it; his idea of a future life would be a continuation of this enjoyment. He is very sorry that it cannot continue all the time here, but he has to depart; and he thinks that somehow or other he will go to some place where the same thing will be renewed. He will have the same enjoyments, the same senses, only heightened and strengthened. He wants to worship God, because God is the means to attain this end. The goal of his life is enjoyment of senseobjects, and he comes to know there is a Being who can give him a very long lease of these enjoyments, and that is why he worships God. On the other hand the Indian idea is that God is the goal of life; there is nothing beyond God, and the sense-enjoyments are simply something through which we are passing now in the hope of getting better things. Not only so; it would be disastrous and terrible if man had nothing but sense-enjoyments. In our everyday life we find that the less the senseenjoyments, the higher the life of the man. Look at the dog when he eats. No man ever ate with the same satisfaction. Observe the pig giving grunts of satisfaction as he eats; it is his heaven, and if the greatest archangel came and looked on, the pig would not even notice him. His whole existence is in his eating. No man was ever born who could eat that way. Think of the power of hearing in lower animals, the power of seeing; all their senses are highly developed. Their enjoyment of the senses is T h e

extreme; they become simply mad with delight and pleasure. And the lower the man also, the more delight he finds in the senses. As he gets higher, the goal becomes reason and love. In proportion as these faculties develop, he loses the power of enjoying the senses.6 Unfortunately, too often we make the world the end and God the means. We find people going to church and saying, ‘God, give me such and such; God, heal my disease.’ They want nice healthy bodies; and because they hear that someone will do this work for them, they go and pray to Him. It is better to be an atheist than to have such an idea of religion. As I have told you, this Bhakti is the highest ideal; I don’t know whether we shall reach it or not in millions of years to come, but we must make it our highest ideal, make our senses aim at the highest. If we cannot get to the end, we shall at last come nearer to it. We have slowly to work through the world and the senses to reach God.7 So, man has to give up the plane of matter and rise to other spheres to seek a deeper expression of that Infinite. In this way the various ethical laws are being moulded, but all have that one central idea, eternal selfabnegation. Perfect self-annihilation is the ideal of ethics. People are startled if they are asked not to think of their individualities. They seem so very much afraid of losing what they call their individuality. At the same time, the same men would declare the highest ideals of ethics to be right, never for a moment thinking that the scope, the goal, the idea of all ethics is the destruction, and not the building up, of the individual.8 While the Western man tries to measure how much it is possible for him to possess and to enjoy, the Eastern seems to take the opposite course, and to measure how little of material possession he can do with.9

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 549 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The first sign that you are becoming religious is that you are becoming cheerful. When a man is gloomy, that may be dyspepsia, but it is not religion. A pleasurable feeling is the nature of the Sattva. Everything is pleasurable to the Sattvika man, and when this comes, know that you are progressing in Yoga. All pain is caused by Tamas, so you must get rid of that; moroseness is one of the results of Tamas.10 Religion Is Realisation Religion is not going to church, or putting marks on the forehead, or dressing in a peculiar fashion; you may paint yourselves in all the colours of the rainbow, but if the heart has not been opened, if you have not realised God, it is all vain. If one has the colour of the heart, he does not want any external colour. That is the true religious realisation.11 The spirit is the goal, and not matter. Forms, images, bells, candles, books, churches, temples, and all holy symbols are very good, very helpful to the growing plant of spirituality, but thus far and no farther. In the vast majority of cases, we find that the plant does not grow. It is very good to be born in a church, but it is very bad to die in a church. It is very good to be born within the limits of certain forms that help the little plant of spirituality, but if a man dies within the bounds of these forms, it shows that he has not grown, that there has been no development of the soul.12 Beyond that, beyond the senses, men must go in order to arrive at truths of the spiritual world, and there are even now persons who succeed in going beyond the bounds of the senses. These are called Rishis, because they come face to face with spiritual truths. T h e

The proof, therefore, of the Vedas is just the same as the proof of this table before me, Pratyaksha, direct perception. This I see with the senses, and the truths of spirituality we also see in a superconscious state of the human soul. This Rishi-state is not limited by time or place, by sex or race. Vatsyayana boldly declares that this Rishihood is the common property of the descendants of the sage, of the Aryan, of the non-aryan, of even the Mlechchha. This is the sageship of the Vedas, and constantly we ought to remember this ideal of religion in India, which I wish other nations of the world would also remember and learn, so that there may be less fight and less quarrel. Religion is not in books, nor in theories, nor in dogmas, nor in talking, not even in reasoning. It is being and becoming. Ay, my friends, until each one of you has become a Rishi and come face to face with spiritual facts, religious life has not begun for you. Until the superconscious opens for you, religion is mere talk, it is nothing but preparation.13 Some Core Concepts Freedom is the test of the higher being. Spiritual life begins when you have loosened yourself from the control of the senses. He whose senses rule him is worldly—is a slave.14 The bondage of sin and impurity in the uncultivated savage is to his consciousness very small, for his nature is only a little higher than the animal’s. What he struggles against is the bondage of physical nature, the lack of physical gratification, but out of this lower consciousness grows and broadens the higher conception of a mental or moral bondage and a longing for spiritual freedom. Here we see the divine dimly shining through the veil of ignorance. The veil is very dense at first and the light may be almost obscured, but it is

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 550 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

there, ever pure and undimmed—the radiant fire of freedom and perfection.15 No amount of force, or government, or legislative cruelty will change the conditions of a race, but it is spiritual culture and ethical culture alone that can change wrong racial tendencies for the better.16 Ethics always says, ‘Not I, but thou.’ Its motto is, ‘Not self, but non-self.’ The vain ideas of individualism, to which man clings when he is trying to find that Infinite Power or that Infinite Pleasure through the senses, have to be given up—say the laws of ethics. You have to put yourself last, and others before you. The senses say, ‘Myself first.’ Ethics says, ‘I must hold myself last.’ Thus, all codes of ethics are based upon this renunciation; destruction, not construction, of the individual on the material plane. That Infinite will never find expression upon the material plane, nor is it possible or thinkable.17 The more advanced a society or nation is in spirituality, the more is that society or nation civilised. No nation can be said to have become civilised only because it has succeeded in increasing the comforts of material life by bringing into use lots of machinery and things of that sort.18 All quarrels and disputation concerning religion simply show that spirituality is not present. Religious quarrels are always over the husks. When purity, when spirituality goes, leaving the soul dry, quarrels begin, and not before.19 Without faith, humility, submission, and veneration in our hearts towards our religious teacher, there cannot be any growth of religion in us; and it is a significant fact that, where this kind of relation between the teacher and the taught prevails, there alone gigantic spiritual men are growing; while in those countries which have neglected to keep up this kind of T h e

relation, the religious teacher has become a mere lecturer, the teacher expecting his five dollars and the person taught expecting his brain to be filled with the teacher’s words, and each going his own way after this much has been done. Under such circumstances spirituality becomes almost an unknown quantity. There is none to transmit it and none to have it transmitted to. Religion with such people becomes business; they think they can obtain it with their dollars. Would to God that religion could be obtained so easily! But unfortunately it cannot be.20 Spiritual Knowledge is the Highest Spiritual knowledge is the highest, for it saves from many and many a birth; the next gift is secular knowledge, as it opens the eyes of human beings towards that spiritual knowledge; the next is the saving of life; and the fourth is the gift of food.21 Spiritual knowledge is the only thing that can destroy our miseries for ever; any other knowledge satisfies wants only for a time. It is only with the knowledge of the spirit that the faculty of want is annihilated for ever; so helping man spiritually is the highest help that can be given to him. He who gives man spiritual knowledge is the greatest benefactor of mankind and as such we always find that those were the most powerful of men who helped man in his spiritual needs, because spirituality is the true basis of all our activities in life. A spiritually strong and sound man will be strong in every other respect, if he so wishes. Until there is spiritual strength in man even physical needs cannot be well satisfied.22 We want everything but spirituality. What is meant by want? Just as we want food. Luxuries are not wants, but necessaries are wants. Religion is a necessary thing to very

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 551 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

few; and to the vast mass of mankind it is a luxury. There are a hundred things in life without which they can live, until they come to the shop and see a new and artistic something and they want to buy it. Ninety nine and nine tenths percent of mankind comes to religion in this way. It is one of the many luxuries they have in life. There is no harm in this. Let them have all they want; but they are entirely mistaken if they think they can fool God. He cannot be fooled. They will only fool themselves and sink down lower and lower until they become like brutes. Those therefore will become spiritual who want [spirituality]— who feel the necessity of religion, just as they feel the necessity of clothes, the necessity of work, the necessity of air to breathe.23 Unselfishness is God The difference between God and the devil is in nothing except in unselfishness and selfishness. The devil knows as much as God, is as powerful as God; only he has no holiness—that makes him a devil. Apply the same idea to the modern world: excess of knowledge and power, without holiness, makes human beings devils. Tremendous power is being acquired by the manufacture of machines and other appliances, and privilege is claimed today as it never has been claimed in the history of the world. That is why the Vedanta wants to preach against it, to break down this tyrannising over the souls of men. That which is limited is material. The Spirit alone is infinite. God is Spirit, is infinite; man is Spirit and, therefore, infinite, and the Infinite alone can worship the Infinite. We will worship the Infinite; that is the highest spiritual worship.24 What is needed is Chittashuddhi, purification of the heart. And how does that come? T h e

The first of all worship is the worship of the Virat—of those all around us. Worship It. Worship is the exact equivalent of the Sanskrit word, and no other English word will do. These are all our gods—men and animals; and the first gods we have to worship are our countrymen. These we have to worship, instead of being jealous of each other and fighting each other. It is the most terrible Karma for which we are suffering, and yet it does not open our eyes!25 This is what was meant by all the great preachers of ancient times, when they taught that God is not the world. There is one thing which is the world and another which is God; and this distinction is very true. What they mean by world is selfishness. Unselfishness is God. One may live on a throne, in a golden palace, and be perfectly unselfish; and then he is in God. Another may live in a hut and wear rags, and have nothing in the world; yet, if he is selfish, he is intensely merged in the world.26 Chastity—the Basis Another condition [for success in Yoga] is chastity. It is the corner-stone of all practice. Married or unmarried—perfect chastity. It is a long subject, of course, but I want to tell you: Public discussions of this subject are not to the taste of this country. These Western countries are full of the most degraded beings in the shape of teachers who teach men and women that if they are chaste they will be hurt. How do they gather all this? . . . People come to me—thousands come every year—with this one question. Someone has told them that if they are chaste and pure they will be hurt physically. . . How do these teachers know it? Have they been chaste? Those unchaste, impure fools, lustful creatures, want to drag the whole world down to their [level]! . . 27

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 552 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Chastity is the life of a nation. Do you not find in history that the first death-sign of a nation has been unchastity? When that has entered, the end of the race is in sight.28 The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will-power. Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind. The spiritual leaders of men have been very continent, and this is what gave them power.29 This thirst after body is the great bane of human life. So the first sign of the establishment of purity is that you do not care to think you are a body. It is only when purity comes that we get rid of the body idea.30 The Yogis claim that of all the energies that are in the human body the highest is what they call ‘Ojas’. Now this Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more Ojas is in a man’s head, the more powerful he is, the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong. One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thoughts, but they do not impress people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. Every movement of his is powerful. That is the power of Ojas. Now in every man there is more or less of this Ojas.31 The ‘Ojas’ is that which makes the difference between man and man. The man who has much Ojas is the leader of men. It gives a tremendous power of attraction. Ojas is manufactured from the nerve-currents. It has this peculiarity: it is most easily made from that force which manifests itself in the sexual powers. If the powers of the sexual centres are not frittered away and their energies wasted

T h e

(action is only thought in a grosser state), they can be manufactured into Ojas. Meditation—‘this marvelous Touch of the Soul’ How some people give all their energies, time, brain, body, and everything, to become rich! They have no time for breakfast! Early in the morning they are out and at work! They die in the attempt—ninety per cent of them—and the rest when they make money, cannot enjoy it. That is grand! I do not say it is bad to try to be rich. It is marvellous, wonderful. Why, what does it show? It shows that one can have the same amount of energy and struggle for freedom as one has for money. . . then along with it, there must be meditation. Meditation is the one thing. Meditate! The greatest thing is meditation. It is the nearest approach to spiritual life—the mind meditating. It is the one moment in our daily life that we are not at all material—the Soul thinking of Itself, free from all matter— this marvellous touch of the Soul!32 The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation (Dhyana). In meditation we divest ourselves of all material conditions and feel our divine nature. We do not depend upon any external help in meditation. The touch of the soul can paint the brightest colour even in the dingiest places; it can cast a fragrance over the vilest thing; it can make the wicked divine—and all enmity, all selfishness is effaced. The less the thought of the body, the better. For it is the body that drags us down. It is attachment, identification, which makes us miserable. That is the secret: To think that I am the spirit and not the body, and that the whole of this universe with all its relations, with all its good and all its evil, is but as a series of paintings—scenes on a canvas—of which I am the witness.33

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 553 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

He who says he is the body is a born idolater. We are spirit, spirit that has no form or shape, spirit that is infinite, and not matter. Therefore, anyone who cannot grasp the abstract, who cannot think of himself as he is, except in and through matter, as the body, is an idolater. And yet how people fight among themselves, calling one another idolaters! In other words, each says, his idol is right, and the others’ are wrong.34 But a morality, an ethical code, derived from religion and spirituality, has the whole of infinite man for its scope. It takes up the individual, but its relations are to the Infinite, and it takes up society also—because society is nothing but numbers of these individuals grouped together; and as it applies to the individual and his eternal relations, it must necessarily apply to the whole of society, in whatever condition it may be at any given time. Thus we see that there is always the necessity of spiritual religion for mankind. Man cannot always think of matter, however pleasurable it may be. . . That is to say, the mainspring of the strength of every race lies in its spirituality, and the death of that race begins the day that spirituality wanes and materialism gains ground.35 This is spirituality, the science of the soul.36 Glory Unto the Great Souls! The bees look for the flowers. Open the lotus! The whole world is full of God and not of sin. Let us help each other. Let us love each other. A beautiful prayer of the Buddhist is: I bow down to all the saints; I bow down to all the prophets; I bow down to all the holy men and women all over the world!37 [Great souls] They do not come through bondage like we do. . . They come out of their own free will, and cannot help having T h e

tremendous spiritual power. We cannot resist it. The vast mass of mankind is dragged into the whirlpool of spirituality, and the vibration goes on and on because one of these [great souls] gives a push. So it continues until all mankind is liberated and the play of this planet is finished. Higher and nobler than all ordinary ones are another set of teachers, the Avataras of Ishvara, in the world. They can transmit spirituality with a touch, even with a mere wish. The lowest and most degraded characters become in one second saints at their command. They are the Teachers of all teachers, the highest manifestations of God through man. We cannot see God except through them. We cannot help worshipping them; and indeed they are the only ones whom we are bound to worship.38 Religious knowledge became complete when Tat Twam Asi (Thou art That) was discovered, and that was in the Vedas. What remained was the guidance of people from time to time according to different times and places, according to different circumstances and environments; people had to be guided along the old, old path, and for this these great teachers came, these great sages. Nothing can bear out more clearly this position than the celebrated saying of Shri Krishna in the Gita: ‘Whenever virtue subsides and irreligion prevails, I create Myself for the protection of the good; for the destruction of all immorality I am coming from time to time.’ This is the idea in India.39 Glory unto the great souls whose lives we have been studying! They are the living gods of the world. They are the persons whom we ought to worship. If He comes to me, I can only recognise Him if He takes a human form. He is everywhere, but do we see Him? We can only see Him if He takes the limitation of man.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 554 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

. . . If men and . . . animals are manifestations of God, these teachers of mankind are leaders, are Gurus. Therefore, salutations unto you, whose footstool is worshipped by angels!

Salutations unto you leaders of the human race! Salutations unto you great teachers! You leaders have our salutations for ever and ever!40 o

References: All quotations from the nine-volume The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata 1. CW, 3:370 2. CW, 1:7 3. CW, 7:65 4. CW, 5:293 5. CW, 1:28 6. CW, 4:13 7. CW, 4:21 8. CW, 2:63 9. CW, 1:383-4 10. CW, 1:264

11. CW, 3:283 12. CW, 2:39:40 13. CW, 3:253 14. CW, 8:40 15. CW, 1:336-37 16. CW, 3:182 17. CW, 2:62 18. CW, 6:462 19. CW, 6:127 20. CW, 3:52

21. CW, 5:268 22. CW, 1:52 23. CW, 9:227-8 24. CW, 1:341 25. CW, 3:301 26. CW, 1:87 27. CW, 1:520 28. CW, 2:101 29. CW, 1:263 30. CW, 1:264

31. CW, 1:169 32. CW, 5:252-253 33. CW, 2:37 34. CW, 2:40 35. CW, 2:64-65 36. CW, 3:160 37. CW, 8.219 38. CW, 3:53 39. CW, 3:250 40. CW, 1:444-5

Gita's Path of Spiritual Living

With the mind purified by devotion to performance of action, with the body conquered, and with the senses subdued, one who has realised his self as the Self of all beings remains free from taints even while acting. —Bhagavad Gita, 4.42, 10, 5.7 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 555 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Simhâvalokanam - 2 From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (April, 1990)

Spiritual Life SWAMI BHUTESHANANDA

I have been asked to speak this afternoon on the life of spirituality. Spirituality is a wide term, which covers many things. It is very difficult to categorically mention what spiritual life is and for that matter even what spirituality is. To understand spirituality one has to be spiritual himself. Without that, true understanding is not possible. But to be spiritual in a profound sense is not given to most of us. Therefore our understanding has to be superficial. But in spite of all that superficiality, you can have a glimpse of it when with faith and devotion you contemplate on the life of Sri Ramakrishna and the lives of those who had the good fortune to be blessed by him directly. There are still quite a number of people amongst us who had the blessed opportunity of coming in close contact with Sri Ramakrishna’s disciples, who reflected some rays of the sun of spirituality that Sri Ramakrishna was. So from these we can have at least a superficial idea, a hazy idea of what spirituality is. And that itself is more than enough for us to understand and follow in our own lives. Just before coming to this hall I was reading an article in this month’s Vedanta Kesari which depicted the life of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj. Swami Swahananda, who is known to many of you because he worked here as the editor of the Vedanta

Kesari, has written that article. He himself did not have direct contact with Maharaj, as Swami Brahmanandaji was popularly called, but he had come in contact with other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. And so it is possible for such persons to have an idea about spirituality through the lives of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and, through them, to understand to some extent the life of their Great Master. So we see that the best thing is to understand spirituality through really spiritual men who were particularly eminent personalities, capable of communicating to others their own spirituality. It is not through lectures or through books that spirituality can be communicated, as that is much contaminated by the individual likes and dislikes and their limitations in expressing the ideas. Spiritual life is really communicable. This we can understand only by studying Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples. I do not mean to say that spirituality is the monopoly of any person or any group. But when I am speaking in the midst of people who are already in touch with these great lives, I feel bold enough to say that their lives gave a unique representation of what spirituality is, and this, I may also add, we do not ordinarily find in many people who are popularly thought to be spiritual. So do not consider me sectarian

o 12th President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 556 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

when I remind you of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘Where are you going about looking for spirituality? There is nothing elsewhere as much as you find here.’ It is a great utterance. But, mind you, it was not an egotistic utterance. Sri Ramakrishna was absolutely free from that vice. He was an instrument through which the Divine Mother worked. He never felt that it was he who was teaching anything to anybody. It was the Divine Mother who was everything; every utterance was from Her and from Her alone. That was the firm conviction of Sri Ramakrishna. And that is indeed the essence of spirituality. When we completely eliminate our ego, that vacancy is then filled by the Divine. Then the man within becomes ‘dead’ and God begins to dwell inside. Now that is what spirituality means: Eliminating our ego and thereby allowing the divinity within to manifest itself. That is what we are trying to do in our own imperfect way. The more we try to think of God, the more we fill our mind with thoughts of Him, the less will be our human imperfections. Perfection comes only when we think of the Perfect, and not of the imperfections we are familiar with in our every turn of life. Now, how this spirituality is to be attained is the question of questions. We may be lured by the great ideal. But how are we to reach it? That may be a very difficult question for most of us, because we like to talk, but we don’t like to live. That is the difficulty. We talk glibly about God, spirituality, divine life and so forth. But how much of it is genuine? How much of it is reflected through our own lives? Tonnes of talk don’t measure much when there is not even an ounce of action. Practice is what is important. Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples T h e

were the finders of the Path. They have showed the way and we have to follow it to the best of our ability, to the extent it is given to us. Gradually our impurities will disappear and the grace of Sri Ramakrishna will illumine every nook and corner of our heart which, at present, is full of darkness. That is the way to attain spirituality: to follow in the footsteps of the illumined ones. Sri Ramakrishna says, ‘Whatever I have said, whatever practices I have done, are only to set an example.’ He was ever pure and perfect, there was no necessity for him to practise any kind of asceticism or devotion to reach that perfection, that purity. But he underwent great ascetic practices for years together and, he says, every portion of that act was for the benefit of others. Sri Ramakrishna did not live for himself. He lived for others. When we say that he was an incarnation of God, we mean that his appearance was an act of grace on the part of the Divine. He manifested Himself within the bounds of humanity so that we could feel nearness with Him, and could try to illumine our lives through the rays that He disseminated everywhere in all directions. Sri Ramakrishna showed a Way which is without any kind of haziness and doubts and difficulties, a Way which is full of hope, full of inspiration, a Way which we can accept, adore and emulate. That is what is necessary for people who seek spirituality. Spirituality does not consist in abstract words or scholarly sermons. As I told you at the outset, spirituality can be communicated and it has been communicated, not only to the people who were around Sri Ramakrishna when he was living in his physical body, but also to those who came after. The communication is continuing unabated even now. That is what his disciples used to tell us.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 557 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

They felt it, they had the experience, and they communicated that experience to us for our benefit. We have got to open the doors of our heart to let in that good breeze, that blessed light, to remove all darkness from the nooks and corners of our heart, and to soothe us who are scorched with the miseries of worldly life. Now that is how we can be spiritual by emulating him. I emphasize on Sri Ramakrishna’s life so much because it is so very human, so very intelligible, intimate, and matching with our everyday experience. That is why I particularly mention Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples. As you know, many of us had the good fortune of living with the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and thereby understanding to some extent the Father through the Son. We found them not always delivering sermons, but disseminating spirituality through their very lives. That is what attracted us and perhaps uplifted most of us without our knowing it. And if we could not make much progress in spite of this, it is because of our misfortune that we could not imbibe that spirituality to the extent that could have been done if we were gifted with greater receptivity. Now that is what spirituality means to me: it means that life itself, the life of awareness of divinity in everything. As Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘I was meditating with closed eyes, but I did not like it. Is God there only when I close my eyes and meditate? Is He not there when I open my eyes and look around?’ As a matter of fact, a spiritual person like him never sees anything except that divinity manifested everywhere. Due to our short-sightedness we make a difference between good and evil, between spirituality and materiality. To the illumined ones nothing is material, to them nothing but the Divine is present everywhere, in the so-called good and evil, and other pairs of T h e

opposites. Everywhere and in every thing exists the Divine and nothing else. God alone is real and everything else is unreal. The Upanishad declares: Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma, ‘All this is verily Brahman, the allpervading Reality.’ To us it is merely a sermon to be preached, but to great personalities it is a fact of experience during every moment of their life. Now that is what is important and that is what makes all the difference between experience or realization and mere speculation. We may be scholars, big scholars, we may be able to amaze people by our erudition and oratory. But nothing happens! Those talks are of no avail. As it is said in the Vivekachudamani: Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding scriptures, and erudition—all these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Mukti, spiritual freedom.

So, you see, all this scholarship, the big sermons that one gives, the beautiful expressions that make everyone amazed and happy, the deep erudition in the scriptures — well, nothing really helps. In Sri Ramakrishna we find a person who never studied scriptures, who never delivered a sermon, who never put on even the insignia of holiness, no external show, no religious garb, why, sometimes not even his loin-cloth! And yet we find that great scholars and seekers of spirituality sat at his feet and drank the nectar flowing from his words. He is the best illustration of what spirituality means and what a really spiritual man can do. He can disseminate spirituality all around. That is what Sri Ramakrishna did and that is what we found in the lives of his great disciples as well. If we are to think of spirituality, we have to think of them. Without doing that if we go

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 558 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

to scriptures, we will get confused. Scriptures by themselves render little help, because scriptures can be understood only through the light of these great lives. If you depend only on your scholarship, you will be a loser. Haven’t you seen scholars wasting all their time and energy quarrelling among themselves? Vain talk! It won’t lead them anywhere. The more we indulge in that the farther we go from the Truth. That is one thing we must always remember. Sri Ramakrishna never made any show of learning. He said, ‘I am murkhottama, the most ignorant among ignorant people!’ But who was wiser than him? Sri Ramakrishna is not merely to be worshipped with flowers and with beating of drums and so on. So Ramakrishna is not to be lectured upon. Sri Ramakrishna is not to be simply called the greatest of Avatars. What are we to do then? We must enshrine him in our heart. Let us install him in our heart. Let us try to imbibe the spirit that Sri Ramakrishna stands for. Let us try to emulate his life in howsoever small a measure. And then—and only then—we shall understand what true spirituality is. As I said, other things are only vain talks. Our heart has to be cleaned; our mind has to

be made a little more honest and earnest. Then only shall we be able to imbibe the spirit that Sri Ramakrishna represents. His life was for the regeneration of mankind, to show them the path to reach the Divine. He said, ‘Verily I tell you, I know nothing but God.’ He did not concern himself with anything else. But he was concerned with one fact which is the only fact that life should be concerned with. It is the only fact that we should also concern ourselves with. We can know Sri Ramakrishna to the extent we are approaching him in that purity, in that divinity, in that wisdom. We are far from him, there’s no doubt about it. Swamiji said, ‘It is not possible for us to become a Ramakrishna even if try our best.’ That, Swamiji said, can never happen. But then if we try we can be at least a small particle of dust from his feet. Just a little particle which cannot reflect much of that Light, but nonetheless which has in it the same essence as the rays of the blazing sun. I pray to Sri Ramakrishna that he may bless us, that we may have a little of that awakening in our heart, a little of that hankering in our heart for the kind of spiritual life led by Sri Ramakrishna and reflected by his disciples.

Everything, no doubt, happens by God's will, yet man must work because God expresses His will through man's action. Do not relax your spiritual practices . . . Repeat the Name of God in the innermost core of your heart, and in all sincerity take refuge in the Master. Do not bother to know how your mind is reacting to things around. And do not waste time in calculating and worrying whether or not you are progressing in the path of spirituality. It is Ahamkara to judge progress for oneself. Have faith in the grace of your Guru and Ishta. —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 559 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Simhâvalokanam - 3 From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (September, 1971)

The Synthesis of Science and Spirituality in the Modern Age SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA

Physical Sciences: Pure and Applied In physical science, we have two distinct but related departments, namely, pure science and applied science . . . After several centuries of neglect of the physical sciences by our people, during which the Western peoples developed them to unprecedented dimensions in both the pure and applied fields, we in India resumed our historic interest in them in the wake of our contact with the dynamic modern Western culture and our consequent release from our mental stagnation and smugness. India and the Culture of the Physical Sciences This modern Indian interest in the physical sciences has been inspired and nourished as much by our modern national teachers and leaders, both spiritual and secular, as by our hoary national spiritual and secular tradition. Even during the unpropitious times of our British subjection, our nation did not fail to produce a few outstanding original scientists. But since our political freedom and the opportunity it offered to shape our destiny in our own way, we have embarked in a big way to put our nation on the scientific map of the modern world, through the provision of not only scientific and technical education to everincreasing numbers of our youths, but also

of a chain of over thirty research laboratories spread over our vast country. These latter, as also the research departments of our various universities, are primarily engaged in diverse kinds of research in the applied field of science, with a view to helping our nation to meet the challenge of the centuries-long poverty and social backwardness of over seventy-five per cent of our population. The fruits of such research, both indigenous and foreign, are sought to be channelled in to the fields of agriculture, industry, health, and other aspects of our national life by our political policy makers, by the members of our expanding administrative services, by our industrialists, by our men of the professions, and by our army of technical personnel which has already crossed the million mark. The Social Impact of the Physical Sciences What is the scope of work that these various groups are engaged in today? What is the social impact of their contributions? What are the incentives that will make them do their work efficiently and expeditiously and in team spirit? And what is the type of human excellence that we want to see developed in our vast Indian humanity, which constitutes a sixth of the human race? These are vital questions, only by raising which, and by finding answers to which, can

o 13th President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 560 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

any people give dynamism and a sense of direction to their national forces. From Individuality to Personality A self-centered individual, belonging to any of the above groups, cannot raise these questions to himself or herself, much less find answers to them. He or she is satisfied with his or her humdrum life of sensate satisfactions and exercise of power; and the only incentive he or she craves for is money and more money, not so much as a stimulus to produce more goods and services for the nation, but to achieve more sensate satisfactions to oneself and one’s biological family group. Such people are bound to be a drag on a nation dead-set on the achievement of general human welfare, whether they are engaged in handling scientific research or industrial production, the administrative machinery or professional skills. And, alas! we have been turning out, since our independence, a more-than-healthy number of them who, in being more clever than intelligent, have failed to achieve the first stage in the spiritual growth of man from individuality to personality. Personality Development as Spiritual Growth It is through conscious social participation that an individual grows into a personality. And such a growth betokens the growth of man in his spiritual dimension, over and above his physical and mental or intellectual dimension. It is such spiritual growth that transforms a man into a citizen, into a free and responsible member of a free society. And the by-product of such spiritual growth is increased efficiency, capacity for team-work, and the spirit of service. Our nation today must find ways and means to educate and T h e

turn out thousands and thousands of such spiritually rich and warm personalities who, in realizing their own dignity and worth and glory as men, will also become the nation’s instruments to achieve the same for their fellowmen. This is national work of primary importance, if our approach to national work is inspired by far-sight and fore-sight. Kinship between Science and Spirituality It is here that the physical sciences become conscious of their own limitations and feel compelled to seek the help of the science of spirituality. Whatever may be the dismal record of their mutual conflicts in the Western context, our own Indian tradition and its great philosophy, the Vedanta, treat them as akin and complementary. We are engaged today in reducing the quantity of our population with a view to raising its quality; and both Vedanta and modern biology assure us that the criterion of evolutionary advance at the human stage is quality, as against quantity at the prehuman stage. We had discovered long ago, what the modern West is painfully discovering today, that economic betterment of man satisfies only one aspect of this criterion of quality. We are also discovering today that, if this aspect, and the sensate man whose organic satisfactions it subserves, are treated as ends in themselves and not as a means to a further end, namely, human fulfilment, what we shall get will be only the tragedy of unfulfilment and frustration, tension and suffering. Need to Pool the Resources of Both these Sciences This is the tragedy of man in modern Western civilization; and it is a tragedy which our own intelligentsia has started enacting even within the brief period of our post-

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 561 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

freedom history. The resulting distortion of the human personality in India, with its expression in cynicism, in diverse forms of social malpractices, in the thwarting of our national purposes, and in the draining away of those ethical and spiritual values which make for human integration and the strengthening of our new democratic state, is the most serious problem we are confronted with today. This and other problems call for their solution guidance from a deeper philosophy of man and the technique of his spiritual growth and development, than is available from the current sensate view of him. The Science of Spirituality: Pure and Applied As in the field of the physical sciences, so also in the field of the science of spirituality, we have the two departments of pure science and applied science, or lucifera and fructifera. The luminous insights of the sages of the Upanishads, centred in the one redeeming truth of the innate divinity of man, constitutes the pure science or lucifera of spirituality. The technical know-how of man’s spiritual growth in the awareness of this truth, and that in the context of his life and work in the individual and social fields, constitutes the applied science, the fructifera, of spirituality. This aspect of spirituality comprehends and includes all the physical and social sciences as well. Except in the Bhagavad Gita in the past, and in the teachings of Swami Vivekananda today, our tradition, while developing to perfection the former aspect of the science of spirituality and producing a few individual cases of realisation, had failed to develop the immense sociopolitical implications of the latter aspect, namely, the applied or practical fields of this vital science, which our tradition calls adhyatma-vidya. T h e

Importance of Practical Spirituality for India This neglect of applied spirituality, with its fruits of character and work-efficiency, explains the very obvious weakness of our society, its centuries-long stagnation, inequalities, and injustices. It is good for our nation today to know what is precisely the focus of our national health, on the one side, and what is precisely the focus of our national malady, on the other. Western thinkers often describe their Western problem as a healthy body-politic in search of a soul. Modern Man in Search of a Soul is the striking title of one of psychologist Jung’s books. Our national problem, on the other hand, is an eternal and healthy soul in search of a healthy bodypolitic. Since finding a healthy body is easier than finding a soul, our problem, obviously, is comparatively easier to solve, provided we imbue ourselves with practical efficiency, the spirit of service and dedication, and characterresource. Our five-year plans, our assimilation of modern scientific and technical efficiency, our vast educational programmes, and our entire democratic socio-political efforts, have only this one end in view, namely, the steady development of a body-politic— free, egalitarian, and oriented to general welfare. And we seek to achieve this in the context of democratic freedom and democratic responsibility. The eternal and pure soul of India, which had felt cribbed, cabined, and confined in our erstwhile caste-ridden, unfree, unjust, and in egalitarian bodypolitic, and which consequently could not give her best to the world at large as much as to her own citizens, will then shine in all her glory and majesty as a beacon of hope to modern man, in India and abroad, immersed in darkness and despair and

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 562 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

tension, but in search of light and hope and peace. We need therefore to produce two energy resources in India today to lead our people to fulfilment, namely, natural energy resources, through physical sciences and technology, and human energy resources of character and personality, through the science and the technical know-how of spirituality. We in India today need to draw more from, and be nourished by, the applied

aspect, while people in the West are in need, and are in search, of the nourishment from the pure aspect. When we in India succeed in finding a healthy body-politic for our ever-healthy national soul, and when they in the West succeed in finding a pure soul for their healthy body-politic, the contemporary progressive trend towards the growth of a mankind-awareness, in place of the national or East-West distinctions, will be intensified, making possible human integration on an international scale. . . o

The Power of Unselfishness 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. In the first place, a man who can work for five days, or even for five minutes, without any selfish motive whatever, without thinking of future, of heaven, of punishment, or anything of the kind, has in him the capacity to become a powerful moral giant. It is hard to do it, but in the heart of our hearts we know its value, and the good it brings. It is the greatest manifestation of power—this tremendous restraint; selfrestraint is a manifestation of greater power than all outgoing action. A carriage with four horses may rush down a hill unrestrained, or the coachman may curb the horses. Which is the greater manifestation of power, to let them go or to hold them? A cannon-ball flying through the air goes a long distance and falls. Another is cut short in its flight by striking against a wall, and the impact generates intense heat. All outgoing energy following a selfish motive is frittered away; it will not cause power to return to you; but if restrained, it will result in development of power. This self-control will tend to produce a mighty will, a character which makes a Christ or a Buddha. Foolish men do not know this secret; they nevertheless want to rule mankind. Even a fool may rule the whole world if he works and waits. Let him wait a few years, restrain that foolish idea of governing; and when that idea is wholly gone, he will be a power in the world. 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. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 563 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Simhâvalokanam - 4 From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (April, 1972)

Science and Spirituality SWAMI TAPASYANANDA

Science is a human endeavour and spirituality a human quality. The caption Science and Spirituality seems to envisage some sort of opposition between these two. In other words, can a scientist be spiritual, and vice-versa, can a man of spiritual disposition be scientific? Are spiritual values compatible with a scientific age? These seem to be some of the questions posed by the caption. There is one thing indisputably in common between a scientist and a spiritual seeker, and that is that both of them are in search of Truth and are admittedly its votaries. But as to what Truth consists in, they have differences. Truth, for science, is always the ‘measurable’, and it is the pre-supposition of science that everything that really exists can be brought within the scope of measurement by pointer-reading instruments and calculations based on them. Physics is the model for all sciences in this respect. Even psychology, which was till the other day a branch of philosophy, has emerged as a science by adopting the technique of measurement. In contrast to this, when a spiritual seeker speaks of Truth, he means primarily the Immeasurable—what is more commonly known as the Infinite and Absolute Being. Even when a spiritual votary adores a Personal God, he identifies Him implicitly with the Infinite and Absolute Being without

probably understanding all its philosophical implications. Spirituality in this view is the sensitiveness of the mind to the Infinite and Absolute Being, and includes all those attitudes and responses springing from this sensitiveness. Viewed in the light of this analysis, it may appear that there is an exclusiveness, and therefore an opposition, between the outlooks of science and of spirituality, and in fact till the last decades of the 19th century this opposition was the accepted creed of scientists who claimed that they alone were seekers after Truth and looked on all others as victims of illusions. This outlook was voiced forth in a pointed manner by a scientist of Napoleon’s Court on being asked about the place of God in his system. ‘Your Majesty,’ he said, ‘my system has no need of that hypothesis’. For the dogmatic scientist of the 19th century, so sure of his method and of its adequacy in ascertaining the nature of reality, the Infinite and Absolute Being was not the measureless and adorable mystery, but only the rarefied heights that awaited conquest, and it was only a question of time before any problem, including the one posed by the sense for the Infinite and the Absolute, would become amenable to his technique. Dogmatism is an intellectual disease, and scientists are no less prone to it than religious men, politicians and men of all

o The author was a Vice-president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 564 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

other walks of life, although a scientist has less excuse for it, since it is one of his cardinal doctrines to keep an open mind always. Such open-minded scientists, following the implications of 20th century science, have become philosophers conscious of the limitations of the scientific method. One such illustrious philosopher-scientist is the well-known astro-physicist, Prof. Eddington, whose Gifford Lectures entitled ‘The Nature of the Physical World’ offer an elaborate critique of the claims of science to be the sole purveyor of Truth to humanity. His main lines of arguments, as far as a lay mind could follow them, may thus be briefly stated: The FitzGerald contraction theory has demonstrated that scales, however sophisticated, contract or expand according to the velocity of the frames of space to which we refer the location of objects. So there is no definite and unique length as conceived in the Newtonian scheme. The same lengths, indicated by the same measuring instrument, can vary very widely in different planets and galaxies according to their varying velocities, and therefore the inferences based on these measurements, which we call science, can also vary to a chaotic extent. In other words the pointer-reading instruments distort reality no less than the naked senses, and however useful they may be in their own field, they are as futile as the senses in understanding the ultimate nature of things. Eddington also points out that science started with the idea of discovering the exact nature of things, with full confidence in its methods, but has got bogged in mathematical equations which are only a partial account of something wider and have only the symbolic value of pointing towards that ‘something wider’. Rational philosophical enquiries based on sense data unaided by pointer-reading T h e

instruments have also got that much value, and both seem to be in the same predicament as far as revealing the ultimate nature of things is concerned. All search for the headquarters of reality as given ‘there outside’ has been futile like the pursuit of the horizon which recedes as you advance, although much is accomplished by way of exploration of the terrain in the course of the pursuit. The so-called uniqueness, unerring-ness and finality claimed for the scientific method in this respect has been demonstrated to be a mere myth. What then is the place of science as a means of knowing the Truth in this context? Science has to step down from the pontifical seat of infallibility and omniscience, and recognize that it can possibly deal with only a cross section of reality, the measurable, where its methods are largely applicable and can obtain results of great practical importance to life. It has to recognize the validity and importance of the sense for the Infinite and the Absolute, and find in that sense the call of the ‘within’ or ‘background’, which its symbolic equations as well as the common sense world of sounds, colours and touch alike point to, but cannot penetrate. In this analysis both science and spirituality are valid responses of the human mind, and the mutual hostility which some ascribe to them is to be attributed to immaturity of thought or to pet prejudices contracted from past experiences. There is nothing standing in the way of a scientist from being a spiritual seeker and vice versa, except perhaps temperament and education. Spirituality or the sense for the Infinite and Absolute Being is the most precious capacity that has emerged in the course of evolution. The concept of evolution, which is one of the very valuable contributions of modern science, becomes understandable and

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 565 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

meaningful, only if we supplement it with the doctrine of involution propounded by ancient Indian thinkers. According to this doctrine the Supreme Being objectifies Himself as categories of increasing grossness up to the state of insentient matter. As the ultimate cause He is involved in all the categories including gross matter. What is called evolution is the reverse process in which the involved aspect of the Supreme Spirit conies back to the state of full manifestation passing through the great landmarks of evolution—inorganic matter, life, mind, self-consciousness and superconsciousness. In all these ascending stages of growth there is greater and greater liberation of awareness from the environment in which it is rooted. Lifeless matter is one with Nature, but when the living protoplasm emerges, Nature is recognized as an environment against which the living organism is, as it were, struggling for attaining to an autonomous existence. With the emergence of rudimentary mind this sense of separation becomes clearer and clearer until at the human stage we find that consciousness has developed into fully defined self-awareness as the subject, completely disentangled from the external environment. But self-awareness now finds itself entangled with another environment, and that is the internal environment which is body-based and mind-formed. The bodymind apparently seems to exhaust our sense of the self, but in moments of abstraction and introspection we feel the autonomy of the latter, and we speak of ‘my body’ and ‘my mind’. There are psychologists who would explain away this sense as a mere illusion. Nothing can be more fallacious than such a facile explanation. Self-awareness is the foundation experience on which the whole T h e

edifice of life, including the perception of our internal and external environments—the body-mind and external nature—rests. Every attempt at explaining away this foundation experience is only the result of a deep-seated prejudice. According to the spiritual philosophy of the Vedanta, evolution at the human level consists in self-awareness attaining greater and greater detachment from the body-mind mechanism which Nature has evolved as a medium for its own apprehension. Through the advancement of technology, made possible by the development of science, man has been able to manipulate the forces of Nature for the attainment of more power and prosperity in life. This is sometimes called progress, and perhaps rightly so. But this estimate will only be a half-truth, if we do not add that this age of technology has also been the most noted age for massacres, oppression, enslavement, mental derangement and unabashed exhibition of human vices. While technical development is no doubt an advancement, it is only an advancement in respect of the external environment, and it is therefore not in line with the true human evolution, which consists in the control of the inner environment. It is for this reason that technical development has done as much harm to man as good. The specific type of evolution that self-awareness has made possible for man consists in gaining detachment from his moods, passions, prejudices and instinctive drives. The more a person could be an observer of these manifestations of his body-mind in place of being their victim, the more is he liberated from animality and established in the attitude of a witness who could view everything with universal benevolence and take an impersonal and impartial view

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 566 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

of things. Indian spiritual tradition has developed the technique of meditative communion by which this higher evolution of self-conscious awareness into superconsciousness can be systemically expedited by human effort, and it is claimed that if its disciplines are followed by a competent person, he can attain to the state of Samadhi in which self-awareness, freed completely from the thraldom of the nervous system and the body-mind, recognizes itself as, and subsists in, that Infinite and Absolute Being; a vague sense of whom is experienced from the earliest stages of human evolution. Samadhi is not an unconscious condition, but looks so externally because self-consciousness is not there functioning as a body-mind but subsists in itself as the Infinite Being-consciousnessbliss. It is knowledge by atonement as

contrasted with knowledge by acquaintance which is always knowledge distorted by the body-mind. In that state, Nature, the inconceivably vast and tremendous objectivity, is recognized to be a mere shadow, an almost nothing, and self-awareness, the flickering flame of consciousness, apparently bound to a speck of matter and almost looking as its by-product, shines forth as the Infinite and Absolute BeingConsciousness-Bliss, which nothing can affect, disintegrate or destroy, because it is nonexclusive and indivisible. Between science and spirituality there is therefore no opposition. If such a notion is entertained by anyone, it is because of one’s failure to distinguish between religiosity and spirituality—a subject beyond the scope of the present theme. 

Evolution Presupposes an Involution The child is the man involved, and the man is the child evolved. The seed is the tree involved, and the tree is the seed evolved. All the possibilities of life are in the germ. The problem becomes a little clearer. Add to it the first idea of continuation of life. From the lowest protoplasm to the most perfect human being there is really but one life. Just as in one life we have so many various phases of expression, the protoplasm developing into the baby, the child, the young man, the old man, so, from that protoplasm up to the most perfect man we get one continuous life, one chain. This is evolution, but we have seen that each evolution presupposes an involution. The whole of this life which slowly manifests itself evolves itself from the protoplasm to the perfected human being—the Incarnation of God on earth—the whole of this series is but one life, and the whole of this manifestation must have been involved in that very protoplasm. This whole life, this very God on earth, was involved in it and slowly came out, manifesting itself slowly, slowly, slowly. The highest expression must have been there in the germ state in minute form; therefore this one force, this whole chain, is the involution of that cosmic life which is everywhere. It is this one mass of intelligence which, from the protoplasm up to the most perfected man, is slowly and slowly uncoiling itself. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 567 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Upanishads: The Eternal Spring of Spiritual Life SWAMI SMARANANANDA

The Greatness of Upanishads Swami Vivekananda says:

jivama kena kva ca sampratisthah | adhishthitah kena sukhetareshu vartamahe Brahmavido vyavastham |

If you look, you will find that I have never quoted anything but the Upanishads. And of the Upanishads, it is only that idea of strength.1

Upanishads have appealed not only to philosophers and saints in India, Western philosophers like Socrates, Paul Deussen, Max Muller and others too have been deeply influenced by them. Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, for instance, read the Latin translation of the Upanishads and was so impressed by their philosophy that he called them ‘the production of the highest human wisdom.’ He famously remarked, In the whole world there is no study, so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Oupnekhat [Upanishad]. It has been the solace of my life, it will be the solace of my death!

The Eternal Quest Since very ancient times the quest of the Indian sages has been to find the Permanent amidst the evanescent, to find the One amongst the many. They were committed to know the Ultimate Reality underlying the universe. Hence they raised some very fundamental questions. For example, the Shvetasvatara Upanishad2 begins with these basic questions—

What is the nature of Brahman, the Source? From what have we been born? By what do we live? And where do we exist? O knowers of Brahman, controlled by whom do we follow the rule regarding joy and its opposite?

The Upanishads which form the last part of the four Vedas have tried to probe into momentous questions such as these. They deal with the immortality of the Soul, the manifestation of the universe and so on. They delve deep into the nature of the human psyche, and the pure consciousness which focus the core of the inner Reality. In this process, both the transcendent and immanent aspects are brought out in a graphic manner. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, from passages III.vii.3 to 23, describes allpervasiveness of Brahman. To give a glimpse of the above idea, the following passage is quoted:

kim karanam Brahma kutah sma jata o T h e

Yah prithivyam tishthan prithivya antarah yam prithivi na veda yasya prithivi shariram yah prithivimantaro yamayatyesha ta atmaantaryamyamritah He who inhabits the earth, but is within it, whom the earth does not know, whose body is the earth, and who controls the earth from within, is the Internal Ruler, your own immortal self.

The author is Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 568 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, cannot be known through empirical methods based on senses. It is beyond sense perception. Therefore, Brahman is described in a negative way. For example, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad3 says:

the world of senses perception. But not finding the Absolute there, they turned their sight inward and arrived at a conclusion. These two ideas are found very clearly in the following verses of the Katha Upanishad.5 na sandrishe tishthati rupamasya va chakshusha pashyati kaschanainam | hrida manisha manasabhiklirpto ya etadviduramritaste bhavanti |

sa esha neti netyatma, agrihyo nahi grihyate, ashiryo nahi shiryate, asango nahi sajyate, asito na vyathate, na rishyati; etamu haivaite na tarata iti—atah papamakaravamiti, atah kalyanakaravamiti; ubhe u haivaisha ete tarati, nainam kritakrite tapatah

His form does not exist within the range of vision; nobody sees Him with the eye. When this Self is revealed through deliberation, It is realized by the intellect, the ruler of the mind, that resides in the heart. Those who know this become immortal.

This self is That which has been described as ‘Not this, not this’. It is imperceptible, for It is never perceived; undecaying, for It never decays; unattached, for It is never attached; unfettered— It never feels pain, and never suffers injury. (It is but proper) that the sage is never overtaken by these two thoughts, ‘I did an evil for this’, ‘I did a good act for this’. He conquers both of them. Things done or not done do not trouble him.

Then why not we take it that there is no such Ultimate Reality? No, for it is also described in the immanent way, that is the allpervading Atman. The Chandogya Upanishad4 says: sarvam khalvidam Brahma tajjalaniti shanta upasita. Atha khalu kratumayah purusho yathakratursminlloke purusho bhavati tathetah pretya bhavati sa kratum kurvita

paranchi khani vyatrinat svayambhustasmat parang pashyati nantaratman | kaschiddhirah pratyagamatmanamaikshad avrittachakshuramritatvamicchan | The self-existent Lord destroyed the outgoing senses. Therefore one sees the outer things and not the inner Self. A rare discriminating man, desiring for immortality, turns his eyes away and then sees the indwelling Self.

The Upanishads tell us that as long as we search for the Reality outside of us—our body and the senses, we cannot find it. So what we have to do is to turn within. As the Katha Upanishad says: naiva vacha na manasa praptum shakyo na chakshusha astiti bruvatoanyatra katham taduplabhyate |

All this is Brahman. (This) is born from, dissolves in, and exists in That. Therefore, one should meditate by becoming calm. Because a person is identified with (his) conviction, (therefore) just as the conviction a man has in this world, so does he become after departing from here. Therefore he should shape his conviction.

Discovering the Eternal Reality The Upanishads represent the conclusion arrived at by the Vedic Rishis. In the beginning the Rishis too search for the Ultimate Reality in T h e

It (The Supreme Reality) cannot be attained through speech nor through mind, nor through eye. How can It be known to any one apart from him who speaks of It as existing?

The Is-ness of Reality Thus man’s search for the ultimate Reality takes us only up to the Upanishads. Ignoring it, we end up in unconsciousness,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 569 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

whereas the Upanishads take us to something positive. The Reality is IS, but is known by a sharpened mind only. Man’s search for eternal life may be concluded by bringing one’s mind to the level of Upanishadic Consciousness which is of the

nature Peace Eternal. The Upanishads are an everlasting spring for spiritual life which is a quest for the Eternal. Till today man has not found anything better and so it seems that the Upanishads are the only spring of eternal life. o

References 1. CW,.8.267

2. Shvetasvatara Upanishad 1.1

4. The Chandogya Upanishad, III.14.1

3. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, IV.iv.22

5. The Katha Upanishad, II.iii.9 and II.i.1

‘Worship the Self Within’ The Upanishads told 5,000 years ago that the realisation of God could never be had through the senses. So far, modern agnosticism agrees, but the Vedas go further than the negative side and assert in the plainest terms that man can and does transcend this sense-bound, frozen universe. He can, as it were, find a hole in the ice, through which he can pass and reach the whole ocean of life. Only by so transcending the world of sense, can he reach his true Self and realise what he really is. . . . When we let go the eternal fever of desire, the endless thirst that gives us no rest, when we have for ever quenched desire, we shall escape both good and evil, because we shall have transcended both. The satisfaction of desire only increases it, as oil poured on fire but makes it burn more fiercely. The further from the centre, the faster goes the wheel, the less the rest. Draw near the centre, check desire, stamp it out, let the false self go, then our vision will clear and we shall see God. Only through renunciation of this life and of all life to come (heaven etc.), can we reach the point where we stand firmly on the true Self. While we hope for anything, desire still rules us. Be for one moment really ‘hopeless’, and the mist will clear. For what to hope when one is the all of existence? The secret of Jnana is to give up all and be sufficient unto ourselves. Say ‘not’, and you become ‘not’; say ‘is’, and you become ‘is’. Worship the Self within, naught else exists. . . . —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 570 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Message of the Hindu Scriptures for the Youth SWAMI HARSHANANDA

Begin Early in Life The child devotee Prahlada, while addressing his friends at the Gurukula of his teachers Shandaa and Amarka, exhorted them to spiritual illumination thus: A wise person should begin the practice of devotional disciplines from his very boyhood; for, human birth (in which alone these disciplines can be practised) is extremely rare and that too uncertain about how long it lasts.’1

According to the Garuda Purana2 a Jiva or a living being gets the human birth after going through a cycle of 84 million births in various species. Hence is it not better to plant the rich seeds of Dharma (spiritual wisdom) in youth instead of wasting it in dawdling? This will then blossom in manhood, bearing rich fruits in old age. The Taittiriya Upanishad3 while evolving a scale for the measurement of brahmananda (happiness got by realising Brahman) has taken the happiness of a strong young man, learned in the Vedas and full of ambition, as the fundamental unit. This is the highest one can aspire for in the normal human life wherein the value of youth has been shown. One of the most important characteristics of youth is physical strength. The Chandogya

Upanishad4 advises us to cultivate strength since a strong man can make a hundred persons tremble with fear. It is also an aspect of Brahman and can help us to attain spiritual wisdom through service to the guru. The Indriyas or sense organs which are capable of upsetting the mind of even a Vidvamsa or scholar are very strong in youth. If uncontrolled, impelled by Kama (lust) Krodha (anger) and Lobha (avarice), they will lead him to hell.5 Through the analogy of the chariot, the Kathopanishad6 has not only described how to control the sense organs but also warns of the disastrous consequences if they are uncontrolled. In youth, the willpower is fairly strong. But it is equally true that the mind is chanchala or fickle7 and hence very difficult to control. So, the scriptures advise the aspirant to gradually subdue it through Vairagya (detachment or spirit of renunciation) and Abhyasa (repeated efforts).8 Being Truthful It is only man, among all the created beings, that has been gifted with the power of speech. And, today, there are plenty of gifted speakers who speak more to conceal their thoughts and feelings than reveal them!

A senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, the author is the Adhyaksha of Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi, Bangalore. He is a versatile speaker and a prolific writer having several publications in English, Kannada, and Sanskrit to his credit. His monumental work A Concise Encyclopaedia of Hinduism was published in 2008. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 571 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

But our Rishis were made of a different, truer, stuff. It was their deep-rooted conviction to speak the truth and keep up the word once given—satya-vachana and vachana-satya— because God is Satya and Jnana, truth and knowledge. For that very reason, Satya and Jnana are also the means for realising Him. To emphasise this the Mundaka Upanishad9 declares that God can be realized by truth and that truth alone triumphs always. The story of Satyakama Jabala10, the young man who approached his guru Haridrumata Gautama and revealed an unpleasant truth fearlessly shows how the Upanishads advocate the telling of truth always. Right Education Needed Youth is the period for development of the intellect and the taming of the emotions. It is best done through a well designed education. The wisdom of the sages of India had convinced them that true ‘education’ is better caught than taught. Hence they started Gurukulas, residential institutions where the teacher and the taught lived together. In these institutions the students or disciples learnt as much by observing the lives of their teachers as through the formal teachings. The education imparted through these Gurukulas had four aspects:  General education akin to the Three R’s of our day.  Professional education depending on the profession of the family of the student.  Social education which will make him a fit member of the society to which he belonged. This usually went by the name Varnadharma and ashrama-dharma.  Spiritual education, showing the path to perfection. T h e

The Bhagavad Gita11 declares that the four Varnas were created by God himself. Hence it was obligatory on the part of everyone belonging to a particular Varna to follow its rules and traditions. The ultimate aim of such an education was to help the youth to develop a wellintegrated wholesome personality which would show them the way. Perhaps, the best advice that the Hindu scriptures can give to the youth is contained in that short exhilarating passage of the Taittiriya Upanishad.12 It is the parting instruction of the guru to the disciple who is about to leave the Gurukula after completing his education and training. To put it in the modern parlance it is the Convocation Address given by the ‘Vicechancellor’ of the ‘Forest University.’ The gist of this address is as follows:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 572 ~

Speak the truth and follow dharma (righteous conduct). Do not be negligent about the scriptural studies. After honouring the guru properly, go home, settle down as a householder and raise a family. Never be negligent about truth, your ordained duties, actions necessary to protect yourself and acquire worldly prosperity, as also study and spreading the message through discourses. In addition, do not ignore religious rites and obsequial ceremonies. Treat your parents, the teacher and the guests that may come to your house as if they are gods. Perform only the good actions and abhor the evil ones. Imitate only the good conduct even from me. Treat the sagacious Brahmanas who may be superior to me, with respect and honour. Give gifts to the needy with faith and modesty but according to your capacity. When in doubt about actions or behavior, seek the guidance of the wise elders of blameless character. Treat the transgressions of dharma as these elders would behave towards D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

them with a balanced attitude of firmness and kindness. This is the command. This is the advice. This is the essence of Vedas and Upanishads.’

It is interesting to note that this parting advice covers both fields of life—the here and the hereafter.

In conclusion we can safely and boldly declare that the Hindu scriptures have not concentrated only on the elders and seekers of spiritual wisdom ignoring the youth but have given messages to all people including the youth. The Hindu scriptures contain eternal wisdom meant for all people. o

References 1.

Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.1 Garuda Purana, 16.13

7. 8.

Bhagavad Gita, 6.33, 34 vide Yogasutra of Patanjali 1.12; Bhagavad Gita 6.35

2. 3. 4.

Taittiriya Upanishad, 3.8

Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.5, 6

Chandogya Upanishad, 7.8.1

10. Chandogya Upanishad, 4.4, 1–5

Bhagavad Gita, 16.21

11. Bhagavad Gita, 4.13

Kathopanishad, 3.3–9

12. Taittiriya Upanishad, vide 1.11

Like the gentle dew that falls unseen The one characteristic of Indian thought is its silence, its calmness. At the same time the tremendous power that is behind it is never expressed by violence. It is always the silent mesmerism of Indian thought. If a foreigner takes up our literature to study, at first it is disgusting to him; there is not the same stir, perhaps, the same amount of go that rouses him instantly. Compare the tragedies of Europe with our tragedies. The one is full of action, that rouses you for the moment, but when it is over there comes the reaction, and everything is gone, washed off as it were from your brains. Indian tragedies are like the mesmerist's power, quiet, silent, but as you go on studying them they fascinate you; you cannot move; you are bound; and whoever has dared to touch our literature has felt the bondage, and is there bound for ever. Like the gentle dew that falls unseen and unheard, and yet brings into blossom the fairest of roses, has been the contribution of India to the thought of the world. Silent, unperceived, yet omnipotent in its effect, it has revolutionised the thought of the world, yet nobody knows when it did so. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 573 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spiritualisation of Life SWAMI GAUTAMANANDA

The Beginning of Spiritual Quest In the course of higher evolution of man there arises in him a new yearning, the hunger of the soul. He wants something higher than mere material advancements, and because of this, he is dissatisfied with finite and fleeting pleasures of life. He longs for eternal and the infinite. He begins to hanker after perfection and freedom. And that is the beginning of spiritual quest. As this spiritual hunger begins to grow, it bursts forth in heartfelt supplication to the Ultimate Truth—call Him or Her by any name, Bhagavan, Devi, Beloved One, and so on— and man beseeches the divine intervention to quench it. Thus are born numerous prayers, hymns, and spiritual texts of various types, seeking God’s help in developing devotion and love. One such expression of this new spiritual outlook is seen in the famed prayer of Prahlada in the Srimad Bhagavatam: Lord, may I think of Thee with that strong love which the ignorant cherish for the things of the world and may that love never cease to abide in my heart.

The worldly people identify themselves with the body, care for enjoyments of it whereas the spiritual aspirant regards himself as a soul and seeks experience of the Supersoul, or God. The spiritual aspirant wants to redirect his inner intensity for worldly objects and enjoyments to God.

Growing Belief in God The belief in the indestructible and eternal Self is the most vital requirement in spiritual life. It is a turning point in life. Empirical sciences are not sufficient to explain life. One needs to seek another source for a firm and deeper understanding of life. Sir Oliver Lodge said, ‘The behavior of a ship firing shot and shell is explicable in terms of energy but the discrimination which it exercises between friend and foe is not so explicable because it depends on the living person.’ In other words, man’s capacity to choose between good and bad is unique to him and a materialistic view of man cannot explain it. A person who is beginning to wake in a spiritual sense begins to doubt the ‘ultimate reality’ of his body and the world and instinctively but surely comes to regard his Self and God real. His understanding becomes refined and he develops faith in the subtler realities behind the gross manifestations of life. It emboldens him and he becomes fearless of death. He performs his duties without attachment to its results; he does his work as a spiritual practice leading to the experience of his Self and God. Such a person is not satisfied with some provisional answer to life’s problems; he wishes to find solution to the real enigma of life by forming clear conception of God,

A senior trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission, the author is the Head of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 574 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Soul and the world. He arrives at conclusions by means of intuition that the soul and the world are part and parcel of God, the eternal and infinite Consciousness. This infinite Consciousness lies potential in all souls in their bound state and gets manifested through proper exercises and practices and that is called spiritual practices. His inner awakening leads him to believe, intuitively and not through some dry logic, that as a soul he existed before this birth and also that he will continue to live as a soul after the death of the body. The continuation of life before and after death becomes a fact for him. He also believes that he would, if necessary, reincarnate again to fulfil his spiritual mission of realizing God—in case he does not realize God in this life. Body is after all only something external to the ever present divine within. What is external or extrinsic to one, can be given up and if needed again taken up in order to reach the goal of life. Confirming this truth, Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:1

Man is born with his infinite past behind him. He comes to this world carrying the baggage of his past karma with him. But is there no escape from the cycle of birth and rebirths? ‘There is,’ say the Upanishads. Regulated self-efforts, moral practice, performance of one’s duty, worship, prayer and meditation lead him to break the bondage and become free. The Upanishad says, The knots of the heart are loosened, all doubts are cut asunder, Karma and its results cease to exist when the Self is realized.2

When one ‘knows’ the Self, he becomes free forever. He goes beyond all sorrow. This attainment of inner freedom is the core of all spirituality. ‘Religion is being and becoming’, said Swami Vivekananda. He further said. Why is there so much disturbance, so much fighting and quarrelling in the name of God? There has been more bloodshed in the name of God than for any other cause, because people never went to the fountainhead; they were content only to give a mental assent to the customs of their forefathers, and wanted others to do the same. What right has a man to say he has a soul if he does not feel it, or that there is a God if he does not see Him? If there is a God we must see Him, if there is a soul we must perceive it . . .3

Even as a man casts off worn-off garments and puts on new ones so does the embodied being cast off old and enter new bodies.

A spiritually woken up person thus does not blame himself, or God, for all his misfortunes and problems because they are effects of his own Karma. He accepts them and boldly strives to do good Karma to create a new and better destiny. Freedom from Bondage Neither the doctrine of a single birth, nor the theory of hereditary transmission can satisfactorily explain the life of the soul with its inborn tendencies, temperaments, etc. Only when we discover that man is essentially divine that things stand properly defined and firmly understood. T h e

He further said, Man must realise God, feel God, see God, talk to God. That is religion . . . They say there is such a thing as realisation even in this life, and it is open to everyone, and religion begins with the opening of this faculty, if I may call it so. This is the central idea in all religions.4

Going Beyond the Three Gunas According to Indian tradition, the world is made of three inherent qualities called Gunas. These three Gunas or forces of

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 575 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

100

creation account for the goodness or otherwise of persons. Sattva Guna is associated with purity, knowledge and happiness, Rajas with attachment, activity and pain, and Tamas with impurity, ignorance and indolence. By overcoming Tamas by Rajas, Rajas by Sattva, the aspirant comes to know the transcendent Self and attains to immortality. Spiritual life is one of intense striving. Bhagavad Gita5 exhorts: ‘A man should uplift himself by his own self.’ This means one should make self-effort to change oneself. One should work hard to overcome Tamas by Rajas and Rajas by Sattva. Only when we reach the state of Sattva that we come closer to the reality of our inner being. Swami Vivekananda says,

To manifest the potential divinity— that is the ‘whole of religion’. All these are secondary, not primary, details. The goal of all spiritual striving is to make this manifestation of divinity possible.

Then the Creator asked the demons, asuras, as to what they understood by the term Da. They replied, ‘It means Dayadhvan’—be kind to others or practice compassion and mercy. Then came man’s turn. Explaining what he understood by the term Da, man replied, ‘It means Dattam’—give in charity, overcome your greed and be generous. So that was the message: the god needed to develop self-control, the demon kindness and the man selflessness. Adi Shankaracharya while commenting on this story says that a spiritual aspirant should develop all these three qualities—self-control, kindness and charity. This is the whole of morality and, in a way, of spiritual life as well. If one can follow this ideal of morality, one can realize God—even skeptical or agnostic seekers can succeed in attaining perfection and realise the Ultimate Truth of Self and God. By living a life of morality, one develops the innate faculty called spiritual intuition which brings one directly in touch with the Ultimate Reality. Moral practices purify the mind and equip it to experience the subtle reality underlying the gross reality in which one lives.

Developing Three Qualities The aspirant should be moral before becoming spiritual. Moral disciplines precede spiritual disciplines. Morality is the foundation on which the edifice of spirituality is built. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad narrates a story of a god, a demon and a man going to the Creator who instructed them with the one Sanskrit letter—’Da’ and asked them what they understood from it. The gods or devatas, said, ‘Da means Damayat’—control the senses or check one’s desires to indulge in the sensory pleasures.

The Eternal Relation with God ‘Religion,’ said Swami Vivekananda, ‘is the eternal relation between the eternal soul and eternal God.’ Eternal relation means that which has no beginning and hence no end. We are always related to God, always one with God—but we have forgotten this and we have to rediscover this eternal relation with God. As one realizes one’s eternal relation, one begins to discover one’s own eternity and divinity. Rightly therefore did Swami Vivekananda call spiritual realisation as the ‘manifestation of the divinity already in man.’

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work or worship or psychic control or philosophy, by one or more or all of these, and be free. This is the whole of religion.

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 576 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

101

As one realises his divinity, one’s sense of being small and helpless goes way. This is how sins or bad karmas vanish—by knowing our oneness with the Divine. Hence Swami Vivekananda exhorted, Let every man and woman and child, without respect of caste or birth, weakness or strength, hear and learn that behind the strong and the weak, behind the high and the low, behind every one, there is that Infinite Soul, assuring the infinite possibility and the infinite capacity of all to become great and good. Let us proclaim to every soul: ‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.’ Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness. None is really weak; the soul is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not deny Him! . . . Teach yourselves, teach every one his 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.6

We see thus that common source of all moral forces of goodness, unity, selflessness and service lies in the divinity within us. In recognition of this lies the hope of true fellowship and human unity which we need so urgently in our otherwise disturbed and distracted world. Swami Vivekananda said, Vedanta formulates, not universal brotherhood, but universal oneness. I am the same as any other man, as any animal—good, bad, anything. It is one body, one mind, one soul throughout. Spirit never dies. There is no death anywhere, not even for the body. Not even the mind dies. How can even the body die? One leaf may fall—does the tree die? The universe is my body. See how it continues. All minds are mine. With References:

1. Gita, 2.22 5. Gita 6.5

T h e

all feet I walk. Through all mouths I speak. In everybody I reside.’ . . . Immortality is knowing ourselves as one with all, living in all bodies, perceiving through all minds. We are bound to feel in other bodies than this one. We are bound to feel in other bodies. What is sympathy? Is there any limit to this sympathy, this feeling in our bodies? It is quite possible that the time will come when I shall feel through the whole universe.7

Expansion of heart and being inclusive is the core of spiritual realisation. A person blessed with spiritual growth becomes genuinely sympathetic and considerate in his dealings. Conclusion Spiritualisation of life lies in understanding and practicing the grand truth of divinity of man and oneness of existence. One should take up this ideal seriously and try to live according to it. In modern times, one finds this ideal of spiritualisation of life, while one lives in the midst of hustle and bustle of everyday life, beautifully and convincingly manifested in the lives Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Theirs were perfectly spiritualised lives, the models for us to follow. Spiritualisation of life in the modern times means that we should mould our lives on the lives of the Holy Trio. The grand fruits of such a life would be joy in the life here and enlightenment in spiritual life. That is the real self-fulfilment (atma-tripti) spoken of in the Upanishads as the real goal of human life. May the ever compassionate Divine guide us to this goal! o

2. Mundaka, II 2, 9 6. CW, 3.193

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 577 ~

3. CW, 1.127 7. CW, 8.130 D E C E M B E R

4. CW, 4.165

2 0 1 4

Article

Naumi Guru Vivekanandam Contemplation on Swami Vivekananda: An Aid to Spirituality SWAMI CHETANANANDA

Swamiji’s Ageless Appeal Swami Vivekananda was truly amazing. When we look at his pictures and read his words, we wonder how it was possible for a person to accomplish so many things in such a short life. He was born 150 years ago and lived in this world for only 39 years, 5 months, and 24 days, although he did most of his public work within 8 years. He once remarked: ‘I have given enough for 1,500 years.’1 Sometimes he would say: ‘I feel myself to be the Man born after many centuries.’2 Sister Christine wrote that Swamiji was ‘ancient but not aged, rather ageless and wise with the wisdom of all times.’ Sometimes he said, ‘I feel 300 years old.’ 3 In 1896 Vivekananda delivered a lecture in London entitled ‘Maya and Illusion’: ‘It was said of me in America that I was a man who came out of a land that had been dead and buried for 5,000 years, and talked of renunciation.’4 When we read these statements we feel that Swamiji was ageless and that he had conquered time. According to Vedanta a knower of Brahman becomes Brahman, transcending space, time, and causation. Swamiji was a knower of Brahman. He existed in the past, he exists now, and he will continue to exist in the

future. Although Swamiji did not initiate us, he gave us a mantra in our life breath and in our heart. He is our supreme guru. Gu means darkness and ru means destroyer. He has literally removed the darkness of ignorance from our hearts by lighting the lamp of wisdom. As one lamp can light thousands of lamps without diminishing its own light, so did Swamiji spread his ideal and power throughout humankind. He wrote to Swami Brahmananda in 1895: ‘Through Mother’s grace, I alone have become equal to a hundred thousand now and will be two million.’5 Truly speaking, Swamiji is now dwelling in the realm of ideas of millions and millions of people all over the world. On the occasion of his auspicious 150th birth anniversary, we bow down to him: naumi guru Vivekanandam. Appeal of His Divine Personage God is satyam, shivam, sundaram (truth, auspiciousness, and beauty). Swamiji was a handsome person. It is the nature of human beings to admire something beautiful. Once a young woman in America told me, ‘I love Vivekananda more than Ramakrishna.’ ‘Why?’

The author is the Minister-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, USA. He is well-known for his numerous books in Bengali and English particularly God Lived With Them and They Lived With God. His recent English translation of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Leelaprasanga titled Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play has received wide acclaim. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 578 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

103

‘Because he is handsome.’ When we read reminiscences of Swamiji, we observe that each one of the writers mentions Swamiji’s beauty and his fascinating large eyes. Once Ramakrishna said to Swamiji: ‘Your eyes show that you are not a dry Jnani. Rather, they are like the eyes of a loving devotee.’ Externally Swamiji was an uncompromising Vedantic sannyasin, devoid of maya, but internally his heart overflowed with love and devotion. Swamiji wrote in the vesper song of Ramakrishna: Jnananjana vimala-nayana vikshane moha jai. (Thine eyes are purified by the collyrium of knowledge: at their glance delusion disappears.) This statement is equally applicable to Swamiji. One can banish delusion, weakness, and impurities by looking at Swamiji’s eyes. Those who think of God or great souls have a calm face and bright eyes, while those who think evil thoughts have dull faces and lifeless eyes. According to yoga scriptures, yogis develop concentration by staring at a beautiful divine form, or beautiful scenery, without blinking. This kind of absorption, called trataka vidya, calms the mind. In her reminiscences, Lillian Montgomery related: ‘His eyes were very beautiful, and they looked within—that was something entirely different—entirely new to a Western person. They were very limpid. And in some things you read, they speak of his eyes as bulging. They weren’t at all bulging. It’s a terrible expression to use, because they were normal eyes, but they were very large and very limpid, and you felt that the vision was within. And they were full of beauty.’6 In 1963, during Swamiji’s birth centenary, I met an elderly man at Advaita Ashrama who had bought 71 photographs of Swamiji and hung them on every wall of his room. He told me: ‘I cannot sit for meditation, so I stand one T h e

minute in front of each picture of Swamiji and thus I get 71 minutes of meditation. Swamiji is the object of my meditation.’ A true devotee of Swamiji, indeed! Swamiji’s Humaneness Swamiji lived at Belur Math for 1 year, 6 months, and 26 days. Towards the end, he loved to work in the garden. Romain Rolland wrote about Swamiji’s beautiful lifestyle: ‘Like the ascetics of Shakuntala he was surrounded by his favourite animals: the dog Bagha, the she-goat Hansi, the kid Matru, with collar of little bells, with whom he ran and played like a child, an antelope, a stork, ducks and geese, cows and sheep. He walked about as in an ecstasy, singing in his beautiful, rich, deep voice.’7 Swami Nirlepananda wrote: One day a college student saw Swamiji’s legs at Balaram’s house in Calcutta and remarked: ‘Swamiji, your muscles are really beautiful.’ Swamiji humbly replied: ‘Look, it must be. The Master was fond of seeing me.’ Swamiji was beauty personified—so his form, qualities, conversations, lectures, singing, playing of musical instruments, movements, work, laughter, tears, compassion for the poor, and meditation were beautiful. Everything about Swamiji was beautiful—even his humour and scoldings. ‘Did Swamiji ever scold you?’ Swami Ashokananda asked Mrs. Alice Hansbrough. ‘Oh yes, often,’ she replied. ‘He was constantly finding fault and sometimes could be very rough. “Mother brings me fools to work with!” he would say. Or, “I have to associate with fools!” This was a favourite word in his vocabulary of scolding. And though he himself said, “I never apologize,” he would nevertheless come after the scolding was over to find me, and say in a voice so

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 579 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

104

gentle and with a manner so cool that butter and honey would not melt in his mouth, “What are you doing?” It was clear that he was seeking to make amends for the scolding. He used to say, “The people I love most, I scold most,” and I remember thinking he was making a poor kind of apology!’8 The Guru Gita says: Dhyanamulam gurormurtih pujamulam guroh padam. Mantramulam gurorvakyam mokshamulam guroh kripa.

Meditate on the form of the guru. Worship the guru’s feet. Practise the words of the guru like a mantra. And one gets liberation only by the grace of the guru. Now we shall explore the life and message of our supreme guru Vivekananda in the light of this verse. 1. Dhyanamulam gurormurtih (Meditate on the form of the guru.) Vivekananda was one of the seven sages who are eternally immersed in meditation, and Ramakrishna brought him to this world to spread his message. The Master told his devotees: ‘Narendra is the ancient sage Nara— the incarnation of Narayana. He is a great soul perfect in meditation.’ But now Swamiji is in the realm of meditation and one can reach him only through meditation. He is deathless— immortal. But human beings can make him alive in their hearts through their imagination and meditation. Fifteen years after Swamiji’s passing away, Mrs. Charlotte Sevier was living in the Mayavati Ashrama, in a remote part of the Himalayas, and she was continuing the work of her guru. One day Josephine MacLeod asked her, ‘Do you not get bored?’ Mrs. Sevier simply replied: ‘I think of him [Vivekananda].’ On another occasion she said to a monk, ‘I T h e

repeat the name of Vivekananda.’ This is real love for the guru. Whoever we love we cherish in our hearts. We have not seen Swamiji with our physical eyes, but we have seen all 95 photographs of him. He often looks different in different photos. When we look at those photos, we become curious to know what exactly he looked like, so that we can meditate on his form. Here are some eyewitnesses’ accounts: Swami Nirlepananda wrote: ‘If you want to love Swamiji, meditate on his form—a shaven-headed monk with a loincloth, wellbuilt body, fair complexion, a lively beautiful face, and lotus-shaped eyes. One day when asked about Swamiji’s appearance, Swami Saradananda kept quiet, commenting this much about Swamiji’s eyes: “How can I express Swamiji’s fascinating eyes? Only this much can be said: Namah pankajanetraya (Salutations to the lotus-eyed One).” Another person said: “When Swamiji slept at Balaram’s house, I observed that his eyes were not fully closed. His eyelids would not touch each other. In fact they were Shiva-netra—like the eyes of Lord Shiva.”’9 Swamiji’s brother Mahendranath Datta wrote: ‘Once at Girish’s house at Baghbazar, an astrologer checked the sole of Narendra’s right foot and commented, “This young man has the signs of the conch, wheel, mace, and lotus on his feet, which are not visible on ordinary men’s feet.” Narendra’s feet were well proportioned, neither long nor short. He had tapering fingers, and the shape of his nails were half-crescent and not flat, indicating a self-confident, determined mind. His movements were neither fast nor slow. When he was absorbed in deep thought, he walked like a hero expecting sure victory. During his lectures, his thoughts would manifest through

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 580 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

105

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 581 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

106

the movements of his hands, fingers, and face. So the American people remarked: “He is an orator by divine right.”’10 Sister Nivedita wrote: ‘He was immensely proud, in his physiognomy, of what he called his “Mongolian Jaw,” regarding it as a sign of “bull-dog tenacity of purpose.”’11 She further mentioned: ‘Mr. Tata told me that when Swamiji was in Japan, everyone who saw him was immediately struck by his likeness to Buddha.’12 Thomas Allan of California said: ‘The beauty of Swamiji nobody can imagine. His face, his hands, his feet, all were beautiful. Swami Trigunatita later said that Swamiji’s hands were far more beautiful than any woman’s. Swamiji’s colour would seem to change, some days being darker and some days lighter, but usually there was about it what can best be described as a golden glow.’13 Romain Rolland learned about Swamiji from his followers and then described him in this manner: ‘His athletic form was the opposite of the fragile and tender, yet wiry body of Ramakrishna. He was tall (five feet, eight and a half inches), square-shouldered, broad-chested, stout, rather heavily built; his arms were muscular and trained to all kinds of sports. He weighed 170 pounds. He had an olive complexion, a full face, vast forehead, strong jaw, a pair of magnificent eyes, large, dark and rather prominent, with heavy lids, whose shape recalled the classic comparison to a lotus petal. Nothing escaped the magic of his glance, capable equally of embracing in its irresistible charm, or of sparkling with wit, irony, or kindness, of losing itself in ecstasy, or of plunging imperiously to the very depths of consciousness and of withering with its fury. But his pre-eminent characteristic was kingliness. He was a born king and nobody T h e

ever came near him either in India or America without paying homage to his majesty.’14 Betty Leggett said: ‘I have met two men of striking personality persons in my life: One was the German Kaiser, and the other was Swami Vivekananda.’15 These eyewitness accounts will help us meditate on the Guru Vivekananda. We should not limit our meditation to his form only: the more we meditate on his life and message, the more his power will penetrate our minds and awaken our inner consciousness. 2. Pujamulam guroh padam (Worship the feet of the guru) In India, it is customary to worship God, the guru, or religious personalities. Hindus always adore the great teachers of religion. In 1900, in Pasadena, California, Swamiji said in a lecture entitled Buddhistic India: ‘Why, the Hindus, they are dying to worship somebody. You will find, if you live long enough, I will be worshipped by our people. If you go there to teach them something, before you die you will be worshipped.’16 In 1900 Swamiji said to Mrs. Hansbrough in San Francisco: ‘Within ten years of my death, I will be worshipped as a god.’17 Swamiji’s words came true even before then. In 1898 the Ramakrishna monastery was at Nilambar Babu’s garden house in Belur. Sharat Chandra Chakrabarty, a disciple of Swamiji, formally worshipped the feet of his guru with dhatura flowers, thinking of him as Lord Shiva. When the worship was over, Swamiji said to him: ‘Well, your worship is finished, but Premananda will be in a rage at your sacrilegious act of worshipping my feet in the flower tray meant for Sri Ramakrishna’s worship.’ Before he had finished speaking, Swami Premananda arrived. Swamiji told him: ‘See, what a sacrilege he has committed! With

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 582 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

107

the requisites of Sri Ramakrishna’s worship, he has worshipped me!’ Swami Premananda smiled and said: ‘Well done! Are you and Sri Ramakrishna different?’18 Swami Achalananda, a disciple of Swamiji, reminisced: ‘One day Swamiji was seated on the veranda below the shrine in a grave mood, and Swami Brahmananda was behind him. I was passing through the courtyard. Seeing me, Swamiji said: “Come here, and bring some flowers.” I picked some flowers and returned. Then he said to me, “Offer the flowers at my feet and worship me every day.” Again he said, “Go and bring some more flowers.” When I returned with the flowers he said: “Now worship the President of the Ramakrishna Order [Swami Brahmananda]. Remember, the guru and the president are one. Henceforth worship the President every day.” Thus Swamiji taught us in various ways.’19 Swamiji also taught his disciples how to worship Ramakrishna. Swami Achalananda recounted: ‘One day Swami Premananda went to perform worship in the shrine of Belur Math. Swamiji also went there and asked Swami Premananda to leave the seat, and he began to do the worship himself. He offered flowers a couple of times at Sri Ramakrishna’s feet, and then he began to put flowers on his own head. After this he became absorbed in deep meditation. What a sight it was when he came out of the shrine! His face was shining with devotion. We all bowed down to him.’20 Swamiji’s mode of worship was unique. Meditation was worship to him. When he would come out of the shrine, his face was seen to be reddish. Swamiji was then in an exalted mood. Bodhananda, a disciple of Vivekananda, recalled: ‘Once Swamiji said that he would do the worship of Sri Ramakrishna that day. So all of us went to watch Swamiji T h e

do it. We were curious to see how he would perform the ritual. First, he took his seat as the worshipper in the usual way and meditated. We meditated too. After a pretty long time we sensed that someone was moving around us. I opened my eyes to see who it was. It was Swamiji. He got up and took the tray of flowers meant to be offered to Sri Ramakrishna. But instead of placing them before the Lord, he came to us, dabbed the flowers with sandal paste, and placed one on the head of each disciple.’21 Bodhananda later explained the significance of Swamiji’s actions: ‘Swamiji was not actually worshipping the disciples. In placing a flower on each of our heads, he was really offering each flower at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna in each disciple. Thereby he awakened his presence in us. That presence took different aspects in each disciple. Some were devotional; others had the jnana [knowledge] aspect predominant. By his act of worship, Swamiji awakened the Divine in us. The remaining flowers were not in any way defiled. The same divine presence that Swamiji saw in the photograph of Sri Ramakrishna on the altar, he also saw in his disciples; and at the altar he offered the remaining flowers.’22 According to Vedanta, God dwells in all beings, so Swamiji taught his disciples to worship God within humanity. Flowers and ingredients of worship differ from deity to deity, and that is why Swamiji instructed his disciples to worship human beings according to their need. For example, one should worship the illiterate with education, the hungry with food, the sick with medicine and a proper diet, and the rich with spirituality. In 1897 Swamiji said to Kalyandev in Khetri: ‘If you want to see God, go to the hut of the poor. And if you want to attain God, then serve the poor, the helpless, the downtrodden, and the miserable.’23

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 583 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

108

The Taittiriya Upanishad says: ‘Adore the mother as God, the father as God, the guest as God, and the teacher as God.’ But Swamiji added more: daridradevo bhava (worship the poor as God). He made this clear in one of his letters: ‘May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls—and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.’24 Swamiji did not come to destroy any tradition. For this reason he also introduced Durga Puja, Kali Puja, and Lakshmi Puja at Belur Math. But he made it clear what supreme worship really is when he said: ‘He who is in you and is outside of you, who works through every hand, who walks through every foot, whose body you are, Him worship, and break all other idols. ‘He who is the high and the low, the saint and the sinner, the god and the worm, Him worship, the visible, the knowable, the real, the omnipresent, break all other idols. ‘Ay, fools, neglecting the living gods and His infinite reflection with which the world is full, and running after imaginary shadows! Him worship, the only visible, and break all other idols.’25 What shall we do now? Should we take up hammers and start to destroy images in temples? Of course not. This is not what Swamiji meant. One should try to understand a teaching according to its context. Swamiji meant that for those who have just started their religious life, image worship is essential; and for those who are advanced and established in the Self, supreme worship is recommended. He was a world teacher, so he instructed each person according to his or her aptitude. As there is a difference between students in T h e

kindergarten and those in the university, so there is a difference among various spiritual aspirants. Swamiji wanted his followers to translate his teachings into action rather than being satisfied with performing rituals. Once he joked with his disciples: ‘After my death, if you make me an avatar and wave an oil lamp in front of my photo, I shall become a ghost and break your necks.’26 Compared to infinite time, this 150th anniversary of Vivekananda’s birth is nothing. Rather, this is just the beginning. Eventually millions of people will worship Vivekananda, for he was a rishi, a seer of truth. He himself prophesied: ‘You will see, after 200 years people will desperately cry for a hair of Vivekananda.’27 Swamiji returned to Belur Math from his second visit to the West in December 1900. The next morning he asked a barber to shave his head. This time his thick hair had grown quite long. Swamiji sat on a chair on the courtyard near the eastern veranda of the Math building. When the shaving was done, Swamiji noticed that the barber threw his hair in a corner of the courtyard. Smiling, Swamiji remarked: ‘You have thrown away the hair! Later you will see, people will clamour for a single strand of Vivekananda’s hair.’28 3. Mantramulam gurorvakyam (Follow the guru’s words like a mantra) M., the recorder of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, said: ‘Every word of Sri Ramakrishna is a mantra.’ Swamiji is the best commentator on the Master’s words. He himself said: ‘All the ideas that I preach are only an attempt to echo his [Ramakrishna’s] ideas.’ But Swamiji also awakened consciousness in those mantras by practising sadhana, and for that reason there is

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 584 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

109

tremendous power behind his words. And whoever heard him, in the East or the West, admitted this. Swami Turiyananda said: ‘Listening to Swamiji’s words, even a dying person would jump up and say, “Wait, wait! I am definitely dying, but before that let me hear him once.” There was so much power behind his words that his ideas and language would penetrate into the inmost hearts of the audience. People would forget time and even their own existence. Swamiji truly had the power to raise people’s minds to a higher realm of ideas.’29 Josephine MacLeod described Swamiji’s voice to Romain Rolland: ‘He had a beautiful voice like a violoncello, grave without violent contrasts, but with deep vibrations that filled both hall and hearts. Once his audience was held he could make it sink to an intense piano piercing his hearers to the soul. Emma Calvé, who knew him, described it as “an admirable baritone, having the vibrations of a Chinese gong.”’30 Alice Hansbrough said: ‘His voice I should say was baritone—certainly nearer to bass than tenor; and it was the most musical voice I have ever heard. At the end of the lecture he closed with that chant, “I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute.” Everyone was enchanted with his talk.’31 Lillian Montgomery also described Swamiji’s voice: ‘It was a mellow voice, but it had great resonance and great purity. It came from a plane of consciousness that was so far beyond the physical awareness, but nevertheless it was crystal clear and that’s what cleared the mind, because it penetrated.’32 Like his guru Ramakrishna, Swamiji formally initiated very few people. He was not an ordinary guru who initiates with a mantra. He initiated people through shambhavi T h e

and shakti methods, transmitting power with a look or a touch. According to the Tantra, Shakti is verily the mantra—and the mantra has the power to liberate human beings from the thralldom of maya. Priyanath Sinha, a classmate of Swamiji, interviewed him at Balaram’s house in Calcutta after his return from the West. Question: Well, Swamiji, how many disciples have you in the West? Swamiji: A good many Q.: Two or four thousand? Swamiji: Maybe more than that. Q.: Are they all initiated by you with mantras? Swamiji: Yes. Q.: What kind of mantra? Is it connected with Pranava [Om]? Swamiji: Yes, with Pranava. Q.: It is said that shudras have no right to utter Pranava, and moreover the Westerners are all Mlechhas [barbarians]. How can you give them permission to utter the Pranava mantra? None except brahmins has the right to utter Pranava. Swamiji: How do you know that those whom I have initiated are not brahmins? Q.: All countries, except India, belong to the Yavanas [Muslims] and Mlechhas. How did you get brahmins among them? Swamiji: Those I have given the mantra, they are all brahmins. It is true, one cannot be a recipient of Pranava without becoming a brahmin. But the son of a brahmin is not necessarily always a brahmin; though there is every possibility of his being one, he may not become so. Did you not hear that the nephew of Aghore Chakrabarty of Baghbazar became a sweeper? Although he is a brahmin, he does all menial services of his adopted caste. Q.: Brother, how did you get a brahmin in America and England?

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 585 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

110

Swamiji: The brahmin caste and the brahminical qualities are two distinct things. In India, one is held to be a brahmin by one’s caste, but in the West, one should be known as such by one’s brahminical qualities. As you know there are three qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas; so there are qualities which show a man to be a brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, or a shudra. In India at present the kshatriya and brahminical qualities are almost extinct, but in the West now the people are moving from kshatriyahood to brahminhood. Q.: Do you mean to say that people of sattvic nature in the West are brahmins? Swamiji: That is true.33 One day someone asked Swami Shuddhananda, ‘What was the view of Swamiji regarding diksha, initiation?’ Shuddhananda: ‘Swamiji did not put much emphasis on initiation. His aim was sannyasa. He would say: “Thousands of young boys will come, and I shall shave their heads; and their parents will come and cry that I like to see.” A shaven head indicates receiving the vows of sannyasa, or monastic life.’34 In 1949 when I was in the seventh grade I read Swamiji’s Swadesh Mantra for the first time. This is the mantra that awoke Modern India: ‘O India! Forget not that the ideal of thy womanhood is Sita, Savitri, Damayanti; forget not that the God thou worshippest is the great Ascetic of ascetics, the all-renouncing Shankara, the Lord of Uma; forget not that thy marriage, thy wealth, thy life are not for sense pleasure, are not for thy individual personal happiness; forget not that thou art born as a sacrifice to the Mother’s altar; forget not that thy social order is but the reflex of the Infinite Universal Motherhood; forget not that the lower classes, the ignorant, the poor, the illiterate, the cobbler, the sweeper, are thy flesh and blood, thy brothers. Thou brave one, be T h e

bold, take courage, be proud that thou art an Indian, and proudly proclaim, “I am an Indian; every Indian is my brother.”’35 Our nature is to forget the most important things in life because our brains are weak, so Swamiji reminded us by repeating ‘forget not’ six times. It is customary to repeat a sankalpa mantra before initiation, so Swamiji gave his would-be disciples these instructions: ‘Thou brave one, be bold, take courage, be proud that thou art an Indian, and proudly proclaim, “I am an Indian; every Indian is my brother.” Say, “The ignorant Indian, the poor and destitute Indian, the Brahmin Indian, the Pariah Indian, is my brother.” Thou ... proudly proclaim at the top of thy voice: “The Indian is my brother; the Indian is my life; India’s gods and goddesses are my God. India’s society is the cradle of my infancy, the pleasure garden of my youth, the sacred heaven, the Varanasi of my old age.” Say, brother, “The soil of India is my highest heaven, the good of India is my good.”’36 We are not aware of any other Indian having so much love for his or her motherland as Swamiji. After the initiation ceremony, Swamiji taught his new disciples how to pray: ‘Pray day and night, “O Thou Lord of Gauri, O Thou Mother of the Universe, vouchsafe manliness unto me! O Thou Mother of Strength, take away my weakness, take away my unmanliness, and make me a Man!”’37 After being initiated by Swamiji, Nivedita wrote: ‘I saw him almost daily; the thought of India was to him like the air he breathed. True, he was a worker at foundations. He neither used the word “nationality,” nor proclaimed an era of “nation-making.” “Man-making,” he said, was his own task. But he was born a lover, and

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 586 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

111

the queen of his adoration was his Motherland.’38 It is customary to offer dakshina (a gift) to the guru. What kind of dakshina did Swamiji ask from his disciples? He said: ‘Feel, my children, feel; feel for the poor, the ignorant, the downtrodden; feel till the heart stops and the brain reels and you think you will go mad; then pour the soul out at the feet of the Lord, and then will come power, help, and indomitable energy . . . I bequeath to you, young men, this sympathy, this struggle for the poor, the ignorant, the oppressed.’39 Swamiji’s physical form is no longer with us, but his voice is a constant inspiration. He himself said, ‘I am a voice without a form.’ The living presence of Swamiji is always vibrating in his lectures, letters, poems, and conversations. Now and then on Sunday in the 1970s, Christopher Isherwood would read and comment on Swamiji’s lectures in the Hollywood or Santa Barbara temples. Regarding this experience, he wrote in the introduction of Vedanta: Voice of Freedom: ‘Vivekananda’s living presence often becomes powerfully evident behind his words. Like all others, no doubt, who have read them aloud in public, I have often felt aware that I was sharing that presence with my listeners. Even if you try reading Vivekananda alone to yourself, alone in your room, you will probably have an experience of the same kind.’40 4. Mokshamulam guroh kripa (Guru’s grace gives liberation) Generally kripa, or grace, is said to be of four kinds: grace of the self, of the scriptures, of the guru, and of God. A spiritual aspirant’s self-effort is called atma-kripa, self-grace. It is said that ‘one may receive the grace of the T h e

guru, God, and the devotees, but one goes nowhere without the grace of one’s own self.’ The essence of the scriptures becomes manifest to a seeker of liberation through his or her shraddha (faith), strength, and love. This is the grace of the scriptures. Pleased with the disciple’s devotion and service, the guru imparts the knowledge of God. This is the guru’s grace. Self-grace leads to God’s grace. One needs humility, lack of ego, regular spiritual disciplines, and intense longing for God’s grace. God and the guru are always ready to bestow their grace. One day Manmatha Nath Gangopadhyay asked Swamiji: ‘Does the guru give liberation to a man or does he achieve it by practising sadhana?’ Swamiji: ‘A man is bound by his own will and that is the reason he has become a jiva, an individual soul. He achieved his individuality by separating himself from the indivisible Brahman and began to think himself separated from Brahman. How did it happen? There is no answer. If you say it has happened by an unseen power and not by his own will, then that power is called maya. It is the power of maya, which makes him feel separated. The power of maya flows eternally. Compared to maya’s power, the jiva’s little power is like a drop in the ocean. What can a jiva do alone? He begins to play with maya and forgets the source of his origin. Brahman (the true nature of the jiva) then begins to cry, being trapped by maya. ‘Have you not seen the children turn about holding a pillar? Likewise, the jiva struggles to escape from the net of maya and shouts, “Save me.” If a child says, “Remove my hand”, the elderly people laugh and watch the fun. Holding the power of maya, the jiva enjoys and says to maya, “Get out.” Will God then come to rescue that jiva?

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 587 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

112

Rather, He will watch the fun. The little child withdraws its hands when its desire to revolve ends. Liberation of a jiva depends on giving up desires. Renunciation of desires leads to liberation. Manmatha: ‘Then what does the guru do? Why do we seek grace then?’ Swamiji: ‘The jiva itself cannot see the path and begins to search for the means to escape. Then he resorts to a pathfinder (guru) who knows the way out. He shows the way to the seeker of liberation. If the individual being follows the instruction precisely, he finds the path of liberation. This is truly the grace of the guru. What else?’41 Most people sit idly expecting grace to appear. They do not realize that grace does not fall from a tree. Swamiji said to one of his disciples: ‘Those who are pure always in body, mind, and speech, who have strong devotion, who discriminate between the real and the unreal, who persevere in meditation and contemplation—upon them alone the grace of the Lord descends.’ Disciple: ‘But of what necessity is grace to him who can control himself in thought, word, and deed? For then he would be able to develop himself in the path of spirituality by means of his own exertions!’ Swamiji: ‘The Lord is very merciful to him whom He sees struggling heart and soul for realization. But remain idle, without any struggle, and you will see that His grace will never come.’42 Swamiji was an ever-free soul and a knower of Brahman. He always encouraged his disciples to sacrifice their lives for the good of others. He said: ‘What will you do with individual salvation? That is sheer selfishness. Throw aside your meditation; throw away your salvation and such things! Put your whole heart and soul in the work T h e

to which I have consecrated myself.... As you have come into this world, leave some mark behind.’43 Swamiji was a sad-guru, a siddha-guru. It must have been fascinating to see Swamiji when he was in the mood of a guru. One day he said to Swami Swarupananda: ‘Look, Swarup. He on whose head I have placed my hand will not have to worry about anything. Know it for certain.’ Another time, Swamiji said to Premananda: ‘If my disciples go to hell a thousand times, I shall lift them up a thousand times. If this is not true, then Sri Ramakrishna is false.’44 Only a sad- or siddhaguru can give such an assurance. Sometimes the disciples were amazed by Swamiji’s power as a guru. Swamiji was unique in that his divine influence empowered his disciples and made them great. He would transmit power to them sometimes through shaking their hands, sometimes with a look, or sometimes by a scolding. Whoever came within his spiritual orbit received Swamiji’s grace. In California in 1900 Swamiji told Mrs. Hansbrough two stories that he had heard from Ramakrishna. She recorded them in her memoir: The first was a story of an old waterdemon who lived in a pool. She had long hair, which was capable of infinite extension. When people would come to bathe in the pool, sometimes she would devour them if she was hungry. With others, however, she would twine a hair around one of their toes. When they went home, the hair, invisible, would just stretch and stretch; and when the old demon became hungry she would just start pulling on the hair until the victim came back to the pool once more, to be eaten up. ‘You have bathed in the pool where my Mother dwells,’ Swamiji said to me at the end.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 588 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

113

‘Go back home if you wish; but her hair is twined round your toe and you will have to come back to the pool in the end.’ The other story was of a man who was wading down a stream. Suddenly he was bitten by a snake. He looked down, and thought the snake was a harmless water snake and that he was safe. Actually it was a cobra. Swamiji then said to me: ‘You have been bitten by the cobra. Don’t ever think you can escape!’45 Swamiji’s Continued Presence Has Swamiji’s power ended with his handful of disciples? No, it cannot be. Swamiji was a great soul—a conqueror of time.

People from all over the world have been nourished by his ideas and teachings, and have accepted him as their guru. And so it will be in the future. The real guru is God, but God’s power is often transmitted through great souls. A week before his passing away, Swamiji said to one of his favourite disciples: ‘Be possessed of Shraddha (faith), of Virya (courage); attain to the knowledge of the Atman, and sacrifice your life for the good of others—this is my wish and blessing.’46 O readers, may Swamiji’s blessing be showered on all of us on this auspicious occasion of Swamiji’s 150th anniversary! o

References Life of Vivekananda, Eastern and Western Disciples (Advaita Ashrama: 1981), 2:590 2. Complete Works of Nivedita, 1:48 3. Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda (Advaita Ashrama: 1964),168 4. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 2:100 5. Ibid., 6:315 6. Vivekananda as the Turning Point (Advaita Ashrama: 2013), 471 7. Life of Vivekananda, Romain Rolland (Advaita Ashrama, 1931), 184 8. Mrs. Hansbrough’s Reminiscences 9. Ramakrishna-Vivekanander Jivanaloke, Swami Nirlepananda, 115 10. Vivekanander Jivaner Ghatanavali, Mahendra Nath Datta, 1:248-52 11. CWN, 1:154 12. Prabuddha Bharata, November 1936 13. Vedanta and the West, 160:56 14. Life of Vivekananda, Romain Rolland, 4-5 15. Josephine MacLeod and Vivekananda’s Mission, Linda Prugh, 32-33 16. CWSV, 3:527 17. Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries, Marie Louise Burke, 6:51 18. Talks with Swami Vivekananda, 173 19. Vedanta Kesari, 1989:335 20. Ibid., 1989:335 1.

T h e

21. God Lived with Them, Swami Chetanananda, 66 22. Ibid., 66-67 23. Prabuddha Bharata, 2005:287 24. CWSV, 5:137 25. CWSV, 5:137 26. Jivanaloke, 225 27. VK, 1989:335 28. Yugadishari Vivekananda (Udbodhan, 2001), 340 29. Smritir Aloy Swamiji (Udbodhan: 1994), 10 30. Life of SV, RR, 6 31. Mrs. Hansbrough’s Reminiscences 32. Vivekananda as the Turning Point, 471 33. Smritir Aloy, 149-50 34. Udbodhan, 54 year 12 issue 35. CWSV, 4:479-80 36. Ibid., 480 37. Ibid., 480 38. CWN, 1:45 39. CWSV, 4:367, 5:16 40. Vedanta: Voice of Freedom (Vedanta Society of St. Louis: 1986), 8 41. Smritir Aloy, 120-21 42. Talks with Vivekananda, 57, 247 43. Ibid., 224, 223 44. Vedanta Kesari, 1989:335 45. Mrs. Hansbrough’s Reminiscences 46. Talks with Vivekananda, 408

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 589 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Yoga in the Eyes of Swami Vivekananda SWAMI BHASKARANANDA

Multiple Meanings of ‘Yoga’ The Sanskrit word Yoga has more than 30 meanings. The meanings are as diverse as ‘magic, a vehicle, a spy or a secret agent, a traitor, endeavour, propriety, union, a yoke, deep and abstract meditation, and also the school of philosophy founded by the great sage Patanjali, etc.’ In the context of spiritual life, the word ‘Yoga’ has been used by the Bhagavad Gita to mean various disciplines leading to spiritual enlightenment or liberation from the cycle of repeated births and deaths. The disciplines are Sankhya-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, Jnana-Yoga, Sannyasa-Yoga, Dhyana-Yoga, Jnana-VijnanaYoga, Akshara-Brahma-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Vibhuti-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, and so on. The Yoga system of Patanjali uses the word Yoga to mean its welldefined goal of creating a mind that is free of all thoughts. It also mentions Kriya-Yoga as the preliminary step to that goal. Other than all these Yogas, there is also Hatha-Yoga, which offers some physical postures and related techniques to keep the body healthy, along with some spiritual teachings. When the body is diseased the mind often becomes affected by it, and cannot

steadily strive for spiritual enlightenment. Therefore, Hatha-Yoga puts greater emphasis on making the body perfect. But there is a problem associated with that. Too much emphasis on the body can easily make a person obsessed with the idea of only maintaining a healthy body rather than pursuing the spiritual goal. He can easily forget the final goal of Hatha-Yoga and end up being a body-worshipper. It may be interesting to refer to a story in the Chhandogya Upanishad. According to this story, Virochana, the king of the Asuras, went to Prajapati to learn about the Atman—the in-dwelling divinity or Brahman present in all beings. In ancient times people with materialistic tendencies were called Asuras, while people with spiritual tendencies were called Devas. But Virochana, due to his materialistic tendencies, misunderstood the inner import of his teacher Prajapati’s teaching. He erroneously thought that the body was Brahman or Atman. As a result, he became a body-worshipper. Misrepresented or misunderstood Hatha Yoga can also produce the same effect on its followers. Swami Vivekananda’s Approach

The author is the Head of Vedanta Society of Western Washington, Seattle, USA. He is the editor of Global Vedanta, a quarterly published from there and has several books to his credit. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 590 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

115

Let us now try to find out which of the above meanings of the word Yoga is accepted by Swami Vivekananda. Yoga, according to Swami Vivekananda, means ‘union’—the union of the soul of man with the supreme Soul or God.1 This union is no other than getting rid of the false ego of human beings that separates them from God. Once the ego is eliminated the individual soul melts away in God-consciousness— becomes one with God. This freedom of the individual soul from the bondage of the false ego is the goal of all Yogas according to Swami Vivekananda. This is also called Godrealization. ‘The end and aim of Yoga is to realize God,’ says the Swami. He also accepts the other meaning of the word Yoga when it means a method or a set of disciplines that helps to achieve that goal. To learn these disciplines one needs a competent teacher. ‘Yoga can only be safely learnt by direct contact with a teacher,’ says Swami Vivekananda. According to Hinduism all people can be put into four broad categories: (1) the emotional person, (2) the rational person, (3) the meditative person and (4) the habitually overactive person. As they are all temperamentally different from one another, the same spiritual disciplines are not suitable for all of them. Hinduism offers them four different paths. Each of these paths is a Yoga. The path suitable for an emotional person is the Yoga of Devotion or the Path of Worship, also called Bhakti-Yoga in Sanskrit. The path suitable for the rational person is the Yoga of Rational Inquiry or Philosophy. This path is called in Sanskrit Jnana-Yoga. For the meditative person the suitable spiritual path is the Path of Mental Concentration or Psychic Control. It is called Raja-Yoga in Sanskrit. For the habitually overactive person the Yoga of T h e

Right Action is the right path. This path is also called Karma-Yoga. Swami Vivekananda recognizes these four Yogas as four major means of achieving the freedom of the soul. When the soul becomes free it fully manifests its inherent divinity. In the words of Swami Vivekananda: Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divine within, by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.

Even though each of these Yogas is generally meant for people of a particular temperament, Swami Vivekananda does not think that the Yogas are independent watertight compartments. According to him, to develop a well-integrated spiritual personality one should take advantage of all the four Yogas. In so saying he echoes the teachings of his teacher Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna: Yoga-Personified There is no wonder about that because, as chosen by Sri Ramakrishna himself, Swamiji is the chief messenger and propagator of Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings. He points out that Sri Ramakrishna would not encourage lopsided growth in spiritual life. Sri Ramakrishna liked all-round spiritual development. Sri Ramakrishna’s life is a glowing example of this all-round spiritual growth. What was he? Was he a Bhakti-Yogi, or was he a Jnana-Yogi? Or was he a Raja-Yogi, or a Karma-Yogi? The answer is that he was all of them. In his wellintegrated spiritual life all the four Yogas found their fullest expression. The Nobel-

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 591 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

116

laureate poet of India, Rabindranath Tagore, confirmed this in the following lines, which he wrote as a tribute to Sri Ramakrishna: Diverse courses of worship from varied springs of fulfillment have mingled in your meditation. The manifold joy of the Infinite has given form to a shrine of unity in your life where from far and near arrive salutations to which I join mine own.

In his own quiet way Sri Ramakrishna was also a reformer. Through his own life’s example, he brought about a wonderful reform in traditional Hinduism. He broke down the walls around the four Yogas, so to say, and practiced them together in order to manifest his divinity. This was a departure from the preexisting idea that a person should practice only one type of Yoga that suits his temperament. According to Swami Vivekananda, a spiritual aspirant who has become equally developed in all the Yogas like Sri Ramakrishna, is the greatest Yogi. Several thousand years before Sri Ramakrishna another great reformer of Hinduism had appeared on the scene. He was Sri Krishna. He wanted to reform the old Hindu religious tradition of performing rituals with the hope of achieving eternal heaven. Sri Krishna pointed out that it was not possible for a person with his finite body and mind to perform an infinite amount of work. Therefore, a limited amount of rituals could never produce an unlimited effect, such as living in heaven throughout eternity. The effects of limited rituals could only produce limited results. Through the performance of limited ritualistic action one might go to heaven, but after a while the finite effects of the rituals would wear off, then one would have to be born again on earth. Such a person would T h e

never be able to achieve the freedom of his or her soul. Sri Krishna, therefore, taught a new technique of performing action. He instructed people to work without expecting its results. And he called that technique Karma-Yoga. It was a revolutionary idea introduced by him at that time. He also gave a new definition of a true monk and a Yogi. According to ancient Hindu tradition, a monk would have to give up his family life and stop doing the religious duties of a householder, such as the daily performance of obligatory Agnihotra worship. He would not have to work for a living and would maintain himself by begging food from householders. Sri Krishna claimed that such a person was not necessarily a ‘true’ monk. A true monk is one who works, but does not expect the results of his work. According to this new definition by Sri Krishna, even a householder could be called a true monk and a Yogi as long as he would work without expecting the fruits of his work. In other words, Sri Krishna emphasized the glory of Karma-Yoga more than any other Yoga mentioned by him in the Bhagavad Gita. One great Indian scholar, Tilak, used to call the Bhagavad Gita ‘Karma-Yoga Rahasya’ or ‘The Secret of Karma-Yoga’. According to Tilak, the principal message of the Bhagavad Gita was the message of Karma Yoga. Harmony of Four Yogas Swami Vivekananda’s claim that a spiritual aspirant could simultaneously practice all four Yogas and reach spiritual freedom is based on his realization that each of these Yogas either directly or indirectly teaches unselfishness. Selfishness is no other than identification with our body-mind-complex. When we identify with our body, mind, vital energy and the senses we are selfish. For

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 592 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

117

the freedom of our souls we have to give up this selfishness. Swami Vivekananda says, ‘. . . freedom is to be attained only by perfect unselfishness; every thought, word, or deed that is unselfish takes us towards the goal . . .’ He also said, ‘Unselfishness is God’. Bhakti-Yoga teaches a devotee to love God alone and do all his activities not for his own pleasure, but for the pleasure of God. This is the practice of unselfishness through love of God. Identification with one’s own bodymind-complex is selfishness. Jnana-Yoga teaches its followers to give up their identification with their body-mind-complex in order to manifest the soul within. In other words, Jnana-Yoga also teaches the practice of unselfishness. The goal of Raja-Yoga is Asamprajnata Samadhi. In order to achieve this Samadhi a spiritual aspirant has to overcome some obstacles, one of which is Asmita or egoism. Asmita is no other than the identification of a person with his mind and senses. Asmita is the root cause of selfishness. It has to be given up in order to reach the goal of Raja-Yoga. As has been said earlier, a Karma-Yogi has to give up his attachment to the fruits of his actions. Attachment to anything is no other

than one’s selfish involvement with that thing. Therefore, the practice of Karma-Yoga is also a practice of unselfishness. Once Sri Ramakrishna taught his followers that they should serve all creatures looking upon them as God.2 In this teaching we find a beautiful blending of Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga. Swami Vivekananda himself practiced that teaching and taught his followers to do the same. It was Swami Vivekananda who founded the Ramakrishna Order. All the philanthropic activities of the Ramakrishna Order, such as running hospitals, charitable clinics, educational institutions, giving relief to the victims of natural disasters, etc. are conducted with this spiritual attitude. Once Swami Vivekananda said to some young monks of the Ramakrishna Order, ‘I love you all so much, yet I wish that you die serving others [looking upon them as the veritable manifestation of God]. That will make me happy!’ Thus, we can conclude that the common principle underlying all the four Yogas is unselfishness or self-sacrifice. Unselfishness alone can lead us to our spiritual freedom. Swami Vivekananda’s ideal of integration of the four Yogas is justified by the above arguments. o

References 1.

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda: Volume VIII. page 36

‘Shivajnane jiva-seva’ i.e., ‘Service to all creatures looking upon them as Lord Shiva’.

After long searches here and there, in temples and in churches, in earths and in heavens, at last you come back, completing the circle from where you started, to your own soul and find that He for whom you have been seeking all over the world, for whom you have been weeping and praying in churches and temples, on whom you were looking as the mystery of all mysteries shrouded in the clouds, is nearest of the near, is your own Self, the reality of your life, body, and soul. That is your own nature. Assert it, manifest it. Not to become pure, you are pure already. You are not to be perfect, you are that already. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 593 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Global Spiritual Movement and Swamiji’s Universal Vedanta SWAMI BHAJANANANDA

If we look around at the world today, what comes to our notice at first is likely to be the enormous increase in crime, violence against women, terrorism, immorality, corruption and other social evils. Exaggerated accounts of these appear in newspapers which give rise to a sombre picture of the world. But if we look beyond these shadows, we begin to notice a brighter world of universal thought currents. Apart from the enormous increase in high-rise buildings, shopping complexes, cellphones, electronic gadgets, consumer goods and other external things, great changes are taking place in world thought, in the collective thinking of humanity. What is really happening is not merely the development of innumerable ideas, concepts and innovations but a basic change in man’s attitude and response to life and reality. This has given rise to several megatrends in world thought. Some of these megatrends are: v Influence of information and communication technology in all departments of human endeavour and in the life of common people. v Knowledge revolution which is bringing into existence a ‘knowledge society’ in which knowledge is the main force driving economy.

v Globalization of economy. v Concern for the environment. v Neo-humanism which stresses human

rights, especially the rights of marginalized people. v Moral relativism: changes in the norms of moral conduct. v Enormous increase in psychological and existential problems such as feeling of loneliness, anxiety and meaninglessness, and the quest for meaning in life. v Rise of the global spiritual movement. Of these global trends it is the last one that is the subject of our discussion here. By ‘global spiritual movement’ is meant the upsurge of interest in spirituality in recent years in many parts of the free world, especially in the West. Millions of Western people have taken to the practice of meditation, Yoga, Zen, Vipassana, and other spiritual disciplines. The present spiritual movement in the West is quite different from the earlier spiritual movement which originated in America in the 1960s and ’70s under the influence of oriental ideas and under the impact of the sudden influx of yogis, gurus, lamas, kinds of spiritual and other teachers. In that early phase, spirituality often got mixed up with occult

A senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and a former editor of Prabuddha Bharata, the author is Assistant Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Belur Math. His books include Selfless Work: Its Basis, Methods and Fulfilment, Integral Education: Swami Vivekananda's Educational Vision, The Light of the Modern World: the Universal Significance of Sri Ramakrishna's Avatarahood and Message, and Holy Trio and Their Mission. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 594 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

119

matters, healing, past life regression, rise of psychedelic drugs, etc. It was anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-establishment. It came to be known as ‘New Age Movement’, ‘Human Potential Movement’, ‘Counter-culture’, etc. It never became a part of the main stream of society and, although some eminent thinkers and writers were drawn to it, the followers of the earlier spiritual movement were mostly eccentric individuals, including the Hippies. By contrast, the present-day spiritual movement belongs to the main stream of social life and world thought. Its followers are normal, successful individuals holding responsible jobs, and include business executives, lawyers, engineers, salesmen, therapists and others who belong to all walks of life. It is a response to a genuine need for a spiritual perspective, a higher, holistic view of life and reality, and a saner, more meaningful way of life. It is not a passing fad but appears to be the result of the natural psycho-social evolution of human consciousness. It marks the attainment of maturity and autonomy of the human mind in determining its own course of development. One of its chief characteristics is that it is supported by science and technology. The support of science to spirituality comes from the fact that the common ground between the two has been found. That common ground is consciousness. Consciousness studies have now become an integral part of several disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, even quantum physics.

In the West, study of consciousness as an independent discipline began only towards the end of the 19th century, after discovery of the unconscious by Bruer and Freud. Western philosophers and scientists have always associated consciousness with the mind, and the key issue for them is whether the mind is identical with the brain or is independent of it. In India investigation into the true nature of consciousness began at least by 1000 B.C, perhaps much earlier. The ancient sages followed the direct path of investigation through meditation, self-enquiry and interiorization. They discovered consciousness to be independent of, and different from, the mind. It is indeed the witnessing Self in man. The ancient Indian sages undertook the most thorough and deepest study of this ‘witnessing Self’ ever undertaken anywhere in the world. This study led to the development of two main views on the nature of consciousness: a monistic view known as Vedanta and a dualistic view known as Yoga. Vedanta and Yoga remained separate during the early period. The first attempt to combine them into a single system was made by Sri Krishna in the Gita. During the medieval period, Vedanta became the dominant school of philosophical thought in India, and Yoga came to be neglected. In modern times Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda have reunified Vedanta and Yoga once again. It was this unified Vedanta-Yoga system of thought that Swami Vivekananda expounded and spread in the West and in India.

Science of Consciousness A proper understanding of the nature of consciousness is necessary to understand the true nature of spirituality. This is because spirituality deals with the higher levels of consciousness. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 595 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

120

Religion and Spirituality Till modern times spirituality had been regarded as belonging exclusively to the domain of religion. The present trend is to separate spirituality from religion.1 In religions of Indian origin spirituality has always formed the main stream, whereas in Abrahamic religions, which originated in the Middle East, spirituality forms a side stream known as mysticism. In recent years mysticism has been demystified and secularized to such an extent that it has become an independent discipline known as ‘spirituality’ or ‘secular spirituality’, an independent movement known as Spiritual Movement. In a recent poll conducted by the Newsweek in the United States, it was found that thirty per cent of Americans call themselves spiritual rather than religious. The use of the term ‘religion’ is usually confined to the realm of faith—faith in a founder-prophet, faith in a sacred book which is a record of the revelations that he had received, and faith in a set of dogmatic assertions which may not be in accord with the truths discovered by science. ‘Religion’ also implies observance of a certain code of conduct, customs, festivals, rituals, etc., allegiance to certain institutions and identification with a community of believers. What then is spiritual life or spirituality? There are now thirty or more definitions of spirituality. Psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, neuro-scientists—have all defined the term in their own ways. The most basic definition of spirituality would be: Spirituality is a view of reality or way of life which is centred on the spirit. This leads to the question, what is ‘spirit’? The meaning of the term ‘spirit’ depends upon our understanding of the nature of T h e

human personality. There are two main theories of personality in the religious traditions of the world. In all non-Indian religious traditions the human personality is regarded as dichotomous, that is, it consists of two entities, the body and the mind. The mind itself is known as the soul or spirit. In this sense spiritual life is only a higher form of mental life, and is not much different from moral life. A spiritual man is known as a ‘holy man’. In India the ancient sages of the Upanishads discovered that the human personality has a trichotomous structure, that is, it consists of the body, the mind and the Atman. The Atman is of the nature of pure awareness or contentless consciousness (cit or caitanya). Our very notion ‘I exist’, (sat) is owing to the Atman. The Atman is also the source of all happiness (ananda). Thus the Atman is described as sat-cit-ananda (ExistenceConsciousness-Bliss). Furthermore, the Atman is unchanging, eternal and immortal; it is our true nature; whereas the body and mind are ever-changing and perishable and so they cannot be our true nature. It is this Atman that is meant by ‘spirit’ in the Indian tradition. Hence spiritual life means a way of life based on the Atman (adhyatmika-jeevana). Thus the basis of spirituality in the Indian tradition is the autonomy of consciousness, its independence of even the mind. In other religions, although the idea of the Atman is not there, a distinction is often made between a lower mind, which is the seat of desires and passions, and a higher mind which is the seat of faith, higher knowledge, etc. The higher mind is known as the ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’. Spiritual life is a way of life centred on this soul or spirit. A modern definition of spirituality which is in accord with this view is given here:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 596 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

121

Spirituality, which comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning ‘breath of life’, is a way of being and experiencing that comes about through awareness of a transcendent dimension and that is characterized by certain identifiable values in regard to self, others, nature, life and whatever one considers to be the Ultimate.2

Another feature which distinguishes spirituality from religion is that in spirituality the emphasis is not on conformity to dogmas, traditions or customs but on personal quest for meaning and direct experience. Transcendental (ateendriya) spiritual experience, known as ‘mystical experience’, is recognized in all religions. For centuries mystical life and experience had remained confined to small groups of people, most of whom were monks or nuns. In modern times Swami Vivekananda was one of the first persons to open the doors of mysticism to people belonging to all walks of life. Since then, especially after the Second World War, spiritual life has become more and more secularized, and separated from the parent religion. Direct transcendental experiences described by the great saints and mystics of all religions may be beyond the attainment of ordinary people. But everyone can have an intuitive feeling about, or faith in, a Supreme Power guiding one’s life, or a Divine Presence or source of Power in one’s heart. Such experiences can transform a person’s whole life and enable him to lead a noble life of service to humanity. It is this transforming power of personal experiences that distinguishes spirituality from mere conformity to religious customs. Two Kinds of Spirituality There are at present two main streams of spirituality: Religious Spirituality and Nonreligious or Secular Spirituality. T h e

Religious spirituality is spiritual life lived within the bounds of a religion. Secular spirituality is spiritual life lived without any affiliation to institutional religions. In the Indian religious tradition, since spirituality constitutes the very core and basis of religion, the distinction between religious spirituality and secular spirituality has never been very prominent. The need to have secular spirituality exists mainly in the West. This is chiefly because the foundations of faith in traditional religion have been undermined by the horrors of Wars, by the dominance of science and by the materialistic ideologies and rationalistic thought. It should, however, be mentioned here that the Western secular spiritual movement is seeping into Indian society also, especially among those people who have come under the strong influence of Western culture and also among those who are fed up with the endless occurrences of caste prejudice and religious unrest. The Present-day Spiritual Movement Freed from the hold of traditional religions, and supported by science and technology, secular spirituality is becoming popular among the present generation of youths. For millions of people it has become a new way of making life nobler, enriched, meaningful, successful and fulfilling. This secularization of spirituality has been hailed as a ‘spiritual revolution’.3 Apart from this popular aspect, spirituality has now become a major field of interdisciplinary study and research for philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists and even quantum physicists. What are the salient features of this new secular spiritual movement? When we study these salient features we cannot help noticing how close some of these features are to the well-known ideas of Swami Vivekananda.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 597 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

122

A prominent feature of the present secular spiritual movement is the shifting of young people’s attention from God to man. It is not theological questions about God that people are now interested in, but their own inner problems, especially existential problems such as meaninglessness, powerlessness, unfulfilment, ennui, angst, love, etc. Spiritual life is not conformity to customs and traditions but a personal quest—a personal quest for meaning, for lasting security, happiness, peace. The present generation is guided not by scriptural or institutional injunctions and prohibitions but by their own personal convictions. There is now a basic change in the attitude of young men and women towards themselves. Referring to this change as ‘massive subjective turn of modern culture’, Paul Heelas explains it as a ‘turn away from life lived in terms of external or “objective” roles, duties and obligations, and a turn towards life lived by reference to one’s own subjective experiences (relational as well as individualistic).’4 The idea that the human personality has a transcendental dimension in the form of pure consciousness which is independent of mind is a unique contribution of ancient India to world thought. Swami Vivekananda was one of the first persons to spread the concept of the Atman as the spirit in man, among the common people in the West. This idea of the spirit is now being widely accepted by the present generation. The concept of

T h e

human personality as a trichotomy of bodymind-spirit has now become one of the basic principles of belief underpinning the presentday secular spiritual movement. Another basic principle animating the present-day spiritual movement is the emphasis on direct experience of life and reality rather than on ‘blind faith’ in dogmatic religious creeds. We may note here that it was Sri Ramakrishna who in the 1870’s and 1880’s propounded the idea that the test and criterion of the validity of religion and spiritual truths is direct transcendental experience. Swami Vivekananda popularized this idea in the West. The experience aimed at by the followers of secular spirituality may not be the higher transcendental experience described by Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and the mystics of all religions. What the present generation seeks is a personal encounter with reality in all its dimensions—from ordinary day-to-day life to the highest mystic experience. For the present-day spiritual seekers any experience which transforms one’s life inwardly and gives a higher understanding of reality is a ‘spiritual experience’. Spiritual life is not conformity to some fossilized faith or custom or institution, but a personal, inner quest for meaning and fulfilment. Says the noted New Age author Paul Heelas: ‘An idea or practice is spiritual when it reveals our personal desire to establish a felt-relationship with the deepest meaning or powers governing life.’5 Religion

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 598 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

123

is often characterized as ‘static piety’, whereas spirituality is ‘dynamic growth’—growth in experience, wisdom, and fullness. Another major difference between traditional religions and modern spirituality is that traditional religions are other-worldly. That is to say, their primary focus is on life after death. What they promise is everlasting peace or happiness, known as Mukti, salvation, parinirvan, attainment of heaven, Pure Land, etc., after death. And this post-mortem reward is reserved only for their followers who lead a virtuous life. By contrast, the modern spiritual movement is this-worldly: its main aim is to attain happiness, prosperity and personal well-being in the present life itself, and lead an enlightened, meaningful life in this world. The new spiritual movement is characterized by a positive and holistic outlook on life. Good health is a basic concern; so is success in life. Success is nowadays defined not merely in terms of wealth but in terms of one’s total life which includes holistic health, stress management, happy family life, creativity, self-actualization and spiritual enlightenment. Spirituality itself is now being regarded as a means of attaining success in life. Business executives, salesmen, therapists, housewives and people from other walks of life attend expensive courses on spirituality conducted by modern spiritual gurus in different parts of the world. Books which project spirituality as means of attaining success in life, written by popular authors like Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukov, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle and others are among the bestsellers in recent years. There are also teachers who claim that wealth also can be acquired through spirituality.6 In the Hindu religious tradition there are two ways of leading a religious life which are T h e

known as Pravritti and Nivritti. Pravritti is a way of life which allows enjoyment of wealth (artha) and sense pleasure (kama), governed by morality (dharma). The overall aim of this path is material prosperity for all people (abhyudaya). Nivritti is the path of renunciation of wealth and sense enjoyment and liberation (mukti) from bondage to the world, from ignorance and suffering. Mukti is regarded as the highest good (nishreyasa) in this path. Thus Hindu religious tradition offers a choice of two ideals—worldly prosperity (abhyudaya) and Mukti (nishreyasa). In later centuries these two ideals came to be meant for two stages in life—youth and old age. It is clear that the modern spiritual movement, which aims at material prosperity, belongs to the path of Pravìtti. Swami Vivekananda showed that a spiritual perspective can be maintained in both Pravitti and Nivitti. This was what he meant by ‘Practical Vedanta’. Another important feature of the new spiritual movement is self-empowerment. The present generation does not want to put the blame for their misfortunes and failures on God. They take up full responsibility for their troubles and failures, and trace their source to their own ignorance, to their own unconscious and to their own inherent defects. They are also at the same time aware of the spiritual strength inherent in the soul, and empower themselves to overcome their weaknesses and defects. Anybody who goes through the lectures which Swami Vivekananda gave in India or the letters he wrote to Indians can see how close these modern ideas came to Swamiji’s exhortations on faith in oneself, selfreliance, fearlessness and strength. To give an example, Swamiji said,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 599 ~

Therefore, stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

124

destiny. All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves.7

One more important feature of the ongoing spiritual movement deserves mention here: it is its pluralistic approach to world religions, its openness to the spiritual paths of all religions. The internet now makes available to all people all over the world the spiritual truths of all religious traditions. The present generation is willing to accept spiritual truths wherever they are found—in yoga, in Vedanta, Zen, Sufism, Native American Indian spiritual tradition, and so on. In this way pluralism, inter-religious understanding and harmony are spreading among the common people in spite of the dogmatic and exclusivistic views still held by the theologians and the violent opposition of fundamentalists. The attitude of acceptance towards different religions seen in the presentday spiritual movement may have several causes. Among these causes the influence of Sri Ramakrishna’s doctrine of Dharmasamanvaya or Harmony of Religions occupies an important place. The importance of Sri Ramakrishna in this field is due to the fact that it was he who gave reality to the ideal of harmony by actually practising it in his own life. Without him ‘harmony of religions’ would have remained a mere theoretical concept. Apart from the above, the modern spiritual movement is characterized by ecological awareness, gender equality, and free use of modern technology. Globalization of Spirituality As was stated earlier, the present widespread interest in spirituality in the West is actually the second phase of the spiritual awakening of the Western mind. This second phase of the spiritual movement is a product of a realistic understanding of the limiT h e

tations of empirical knowledge, a deeper understanding of the human personality, and an experiential understanding of the beneficial effects of meditation, yoga, Zen, Vipassana and other spiritual practices. What is most significant is the reconciliation of science with spirituality, and the support which spiritual life receives from the ongoing Information Technology Revolution. As Fred Turner has pointed out in his best-selling book, From Counter Culture to Cyber Culture, the unprecedented rapidity of advancement of technology is bringing into existence a new global culture known as ‘Cyber Culture’. Commenting on the book, another writer states: . . . the last decades have seen the rise of a breathless optimism in the power of technology to fulfil our dreams of a better world; to create an increasingly egalitarian, decentralized and collaborative global community; and even, some tell us, to serve the teleological goals of cultural and biological evolution.8

Cyber culture is based on the view that human societies are elaborate, nonhierarchical, self-regulating information systems with feedback loops. The customary notion of human culture as conditioned by geographical areas, race, religion, etc., is now becoming irrelevant in the new global context. The present computer-savvy generation is extending not only the frontiers of knowledge but also the frontiers of society, and is learning to think globally. The association of this cyber culture with spirituality opens new possibilities for the future of humanity. Aided by scientific studies on consciousness and by information technology, the present interest in spirituality is tending to develop into global spirituality. About this phenomenon the late Dr Ewert Cousins, who was a professor of theology at Fordham University in New York

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 600 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

125

and was active in inter-faith dialogue, wrote in 1996: All the religions and all the people of the world are undergoing the most challenging transformation in history leading to the birth of a new consciousness. Forces which have been at work for centuries are drawing the human race into a global network and the religions of the world into a global spiritual community.9

The new spirituality is breaking down the barriers in inter-human relationships created by race, religion, nationality, individual and collective prejudice and ignorance. This does not, however, mean that global spirituality is a homogeneous, uniform and single path or practice or discipline. In fact one of the distinctive features of the present spiritual movement is the enormous diversity of ideals, philosophical concepts, methods, practices and experiences popularized by innumerable gurus, yogis, and other kinds of spiritual teachers, and the freedom the present generation has to choose any path they like. It may be pointed out here that more than a hundred years ago Swamiji spoke of the need for globalization of spirituality, and the need to have diversity of spiritual paths to suit the diversity of human temperaments and capacities. About the need to have a universal spiritual outlook, he said:

By unity Swamiji meant unity in diversity. He stressed diversity of human efforts, creativity, spiritual paths, etc., as necessary for the preservation of human culture and the attainment of human progress. He has pointed out that diversity is an essential aspect of Nature, and variation has an important role in the evolution of life (as Darwin has shown). This applies in the field of religion also. Variation in religion caused by breaking into sects has survival value: it enables religions to survive the opposition and dissent of their followers. Swamiji wrote: . . . it seems to me that this splitting up of each religion into sects is the preservation of religion by frustrating the tendency to rigid sameness, as well as the clear indication to us of the line of procedure. The end seems, therefore, to be not destruction but multiplication of sects until each individual is a sect unto himself.11

There cannot be any progress without the whole world following in the wake . . . Every idea has to become broad till it covers the whole of this world, every aspiration must go on increasing till it has engulfed the whole of humanity, nay the whole of life, within its scope.10

Swamiji’s Concept of Universal Religion Swami Vivekananda has given three concepts of Universal Religion. The first concept is: Universal Religion is the one Eternal Religion of which all the existing religions are different manifestations. The second concept is: Universal Religion is the sum total of all the existing religions. These two concepts pertain to harmony of religion. Swamiji’s third concept of Universal Religion identifies it with universal spirituality. It is in this sense that Swamiji spoke of Universal Religion at the parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. Swamiji stated:

Swamiji’s ideas on universalization or globalization of spirituality were based on his vision of the oneness of life, oneness of humanity and oneness of the ultimate Reality—without losing sight of the diversity of life or diversity of human temperament.

. . . if there is ever to be a Universal religion it must be one which will have no location in place or time; which will be infinite like the God it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna and of Christ, on saints and sinners alike; which will not be Brahmanic, or

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 601 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

126

Buddhistic, Christian or Mohammedan, but the sum total of all these, and still have infinite space for development; which in its catholicity will embrace in its infinite arms, and find a place for every human being, from the lowest grovelling savage. . .to the highest man . . .12

It is often alleged that, in the name of universal religion, Swamiji preached Hinduism. This is not correct. Swamiji believed that just as science is based on the eternal and universal truths and laws of the empirical world, so also religion (i.e. spirituality) is based on the eternal truths and laws of the transcendental world which are universally valid. These spiritual truths were discovered by the sages of the Upanishads in ancient India. These eternal truths constitute what is known as Vedanta darshana. Since Vedanta is based on eternal and universal truths of the spiritual world, which are common to all religions, Swamiji held that Vedanta could be regarded as a universal religion or universal philosophy of religion. This was what Swamiji meant when he stated, ‘All religion is contained in the Vedanta.’ Here ‘Vedanta’ does not mean the traditional Vedanta. Swamiji converted the scripture-based, world-negating, exclusive philosophy of traditional Advaita into an experience-based, life-affirming, positive, universal philosophy-cum-religion meant for all people irrespective of the differences of caste, religion or race. This is a significant contribution of Swami Vivekananda to modern worldthought. All the present-day spiritual movements derive their basic concepts and spiritual authority, directly or indirectly, from Swamiji’s Universal Vedanta. Another equally significant contribution of Swamiji is his conception of Practical Vedanta. T h e

Practical Vedanta Swamiji used the term ‘Practical Vedanta’ in two senses. 1. In the first sense, ‘Practical Vedanta’ implies that philosophical concepts such as Atman, Brahman, Jivanmukti, etc are not mere theoretical concepts but spiritual truths which can be directly realized. [In this sense the word ‘practical’ may be taken to mean ‘practicable’.] It is as the means to realize Vedantic truths that Swamiji introduces Yoga. The central concept of Vedanta is the Divinity of the soul. Swamiji conceives each Yoga, including Karma Yoga, as a direct means to the realization of the Divinity of the soul.13 He, however, also holds that a synthesis of all the four Yogas is the ideal method. This is because each Yoga is governed by one of the four faculties: thinking, feeling, willing, acting; and a synthesis of all the four Yogas results in the harmonious development of all the faculties, and the emergence of an all-round, balanced, wellintegrated, fully functional, autonomous individual who is open to different aspects of God, who accepts all world religions as true, who serves God in all people. Swami Vivekananda, regarded such an individual as the ideal of the modern age, and he looked upon Sri Ramakrishna as the perfect embodiment of this ideal. 2. Swamiji used the term Practical Vedanta more commonly in a second sense, especially in India: the application of the metaphysical principles of Vedanta in the empirical world to deal with the existential and even socio-economic problems of ordinary life. If Vedanta can help people to attain Mukti, can it not help people to solve the mundane problems of life? Swamiji asked himself this question and found the answer: Yes, it can. The practical applicability of a metaphysical principle is known as ‘praxis’. Karl

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 602 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

127

Marx introduced the idea of praxis in the 19th century. Since then in modern times it has become an accepted canon in Western philosophical circles that metaphysical principles must have practical applicability in social life. In the light of this understanding, Swamiji’s idea of Practical Vedanta assumes a unique philosophical significance apart from its practical implications. The practical implications of Swamiji’s second concept of Practical Vedanta have much importance in modern man’s life and deserve elaborate discussion. But, owing to the limitations of space, we only just mention some of them. (a) Basis of Morality and Ethics One of the drawbacks of the presentday global spiritual movement is the lack of a strong moral base. Swamiji has made the purity and oneness of the Atman the basis of a new view of morality and ethics which appeals to modern Youths who often reject conventional morality based on fear and compulsion. (b) Self-empowerment What modern people, especially the Youths, need most is inner strength to face the multifarious challenges of modern life. Swamiji’s teachings on the Atman as the source of inexhaustible power enable youths to find the source of strength within themselves. (c) A Meaningful Philosophy of Work Although there exist several theories of work, including Karl Marx’s idea of selfrealization through work, none of them fulfils satisfactorily the needs of present-day society. Swamiji’s philosophy of work, based on the following principles, aims at the attainment of higher spiritual fulfilment, material prosperity, T h e

social justice, harmony and freedom. The principles are: v Every kind of work can be a means of manifesting man’s potential Divinity which means every type of work can be converted into Yoga. v Karma Yoga as a direct path to Mukti. v Social Service as a spiritual discipline: service to man as service to God. v Focus on service to the poor, the sick and other underprivileged people. Swamiji believed that Practical Vedanta can be applied in day-to-day life not only by educated people and spiritual seekers, but also by uneducated farmers, fishermen and others belonging to all walks of life. He declared: These conceptions of Vedanta must come out, must remain not only in the forest, not only in the cave, but they must come out to work at the bar and the bench, in the pulpit, and in the cottage of the poor, with the fishermen catching fish, and with the students that are studying.

Divinization of Life The ultimate goal of Vedanta is to free man from Maya or Ajnana and enable him to realize his true nature as Atman-Brahman. This means the attainment of everlasting Freedom, supreme Knowledge and Bliss. A person who gets this realization is known as a jivanmukta ‘one who is liberated in life’. He sees the world as illusory and remains unattached. This is the ideal which has inspired thousands of people in India from Vedic times to follow the path of spirituality. In modern times Sri Ramakrishna has added a new dimension to this ancient ideal. According to him, an illumined person with a fuller realization sees the Divine in all beings and dedicates his life to the service of suffering

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 603 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

128

humanity. Sri Ramakrishna called such a person a vijnani. The life of such a person cannot be regarded as ordinary human life. He has gone beyond human limitations and his whole consciousness has been transformed into Divine Consciousness. His life is Divine Life. Thus, divinization of life is the ultimate goal of spiritual life. Swami Vivekananda saw that, even as an ideal, Divinization of life has immense practical utility to ordinary people. If a person can live and work with this ideal in view, his whole life gradually gets transformed from human life into Divine life. Swamiji said,

nature is potentially divine, and unless he manifests this inherent potentiality, he cannot be fully human, his personality cannot be said to be fully developed. In other words, man should rise from moral life to spiritual life; the spiritual perspective should be the foundation for moral life, social life, economic life, and even science. This awareness is now spreading in the form of the present-day ‘Secular Spiritual Movement’. Swami Vivekananda predicted this more than one hundred and ten years ago. In a lecture on ‘Necessity of Religion’, Swamiji stated: The power of religion [by which he meant spirituality], broadened and purified, is going to penetrate every part of human life. So long as religion was in the hands of a chosen few or of a body of priests, it was in temples, churches, books, dogmas, ceremonials, forms, and rituals. But when we come to the real, spiritual, universal concept, then, and then alone, religion will become real and living; it will come into our very nature, live in our every movement, penetrate every pore of our society, and be infinitely more a power for good than it has ever been before.15

My ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.14

Under the impact of the ‘knowledge revolution’ that is now going on all over the world, great changes are taking place in individual human life and in social life. As wealth increases, moral problems such as crime, violence and immorality, psychological problems such as neuroses and depression, and existential problems such as meaninglessness, loneliness, restlessness, etc., are also increasing at an alarming rate. These problems cannot be solved by enforcing law or preaching moral values. Morality is only an attempt to rise from animal life to human life. But man in his true

Divinization of the whole human life – this was what Swami Vivekananda envisioned about the future of humanity. Universal Vedanta and Practical Vedanta together provide a comprehensive scheme for the Divinization of human life. o

References 1. 2. 3.

See, David N. Elkins, Spiritual Revolution (New Delhi: New Age Books, 2010) p. 9-12 Ibid, p. 33 see, Paul Heelas, Linda Woodland, Benjamin Seel, The Spiritual Revolution (London: Blackwell Publishing, 2005) p. 6 Ibid p.2 T h e

5. 6

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 604 ~

Paul Heelas, The New Age Movement: (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996) p 60 See Vikas Malkani, The Yoga of Wealth (Singapore: Times Editions—Marshall Cavendish, 2004) and Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (New York: Atria Books, 2007) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Kolkata: D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

129

Advaita Ashrama, 1993) Vol 2 p 225 Carter Phips, ‘Digital Utopia’ in the journal What is Enlightenment (Ed Andrew Cohen) April-June, 2007 Quoted in A Sourcebook for Earth’s Community of Religions, Ed Joel Beversluis (Grand Rapids, MI, CoNexus Press, 1995)

10. CW, 3:269 11. CW, 4:376 12 CW, 1.19 13 CW, 1.93 14. CW, 7:501 15. CW, 2:68

He is Our Own Eternally! In spiritual realization, one will find that He who resides in one's heart, resides in the hearts of others as well—the oppressed, the persecuted, the untouchable and the outcast. This realization makes one truly humble. One must live very carefully. Every action produces its results. It is not good to harass others or use harsh words towards others. God is realized in spirit. How else can one see God? Has God talked to anybody devoid of ecstatic fervour? One sees God in spiritual vision, talks to Him, and establishes relationship with Him in Spirit. . . What else is spiritual life besides praying to the Master, repeating his Name, and contemplating on him? . . . What is there after all in him? He is our own eternally! —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 605 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Living the Spiritual Life SWAMI DAYATMANANDA

Why Be Spiritual? Before we begin our discussion about spiritual life, let us clarify certain points. Is it necessary to be spiritual? Can we not live without spirituality? What do we gain by being spiritual? What do we lose if we neglect spiritual life? Is spiritual life an option? The answer to these is simple. Life without spirituality is incomplete, unsatisfactory and unfulfilled. Why? Because we are essentially spiritual beings! A human being is not just a body but he or she consists of the Atman, mind and body. In fact we are the Atman with a body-mind complex. As we neglected the most important part of our being—spirituality—, in spite of having physical and mental health, many of us continue to suffer so much. Swami Vivekananda summarised the essence of all scriptures thus: Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by controlling nature, external and internal.

Raja Ajit, the Maharaja of Khetri, once asked Swami Vivekananda, ‘What is life?’ Swamiji answered: ‘Life is the unfoldment and fulfilment of a being under circumstances tending to press it down.’ The Ideal of God Experience Sri Ramakrishna’s advent was meant to revive the Ideal of experiencing God in

this life. Through his life and teachings Sri Ramakrishna woke up this sleeping grand Ideal of life. He continues to awaken the consciousness of modern man to this supreme concern of spiritual life. To Sri Ramakrishna the quest for God or the Divine was the primary concern of life. He gave himself to the search of God and found His divine Presence everywhere. To Sri Ramakrishna, seeking God was the sole occupation of life. He emphasised this to everyone who came to him seeking peace and fulfilment. He emphasised God-realisation as the only goal of life. Like the sages of the Upanishads, Sri Ramakrishna saw that a life without God or God-experience as a life of huge self-annihilation, mahati vinashtih— ‘a great disaster’, as the Kena Upanishad says. The Isavasya Upanishad says that those who do not lead a spiritual life go to the worlds of darkness and are called asuras, demons. He also taught that God can be realised through intense yearning. Seeking, wanting, yearning, longing for God—this is the core point of spiritual life. We might call this as Vyakulata Yoga—the Yoga or Path of longing for God. Sri Ramakrishna advised the modern man in search of peace: To realise God is the one goal of life. Devote yourself to spiritual practice and go forward. Through practice you will advance more and

o Swami Dayatmananda is the Head of Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, Buckinghamshire, UK. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 606 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

131

more in the path of God. At last you will come to know that God alone is real and all else is illusory, and that the goal of life is the attainment of God.

The ancient Rishis as well as the later day sages of India knew through direct experience this truth: they realised their true nature and attained supreme peace. They said that our real nature (svarupa) is Satchidananda— Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. The whole problem is that we have forgotten this and that is why we suffer. Hence the sages place the ideal of Godrealisation as the goal of life so that we may put an end to our suffering and realise our true nature and be blessed forever. Again, if we are all potentially divine beings, then God or Self-realisation is not an option—it is inbuilt in human existence. If we are divine we have no choice but to manifest our nature. Nature is like an escalator—it takes us up through various experiences and make us mature. Through the process of evolution, Nature is carrying us to our final destiny—our Divinity. She would not let us go until we know who we are. There would be no respite until we realise this. Then only we will go beyond all suffering and become free. That is why wise people all over the world in every clime and time have renounced the world so that they can realise their potential nature and become blessed. They have found that nothing is permanent in this world—everything else is changing and unreal; only God is the Unchanged One and Real. To put it simply: We are spiritual beings. To manifest our spiritual nature is the inevitable goal of life. Spiritual life is not an option. To live a spiritual life now or later is an option. What If We Do Not Live a Spiritual Life? T h e

The Kena Upanishad, one of the ancient Hindu scriptures, says: na ched avedin mahati vinashtih: ‘If one does not come to know the Supreme, he must suffer utter destruction . . . Those who realise the Supreme become immortal, but others inevitably suffer.’ This implication of this verse of the Upanishad is that we if do not realise God, 1. We remain incomplete and insecure, and unfulfilled. 2. We miss the greatest joy, bliss that could be ours. After all with every breath we are striving to remain happy! 3. We cannot solve the problems of life— and death. 4. There would be no end of our sorrows and sufferings. In any case we will have to turn to spiritual life sooner or later. So, why not now? But before embarking on spiritual life, we must get rid of certain peculiar ideas about spiritual life that many of us nurture. Some of these ideas are: 1. That spiritual life is only for a few eccentric people (possibly, a screw must be loose in their heads!). 2. That spiritual life is a special way of living and not suitable for everyone. 3. That youth is for enjoyment; one can surely take up spiritual life in old age, etc.! What is the hurry? We can even take it up in the next life! Obviously these ideas spring from ignorance of the real nature of life and of spiritual life. For spiritual life is not a special way of living, but a spiritual way of looking upon oneself, others, life and the world. It is a way of having a healthier, wiser, happy and more fulfilling life. It is a way of developing a holistic way of life. It is a way of living a mature, balanced life; it is a way of achieving integration of personality. It is a way of

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 607 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

132

turning away from a ‘having mode’ of life to a ‘being mode’ of life. Why People Neglect Spiritual Life Despite all evidences to the contrary, spiritual life is a life of joy, meaning and fulfilment. Strangely enough, many keep away from religion, spiritual life, God. Why is this so? Advances in science and technology have deeply influenced and changed our way of thinking and attitudes. Some thinkers give the following reasons, arising out of this ‘scientific way’ of thinking, for neglect of spiritual life: 1. What cannot be proved in the laboratory of the scientist should not be accepted. 2. What we see in front of our eyes, and what we experience through our senses alone must be taken as the only reality. In other words, we have become crass materialists. (Materialism is not having many materials but to consider matter alone as real) To add to this someone invented the Credit Card, encouraging us to become virtual Charvakas, the sweet-spoken materialists referred to in Sanskrit literature. The Charvakas believe that one should somehow enjoy life, by hook or crook—‘by taking loan, enjoy the clarified butter’ (rinam kritva ghritam pibet)! Of course, science and technology have conferred countless blessings (along with sufferings, and phobias) on mankind. But the question is: has it made man better, nobler, altruistic, and civilised? By all facts and figures that we have, we can say an emphatic ‘No’. Further, we also are under the delusion that progress in external knowledge is equivalent to all-round progress. Not true. The real question is: what gains has the inner man, the real man, made? Have the age-old questions—‘Who am I? What is life? Where am I going? What am I expected to T h e

do?’—been answered? We are still seeking answers—often groping in darkness and gloom! We speak of progress and advancement as the hallmark of modern life. But what is the criterion by which we can define progress? The famous American writer Aldous Huxley says that true progress must be measured in terms of overall increase in goodness, happiness and creativity. If we take this measure, there will always be very few people who measure up to this criterion. A few people! That is not the way. Only when a large percentage of the world population is steadily progressing in terms of goodness, happiness and creativity can we say that the world is progressing. We have not been able to prevent wars; nor eradicate poverty, hunger, malnutrition. In spite of all the psychological progress, even by rough estimates, one-fourth of the world population are mentally sick. That is almost one in every family! Hence let us think seriously over what we call success and progress. Understanding Spiritual Progress Now let us turn our attention to spiritual life. When asked about spiritual progress, Swami Brahmananda, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna, made a remarkable statement. He said that one must become a gentleman before one tries to become a spiritual person. By the word gentleman what the Swami meant was one must become a mature, balanced, and focussed person. Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga is a beautiful reformulation of the Karma-kanda of the Vedas in the context of spiritual life. Karma Yoga purifies our mind—it leads to chitta-shuddhi. It makes a person more rational, disciplined, focussed and mature,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 608 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

133

and fit to undertake spiritual Sadhana. (In this context, Swami Yatiswarananda, an eminent monk of the Ramakrishna Order, used to say that many scientists are nearer to God than many devotees, because they already possess three important requisite qualities for higher life—a definite goal, concentration and discipline.) Swami Yatiswarananda’s Advice Once I asked Swami Yatiswarananda, ‘How one can progress in spiritual life?’ In reply he said that five things are essential for progress in spiritual life: 1. A deep desire for leading a pure life. 2. A pure and self-controlled life. Without control of the mind there is no chance of progress. 3. Without the grace of God no one can progress in life. He further advised, ‘Always connect every thought, word and action that you do with the divine’. 4. Constant self-awareness. One cannot emphasise sufficiently the importance of awareness. One must be constantly watching what one is doing. 5. We must have a definite role model such as Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and other direct disciples so that we may mould our lives also in their pattern. For women the best role model is Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. The revered Swami used to say that one must find out ‘the Centre of one’s consciousness’. In other words, we must find out where our mind is. With little introspection it is easy to find out where one’s mind dwells most of the time. If we find ourselves thinking worldly thoughts we must try to shift the ‘Centre’ to a higher, spiritual Centre. Spiritual life is an attempt to shift this Centre to a higher, spiritual Centre. T h e

Sri Ramakrishna’s Five Commandments to Spiritual Aspirants The Upanishads are the essence of the Vedas; The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of the Upanishads; the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is the essence of the Gita. In the very first chapter of the Gospel itself Sri Ramakrishna gives us five commandments. These were given in answer to M.’s two specific questions. The first four commandments are in answer to the first question, and the fifth commandment to the second question. By following these commandments anyone can progress in spiritual life and attain to God-realisation. ‘M’, the recorder of Sri Ramakrishna, puts two questions to Sri Ramakrishna and we get the following five commandments: M. (humbly): Yes, sir. How, sir, may we fix our minds on God?’ Sri Ramakrishna replies: v First Commandment Repeat God’s name and sing His glories. v Second Commandment Keep holy company and now and then visit God’s devotees and holy men. v Third Commandment The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities. It is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude. When a tree is young it should be fenced all around otherwise it may be destroyed by cattle. To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or retire to a secluded corner or to the forest. v Fourth Commandment You should always discriminate between the Real and the unreal. God alone is real, the Eternal Substance, all else is unreal, that is,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 609 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

134

impermanent. By discriminating thus, one should shake off impermanent objects from the mind. M. (humbly): How ought we to live in the world?’ v Fifth Commandment Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God. Live with all—with wife and children, father and mother—and serve them. Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart of hearts that they do not belong to you. A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She brings up her Master’s children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as ‘my Rama’ or ’my Hari’. But in her own mind she knows very well that they

do not belong to her at all. Do all your duties in the world, but keep your mind on God. If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief, its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you will be attached to them. [Gospel, p.81] Conclusion Indeed, if one practises these five commandments of Sri Ramakrishna with Shraddha, patience and perseverance, with God’s grace, one is sure to realise God and attain blessedness. Such a person becomes a source of peace and blessedness and inspiration to many! May we all develop devotion and faith in these words of Sri Ramakrishna! 

Discovering the Reality of Mirage Once in Western India I was travelling in the desert country on the coast of the Indian Ocean. For days and days I used to travel on foot through the desert, but it was to my surprise that I saw every day beautiful lakes, with trees all around them, and the shadows of the trees upside down and vibrating there. 'How wonderful it looks and they call this a desert country!' I said to myself. Nearly a month I travelled, seeing these wonderful lakes and trees and plants. One day I was very thirsty and wanted to have a drink of water, so I started to go to one of these clear, beautiful lakes, and as I approached, it vanished. And with a flash it came to my brain, 'This is the mirage about which I have read all my life,' and with that came also the idea that throughout the whole of this month, every day, I had been seeing the mirage and did not know it. The next morning I began my march. There was again the lake, but with it came also the idea that it was the mirage and not a true lake. So is it with this universe. We are all travelling in this mirage of the world day after day, month after month, year after year, not knowing that it is a mirage. One day it will break up, but it will come back again; the body has to remain under the power of past Karma, and so the mirage will come back. This world will come back upon us so long as we are bound by Karma: men, women, animals, plants, our attachments and duties, all will come back to us, but not with the same power. Under the influence of the new knowledge the strength of Karma will be broken, its poison will be lost. It becomes transformed, for along with it there comes the idea that we know it now, that the sharp distinction between the reality and the mirage has been known. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 610 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Resolving Inner Conflicts A Spiritual Perspective SWAMI ATMARUPANANDA

Conflicts: we know them so well! Confronting conflicts and trying to resolve them is, in fact, a fairly workable, albeit pragmatic, definition of life itself. What else is life? Facing conflicts means facing problems. We spend our lives, from birth to death, facing problems and trying to resolve them, or sometimes trying to avoid them. The attempt to avoid problems is futile, however, because problems refuse to avoid us. In spite of a lifetime of experience, we find ourselves thinking, ‘Once I can resolve this present problem that I’m facing, then life will be smooth going.’ But while we are working on the problem at hand, there are two or more problems turning the corner of life and coming directly at us; so there is no peace: no peace in the sense of a problem-free life. Another strange phenomenon, supporting our informal definition of life as ‘problem solving’, is seen among those of the very wealthy who use their wealth to buy freedom from problems (the so-called ‘idle rich’). They throw money at problems big and small to avoid them, hiring people to take care of all the messy details of life; and what happens? What would be an insignificant problem to an ordinary person becomes a huge problem for them. Further, if there are no real problems to face, such people start

imagining problems, conjuring up problems, showing that problems are part of the very stuff of life: we need problems so badly that if we don’t have real ones, we make them up! What Is a Conflict? We use common words like ‘conflict’ every day, thinking that we understand them. And certainly, we all have some understanding of the word. But such common understanding, unquestioned understanding, is usually a vague ‘gut feeling’ at best: we recognize conflict when we see it or feel it, but we are at a loss when trying to explain it. So let us start by asking, what is a conflict? Or more precisely for our discussion, what is a personal conflict?—a conflict involving persons. In this article we are interested in personal conflicts, not the conflict between two volatile chemicals or the conflict between two programming functions in a bit of computer code or the conflict between storm systems. Let’s also be clear that ‘personal conflicts’ here doesn’t mean necessarily ‘interpersonal conflicts’—conflicts between persons; it simply means the conflicts experienced by a person, whether they involve other people or not.

The author is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order who, after many years in our centres in America, now lives at the Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 611 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

136

What is, then, a conflict in this sense? It can be defined for our purposes as follows: A personal conflict is the felt opposition, with resulting tension— v between two or more contrary thoughts or emotions or needs or wishes or expectations or beliefs within oneself, v or between an internal need or wish or expectation or belief and outer circumstances, v or between the needs or wishes or expectations or beliefs of oneself and other persons; Or it can be— v the felt opposition between one’s need to do or decide something and the inability to do so; v or the opposition felt when others expect something that one can’t fulfil. In short, it is a perceived opposition between two or more contrary mental forces within oneself or between oneself and the outer world. And this perceived opposition causes frustration, blockage in the flow of our psychological and emotional life, often affecting even our physical life. The elements of a personal conflict are dynamic, not passive. They can be ideas, desires, opportunities, relationships, emotions, expectations, or even changing situations. Red and blue are passive facts and not the cause of conflict, but ‘I want the red one and I also want the blue one, but I can afford only one of them’ is a cause of conflict. There is a competition between the two different ‘wantings’, not between the colours. So for a conflict to exist, there must be two or more forces—all internal, or part internal and part external, but all dynamic—pushing me in two different directions at the same time. There’s an internal element to all personal conflicts. There isn’t a conflict between the red dress and the blue dress; there’s a T h e

conflict between ‘I want the red one, and I also want the blue one’ on the one hand, and ‘but I can’t have both’ on the other. The topic here is ‘Resolving Inner Conflicts’, and so we will focus on the conflicts within ourselves as opposed to our conflicts with others or with outer circumstances; but we should remember that all conflicts have an internal element, and that is where we can resolve them. If we can understand how to deal with inner conflicts, we can understand better how to deal with all conflicts. Inner Conflict Inner conflict refers to one where the major opposing forces are all within us. Such a conflict may have reference to the outer world—very often it does—but the opposition is going on within us. They fall into certain types: 1. Conflicting desires for more or less equal objects or outcomes 2. Conflicting desires where one object is clearly the higher 3. Conflict where a choice is needed but I don’t know which is the better 4. Conflict between desire or need to do something and the inability, either because of self-doubt or fear or inertia 5. Conflict between belief and doubt (without reference to desire or need) 6. Conflict in my ideas or in my emotions or from my subconscious mind The first four pertain to conflicts affecting decision-making. The fifth and sixth are conflicts in the mind. Pragmatic Resolution First, we’ll look at practical, pragmatic solutions, then we’ll go deeper and look at longer-term, more complete resolutions from a spiritual standpoint. Spiritual solutions take

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 612 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

137

time, usually years, and in the meantime life goes on and we have to face conflicts. So we need a two-pronged approach: immediately workable, and spiritual. The number at the beginning of each paragraph below references the numbered list of conflict types above. 1. The first is the easiest. To take an example, some people just don’t like to waste time on shopping, so they make quick decisions—red or blue, this brand or that brand, even relative cost is not a big deal. They just want to get it over with and go on to something else. Others want to consider all options and decide only after doing so carefully; such people may spend much more time even on small decisions. Neither is a problem and neither is based on a conflict: these are personality differences, and both are legitimate. But it becomes a problem when we are stuck not because we want to consider all options first before deciding, but because we want an impossible outcome. We want both the red dress and the blue dress but have to select only one, and we are stuck because we still want to have both. Here the solution is to ‘grow up’ and realize that if we like both, either one will do. 2. The second seems simple, but is a bit harder because it is not a superficial problem as is the first. When our higher mind wants something but our lower mind wants something contrary—maybe even harmful to the higher purpose—clearly we should go for the higher if we can. But sometimes we can’t. To take a not-uncommon example among spiritually minded people: a young man or woman wants to take to monastic life, but part of them also desires the fulfilment of family life and career. In conflicts of this type, where both options are good but one seems higher, one should test the relative strength of the T h e

two desires over time, taking the advice of unbiased people whose wisdom we trust; and we should pray intensely for guidance. An apparently ‘higher’ option is not higher if it is not meant for us. But if it is meant for us, we don’t want to negate it. When on the other hand we are faced with a conflict where the higher option is good and the lower option is immoral, then we should rouse ourselves to full alertness, exert our will, pray for strength, and seek support from someone we trust (someone that won’t betray us by gossiping about our problem with others), not giving in to our baser instincts. 3. The third conflict—where a choice is needed but one doesn’t know which option is better—seems easy to resolve. And sometimes it is: we just need more information. End of problem. But often it is impossible to have enough information to be confident in the decision. I am offered a new position with better pay, but it means some disruption of my life. Will the better pay and greater challenge be better for me and my dependants, or will it be better to pass up the new opportunity and remain satisfied with what I’m doing rather than turn my life upside down just for more money? Often I can’t see all of the eventual ramifications of my decision. In such a situation, after weighing the options the best I can, and after praying for guidance, I have to take a leap of faith and choose the best I can, depending on God’s grace and love and protection, and then make the best of the decision that I can. If it turns out poorly in spite of my best efforts, let me learn from it. If it turns out well, let me learn from that. Life is not about success and failure, it’s about learning wisdom from each experience. 4. The fourth—the conflict between the need to do something and the inability due to self-doubt or fear or inertia—is difficult to

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 613 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

138

overcome only because of my lack of prior character development. Let us look first at self-doubt. Some degree of self-doubt in an untested situation, or in a known but challenging situation is natural. After all, on stage at the Parliament of Religions on the opening day, Swami Vivekananda himself kept putting off the repeated calls to him to speak next, until finally he had to rise. But self-doubt can be chronic and it can be crippling. The cure is character development. We have to learn to keep self-doubt under control by first having Atma-shraddha [Shraddha—respect, faith— in oneself] based on self-understanding, and second by knowing that neither success nor failure really matters: it’s who we are becoming through our varied experiences positive and negative that matters. Then there is fear. Everyone other than the Sthitaprajna [one having ‘steadyintellect’] has some fear, but through character development our fears remain under control; they can’t paralyse us. By making a practice of ‘facing the brute’ as Swami Vivekananda says, I have to learn to hold my fears under control and act in spite of them, come what may. The conflict between the need to do something and inertia is the foundation of procrastination, an extremely common problem. There is an American comedian who calls himself ‘Swami Beyond-ananda, the Yogi from Muskogee’. His sure-fire remedy for procrastination? ‘When you feel like procrastinating, just put it off till later.’ Humorous advice, but not too practical. Probably everyone has areas of limited procrastination—things we keep putting off indefinitely because we just can’t get up the gumption to do them; but it can become a way of life, paralysing and devastating. If there is something that we really need to do, or T h e

should do, or would like to do, but just can’t overcome the inertia holding us back, then we need to look consciously at what it is that needs doing, what it would take to do it, the benefits of doing it, and how inertia is harming us. Drawing out a realistic plan of how to accomplish it can be very helpful, and then we can ask a trustworthy person to help us stick to our commitment—externalizing a commitment is a great help in getting ourselves in gear and keeping ourselves engaged until completion. 5 and 6. The last two types of conflict bring us to the spiritual side of inner conflict resolution. So now let us look at a deeper solution to conflict resolution, at least the beginnings of such a solution. Spiritual Resolution of Inner Conflicts When it comes to conflicts in our thinking and emotions, conflicts in our beliefs, conflicts from our subconscious, yes, modern secular psychology has much to say. But if we are spiritual aspirants, here is where spiritual wisdom can help us much more. An important qualification should be added here: if a person has serious mental problems—neuroses or psychoses—then the help of a professional is necessary. There’s no substitute in such cases. But if one’s conflicts are within the realm of the ordinary, then spiritual principles will be of the most help to a spiritual aspirant. This being a short article and not a book, we’ll have to settle for an outline of solutions, rather than an in-depth discussion. First, I need understanding: v understanding about myself, v understanding about the world, v understanding about what is real, and v understanding what is of value. Not the understanding that comes from modern education--that’s fine for the

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 614 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

139

purposes it serves, but here we need the deep understanding that is wisdom. We should study what the great spiritual giants have said, each according to one’s tradition. But a note of caution: absorb only the great liberal ideas, the universal ideas, the experiential ideas (as opposed to dogmatic ideas), the ideas which were first expressed in vast minds and great, open hearts. Otherwise we do ourselves more harm than good by feeding our minds with narrow, sectarian ideas. Again, first I need to understand who I am, what the universe is, what my relationship is to the universe, what reality is (that is, who God is), and what is of value in life. Second, I need to understand the purpose of life. For a Hindu it is the realization of God, or moksha, or enlightenment, as variously conceived depending on our path. That may seem far off, but even when it seems remote, there is a way of working with it. If I understand the ultimate goal of life, then my immediate goals can be better conceived and ordered. If I want a career and a family, then I can pursue those goals better if I can relate them in my thinking and acting to my ultimate goal of God-realization—no matter how far off that seems. Having a clear purpose in life, a clear orientation, is of extraordinary value, and one of the most important elements in learning to face conflicts from a higher standpoint. Having a clear purpose in life is like putting

T h e

a magnet into a random spread of iron filings—everything suddenly becomes ordered according to the magnet. So having a clear purpose brings order out of the chaos of our lives. If you don’t feel strong aspiration for God-realization, that’s all right. You have your proximate goals which will motive you. But if you can see a connection between your immediate goals and the ultimate goal of all life, then you will find new meaning and joy and fulfilment even in your proximate goals. So this is not impossible advice meant for saints. It is meant for the most ordinary among us. Third, anchor your emotions in something large, not in the mud puddles of ordinary life, not in the little likes and dislikes and jealousies and angers of ordinary life. If you have strong-enough faith in God, anchor your emotions in Him. If you feel love for others, then anchor your emotions in the welfare of all. Find the largest reality that you can feel attracted to—if not God, then humanity, or truth, or goodness, or beauty— Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Learn to look to the ocean, not to the little waves of life. That may seem hard. It is hard at first. But many have done it. Ordinary people have done it. Cobblers and fishermen and weavers have done it. If you can look to the Ocean, if you can anchor yourself in something large, then emotional conflicts are for all practical purposes solved.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 615 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

140

Whatever upsets you will be unable to flood your whole being; it’ll just wash over you and be gone. Fourth, purify your heart and mind. Be good, deeply good. And fill your mind with good thoughts. That is in the long run the best treatment for the subconscious mind. As you purify your mind and heart, the subconscious is absorbing the influence also. It takes longer, because the tendencies of countless lives are stored there, so we have to have patience. But the safest way to purify the subconscious is to continually purify the conscious mind and heart. We’re not speaking of repression or a fear-based or guilt-based approach to bad thoughts. No, that does much more harm than good. Be bold, be strong, and know that you

are bigger than bad thoughts. Let them know that you just don’t have time for them because they are too insignificant. Finally, if we can gradually learn to be good, to be simple, to have living faith in a higher reality, to anchor our hopes and positive emotions there, then we’ll find that Prapatti, surrender to God or to the Self or to the Ocean of Being and Love begins to be possible for us. Then even as we approach the gate to surrender, we’ll see that conflict is a small thing. It is only because we have nothing else that it looms so large and threatening. So wherever we find ourselves in life now, at whatever age, let us learn to reorient our lives little by little, and one day we’ll be infinitely glad we did. o

BB The Gist of Vedanta Philosophy in a Story The whole of the Vedanta Philosophy is in this story: Two birds of golden plumage sat on the same tree. The one above, serene, majestic, immersed in his own glory; the one below restless and eating the fruits of the tree, now sweet, now bitter. Once he ate an exceptionally bitter fruit, then he paused and looked up at the majestic bird above; but he soon forgot about the other bird and went on eating the fruits of the tree as before. Again he ate a bitter fruit, and this time he hopped up a few boughs nearer to the bird at the top. This happened many times until at last the lower bird came to the place of the upper bird and lost himself. He found all at once that there had never been two birds, but that he was all the time that upper bird, serene, majestic, and immersed in his own glory. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 616 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

How To Lead An Enriching Life Lessons from Vedanta SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA

Grades of Riches and Happiness The question of the enrichment of life depends largely upon the type of life one lives. There is a substantially large population of the world below poverty line, who live only to survive. The question of enrichment does not arise in their case. Swami Yatiswarananda, who had lived for several years in the West, used to say that in the West people live the life; in India we only exist! A callous, careless life of inertia and apathy, which we see all around in our country, is no life at all. The question of enrichment cannot arise in a life predominated by such Tamoguna. The majority of people seek wealth and enjoyment, Artha and Kama Purusharthas of the Hindus. Maybe some of these might equate enrichment with having more riches—greater the wealth, more enriched the life! Alas, they have little idea that wealth and possessions have nothing to do with enrichment. As Kathopanishad narrates, Nachiketa plainly rejected the offer made by Yama of gold, horses, elephants and wealth. History is replete with examples of kings and emperors who had renounced everything and sought to enrich their life with spiritual treasures. There is another group—researchers, thinkers, poets, writers, singers, artists and so on—who is not satisfied with a life of raw sense-enjoyment. Their life is enriched by

creativity at intellectual or emotional level. We don’t intend to talk about even this group. As a matter of fact, much depends upon the goal of life set by the individual, and this goal too is not a fixed entity but is evolving as has been succinctly expressed in the following verse: Durjanah sajjano bhuyat, sajjanah shantimapnuyat Shanto mucchyet bandhebhyo, muktashchanyan vimochayet. May the wicked become virtuous; may the virtuous attain peace; May the peaceful attain freedom from bondage, may the free liberate others.

The question of the quality of life can arise only in the virtuous. As they are able to subdue their restless minds and attain inner peace, their life becomes richer. And it attains its highest fulfilment with freedom and consequent lending a hand in helping others to become free. In spiritual literature and in the teachings of saints and sages, moral and ethical values are considered riches, inheritances, hidden mines of gold, silver and gems. The Vedanta too speaks of ‘six treasures’ or riches which can enrich our life: Shama or restraining of the outgoing mental propensities; Dama or the restraining of the external sense organs; Uparati or the withdrawing of the self; Titiksha or forbearance, Samadhana or self-settled-ness, and Shraddha or faith.1

A former editor of the Vedanta Kesari, the author is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, now living at the Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Varanasi.o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 617 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

142

Sri Krishna too enumerates in the Bhagavad Gita Divine Treasures, ‘Daivisampat’ thus: fearlessness, purity of the heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga, charity, control of the external organs, sacrifice, scriptural studies, austerity, uprightness, non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of vilification, kindness to living beings, non-covetousness, absence of excitement, gentleness, modesty, freedom from restlessness (being steady), vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice and freedom from vanity.2 Sri Ramakrishna, in his favourite parable of the woodcutter who was asked by a holy man to ‘go forward’ describes how, by following the instruction, the woodcutter found the sandal wood forest and then mines of silver, gold and precious gems. Likewise, as one proceeds in spiritual life, one may be able to perform unselfish work. Then love of God grows in the heart. Then through His grace one realizes Him in course of time, one can talk to Him.3 He was also fond of two songs urging a spiritual aspirant to dive deep into the ocean within, which is full of gems: Dive deep, O mind, dive deep in the ocean of God’s beauty; If you descend to the uttermost depths, There you will find the gem of Love.4

Spiritual Enrichment is True Enrichment An enriched life is essentially a spiritual life, which forms the title of this Special Issue. About two decades ago, there was a book titled Religion, Today and Tomorrow. Now, none of the writers and thinkers in it talks of religion! All, the so-called seculars, who will have nothing to do with religion, as well as the avowed religious, are interested in spirituality. While the religion based on faith does not satisfy the modern man and women, pure materialistic and secular values have not been able to satisfy them either. Hence, today there is a search, in various ways, for what is called spirituality. One must, however, have a clear idea about spirituality. Materialism is a thoughtsystem and a way of life which postulates that matter is the final-absolute reality of the individual as well as the cosmos and the goal and purpose of life is material enjoyment and material advancement of the individual, society and the world. Contrary to this, those who advocate spirituality state that spirit, soul or consciousness is the absolute final reality and that the whole world, subtle as well as gross, is merely its effect. The Advaita Vedantins say that the microcosm, i.e., the individual, and the macrocosm, i.e. the universe, are mere illusions, and the soul, Atman, consciousness,

And, Taking the name of Kali, dive deep down, O mind, Into the heart’s fathomless depths, Where many precious gems lie hid. But never believe the bed of the ocean is bare of gems, If in the first few dives, you fail. . . . . . Down in the ocean depths of heavenly wisdom Lie the wondrous pearls of peace, O mind. . . 5 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 618 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

143

Brahman, God, whatever be the name, is the only reality. The goal and purpose of life is to realize this Absolute Existence, Consciousness, Bliss. In short, the meaning of the word `spirituality’ is to accept the basic existence of a spiritual reality and to strive to achieve it as the ultimate goal of life. Swami Vivekananda expressed the same truth with emphasis on the Divinity of the soul: ‘Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest the divinity within . . .’ Sri Ramakrishna has taught the same truth apparently different by stating that God-realization is the goal of life. All the Upanishads voice the same truth: ‘Know that one Atman alone and give up all vain talk’.6 ‘I have known That Great Being of golden orb beyond darkness. By knowing Him alone does one transcend Death. There is no other way to emancipation.’7 This, then, is the test of an enriching life: To set the sublime goal of Selfrealization and to advance towards it. Patanjali’s Guidelines How to lead such an enriching life? There could be various ways, depending upon temperamental differences and according to the development of the head and heart of the individual. But there are three vital and fundamental values recommended by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras8 common to all the myriad means adopted by a variety of persons: 1. Practice, 2. Renunciation 3. Yearning. These three must be present if a spiritual life has to be enriching. Depending upon the grades of these the quality of life can be assessed. One of the factors that decide the richness of a life is purity of character—something which Swami Vivekananda repeatedly emphasized. And according to him, it consists of good habits. These habits, again, are formed T h e

by repeated actions performed for a long time without break and with interest and commitment. These three are the essential features of practice, Abhyasa.9 Habits, again, could be physical, like regular exercise, yogic Asanas, cleanliness and so on. Or verbal habits like pleasing speech, truthful words, refraining from unpleasant truth as well as pleasant but untruthful words. This also includes the habit of listening to and reading wholesome, beneficial noble words and literature. By practice, self-control and deep meditation could become habitual. A number of virtues have already been mentioned above as riches and treasures which can be taken up and cultivated as habits. Patanjali, in his yoga sutras, advocated the cultivation of four healthy attitudes: Chatur-bhavana, also called Brama-vihara in Buddhism, and while we are discussing the issue of cultivation of mental habits, these must be considered. Mind becomes tranquil by cultivation of the attitudes of friendliness for the happy (not envy), mercy for the unhappy (not criticism), gladness for the virtuous (not irritation) and indifference for the wicked (not hatred). (P.Y.S.I.33). Our uncontrolled reaction to the human environment is one of the greatest source of distraction. Ordinarily, we react haphazardly to people and circumstances, sometimes with violent emotions. Some do not react at all, and become hard-hearted. Both these extremes are undesirable and against the law of mental health. The solution suggested here leads to mental equilibrium. These four attitudes must be practised till they become habitual and a part of one’s character. The second important value advocated by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, is Vairagya or dispassion.10 Without it, none can lead a really enriched, noble life. We have strong

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 619 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

144

likes and dislikes which go on oscillating our mind in various directions, like a puppet. By discrimination, we must develop a spirit of detachment. Then only can we hope to experience inner freedom. Sri Ramakrishna recommends discrimination between the real, the spiritual, and the unreal, the mundane. It is impossible to attain to the spiritual gems without throwing away the worldly pebbles. Thus, dispassion is a very important part of an enriched life. It is unfortunate that people are afraid of this most enriching element of life. The third factor advocated by Patanjali is samvega11—the speed with which a person progresses towards the goal. Just as a whipped horse runs faster, or just as a traveller hastens his steps as the dusk sets in and night approaches while passing through a dense forest, so should our life speed towards the coveted spiritual goal. Can a thief sleep peacefully if he knows that a large treasure is just on the other side of the wall of the room? How can we expect to lead an enriching life if we too are not eager to possess the spiritual treasure stored within our own hearts? Two more practices from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are worth imbibing: Chanting of the name of God, thinking of its meaning12 and meditation on the heart of the holy men who have given up attachments and aversions.13 Such chanting and meditation must form an essential part of an enriching life. While charity and compassion are considered divine treasures, Sri Ramakrishna has not recommended them as such. Instead he would like us to serve the poor, the sick, the miserable, considering them as veritable embodiments of God. By connecting with God, every work, however, insignificant, gets ennobled into worship. This is the simple secret of Karma Yoga. T h e

Perhaps, the best means of enriching our life is to establish some sort of loving relationship with God—be it Master and servant, Father-Mother and child, or a Friend. He is our All in all, the Most Beloved. By the regular study of the Holy Scriptures like the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad Gita, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Bible, etc., and the lives of the great saints of the world, love for God can be cultivated. Chanting of hymns and singing and listening to devotional songs are great aids to developing love for God. Life, then, becomes full of peace and sweetness. A Practical Scheme Let us conclude with a practical scheme of leading an enriching life. Let us wake up early in the morning before the world wakes up to its disturbing mundane activities and devote as much time as possible to God, by way of Japa, deep meditation, chanting of hymns, rituals, etc. Let us begin the day with a spiritual breakfast of a really good meditation. Secondly, there must be a fixed time for spiritual reading daily. We should also end our day with such spiritual reading and not with the TV! Thirdly, on Sundays and holidays, this period of spiritual breakfast should be longer—it should take the form of a spiritual feast! Fourthly, according to Sri Ramakrishna’s instructions, even while engaged in daily chores and duties a part of the mind must be kept in God. This is also called `the Practice of the Presence of God’ and could be done variously. While these are some suggestions for leading an enriching daily life, one may also plan for longer periods. Sri Ramakrishna has

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 620 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

145

any opportunity of serving someone in need advised us to spend some time in solitude: be considering him or her as God. it three days, seven days or few months. Hence we may spend as many days as practicable Conclusion away from home in holy company, if not in Living a meaningful life requires a absolute solitude. redirection of our life—in attitudes as well as As we have seen, Swami Vivekananda action. The most important factor is to change wants us to build our character through our self-identity and consider ourselves as forming good habits. We may select for divine, as emphasised by Swami Vivekananda. one month any one of the many ‘treasures’ This may not be easy. So, let us consider and `gems’ mentioned here or elsewhere in ourselves primarily spiritual aspirants, aspirspiritual literature and practice it for at least ing for a spiritual goal, and being doctor, one month, according to the instructions of professor, teacher, husband, wife, son, father, Patanjali. Then, we may take up another gem, only secondarily. Thus, we shall not only be one each month, so that we are able to collect able to lead a truly enriching life but would six or eight if not twelve gems—develop six also be able to incorporate the essentials of all or eight, if not twelve precious habits—in the four Yogas in it.  an year. And, let us be alert and not miss vvv References 1. 2. 3. 4.

Vedantasara of Sadananda, I.18 Bhagavad Gita, 16.1-3 Cf. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna 1981, pp.109, 454 Gospel, p.153

5. 6. 7. 8.

Ibid, p.124 Mundaka Upanishad 2.5 Svetashvatara Upanishad, 3.8 Patanjali Yoga Sutras 1. 12, 21

9. Ibid,1.14 10. Ibid, 1.15 11. Ibid, 1.21 12. tajjapah tadarthabhavanam, 1.28 13. veetaragavishayam va chittam, 1. 37

Feeling the Inner Call One day or other, in the life of every man must come a time when he too feels the call of the spiritual ideal. When such a call comes he cannot but listen to it. Nothing in the world can then give him satisfaction. He can never find peace until he follows the dictates of that higher call. This inner awareness and compelling urge to follow the higher ideal marks the beginning of spiritual life. The spiritual ideal then fascinates him and haunts him all through life. This change from following worldly ideals to following a spiritual ideal is called 'conversion'. Spiritual life begins with that. In the case of some people this conversion is sudden; in the case of some others, it is a gradual development. The number of people who undergo such genuine conversion is rather small at any time in any country. Whether you like it or not, true spiritual life is only for a chosen few. There can never be any mass spirituality, however beautiful this ideal may seem to you. The Bhagavad-Gita says that out of thousands of people only a few take to spiritual life, and out of the latter, fewer still really attain the highest superconscious realization. But let us all think we are these chosen few, and strive to make ourselves fit for the fulfilment of the highest spiritual ideal. —Swami Yatiswarananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 621 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

A Life of Fulfillment and Peace— the Vivekananda Way SWAMI NITYASTHANANDA

Struggle: External and Internal In spite of all comforts, facilities and advantages, in spite of life made easy by advances in technologies and modern amenities, it is evident, life is not that easy, rather, it is becoming more and more difficult. Swami Vivekananda says that life is a great struggle. As long as this struggle goes on, the life moves on. However, this struggle must be without despondency. When we study Swami Vivekananda’s life and message, the vivid picture that comes to our mind is this struggle without despondency. Sri Krishna’s message also is the same: ‘Fight without succumbing to grief.’ There are two faces of struggle: external and internal. External struggle consists of fighting against natural and social adversities. However, the real enemies we have to face are within ourselves, and the irony is that we ourselves are creating, feeding and nurturing them. Indeed, these inner enemies themselves are reflected through external events and persons. In fact, they are creating the external enemies. The dogs within will bark at the dogs without. As long as we do not admit the fact that the enemies that we have to combat are within ourselves, the external troubles and difficulties are ineluctable. Therefore Swami Vivekananda says, We have seen that it is the subjective world that rules the objective. Change the subject, and the o

object is bound to change; purify yourself, and the world is bound to be purified. This one thing requires to be taught more and more than ever before. We are becoming more and more busy about our neighbors, and less and less about ourselves. The world will change if we change; if we are pure, the world will become pure. The question is why I should see evil in others? I can not see evil unless I be evil. I can not be miserable unless I am weak. Things that used to make me miserable when I was a child, do not do so now. The subject changed, so the object was bound to change.1

Strength is Life As noted above, life is a great struggle, and for this struggle we need strength. That is why Swami Vivekananda declares, ‘Strength is life and weakness is death’. We repeatedly read and hear this statement, but still we helplessly succumb to weakness, because of which we are swayed by external events and persons. However, without admitting this fact, we go on complaining about the external factors; we keep fighting them assuming they are responsible for our misery. Continuously blaming others for our misery, we ignore to correct ourselves, being deprived of self-introspection. External evils cloud our inner being rendering our own defects and shortcomings invisible. In such a situation our spiritual practices and austerities, instead of increasing our inner strength, may even

The author is Acharya at the Monastic Probationers’ Training Centre, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 622 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

147

increase our weakness—as watering the plant allows the weeds also to grow. We need strength at different levels. First of all we need physical strength, not that of a wrestler, but the power of resistance to disease germs. We get this strength being moderate in food and recreation (yukta ahara, yukta vihara). Second, we need nervous strength, without which, even with physical strength, we will not effectively be able to face adverse situations; the negative emotions will easily overpower us, with slightest provocation, and we become touchy, and will be like touch-menots. Next, we need intellectual strength, the capacity to appraise different situations and persons, and analyze one’s own mind objectively. With this strength the acquisition of knowledge rendered possible will remain with us as a great source of power. However, what we essentially need is the fourth one, i.e. will power, by the help of which we would be able to control our senses, desires and harmful negative emotions, and thereby possess the most covetable character strength, which Swami Vivekananda emphasized so much. He emphasized, ‘It is the character that cleaves its way through the adamantine walls of difficulties.’ Swamiji speaks about the wonderful manifestation of will-power:

The strength gained by self-restraint is called character. The following passage speaks the importance of character thus: The character is to be safeguarded with all care. The wealth comes and goes, (we need not bother about it much). If wealth is lost nothing is lost, but if character is lost everything is lost.

However, character cannot be acquired so easily. As Swami Vivekananda says, Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time. Neither need we trouble ourselves if we fail. It is in the nature of things that many should fall, that trouble should come, that tremendous difficulties should arise, that selfishness and all the other devils in the human heart should struggle hard when they are about to be driven out by the fire of spirituality. The road to the good is the roughest and steepest in the universe. It is a wonder so many succeed, no wonder that so many fall. Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.3

The greatest of all the strengths is spiritual strength (atma-balam). The Buddha conquered Angulimala by this strength. And again, it is by this strength itself that Sri Ramakrishna won over that mighty will, Swami Vivekananda. There is an incident in Sri Ramakrishna’s life which highlights his great spiritual power of transforming others. Describes a biography:

All actions that we see in the world, all the movements in the human society, all the work that we have around us, are simply the display of thought, the manifestation of will of man. Machines or instruments, cities, ships or menof-war all these are simply the manifestation of the will of man . . . The men of mighty will the world has produced here all been tremendous workers—gigantic souls, with will powerful enough to over-run worlds, wills they got by persistent work, through ages and ages.2 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 623 ~

Once Sri Ramakrishna went to Yogin-ma’s house at Nebubagan, Bagbazar. Hiralal, a brother of Yogin-ma, did not like the fact that his sister went to Dakshineswar. We heard when Yoginma invited the Master to her house, Hiralal brought a famous gymnast and wrestler named Manmatha, who lived in Gosainpara, to frighten him. After Manmatha saw the Master and heard a few words from him, he fell at his feet and said to him, weeping: ‘My Lord, I am guilty. Please forgive me’. The Master replied: ‘All right. Come one day at Dakshineswar.’ D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

148

According to Swami Akhandananda, Manmatha was a ruffian and an expert fighter. Some day later Manmatha asked Swami Akhandananda to accompany him to Dakshineswar to see the Master. Sri Ramakrishna blessed Manmatha, touching his body, and that touch transformed his life.4

According to Swami Vivekananda the source of all powers, and glory, in fact, the source of all noble qualities and character is the Self, and manifestation of this is the ultimate goal of life. This soul-power is exercised not doing something, but just by being. We need great strength to contain all the strength within. Here it is worth quoting what Swami Ashokananda, an eminent monk of the Ramakrishna Order, says of ‘power’, Understand the hierarchy and evolution of power: lowest is the power to achieve; middling, the power to resist; highest, the power simply to be.5

Swami Vivekananda with great emphasis says that weakness is the root cause of all evils. If we commit some mistake, being unable to face the consequences of it, we try to hide it with falsehood. Without the boldness of holding on to moral integrity, in a corrupt society, we try to conform to the situation. Being overpowered by unbridled passions, man tries to fulfill his desire even by deception. Being incapable of bearing the hunger of ego, man hankers for name, fame, powers, position, etc. Helplessly driven by negative emotions man sometimes talks and behaves insolently thereby undermining human relationship. Swami Vivekananda exhorts: Take off that veil of hypnotism which you have cast upon the world, send not thoughts and words of weakness unto humanity. Know that all sins and evils can be summed up in that one word, ‘weakness’. It is weakness that is the T h e

motive in all evil doing; it is weakness that is the source of all selfishness; it is the weakness that makes men to injure others; it is weakness that makes them manifest what they are not in reality.6

Swamiji’s message of strength is applicable to every stages of life. In the present context, we are exposed to different kinds of negative influences through various ways. Unless one is able to stand very firmly on one’s own personal ground, there is every possibility of being swept away by the current of these influences. Unless one is prepared to stand alone one would be like a mirror reflecting other’s influences and persons. We need strength to stand alone psychologically, without desperately hankering for love, sympathy and appreciation from others. Imitation is a Sign of Degradation In fact, for this very reason Swami Vivekananda deprecates imitation. There are different kinds of imitation. Imitation of dress, manners, fashions, behaviors, etc., is at the gross level. For retaining one’s social prestige, one imitates acts of others, one imitates the aristocratic lifestyle of others, thereby incurring financial burden on oneself and escalating family problems. If one becomes famous as a public speaker, others try to imitate his style of speaking, body language, etc., to gain popularity. There are people who try to imitate Swami Vivekananda in this manner, without trying to possess his extraordinary personality. It is good to follow the spirit of renunciation of Sri Ramakrishna, but not imitating his act of throwing money and mud to the Ganges uttering, ‘Taka-Mati, Mati-Taka’. There are pretentious spiritual Gurus who become great by unnaturally imitating certain spiritual practices, and thereby attracting credulous

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 624 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

149

people. So there are different types of imitations which smack of inferiority complex, lack of self-respect and self-worth. This is to be distinguished from emulating others whom we take to be our role-model, which is the outcome of our desire to achieve higher goals. Swami Vivekananda’s observation on ‘imitation’ are worth remembering here, Imitation is not civilization. I may deck myself out Raja’s dress, but will that make me Raja? An ass in a lion’s skin never makes a lion. Imitation, cowardly imitation never makes for progress. It is verily the sign of awful degradation in a man . . . Do not imitate, do not imitate! Whenever you are under the thumb of others you lose your own independence. If you are working, even in spiritual things, at the dictations of others, slowly you lose all faculty, even of thought. Bring out through your own exertions what you have, but do not imitate, get what is good from others. We have to learn from others. You put the seed in the ground, and give plenty of earth, air and water to feed upon; when the seed grows into the plant and into a gigantic tree, does it become the earth, does it become the air, or does it become the water? It becomes the mighty plant, the mighty tree, after its own nature, having absorbed everything that was given to it. Let that be your position . . . Learn everything that is good from others but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.7

there will be no room for destructive tendency. Eminent psychologist Erich Fromm says, ‘Destructiveness is the outcome of unlived life.’ And most of mental illness can be attributed to subtle form of self-hate that is endemic in the personality system of ordinary people, who live unlived life. Psychiatrist Dr. Alexander Reid Martin observes, Case after case shows a lack of self-love at the root of mental illness. If people had a healthy love of themselves instead of carrying hidden burdens of self-contempt, our psychiatric case load would be cut in half.

A popular verse of Hitopadesha says: The trees of self-hatred yield five kinds of fruits for human beings. They are disease, misery, anguish, bondage and addiction.

Inner displeasure and discontent, produced by the lack of fulfillment, express themselves through our words, actions and behavior, and corrode our human relationship. During his wandering days in India, Swamiji stayed at Haripada Mitra’s house in Belgaum. Haripada Mitra was not getting along with his superiors and would lose his poise even at the slightest provocation. When he narrated his predicament, Swamiji remarked:

What is Inside is Outside As Swamiji indicates, imitation and self-hatred are due to inner emptiness. Inferiority-feeling produced by inner emptiness begets self-hatred. ‘When a man began to hate himself, then the last blow has come,’ says Swami Vivekananda. Self-hatred is the cause of hating others, and, in turn, is the cause of all destructive tendencies. That is why we are advised to live fulfilled life. When the sense of fulfillment fills our inner being, then T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 625 ~

Know it for certain that the ideas we entertain about others express themselves through our conduct; and even though we may not express it in the words, people react accordingly. We see

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

150

in the external world the same image that we carry in our hearts; nobody realizes how true the saying is, ‘the world is good when I am good’. From today try to get rid of habit of finding fault with others, and you will find that, to the extent you succeed in this, the attitudes and reactions of others also change accordingly.8

other, and in some way or the other. When it comes back to us we may not realize that it is the result of our own projection, and we wonder why we have to suffer at all for no fault of ours. To quote Swami Vivekananda: Every vicious thought will rebound. Every thought of hatred which you may have thought, in a cave even, is stored up, and will one day come back to you with tremendous power in the form of some misery here. If you project hatred and jealousy, they rebound on you with compound interest. No power can avert them; when once you have put them in motion, you will have to bear them. Remembering this will prevent you from doing wicked things.12

Swami Vivekananda here was speaking of one of the important psychological phenomenon called projection. Whatever we do not want to see in ourselves, we project it outside and see it in others; moreover we become intolerant of it. Says an eminent psychologist: When some tendency in ourselves arouses guilt-feelings, we very commonly project it, and become inordinately critical in others of the impulse that we are trying to repress in ourselves. The man, who is always complaining of other people’s conflict, or snobbishness, or meanness, usually has a tendency towards these foibles himself.9

According to Swami Vivekananda, we must follow ‘the true Indian principle of looking subjectively for the cause of the objective.’10 It reminds us of the statement made by James Allen: A man is continually revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his hearts.11

Whenever something negative happens, we have to turn our attention inward and try to make corrections there, so that we will not be affected by the external factors. When we are bitten by a snake, we do not run chasing the snake to kill it; we rather pay attention to remove the poison without thinking of the snake. This phenomenon of projection has another very important dimension. Whatever is projected comes back to us without fail, in some form or the other, at some time or the T h e

Echoing the same idea, the great transpersonal psychologist Ken Wilber says: ‘We feel the world hates us only because we are unaware of a small part of ourselves that gently hates the world.’13 And it also indicates our inability to express our love for others. Not only do we need the love of others, we also need to express our love for others, for our own personal growth. When we are able to do so, we do not feel that others hate us. When we fail to project our love and sympathy for others, naturally we project our own shortcomings and see their reflections outside. Ken Wilber continues: Our carping criticisms of other people are really nothing but unrecognized bits of autobiography . . . If you want to know what a person is really like, listen what he says about other people.14

All these psychological factors reinforce Swamiji’s emphasis on subjective change. To quote Swamiji again:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 626 ~

The more we grow in love and virtue and holiness, the more we see love and virtue and holiness outside. All condemnation of others really condemns ourselves. Adjust the microcosm (which is in your power to do) and macrocosm will adjust itself for you.15 D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

151

His Message of Fearlessness To make our life more ennobling, what we need most importantly is fearlessness. Perhaps, Swami Vivekananda is singular in extolling this virtue to the most. Out of fear of censure we try to be ethical. Being afraid of humiliation, we behave gentlemanly. We refrain from undertaking anything out of fear of defeat. The fear of uncertainty deters us venturing into something new. We get detracted by the fear of criticism in social accomplishment. The fear of risk will prevent us facing any new challenges. Out of fear of foreboding illness we lose our present wellness. We are goaded on to be good by the fear of being considered bad. Out of the fear of being alone we lose all originality. Fear of humiliation, fear of people, fear of examination, fear of work, fear of married life, fear of new place and environment, fear of old age, fear of losing beauty as one advances in age, fear of death, fear of afterlife—innumerable such fears are regulating our thoughts, words and deeds, and in many cases without our knowledge, for they appear before us in disguised forms. But says Swamiji,

Now we are like dogs strayed into a kitchen and eating a piece of meat, looking round in fear lest at any moment some one may come and drive them out. Instead of that, be a king and know you won the world.17

Why are we so much haunted by fear? According to Swami Vivekananda, because we are too much dependent on others, we expect too much from others. When our expectation crosses a particular limit, we suffer from the anxiety of unfulfilment of our expectation, and also losing of what we already have. We suffer from the apprehension of losing love and respect of the people we have already gained. Many times our mind gets clouded by the fear of incurring displeasure of others. Such fears and misgivings render our speech and behavior unnatural. If our inner being is filled with sense of fulfillment, then we will be relieved of such unnecessary frights. Let us respond to resounding call of Swami Vivekananda to be fearless: The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all the help you are free. The full sponge can absorb no more.18 Mountain high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but delusions. Fear not—it is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies. Be not afraid. Think not how many times you fail. Never mind. Time is infinite. Go forward: assert yourself again and again, and light must come. You may pray to everyone that was ever born, but who will come to help you? None else can help thee, friend. For thou alone art thy greatest enemy, thou alone art thy greatest friend. Get hold of thyself, then. Stand up. Don’t be afraid.19

Be a hero. Always say, ‘I have no fear.’ Tell this to everybody—‘Have no fear.’ Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in this world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear. This fear alone has kept the sun, air and death in their respective places and functions, allowing none to escape from this bounds.16

The term FEAR may be expanded in two ways: (1) Forget Everything And Run, or (2) Face Everything And Rise. Swami Vivekananda characteristically explains our pathetic condition: T h e

Freedom—the Greatest Mantra The most outstanding message of Swami Vivekananda is Freedom.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 627 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

152

It was most dear to his heart. He emphasized freedom in every aspect of life. He used to assert that freedom is the precondition for growth. If a man is bound by too many rules and regulations, and inextricably confined to old habits and conventions, if he does not have freedom to express his inner capabilities, naturally his growth gets hampered. A seedling is reared carefully in the pot first, and then it is transplanted in the ground, so that it will grow into a mighty tree. Instead, if it is left in the pot itself it cannot grow to its full stature. According to Swami Vivekananda, there are four important characteristics of freedom:  Respecting others’ freedom  Self-discipline  Self-responsibility  Sense of equality One, who really loves freedom and knows the real value of freedom, will not try to impede the freedom of others. The man of possessive disposition due to inner vacuum, is likely to curtail the freedom of others. Swami Vivekananda himself would not force his ideas no others—he never wanted others to follow his ideas blindly. He never believed in brainwashing. That is why he strongly disliked hypnotism, in which one’s will is completely curbed. He says: ‘If your freedom hurts others, you are not free there. You must not hurt others.’20 Those, who dislike any kind of discipline in the name of freedom, are mostly slaves to their own senses, desires and emotion, and lead a life of infamy. Freedom without selfdiscipline is harmful to oneself and to society. Kites fly very high in the sky, but their strings are firmly held by some hands. If the string is cut, they slowly come down. The third important characteristic of freedom is self-responsibility. T h e

Swamiji speaks with great emphasis on this matter: We are responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.21

He further says: Nothing makes us work so well at our best and highest as when all the responsibility is thrown upon ourselves. . . When we have nobody to grope towards, no devil to lay our blame upon, no personal God to carry our burdens, when we are alone responsible, then we shall rise to our highest and best. I am responsible for my fate, I am the bringer of good unto myself, I am the bringer of evil.22

If we blame others for our predicament, it is an indication of dependence on others, distancing ourselves from freedom. The fourth characteristic is sense of equality. Swami Vivekananda says: All these things which we call causes of misery and evil, we shall laugh at when we arrive at that wonderful state of equality, that sameness. This is what is called in Vedanta attaining to freedom. The sign of approaching that freedom is more and more of this sameness and equality. In misery and happiness the same, in success and defect the same—such a mind is nearing that state of freedom.23

Despite the fact that we are bound in so many ways, there is a sense of freedom in us. This awareness of bondage and desire to be free—this is the sign of spirituality; this is the sign of manliness too. Since our essential nature is spiritual, and in being spiritual only there is real freedom, there is an urge for freedom within us. In fact, there is no freedom physically, for the body has to

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 628 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

153

depend upon many external factors for its survival. The mind also is dependent upon so many ideas and events. Therefore in psychophysical level there is no freedom in a real sense. Let the body be dependent, let the senses be dependent, and let the mind also be dependent, but ‘I’ should not be dependent upon body, mind and senses, should not dance according to their tunes. I must take care of them as my servants. Swami Vivekananda’s reverberating message of freedom has this to say: Even hells stand out with the miraculous fact that we are born rebels; and the first fact of life— the inrushing of life itself— against this we rebel and cry out, ‘No law for us.’ As long as we obey the laws we are like machines, and on goes the universe and we cannot break it. Laws as laws become man’s nature. The first inkling of life on its higher level is in seeing this struggle within us to break the bond of nature and to be free. ‘Freedom, O Freedom! Freedom, O Freedom!’ is the song of the soul.24

broadmindedness with the example of a story: Remember the story of the bull. A mosquito sat long on the horn of a certain bull. Then his conscience troubled, and he said, ‘Mr. Bull, I have been sitting here a long time, perhaps I annoy you. I am sorry, I will go away.’ But the bull replied, ‘Oh no, not at all! Bring your whole family and live on my horn; what can you do to me?’26

The story indicates, if we have this kind of broadmindedness, ordinary day-to-day happenings of the world will not affect us. Swami Vivekananda gives another example to illustrate this great virtue: I once read a story about some ships that were caught in a cyclone in the south sea island, and there was a picture of it in the Illustrated London News. All of them were wrecked except one English vessel, which weathered the storm. The picture showed the men who were going to be drowned, standing on the decks and cheering the people who were sailing through the storm. Be brave and generous like that.27

He underscores three things: In the universal melody three ideas stand out— freedom, strength, and sameness.25

Cultivating A Universal Attitude By cultivating universal attitude one can remain unfettered, to a large extent, by fears, anxieties and weakness, and enjoy the joy of freedom. Swami Vivekananda explains

T h e

Since we are confined to our own ego-bound existence, we get blows from all around. It is the weak ego, the sick ego that receives the blows that get hurt from the slightest provocation. It is the weak ego that always requires to be gratified, and feels insecure. People may be able to encounter any situation in the outside world but cannot face

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 629 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

154

themselves. Backbiting, speaking falsehood— these are all due to weakness. That is why Swami Vivekananda emphasized developing strong faith in oneself. Intense Faith in Oneself Swamiji insists on having a positive selfimage, for our attitude towards the world and our relationship with others depend mainly upon our self-image. If one is suffering from an inferiority complex or a low self-image, one would imagine that others are not treating one properly, even though that is not the case. If others are laughing for some other reason, a person would assume that they are insulting him or her. Sometimes this kind of low selfimage is formed due to circumstances. Swamiji says:

Here we can appreciate Swamiji’s insistence on developing self-confidence, faith in oneself. He says: The ideal of faith in ourselves is of the greatest help of us. If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished.29

Manifesting the Divinity Within For all illness and weakness Swamiji has got one spiritual medicine: manifestation of divinity. ‘Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it’—says Swamiji. He continues: In this embodied existence, you will be tossed again and again on the waves of happiness and misery, prosperity and adversity—but know them all to be of momentary duration. Never care for them. ‘I am the birthless, the deathless Atman, whose nature is intelligence’— implanting this idea firmly in your heart, you should pass the days of your life. ‘I have no birth no death, I am the Atman untouched by anything’—lose yourself completely in this idea. If you can once become one with this idea, then in the hour of sorrow and tribulation, it will rise of itself in your mind, and you will not have to strive with difficulty to bring it up. The other day, I was a guest of Babu Priyanath Mukherjee at Baidyanath. There I had such a spell of Asthma that I felt like dying. But from within, with every breath arose the deep-toned sound, ‘I am He, I am He’. Resting on the pillow, I was waiting for the vital breath to depart, and observing all the time that from within was being heard the sound of ‘I am He, I am He’.’30

Negative thoughts weaken men. Do you not find that where parents are constantly taxing their sons to read and write, telling them they will never learn anything, and calling them fools and so forth, the latter do actually turn out to be so in many cases? If you speak kind words to boys and encourage them, they are bound to improve in time.28

Having an inferior self-image is detrimental to one’s growth. It acts as a great hindrance to our push to achieve success in any field in the midst of adverse circumstances. Even the slightest adversity is enough to deter one in any undertaking. For a person of low self-image and a defeatist mentality, even advantages may appear as adversities, love may be construed as hatred, medicine may act as poison, and amity may turn into enmity. The Roman philosopher Seneca’s saying is very instructive: ‘It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is we do not dare that things are difficult.’ T h e

With this manifestation of divinity, as Swamiji says, ‘Reach a state where your every breathing is a prayer.’ Conclusion

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 630 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

155

These life-giving message of Swamiji full of strength, fearlessness and freedom, if adopted sincerely in one’s life, will help one to lead the life of fulfillment individually and collectively. Then we realize that,

Life is but a playground, however gross the play may be. However we may receive blows, and however knocked about we may be, the Soul is there and is never injured. We are that Infinite.31 

References 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

CW, 1.426 CW, 1.30 CW, 8.383 Swami Chetanananda, They Lived With God, Advaita Ashrama, 1991, P.145 Quoted in Six Lighted Windows, p.156 CW, 3.426 CW, 3.381-82 Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, 2012, p.33

Rex Night, A Modern Introduction to Psychology, London, University Tutorial, 1948, p.197 10. CW, 8.472 11. As A Man Thinketh, London; Lulu, 2005, p.2 12. CW, 1.262 13. The Spectrum of Consciousness, Wheaton: Quest Books 1993, P-197 14. Ibid, 191 15. CW, 7.27-28 16. CW, 7.136 17. CW, 7.90 9.

18. CW, 7.49 19. CW, 2.403 20. CW, 7.20 21. CW, 1.31 22. CW, 2.201-2 23. CW, 1: 426 24. CW, 1:335 25. CW, 7:20 26. CW, 7.14 27. CW, 2.351 28. CW, 7.170 29. CW, 2.301 30. CW, 7.136-37 31. CW, 2.402

In the Place where We Meditate. . . Take care that there be no idle talk in the place where you practise your Sadhana. The atmosphere of that place where there is vain talk, idle criticism and abuse of others, becomes contaminated. All sorts of evil thoughts will float in that atmosphere. It is best to do sadhana in solitude. It would be very good to have a room set apart for Sadhana. It is not proper to keep the bedding, clothes, furniture, etc., in that room. Keep only the Asana, religious books, prayer books, etc., there. Fill the room with fragrance by lighting incense both in the morning and the evening. Whenever you enter the room, meditate on the Ishta Devata, repeat uplifting hymns, etc. Have no other thoughts. Do not allow any one to enter that place. If you maintain like this for a year, the atmosphere of the place will be totally changed. Then, the thought of God will arise in your mind and you will have a natural tendency to meditate by merely entering that room. If worship, sacred reci tations, meditation, singing of hymns, etc., are continuously done in one and the same place for many years, holy thoughts will fill there. Such a sacred atmosphere will be all the more tangible and permanent in a spot where saints have spent their lives. Why is it that we naturally feel spiritual exaltation in places of pilgrimage? Because many holy saints, sages and yogis have dwelt there. The power of their spiritual austerities will pervade the place and keep it pure. —Swami Brahmananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 631 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Sarada Devi—A Great Spiritual Wonder SWAMI SUVIRANANDA

A Harmonious Personality By any standard, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the divine consort of Sri Ramakrishna, was a great wonder in spiritual history of the world. She silently but firmly fought against all odds, stood firm against superstitions, meaningless traditions and rituals, and importantly, she was a perfect blend of the Eastern and Western ideals. Swami Vivekananda recognised in her the beatific ideal of Indian womanhood and dedicated his dearest disciple Nivedita to Sri Sarada Devi so that Nivedita could imbibe in herself the ideal of Indian woman. Nivedita found in her the fullest manifestation of womanhood and remarked, ‘She is the last representation of ancient ideal and a forerunner of the future one.’ To her the Holy Mother was ‘Ramakrishna’s Chalice’. About Sarada Devi, Sister Nivedita wrote, The Mother can read, and much of her time is passed with her Ramayana. But she does not write. Yet it is not to be supposed that she is an uneducated woman. Not only has she had long and arduous experience in administration, secular and religious; but she has also travelled over a great part of India, visiting most of the chief places of pilgrimage. And it must be remembered that as the wife of Sri Ramakrishna she has the highest opportunity of personal development that is possible to enjoy. At every moment, she bears unconscious witness to

this association with the great. But in nothing perhaps does it speak more loudly than in her instant power to penetrate a new religious feeling or idea.

Her Practical Wisdom Today Holy Mother is being seen as the beacon light for the women of all nations. She stands aloft towering over all other role models for womankind. Her advent has ushered in a new era in Indian history. Her life not only strengthens the efforts to cut asunder all fetters that tether womankind, but also inspires and empowers other woman-ideals in all corners of the world. Her immaculate character, on the one hand, expressed boundless love for her children, while on the other, it manifested her wonderful administrative abilities. For instance, in order to raise funds for the plague relief work carried out by Kolkata in 1898, Swamiji wanted to sell the plot of land at Belur that had been just acquired for establishing Belur Math. On coming to know this, the Holy Mother firmly forbade him from doing so. This lent a viable credibility to the importance of Belur Math as the centre of the Ramakrishna Movement. In a divine vision, she had seen Sri Ramakrishna merging into the Ganga flowing by Belur Math and Swamiji sprinkling its holy waters generously to all who stood on the river bank. No doubt she could never forget this and it was perhaps for this reason

o The author is Assistant Secretary of the Governing Body of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 632 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

157

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 633 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

158

that she didn’t allow Swamiji to sell the Belur Math land. ‘Will the monastery be exhausted with just one single relief?’ she asked. Then she told Swamiji, ‘The Math cannot be sold’. Even a person of Swami Vivekananda’s stature could not ignore her command and had to relent unquestioningly. Truly, it is an inspiring instance, giving insights into her great administrative and spiritual acumen. Her Simple Solutions to Complex Issues A simple village lady, mostly covering in the veil of modesty and shyness, Holy Mother came be worshipped as a deity in her life time. She became the guiding force of a global monastic order—Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission—dedicated to the cause of ‘good of many and happiness of many’. When we look at her simple and guileless life and the ease with which she handled some of the complex issues of life, we are indeed amazed at her wisdom and directness. Take for instance social violence and exploitation which cast its dark shadow over the 19th century. The Holy Mother had a solution for this too. Her solution was a simple self-help scheme. She arranged to engage the famine-struck villagers of the nearby villages, who had taken to robbery as livelihood, to build her house, thus providing them with alternate livelihood. She blessed Nivedita to establish the Ramakrishna School for Girls (presently, Sister Nivedita Girls’ School) in Kolkata. It strikes us as real progressive thinking. She would motivate poor and illiterate girls to learn weaving and stitching at Nivedita’s school and sometimes would send the girls from Jayrambati, her own village, to learn nursing. She always emphasised on women’s education and even advocated for English learning saying, ‘My children must learn English’. T h e

She embraced Hindu Sarat—as Swami Saradananda, a direct and eminent disciple of Sri Ramakrishna used to be called—and Muslim Amzad—the weaver in Jayarambati who had taken to robbery—in her tender bosom putting to rest all ideas of sectarianism. She could boldly say, ‘Amzad is as much my son as Sarat is’. The Mother knew neither the languages of her South Indian devotees nor of her western admirers; yet she could communicate with them and clear all their doubts and sorrows. India is now the largest democracy in the world. But during Holy Mother’s time, the country was under British rule. Yet even at that time, Sarada Devi appears to protect the democratic and human rights in her own motherly fashion. To the conservative Hindu society of the time, the westerners were considered as mlechha—the ‘untouchable’. But to the western devotees like Nivedita, Miss MacLeod, Mrs. Ole Bull and others, Sarada Devi extended a hearty welcome calling them ‘my daughters’, had bread with them and held their hands in affection. Being a widow of conservative Brahmin family, she dared to clean the plates of her non-Brahmin devotees. It is a wonder to note that these progressive ideas of Holy Mother were integral part of her personality. Her Motherliness During her Dakshineswar days, a lady of questionable character approached the Holy Mother and expressed her desire to carry the food plate of Sri Ramakrishna to him to which she conceded. On the face of Sri Ramakrishna’s disapproval, Sarada Devi bluntly declared, ‘I cannot remain unmoved if someone calls me “Mother”’. Wherever, an aspersion was cast on humanity the Holy Mother emerged as a

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 634 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

159

Saviour. Sri Ramakrishna could not bear unholy touch to his divinely pure body yet the Holy Mother unhesitatingly handed over the plate to the lady despite Sri Ramakrishna’s expressed displeasure. Indeed she was the mother of the ignorant and downtrodden. Herein lies the uniqueness of the Holy Mother. Such examples of uncompromising motherhood are rare indeed in spiritual history. In modern times, equal rights for men and women are being advocated in social, economic and national spheres to ensure the rights of women. The Holy Mother was determined to establish equal rights for all irrespective of caste, class and social status. She stood against the exploitation of women by men. She lent her voice against this; even in the torturous British dominance, she asked men to stand upright against the exploitation of women by the British police. She assigned equal status for men and women. She indeed was a great wonder.

of her sense of larger identity which she had and lived for. The Marxist philosophy of dialectical materialism considers that the creation emerges out of matter. But the Holy Mother sought a different avenue. She believed in God and naturally could not accept this evolution of creation from matter. She believed in consciousness as the source of all creation. As Schrodinger, the eminent Particle Physicist, remarked, ‘Consciousness is one whole Being, not composed of parts’. This idea of oneness is what Advaita is all about. One finds a reflection of oneness, based on spiritual realisation, in Holy Mother’s life and teachings. She once told her disciples, ‘Your Guru was Advaita. You are his children. I can emphatically say that you all are Advaitins.’ This was Sarada Devi’s emphatic pronunciation of her position over the Marxist materialistic philosophy. Sarada Devi attained the highest realm of Advaita consciousness, where all contradictions and conflicts dissolve.

A Life of Synthesis The Holy Mother’s life is a remarkable manifestation of synthesis. She did not reject anybody and her life was not one of conflict. She could equally deal with drunkards, robbers, actors and actresses, sweepers, servants, public women, on the one hand, and the well-educated western devotees and spiritually elevated souls like the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, on the other. She could deny herself the gift of ten thousand rupees offered by Lakshminarayan Marwari with as much ease as Sri Ramakrishna for she believed that if she accepted the gift it would tantamount to acceptance by Sri Ramakrishna himself. After all that money was to be used for the ‘seva’ of Sri Ramakrishna. She declined the offer, of course but it speaks

Holy Mother and Sri Ramakrishna Further, the ease with which the immaculate life of the Holy Mother stands against the Freudian libido-centric ideas, is a wonder to hedonistic thinkers. The mother-child relationship, according to Freud, is but a libido-based relationship. Such a concept is unacceptable to Indian psyche. It is indeed difficult for such ‘thinkers’ to comprehend the immaculate relationship between Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi. Mother’s was a life of dedication and purity. During her stay at Dakshineswar, when Sri Ramakrishna asked her, ‘Did you come to drag me to worldliness?’ Her reply was equally bold, ‘No, I came here to assist you in your desired path’. Sri Ramakrishna later said, ‘Had she not been so pure—had she

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 635 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

160

forced me—who knows what would have happened?’ Indeed, it is not possible to transcend physical level without having a glimpse of the divine. The ultimate Reality can never be sense-perceptible. This has been established by the Holy Mother through her life—a great life of spirituality. Sri Ramakrishna observed about Holy Mother thus, ‘She is the bestower of knowledge, she is of great intellect. She is no ordinary soul. She is my Shakti (power)’. Again he had prophesied, ‘What I have done is little. She (Sarada Devi) will do much more.’ He assured the Holy Mother after his parting from this world saying, ‘You should remain in this world; there is much work to do. Look, the people of Calcutta are swarming like insects in the dark. You should look after them.’ It is not just about the ‘people of Calcutta’ but people in general everywhere—people steeped in darkness of sorrow and degenerated values. To work for their alleviation, Sri Ramakrishna worshipped her as Shodashi, the Divine Mother, thereby redirecting the patriarchal bias of the society. He told her, ‘You look after them’. Sarada Devi worked for women’s emancipation through her silent living and spiritual ministration. Her Message of Calmness Holy Mother lived a spiritually rich and vibrant life. A few days before her passing, she told someone, ‘If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Learn to see your own faults. The world is your own, none is a stranger’. This was her last message, so to say. But who could give such a profound message!

Only one who is established in the realm of Advaita realization—one who is of steadfast intellect. Only then one cannot find fault with others for his all duality has vanished. If there is no other entity but an all-encompassing Self, whose fault would one see? Every being is but her own self and none is either friend or foe to her. The Bhagvadgita (2/56, 57) declares the signs of a Sthitaprajna: He is called of steadfast intellect who is unperturbed by sorrow or unattached to happiness and is free from attachments, fear and anger. He who is free from affection to anything or anybody, neither rejoices nor hates the good and evil arising out of it his intellect is said to be firmly established.

The life of Holy Mother is remarkable illustration of this verse. Like the drops of water that stay over the lotus leaves never wetting the leaves, such indeed is Holy Mother’s life. She led a life in this world, but never became a part of it because she was firmly established in the non-dualist realm. While she mingled with all, felt their joys and sorrows, interacted with them, she remained equipoised in all situations. She is a rare example of an Advaitin living and interacting in this world yet remaining fixed on Self-realization. Indeed Sarada Devi is a great wonder. Rightly did Swamiji remark, ‘Mother! I know this, by your grace that many Narens like me would come forth, hundreds of Vivekanandas would be born, but at the same time I know too well that a mother like you is unique, there is none other.’ A great spiritual wonder, by any measure! o

Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. —Erich Fromm

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 636 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

161

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

e¥ÊdÝVw {dído A_¥Vñ` nwÌm:

‘Hear, Ye Children of Immortal Bliss!’

Timeless Wisdom of Spirituality For Today—and Forever S S

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 637 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

162

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

All this—whatsoever moves on the earth—should be covered by the Lord. Protect (Yourself) through that detachment. Do not covet anybody’s wealth. —Isha Upanishad Subdue the senses, do acts of charity, be compassionate—practice these three virtues. —Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 638 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

163

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

Speak the truth. Follow the path of virtue. Swerve not from the study of scriptures. Do not deviate from what is beneficial. —Taittiriya Upanishad

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 639 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

164

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

3 Fill your mind with God, be His devotee, sacrifice unto Him, bow down to Him—thus having your heart steadfast in Him, taking Him as the Supreme Goal, you shall reach Him. —Bhagavad Gita

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 640 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

165

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

To him who is temperate in eating and recreation, in his effort for work, and in sleep and wakefulness, Yoga [the practice of spiritual disciplines] becomes the destroyer of misery [pain and frustration].

—Bhagavad Gita

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 641 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

166

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

Practise spiritual discipline in solitude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water of the world the two will not mix. The butter will float. . . Pray to God with a longing heart. He will surely listen to your prayer if it is sincere. Perhaps He will direct you to holy men with whom you can keep company; and that will help you on your spiritual path. Perhaps someone will tell you, ‘Do this and you will attain God.’ —Sri Ramakrishna T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 642 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

167

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

6 What does one obtain by realizing God? Does he develop a pair of horns? No. He gains discrimination between the real and the unreal, gets spiritual consciousness, and passes beyond life and death. —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 643 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

168

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

7 Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 644 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

169

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

U You have to do even small things in a perfect way. . . U Whenever you do any work, put your whole mind to it. . . Your U U mind is dirty. Wash it, cleanse it—this is Sadhana. —Swami Akhandananda U U a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 645 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

170

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

The gift of spirituality and spiritual knowledge is the highest, for it saves from many and many a birth; the next gift is secular knowledge, as it opens the eyes of human beings towards that spiritual knowledge; the next is the saving of life; and the fourth is the gift of food.

—Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 646 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

171

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

10 Work and worship must go hand in hand. . . . Two types of men can sit still without work. One is the idiot, who is too dull to be active. The other is the saint who has gone beyond all activity. . . [Hence along with work] Make a regular routine for your spiritual practices. You must have certain fixed hours for meditation and study. Under all circumstances follow this devotedly. —Swami Brahmananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 647 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

172

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

11 When you have altogether resigned yourself at the feet of God, you have known the secret of a peaceful, blissful life. —Swami Ramakrishnananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 648 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

173

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

12 Spiritual discipline is nothing but the bringing together of the scattered mind. . . The principal element of spiritual practice is this sincerity—making the inner life tally with the outer, thought with speech. —Swami Premananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 649 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

174

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

13 The four kinds of spiritual practices—Jnana [philosophical discrimination], Yoga [meditation], Karma [work without attachment] and Bhakti [devotion to God]—are meant for four types of people. But the aim is the same— to kill the lower self. —Swami Saradananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 650 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

175

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

14 Spiritual practices mean a hankering for God alone—a longing for Him alone by discarding this world, forgetting all thoughts of name and fame, physical comfort, and even one’s own existence, and having no anxiety about lives here and hereafter, or about anything else. God reveals Himself out of His mercy to one who wants Him in such a way. —Swami Shivananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 651 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

176

Commemorating the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari

What is meant by spiritual practice? It is nothing but an attempt to identity oneself with the one Ultimate Reality, which alone exists. There is only One without a second. Perception of unity is knowledge, perception of variety is ignorance. —Swami Turiyananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 652 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

The Atman—Our Divine Core PRAVRAJIKA VRAJAPRANA

‘Everything Covered with Brahman’ I discovered Vedanta when I was fifteen years old. Quite by accident (or so it seemed at the time), I was taken to the Vedanta Temple in Santa Barbara, California, USA. My ostensible purpose for being there was to distribute pamphlets publicizing a march against the war in Vietnam. After putting the pamphlets underneath the windshield wipers of all the cars in the parking lot, I hesitatingly walked into the temple, entering late, mid-lecture. I couldn’t understand much of what the elderly swami—Swami Pavitrananda, visiting from New York—said. At the time it didn’t really matter that I couldn’t follow the swami’s English or his philosophy; what mattered was the profound peace that suffused the temple and the joy that the Swamis, Pavitrananda and Prabhavananda (the latter being the founder of the Vedanta Society of Southern California) exuded. Without understanding much of anything, I knew I had found my spiritual home. After the lecture and meeting the swamis with gentle handshakes, I floated out of the temple. I kept coming back to Sunday lectures and I began to read simple things in the Ramakrishna Vedanta tradition that were within my price range: Thus Spake Ramakrishna, for example, was a big hit. I read it every day while walking to high school. I was happier than I had ever been in my life.

One afternoon, not long after my first visit to the Vedanta temple, after I’d finished my last class, I walked to the public library to study. Though I should have been doing my homework, I was inexorably drawn to the library books on Vedanta. I found on the shelves a book with a fairly basic explanation of Vedanta philosophy. While I don’t remember which book I picked up, I clearly remember sitting at one of the reading desks, surrounded by a room full of quiet people, each person absorbed in their various books and journals. It was a sunlit afternoon, peaceful and calm. The text I read delineated what we so easily take for granted: that there is one infinite divine existence, called Brahman in Sanskrit. This divine existence pervades the universe and is the divine substratum of all that is. We exist in and through divinity itself. That was pretty thrilling information right there. This world had seemed so horrible, so terrifying in some places, yet so radiant and beautiful in others. The world seemed incomprehensibly painful for some unlucky souls but so rich and joyful for others. Yet what manifested in and through all this infinite, incomprehensible variety was divinity itself. No matter how sordid, no matter how lofty—everything was saturated with the presence of the divine. Later this would become vivid to me when I read the first verse of the Isa Upanishad—

The author is a nun of the Ramakrishna Order at Sarada Convent, Santa Barbara, Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 653 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

178

Isha vasyam idam sarvam, yatkinca jagatyam jagat—‘Know that whatever exists in this changing universe is covered with the divine.’ Or as Swami Shraddhananda [a senior monk of Ramakrishna Order] would unceasingly remind us: Sarvam khalvidam brahma: ‘All this is indeed Brahman.’1 This, my first official entry into Vedanta philosophy at the Santa Barbara Public Library, was exalting. I kept reading my book, nearly breathless with excitement. The next tenet was that there is a divine reality within us, the Atman, which is our divine core. The Atman is pure, perfect, eternal, utterly free. The Atman was never born, nor can it ever die. It is the nature of absolute pure consciousness, existence itself and undiluted joy. Joy, then, is our real nature. No matter what kind of suffering or trauma we endure, no matter what tests we are put to, our real nature is that of infinite joy. This was even more exciting than reading about Brahman. That despite our struggles and heartaches and losses (as well as myriad happinesses and gains), our real self, the Atman, is joy itself. All our ploys to be happy—to find happiness by getting the right boyfriend or husband or girlfriend or wife, to find happiness by getting the perfect education or the great job or the model child or the enviable house or the latest, most advanced computer—all this is a silly daydream. A way of distracting ourselves instead of looking into our own hearts to find the joy and peace that are our true being. Happiness and Freedom Are Inherent It was a true revelation to realize that nothing outside of ourselves will ever make us happy and nothing outside of ourselves will make us any happier than we are already. Nothing outside of our real T h e

divine nature, the Atman, will bring us any happiness, peace, fulfillment or satisfaction. While I was becoming increasingly absorbed in Vedanta, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was famously singing: ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’—and now I knew why. No amount of money, fame, possessions or adulation will bring anyone happiness. In fact, these elements in profusion lead to disillusionment and misery. Another life-changing concept that accompanied my reading about the Atman was the idea that we are free. That we have been and are always free—we are ever-free. To know the Atman is freedom itself. This thought was like water on parched soil. Let me share something with you about Americans: we have a fixation on freedom. We can’t help it, it’s part of what makes us Americans (as irritating as that can be sometimes). America was founded upon our ancestors’ search for religious freedom, so freedom is locked into our cultural DNA. It lurks in our bone marrow like a virus. We seek freedom, we crave freedom and we rebel against any sort of confinement or restriction. ‘Don’t fence me in’ is an American anthem, and this innate pull toward freedom is often problematic. Where does ‘freedom’ end and license begin? Where does ‘freedom’ end and selfcenteredness begin? One is often confused with the other. To discover that our real nature is freedom itself speaks with extraordinary power to Americans. That whatever lack of freedom we feel is entirely self-imposed was a huge revelation. As Swami Vivekananda said: ‘Where shall I seek for freedom? I am free by my nature. Who can bind—the God of this universe?’2 These were bracing words—words filled with strength and power. For one whose encounter with religion had always been laced with fear, these words were a tonic—a cure for

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 654 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

179

the weakness which lurked under the guise of ‘religion’. How powerful it was to read, and how powerful it was to begin to grasp the idea that the Atman is who we really are. We are not our bodies, which are so frail and undependable. They are born and they will die. They grow old, they become ill, they will inevitably become weak and then they devolve into the elements that formed them. Bodies get fat and they get thin; eventually the hair will become grey or will disappear altogether. The face will wrinkle and sag along with the rest of the body: gravity will take its inevitable toll. No matter how much hair dye we use, no matter how many Botox treatments we get to remove wrinkles, the body is limited and mortal and it will grow old and it will die. That’s the one thing we can all count on. The body will die, there is 100% chance of success in that. But here’s the point to remember: We do not grow old and die. Our bodies do, we, the ever-free, ever-pure Atman are untouched by all the changes the body undergoes. Similarly with the mind: we are not our mind, which is as unstable and fickle as a leaf blowing in the wind. Our minds also grow weak. Our minds are easily clouded with fear, anger, anxiety, jealousy, lust, hatred and greed. And that’s just the beginning of the list. We can be overcome by grief and crippled by depression or anxiety. Yet we are not the mind. The Atman is a witness to all the moods of the mind, all the wanderings, all the vagaries, all the ups and downs, all the griefs and the joys. To remember that we are not the mind, to

T h e

remember not to identify with the moods of the mind, is a ticket to freedom. My excitement over these life-giving ideas was palpable. Swami Vivekananda said: ‘Proclaim the glory of the Atman with the roar of a lion’3—and such was my joy that I felt like doing just that—but the hushed library reading room was probably not the best place to begin! The Oneness Idea My Vedanta book gave me the final tenet of Vedanta philosophy: Brahman and Atman are one. This terse phrase was so electrifying to me that even today I can remember its effect. I was stunned by the phrase’s simplicity, beauty and ringing truth. It seemed so obvious, so clear, such a trumpet of the truth, that it made my jaw drop. I can remember that minute, forty-six years ago, as if it had just happened. I repeated it aloud, quietly, to myself: Brahman and Atman are one. I looked at every one of my fellow readers, eager to share my newly learned, life-altering truth: Atman and Brahman are one. I wanted to stand up and announce it, if not immediately to the world, then to at least the other readers absorbed in their books and journals. I thought, they’re wasting their time. This will change their lives forever! For I knew, that once I had read this phrase, my life would never again be the same. With these few words, one chapter of my life had permanently closed and a new one had opened. I was looking into a room filled with joy and light and endless promise. Every-

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 655 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

180

thing was now given new meaning. Everything. The logic behind this simple phrase was inescapable. That was its beauty—its simplicity and logic. Equally beautiful were the inevitable ramifications that came from this simple phrase; Swami Vivekananda devoted the last portion of his life into putting these practical ramifications into action. He believed that the practical application of Vedanta had been missing in the past and this obvious practical application was service to humanity—in fact service to all beings. Swamiji said: After so much austerity, I have understood this as the real truth–God is present in every living being; there is no other God besides that. ‘Who serves all beings, serves God indeed.4

Who else but Swamiji could say with such visceral compassion: So long as even a dog of my country remains without food, to feed it and to take care of him is my religion.5

This kind of profound sympathy and love is possible only when the Atman is recognized in all beings. To see the Atman first before seeing man or woman, rich or poor, high or low, see the Atman first before we filter

everyone through self-imposed distinctions of gender or caste or color or creed or social status—to recognize the divinity in everyone we encounter, is the practical application of Brahman and Atman are one. Swami Vivekananda tells us: ‘You are the soul, free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed.’ If that is who we really are, so it is the same with everyone that we encounter. If we choose not to see it, it is our own loss. We place the blindfold over our eyes and weep over the darkness. ‘Speak of this Atman to all,’ Swamiji said.6 As eager as I was to share my discovery about the Atman, I knew all too well that my erstwhile library companions would not appreciate my enthusiasm. As time went on and I grew older, I realized that people don’t want to have these kind of thoughts overshared with them. They will ask their own questions in their own time, and when they do, they will be receptive, even eager, listeners. As Swamiji reminds us, in time, all will seek to know that their real nature is divine. ‘Everything in the universe is struggling to complete a circle,’ Swamiji said, ‘to return to its source, to return to its only real source, Atman.’7 o

References 1.

Chandogya Upanishad, 3. 14.1

CW, 2.251

CW, 7.138

CW, 7. 247

6. 7.

Eastern and Western Disciples, The Life of Swami Vivekananda, 2 vols (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1981), 2.440 CW, 7.199-200 CW, 7. 48

If God allots sorrows and sufferings to anyone, then know it for certain that it is His blessings in disguise . . . We forget God in our greed for transient pleasures. So, He makes us remember Him by these little miseries. His kindness is expressed through both favourable and unfavourable circumstances. —Swami Ramakrishnananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 656 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spiritual Life for Students SWAMI ABHIRAMANANDA

The Current Scenario Swami Vivekananda emphatically declared, Spirituality is the true basis of all our activities in life. A spiritually strong and sound man will be strong in every other respect.1

Traversing through a period of rapid globalization, the students of the present generation are indeed passing through a crisis. The tremendous emphasis given on academic studies hardly gives them any time to ponder over the greater and nobler principles of human life. As a result, the subject of spiritual growth has been undermined and the fundamental truths of life and existence have been ignored. Our venerable traditional ideals that uphold spiritual advancement at every stage of life, significantly so during student-life when the seed of noble values is sown, are being disregarded. Emotional disturbances, anxieties, academic pressure, unwarranted aggressive competition, influence of the media, pressure of peers and the society, self-centredness, blind imitation of western culture, unbridled materialism, consumerism and most importantly a learning system that is deficient in providing a ‘holistic education’ are indeed the fundamental reasons for this rather regrettable crisis. The importance of living a value-oriented life and nurturing positive values such as respect for cultural

and religious diversity, handling relationships, dealing with insecurity, caring for the environment and social concerns receive little or no attention. Swami Vivekananda’s man-making education that calls for the right blend of spiritual education with secular education is unquestionably the need of the hour. Understanding the Significance of Spiritual Life Spiritual development is vital to an individual. It is important for students to first understand what spirituality really means to them and why it becomes fundamental to their lives. Students should firstly realize that life is made richer not by material wealth alone but by developing spiritual and moral values, acquiring strength of character and observing noble principles and ethics. They must comprehend the fact that learning is not merely an intellectual discipline. The well-being of an individual is determined by the growth of his overall personality which includes the spiritual attribute to a considerable degree. It is spirituality that is capable of giving a feeling of completeness, bringing about an inner transformation and positive outlook, conditioning of the mind and most importantly facilitating our emotional well-being. Vedanta asserts that the essence of a human being lies in his divine nature. It

A Trustee of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, the author is the Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 657 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

182

therefore becomes important for students to acquire right awareness about one’s own self, and learn to discover the higher truths governing life. Spiritual life is all about development of faith in God, faith in oneself, manifestation of the inherent divinity, and adherence to values, virtues and righteousness that lay the foundation for a successful life. Students should get enlightened with the fact that there is no value in learning if the knowledge they receive fails to impart spiritual expansion or a progressive attainment of divinity. The following disciplines are fundamental for any student to practise spirituality in his day-to-day life: v Developing faith and devotion v Offering regular prayer v Practicing meditation v Nurturing values and virtues v Cultivating the ideals of service and sacrifice v Understanding the true import of religions v Practicing Brahmacharya v Synthesis of science and spirituality Let us discuss these disciplines in greater details: Developing Faith and Devotion Faith and devotion are the stepping stones for the spiritual life of a student. The development of faith and devotion to God in a student’s life no way contradicts his quest for developing curricular knowledge. Having faith is not opposed to being rational or reasonable, nor is it sentimental. In fact, faith is an essential part even in secular life. Everything we do in life requires faith in something or the other, whether it is in our own capacities, in our relations with family members, in our interaction with the society or in law and T h e

governance. Knowingly or unknowingly, everyone in the world lives and acts on faith. It is only a matter of where one’s faith is placed. The spiritual life of a student begins with faith in God and that is why our ancient traditions advocate the performance of Vidyarthi Homa or invocation of God prior to the commencement of studies. The educational system followed in India, especially Ramakrishna Mission-run institutions, commences with a prayer even today. Indian scriptures extol that belief in God is our life-breath. Faith in God and faith in one’s own divine nature facilitates a student to be strongwilled, determined and unwavering. Faith in God nurtures optimism and a positive mental attitude, no matter what the circumstances are. Our tradition accepts the authority of the scriptures and the qualified teacher. From time immemorial, our lives have been moulded on principles that are centred around their teachings. Faith combined with knowledge can lift us to great heights, from being unsure believers to persons with fixed convictions. Hence students must learn to cultivate faith right from their childhood. Swami Vivekananda glorified faith thus: Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God—this is the secret of greatness.2

Offering Regular Prayers Cultivating the habit of prayer is obligatory in the spiritual life of a student. In fact, a person who has sufficiently developed faith and devotion naturally becomes prayerful. Prayer is a means for the discovery of the truth. Prayer has the power to take us nearer to God and to awaken our inner spiritual powers. Prayer soothes the nerves, develops a divine contact in our hearts, guides our understanding and enlightens our consciousness. Prayer, in fact, is a universal

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 658 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

183

phenomenon although the reason for prayer and the method of prayer differs from person to person. Quite often we come across circumstances when we become helpless and seek divine help. Swami Vivekananda asserted, ‘The prayers of those that are pure in mind and body will be answered,’3 and there are many instances in our Puranas that illustrate this fact. The ardent prayers of Dhruva and Prahlada to Lord Narayana, Markandeya to Lord Shiva are striking examples from our scriptures. There are many occasions when we pray out of anxiety, worry or fear. But as one advances spiritually, prayer born out of necessity gradually becomes a universal prayer or prayer in adoration of the Truth. This is reflected in the sublime Gayatri Mantra where meditating on the supreme glory of the divine Being, one craves for the awakening of the spiritual intuition in us. When Swami Vivekananda, during his adolescence, was in distress after the passing away of his father and having to shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family, Sri Ramakrishna asked him to offer prayers to the Divine Mother. But Swami Vivekananda, an embodiment of divinity himself, upon seeing

T h e

the divine splendour and living presence of Goddess Kali, forgot everything about his family and worldly affairs and repeatedly prayed to Her, seeking only devotion and spiritual knowledge. Practicing Meditation Meditation is a discipline which every student must practise every day. Indian tradition recommends several forms of meditation for a peaceful, fulfilling life. It is a proven fact that meditation provides profound tranquillity and serenity at one’s deeper levels. Swami Vivekananda laid great emphasis on meditation and encouraged the youth to meditate regularly. He defined meditation thus: When the mind has been trained to remain fixed on a certain internal or external location, there comes to it the power of flowing in an unbroken current, as it were, towards that point. This state is called Dhyana.4

He went on to say, The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. In meditation we divest ourselves of all material conditions and feel our divine nature.5

Meditation fosters the development of a student’s unique personality, improves

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 659 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

184

behavioural patterns and supports creativity, expression and concentration. From the spiritual perspective, good meditation techniques teach students self-awareness, and help them face life with greater belief in their potential. Meditation is a key to balanced physical and mental development and helps one to face the onslaught of emotions, feelings and urges in an unruffled and composed manner. It also augments the student’s ability to assimilate the knowledge that he receives besides promoting good memory. At the physical level, meditation relaxes the body and relieves stress, tension and depression while at the mental level it calms the mind and develops sustained concentration. This increase in concentration coupled with renewed energy improves one’s inter-personal relationships and helps in achieving success in day-to-day activities. Students become more efficient, more productive and better equipped to deal with life’s challenges. Most importantly, meditation promotes spiritual growth and helps the student rise into higher dimensions of consciousness. Nurturing Values and Virtues One of the most powerful ways for students to grow spiritually is to know the importance of values and virtues and translate them into action in all their activities. Values represent the essence and quintessence of knowledge acquired by humanity over ages. They give us the knowledge for growth, development, accomplishment and lifelong progress. Values have the power to direct our energies to higher levels of accomplishment. Some important values that students should adhere to are love, unity, truth, goodwill, peace and silence. Each of these values expresses a host of other virtues in life. For T h e

instance, all virtues such as loyalty, affection, friendship, dependability, and self-giving issue forth from love. All values related to cooperation, harmony, teamwork, team spirit, solidarity and identification emerge from unity. All values related to integrity, honesty, sincerity, accuracy and reliability emanate from truth. All values issuing from benevolence, compassion and magnanimity emerge from goodwill. Living in harmony and tranquillity with the external world are supported by peace and silence. Indian heritage, be it our customs or traditions, art or architecture, religion or philosophy, literature or poetry, abounds in values and virtues. Noble values are best developed in students through the study of our epics and Puranas that are loaded with anecdotes that ascertain their glory. Such core values can be absorbed by the students through the study of the classics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The spiritual import of the hymns contained in the Vedas and the life-giving principles spelt out in the Bhagavad Gita should find a proper place in the student’s learning process. This will keep the perennial flow of our spiritual values from generation to generation. An acquaintance with the immortal heroes of India, like Rama and Krishna, sages like Vasishtha, Vyasa and Shuka, India’s great rulers like Sibi, Harischandra, Janaka, Yudhishthira, Vikramaditya, Ashoka and the like, is indeed essential for the students. Students must study the biographies and messages of great saintly teachers such as Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhvacharya, and saints like Gauranga, Nanak, Tukaram, Jnanesvar, Mirabai, Surdas, Tulasidas, Kabirdas, Purandaradas, Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 660 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

185

To get a broader vision of the unity in diversity underlying our culture, students must gain good knowledge about the lives and teachings of Buddha, Mahavira, Christ, Mohammed, the Sufi saints and the Sikh Gurus as well. Suffice it is to say that Indian heritage abounds in values and virtues. It is for the students to tap such values from the perennial spring of Indian wisdom and assimilate them in their lives for their own well-being. As Swami Vivekananda pointed out, There is an eternal fountain of spirituality in our scriptures, and nowhere on earth, except in this land of renunciation, do we find such noble examples of practical spirituality.6

Service and Sacrifice Students should look upon service and sacrifice as a kind of a spiritual discipline. Service should not be regarded as an act of responsibility or obligation but rather as a privilege. Students should understand the fact that in helping others, they really help themselves. A sign of spiritual progress is the outgrowing of ego. To genuinely shift the focus from ourselves to others is to move from ego to spirit. Service done with an attitude of divinity has more enduring value. Swami Vivekananda formulated the doctrine that God exists in all beings and the highest worship is to worship Him in man. An act of charity gets transformed into an act of worship when done with the right motive. Service done with such an attitude becomes a spiritual discipline and helps in one’s spiritual progress. Through simple acts of service and sacrifice, the life of the student progressively becomes all-encompassing and all-embracing. Service begins with arousing one’s social conscience, translating this gradually into T h e

community action and ending up with selfless dedication. Swami Vivekananda repeatedly called upon the youth to follow the ideals of Tyaga or sacrifice and Seva or selfless service. The beauty about Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy is that spirituality is made practical through service. He reiterated that Tyaga and Seva are two imperative aspects in shaping the spiritual life of students. He wanted the youth to live a noble life with a lofty ideal and wished that the youngsters cultivate and nurture the ability to feel for others. He said, My hope of the future lies in the youth of character—intelligent, renouncing all for the service of others, and obedient—who can sacrifice their lives in working out my ideas and thereby do good to themselves and the country at large.7

Understanding the True Import of Religions Spiritual life requires a correct understanding on the part of the students about the true significance of religion. Spirituality is the innermost essence of all religions and the power of any religion lies in its spirituality. Defining religion as the ‘manifestation of the divinity already in man’, Swami Vivekananda went on to expound the gist of religion thus:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 661 ~

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

186

nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these— and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.8

In order to wipe out the mistaken notion about religion, he reminded us time and again that religion does not primarily consist in ceremonial rites or creeds or rituals. To be religious in life is to manifest our higher nature, our inherent divinity and express it in all our thoughts, words and deeds. A true understanding of religion is therefore sure to help the students in becoming liberal, tolerant, forbearing, compassionate and sympathetic. It will also help them to extend their love and affection by crossing all communal, national and racial barriers. Swami Vivekananda went on to elaborate the primary objective of religions thus: In building up character, in making for everything that is good and great, in bringing peace to others, and peace to one’s own self, religion is the highest motive power, and, therefore, ought to be studied from that standpoint.9

Practicing Brahmacharya Swami Vivekananda said Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. . . The spiritual leaders of men have been very continent, and this is what gave them power.10

He laid immense emphasis on the observance of Brahmacharya or continence for the youth. He assured, By the observance of strict Brahmachrya, all learning can be mastered in a very short time— one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once.11

Students should realize that adherence to Brahmacharya is absolutely necessary for the T h e

nourishment, dynamism and vigor of the body and the mind. Unbroken Brahmacharya in thought, word and deed is a prerequisite for all students to awaken the higher centres of their consciousness. Self-discipline, self-control, restraint and self-denial to a reasonable extent are prerequisites in the spiritual life of a student. The great mystics of the world have given utmost importance to chastity. The creative and vigorous urge in students should be sublimated and directed through proper channels to their higher centres of consciousness. Students should be guided to seek holy company, lead a life of internal and external purity, and avoid the companionship of immoral people. Enumerating the tangible benefits of observing Brahmacharya, Swami Brahmananda says, Without strict Brahmacharya, it is not possible for anyone to hold fast to great ideals. To secure the full development and vitality of the body, brain and mind, Brahmacharya is essential.12

Synthesis of Science and Spirituality Sri Srinivasa Ramanujam, a genius in mathematics, said, ‘An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God’. From time immemorial, science and spirituality have been the two dominant forces involving deep intellectual, philosophical and psychological approaches for the well-being of mankind. However, modern education, having laid over emphasis and advocacy on development of science and technology without the simultaneous growth of the spiritual dimension, has caused an imbalance in the personality of the students, which has had a direct impact on the society and the nation at large. It is therefore critical to create awareness among the student community about the need to synthesize science and

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 662 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

187

spirituality and thereby enable them lead a balanced meaningful life. Students should become conscious of the fact that a quest for scientific knowledge will help them understand the phenomenon outside them whereas a quest for spiritual knowledge will lead them inward. Even as several zeros have no value without a number preceding them, nothing in this world, no achievement whatsoever, can have any real meaning if it is devoid of spiritual development. More than a century ago, Swami Vivekananda foresaw this predicament and provided a practical solution through his revolutionary philosophy of education that fosters all-round development. He prophesied a century ago,

to find solutions for all personal shortcomings and social evils. Spiritual education prepares the student to face life armed with greater faith in one’s own inherent divinity and indomitable strength in facing obstacles with optimism. Spiritual life enables a student to be an embodiment of humility, self-control, obedience and self-surrender. It fosters exemplary conduct and a spotless character in him. The sense of dignity in a student arises when he becomes conscious of his inner spirit. Spirituality and morality are indeed the building blocks of a student’s life. May our students dynamically respond to Swami Vivekananda’s authoritative appeal,

Science and religion will meet and shake hands. Poetry and philosophy will become friends. This will be the religion of the future, and if we can work it out, we may be sure that it will be for all times and peoples. This is the one way that will prove acceptable to modern science, for it has almost come to it.13

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.14

Conclusion It is only in the transformation of a student, by practicing the above-mentioned disciplines as a way of life, that he will be able

May our students realize that the individuality of India lies in her venerated heritage and the heritage of India has its roots in her spiritual values. May the students learn the art of harmonizing spiritual values with secular progress for a wholesome life. o`

References 1. 2. 3. 4.

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 1.52 ibid., 3.191 ibid., 3.142 ibid., 1.186

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

ibid., 2.36 ibid., 3.135 ibid., 7.230 ibid., 1.124 ibid., 2.67

10. ibid., 1.263 11. ibid., 7.224 12. The Eternal Companion, Life and Teachings of Swami

Brahmananda, p.199 13. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 2.140 14. ibid., 3.194

The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful is called education. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 663 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spirituality Today— Lessons from Ramakrishna SWAMI ATMAPRIYANANDA

The First Lesson: Sri Ramakrishna’s Spontaneity and Transparency Nature’s manifestations have two fundamental characteristics: spontaneity and naturalness. These two add up to what has become an all-important concept today: transparency. Transparency is no longer a virtue to be admired and praised. It has been mainstreamed into almost a demand on any individual or organization worth its name. Spontaneity and naturalness make Nature appear ever fresh, ever new, like the face of an innocent baby. This is the one abiding quality of spirituality too. This quality of being ever new, while at the same time being very antique, ancient, is unique to all of Nature. When we look at the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky or the waters of the Ganga or the Himalayan mountain ranges, do we ever feel even remotely that after all it is the same sun or the same moon or the same stars or the Ganga or the Himalayas that we have seen so many times, which we have been seeing day after day? Not at all. On the contrary, we feel it is new every time we encounter it. It is so spontaneously fresh. It is so naturally new. This is one characteristic by which you determine the nature of a Spiritual Entity— its quality of ever newness. Spirituality has o

therefore been called purana, which has been explained by the great commentator Shankaracharya as pura api nava¸ meaning, ‘although ancient, it is ever new’! Even a cursory glance at Sri Ramakrishna’s photograph is sufficient for a person, even one uninitiated into spirituality and not particularly interested in spiritual life, to feel Sri Ramakrishna’s spontaneity and naturalness, his transparency and innocence— his beaming countenance, his childlike demeanour. Spontaneity and naturalness again translate in practical terms as ‘un-selfconsciousness’. This is one hallmark of all the galaxy of spiritual souls coming in the Ramakrishna spiritual tradition, be it Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda or Swami Brahmananda—their utter lack of self-consciousness. This, indeed, is the essence of ‘holiness’ and purity which are normally considered spiritual qualities. Why is this so? What is the source of this spontaneity? It is because these spiritual qualities are not attributes of Sri Ramakrishna’s personality, but his very being, his inherent, innate characteristics inseparable from his very existence. Swami Vivekananda put it beautifully when he said of his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, that he was not ‘holy’, but had become identified with holiness.1 Sri Ramakrishna

The author is the Vice Chancellor, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, West Bengal. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 664 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

189

Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 665 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

190

was spiritually great because he did not actually know that he was great! He was thus ‘unconsciously’ great. Consciousness about his own spiritual greatness would have robbed him of that quality of pure, spontaneous innocence is his very essence of his personality. Sister Nivedita, the famous Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda, records that Swamiji once told her about Sri Ramakrishna as follows: What is the place of Ramakrishna in this scheme? He is the method, that wonderful unconscious method! He did not understand himself. . . But he lived that great life—and I read the meaning.2

The utter lack of self-consciousness is spoken of in the Indian spiritual culture and tradition as one of the most important characteristics of paramahamsas, men soaked in the Supreme Spiritual Consciousness all the time, living and moving and having their being in the Divine. This is true of a Krishna, of a Jesus, of a Buddha, or a Ramakrishna, Sarada, Vivekananda, Brahmananda. The practice, the psychological simulation, of this spontaneity, pure childlike innocence, utter lack of self-consciousness— ‘the imitation of Christ’—is the first lesson we learn from Sri Ramakrishna in the present day world of ostentation, sophistry and drumbeating that sadly characterize the modern times. The Second Lesson: Sri Ramakrishna’s Overflowing Joy The second lesson from Sri Ramakrishna for the practitioners of spirituality is his ever joyful nature, his overflowing bliss. This is again a matter for our ‘imitation’, what I would call ‘psychological simulation’ for the moderns. The modern world, notwithstanding the fun and frolic, mirth and hilarity on the surface, is sorrowful and joyless, ennui and angst eating into the vitals of the modern life. T h e

Tension, distrust, breakdown of family ties, panic and peacelessness characterize the socalled modern civilization with its vaunted technological advance, its song and dance about ‘modernity’. Man, ‘proud man, dressed in his brief little of authority’, caught up in his ‘boast of heraldry and pomp of power’, blows his trumpet, beats his drum, sings his songs and dances through the night to proclaim the dawn of a new year or a new century that Nature does not even care to recognize in any way, leave alone proclaim! Our lives are increasingly becoming more and more pompous, vain, luxurious, violent, competitive and aggressive. Ultimately the result is frustration, agony, depression and lack of fulfilment. The world has had enough of the violent and aggressive way of life. The time is now come to replace it with the calm, peaceful and harmonious way. The joy of a Ramakrishna, emerging from the Divine Source of Joy, is so extraordinarily soothing, elevating and intensely powerful. ‘Mankind is at one of its rare moments of shifting its outlook; revolution is not only in the air. It’s in the hearts of men’, as Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan once said. For such a changeover, such a shift of outlook, it is a Ramakrishna, a Sarada Devi that would serve as the beacon light. And the day is not far off when the gentle power of love flowing out from these Divine Personalities would flood the earth, bringing joy, peace, prosperity, order and harmony to all of humankind. Spirituality is often regarded as a dead serious business, and spiritual persons are supposed to be long faced, no smiles on their lips, fun and mirth a strict no no! But the eternal treasure house of Indian spiritual culture cherishes countless pictures of humanity’s greatest spiritual personalities, be it Sri Krishna or Sri Ramakrishna, immersed

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 666 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

191

in childlike fun, full of innocent mirth, bathing in the unceasing springs of pure joy. Sri Ramakrishna is one of the most remarkable among such fun-loving Avatars, very much like Sri Krishna, and being the latest and the most easily accessible Avatar, his joyfulness is contagious and deeply impacting. Wherever he is, the entire atmosphere is charged as much with spirituality and Godliness as innocent fun and mirth, joy and pure spiritual frolic. Anander haat (mart of joy) is how this phenomenon has been described by his Boswell, the recorder of his Gospel, Sri Mahendranath Gupta who styled himself as M. Students of the Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) joyfully recall the endless occurrence of the terms hasya (laughter), sakaler hasya (all laugh), sahasya badan (delightfully smiling face), etc., page after page, chapter after chapter. This aspect of Sri Ramakrishna is of such vital importance for spiritual life in the modern age. Sri Ramakrishna teaches us with an authority that is irresistible, that the old and obscurantist concept of spirituality being associated with long faces, smileless and glum, ought to urgently be replaced by a cheerful face, a joyful countenance overflowing with inner peace and bliss. Cheerless and gloomy faces, Swami Vivekananda said in effect, are a sign of dyspepsia, and certainly not an expression of spirituality! Praphulla vadana, prasanna chetasa (a cheerful face beaming with joy, a serene mind radiating tranquillity) are the expressions used in our scriptures to describe a holy man, a spiritual person. Cultivating cheerfulness and tranquillity of mind is one of the most important and urgent needs of spirituality in this modern age of restlessness, tension and conflict. This could be most easily accomplished through a reverential contemplation of Sri Ramakrishna’s T h e

life and personality, radiating joy and bliss— sadanandamaya purusha, ever joyful personality, swimming in the ocean of divine bliss and bathing others in bliss! The Third Lesson: Sri Ramakrishna’s Pure, Selfless, Overflowing Love Upanishads, the eternal treasures of India’s spiritual culture and wisdom, have two wonderful definitions of Brahman, the Supreme Reality: (1) Satyam, jnanam, anantam Brahma (Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, Infinite)3 and (2) Vijnanam anandam Brahma (Brahman is Consciousness, Joy).4 The most well-known description of Brahman is, however, sat-chit-ananda swarupa or in a different language, asti-bhati-priya. That is, Brahman is the veritable embodiment of ExistenceKnowledge-Bliss Absolute. It is the Bliss component of Brahman, the aspect of Pure, Absolute Joy, that Sri Ramakrishna embodied in his life, perhaps because it is the most needed aspect in this anxiety-ridden, conflicttorn, strife-stricken joyless world of science and technology wherein it is the panicwrecked giant intellect that is dancing on the stage rather than a joyful heart full of love and peace. Brahman has also been described as shantam, shivam—peaceful, auspicious. Sri Ramakrishna’s life, his form, his message, his very looks, are the embodiment of these two aspects of Brahman—peace and auspiciousness. India’s eternal spiritual culture stipulates that bliss or joy is a necessary precondition to peace. In fact, the Bhagavadgita asks: ‘How can there be happiness for a person who has no peace?’5 Sri Ramakrishna and the spiritual tradition that he has set in motion for the good of the world through his chiefmost and dearest apostle Swami Vivekananda, embody these

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 667 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

192

two all-important components of India’s eternal culture in this modern age of science and technology, namely, peace and joy, both being subsumed into what Swami Vivekananda emphasized as prem, prem ei matra dhan—love, selfless love, that is the one and only treasure. The world is thirsty and hungry for this priceless treasure, this pure wealth of the spirit handed down to the world through millennia upon millennia of spiritual tradition and culture by countless saints and sages, Avatars and Divine Manifestations. Sri Ramakrishna has been described by Swami Vivekananda as ‘L-O-V-E Personified’—prema-ghana-murti, the condensed form of pure Love. In this famous hymn of vesper service, Aratrika hymn, to Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda goes into ecstasy as it were describing this prema aspect of his Master: bhaswara-bhava-sagara-chiraunmada-prema-pathar! which translates roughly into: ‘You are the ocean of pure selfless Love, effulgent, luminous sea of divine spiritual emotions, always intoxicated and mad with Divine Love’. It is this gentle power of pure love that imperceptibly overwhelms the hearts of sincere seekers and elevates their hearts to realms ineffable. This is another urgently needed quality in the modern world, this pure, selfless, overflowing, all-encompassing love. The Fourth Lesson: Looking up to the Divine Source Always This is perhaps the most important lesson that the modern man needs to learn from Sri Ramakrishna. Sorrow and frustration are inevitable in life and all of us turn to some source for consolation and counsel. And it is everybody’s experience that human consolation is so flimsy, so unreliable and so T h e

fickle. Our relatives and friends, our most intimate well-wishers and counsellors, all of them fail us at crucial moments. With all their wisdom and sagacious counsel, they lack the power to elevate the depressed mind, to awaken human consciousness to higher levels of spirituality. Their words of consolation, therefore, are deeply felt, empathetic sharing of feelings at its best and casual words of courtesy uttered with some worked up feeling at its worst. Our inability or unwillingness to seek divine counsel comes from the fact that whereas a Ramakrishna could talk to God and also listen to God answering him in response, it is one way traffic in our case. We pretend to seek counsel from the Divine, pour our hearts out to Him, but alas, He does not seem to respond at all! Here’s where comes the question of faith. There are a hundred thousand things that we do in life, even in science which is considered rational, without being aware of its raison d’etre. We do them based simply on our faith in a book, in a manual, in a document that we consider authentic. Why not, in a similar fashion, give this act of looking up to the Divine, seeking Divine advice, asking for Divine help, in all circumstances, in all places and times, a fair try? After all, we are not going to lose anything by such an act; at the worst, it may turn out to be a futile exercise. Once we seriously attempt it, we shall be blessed with the conviction that the Divine Supreme does listen to the piteous cry of our heart, the Divine response is not a fancy of our mind, it is real, it is true, much more true than our own puny mind and intellect. The Fifth Lesson: Seeing the All-Pervading Divine in All Beings:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 668 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

193

This is the Psychological Simulation of the State of Bhavamukha or Vijnana Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells Arjuna: Knowing thus (realizing this state of jnana), you will never be overcome by delusion. By the strength of this Knowledge, you will have the holistic vision of all beings in your own Self and thereafter in Me.6

On another occasion, Bhagavan talks to Arjuna elaborately about the complete vision of Oneness—seeing the Divine in all beings and all beings in the Divine.7 This is the state of Bhavamukha or Vijnana which was the permanent state of Sri Ramakrishna’s consciousness—seeing the All-Pervading Divine in all beings and nondifferent from one’s own Self and bringing this state of realization, this abiding state of consciousness to bear upon every one of our thoughts and actions in daily life. This was the lesson that Swami Vivekananda drew from his Master’s life and couched his philosophy in the following memorable words: My ideal indeed can be put in a few words: that is, to preach unto mankind its Divinity and how to manifest it in every movement of life.

Although this state may be beyond the reach of ordinary jivas that all of us are, it is yet possible to elevate ourselves to a higher state of consciousness by faithfully ‘simulating’ this vijnana state—this is the ‘imitation of Christ’ as Thomas A Kempis puts it. This could be called the psychological simulation of the state of Bhavamukha or Vijnana. The spiritual tradition of Sri Ramakrishna envisions that each one of the followers of this tradition would try to live the ideal of Bhavamukha and approximate to it as much as his or her spiritual advancement would allow. This psychological ‘simulation’ of the spiritual content of Sri Ramakrishna’s Bhavamukha is a form of Sadhana (spiritual T h e

practice) that is the most effective in this modern age wherein world-negating, isolationist practice is well-nigh impossible. The word simulation, which is normally understood as meaning pretence or feigning, sham or counterfeit, has come to mean a very different thing, thanks to its gaining much currency in the world of computer science and computer modelling, as in ‘computer simulation’. The Google Dictionary gives the following as one of the meanings of the word ‘simulation’: produce a computer model of, as in the example: future population changes were simulated by computer. The Meriam-Webster Dictionary gives the following meanings, apart from the usual meaning mentioned earlier, for ‘simulation’: (a) the imitative representation of the functioning of one system or process by means of the functioning of another, as for example: a computer simulation of an industrial process, (b) examination of a problem often not subject to direct experimentation by means of a simulating device. In the world of spiritual Sadhana, this could be used as meaning the meditation taught in the Yoga Sutra: vita-ragavishayam va cittam,8 literally translated as ‘or (by meditation on) the heart that has given up all attachment to sense-objects’. Commenting on this aphorism, Swami Vivekananda says: Take some holy person, some great person whom you revere, some saint whom you know to be perfectly non-attached, and think of his heart. That heart has become non-attached, and meditate on that heart; it will calm the mind.9

This is the meaning of Swami Vivekananda’s exhortation to Sri Ramakrishna’s followers to cast themselves in the ‘mould of Sri Ramakrishna’. One remarkable example of this process of ‘simulation’ in spiritual sadhana

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 669 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

194

is prescribed by Acharya Shankara in his Gita Bhashya as follows: sarvatra eva hi adhyatma shastre kritarthalakshanani yani tani eva sadhanani updishyante yatnasadhyatvat. Yani yatnasadhyani sadhanani laskshanani cha bhavanti tani,10

which means: everywhere in the spiritual scriptures, the very characteristics of a person who has attained fulfilment [through spiritual realization] are taught to be the means of sadhana as these are attainable through practice and effort. [Thus], those that are attainable through practice and effort, verily become means of sadhana [for a spiritual aspirant or sadhaka] as well as the [natural] characteristics [of a person who has attained to realization]. This is the meaning of Sri Ramakrishna’s own exhortation that Swami Vivekananda called ‘practical Advaitism’: First tie the knowledge of nonduality in a corner of your cloth, then do as you please.11

Swami Ramakrishnananda, one of the monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who undoubtedly knew Sri Ramakrishna’s mission only too well, once made a stunning statement:

‘Ramakrishna Mission is that which has produced a Ramakrishna.’12 The meaning is that the Ramakrishna Mission can produce all-round characters harmonizing Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, and Yoga; characters cast in the mould of Sri Ramakrishna, with minds and hearts so refined, so elevated and tuned to the wavelength of Sri Ramakrishna’s own mind and heart that they can live and operate at the level of Sri Ramakrishna, simulating the Bhavamukha ideal in their own lives. Conclusion In this modern age of globalization in which there is a great search for Unity through coming together and the urge for peaceful co-existence as the most urgent and crying need, the modern man would do well to reverentially contemplate the above lessons learnt from Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings for individual fulfilment and collective good, atmano mokshartham jagaddhitaya cha and ‘for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many’, bahujana hitaya bahujana sukhaya, as the Buddha said. o

References 1.

Gargi, Swami Vivekananda in America, New

Discoveries, 6.157 Sister Nivedita, The Master as I saw him, pp.167-68

Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.28

5. 6.

Gita, 2.66 Gita, 4.35

Gita, 6.30-32

8. Patanjali, Yoga Sutra, 1.37. 9. Complete Works, 1.227 10. Shankara’s commentary on the Gita verse 2.54 11. Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play, 907. 12. P Ramalinga Sastry, ‘Reminiscences of Swami Ramakrishnananda’, Vedanta Kesari, 41/8 (August 1954), p.89.

Virtue enhances joy and gain; Forsaking it is fall and pain.

In spotless mind is virtue found And not in show and swelling sound.

—Thirukkural, 32 and 34 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 670 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spiritual But Not Religious SWAMI TYAGANANDA

A Growing Number ‘Spiritual but not religious’—this is how an increasing number of people today identify themselves. The phrase is used worldwide, especially among the younger generation, but it is most prominent in the United States where one study reports that as many as 33% of the population describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. These people are also described by other terms and phrases, such as unchurched, none of the above, more spiritual than religious, spiritually eclectic, unaffiliated, freethinkers, and even as spiritual seekers. This last description—spiritual seekers—is interesting, as it is also used by those who do see themselves as religious. While some polls show that roughly 9 in 10 Americans still maintain belief in God, the trend of religious young Americans is toward a mishmash of varied religious beliefs. A 2010 USA Today survey revealed that 72% of the nation’s young people self-identify as ‘more spiritual than religious’. Of those aged 18 to 35, three in 10 say they are not affiliated with any religion, while only half are ‘absolutely certain’ of God’s existence. The actual numbers may be significantly higher. As columnist Tina Dupuy observes: When it comes to self-reporting religious devotion, Americans cannot be trusted. We under-estimate our calories, over-state our height, under-report our weight, and when it comes to piety we lie like a prayer rug.

A survey jointly conducted by Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life and Religion & Ethics newsweekly, points out that nearly 33% of American adults are religiously unaffiliated. But that doesn’t mean they don’t believe in God. In fact, 68% among these do ‘believe in God’; 58% feel ‘a deep connection with nature and earth’; 37% describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious,’ and 21% admit to daily prayer. ‘Religion’ and ‘Spirituality’ The key terms in tension here are ‘religion’ and ‘spirituality’. Normally speaking, these two should have been natural allies. It is not easy to conceive of a religion without spirituality. Religion also deals with the world, it is true, but religious concern for the world is derived in and through its primary engagement with the spirit. If this doesn’t sound familiar, try substituting the word ‘God’ for ‘spirit’. Look at the word ‘spiritual’—it includes the word ‘spirit’. How would anyone know anything about spirituality—or anything related to the spirit— without the wisdom derived from religion, either through religious texts or through religious practitioners? What would a ‘religion’ be if its sole concern was this world and nothing beyond it? Such a religion would be indistinguishable from any social movement or ideology including even atheism or agnosticism. A

The author is the Minister-in-charge of Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, USA, and a former editor of The Vedanta Kesari. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 671 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

196

strong case, thus, can be made in favor of religion and spirituality being synonymous or, at least, inseparably connected. But that may not be true today. ‘Religion’ and ‘spirituality’ are words and, like us all, they grow and evolve. Sometimes their connotations change radically. Something like that seems to have happened with these two terms ‘religion’ and ‘spirituality’. They no longer look obviously synonymous or connected. Each has acquired a distinct identity, and their new connotations are reinforced by contemporary books and films.1 Two years ago, in January 2012, Jefferson Bethke made the film ‘Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus’, (available on YouTube) in which he criticized organized religion as superficial and hypocritical. There is not much we can do about the evolved meanings of the terms ‘religion’ and ‘spirituality’. If most people around us use the terms in a new way, it seems pointless and even impractical to continue clinging to older meanings that are rapidly becoming passè. What, then, is the new meaning of ‘religion’ today? Religion has increasingly become associated with religious organizations. To be religious does not simply mean to have a religious ideal or to observe a religious discipline. To be religious has come to imply being part of a religious group. It has become associated with membership of a place of worship, acceptance of a dogma, and commitment to a ritual or practice. This implication is problematic and it is easy to understand the hesitation to identify oneself as religious. As the recent decades have shown, religious organizations haven’t really covered themselves with glory. The media coverage of scandals in religious organizations has pushed into the background whatever good these places of worship do. Many have begun T h e

to see religious groups as too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules, and too involved in politics. They have too little of religion and too much of everything else. No surprise that this turns people off. But not all and not fully. The survey responses show that some of these same people also believe that ‘religious institutions benefit society by strengthening community bonds and aiding the poor’. Several Theories There are several theories why ‘spiritual but not religious’ identity has become more popular and more attractive in America. One theory, proposed by sociologist Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University, points to an overall decline in church attendance since the 1970s and attributes it to broader social and demographic trends, including the postponement of marriage and parenthood by growing numbers of young adults. Another theory is that the numbers indicate a symbolic statement against conservative politics and the Religious Right. In a recent book, titled American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, by Robert Putnam of Harvard and David Campbell of Notre Dame, we read that ‘religiosity and conservative politics became increasingly aligned, and abortion and gay rights became emblematic of the emergent culture wars’. The result, they write, was that many young Americans came to view religion as ‘judgmental, homophobic, hypocritical, and too political’. A third theory points to social disengagement—a tendency among Americans to live more separate lives and engage in fewer communal activities, famously summed up by Harvard’s Putnam as ‘bowling alone’. In this view, the growth of the ‘spiritual but not

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 672 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

197

religious’ generation is just one manifestation of much broader social disengagement. Yet another theory links economic development with secularization around the globe. It is claimed that societies in which people’s health and well-being are threatened tend to be more religious than where no such threat exists. This explains why attendance for religious services is declining in the developed parts of the world but has remained relatively strong in other parts. What this implies is that a gradual secularization is to be expected in a generally healthy, wealthy and orderly society. Put together, these theories suggest that the current move towards being ‘spiritual but not religious’ may either be a rejection of the right-leaning conservative politics, or it may be a sign of the changing social and demographic trends, growing social disengagement and increasing secularization of life. All of these theories have some merit, but only some. The survey data not only supports them but also challenges them. Religion as Experience I would like to propose an alternative theory which explores the ‘spiritual but not religious’ trend at a greater depth. In the light of Vedanta, almost the first thing that comes to mind is that religion is not simply a system of doctrines, a bunch of beliefs, or a matter of intellectual assent or dissent.2 As Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Religion does not consist in erecting temples, or building churches, or attending public worship. It is not to be found in books, or in words, or in lectures, or in organizations.’3 Religion is primarily an experience at the deepest core of our being. It is not enough to believe that God exists or that God loves us; we must ‘realize God, feel God, see God, talk to God’.4 T h e

But experiences are always subjective. It’s impossible to know accurately what’s going on in someone’s mind, but it is possible to get an idea—sometimes a fairly clear idea—by looking at the person’s actions and behavior. When our lives are fully authentic, our persona reflects who we are. But this is rare. Most often, through conscious effort or unconscious habit, the inner life is separated from the outer. This kind of separation is more a norm than an exception. It is the result of self-alienation, which leads to stress, anxiety, fear—traits that seem almost inseparable from human existence. Thus only a small part of who we are manifests externally through the way we relate to others and do our work. It is these visible traits that others see and the person is judged accordingly. Most judgments are based on incomplete knowledge of others. We don’t judge others by who they are (who can ever know what someone really is?) but by the manner in which they speak, smile, react, work, and behave. A person is deemed religious when seen doing things that are perceived as religious, such as visiting places of worship, praying, meditating, and studying sacred texts. Which is why, in popular usage, religion is more a matter of ‘doing’ than ‘being’. And there lies the rub. What we do is not necessarily always an expression of who we are. Being aware of this discrepancy in one’s own life can be disconcerting. Bridging the gap between ‘being’ and ‘doing’ is a fruitful spiritual discipline. Not many do this with singleminded attention for a sustained period of time. It is easier to focus instead on others and see the gap between what they do and who they are perceived to be. It is not unusual to encounter someone who is presented as a religious person

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 673 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

198

doing things that are an antithesis of religion. The process gets multiplied several times over when a similar divergence is seen between being and doing in religious organizations. When people and organizations get away with such hypocrisy, it produces anger, frustration, and even disillusionment with religion itself. As a result, some people distance themselves from religion altogether and may begin to describe themselves as secularists, atheists, humanists, or whatever. Some others cannot bring themselves to do this. Somewhere deep down in their hearts the seeds of religious values still lie embedded. They find themselves in a strange situation: they want to be religious but are turned off by what goes by the name of ‘religion’ in the circles in which they move. The disgust is so strong as to pervade the word ‘religion’ as well. Enter spirituality. It feels like an ideal substitute. It feels neutral, without any baggage with which ‘religion’ is today burdened. Spirituality is not bound in any organizational structure. It appears free from rules, dogmas, and disciplines imposed from outside. Most importantly, it is refreshingly free from the need for any commitment to anyone and anything. Being spiritual seems to give us the freedom to choose what we like and reject what we don’t like.

Used intelligently and weaved into an integrated self-discipline, this kind of freedom has the potential to produce excellent results. It is just as possible, though, that while the idea of being spiritual can be enticing, we may end up doing nothing in particular to live spiritually. We may have no idea what ‘spirit’ means and every fleeting feeling of wellbeing may be mistaken for a spiritual experience. A vague ideal of spirituality without any commitment and discipline cannot take us anywhere. That is one possibility that the ‘spiritual but not religious’ generation has to guard itself against.

Conclusion Finally, every one of us can ask ourselves: does it really matter how I identify myself? Whether I see myself as religious or as spiritual, the truth is that I am what I am. Labels don’t matter. They peel away on their own at some point anyway if I don’t do it myself. What matters ultimately is who I am as a person, not what others think of me. Not even what I think of myself. What matters is who I am. Am I free from hatred, anger, jealousy, fear and selfishness? Do I love and help others with no thought of self-interest? If yes, then I can go ahead and call myself either spiritual or religious or neither of the two. Results matter, labels don’t. o

References 1.

See, for instance, Robert Fuller, Spiritual But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America (Oxford, 2001), Sven E. Erlandson, Spiritual But Not Religious: A Call To Religious Revolution In America (Iuniverse, 2000), Lillian Daniel, When ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’ Is Not Enough (Jericho, 2013), Linda A. Mercadante, Beliefs Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but Not Religious (Oxford, 2014), Courtney Bender, The New Metaphysicals: Spirituality and the American T h e

3. 4.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 674 ~

Religious Imagination (Chicago, 2010), and Thomas Moore, A Religion of One’s Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World (Gotham, 2014). Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols. (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama), 2. 40–41, 2. 372, 4. 215. Hereafter CW. CW, 4. 179–80. CW, 4. 165.

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Practical Vedanta in the Contemporary Western Context SWAMI BANESHANANDA

‘Many’ Vedanta Vedanta being universal in its principles and application is not an exclusive property of any particular group or institution. There are, however, many traditions professing allegiance to Vedantic precepts. Each tradition highlights some particular features of Vedanta. But not everyone lives by the principles one speaks about in one’s arguments and ratiocinations. Maybe each thinks that its understanding of Vedanta is the complete one! In most of our references, the word ‘Vedanta’ implies non-dual Vedanta (Advaita). But Vedanta includes dualistic approaches also for which one finds legions of admirers all over the world. In fact, all dualistic religions, big and small, may also come under the umbrella of Vedanta! It is, therefore, difficult to give a wide-ranging appraisal of its present influence and application in the West. Vedanta helps people in many ways. We do not pretend to have comprehensive information and assessment of all such systems. We belong to a particular tradition of Vedanta which is open to all these approaches but at the same time has its own distinct identity which Swami Vivekananda (or Swamiji), in his inimitable way, elucidates as ‘a non-sectarian sect, having all the advantages of a sect and the broadness of a universal religion’.1 Moreover, one’s field of study is also

significantly shaped by those Vedantic ideas which one values most and tries to live by. Naturally, it lacks in weighing up many other viewpoints which may be equally significant. Vedanta—Theoretical and Practical In his lectures on ‘Practical Vedanta’ Swamiji explains the idea of the practicality of Vedanta thus: The Vedanta preaches the ideal; and the ideal, as we know, is always far ahead of the real, of the practical, as we may call it. There are two tendencies in human nature: one to harmonize the ideal with the life, and the other to elevate the life to the ideal. It is a great thing to understand this, for the former tendency is the temptation of our lives . . . Now if any man comes to preach to me a certain ideal, the first step towards which is to give up selfishness, to give up self-enjoyment, I think that is impractical. But when a man brings an ideal which can be reconciled with my selfishness, I am glad at once and jump at it. Therefore I will ask you to understand that Vedanta, though it is intensely practical, is always so in the sense of the ideal. It does not preach an impossible ideal, however high it be, and it is high enough for an ideal.2

There are two things—–ideal and its application—–in the above-quoted paragraphs which need our attention. Swamiji speaks of two ways in actualizing the ideal: (i) one, that

A former editor of the Vedanta Kesari, the author is the Minister In-charge of Vedanta Gesellschaft [Vedanta Society] of Germany.  T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 675 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

200

harmonizes ‘the ideal with the life’, and (ii) another, that elevates ‘the life to the ideal’. Let us discuss the ideal of Vedanta keeping these two in mind. It was Swami Vivekananda who brought Vedanta in its pure form to the West. He was a world teacher and Vedanta, as any science, is meant for the whole of humanity. Vedanta is not an exclusivist philosophy. Therefore, Swamiji looked at Vedantic truths and principles sans all limiting religious tags and affiliations. Swamiji defined religion as ‘realization’ or experiencing God. He held that though Vedanta ‘is high enough for an ideal’, it is immensely practical or doable. Traditions and rituals are secondary. The primary goal of religion is realization. The path to this realization that Vedanta lays down before us is immensely practical because it answers our earnest and intimate query about who we really are. Further, a Vedantic approach to life also guarantees and promotes reason, human rights, individualism, happiness and such other things that are believed to be the hallmarks of what we understand by ‘western context’. Vedanta is man-centred—it speaks of the truth that ‘man is divine’. Perhaps this discovery took place some 6000 or 8000 years ago! Let us also acknowledge that the effects of ‘globalization’ continue to bring about two specific changes—materialism and new lines of thinking. Materialism has been holding its sway over the minds of people all over the world, and at the same time it has been contributing to the progressive interactions and intermingling of ingredients of two civilizations and cultures—‘western’ and ‘nonwestern’. According to those who hold to the concept of the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, this T h e

process largely happens along cultural and religious lines. As a result, now-a-days the line of demarcation between what defines the ‘western’ context and what defines the ‘non-western’ context has been blurred. Yet there still remains, and should remain, much western about the West—and much eastern about the East! An interesting development is that an increasing number of people in the West have been re-evaluating their values vis-a-vis the values held by non-western cultures. The same holds true with respect of non-western cultures too. Some Notable Aspects of Vedanta in the ‘Western Context’ 1. A Unique Definition of ‘Man’ The term Man has been the focus of thinking of many great minds who have attempted many definitions/interpretations of the term. Thus we hear of ‘man’ as ‘social man’ being governed by ‘the parameter of the material conditions prevailing in society’ (according to Carl Marx), as ‘economic man’ being governed by economic necessities (as one sees in the writings of Mill and Smith), as ‘political animal’ being governed by political will (in Aristotle’s words), and as a ‘creature driven by libido’ (in Freud’s view). Some religions define ‘man’ as ‘born sinner’. Clearly each definition or interpretation is an attempt to assess ‘man’ at a particular level of his being. While all such attempts need not be discarded as trash, none has said what ‘man’ is in his real nature. No one has defined the ‘total man’; hence the above definitions are partial judgments per se. Sri Krishna’s caution may be heeded here. He said in the Gita: the minds of many are diverted by desires towards enjoyments both here (in the world)

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 676 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

201

and hereafter (in heaven) and thus are engaged in actions to fulfill their worldly or otherworldly [heavenly, therefore ephemeral] goals. They may quote scriptures just for the sake of getting an endorsement. Such scriptural texts are meant for lesser mortals! 3 Coming to Vedanta, according to it, ‘man’ is ‘potentially divine’. Swami Vivekananda reiterated it when he said, Never forget the glory of human nature. We are the greatest God that ever was or ever will be. Christs and Buddhas are but waves on the boundless ocean which I am.4

The truth always reverberates through the world of truth-seekers. At the end of his book, What Is Life, which is a study on the physical aspect of the living cell, Professor Erwin Schroedinger, a Nobel-

laureate physicist, makes several significant observations regarding the philosophical implications of his study of life as a whole: The sum and substance of what he says is: (1) first ‘my body functions as a pure mechanism, according to the laws of nature’; (2) second, ‘I know, by incontrovertible direct experience, that I am directing its motions.’ And (3) finally he goes on to say, ‘Hence I am God, Almighty.’5 Life, according to him, has these three layers—physical, psychological and spiritual. Obviously, Swami Vivekananda’s definition of ‘man’ is most comprehensive—for the following reasons: (a) Affirming the Inherent freedom of man: Swamiji presents the quintessence of Vedanta in two potent ways. First he says: ‘Each soul is potentially divine.’6 That means freedom is our spiritual nature, our birth-right. If bondage were our real nature then we will never be free and also there will never be an aspiration to sever the bond and become free. This understanding is of vital importance. This is the message of Vedanta; this is the message of equality; and this is a duty long neglected by us to our discredit which the modern world is coming to terms with now. (b) Man’s ability to manifest the Divinity within: Swamiji continues to say: ‘The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal.’ Here we are discovering a capability which is inherent (natural) and which enables us to harmoniously organize the incidental means–our situations that help us achieve a goal.

Swami Brahmananda’s temple, Belur Math T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 677 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

202

He also provides the formula, a very subtle doable programme, to achieve it where the means and ability to attain is intertwined: ‘Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these—and be free [i.e. attain the joy of freedom which is the goal]. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.’ While most of us understand that there are problems concerning the controlling of outer Nature, few understand the need to combine the idea of our being which is divinity. Theoreticians are more concerned about what we do than who does it. Swami Vivekananda wrote to one of his monastic disciples, Swami Shuddhananda7: ‘All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves.’ Thus awakening of the real man within is the real need for solving the problems that we face. All our systems target only on training us how to earn more and more money for enjoying a socalled comfortable life without adding value to life itself and to our symbiotic life-system. To say the least, money cannot be the substitute for life. Great social philosophies have failed to remove inequality and poverty because of this lop-sided approach that does not address the problem at its very core. A study of man and recognising the importance of man-making is what is needed. 2. Harmony or unity in diversity Everyone has the right to say that his/ her product is good or his/her opinion is true. This may be a habit of saying something like ‘nothing like leather’! The story is told of a Japanese gentleman. Even after having lost almost all in the Hiroshima bombing, he did not bear any hatred towards the Americans. T h e

His opinion was that it was not the whole race that is to blame, but it was a mistake committed by those few who think that others’ view-points are wrong! He rightly found out the cause of hatred and disharmony. Someone shared another story: two children were quarrelling over something and weeping. The mom of one of them interfered. Her child said, ‘Mom, she says that her mom is the best! But I say that my mom is the best!’ Mom smiled and said, ‘My dears, both of you are right and wrong at the same time. Both of you should say, “My mom is the best for me!”’ We too behave like these children in respect of holding up our ideas and ideals, in politics, sociology, etc and above all in religion. The most damaging thing is that we not only say that our religion is the true religion, our God is the only God, we are the only chosen people, but also that others are wrong (nonbelievers, kafirs, etc.)! This attitude generates hatred in our hearts against our fellow human beings. It is not good to stuff little kids’ minds with religious dogmatism and hatred against their fellow beings. Then only these seedbeds of fanaticism, extremism, and terrorism can be contained. We should ‘tell them the truth’ and allow them to make up their own minds. Otherwise, it may mean ‘mental child abuse’! 8 Vedanta accommodates and recognizes all human efforts, big or small, towards reaching the Truth. It does not say that others are wrong. Rather it says that all sincere religious strivings towards attaining salvation or freedom are valid. The Vedas declare: ‘Truth is one. Sages define it in various ways.’ Sri Ramakrishna used to say: ‘One is the Lord; many are His names.’ All religions are true when God is our destination. Thank God that an overwhelming number of human population is good. Most

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 678 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

203

of them believe in and practise universal acceptance and not ‘toleration’. That is the reason why even now life is so enjoyable and livable and why it is possible for us to live in society. But most of us practise passive goodness. The Zeitgeist demands that we should actively practise and propagate goodness for the sake of our own survival. Dogmatism and its descendants—hatred, fanaticism and terrorism—have gone global easily. Should the good ones remain passive observers of imminent catastrophe? 3. The Ideal of Universality Vedantic truths are meant for all. It does not dogmatically put us under compulsion of adhering to the outer layers of religion which are of secondary importance and which vary according to time and clime. Dogmas may be helpful to protect principles. But they are different at different times and places. They should not be regarded as absolute and should not be obeyed and used to divide humanity which is one. Sri Ramakrishna, for instance, did not want to learn Arithmetic for the simple reason that it teaches subtraction! His view of life is a view of the inner core of our being. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, his spouse, said, ‘Nobody is a stranger, my child. All (jagat) are your own.’ The Mahopanishad discovered this truth in this way9: The discrimination saying that ‘this one is a relative (i.e. a bird of the same feather); this other one is not (i.e. a stranger)’ befits the meanminded. But for those who are noble, the entire world constitutes but one family (vasudhaiva kutumbakam).

Now the world is coming together through clashes of selfish-interests and egos. Religions patronizing or having ties with these divisive forces have their contributions to T h e

lessening peace and equality. At this point of history, we believe, the teachings of Vedanta offer hope and solace to one and all. To quote Arthur Schopenhauer: In the whole world there is no study, except that of the originals, so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Oupnekhat [Upanishad]. It has been the solace of my life, it will be the solace of my death!

How true! Practical Vedanta in the Western Context Now It is inherent in human nature that we always seek after something ‘more’ or ‘better’. These words ‘more’ and ‘better’ are relative terms. It will be more correct to say that they mean something/s that is/are not available within our tradition, our system, etc. So we may notice that a few doctrines of Vedanta stand out in the western context. More and more people are turning towards such doctrines or truths and trying to ‘experiment’ with them. We stress the word ‘experiment’. People spend their lives searching for the most appropriate path. It seems, in most of the cases it is one of their many searches after a path that would always agree to their dogmas and age-old fixed ideas the most, and would nod at every change of interpretation that they invent or fantasize and offer! There has been a long tradition of the study of non-western religious values, particularly the Vedas, in the West, especially in Europe. During the earlier phase of such study scholars were drawn towards and engaged themselves with the theoretical aspect of it. We do not know if many of them took interest in applying them in their life as help to realize a spiritual goal. It was an intellectual or scholastic appreciation. In the later phase, it is being so long admired as it does not contradict

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 679 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

204

people’s urge to ‘harmonize the ideal with the life’! This means, bringing down the ideal to adjust to our standards! That is why we see that more and more people are drawn towards ritualism and miracles in the name of religion! This is happening in big western cities despite so much proliferation of the knowledge of science, reasoning, agnosticism and atheism in the West! Just a handful of the truth-seekers are really prepared to go an extra mile for the sake of pure truth and adjust with it no matter how hard it may seem to be. Swamiji has stressed the idea saying: ‘Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay homage to Truth or die.’10 Swami Vivekananda was a practical man—in the sense of reaching the Highest Truths being made acceptable immediately. He did not expect large number of people accepting the path of practical Vedanta overnight. He rather wanted the universal ideas to spread and break the limits of the ideological space of the intelligentsia and from there percolate into the masses. This is a slow path and it will take time and we are witnessing the sure beginning thereof. What Practical Vedanta Wants Us to Do? As we have said, there are some core ideals and values of western culture like happiness, individualism and human rights. It is not to say that these are all purely western concepts, but these are appreciably defined there. The age-old approach of Vedanta to these models can be restated in the following way:  Happiness: Man is in search of happiness —pure happiness. This word may mean different things to different people based on their levels of understanding and need. Again, the concept varies depending on the T h e

structures of our societies—’individualistic societies’ and ‘collectivist societies’. Vedanta considers society as a society of humans who are ‘potentially divine’. One is bound by one’s duty to one’s own self and that of others for the simple algorithm that others too are divine. According to Vedanta, happiness constitutes in attaining ultimate meaning and goal of life e.g., freedom from worldly bondages or ‘Self-realization’. All other forms of happiness should be secondary and only aid to this happiness constituting the ultimate freedom.  Individualism: Vedantic individualism is not a denial or contradiction of collective well-being; it achieves its fulfillment in realizing that all are one—in-dividual. This concept provides for a sound ethical judgment of an individual’s moral stances.  Rights: Vedantic concept of ‘right’ considers ‘who’ more than ‘what’. Then it is more or less understandable, without much complication, ‘who’ is eligible for ‘what’ right. This provides for a practical connotation of human rights or individual rights. Vedanta defines ‘human duties’. As a corollary then the perception of ‘human rights’ stands delineated. In fact, every discipline has laid down some sets of rules for research. They should hold good so long until one validly proves that they are wrong. Similarly the disciplines of Vedanta have well-defined rules. One needs to strictly observe them in order to attain promised results. One has to set aside one’s cherished ideas, if need be. While teaching in the West, we make no distinction between students of western and eastern origin. There are some things that we should be prepared to discard in order to ‘elevate the life to the ideal’. Fixed ideas can be an obstacle to the cure of our disease. I have come across people saying that in their meditation they like to think that they are

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 680 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

205

sinners, sufferers, sad, etc.! The reason? They want to be honest to themselves. It seems, it is a true and high-sounding idea!11 BUT it is true only when we believe in the fact that sin, suffering, sadness and such other negative things form our real nature! We should be open to appreciate the fact that cold is not an antidote of cold, but heat is! We need to be prepared to discard our earlier position in order to attain or move to a new destination. This seems to be the most difficult hurdle. Let us discuss a few ideas that would help us, the so-called modern minds, to make Vedantic truths practical in our day-to-day life and would make us better human beings. The list is very brief indeed. 1. One should resist the temptations of experimenting on new possibilities. We know from our experiences with some of the Vedanta-students in the West that they are ever inquisitive to find out logical alternatives to what the scriptures and traditions say. They are not against religious values. But this is a form of doubt. Vedanta, of course, encourages such enquiries. But it tries to save us from misusing our time in fruitless imaginations or calculations12. An idea may offer many possible alternative meanings. But all will not hold good. It may be that some have already been discarded by legions of researchers in the field. A good study of the scriptures helps us to be aware of these impossibilities and not to be lured away by them! Some people claim that they have realized the non-dual Truth. But in their intimate discussion they disclose the real fact that they suffer from loneliness! The Upanishads13 say: ‘[The realized] ones enjoy playing with their own Self; they enjoy their own company.’ Reaffirming this truth Ramana Maharshi has said, ‘One does not need another T h e

to enjoy company!’ Study of scriptures, thus, can be of great help in forming the right idea. Nowadays, before taking up a new project the research scholars all over the world Google it to see if there had been any effort on this already; if the possibilities they are contemplating to experiment on are already discarded or abandoned as void. Based on available information they decide if it is worthwhile to go for it. But why, in the first place, do we want to experiment on the paths anew? This seems to have been caused due to three mutually complementary reasons: (a) There has been a natural decline in the dynamism of spiritual paths. Almost approvingly Sri Krishna says14 that in the course of long lapse of time the strength of Yoga has waned in this world. We know that this is a natural aberration and a historical fact about all ideals. (b) Commenting on this idea Acharya Shankara brings out a hard truth that this eventuality comes to pass due to the fact that these ideals had been practised [and/or propagated] by those who had goals other than spiritual ones! That is why some two thousand years ago Jesus has warned us saying: ‘Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thornbushes nor figs from thistles, are they?’15 (c) The so-called modern minds believe in more security in matter than in the Spirit. Suppose there is a road leading us from Berlin to our goal which is Paris. If we keep our route unchanged but shift our goal to Moscow then in spite of our best efforts we will remain confused and unsuccessful all the time. The saying goes: All roads lead to Rome.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 681 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

206

The corollary adds: . . . provided Rome is our destination! We are trying to realize God through ‘Mathematics’. 2. We need to be practitioners and not theoreticians. Here is a anecdote to illustrate what we want to say: There joined a new novice in a Ramakrishna monastery. He was a very intelligent and energetic young man. One day, after several months, he approached a senior Swami who happened to be a disciple of a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He asked some questions on Samadhi to the senior Swami. The Swami enquired about what spiritual disciplines the novice was practising. ‘So, you are meditating for half-an-hour at a time. I advise you to meditate for one hour from tomorrow. Do it for a month and then come back to me. Then only I will consider your questions on Samadhi’, said the senior. The spirited young novice accepted the challenge. But, as ill luck or good luck would have it, the novice appeared before the senior after some five days and said that he wanted to ask some questions. The senior refused to listen to him before the promised cut-off date. Then the novice pleaded saying that he was not there to ask any question on Samadhi. He was facing some troubles with his practice like, he said, ‘My thighs go numb after some time. There appears a burning sensation on my shoulders. . .’ The face of the senior glowed with a pleasant smile when he interrupted the novice saying, ‘Your confession shows at what point of progress you are! Brother, when you go by practice and not by theoretical calculations your questions are really “burning” questions! . . .’

T h e

This is the difference between ‘engaging’ oneself in theoretical calculations and engaging oneself in practices. Mahatma Gandhi said: ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’ Practice of anything brings the change it promises. This engagement does not allow us the scope to bother about so-called newer possibilities. Doubts may be genuine. That is why Vedanta allows one to ask questions and clarify one’s doubts. Still, doubtful minds suffer from failures, in most of the cases, because not every one of us is as gifted a genius as an Einstein! And many of us ask questions in order to satisfy our idle curiosity, to show our cleverness, etc., but not to know the truth following practical ways! 3. Whole-hearted acceptance and long-term commitment instead of half-hearted allegiance. Spiritual life does not mean running away from our self, our duties, our society etc. It is meant to spiritualize the whole life itself. In her introduction to The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita writes:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 682 ~

If the many and the One be indeed the same Reality, then it is not all modes of worship alone, but equally all modes of work, all modes of struggle, all modes of creation, which are paths of realization. No distinction, henceforth, between sacred and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer is to renounce. Life is itself religion. [Italics added.] To have and to hold is as stern a trust as to quit and to avoid.

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

207

We will not have to throw away anything, but choose the better ones instead. As a rule, this habit of choosing is ingrained in our mindset and forms part of our daily life. But questions arise when we consider any idea concerning spiritual life because we are either reluctant to come out of our paradigms or are not properly informed. Sometimes we also do not care to know the real thing. Erich Fromm, eminent psychologist, says: Modern man has transformed himself into a commodity; he experiences his life energy as an investment with which he should make the highest profit, considering his position and the situation on the personality market. He is alienated from himself, from his fellow men and from nature. His main aim is profitable exchange of his skills, knowledge, and of himself, his ‘personality package’ with others who are equally intent on a fair and profitable exchange. Life has no goal except the one to move, no principle except the one of fair exchange, no satisfaction except the one to consume.

that we are not serving anybody else’s goal, but our own goal. Conclusion It is blamed that lofty religious ideals make us neglect the worldly aspects of life. There may be an irony lurking behind this assumption: that such truths have not caused any bloodshed so far and that is the reason why we cannot accept them as practical!! Rather it is true that the cause of our problems lies in our failure and incompetence to make our life practicable in consonance with spiritual truths. In fact, both the aspects of life—worldly and spiritual—are mutually complementary. There is an episode in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad known as the conversation between Yajnavalkya, the husband and Maitreyee, his wife. About the import of the story Amartya Sen writes in his book The Argumentative Indian: Maitreyee remarks: ‘What should I do with that by which I do not become immortal?’ . . . Maitreyee’s worldly worries might well have some transcendental relevance (as Indian religious commentators have discussed over many centuries), but they certainly have worldly interest as well. If we are concerned with the freedom to live long and live well, our focus has to be directly on life and death, and not just on wealth and economic opulence.17

What can the concept of God mean under these circumstances? It is transformed from its original religious meaning into one fitting the alienated culture of success. . . 16

One should be prepared to have patience and life-long commitment for spiritual life bereft of the calculations of material and sensual gains or positions. We are lacking in patience and commitment. Sri Ramakrishna advises us to dig a well at one place if we want to succeed and get water. That means, we should have a commitment to the goal, which is not the case in many of the instances that one comes across! We would do well to remember

Swami Vivekananda’s voice is loud and clear in this respect: Material civilization, nay, even luxury is necessary to create work for the poor. Bread! Bread! I do not believe in a God, who cannot give me bread here, giving me eternal bliss in heaven!18 

References 1.

Vivekananda, Swami, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, hereafter CW, Vol. 4, p. 356, Mayavati Memorial Edition, Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700014, 1994 T h e

2. 3. 4. 5.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 683 ~

CW, 1989, pp. 293-4 The Gita 2.42-44 CW, vol. 7, p. 78 Quoted by Dasgupta, Prof. Santwana, in D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

208

Social Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, p. 15, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata, 2009 [Ref. German version: Erwin Schrödinger, Was ist Leben? pp.149-50, Piper Verlag GmbH, München, 2008] 6. CW, vol. 1, p. 257 7. CW, vol. 7, pp. 507-8 8. Dawkins, Prof. Richard, Debate ref: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8hy8NxZvFY 9. Mahopanishad, 6.71 10. CW, vol. 2, p. 84 11. pushpitam vacham, these are enchanting flowery words, Ref. The Gita, 2.42

12. tarkyatam ma kutarkyatam, i.e. reasoning is welcome, but not fruitless and invalid arguments. Ref. Panchadashi, 6.30 13. Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.4, Chandogya Upanishad 7.25.2 14. The Gita, 4.2 15. The Bible, Matthew 7:15-16 16. Fromm, Erich, The Art of Loving, the Centennial Edition, p. 95, The Continuum International Publishing Group, New York and London, 2008 17. Sen, Dr. Amartya, The Argumentative Indian, pp.89, Picador, New York, 2005 18. CW, vol. 4, p. 368

‘Release Me from this Bondage’ A certain king once developed dispassion for the world. He had heard that King Parikshit had attained Supreme Knowledge after hearing the Bhagavata for seven days. He sent for a renowned scholar who lived close by and began listening from him to the recital of the Bhagavata. Even after hearing the Bhagavata regularly for two months, he did not attain to any knowledge whatsoever. He said to the Pandit: ‘Parikshit attained Supreme Knowledge after hearing the Bhagavata for only seven days. And even after hearing it for two months, how is it that I have not realized anything? If you do not answer this question by tomorrow, you will not get any money or other remunerations.’ Worried at the profound displeasure expressed by the king, the Pandit returned home with a heavy heart. He could not arrive at any definite answer to the question even after hard thinking. He became much distressed and started worrying with numberless puzzling thoughts crowding in his mind. He had an intelligent daughter who was very much devoted to him. She saw her father in that distressed condition and asked him again and again the cause of it. Pressed by the love for his child, he was forced to tell her the cause of his sorrow. The daughter smilingly told him, ‘Father, you need not worry at all. I shall answer the king tomorrow.’ Accompanied by his daughter, the Pandit presented himself at the king's court the next day and said, ‘My daughter will answer your question.’ The daughter began by saying, ‘If you want an answer to the question, you must abide by whatever I say.’ When the king nodded assent, the Pandit’s daughter told the palace guards: ‘Bind me to one pillar and the king to another.’ At the king’s command, the guards did as told. Then the little girl said to the king, ‘O king! Please release me quickly from this bondage.’ The king said, ‘You are asking for the impossible! I am myself bound, how can I remove your bondage?’ The girl smiled and said, ‘O king, this is the answer to your question. King Parikshit was a seeker of Moksha, and his teacher was Sri Shukadeva himself, the all-renouncing, great knower of Brahman. King Parikshit attained to Supreme Knowledge as a result of hearing the Bhagavata from Sri Shukadeva. On the other hand, my father is himself attached to the world and is expounding the scripture to you with the hope of getting money in return. How can you attain Knowledge after hearing him?’ —Swami Brahmananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 684 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Conveying Spirituality to the Youth SWAMI SARVAPRIYANANDA

It is a generally held view that modern youth are not very interested in religion. Religious leaders the world over are in fact quite concerned, and are looking for new ways to attract the youth to religion. Contrary to popular belief however, modern youth are not less religious than their parents or grandparents—they are just differently religious. Young people are more interested in the spiritual core of religion than rituals, in self-development than mere observance, in experience than belief. It is a useful exercise to explore the new challenges, and new opportunities, in conveying spirituality to the youth in the 21st century. The Quest for Meaning Quest for meaning is a distinguishing character of human life. We are meaningseeking creatures—humans are surely the only creatures who seek after the purpose of life and suffer from the perceived lack of such a purpose. Traditionally, in all civilizations and societies of the past, religion has been the primary source of meaning in life. The great religions of humanity, pervading all aspects of life and rarely questioned till modern times, have been bulwarks against meaninglessness in life. The modern human mind, however, deprived of the consolations of traditional religion in which it can no longer believe, and not finding any satisfactory substitute source

of meaning, is haunted by a fundamental sense of the futility of existence. The youth of the 21st century are likewise urgently searching for meaning and purpose in life. Despite all our technological and creative advances, an elemental absence of peace and personal fulfillment is almost unanimously acknowledged by the youth today. Today, it is fashionable to look skeptically at religion and yet religion seems to have left behind a void large enough to make everything else in our lives fruitless. Yet the old religions of humanity are still living. In their inner spiritual essence, they can provide meaning to our lives. We only need to mine these spiritual resources and present timeless wisdom in a form and language accessible and acceptable to the 21st century youth. The quest for God or for Self-realisation (both valid forms of spirituality and ultimately, identical), serious and committed spiritual practices like prayer, meditation and service culminating in spiritual realization—these give meaning to life. A life of blessedness, peace and service—this is the promise of spirituality. Spirituality is Experience, Not Mere Belief One of the problems with traditional religions (and the reason why the modern individual rejects them) is that they usually call for an unquestioning, unwavering faith—something that is repugnant to modern

A monk of the Ramakrishna Order, the author teaches at the Monastic Probationers’ Training Centre at the Belur Math, Howarh, West Bengal. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 685 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

210

sensibilities, especially those of the youth. The modern mind seeks spiritual experience, not just religious belief. Swami Vivekananda saw this coming more than a hundred years ago when he said, ‘Religion is realization’. That spirituality is a matter of experience and not merely belief is certainly something that needs to be emphasized to the youth. Spirituality, unlike ritual, is not an abstract external structure one imposes upon one’s life. It is neither a set of rules, nor just some social construct with its own idiosyncratic rationale. Spirituality, very much in line with our contemporary theoretical and artistic inclinations towards humanism, encourages us to recognize ourselves and our strengths and weaknesses, enables us to adequately conceive of our relations with our surrounding inner and outer worlds, and helps us discover the truth of our ‘selfhood’—that we are not mortal creatures but essentially spiritual. Spiritual practices increasingly reveal to us the true spiritual nature of our beings, assisting us to distinguish between our wants and needs, between the pleasant and the good. Spiritual experience safeguards our integrity as human individuals even in the midst of the myriad stresses and cacophonous distractions to which the modern world

T h e

subjects us. This is also why spiritual awareness is more crucial to the human sensibility than ever before. When Narendranath asked Sri Ramakrishna whether God can actually be experienced, he was the representative of today’s youth. And when Sri Ramakrishna confidently and whole-heartedly answered in the affirmative, he was the embodiment of the ageless spiritual traditions of humanity. It is this experiential dimension of spirituality that needs to be highlighted to the youth today. The Demands of Reason The age of blind belief and unquestioning faith is gone. The youth of today would like explanations, and what they rebel against is the deprivation of the right to question. Religion and spirituality must be ready to face critical enquiry and be subjected to the test of reasoning. Spirituality can be, and should be, presented to the modern youth on rational grounds, through convincing logical arguments. Some of our ancient religio-philosophical traditions espoused the ‘dialectic’ method that is very relevant to today’s consciousness predominated by scientific rationality. At the same time, just as we are past the age of indisputable faith, we are also beyond

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 686 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

211

attaching absolute importance to human reason. Today, thanks to postmodern thought, we are more comfortable with the idea of a more localized and relativized rationality, one that espouses multiple rationale-systems rather than an overarching all-embracing rationality. In other words, empirical science has no monopoly on reason. Today we have grounds to consider empirical science as one of these rationalesystems with its contingent claims about the physical world that are valid only till disproved. Therefore, the supremacy of scientific knowledge and the idea that something has to be ‘scientific’ to be real or true, is no longer tenable. We need not entertain the polarized binary of religionscience, nor try to validate spirituality as some sort of quasi-science. Spirituality is not something we would like to pit against all that we conceive of as scientific or rational; it does not subscribe to either rigidity, that of faith and of a contrived rationale. Spirituality, in its best spirit, is the essence, purpose and raison d’etre of religion. In this sense, spirituality is the seat of a true confluence of religion and the spirit of science. Spiritual Resources for Self-development The human body-mind complex has enormous potential for development. New age thinking has made us aware of our own possibilities and there is a great demand for knowledge-systems that enable us to manifest these life enriching powers. The spiritual traditions of humanity are, in fact, extraordinarily rich repositories of such knowledge. Raja Yoga, for example, has an array of techniques and processes for enhancing concentration of mind. The power of concentration has always been valued but in today’s world of distraction and tiny T h e

attention spans, it is truly invaluable. Teachers (and students) all over the world report an inability to focus as a major problem among young people today. An improved power of concentration is of inestimable value in education—it reveals facts about ourselves and others that we habitually fail to notice; it increases our body of knowledge and does it fast. Clarity about ourselves and efficacious self-management brings about a sense of selfcontainment that we ordinarily recognize as peace. Management of the self is possible only when one has a comprehensive awareness of at least its physical, cognitive and emotional dimensions. The other thing necessary for self-management is a well-thought-out set of personal values to which one would like to adhere. When the ‘knowing’ self is larger and broader than the ‘functioning’ self, and one is successful at keeping up the balance between the two (as directed by one’s own set of personal values), one experiences the stability and inner comfort that leads to a healthy life of the body and the mind. Spiritual Solutions for the Problems of Life As theory cannot be split from praxis, so too spirituality cannot be divorced from life. Young people ask, ‘Can spirituality help me here and now?’ The answer is an emphatic yes. ‘I do not believe in a religion which cannot wipe the widow’s tears or feed a hungry man’, Swamiji said. The body of practical wisdom accumulated by spiritual practitioners over the ages can indeed be brought to bear upon the problems of the modern individual. To take just one example, stress management. Stress is one of the biggest killers, the cause of a wide range of deadly psychosomatic maladies. Challenged by a bewilderingly fast changing and competitive world,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 687 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

212

burdened by the unrealistically ambitious expectations of parents, young people today are peculiarly vulnerable to stress. Our present methodologies of combating stress originate for the greater part, from western medical science and human resource management studies (unsurprising, as corporate executives the world over are prime victims of stress). The spiritual sciences can definitely help us manage stress. One can manage stress at four levels: work, emotion, thought and self-concept. Work itself is a primary source of stress. Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action helps us understand how stress arises and how to combat it. Immorality at work, like dishonesty and corruption, inevitably gives rise to tension. Even if no one else knows about our wrong actions, we know! The very contradiction of knowing something to be wrong and yet doing it creates stress. Karma Yoga teaches us, as a preliminary, to keep our lives clean and integrated. Let us not do anything that we know to be immoral. Next, we learn that moral actions can be of two distinct types—those done with selfish desires, those done without motive of personal gain. Karma Yoga teaches the latter—how to work selflessly for the welfare of others, as a worship of God (if one happens to believe in God). Such detached unselfish actions take us Godward by purifying our minds. And it is also a powerful stress-buster! We have seen examples of such Karma yogis who are very active and do an enormous amount of work and yet are serene and joyful throughout. At the level of emotion, Bhakti Yoga teaches us how to purify our emotions, to turn our love of the world into love of God. Desires for things of the world bring worry and frustration in their wake, whereas love of God brings only peace and inner joy. T h e

Next, Raja Yoga, the way of meditation of course can be used to deal with stress (and is being used increasingly to fight stress in all walks of life). Stress is mostly mental, so learning how to calm and concentrate the mind is a powerful tool for stress-management. Finally, Jnana Yoga changes our very self concept. We learn that we are profoundly mistaken about our identity, that we are not limited mortal creatures of flesh and blood, subject to the tyranny of disease and old age, misery and frustration. We actually transcend the body and even the mind, we are the Atman—pure consciousness, immortal and unchanging. All problems like stress are at the level of body-mind, the Atman is beyond suffering. The four yogas are of course paths to God-realization, but they provide solutions to many mundane problems too. The True Ground of Ethics Why should I be good? A simple question, but the answer is neither simple nor easy to come by. Philosophers since ancient times have searched for a satisfactory foundation for ethics. Swami Vivekananda grounds ethics in the Atman, the spiritual reality within all of us. Morality is an expression of what is already intrinsic to the spiritual reality within us, while immorality is caused by ignorance of our own true nature. Ethics is thus grounded in the ontology of the self. The radical nature of this move has not yet been widely appreciated by philosophers. It is almost an unquestioned doctrine in academic philosophy that metaphysics and ethics are separate, that one cannot derive an ‘ought’ from an ‘is’. Swami Vivekananda bridges this theoretical abyss between reality and morality by simply pointing out that one can derive ethics from the spiritual unity of all

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 688 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

213

existence. I and you are one spiritual reality— therefore by hurting you, I actually harm myself. This is why I should be good to you, and you to me. It follows directly that ethics is based on freedom and not compulsion. When I am ethical, I am merely expressing my own true nature, freed from considerations of utility or duty. Swami Vivekananda gave us a very simple test of morality ‘That which is selfish is immoral, and that which is unselfish is moral.’ Altruism is thus equated to morality and such altruism is seen to emanate from the spiritual unity of all existence. What we call love also springs from the same spiritual unity. Love is expressed as service to all, irrespective of race, nationality, religion, gender or caste. Roots and Relevance Spirituality should not be divorced from the world. One who tries to practice a private spirituality, and does not lift a finger to help those in pain and suffering, is not truly spiritual. Such ‘private virtues’ often generate an illusion of spirituality. The youth today are acutely aware of social problems—poverty, illiteracy, inequality, discrimination, environmental pollution, corruption, war etc. They want a spirituality which can address these challenges effec-

tively. An intensely private spiritual life which turns away from the suffering of others does not appeal to them. Swami Vivekananda’s formulation of spirituality as the quest for one’s own enlightenment and the welfare of the world (Atmano moksartham jagathitaya cha) and the service to all living beings knowing them to be God (Shiva jnane jiva seva) is most relevant in this context. Youth today are globalized—they are connected to the entire world through the internet and share an increasingly globalized culture. Unfortunately, the globalized youth are also often rootless youth. The traditional identities of community, language, nationality and religion are diffused and even lost for millions of young people today. This is especially true of the millions of expatriate people all over the world. For the first time in human history we have very large numbers of people—millions, tens of millions—who live in countries other than those of their origin, out of choice, not like refugees. These youth feel the lack of moorings sharply, they crave identity, roots and find no footing. Spirituality can provide the best kind of security, the most nourishing roots—a sense of interior integration and safety. When one is in touch with the spirit within, one is at home everywhere and with everyone. o

I want young men. 'It is the young, the strong, and healthy, of sharp intellect that will reach the Lord', say the Vedas. This is the time to decide your future—while you possess the energy of youth, not when you are worn out and jaded, but in the freshness and vigour of youth. Work—this is the time; for, the freshest, the untouched, and unsmelled flowers alone are to be laid at the feet of the Lord, and such He receives. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 689 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

The Practical Spirituality of Holy Mother SWAMI MAHAYOGANANDA

Swami Vivekananda tells us that Vedanta ‘must be intensely practical.’1 It is not an armchair philosophy, but a way of life: the ideals are to be put into practice, to be lived. Swamiji also cautions us about misusing the word ‘practical’. He says,

The American nun Sister Devamata records:

Now if any man comes to preach to me a certain ideal, the first step towards which is to give up selfishness, to give up selfenjoyment, I think that is impractical. But when a man brings an ideal which can be reconciled with my selfishness, I am glad at once and jump at it. . . You see how we all use this word practical for things we like and can do.

So he insists that ‘Vedanta, though it is intensely practical, is always so in the sense of the ideal.’2 Moreover, ‘We must be able to carry it out in every part of our lives. And not only this, the fictitious differentiation between religion and the life of the world must vanish, for the Vedanta teaches oneness—one life throughout.’3 We find a perfect exemplar of this principle in the life of Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother. She lived this life of oneness, of integrated spirituality. Studying her life and teachings, we can begin to cast our lives in the mould she has prepared. No Dividing Line

Mother was living in a new dwelling in Calcutta given her by devoted followers of Sri Ramakrishna. She occupied the upper floor with the few women disciples who were always with her. . . Across the front of the second story where

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi she spent her days, there ran one large room. This was the meeting place of the household. At one end was the shrine; but there was no need of a

o The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order currently stationed at its Hollywood branch. T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 690 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

215

dividing line, because there was none in the lives of those who sat in that upper chamber. The Lord was their accustomed Companion, and it was natural to them to pass all the hours of day and night at His Feet.4

Devamata makes an insightful observation: there was no ‘dividing line’ separating the shrine from the living quarters, because there was no division in the Mother’s life between ‘spiritual’ and ‘secular’—it was all spiritual life. We may need to protect the sanctity of our shrine by various rules and observances, but if we start to think that only the shrine is holy and other places are unholy, or if we forget that the Lord is equally present at the workplace—in the field or office—as he is in the shrine, we run the risk of making a dividing line in our life. Holy Mother shows us how to set aside this distinction between holy and unholy, by seeing all as holy, by being ever conscious of the presence of the Divine, wherever we may be and whatever we may be doing. Natural Spirituality To our eyes, the Mother’s spiritual life seems utterly natural and spontaneous. We see in her no struggle to keep her mind on God, no striving to keep her passions in check, no agonizing over decisions to be made or courses of action to be undertaken. Is she a realistic model for us? Let us remember that it is we who must lift ourselves up to the ideal, not that the ideal should be dragged down to our level. Moreover, though the Mother’s spirituality appeared effortless, let us not forget the intense Tapasya she underwent to become established in this state. She told her niece Nalini, What a lot of work I did when I was of your age! And yet I could find time to repeat my Mantra a hundred thousand times every day.5 T h e

At Dakshineswar, the Mother would rise by 3 am, and sit for a long time, absorbed in meditation. Then there was hard work, cooking for Sri Ramakrishna and his devotees, kneading flour for dozens of rotis, all the while staying in the tiny concert tower, the Nahabat, which also was filled with supplies hanging from baskets overhead. She had to bear so many difficulties, yet speaking later of that period, she would say that she never felt any difficulty; rather she was always in joy, as if a pitcher full of bliss were set in her heart. This was the essence of her Tapasya: bearing all difficulties without recoil. Later, at the time Devamata and others saw her, her life was in perfect balance, revolving around the daily cycle of devotions —regularly sitting for meditation at dawn and dusk, and offering formal worship morning and evening, though in the simplest way. There was no show of mantras and mudras; rather, Sri Ramakrishna’s living presence was served. At the time of offering the daily meal, she would say in such an intimate way, ‘Come, now take your food.’ And she would actually see him accepting the offerings. When she travelled, Sri Ramakrishna’s photograph would accompany her, and wherever she was, the worship would be performed. She herself would cook and serve the devotees, and prepare uncounted numbers of betel rolls. And all along she was guiding her disciples, as also her nieces, her heart overflowing with love for all her children. How can spiritual life become so seemingly effortless? It is such a big struggle for us! Holy Mother had one single purpose: to serve the Lord, seeing Him in all her children, in all beings. This is the key to a unified life. We, however, have many goals. We want to get a job, buy a house, find a spouse. Maybe we want to write a book, or learn to play guitar

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 691 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

216

and become a famous musician, lose weight or gain weight, and so forth and so on; and also, meditate, grow in spiritual life, become a saint, and realize God. With so many competing goals, life will be a struggle. Swami Saradeshananda, one of the Mother’s intimate attendants also known as Gopesh Maharaj, remarks: We often make a hard and fast distinction between our spiritual life and our worldly activities, dividing them into two water-tight compartments. The consequence is that we often feel our spiritual practice as something unnatural to us, as something forced into our life—which we identify with our worldly activities.6

When we are able to make service of God, or God-realization, as the sole aim and purpose of our life, then all our proximate goals will be subsumed into the one spiritual goal. We pursue other goals only insofar as they help us to attain the one Goal of our life, and pursue them in such a way that they help us to attain it. It is then that the division between sacred and secular, between ‘my spiritual life’ and ‘everything else’, melts away. Shraddha Personified Holy Mother taught by example, and perhaps even more by her very presence, with the Divine placed at the centre. Swami Saradeshananda describes this world-view that developed in her disciples as follows: There is one all-pervading, all compassionate Lord, who is the Shakti (Power) behind all the functions of the world like creation, preservation, and destruction. He is present everywhere, inside and outside. The world is the Lord’s. He created it for his own play. We are mere pawns in his game. Wherever he keeps us, and in whatever way he does so, we have to abide by it contentedly. We suffer as a result of our own actions; it is unfair to blame anybody else for it. T h e

We have to surrender ourselves completely to the Lord with faith and devotion, serve others to the best of our capacity, and never be a source of sorrow to anybody.7

This kind of firm faith, called Shraddha, lies behind the kind of undivided life we are considering. We need such faith, such Shraddha, in our own lives—such a positive, affirmative, God-centred world-view, which will pull the disparate strands of our life into one single thread. The world-view we hold commands tremendous sway over our life—over how we think, how we act, how we perceive and experience the world. For our spiritual life to become real and lived and practical, it must be supported by the kind of Shraddha that the Mother imparted to her children. More than a belief, it is an affirmative orientation of our whole personality towards the Divine. Insistence on Steady Practice Daily Japa and meditation was an imperative for the Mother. She would often say, ‘japat siddhi, japa leads to perfection’. How much she practised Japa herself! When a monk complained that he couldn’t meditate, she replied, ‘Sri Ramakrishna used to say, Does an angler catch a big carp every day the moment he sits with his rod? Arranging everything about him, he sits with the rod and concentrates. Once in a while a big carp swallows the hook. Many a time he is disappointed. Don’t relax the practices for that reason. Do more Japa.8

The kind of mindfulness one needs for Japa and meditation, she expected her disciples to maintain at all times. She said,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 692 ~

There are people who perform wonderful deeds under momentary excitement. But a man’s true worth can be known only by observing the attention he bestows on his daily inconsequential actions.9 D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

217

An instructive incident took place one day when the Mother was preparing for her bath. An attendant swept the courtyard and then threw the broom aside. The Mother noticed this and said, What is that? The job is over and straightway you threw it off so carelessly! It will take just as little time to keep it properly as it takes to throw it away. Should you neglect a thing because it is small? Whatever you care for, will care for you also. Won’t you need it again? That aside, in this family it also is a part. From that angle also it deserves a certain regard. Whatever regard a thing deserves, that must be accorded to it. Even the broom has to be replaced respectfully. An ordinary work too must be done with care and attention.10

The Mother knew that it is the same mind which we use for both work and meditation. If we train our mind through attentive work, it will be attentive in meditation also. ‘Kshamarupini’ Mother Holy Mother was surrounded by people: disciples and devotees who looked upon her as Divinity incarnate, but also quarrelsome relatives who were steeped in worldliness and interested specially in money and status, and an insane sister-in-law who routinely spoke harshly to her. It is amazing to see how, in these challenging circumstances, the Mother never lost her balance, poise, or equanimity. Sister Nivedita observed: Is she tortured by the perversity of any about her? The only sign is a strange quiet and intensity that comes upon her.11

What stands out is the Mother’s refusal to speak harshly to anyone. Swami Arupananda relates a telling incident. Once, the Mother’s mad sister-in-law’s father, Radhu’s grandfather, stole Radhu’s gold ornaments and refused to return them, ignoring even the T h e

Mother’s ardent importunities. This was causing a great deal of tension in the Mother’s household, as the mad sister-in-law’s mind was made even more restless. Finally some devotees from Calcutta came to Jayarambati, and then went to the grandfather’s village, one posing as a government official. They were able through their ruse to compel the grandfather to return to Jayambati with the ornaments in the afternoon, bringing some peace to the household. But at two in the morning, it became known that the Mother was spending a sleepless night, and was feeling dizzy. Swami Arupananda inquired about the cause of her ailment, and she replied, ‘After they had left to fetch the ornaments, I worried myself sick for fear they might insult the old brahmin.’ The Mother was so concerned for the man who was the cause of all the trouble.12 We might be ready even to do violence to reclaim the ornaments; but not the Mother; she became sick with worry lest the greedy old man be insulted by harsh words! Such was her compassion and forgiveness. Holy Mother related that Balaram Bose used to refer to her as ‘kshamarupina tapasvini’. 13 A tapasvin is one who undergoes tapas, intense concentration of mind, or disciplining of the sense organs. The word kshama encompasses such meanings as forbearance, forgiveness, and patience; Shankaracharya defines it as ‘a complete absence of agitation in the mind, when insulted or beaten’.14 This kshama characterized Holy Mother’s mind: a forbearance of others’ faults, forgiveness for their misdeeds, going so far as to not even see anyone’s faults; and this kshama was her Tapasya.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 693 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

218

Let us not think that kshama is weakness; it comes from the greatest strength. It is a great tapas to be able to say, after being rudely insulted, ‘I have not been abused at all.’ Nor does it mean allowing injustice—Holy Mother knew where to draw the line. Sister Nivedita notes,

us: ‘One only invites misery for oneself by constantly dwelling on defects in everything.’17 Again, she says, A person, first of all, must make his own mind guilty and then alone he can see another person’s guilt. Does anything ever happen to another if you enumerate his faults? It only injures you. This has been my attitude from my childhood. Hence I can’t see anybody’s faults. If someone does a trifle for me, I try to remember that person even for that. To see the faults of others! One should never do it. I never do so. Forgiveness (kshamarupa) is Tapasya.18

Or is there need for severity? No foolish sentimentality causes her to waver. The novice whom she may condemn, for so many years to beg his bread, will leave the place within the hour. He who has transgressed her code of delicacy and honour, will never enter her presence again.15

Her Final Teaching Just five days before she left her body, Holy Mother was visited by a lady devotee, who was disconsolate at the evidently impending departure of the Mother. The Mother called her near, and spoke these immortal words: I tell you one thing—if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; this whole world is your own.16

This, her last message to the world, is an eminently practical message. Its practice bears immediate results. The Mother reminds

As Sri Ramakrishna prescribed truthfulness as the Tapasya of the present age,19 so did Holy Mother prescribe kshama, forgiveness and forbearance, as our Tapasya. Let us then, when encountering difficult people, remember Mother’s counsel, and open our hearts wide enough to make a place for them too. Let this be our tapas, that we don’t allow our minds to react, but feel others to be our own. By this tapas, we shall gain the great treasure of peace of mind; and having that treasure, we can share it with others, and watch it spread to the whole world. o

References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 2.291. Complete Works, 2.294. Complete Works, 2.291. Sister Devamata, Days in an Indian Monastery, 226. Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Sarada Devi the Holy Mother, 54. Swami Saradeshananda, The Mother as I Saw Her, 103. Swami Saradeshananda, The Mother as I Saw Her, 103. Gospel of the Holy Mother, 55. Gospel of the Holy Mother, 391.

T h e

10 Gospel of the Holy Mother, 401. 11 Sister Nivedita, The Master as I Saw Him, 123. 12 In the Company of the Holy Mother, 36–7, and Gospel of the Holy Mother, 79–82. 13 cf. Gospel of the Holy Mother, 78. 14 Shankaracharya, Gita Bhashya 16.3. 15 Sister Nivedita, The Master as I Saw Him, 123. 16 Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Sarada Devi the Holy Mother, 312–13. 17 Gospel of the Holy Mother, 119. 18 Gospel of the Holy Mother, 136. 19 See, for example, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 749.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 694 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

A Modern Approach to an Ancient Religion PREMA NANDAKUMAR

Through the Vistas of History The First World War began in 1914. There had been rumblings for quite some time but the immediate provocation was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on 28th June, 1914. Soon the major powers of the world were locked in war that soon engulfed almost the entire world. Germany was rising as a terror and Britain, Russia and France felt the heat not long after. The United States of America itself entered the War in 1917. There was terrible slaughter, so unnecessary, to feed the ego of a few warlords. A majority of those who were killed were young. Among them were some fine poets like Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Of course it was put in the minds of these thousands of youth that it was an honour to die for their country, Dulce et Decorum decorum est pro patria mori [lines from Roman lyrical poet Horace’s Odes, meaning, ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for your country’]. But death is death, a final goodbye, and made sadder by the loneliness in an alien land. The soldiers carried their religious works, the Bible, the Gita. Of course, the Gita, for there were seventy-four thousand men in the British Indian army who were ordered to go overseas when Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August, 1914.

It is obvious that mankind was getting to be together, if not in life, then certainly in death. The ancient ways of religion were crumbling and that war generation cannot be faulted if it turned away from religion. Here are a few lines from the extremely painful poem of Wilfred Owen (Anthem for Doomed Youth): What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

Owen was only twenty-five when he died in battle. Two great thinkers wrapped up in their spiritual vision realised before the start of the First World War that mighty changes were going to come for mankind. The days of cocooned religious isolation would not do anymore. As if they were an advance guard, they assured man that he would have to make use of religion and culture to unify mankind. It would take time and the first results of the kind of churning to give up their isolation would throw up poison. Nevertheless they would give the message. It is well known that on 11th September, 1893, Swami Vivekananda

Dr. Prema Nandakumar is a devotee from Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. She has several publications to her credit, and regularly reviews books for The Vedanta Kesari and other journals. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 695 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

220

gave a clear call to learn to be together and enjoy the fruits of civilisation and concluded: I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

On 15th September he spoke again for people not to be frogs in the well but learn global togetherness. Swamiji was not satisfied with lectures. This work of gathering a global knowledge was best possible through regular religious/ spiritual dosage given to readers through a standard magazine. Also, the need of the hour was to assure the Indians that their tradition was a unique one which they had almost forgotten because of English education. Thus was born Brahmavadin. His disciples, Alasinga Perumal and M.C. Nanjunda Rao among others, brought out the first issue on 14 September, 1895. It was renamed The Vedanta Kesari in 1914, almost defying, as it were, the forces of darkness that were gathering over the West at that time. Two World Wars and so many cataclysms, but the Lion of Vedanta has roared for the unity of mankind, guided by committed editors till today. At Another Silent Battle The question of the forces of Darkness trying to overcome humanity was taken up by another great Indian, the Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo. He had been a leading light of the Bande Mataram Movement, a unique and powerful political journalist and a fearless activist. Imprisoned for one year’s incarceration in the well-known Alipore Bomb Case, he was acquitted in 1909. The counsel for defence was Deshabandhu Chitta Ranjan Das who spoke prophetically in his peroration: T h e

. . . My appeal to you is this—that long after this turmoil, this agitation will have ceased, long after he is dead and gone, he will be looked upon as the poet of patriotism, as the prophet of nationalism and the lover of humanity. Long after he is dead and gone, his words will be echoed and re-echoed not only in India but across distant seas and lands . . .

After he was acquitted, Sri Aurobindo, following an ‘adesh’ (voice from within) retired to Pondicherry in 1910 to take up his first love, yoga. He went deep into Vedic studies as well. A group of young men gathered around him and became his disciples in yoga. On 29th March, 1914, a French couple Pierre Richard and Mirra Richard who had come from France met Sri Aurobindo. The next day, Mme. Richard wrote down in her diary: It matters not if there are hundreds of beings plunged in densest ignorance. He whom we saw yesterday is on earth; his presence is enough to prove that a day will come when darkness shall be transformed into light, when Thy reign shall be indeed established upon earth.

The Message of Harmony and Synthesis Subsequently when they met and discussed, they realised that it was time the West and the East came together. Swami Vivekananda had demonstrated that this was eminently possible. To take the move forward the three of them started a journal that would provide a forum for proving how there was a priceless past in world religions and there need be no separative walls in using them to reach the Supreme. This message, again, should be projected to the new generation in the language they would understand. English, of course, but using a diction the twentieth century would understand. As if it were a gesture of defiance against the forces of evil that had made Britain declare war on

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 696 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

221

Germany on 4 August, the first issue of Arya was published on 15 August, 1914. 15 August was Sri Aurobindo’s forty-second birthday. Thirty three years late India would become an independent nation on the same day. Why the name, ‘Arya’? Like Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo had a delightful and in-depth view when giving titles which became classic words or phrases. As with Prabuddha Bharata and Brahmavadin we have Sri Aurobindo’s Karmayogin, Dharma and Arya. He explains the choice of the term in the issue of 15th September 1914, as obviously many readers had wanted to know about it. Now there was a chance to explain correctly the meaning of the word: Western Philology has converted it into a racial term, an unknown ethnological quantity on which different speculations fix different values. Now, even among the philologists, some are beginning to recognise that the word in its original use expressed not a difference of race, but a difference of culture. For in the Veda the Aryan peoples are those who had accepted a particular type of self-culture, of inward and outward practice, of ideality, of aspiration . . . In later times, the word Arya expressed a particular ethical and social ideal, an ideal of well-governed life, candour, courtesy, nobility, straight dealing, courage, gentleness, purity, humanity, compassion, protection of the weak, liberality, observance of social duty, eagerness of knowledge, respect for the wise and learned, the social accomplishments. It was the combined ideal of the Brahmana and the Kshatriya. Everything that departed from this ideal, everything that tended towards the ignoble, mean, obscure, rude, cruel or false, was termed un-Aryan or Anarya (colloq. Anari). There is no word in human speech that has a nobler history.

The magazine was intended to reach out to the educated Indian who was becoming westernised and was looking down upon his T h e

own heritage and tell him that he had the great duty of studying the world’s treasures including his own heritage and carry the essence to future humanity. Sri Aurobindo wrote most of the essays (philosophy, Vedas, Upanishads, bhakti poetry, yoga) while Paul Richard undertook the task of compiling the ‘wisdom of the ages’. The French quotes were translated by Sri Aurobindo into English. This column brought together world’s great thinkers, an amazing compendium indeed. The Bible, the Chinese Buddhistic Scriptures, Emerson, Asvaghosha, Schopenhauer—it seems an inexhaustible list. What is even more heartening is the recognition even then by westerners of the RamakrishnaVivekananda Movement towards a religion for contemporary humanity. There are plenty of quotes that appear in the various issues which posit a direct teaching. Here is Sri Ramakrishna: Many say with an appearance of humility, ‘I am even as an earthworm crawling in the dust’; so always believing themselves to be earthworms, they become in time feeble as the worm. Let not discouragement enter into thy heart; despair is for all the great enemy of progress. What a man thinks himself to be, that he in fact becomes.

The God Within Swami Vivekananda’s ‘God is my inmost self, the reality of my being’ is followed by Eckhart’s ‘God is myself; we are one in consciousness and His knowing is my knowing’—to give us the very essence of religion for the modern world. None of these wise men encourage blind faith. As The Book of Golden Precepts would have it, ‘The wise do not linger in the thicket of the senses, the wise heed not the honeyed voices of the illusion’. If the Vedas were associated with the chants of priests, an abbracadabra for

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 697 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

222

the English-educated Indian, here was Sri Aurobindo giving an intuitive interpretation of the Vedic hymns as aids to yoga. Writing of the oft-quoted Somarasa, Sri Aurobindo goes beyond the disputations regarding the Soma plant: But what is this Soma, called sometimes amrita, the Greek ambrosia, as if it were itself the substance of immortality? It is a figure for the divine Ananda, the principle of Bliss, from which, in the Vedic conception, the existence of Man, this mental being, is drawn. A secret Delight is the base of existence, its sustaining atmosphere and almost its substance. This Ananda is spoken of in the Taittiriya Upanishad as the ethereal atmosphere of bliss without which nothing could remain in being.

In keeping with the ‘scientific’ temper of our times, Sri Aurobindo’s intense meditations bring us the significance of the Vedic gods like Indra, Usha, Agni and Sarama. Thus Brihaspati is ‘the power of the soul’ and here is Sri Aurobndo’s translation of a Rig Vedic hymn on this god whom we have only known as the divine priest: None can assail him, he conquers utterly all the riches of the worlds which confront him and the world in which he dwells; he who for the Soul-Power that seeks its manifestation creates in himself that highest good, is cherished by the gods.

This is a language we can understand which tells us that self-control and conquering one’s self are the first lessons of religion. Arya which brought out its first issue on 15 August, 1914, was published with enviable regularity till the January 1921 issue. There was no formal

leave-taking. The founders of the journal had started with a programme: ‘1. A systematic study of the highest problems of existence. 2. The formation of a Synthesis of knowledge, harmonizing the diverse religious traditions of humanity, occidental as well as oriental. Its method will that be of a realism, at once rational and transcendental—a realism consisting in the unification of intellectual and scientific discipline with those of intuitive experimentation. The review will also serve as an organ for the various groups and societies founded on its inspiration.’ This programme had been adhered to and fulfilled to the satisfaction of the founders and readers of Arya many of whom would go on to become spiritual luminaries on their own like T.V. Kapali Sastriar. Other Aurobindonian journals like Mother India and The Advent which were started later have continued to disseminate the wisdom of the ages as a welcome mix of religion and spirituality. As for The Vedanta Kesari, it has crossed one complete century in May 2014 with an increasing readership pursuing it all the time. By the grace of the Divine Mother, we have certainly learnt the contours of a modern approach to an Ancient Religion through such great journals. The lesson has been simple, in its essentials: unity in diversity, a respect for the authorised scriptures of the past, personal endeavour and the constant prayer that removes the vestiges of ego from our personality. And the aim: Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu! o

'Uncle moon is everybody's uncle', goes the Bengali proverb. So is God everybody's; there is no doubt about this. Why should you feel weak? You are all children of the Divine Mother and therefore possess infinite strength. 'He whose mother is the Divine Mother Herself, of whom shall he be afraid? There can be no want of strength in Her children. —Swami Turiyananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 698 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Science of Spirituality NVC SWAMY

Reason or Religion? In a lecture given in England, Swami Vivekananda made a very interesting observation on Reason vis-à-vis Religion. He said, Is religion to justify itself by the discoveries of reason, through which every other science justifies itself? Are the same methods of investigation, which we apply to sciences and knowledge outside, to be applied to the science of Religion? In my opinion this must be so, and I am also of opinion that the sooner it is done the better. If a religion is destroyed by such investigations, it was then all the time useless, unworthy superstition; and the sooner it goes the better. I am thoroughly convinced that its destruction would be the best thing that could happen. All that is dross will be taken off, no doubt, but the essential parts of religion will emerge triumphant out of this investigation. Not only will it be made scientific—as scientific, at least, as any of the conclusions of physics or chemistry—but will have greater strength, because physics or chemistry has no internal mandate to vouch for its truth, which religion has.1

These are indeed very powerful and thought-provoking words. At the time they were uttered they might have appeared to be unjustified remarks. But, very soon, within a few decades, Science could demonstrate with convincing proof the veracity of Swamiji’s statements. The object of this article is to present how this came about.

Can Science and Religion be Compared? At first sight, the task appears to be hopeless. After all, Science and Religion have very little in common. Science is based on hard facts, leading to analysis verified by experiments. Whatever is not confirmed by experimental verification is thrown out unceremoniously by Science, because experiment is the final test of all theoretical hypotheses. Religion, on the other hand, is based on faith, which is sometimes also called blind belief. There are no established methods of experimental verification, universally accepted by all. Science is the same irrespective of people or country. On the other hand, there is a multiplicity of religions, all of them at disagreement with the others. It is the diversity in these faiths that is responsible for major conflicts among nations. With such a wide divergence between these two disciplines how can there be a comparison at all? Every religion has two components— theory and practice. The theory also goes by the name of philosophy. The practice is a set of rituals specific to that religion, most of the times becoming rigid leading to a dogma and a theology. If there has to be a comparison with Science, it is only with the philosophical part of it. Where the philosophy and the dogma are mixed up, such a comparison is almost meaningless.

Dr. N.V.C. Swamy, former Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, is currently the Dean of Academic Courses at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a Deemed University in Bangalore. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 699 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

224

Unfortunately, there are very few religions in which these two components are clearly separated. It is only in such cases that a comparison is meaningful and worthwhile. Religion shorn of all dogma goes by the name of Spirituality. It is only this aspect of Religion that can be measured against Science. But, there are a few exceptions, like Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism, in which this separation is possible and has been effectively done. Most of the dogma to be found in this religion occurs in that literature, known as the Smriti texts. The non-dogmatic or spiritual part constitutes what is known as the Shruti. Any comparison with Science is possible only with the Shruti texts [i.e., Gita and Upanishads or Vedanta in general] and not with Smriti texts [such as Smritis attributed to Manu, Yajnavalkya, Raghu, Bodhayana and others]. The Scientific Method Before one can take up this comparison, one should be clear in one’s mind as to how Science tries to establish Truth. Any scientific investigation commences with the observation of phenomena, recording of measured data, their analysis, enunciation of a hypothesis followed by verification through the use of further data, and finally the enunciation of principles. It is an elaborate process. Each one of these steps is equally important. It is known as the Scientific Method, and is an invention of Europe in the middle Ages. This is the T h e

procedure in use even today in the scientific community all over the world. Is there any similar methodology in Religion or Spirituality? This is a difficult question to answer. Science is a product of modern times, which has a tradition of recording all results in a written form. This facilitates exchange of information and better communication. On the other hand, most of the ancient cultures and religions had an oral tradition. This is especially true of the Vedic culture, which has always had an oral tradition. Communication was always through oral transmission. Such communication is always risky, because there is always the possibility of distortions occurring, and this has happened several times earlier. Under such circumstances, it is not an easy job to locate the undistorted contents of spiritual texts. However, it is indeed a fortunate thing that the original version of the Shruti texts has been preserved very carefully and is now in printed form along with translations. The oral tradition also has not been given up. But, the question still remains unanswered as to how the ancient sages of India came across these results. Normally, these results of their mental cogitations are considered to be ‘revelations’. The Idea of Creation As one goes through the Shruti texts, one comes across certain revelations, which startle

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 700 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

225

us and which can easily stand comparison with the results of modern science. An example can be cited here. Ever since the dawn of human culture, people have wondered how the entire creation came about. Every culture has practically its own model, none of them based on any scientific basis. Take, for example, the first chapter of the Old Testament, the Book of Genesis. According to this book, the whole creation came into existence in six days, the seventh day being a day of rest. Both the Old and the New Testaments have given certain genealogies, the first from Adam, the first human being, to King David, and the second from King David to Jesus Christ. Based on this model, Bishop Ussher of Ireland made an estimation. Taking the period of Jesus as 1A.D, and working backwards giving each generation about 20 years, he came to the conclusion that the period of Adam must have been 4004 BCE. This became the standard yardstick for the Roman Catholic Church. This hypothesis received a jolt with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, according to which species of creatures evolve into one another, the last step of the ladder of evolution being the human being. The time scale got extended, since evolution is a slow process. Ultimately, it was recognized that creation must be much earlier than the date given by the Bible. All this speculation took place in Europe at a time when the scriptural literature of Hinduism was not yet known to the westerners. The first translation of the Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit into English was published towards the end of the eighteenth century in London. This book influenced a large number of English poets of the Romantic period, but was totally ignored by the scientific community. It was only in the 20th century T h e

that it came to be known to the scientists, through Robert Oppenheim, the leader of the Manhattan Project. He was already an avid student of the Gita and was familiar with the text. It was at the time of the testing of the first prototype of the Atom Bomb that Oppenheim saw the famous plume accompanied by the blinding light, which reminded him of the description of the Cosmic Form of the Gita. He even remarked about it, but none of his scientist colleagues could understand him, since they were not familiar with the Gita. The Gita had probably an even greater influence on another famous Astrophysicist, Subramanian Chandrasekhar. Even as a student at Cambridge University in England, he had done research on the origin of the Universe, and had given a very preliminary analysis, which later developed into the famous Big Bang Theory. He later moved over to the Chicago University in the USA, and became the Head of the Yerkes Observatory. He went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics for the work he had done in Cambridge. Chandrasekhar, even though born in India in an orthodox Brahmin family, had the reputation of being an agnostic. This could be probably because he had noticed the vast gap between concepts concerning the Universe as enunciated by religious texts and Astrophysics of Science. It was only towards the end of his life that he made a detailed study of the Gita. The description of the Universe in this text fascinated him. Two things struck him. The first was the concept of Chaturyuga, which spoke of the vastness of time. The second was the periodicity of Creation and Dissolution. These accorded so well with the discoveries of Science, that he became a regular student of the Gita. During the 20 th century there was a galaxy of Physicists in Europe, who were

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 701 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

226

fascinated by the Theories of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Some of them at that time became students of Vedanta, because they felt that the concept of an Impersonal Creator of Advaita Vedanta was acceptable to Modern Physics. This brought the two subjects closer to each other. The Big Bang Theory2 There is one aspect of closeness of this type that can be found between the model of Creation in Taittiriyopanishad and the Big Bang Theory, which has so far not been noticed. But, before comparing these two principles, one needs to know what they are. We will consider the Big Bang Theory first. According to this theory, the Universe came into existence about 14-16 billion years ago. The Special Theory of Relativity of Einstein had shown that Mass and Energy were equivalent and inter-convertible. When the Universe came into existence, all matter existed in the form of Energy, concentrated at a point known as the Singularity. This corresponds very closely to the concept of the Cosmic Egg as mentioned in the mythological texts of Hinduism. When this energy manifested itself it was supposed to be in the form of a Big Bang. It is difficult to visualize this, because the whole thing is supposed to have been a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Over a period of time, this energy spread over the newly created space-time manifold. With the expansion, the system started generating mass at extremely high temperatures, which gradually started cooling. The mass was originally in the form of fundamental particles, which started combining among themselves, giving rise to Plasma, Gases, Liquids and ultimately solids. About four and a half billion years ago, the mass that later formed the solar T h e

system came into existence. This mass later expanded by centrifugal forces forming the nucleus of the planets. The Earth itself came into existence about one and a half billion years ago as part of the Solar System. When one examines the structure of the planets, one observes the gradual process of the evolution of the Earth. Planets closer to the Sun than the earth are in a gaseous state and very hot. Those in the outer regions are cold and literally frozen. The Earth is at such an optimum distance that it alone can sustain an atmosphere that can sustain Life of various forms. Astrophysicists have not given up hope that there may be other bodies also that have the same conditions capable of sustaining life. But all such attempts have turned out to be mere speculations. Creation According to Scriptures We turn now our attention to what our own scriptures have to say. There are several mythological texts, of which nine are considered major and nine minor. An important characteristic of these is that they must follow a regular structure. Each must contain a description of Sarga, primary creation, and Visarga, secondary creation. These two sections contain a detailed description of how the Earth and human beings originated and evolved. All of them start from a creation of the Universe, but very quickly confine themselves to the Earth. To the modern mind with exposure to Science, these descriptions appear very fanciful and unreal. One finds in a few Upanishads also a description of the creation of the Universe, but these are brief, since they are not the main objective of the Upanishads. There is one description, however, in the Taittiriyopanishad that comes closest to Science.3 In brief, it runs like this:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 702 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

227

In the beginning That alone existed. From it was born Akasha or Space. From Space evolved Vayu or Energy. From this came Agni or Fire. Agni gave rise to Apaha or Water. Finally, water gave birth to Prithvi or Earth.

We will now examine if this model is acceptable by comparing to the Big Bang Theory of Science. According to this theory, the first thing to emerge was the Space-Time manifold (Akasha), the playground for the rest of the action. The condensed Energy (Vayu) then made its appearance with temperatures extraordinarily high. The energy field then started spreading and cooling at the same time until the whole system resembled a burning set of masses (Agni). With further spreading and cooling, the burning masses started forming Galaxies containing billions of stars. The Law of Gravitation, valid and active all the time, brought some of the burning masses together, forming systems, of which our own Solar System is the closest example. In the solar system itself, there are a few planets with high temperatures and a gaseous atmosphere. There are a few cool enough to form water, like the Earth. Some have become solid masses, again like the Earth. One fact emerges from a comparison of these two models. The Big Bang Theory talks of the emergence of the Cosmos, whereas the Upanishadic model confines itself to the emergence of our planet. But, the procedure appears to be similar. The question is not so much about whether the Vedic sages were aware of Science. The wonder is how something that evolved from pure ‘Revelations’ could correspond to derivations from a purely mathematical structure! It is, indeed a fertile field for research! Another striking similarity is the periodicity in both the models. The Gita describes T h e

how the Universe reverts to its pure pristine origin. Similarly, the Big Bang Theory leads in the distant future to the Big Crunch, when all matter gets converted to energy ending in the Singularity. The current point of interest is to predict how precisely this happens. This is the cause for the current excitement about the Higgs Boson, otherwise known as the ‘God Particle!’ This may not be the only instance. There may be many more in subjects like Medicine, Psychology and similar subjects. These need to be fished out and analyzed by the joint efforts of Vedic scholars and Scientists. For example, it is often claimed that the cadence of Vedic mantra recitation has beneficial influences on the foetus inside the womb. Modern Psychology talks of the ‘Mozart Effect’ that many compositions of Mozart have a soothing effect on the foetus. Many CD’s have appeared under the category ‘Music for the Babies’! This certainly is a fertile field of research. It is also generally believed that soft music has a soothing influence on the human mind. This is also believed about the Vedic mantras. What is the basis for this? It is based only on one’s subjective experience. But can it be established scientifically. A few years ago, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana at Bangalore commenced a project on recording Vedic mantras, starting with Omkara, the ten Shanti Mantras, the Gayatri Mantra, the Mahamrutyunjaya mantra and mantras from the Samaveda. All of them were spectrally analyzed according to the standard software available. The pattern revealed certain characteristics of gradual transitions very similar to that found in music, showing that the Vedic mantras have the same kind of soothing effect as music. This also is a rich field of research.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 703 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

228

Concluding Remarks It is obvious that there must be several more such examples, where the ancient Vedic people have come across several results, which have been rediscovered later. For instance, there is a well-known theorem in Euclidean Geometry called the Pythagoras Theorem. It is now realized that this is only a restatement of a Sutra from an ancient book of Vedic times known as the Shulba Sutras. It is also known that Pythagoras had visited India and spent some time in Takshashila. More work is needed in this field to place our ancient scriptures in the proper scientific setting. This is being done in the field of Yoga and Ayurveda at the Swami Vivekananda

Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore, and this culture is spreading throughout the globe. The fact that our ancient culture can be tested according to Science has brought it global respect, at a time when the world is still being threatened by dogma and superstitions. Needless to say, all these developments arose because of Swami Vivekananda’s observations quoted at the beginning of this article. There are many more such jewels hidden in the speeches of Swamiji that need to be culled out and studied. At this time, when the echoes of the 150th birthday celebrations of Swamiji are still being heard, this would be the best tribute one can offer him. o

References 1. CW, 1.367 2. In Search of the Big Bang, Gribbin, John, Corgi Books, London, 1991. 3. Taittiriyopanishad: Brahmanandavalli, Anuvaka 1, Mantra 1.

'Such were the writers of the Upanishads' Fanatics little understand the infinite power of love in the hearts of these great sages who looked upon the inhabitants of this world as their children. They were the real fathers, the real gods, filled with infinite sympathy and patience for everyone; they were ready to bear and forbear. They knew how human society should grow, and patiently, slowly, surely, went on applying their remedies, not by denouncing and frightening people, but by gently and kindly leading them upwards step by step. Such were the writers of the Upanishads. They knew full well how the old ideas of God were not reconcilable with the advanced ethical ideas of the time; they knew full well that what the atheists were preaching contained a good deal of truth, nay, great nuggets of truth; but at the same time, they understood that those who wished to sever the thread that bound the beads, who wanted to build a new society in the air, would entirely fail. We never build anew, we simply change places; we cannot have anything new, we only change the position of things. The seed grows into the tree, patiently and gently; we must direct our energies towards the truth, and fulfil the truth that exists, not try to make new truths. Thus, instead of denouncing these old ideas of God as unfit for modern times, the ancient sages began to seek out the reality that was in them. The result was the Vedanta philosophy, and out of the old deities, out of the monotheistic God, the Ruler of the universe, they found yet higher and higher ideas in what is called the Impersonal Absolute; they found oneness throughout the universe. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 704 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

The Impact of Swami Vivekananda in the West: An Overview JEFFERY D. LONG

Introduction No single religion has a monopoly on spiritual wisdom. Many paths can lead to eternal life. There is a deep harmony between spirituality and science. God is not an old man in the sky passing out judgment, but a force of love that resides in all beings and that pervades the entire cosmos. One can experience this force directly through the process of meditation. To have this experience one does not have to belong to a church or even be religious in the conventional sense. Serving others selflessly is at least as high a form of spirituality as prayer, meditation, or study. Reincarnation is an idea that makes sense. Most Americans are not aware that these ideas, which many now take for granted, were first popularized on a large scale by Swami Vivekananda. America could perhaps be called an unconsciously Vedantic nation. Like the footprints of the Buddha, Swami Vivekananda has left behind his traces, while he himself is scarcely known. History of Swami Vivekananda’s Impact in the West In 1893, Swami Vivekananda came to an America that was still in many ways a deeply conservative nation. Slavery had been

formally abolished by President Abraham Lincoln only thirty years prior to his coming, but the bloody Civil War that was required to truly put an end to this inhuman institution had continued to rage for another two years after that. And the freed African American slaves and their descendants would not be, in every sense, equal under the law for many decades to come. Even today, racism lingers in America, as in many other parts of the world. Laws may change, but the deep and true change that must occur in the heart and in the mind requires much more time in order to manifest. Religiously, even those progressive Christians who launched the Parliament of the World’s Religions at which Swamiji so famously spoke saw this event as a venue for demonstrating the superiority of Christianity over other religious traditions. It was left to Swamiji and the other delegates from Asia, representing traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism, to initiate the paradigm shift of seeing all religions as ‘wending their way to the same goal’ like rivers flowing into the one ocean of infinite bliss.1 The groundwork for this paradigm shift had been established, however, by those Americans who were attracted to the wisdom that they found in those Hindu sacred texts that had been translated into English, some

Dr. Jeffery D.Long is an Associate Professor and Chair, Religious Studies, Elizabethtown College. He is also Co-Director, Asian Studies Minor, Elizabethtown College. Elizabethtown, PA 17022, USA. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 705 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

230

of which were available to American readers important intellectual and literary figures that as early as the eighteenth century: texts such have played a major role in disseminating the as the Bhagavad Gita and some of the major Vedantic teachings of Swami Vivekananda Upanishads. The Transcendentalist movement, throughout American culture. These figures, consisting of such figures as Ralph Waldo shaped by the thought of Swami Vivekananda, Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt have done much to shape present-day spiritual Whitman, was deeply indebted to these texts. development in the West. The Transcendentalists were, in effect, the first Christopher Isherwood, a famed novelist American Vedantists. and associate of such literary figures as Similarly, the Theosophical Society, W.H. Auden, E.M. Forster, and Somerset established in 1875 in New York City (also Maugham—as well as J. Krishnamurti— the location of the first Vedanta Society, assisted Swami Prabhavananda, the founder established by Swami Vivekananda in of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, 1894), was made up of westerners whose in his translations of such important works as thought was profoundly shaped by Indian the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, philosophies such as Vedanta, Yoga, and Buddhism. Some of these persons, such as A.O. Hume and Annie Besant, participated in the movement for Indian independence. Besant also helped to establish Banaras Hindu University, and was a mentor to another major Indian thinker who found a home in America: Jiddu Krishnamurti. There was certainly sufficient interest among Americans in Indian thought, and a spiritual hunger sufficiently profound, to enable Swami Vivekananda to find a ready and willing audience and abundant support among the people of America for the founding of the Vedanta Society, and also for the ventures that he pursued upon his return to India, such as the establishment of the Ramakrishna Mission and Belur Math. In America, the Vedanta First Hindu temple in the West—Vedanta Society of North California, San Francisco, USA Society became a magnet for T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 706 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

231

and the Viveka Chudamani of Shankara. Finally, drawing upon his considerable literary talents, Isherwood wrote what is probably the most popular biography of Ramakrishna in the English language: Ramakrishna and His Disciples. Aldous Huxley, also affiliated with the California center, was an essayist and a novelist who wove Vedantic themes through his fictional and non-fictional works. His well-known essay, The Perennial Philosophy, outlines Swami Vivekananda’s ideal of a universal religion that underlies all existing religions through a common core of direct mystical realization. A major theme of his novels is the expansion of consciousness, and one of his most provocative works, The Doors of Perception, is the source from which the popular California-based band, the Doors, took their name. Shifting from the west coast to the east coast, author J.D. Salinger was associated with the New York Vedanta Center—the oldest Vedanta center in the US, and founded by Swami Vivekananda himself. Salinger was a disciple of Swami Nikhilananda, and is best known in America as the author of The Catcher in the Rye, a novel of youthful alienation and protest against the norms of conventional western society. His later works, though, such as Frannie and Zooey, are replete with Vedantic themes and references. Salinger abruptly withdrew from society at the height of his fame–a retreat that was the source of much speculation until after his recent death, in 2010, when it came to light that he spent the last five decades of his life practicing meditation and studying the Bhagavad Gita. Two major scholars of religion, Huston Smith and Joseph Campbell, were deeply influenced by Indian values and philosophies—and particularly by Vedanta. T h e

Smith almost singlehandedly transformed the study of the world’s religions into a popular discipline, in demand on nearly every college campus in the United States. Campbell also popularized the comparative study of religion and mythology, partially through his own work, such as the celebrated The Hero with a Thousand Faces, on the theme of mythic archetypes, but also indirectly, through his collaboration with George Lucas. Lucas, inspired by the work of Campbell, dreamed of developing a distinctively American mythology drawing upon Indic and other world spiritual traditions. This vision took the form of the wildly popular Star Wars films. Especially in the teaching of the Jedi Master Yoda, one can hear echoes of Vedanta in the Star Wars universe. ‘Luminous beings are we,’ Master Yoda tells his disciple, Luke Skywalker, ‘not this crude matter’. This reflects the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita that the true Self is beyond the realm of the body and the senses. Just as the embodied one experiences childhood, and youth, and old age, in this body, in the same way he enters other bodies. A wise person is not disturbed by this. O Arjuna, encounters with the material world induce sensations of cold and heat and pleasure and pain. They come and they go. They are impermanent.2

Even the relationship between the initially doubting and scornful Luke Skywalker and his eccentric, seemingly mad master, as depicted in The Empire Strikes Back, reflects the relationship of the young Naren, who would one day emerge as Swami Vivekananda, and the divine madman, Sri Ramakrishna. Finally, yet another major disseminator of what has emerged as the contemporary global spiritual movement, has been George Harrison, lead guitarist from easily the most

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 707 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

232

popular rock band of all time: the Beatles. Harrison’s initial attraction to Indian spiritual thought was, not surprisingly for a musician, through the medium of Indian music, as it was presented to him by his friend and mentor, Ravi Shankar. But it was not long before Harrison would immerse himself fully into Hindu thought and practice. His first visit to India, in 1966, was spent for the most part doing contemplative reading in a houseboat in Kashmir. The two books that Harrison took with him, which he quickly absorbed during this time, were Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahamsa Yogananda, and Raja Yoga, by Swami Vivekananda. Vedantic and Yogic themes would continue to pervade both the lyrics and the music of George Harrison until he left his body in November of 2001.

Through the works of all of the various scholars, authors, and artists who received the influence of Swami Vivekananda, either through his writings or through the Vedanta Society, as well as through the various spiritual teachers who came to the west following his example, Vedantic thought now pervades America, despite there being relatively few Americans who actually know Swamiji’s name or are directly familiar with his teachings. In a controversial 2009 Newsweek editorial with the highly provocative title ‘We Are All Hindus Now’, Lisa Miller cites polling data indicating that a majority of Americans–65 percent– believe that ‘many religions can lead to eternal life’. This number includes a surprising 37 percent of white evangelical Christians. This survey also indicates that 24 percent of Americans believe in reincarnation, and that The Present-Day Scene: From the 30 percent–almost a third–identify themselves Superficial to the Profound as ‘spiritual but not religious’ (Miller, 2009), and thus choose not to identify truth narrowly with any single culture or tradition. Other reputable polls have yielded roughly comparable numbers in response to similar questions. If one takes a stroll through an American shopping mall and browses through the various stores, one increasingly finds clothing and home decorations adorned with images of Lord Ganesha and other Hindu deities. An international super group, SuperHeavy, with an all-star membership including Mick Jagger and A.R. Rahman, had a hit in 2011 with a song called ‘Satyameva Jayate’. Actress Julia Roberts ‘came out’ as a Hindu in 2010 after having starred in the film Eat, Pray, Love, which includes a pilgrimage to India as a prominent chapter in the journey of its protagonist. Other At Ramakrishna Monastery, Trabuco Canyon, USA T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 708 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

233

Western celebrities wear Om jewellery and sport Sanskrit tattoos, as do growing numbers of young people. One of the biggest hit films of 2012, a film that won multiple academy awards, was the beautiful and profound, Vedanta-infused Life of Pi. If one digs beneath this outward veneer of appreciation for Indian culture among Americans, and a widespread acceptance of Vedantic beliefs (though, again, without very widespread awareness of or acknowledgement of the source of these beliefs), one can see that the west today also bears the imprint of Swamiji’s thought inasmuch as it manifests dimensions which correspond to the four yogas which Swami Vivekananda defined in his lectures and writings. One important imprint that Swamiji has left upon the west has been his emphasis on concrete action for the relief of human suffering as a spiritual path: that is, karma yoga. Beyond the important and vital relief work of the Ramakrishna Mission that he established in 1897, another major figure on whom he had an enormous influence was Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi actually sought to meet Swami Vivekananda when the Indian National Congress was meeting in Kolkata in 1902, but Swamiji was unfortunately on his deathbed at that point, and was unable to receive visitors. As I have shown elsewhere, many of Gandhi’s ideals about education and social upliftment were drawn almost word for word from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda (Long, 2011). Gandhi has in turn influenced movements for a peaceful transformation of society across the globe, shaping the thought of such western figures as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. In the realm of the intellect as well— Jnana Yoga—Swamiji has also had influence on global spirituality. Among the prominent T h e

intellectuals who came into direct contact with him during his time in the west was William James, a Harvard professor of psychology and philosophy who, although somewhat skeptic about some aspects of Vedanta, was open to the wider realm of experience reflected in Swamiji’s thought and in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. James would have tremendous influence upon the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, the father of the system of philosophy known as process thought. Process thought shares many strong affinities with both Vedanta and Buddhism, as well as with Jain philosophy. Whitehead’s thought also bears the imprint, via William James, of Swami Vivekananda’s influence. In terms of bhakti yoga, the path of devotion, Swami Vivekananda’s greatest influential contribution has been in promoting the idea of the ishtadevata, or chosen form of divinity. The radical spiritual freedom that this idea implies is the essence of Vedanta: that whatever form of the divine attracts us, whether it be a Hindu deity, the Buddha, the Jina, Allah, Jesus Christ, or any of the great manifestations celebrated in the world’s religions and philosophies, may serve as the vehicle by which our devotion can carry us to the infinite. The infinite truth cannot be bound to any one form or tradition. With this understanding, and his teachings of universal acceptance and the harmony of religions, Swami Vivekananda revolutionized the interfaith movement. Finally, the popularization of meditation and the practice of Hatha Yoga (known simply as ‘Yoga’ in the west) is similarly hard to conceive of without the influence of Swami Vivekananda: particularly his treatise on Raja Yoga, his commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Again, outside the Vedanta Society and Ramakrishna Mission which he instituted,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 709 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

234

Swamiji’s influence in this regard has probably been felt deeply through the work of Sri Aurobindo, who explicitly attributes his own profound yogic transformation to a spiritual encounter with Swami Vivekananda in a series of meditative visions. Although Swamiji would no doubt have been critical of the use of yoga purely as a form of physical exercise, those systems of yoga that emphasize the centrality of the practice of meditation are in harmony with the spirit of his teaching. These are just a few samples of the ways in which Swami Vivekananda has had an impact in the west, as seen through the lens of the four yogas: Gandhiinspired movements for social justice, the movement of process thought within the realms of philosophy and theology, the interfaith movement in the area of religious devotion, and the popularization of meditation and other yogic practices. The genealogies of all these movements converge in the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji once said, It may be that I shall find it good to get outside of my body–to cast it off like a disused garment. But I shall not cease my work! I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.3

Swami Vivekananda's statue at Chicago, USA

This would seem to be an accurate description of what has been happening since Swami Vivekananda left his body on the 4th of July 1902. And this work continues even today. Conclusion: Why Swami Vivekananda’s Influence Is Important T h e

Swami Vivekananda’s impact in the west is even more important today than it was when he lived and walked the earth over a century ago. The destructive capacities that human beings have developed are a danger to all life on this planet. Humanity stands at a crossroads from which we can either make this world into a heaven or a hell. It is within our power either to continue on a path to destruction, or to transform ourselves. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda hold the key to this transformation. This key is the idea of universal acceptance and the perception of the divinity of all beings that is at its heart.

Swami Vivekananda says, in his famous first address to the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, ‘I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.’4 And in

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 710 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

235

similarly speculates that had the great library of Alexandria not been destroyed by a fanatical mob in 391 AD, humanity might already be traveling to the stars.7 ‘But,’ Swamiji concludes, on a note of hope, ‘their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.’8 May Swami Vivekananda continue to work through all of us, that his hope might be realized. Let us arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached. o

a later lecture, he says, ‘I accept all religions that were in the past, and worship with them all; I worship God with every one of them, in whatever form they worship Him’.5 This is not mere tolerance—an aversion to the other concealed beneath a polite veneer–but a true acceptance. ‘Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.’6 Echoing Swami Vivekananda, Carl Sagan

References 1. CW, 1.4

2. Bhagavad Gita, 2, 13-14

6. CW, 1.4

7. Sagan, 1980

3. CW, 5.414

4. CW, 1.3

5. CW, 2.374

8. CW 1, 4

Notes and Bibliography v

A Bengali language version of this article was published in the Puja issue of Udbodhan Patrika. Long, Jeffery D. ‘The Politicization of Hinduism and the Hinduization of Politics: Contrasting Hindu Nationalism with the Transformative Visions of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi’ (Religion and Public Life, Volume 38) Miller, Lisa. ‘We Are All Hindus Now’

(Newsweek, August 31, 2009) Sagan, Carl, Cosmos (New York: Ballantine Books, 1980) Thompson, George, trans. The Bhagavad Gita (New York: North Point Press, 2008) Vivekananda, Swami. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 1979)

The West says, 'We minimise evil by conquering it.' India says, 'We destroy evil by suffering, until evil is nothing to us, it becomes positive enjoyment.' Well, both are great ideals. Who knows which will survive in the long run? Who knows which attitude will really most benefit humanity? Who knows which will disarm and conquer animality? Will it be suffering, or doing? . . . You follow your method in your own way, and Godspeed to you!" My message in life is to ask the East and West not to quarrel over different ideals, but to show them that the goal is the same in both cases, however opposite it may appear. As we wend our way through this mazy vale of life, let us bid each other Godspeed. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 711 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Unselfishness—the Core of Spiritual Practices R. BALASUBRAMANIAM

‘If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And, if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when? If not me, who?’ —Hillel the Elder, In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) The Present Indian Scenario India is getting younger—thanks to our growing young population. And now everyone seems to wishfully want the demographic dividend to start paying off. We see more and more young achievers today and one is able to feel and sense the sociological and economic transformation that is occurring all around us. But when one scratches a little deeper and starts to observe and study what is happening more intently, we can notice that all is not as well as what one thinks. One can then see the frustrations and the emptiness that many of the young are today experiencing. Despite the individual attainments and the material comforts that surround them, there exists an unexplained restlessness that is very troubling. They seem to be suffering the consequences of the irony of having everything material but still finding themselves missing something unexplainable. A discontent that is not explainable or articulated in terms that they can currently comprehend. And in seeking to fill this emptiness, they turn to either drugs, or more transient pleasures or

seek out the ‘instant’ gurus or in desperation commit suicide. It is as though, we have a generation of people who have trained themselves well cognitively but seem to be woefully inadequate when it comes to their emotional, social and spiritual competencies. We seem to have a generation of people who are unable to manage their inner conflict and tensions and unfortunately have no role models to look upto and learn from, in solving these problems. In our enthusiasm to imitate the consumerist cultures, we seem to have become experts in managing external environments and adapting ourselves well to it, but have lost the ability to look inwards and learn to manage our own inner selves. Many young people I interact with, not surprisingly have no idea of what their existence means or why they are doing what they are doing—it is as though they are continuing to live with absolutely no meaning to life itself. A Ray of Hope Imagine what such a rich talent pool could achieve if there was someway of getting

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam is the founder of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement and the Professor and head of the Vivekananda Chair, University of Mysore. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 712 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

237

them to seek a meaning for their lives, a meaning that not only gives them personal fulfillment but is also able to make them feel worthwhile and awakens their inner evolution. While looking inward may not come easily, would there be some way of using the means of looking outward to go inward? Will living for others give our lives the meaning that one is hungry for? Will the desire to make a difference in this world without seeking any personal reward or incentive drive our emptiness out? I believe that this is not only possible but is necessary. And it is here that Swami Vivekananda’s message of personal spiritual growth through selfless service finds relevance and utility. Swami Vivekananda was not only a visionary spiritual giant but also very pragmatic when it came to matters of national reconstruction. He not only appreciated the energy and restlessness of the youth but also the problems of the toiling millions. He knew that bridging the prevailing inequity couldn’t be possible without making the ‘Self’ think of the ‘others’. He had to find the delicate balance of getting people to re-focus on matters spiritual without feeling unsettled and overawed. And he did it in the most practical manner possible. He inspired young people with a new meaning of finding themselves in the service of others. His method of personal spiritual evolution through unconditional and unselfish service to others is possibly his greatest message to mankind. He saw the ‘means’ of serving society leading on to the ‘end’ of spiritual growth of the person doing it. And he so beautifully advised us to ‘Serve God in man’. All his philosophy so elegantly and simplistically packed into one statement. In such simple and lucid language that makes it T h e

at once achievable and attractive to everyone. This ideal not only looks within the reach of each one of us but also makes it so emotionally appealing and motivating to undertake. And he simplified the pursuit of spiritual seeking into internalizing our own inner divinity and in seeing this divinity in everyone else. Being Unselfish—A New Approach to Spirituality Traditionally spirituality has been defined as a process of personal transformation in accordance with one’s religious ideals.

Swami Vivekananda's Samadhi Mandir, Belur Math

The Random House Dictionary of the English Language defines ‘Spirituality’ as ‘the experience or expression of the sacred.’ ‘Unselfishness’ is traditionally understood as the willingness to put the needs of others before one’s own. It is about giving generously and having or showing more concern for other people rather than for yourself. Combining these two powerful abstractions into a practical way of life is what

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 713 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

238

Swami Vivekananda showed this world. His statement that ‘Unselfishness is more paying, only people have not the patience to practice it’ also shows that being unselfish is easier said than done. Man is wired to be centered on himself. He is biologically and psychologically tuned to ensure his own survival and this usually leads one to stay focused on issues of interest and benefit to the personal self. Today’s demanding materialistic world only amplifies these tendencies and it is indeed challenging to go beyond oneself and focus on others around us. Only when one appreciates the higher reason for one’s existence and sees the benefit of personal evolution, can the focus shift from the ‘personal’ to the unselfish ‘other’. We need to seek liberation by giving ourselves to the task of the welfare of others. Redefining ‘success’ from the non-materialistic perspective is also critical for ensuring this shift. Unselfish work done for others can be a very constructive and a practical way of approaching spirituality. While the practical benefits of societal transformation is clearly evident in selfless work, there is an increasing body of literature and evidence showing how such activities also enable our own inner change. Research in the leadership sciences shows that an effective and inspirational leader is filled with compassion, mindfulness, hope, ability to create a meaning for life for himself and those around him, and faith and self-confidence. It is no co-incidence that such leaders are the ones who have also found meaning in not only their personal welfare but in the service of others. The higher the degree of this unselfish attitude, the greater is their effectiveness and the ability to influence those around them. The world of neuroscience also indicates how a truly unselfish man constantly seeking T h e

to serve others has better developed prefrontal cortex in his brain. We also need to see this in the perspective of similar evidence being reported in people who are spiritual and spend long hours in reflective and meditative practices. The coming days will surely expand this neuro-scientific interconnectedness between a life led for others and spiritual existence. Unselfish work can also be a practical way of practicing Self-enquiry. It provides a good platform for looking and exploring outside of us in our search for the missing ‘equilibrium’ in our lives. Analyzing the state of people around us, the problems that they are enduring, the endless suffering of mankind are all excellent starting points. Beyond the ‘Self’ and ‘Others’ Pursuit of these would be the beginning of seeking solutions and trying to become a part of the solution with no personal stake in them. The next higher step would be to gradually transcend this sense of duality of ‘self’ and ‘others’ and move on to experiencing the ‘oneness’ that Advaita philosophy proclaims. Seeing God in all beings including oneself is a good starting point to experiencing oneness and going beyond the feeling of interconnectedness. Unselfish work is a practical means of achieving the higher objective of understanding our true self; it is about going beyond the illusory limitations of our body and mind and being liberated once and for all. This is the undercurrent that runs throughout the life and message of Swami Vivekananda. And this is succinctly captured in his statement of ‘Atmano Mokshartham Jagat hitaya cha’ —‘For one’s own [physical, mental, moral, spiritual] liberation and for the welfare of others’. o

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 714 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

‘Character is Spirituality’ Cultivating Character of Youth in America VANDANA JANI

The ‘Awakening’ Summer Camp 2014 is in full swing at Vivekananda Vidyapith. It is ‘playtime’ now. I heard a couple of alumni counselors humming a song. . . Jaago Maa. Enhancing the impromptu ensemble, a few more have joined in with the harmonium, cymbals and tabla. Humming has turned into heartfelt singing. Even younger kids have come running in and are enjoying singing along. It is as if a lotus has slowly opened its petals, one at a time, and has now come into full bloom. My mind drifts to the past, and a collage of events emerges . . . It was 1972-73. My husband Mahendra and I, with our baby son Pranav, had recently emigrated to the U.S. from India for graduate studies and to enhance our careers. The new setting in New Jersey—the environment, people, customs, language, food and finances—demanded adjustments. Eventually, we met a few Indian families in our neighborhood and started meeting regularly on Saturday evenings. Some of these friends were devotees at the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, New York. We started attending services conducted by Swami Adiswarananda, the Minister Incharge of the Centre. Our Saturday meetings

gradually became a Satsang that included singing, discussing, and reading from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and other books. One day the reading was from the Yoga Vashishtha Ramayana. The young children in the room were jumping around excessively under the leadership of Pranav. Finally, I took Pranav to the adjoining room to keep him occupied. Almost immediately the rest of the naughty battalion followed us. Imagine a bunch of loud kids and myself, confined to a room! What could I do to keep them quiet? ‘Children love action characters of super human powers,’ I thought. I came up with a creative plan. I asked them to come closer to me. As they came closer, I whispered, ‘Whatever we are going to do here is supposed to be kept a secret from the adults in the main room.’ To my surprise, all the shouting voices immediately went into a whisper mode. I started telling them a story from the Ramayana. They listened intently. Then I used towels, dupattas, chaddars and sarees as costumes and dressed them up. The children acted out the immortal characters from the story. They also learned a Pranam Mantra of Sri Rama in Sanskrit, Om Ramaya Rambhadraya . . . They were having fun and were subliminally learning!

Vandana Jani, PhD, is cofounder of Vivekananda Vidyapith, Wayne, New Jersey, USA. Vivekananda Vidyapith is an Academy of Indian Philosophy and Culture in America. She has been instrumental in developing the dynamic curriculum for the institute’s character-building education classes for children. She is on the advisory board of the Vidyapith’s quarterly magazine, Sapling, for youngsters which has completed 26 years of publication. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 715 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

240

After the Satang, children presented what they had learned. The parents were thrilled and applauded! One of the children asked, ‘Aunty, when are we going to do this again?’ ‘Every time we meet, my dear,’ was my answer. They all burst into a cheerful shriek, ‘Yippee!’ Little did I know that the Sun-lord had softly touched the little lotus buds, and had whispered, ‘Wake up!’— Jaago Maa! My mind indulged in introspection, ‘What was in this activity that attracted children? Who was infusing this indescribable joy in all of us?’ Perhaps the role-playing of Sri Rama and others had awakened the faith. Children sincerely believed that they were the real immortal characters and gleamed with the spark, ‘I am Divine’. My husband thought, ‘The parents were naturally exposed to spiritual practices in India because of their family traditions and environment. Being in America, the children do get an excellent intellectual and physical education in their schools, but what about their moral and spiritual education?’ We strongly believed that children should be given an opportunity to discover a deeper understanding of ‘who they are’, develop pride in our cultural roots, and form a benign bond to the Western land in which they live and grow. A combination of the best of both cultures, imparting the wisdom of Vedanta with a scientific approach, was necessary. Our involvement would be to kindle a lamp in the children’s hearts, as Swami Vivekananda says, ‘Characterbuilding’. ‘Are we ready to dedicate ourselves?’ We asked. ‘Are we willing to give one another the boundless support in this life-long commitment, irrespective of circumstances, personal or financial, to serve children with an uncompromising veracity?’ We looked at each T h e

other, our eyes sparkled in affirmation. It was a very precious memorable moment! The upbringing of my husband was unique. His home atmosphere was like an Ashrama. It was vibrant with morningevening pujas and prayers, reading of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, chanting of Srimad Bhagvad Gita, recitation of Chandi and many hymns. The study of the teachings of Swami Vivekananda in particular, had inculcated a passion for spiritual progress in him. I grew up as a teenager in Shri Sharadagram, a residential school near Mangrol, Gujarat, where my father was a teacher. The inspiring atmosphere is still alive in my heart. My husband’s treasure trove of Swamiji’s thoughts, combined with my upbringing, seemed to be a powerful base for this commitment. Sister Nivedita has highlighted Swamiji’s teachings in three words, Character is Spirituality. . .

‘Spirituality does not arise by accident,’ she says, Only in a temple long and carefully builded [built] of well-hewn blocks, can the image of universal and eternal Truth be placed.1

Now, we had to carefully hew the blocks. One of the blocks was to intently study Swamiji’s thoughts on education and design a curriculum that is aligned with the children’s needs. We prepared essential details of the curriculum to get started. We carved out every Saturday morning exclusively for children’s activities. The Sprouting Forth It was Saturday, August 28, 1976, on the auspicious day of Shri Ganesh Chaturthi; the lamp was lit for The Vivekananda Vidyapith in our apartment at Elizabeth, New Jersey.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 716 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

241

There were seven children, including our son Pranav. On that first day, the story was on Sri Ganesha and how he considered his parents Shiva-Parvati as His whole world! The story of Shravana, the dedicated son, was next, followed by the learning of the Shloka Tvameva Mata, and a Dhun, Raghupati Raghava. Then the students made a Kavad or Kavadi, using two tiny baskets and hung them on a wooden stick to show how Shravana carried his blind parents in a Kavad to places of pilgrimage. When ‘Uncle’ (my husband) asked the children to think about how many ways they too could help their parents, there was silence. But then came an outpour of imagination that even included, ‘When they will turn ‘blind’ . . .,’ ‘I’ll drive my mom to shopping,’ ‘I’ll help my dad to cross the street,’ ‘cooking. . .,’ and the list went on and on. The comments were hilarious but showed how quickly they envisioned themselves as Shravana. The seed of unselfishness, of turning focus from one’s own self onto others, was sown! Children loved their ‘Saturday School’. Our Saturday School family started growing. Some older students also joined, little kids looked upon them as their bhaiyas and didis. This enriched Pranav’s life and gave it a new meaning. Within a month there were eighteen students. In October, we moved to Jersey City, N.J. because most of the students used to come from there. Children were growing in enthusiasm and so were we. We stayed consistent with our daily spiritual practices, and continued our regular pilgrimage on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings to the RamakrishnaVivekananda Center, New York. I still remember the magic of Friday nights that we spent in Swami Adiswarananda’s presence in the reception room where after the lecture, a T h e

group of devotees would gather for a questionanswer session with the Swami. One such Friday night, in reference to Narada Bhakti Sutra, the text we were studying, the Swami had mentioned, . . . Give Him a corner in your home and in your heart, and He will make your home as His own and your life will be His.

He then added, Do you think Sri Thakur would come to your home just to eat Roshagollas? He needs a ‘realthing’. . .

I cannot forget his penetrating eyes trying to fathom the deepest cave of our souls. The live fire in those magical words shaped us. We adopted a very simple life style to save time, money and energy for our studies, spiritual practices, and also for this activity. The Growing Up Inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts on character-building education, we constructed the following core ideas for the curriculum: v Believing that each child is potentially Divine. v Providing an encouraging, nourishing, and protective environment to unfold their Divine potential, their goodness, and their talents. v Accepting that controlling the wandering mind and training it to focus is the key to character education. v The three main pillars of curriculum are Respect, Prayer and Service; each representing certain core virtues to be developed. v Each pillar is composed of two facets based on Be Good and Do Good. A detailed curriculum and pedagogy were developed by observing the natural tendencies of children and their needs:

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 717 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

242

v Children have powerful imaginations. To

kindle children’s imaginations, storytelling is most important! Our story time include mythology and biographies of great personalities of the world. Careful cultivation of imagination imparts a Love for Learning in children. v Children love beauty and creativity. Children learn best by expressing their creative instincts. They pour their heart into making dioramas, creating artistic display boards, acting, and presenting classical and folk dances. What a blessing it is to see children bathe in pure light, enriching themselves by artistic expression while celebrating their unique talents. v Children love singing. Music creates channels in our thoughts, through which love and devotion flow. Our music classes include the treasure of scriptural hymns

and devotional songs by saint-poets. This enhances their prayer time and creates positive vibrations in their homes as well. v Growing children love to play with new languages. The richness of Sanskrit cannot be transmitted by English transliteration. So, learning Devanagri alphabets help students to read in Sanskrit—simple words and sentences, Bhajans and hymns, and the Bhagavad Gita. Structured language brings orderliness in their thinking and pride in their heritage. v Young children love friendship. Children love to share their feelings with their friends candidly. Encouraging critical discussions on differences between ‘true friendship’ and ‘peer pressure’ is necessary. Children thrive in an unselfish bond of love—the bond that gives freedom to the soul. v Young children have view points. Children love to express their opinions about

Vivekananda Vidyapith, New Jersey, USA T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 718 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

243

certain issues. Simultaneously, they do care for the viewpoints and feelings of others. In an atmosphere of freedom and love, they develop courage for such expressions. So, healthy discussions and constructive debates are integrated in many facets of the curriculum. v Young adults question the diversity in the world. The diversity in society is mainly due to race, culture and religion. Classes in World History, Cultures and Religions provide a window to see Unity in Diversity and equip them with a wealth of knowledge and understanding. As Sri Ramakrishna says, ‘Knowledge leads to unity; ignorance to diversity.’ How true! v Young adults enjoy pursuing intellectual clarity. Young adults have numerous questions about their existence, their relationships with the world and their responsibilities. To offer clarity to their inquiries, the study of selections from Vivekananda’s four Yogas (Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Raja Yoga), Letters and Lectures, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and biographies of direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna are a part of the curriculum. Focused discussions in the class rooms about these inquiries impart practical answers to many of their questions. v Young adults like to know the reason behind all the ‘Don’ts’. Discipline is necessary in life. Explaining the ‘consequence’ behind every action helps students understand the rule. It gives them freedom of choice, freedom of selfdirection, and invokes a sense of responsibility towards their actions. v Children and young adults like to help others. Students like to challenge themselves by taking responsibility and feel content upon its completion. In Vidyapith, collecting nonperishable food items for Daridra Narayana is one of the ongoing activities. Such servicelearning experiences enhance their self-esteem. T h e

For all these years, Vidyapith’s curriculum has remained dynamic in nature. Keeping the basic content fixed, the materials and methods are kept flexible depending upon the make-up of the class. This allows the teacher to freely explore and teach the content creatively in his or her unique way. The Blossoming Forth We lived in Jersey City, NJ, for five years. During this time, the institution was registered as a non-profit organization. Vidyapith’s growth was natural. When our apartmenthouse was sold, we had to move! During

the next nine years, the school continued in our house in West Paterson, thriving with Saturday and Sunday Schools. In 1990, the Vidyapith acquired its own building in Wayne, NJ. It was expanded in the year 2000. On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s 125th Birth Anniversary, Vidyapith started Sapling, a quarterly magazine. Our news-letter Glimpses started in 1992. These publications2 contain researched and well-written articles by students. Our unique Annual Calendar

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 719 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

244

Vidyapith offers special classes in classiis an outcome of a brilliant project idea of a cal music, Bharatnatyam and Tabla. The student. The calendar gives beautiful pictures and messages on selected themes. It provides mentors demand discipline, dedication and earnestness. Students offer their best in their the major Indian and American holidays and birthdays of all the direct disciples of Sri presentations. Our summer camps are like independent Ramakrishna. institution. They require meticulous planning Celebrations lift our spirits. Twelve major festivals such as Shivaratri, Janmashtami, and and vigilant implementation. Many dedicated alumni, teachers and volunteers take this Thanksgiving holiday are observed. Families responsibility conscientiously. Summer camps come and celebrate with prayers, inspirational uniquely nurture the growing saplings. readings, singing, presentations and partaking of the Prasad. What a strong cultural link and a bond of togetherness they provide! The Vidyapith Now Vivekananda Vidyapith has now The birthday of Swamiji (Youth Day), become a large family, a community, where Annual Function, Diwali and family picnic are our grand celebrations! Students’ talents find students, teachers, volunteers and visitors are actively involved in learning. Now, the expression through essays, speeches, dance, music, acting as well as creative projects and second generation, the children of alumni, have enthusiastically joined the Vidyapith. outdoor sports. Currently, Vidyapith offers classes from Our students look forward to the Alumni Service Days in the first weekend Kindergarten to twelfth grade. The admission is open only for kindergartners because the of every June. Alumni take over the entire space is limited. There are about 450 students. Vidyapith for the weekend. Their presence in Our student teacher ratio is approximately 5:1. the classes means a feast of question-answers and interaction between the alumni and current students. Graduation day of our 12 th graders is a very proud moment for all of us. They leave us carrying the echo of the holy chanting of the Shikshavalli [a section of Taittiriya Upanishad] that reinforces the code of conduct, the glow of the lighted lamps that symbolize their selfconfidence and the offered flowers that represent the A group photograph taken in 2000—Swami Adiswarananda fragrance of their character. along with devotees including the author (3rd from right) T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 720 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

245

Many parents wanted to learn more about Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Maa, Swamiji and other direct disciples. From this, the Thursday evening Satsang evolved. The same way, Monday Study Circle evolved which included the study of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and other scriptures. Many such parents also attended our teachers training sessions and gradually became teachers. Our volunteers are the head, heart and hands of Vidyapith. Sri Thakur graciously continues to send His beloveds to give us a helping hand whenever a true need is felt! Just like any other institution, Vidyapith also has myriad tasks, from office work to outdoor maintenance that are taken care of by volunteers. They render their time and talents out of the goodness of their hearts. Their

dedication to the cause itself sets a wonderful example for children to follow. Even, some alumni have renewed a connection with their alma mater and are taking on many responsibilities. Some Lasting Lessons Thirty Eight years have passed. We felt that each step of the journey was planned by Sri Thakur. He pointed out the way paved by His ‘Loren’ to serve Shiva in Jiva. Many obstacles came; many ups and downs and blows came. Many a times we sat helplessly and then surrendered at His feet. Help came. As Swamiji says in Karma Yoga, ‘It was blows that brought out [their] inner fire more than praise.’ Swami Adiswarananda’s keen observations, exemplary guidance, and

Vivekananda Vidyapith Activities

Story telling class in progress

Outdoor class

Bharatnatyam practice sessions

Tabla learning class in progress

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 721 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

246

A cultural presentation by the Vidyapith students

tremendous confidence in us made all the hardships bearable. Loving encouragement continue to come from many Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order who visit us periodically, give us ‘check up from the neck up’, that keeps us healthy and thriving. Let us not forget: educating is cultivating. Cultivating a garden is a work of art, a beautiful expressive hobby. It requires a vision, a plan, commitment, patience, care and labor of love. ‘. . . and there your work stops,’ says Swami Vivekananda, It will take all that it wants by its own nature. So (it is) with the education of the child. A child

educates itself. The teacher spoils everything by thinking that he is teaching. Within man is all knowledge, and it requires only an awakening, and that much is the work of the teacher.3

It is sheer blessedness to see that all the children from the early batches are now grown up, are sharing the sweetness of their character wherever they are. They are the backbone of society, whose lives and character silently touch the hearts of their fellow beings, awakening one note of harmony. Jonome Jonome Tumi Jago Maa. . . [O Divine Mother, remain awakened always!] o

References 1. Religion and Dharma, Sister Nivedita, 1915 2. Over the years, the Vidyapith has brought out a few publications to the students. These include: Prayer Book (for the younger students, KG-4 Grades, and the beginners. Contains the known pranam-mantras (salutations) to various gods and goddesses, Sanskrit with English meaning, as also, the Vidyapith’s morning prayer. Sanskrit Work Book (for leaning Sanskrit alphabet and simple words). Music Book (lessons to learn harmonium and also notations of several popular dhoons, bhajans and hymns. Hundreds of students have learned music from this book). Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 Book (Sanskrit verses, transliteration, word-to-word meaning and explanation in English). Glimpses—a Vidyapith’s newsletter published two to four times a year, giving detailed news of the Vidyapith’s activities, including excerpts of the inspiring teachings and lectures of saints, English meaning of the important scriptures and other interesting reading. Sapling—the quarterly magazine, reflecting the curriculum of the Vidyapith, contains the material, taught in the classrooms as also creative writing by senior students and edited by the Vidyapith teachers. All teachers use these magazines as their texts. 3. cf. CW. 2.384, 385, CW.4.55

Acknowledgement: My sincere thanks to Mahendra Jani, Sangeeta Mehta, Jyoti Shah and Uma Ramakrishna for valuable discussions on content and style, Nisha Parikh and Ronak Parikh for important suggestions in editing and Neirah Bhargava for momentous photographs.

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 722 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Is Virtue It’s Own Punishment? Spiritual Quest and Pursuit of Virtues YOGACHARINI MEENAKSHI DEVI BHAVANANI

Shaken Out! ‘Virtue is its own punishment’! The young teenager muttered ferociously. I was startled to hear these words spoken almost violently by my otherwise meek and mild student. ‘What did you say?’ I asked, hoping I had simply heard her incorrectly. She repeated her statement, with a tone of defiance, unusual for her. ‘I read the daily headlines. Everyone is getting away with murder from top to bottom. In fact all are getting rewarded for their evil deeds!’ When I probed her further, she revealed the cause of her present frustration. After studying diligently for years for her final board exams, she had hardly scored 85%, far short of the marks needed to obtain the medical seat she had worked so hard for. Her classmate, who hardly studied at all, with a rich, politically powerful father, had pulled strings, collected old exam sheets, used father’s influence and had managed a 95% mark by hook and crook of various kinds. ‘That’s how I have learned,’ she said, ‘that virtue is its own punishment. I have never cheated. My father never used any of his influence to cut corners. I worked hard to win fair and square. Look what has happened? My life is ruined!’

Did she exaggerate? I think not! Those with eyes to see will know full well that in this present degenerate age of Kali Yuga, virtue is no longer its own reward at least, not in the worldly sense. The Problem Today The problem now with virtue is that it no longer has social support. Virtuous people are not honoured; virtue is no longer a value. Honesty, purity, innocence, generosity, discipline, simple living and truthfulness are not important to the modern me-first, me-only youngsters of today’s generation. In fact those who strive to live a noble, virtuous life are scoffed at as fools. Rama himself is mocked as a male chauvinist and Sita is considered foolish, a woman who did not demand her rights. Wild animal behaviour is regarded as freedom, as is sexual promiscuity. In a dog eat dog world, people must live like dogs, or die, or so it is thought. The end justifies the means. Rama, Sita, Hanuman are cartoon characters shown on television and placed subconsciously in the same category as Micky Mouse and Donald Duck. The days of the Ramayana are long gone, when a son suffered exile and hardship to uphold his father’s words as Satyam. Those days when a woman saw her husband as a

Yogacharini Puduvai Kalaimamani Smt. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani is Director, International Centre for Yoga Education and Research and Yoganjali Natyalayam, Puducherry. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 723 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

248

God and her chastity as a power, are also vanished into the glitter and glamour of ‘flaunt your body’ media images. Restraint in word, deed and thought are no longer womanly virtues. Modesty is diagnosed as a personality disorder. In such a social clime, truly, virtue is its own punishment and not its own reward. One cannot argue this point if one takes the worldly life as the ultimate end-all and be-all of existence. Now! Here in all this surrounding gloom, here lies the ray of hope. This statement ‘virtue is its own punishment’ is true only in the material, sensual, worldly sense. If one’s goal is only worldly success—money, power, prestige, possessions, sensual and emotional pleasures—then definitely and without question: ‘Virtue is its own punishment’. Beyond the Immediate and the Apparent However, if one can step out of that Samskaric circle into a higher realm of consciousness, beyond body, emotions and senses, the whole paradigm changes. When the soul (Jiva) awakens to conscious living, stepping out of the conditioned stimulusresponse, pleasure-pain limited prison of existence, then, a whole new vista opens. Suddenly the entire value system changes. When one wakes up and realizes that the only aim of human incarnation is to forge a soul, when one understands that the reason of life is to evolve consciously into higher states of being, when the desire for Moksha, liberation, spiritual fulfillment, cosmic consciousness is born, then human existence takes on a totally different meaning. Then one realizes not only the value, but also the necessity of moral and ethical living. Then, virtue does become its own reward and the old maxim holds true. This is the eternal message of Yoga and how well it is espoused by the great sage T h e

Maharishi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras in 196 concise verses. This Rishi, who codified the essence of Yoga at least 2500 years ago, made it very clear. No spiritual advancement is possible until one has mastered Yama and Niyama, the Cosmic Law of Virtue. Yama-Niyama is an elegant system of practical morality and ethics, the first two steps of Ashtanga Yoga, the Eight Limbed Path to Liberation. It is a No-Option Yoga because without virtue, without morality and ethics, there can be no expansion of consciousness, no further advancement. Rishis like Veda Vyasa, Vashishta and Patanjali are the spiritual ancestors of all who walk the noble path. They were all in-laws, not out-laws. They lived within the Law of Virtue also called the Dharma Rai, and did not try to break The Law. Their wisdom comes down to man through the ages: You cannot break The Law. You can only break yourself over The Law. They knew what medical science is only now discovering. Most diseases have a specific personality profile. Transgression of the moral law results in illnesses of various kinds, physical, mental, emotional. Virtue Makes a Sense! But Patanjali is even more emphatic in pointing out that on the psychic level, virtue has its own reward. Perfection in each of the Yamas and each of the Niyamas results in the development of a particular Siddhi. For example: Perfection in Ahimsa or nonharmfulness ensures that one is never harmed by another. One becomes safe, even in a wild jungle. Perfection in Satyam, truthfulness, ensures that everything one says will come true. This is why the blessings or curses of ancient sages were so potent. Perfection in Asteya produces a state of being when all material wealth comes to one unasked.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 724 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

249

Perfection in Aparigraha or non-greed, allows one to know one’s past lives. Like that, for every virtue perfected there comes a corresponding Siddhi, or psychic power. Suddenly, Virtue makes sense! Unless one cultivates good character, engages in good deeds, speaks good words and thinks good thoughts, one can never develop or expand one’s consciousness to the exalted firmaments of Moksha, the abode of Sat, Chit, Ananda! Ahimsa, non-harmfulness, the very first step on the spiritual path, lifts the being right out of the animal Lokh, whose very survival depends on harming other beings. After that, the spiritual aspirant may cultivate Satya—knowing and speaking the truth. Asteya, non-Stealing,—taking only what one has earned. Brahmacharya—sublimating the sexual drive from the animal need to procreate into artistic, spiritual endeavours. Aparigraha, non-greed—simplifying one’s needs, eliminating craving. These are the first steps, restraining animal instincts. The second step of Ashtanga Yoga, the Niyama, are observances, practices, spiritual disciplines. Shaucha is purity at all levels. Santosha means one is content. One strives to cultivate the attitude that ‘one has enough’. Tapasya is austerities and disciplines. Svadhyaya is cultivating an every moment awareness of all thoughts, words and deeds and their deepest motivations—knowing oneself, watching oneself to discover flaws, failings and mistakes of character. Finally, the highest, most supreme virtue of all the

Niyamas, Iswara Pranidhana, surrender to the will of the Lord, accepting all of life’s events, trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows, as Prasadam, a gift of God to help one grow in spirit. Virtues are Their Own Rewards Thus the Yama and Niyama form a rational, scientific template for noble spiritual living, Without cultivating these virtues encapsulated in the Yama and Niyamas, one cannot expand one’s spirit! Values once again become valuable! Not because one has been taught so, not because society demands them, not because one will gain a heavenly reward. Purely and simply, one cultivates virtue because without it one cannot evolve one’s consciousness. Virtue then becomes its ‘own reward!’ Vice is its own punishment for it causes the being to remain in dark animal levels. As John Milton, the blind English poet wrote five hundred years ago, ‘The mind is its own place, it can make a hell of heaven and a heaven of hell!’ Or as Milton’s fellow English poet William Blake wrote so beautifully, ‘Love virtue, she alone is true!’ When we love virtue for its own sake, the doors of celestial realms open to us and we no longer yearn for the childish things of the world. We move then, day by day, step by step, with every virtuous thought, word and deed closer to the true aim of all human life—Moksha! Virtue bestows upon us Her own reward —and it is a pearl of great value! o

Throughout creation these two forces are working side by side; where you find the one, you find the other too. The one is selfishness, the other is unselfishness. The one is acquisition, the other is renunciation. The one takes, the other gives. From the lowest to the highest, the whole universe is the playground of these two forces. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 725 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Keys To Understanding Spirituality M. SIVARAMKRISHNA

Spirituality: Vivekananda’s Universal ‘Manifesto’ Aware of the potentiality of religious ferments in future, Swamiji declared a kind of global ‘manifesto’ of spirituality with the conviction rooted in the experiences of his mentor Sri Ramakrishna. He himself was a witness to that. Hence the authenticity of this ‘declaration’: I shall go to the mosque of the Muslim; I shall enter the Christian’s church and kneel before crucifix; I shall enter the Buddhist temple, where I shall take refuge in Buddha and in his Law. I shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu, who is trying to see the Light which enlightens the heart of everyone. Not only shall I do all these, but I shall keep my heart open for all that may come in the future. Is God’s book finished? Or is it still a continuous revelation going on?1

Spirituality’s Varied Forms Beatrice Bruteau, editor of American Vedantist, points out that Vivekananda brought Vedanta to America ‘not as a religion but as spirituality to which we can all rise, in and from the context of whatever religion we had inherited or adopted’. 2 Though debatable, (and in fact debated in the pages of that journal), the ‘spiritual’ dimension gives scope for a re-entry of religion in serious discourse. For example, religion for atheists (Alain de

Botton),3 philosophers without gods (Louise M. Antony)4 and the magisterial history of God himself (Karen Armstrong).5 Whatever the angle of enquiry, religion ultimately crystallizes into experience which is spirituality. Key As Freedom From Fear The dictionary says key is a specially shaped metal which locks and unlocks a door, or starts a car, etc. There is also a locker in which gold and coins lie securely. They are a source of assurance and, by use, ‘happiness’. Also potential source of punishment, if illegally stored. Their very touch feels exhilarating. For Ramkrishna, its touch evoked instant cramps on the body. ‘Lust and gold’ he regarded as impediments to inner growth. This does not imply any animosity. To outright reject anything is not his method: to recycle according to context, is his way. In fact, he got gold bangles made for Ma Sarada, his consort. No taboo as such. The context determines the attitude and action. Fear as ‘awe and love’ Freedom from fear has subtle implications. ‘Fear is the key’. Yes. But is it negative? We get an insight from James A. Cutsinger, Professor of Theology: ‘Fear is often just a passion itself; of course, a feeling of malaise, consternation, or anxiety, and as such it too

The author is the former Head of the Department of English, Osmania University, Hyderabad, and has several books to his credit.  T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 726 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

251

must be excluded from the soul of the man seeking peace from thoughts.’ This is not all: for, ‘in an older and deeper sense fear is awe. Rather than a subjective and blood freezing fright, it points us toward an objective, liberating wonder. No mere reactive emotion, this kind of fear is a real organ for perception and participation in God.’6 With love, one can add. The yoga of stillness, he calls it. Sri Ramakrishna unlocked with keys of both terror and love, of both the ‘fierce’ Kali and the benign Bhavatarini. In fact, his awe is about the ocean of love in which the Mother can drown a Sadhaka: a devotee sings a song to the Mother: O Mother, make me mad with Thy love! What need have I of knowledge or reason? Make me drown with Thy love’s wine; O Thou who stealest Thy bhaktas’ hearts. Drown me deep in the Sea of Thy love! Here in this world, this madhouse of Thine, Some laugh, some weep, some dance for joy: Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Gauranga, All are drunk with the wine of Thy love. O Mother! When shall I be blessed By joining their blissful company? 7

If we notice carefully the interfaith inclusion of Jesus and Moses, in the song, isn’t it a pointer to spirituality which is free from the fear of proselytisation, etc., which mar religions? And when the Great Master declared to Narendra ‘I am going to keep the key with me,8 isn’t the key of love within the reach of all? ‘He tamed us by his love. Don’t you think so?’ Narendra asks M. Pat comes the answer: ‘There is not the slightest doubt about it.’9 Intense longing is the condition. ‘Vyakulata’—Limitless Longing Key also means ‘a most important thing that enables you to understand or achieve something’. ‘The aim, goal of life, is GodT h e

realization’, declared the Great Master. An assertion shared by the spiritual bases of every faith. Vyakulata is unflinching, unshakeable longing to realize the truths of spiritual experiences. Come what may. The future Vivekananda sang about the unbending resolution: I shall drown myself in the Jamuna’s stream Or take a draught of poison, friend! Or I shall bind a creeper round my neck: Or hang myself from a young Tamala tree; Or, failing of all these, Destroy my wrenched self, By chanting Krishna’s name 10

Not just prayers and supplications but the preparedness for self-annihilation. As Sri Ramakrishna did: his maddening ‘desire’ for darshan of the Mother impelled him even to draw the sword and kill himself! Master’s Longing One may wonder: is this within our reach? Yes. But on the condition that your motivation is unflinching. There is also another aspect of longing: the guru’s longing! The Great Master’s agony for sharing with seekers, the young ones is incredible: going to the top of the temple, he used to call for them: a longing to share and empower the eligible aspirants and gift them with freedom from all fears! All propelled by love as the core of spirituality. Spirituality: Aesthetic and Ascetic Deeply moving songs exist in all religions. As integral to the QUEST./ We relish rasa but aesthetics is not the sole criterion. In Sri Ramakrishna’s images ‘taste the mango’, not just count how many you have. We have to check whether the goal is in sight or has disappeared into the void. Passion of a musical experience and its spell may sidetrack us. In fact, key is also associated with music: the

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 727 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

252

assembling of metal or wooden parts that shapes a veena, a violin, a piano, etc. The materials are prose, our experience is passion. The prose of our ‘ordinary’ life and the passion for the joy of the spirit: both integrated harmoniously. The key is taming the tension: if the strings of a veena or violin are stretched beyond what is needed, they will break. Cacophony instead of harmony. Aesthetic tamed by the ascetic attitude of proportion and propriety. Experience of ‘God Talked to Me’ Sri Ramakrishna revealed an extraordinary epiphany ‘God talked to me’. It is not merely his vision. ‘Yes. He talked to me under the banyan tree. I saw him coming from the Ganges. Then we laughed so much! By way of playing with me, He cracked my fingers. Then He talked. Yes, He talked to me.’11 (Also the deeply moving ‘Ram-lala’ episode in which an image of Sri Ram comes ‘alive’ and plays with the Great Master!) Are they hallucinations? How do we explain to ourselves their significance for our views on spirituality? Not only this, several Incarnations of God whom he adored got merged into his oceanic spiritual consciousness. Dualism: Basic Brick of Creation Dualistic universe: that is the reality. The positive gets defined in terms of the negative. Take the exhortations of Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions. He hopes for the ‘death-knell of fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.’ The ‘agenda’ should ‘Help and not fight,’ ‘Assimilation and not Destruction’, ‘Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.’12 All, all the more desirable for a globalised world which T h e

collapsed into a technological neighbourhood but lacks a sense of togetherness. Emergence of the ‘divine feminine’ Yet there are trends which show spirituality as a dynamic dimension of varied hues. One such most significant aspect is the quest for women’s spirituality. There are studies which show healthy correctives to radical feminism. One can justifiably say that this aspect began in Dakshineshwar. It was a momentous event when a pious, rich, courageous woman—Rani Rasmani—began the project of building a temple to Goddess Bhavatarini. The Paramahamsa who insisted on ‘woman and gold’ as snares, plunged into the worship of the Divine Goddess in that temple. And for his Tantra Sadhana—the first tradition he chose—Bharavi Brahmani as his guru. Even before, he went into deep spiritual experience when he had darshan of a Goddess in a village near his birthplace Kamarpukur. Worship of His Consort As Goddess Above everything else, he undertook the most significant event as part of his sadhana: worship of his wife—Sarada Devi—as the Goddess Herself. This is, in fact, the heralding of the modern phenomenon of women’s spiritual renaissance. Though in every religion, there are women saints, strident feminism of the West overshadowed their significance. The new attitude is articulated by the very title of a recent study by Luce Irigaray In the Beginning She was: She is even now. It focuses on the insight that ‘. . . in the beginning it is a she-nature, woman, Goddess who inspires a sage with the truth.’13 The sage apart, we (the readers) are called to ‘enter a new epoch of our human evolution, an era in which art, philosophy and religion are endowed with another meaning and put into practice in a

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 728 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

253

way different from the one that we know as Westerners.’ 14 One would like to think that this began already, in a sense, in America itself: in the form of an autonomous institution for women followers of Ramakrishna Vedanta. The Pravrajikas are active in a number of ways comparable to the Indian ‘headquarters’ —embodying the life and message of the Divine Consort, Ma Sarada. (Dr. Irigaray has a background of ‘practice in yoga’ and ‘approach to Eastern traditions’).15 Seeker-Friendly Language of Spirituality Even as religious fundamentalism continues (even in the form of some Western academic studies of Eastern traditions some of which, Swamiji would call ‘persecution of pen’), there are balanced interfaith studies. But the most interesting are those which introduce a new genre of spiritual literature. The language is crisp, ‘chatty’, and the idiom is familiar ‘cosmopolitan’. Whatever the cult or the guru, the aim is to lead a life of relative tranquility in overall turmoil. The goal, invariably, ‘go within’. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the above book, straight away comes to the point: ‘Our whole business in this life’ wrote St. Augustine rather yogically, ‘is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God can be seen’. Note the interfaith idiom ‘yogically’ and ‘the eye of the heart’. She continues, ‘The Supreme Self is our true identity, universal and divine. Before you realize the truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in the exasperated line from the Greek philosopher Epictetus: ‘“You bear God within you, poor wretch and know it not.”’16 ‘Hold On To Yoga’ T h e

She says and explains that ‘yoga is the effort to experience one’s divinity personally and then hold on to that experience forever. Yoga is about self-mastery and the dedicated effort to hold your attention away from your endless brooding over the past and your nonstop worrying about the future. So that you can seek instead a place of eternal presence from which you may regard yourself and your surrounding with poise.’17 Note also the interfaith references to St. Augustine and Epictetus. This is a remarkable attempt which Swamiji himself endorsed: ‘grow according to your own law of growth.’ In effect, internalizing the ‘other’ from one’s bases of faith. The Power of Thought As The Key Bhavana, taken as thought, is the indispensable instrument for spiritual practice. If we take spirituality as the steering wheel, the overall supervision which drives is in the hands of mind and consciousness. And mind and consciousness are the repositories of the collective wisdom of centuries of our knowledge embodied in the varied fields of study. The science, the arts, the human skills, the recurring setbacks and successes. To synthesize and direct it by spiritual disciplines, ‘Self-awareness is the key’ Says Mary J. Lore in her scintillating, practical, study of the power of thought. Emphasizing enquiry, she says: ‘You ask yourself and listen for the answer. You know the answer.’18 Shravana which all spiritual traditions emphasize. And, Ms. Lore asks: ‘Do you chant a mantra?’ And ‘even if you have never meditated in your life, I say that the answer is yes.’ 19 Because, it is ‘potential’ and the thought of it is itself a step forward.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 729 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

254

‘As Many Faiths, So Many Paths’ Affirmed the Great Master suggesting the natural existence of many faiths (some of the major ones he practiced and experienced their authenticity). Can, we extend the fact to, by and large, every field of human endeavour? In short, can the logic of religious faith and its values be relevant to even the economic field? To business? One can find some surprising evidence. If mind is primarily spiritual, the Toyota working philosophy is, says Jeffrey J. Linker, ‘as much a state of mind as it as a car company.’ Their leaders, in a multi-cultural context, are taught ‘self-reflection based’ not an ‘obligatory negative’ but as ‘an opportunity to improve.’ 20 The All Embracing Key

The passage below is from F.T. Brooks’s commentary on the Gita Vol. I. His summing up is an amazingly comprehensive Key: ‘The key to all salvation known, held, given from all time, in the proverbs of all nations, in the teachings of all Scriptures, in the winged word of all poets, in the call of every Saviour to his brother-man! The key given a thousand times but hardly used as yet—the Key before the user of which all frowning barriers collapse, all doors fly open of their own accord. . .’ ‘Have you nothing new to tell us?’ he asks us and answers: ‘Just like a crazy beggar rattling a box full of gold coins—the sound amuses him – while he waits starving at the baker’s door but is too mad to know it.’ 21 This was in 1910. Is it not relevant even now in 2014! 

References 1.

3. 4.

Ann Myren and Dorothy Madison (eds), Living at the Source: Yoga Teachings of Vivekananda; Boston, Shambhala Publications, Inc. Indian rpt: Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama; 1995; p. 41 Beatrice Bruteau, ‘Vivekananda’s American Vedanta,’ American Vedantist, Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer, 2007; p.3 Alain de Botton, Religion for Atheists, Hamish Hamilton/ Penguin; 2012 Louise M. Antony (ed): Philosophers Without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and Secular Life; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007; specially the section on ‘Reflections’ Karen Armstrong, A History of God, London: Mandarin Books, 1995: see specially chapter II ‘Has God a Future’; see also The Great Transformation on the beginnings of religious traditions New York: Alfred A Knoff, 2006 James A. Cutsinger, ‘The Yoga of Hesychasm’, The Inner Journey: Views from the Christian Tradition; ed, Christine Kisly; Parabola Anthology Series; Sandpoint, ID 83864; p. 302 M., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna; Tr. Swami Nikhilananda; New York: RamakrishnaVivekananda Center, 1942; p. 399 T h e

8. Ibid; p. 981 9. Ibid; p. 980 10. Ibid; p. 945 11. The Gospel; p. 830 12. Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. I; Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2009; p.4 13. Luce Irigaray, In the Beginning She Was; London: Bloomsbury, 2013; p. 2 14. Ibid 15. Ibid; p. 117 16. Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything; London, Bloomsbury, 2007; p. 129 17. Ibid 18. Mary J. Lore, Managing Thought: Think Differently: Think Powerfully: Achieve New Levels of Success; New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies; Indian rpt: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2010, p. 174 19. Ibid 20. Jeffery J. Liker, The Toyota Way; The McGraw-Hill Companies; Indian rpt: 2004, specially pp. 257-59 21. F.T. Brooks, The Gospel of Life, Vol. I; An Introduction to the Study of The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads; printed at the Vani Vilas Press, Sri Rangam, 1910; p.9

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 730 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spirituality and Scientific Temperament A Vedantic Perspective N. GOKULMUTHU

Many youth of today are very hesitant to identify themselves as religious but do not mind identifying themselves as spiritual. By religious, they mean activities like going to temples, performing ritualistic worship, sporting religious marks or clothing and visiting places of pilgrimage. By spiritual, they mean activities like practicing yoga asanas and meditation, visiting ashrams to listen to talks on personality development and ethics, reading books on disciplined life and participating in social service activities by ashrams. Why would a person want to identify as spiritual and not religious? What is it that he is trying to identify with? What is it that he is trying not to identify with? The most important difference that people claim between being spiritual and being religious is the scientific temperament. They feel that by being spiritual, one need not give up one’s scientific temperament; but by being religious, one has to give it up. To understand these complex phenomena, the assumptions, apprehensions and misunderstandings, we need to dive deep. Scientific Temperament What is scientific temperament? It is an attitude that v welcomes questioning v tries to give logical explanations to observed phenomenon

v presents principles free from depen-

dence on personalities v prescribes actions which give the same consistent observable results irrespective of the person doing it v tries to give logical explanations to prescribed actions v keeps the doors open for more knowledge and understanding One of the apt definitions of scientific temper is by Jawaharlal Nehru: [What is needed] is the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind—all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems.1

Developing a scientific temper is listed by the Indian Constitution as a fundamental duty of every citizen of India. Spirituality When science asks questions about the external world, spirituality asks questions about the internal world. The pursuit within, in search of the answers to the big questions of life—like ‘Who am I?’, ‘What is good?’, ‘Why should I be good?’, ‘Why is there sorrow

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

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 731 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

256

in life?’, ‘Who is an ideal person?’, ‘What is the goal of life?’—in an open, rational and meaningful manner, in the spirit of scientific temper, is what is called the spiritual quest. As maturity comes, sooner or later, every thinking person will have to ask these questions and find their answers. According to the French Nobel Laureate, Romain Rolland, the Vedantic spirit is scientific temper. He says, The true Vedantic spirit does not start out with a system of preconceived ideas . . . each man has been entirely free to search wherever he pleased for the spiritual explanation of the spectacle of the universe.2

Mahatma Gandhi rightly said, Hinduism is a relentless pursuit of Truth.3

Spirituality as the Pinnacle of Human Pursuit The beauty of spirituality is that it seeks a comprehensive answer to the various questions, which are at best addressed or inquired only as different compartments by other branches of human knowledge.  Ontology inquires into the fundamental nature of existence.  Physics tries to find the theory of everything material.  Psychology tries to understand the mind of man. Ethics tries to understand right and wrong.  Spirituality, on the other hand, tries to find a unified integrated solution to the existential, psychological, ethical, intellectual quests of the human being. Thus, spirituality is the pinnacle of all human pursuit after knowledge, purpose and culture. Pursuits of Spirituality T h e

The Vedas classify human pursuit into four categories—called Purusharthas. 1. Artha—Security. Every living being has an instinct to preserve its own life. Many of the human activities and pursuits are also merely to ensure the survival of self and one’s near-and-dear ones. 2. Kama—Pleasure. Beyond the bare survival, every living being seeks pleasurable experiences and avoids painful experiences. This forms the next motivator in human beings also. These two are common to animals and to human beings. A human being is no better than an animal if he stops with these two only. To qualify as a human being, he has to pursue two more goals. 3. Dharma—Virtue. Human beings alone have the concept of virtues like satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence or love), brahmacharya (sense-control), asteya (fairness in possession) and aparigraha (voluntary frugality). It is man alone, who can take these virtues to their fullest bloom, where a person can be willing to sacrifice his life to uphold truth or to help a fellow human being. No animal fasts on certain days or follows the voluntary restraints of brahmacharya. These are what make human beings stand apart from animals. 4. Moksha—Freedom. Life throws its mixture of ups and downs at every one. It is only a human being who can put up a brave smile and face life head-on. No power on earth has the capability to make a human being sad, if he has decided to be cheerful. This tremendous power of the will to brave challenging circumstances in life is a special freedom which is always there in every human being. Manifesting this freedom is called jivanmukti (free when living).4 Thus, the Vedas put forth a very simple, logical, down-to-earth list of human pursuits.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 732 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

257

The first two are common to animals and humans. The last two are a special privilege of man and make him into a divine being. Thus, spirituality caters to two basic questions which is very relevant to every human individual and society: v Inspired by what, would a human being be truthful, kind and self-controlled, even unto great inconveniences, including death? v Inspired by what, would a human being be undaunted in spirit even at the face of extreme ups and downs in life? These two are the main pursuits of spirituality. They are universal, logical and undeniable. In trying to come up with a model to found these two pursuits, spirituality builds up a rational system that explains reality in the most logical manner. Nature of the Individual Freewill is the core of all human pursuits and purpose. Without freewill, there can be no accountability for actions. All concepts of morality, ethics, and purpose of life—everything human—will fall without a foundation. Freewill is core to being human. Let us contemplate over this idea further: I am free to decide my current action and I am fully responsible for my action. I have all the knowledge, memory, tendencies and power to analyse the pros and cons of various reactions to the current situation. With all these, I am the final decision-maker. I am the individual, who holds the freewill. Now, if I, the individual, am merely a product or property of matter, there is no scope for freewill. Freewill has to be ‘free’ for it to be meaningful. So, I should be an entity, independent of matter, and who uses the body and mind as instruments to interact with the T h e

world. Thus, I am not the body; I am not the mind.5 Nature of the Whole For me to be able to use my freewill, there should be a constant Law connecting cause and effect, upon which I can use my freewill. If there is no constant Law of cause and effect, my freewill will be meaningless. Thus, the Law of moral causality, also called Law of Karma, has to be there to interact with my freewill. Thus, if I accept freewill, I am bound to accept Law of Karma also. Thus, I am connected with the whole Universe in a causeand-effect relationship. There are several cells in my body. Each cell is a living being in its own right. However, I have an individuality. Similarly, when we make a statement like ‘India decided to ratify the protocol’, the whole of India is considered as a single logical entity. Thus, a group of people has its own logical identity and has its own dynamics. Similarly, when we put together everything that exists, we get a logical Universal entity. That entity, to whom the entire physical universe is the physical body, all the minds of all thinking beings put together is the mind, whose dynamics is the whole history of the universe, is called as Ishvara in the Vedas.6 Interacting with the Whole Depending on the context of interaction with the Whole, I would have to invoke that aspect of Ishvara. If I consider myself as an Indian citizen, Ishvara would be Bharat Mata. If I consider myself as an earthling, Ishvara would be Bhumi Mata and Surya Narayana. When I go to take bath in Ganga, Ishvara would be Ganga Mata. When I am trying to earn money, Ishvara would be Lakshmi. When I am starting a new activity, Ishvara would be

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 733 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

258

Vignesvara. When I am the wielder of freewill, Ishvara would be wielder of the Law of Karma. When I am doing social service, Ishvara would be person who accepts my service. When I am working in my profession, Ishvara would be my customer whom I serve. When I am serving my parents or children at home, it is Ishvara whom I really serve. Ishvara is the Supreme Conscious Being, whose Consciousness reflects in the heart of all conscious beings as the Self.7 Thus, there is nothing that exists in this universe other than Ishvara.8 As Ishvara is the Supreme person who exists as everything around me and knows my innermost thoughts,9 I can worship Ishvara through any form and through any ritual that I am naturally attracted to.10 Forms and rituals are needed by the human mind to express emotions. The country is all around me. If I want to show my emotion of devotion and gratitude to the country, I put a flag and salute it. The form and ritual help me to express my emotions and also deepen them. Similarly, various forms and rituals help me to interact with Ishvara, who is in-and-through everything in the universe. The all-knowing and all-capable Ishvara responds to my worship through the very same form and ritual that I use. This is the line of thinking one takes through Vedantic philosophy.

mundane everyday life into one of a great purpose. By having the bigger picture always in mind, a human being can develop the tenacity to stick on to a life of values and also face the various situations in life with great poise. This is the message of Vedas. This is the message of Hinduism. All the rest are details to help an individual to bring this broad vision into practical life.

Spiritualizing Everyday Life Thus, by a small set of logically acceptable principles, spirituality transforms

A Theory of Everything Spirituality gives its own ‘Theory of Everything’, based not on matter, but on a

T h e

Based on Principles Spirituality does not depend on any individual for the validity of its claims. It is based on logical principles. Swami Vivekananda says, Every one of the great religions in the world excepting our own, is built upon such historical characters; but ours rests upon principles. There is no man or woman who can claim to have created the Vedas. They are the embodiment of eternal principles; sages discovered them; and now and then the names of these sages are mentioned—just their names; we do not even know who or what they were. In many cases we do not know who their fathers were, and almost in every case we do not know when and where they were born. But what cared they, these sages, for their names? They were the preachers of principles, and they themselves, so far as they went, tried to become illustrations of the principles they preached.11

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 734 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

259

universal Consciousness. Upon scrutiny, one would find that this Theory is no less logical than any of the Theories put forth by science. Swami Vivekananda says, It seems clear that the conclusions of modern materialistic science can be acceptable, harmoniously with their religion, only to the Vedantins or Hindus as they are called. It seems clear that modern materialism can hold its own and at the same time approach spirituality by taking up the conclusions of the Vedanta. It seems to us, and to all who care to know, that the conclusions of modern science are the very conclusions the Vedanta reached ages ago; only, in modern science they are written in the language of matter.12

Foundation of Morality In one integrated system, spirituality gives a logical meaning to a moral life, without depending on any dogma or commandments. Swami Vivekananda says, The rational West is earnestly bent upon seeking out the rationality, the raison d’ être of all its philosophy and its ethics; and you all know well that ethics cannot be derived from the mere sanction of any personage, however great and divine he may have been. Such an explanation of the authority of ethics appeals no more to

the highest of the world’s thinkers; they want something more than human sanction for ethical and moral codes to be binding, they want some eternal principle of truth as the sanction of ethics. And where is that eternal sanction to be found except in the only Infinite Reality that exists in you and in me and in all, in the Self, in the Soul? The infinite oneness of the Soul is the eternal sanction of all morality, that you and I are not only brothers—every literature voicing man’s struggle towards freedom has preached that for you—but that you and I are really one. This is the dictate of Indian philosophy. This oneness is the rationale of all ethics and all spirituality.13

Spirituality: the Core of Religion With these broad principles of spirituality, which is in total alignment with scientific temper, the reader can attempt to answer the big questions of life. The reader can also try to throw more questions at the model given by the Vedas to see how rational answers come to them. Thus, the Vedas provide the framework for spirituality, which can cater to the intellectual, emotional, cultural and spiritual quest of modern youth. Spirituality is religion packaged in such a way that it nurtures the scientific temper of the practitioner. o

References 1. 2. 3.

The Discovery of India, p 512) Life of Swami Vivekananda and His Universal Gospel, p. 147 What is Hinduism, National Book Trust

Gita 2.11, 2.55, 2.56, 2.57, 2.71

5. 6.

Gita, 15.9, 18.22, 15.16, 6.5 Gita – 7.4, 7.5, 13.13-13.16

10. Gita, 7.21 11. CW, 3.183

Gita, 18.61

Gita,10.20

Gita, 7.7

12. CW, 3.185 13. CW, 3.189

The real genesis of evil is in unselfishness. The creator of evil is good, and the end is also good. It is only misdirection of the power of good. A man who murders another is, perhaps, moved to do so by the love of his own child. His love has become limited to that one little baby, to the exclusion of the millions of other human beings in the universe. Yet, limited or unlimited, it is the same love. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 735 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Seva—the Foundation-stone of Spirituality PRAMOD KUMAR

A Life of Purpose There is a popular Sanskrit Subashitam (proverb) which declares that the very purpose of life is to lead a life of purpose: Paropakaarartham vahanti nadya, paropakaarartham duhanti gaaya | Paropakaarartham phalanti vriksha, Paropakaarartham idam shariram || Just as the rivers flow for the benefit of others, the cows give away milk for the benefit of others, the trees bear fruit for the benefit of others, so is the human body meant for the service of others.

The Vedic vision of the oneness of life, the Buddha’s message of compassion, Mahavira’s emphasis on ahimsa and Nanak’s emphasis on brotherhood have one underlying principle in common—spiritual knowledge. It culminates in a vision of life whose practical application is Seva (unselfish service) and vice versa—Seva done with proper attitude leads a human being to zenith of spiritual attainment. Thus, Seva Bhava—the spirit of service—has always been one of the central themes of religion and spirituality in India. Surviving versus Contributing Vedanta urges every human being to become a contributor and not merely a survivor. Seva or the attitude of giving and serving becomes natural to a society which

is not chronically impoverished but wellnourished and economically stable. India till the 16th century was known as ‘Sone ki Chidiya (Golden Bird),’ for it occupied a position of dominance in the world economy— experts on the history of world economics like Angus Maddison point out that India retained the no.1 position in world economy for a long period of 1600 years from the 1 st century CE to 16th century—an unprecedented and unmatched feat in the history of humanity! For a prosperous society whose worldview was rooted in the ideals of Dharma, Karma and Daana [righteousness, right activity and charity], service became an integral part of the everyday cultural life of the Indian people. It is an erroneous notion popularized by colonial historians that Hinduism is other-worldly and therefore did not encourage its followers to serve and contribute. The householder or Grihastha was the economic pillar of Indian society who supported people in all the other phases of life—Brahmacharya, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. Hence, we find that the Dharma Shastras exhorted the Grihastha to share and to contribute wholeheartedly. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, for example, highlights the value of charity, ‘Datta’, for human beings through the following story:

The author is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cultural Education at Amrita University in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 736 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

261

On one occasion the gods, the human beings and the demons all observed selfrestraint, Brahmacharya, Tapasya and austerity for the sake of gaining knowledge from the Creator. Having observed great austerity they went to Brahma, the Creator Himself, and said, ‘Give us instruction.’ Who went? Three groups. One group of the celestials, the gods, denizens of Indra-loka, paradise, who enjoy all sorts of pleasures, second the men of this earth plane, and third the demons, extremely cruel in their nature. To the gods he said, ‘I give you instruction. Listen! Da.’ He said but one word, ‘Da’. ‘Do you understand what I say?’ ‘Yes, we understand.’ ‘Very good! So, follow this instruction.’ Then he looked to the human beings, ‘Do you want instruction from me?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Da,’ he said again. ‘Do you follow what I say?’ ‘Yes, we understand.’ ‘Very good! Now go and follow this instruction.’ Then the demons were called and he said ‘Da’ to the demons also, and the demons, like the others said, ‘Yes, we have understood what it is.’ ‘Go and follow this instruction.’ To all the three he told the same thing, but the meaning was taken differently by the different groups. ‘Da, Da, Da,’ he said. That is all he spoke. The celestials, the people in paradise, are supposed to be revelling in pleasures of sense. They are fond of enjoyment. There is no old age there. There is no sweating, no toiling, no hunger, no thirst, no drowsiness and nothing untoward as in this world. It is all pleasure and pleasure, honey flowing everywhere in paradise. They are addicted to too much enjoyment. So the instruction to those people was Da—’Damyata’. In Sanskrit Damyata means, restrain yourself. Damyata comes from the word Dam, to restrain. Subdue your T h e

senses. Do not go too much in the direction of the enjoyment of the senses. That was ‘Da’ to the celestials. Kama is to be controlled by selfrestraint. Human beings are greedy. They want to grab everything. Hoarding is their basic nature. ‘I want a lot of money’; ‘I have got a lot of land and property’; ‘I want to keep it with myself’; ‘I do not want to give anything to anybody’. This is how they think. So, to them ‘Da’ meant Datta, ‘give in charity’. Do not keep with you more than what you need. Do not take what you are not given. Do not appropriate what does not belong to you. All these are implied in the statement—be charitable. Charitable not only in material giving but also in disposition, in feeling, in understanding and in feeling the feelings of others. So, to the human beings this was the instruction – Datta, give, because they are not prepared to give. They always want to keep. Greed is to be controlled by charity. And to the demons, who are very cruel, who always insult, injure and harm other people ‘Da’ meant Dayadhvam—be merciful to others. The third ‘Da’ means Dayadhvam— be merciful. Do not be cruel and hard-hearted. Demons are hard-hearted people. They eat, swallow, destroy and demolish everything. Anger is to be controlled by mercy.’1

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 737 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

262

According to Hindu scriptures, the householder was expected to contribute at least one-tenth of his income to charity. This contribution was not merely a suggestion but a compulsory injunction. The well-being of the individual here and in the journey beyond death depended on the quantum of charity made by him / her. The law of Karma applied to giving encouraged the conviction that what one gives in charity in this life comes back as inheritance in the next. Poverty becomes the only inheritance for misers, to teach them the value of caring and sharing. Further, the Grihastha was also enjoined upon to perform the ‘Pancha Maha Yajnas’ (Five Great Sacrifices)—Deva Yajna, Rishi Yajna, Pitru Yajna, Manushya Yajna and Bhuta Yajna. Manushya Yajna and Bhuta Yajna laid out the individual’s responsibility to serve fellow human beings and all other beings in the plant and animal kingdom. The practice of setting aside food for unexpected travellers or guests and sharing a portion of the food with cows, crows, dogs and other animals became a household custom. The Downfall—from Seva to Selfishness However, the picture that the average Indian and the great Indian middle class presents today is one of rank selfishness which manifests in public life through symptoms like corruption, a sickening indifference and apathy to the plight of the poor and downtrodden, utter self-centeredness characterised by ‘mera kya mujhe kya’ (what will I get if I do this?) or ‘chalta hai’ (let it be) attitudes which have come to define us as people today. What led to this degeneration of the Indian character from seva to selfishness? It is important to understand the root cause of this change as it will enable us to bring in T h e

correction and revive the old ideal of seva in the everyday life of our people. There are two causes which seem to have warped the Indian spirit of giving and sharing—(1) prolonged slavery and poverty imposed by the harsh circumstances caused by foreign invasions and colonialism and (2) a materialistic education system that produces only selfish survivors instead of productive contributors to the society This is not the right place to recount the economic atrocities under British rule which led to genocides like the Great Bengal Famine. But it is important to understand that at least some of the selfishness and cut-throat attitude one comes across in the Indian middle classes today is partly a hangover of the crushing poverty caused by colonial rule. The Indian people never accepted poverty as their fate. But in their eagerness to regain their economic status they have perhaps lost sight of the instruction of ‘Datta’. The educational policies which India adopted after Independence were completely divorced from the ideals of Dharma and Seva. Secularism devoid of Dharma and a materialistic education that excelled in producing degree-holders devoid of life enriching skills have only helped in corrupting our inborn commitment to share and serve. Swami Vivekananda and the Revival of the Indian Ideals Swami Vivekananda was one of the pioneering visionaries of modern India who revived the ideals of Seva and Tyaga and reintegrated them into the institution of sannyasa which had otherwise become fossilised with the world rejecting attitude of the ascetics who sought their own Moksha and turned a blind eye to the suffering of their countrymen.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 738 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

263

Swami Vivekananda’s Vedantic vision of charity stands out in dazzling brilliance in the most inspiring lecture he delivered at Rameswaram in 1897:

Shiva must serve His children—must serve all creatures in this world first. It is said in the Shastra that those who serve the servants of God are His greatest servants. So you will bear this in mind.

This is the gist of all worship—to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva; and if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste, or creed, or race, or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples. A rich man had a garden and two gardeners. One of these gardeners was very lazy and did not work; but when the owner came to the garden, the lazy man would get up and fold his arms and say, ‘How beautiful is the face of my master’, and dance before him. The other gardener would not talk much, but would work hard, and produce all sorts of fruits and vegetables which he would carry on his head to his master who lived a long way off. Of these two gardeners, which would be the more beloved of his master? Shiva is that master, and this world is His garden, and there are two sorts of gardeners here; the one who is lazy, hypocritical, and does nothing, only talking about Shiva’s beautiful eyes and nose and other features; and the other, who is taking care of Shiva’s children, all those that are poor and weak, all animals, and all His creation. Which of these would be the more beloved of Shiva? Certainly he that serves His children. He who wants to serve the father must serve the children first. He who wants to serve T h e

Let me tell you again that you must be pure and help anyone who comes to you, as much as lies in your power. And this is good Karma. By the power of this, the heart becomes pure (Chittashuddhi), and then Shiva who is residing in every one will become manifest. He is always in the heart of every one. If there is dirt and dust on a mirror, we cannot see our image. So ignorance and wickedness are the dirt and dust that are on the mirror of our hearts. Selfishness is the chief sin, thinking of ourselves first. He who thinks, ‘I will eat first, I will have more money than others, and I will possess everything’, he who thinks, ‘I will get to heaven before others I will get Mukti before others’ is the selfish man. The unselfish man says, ‘I will be last, I do not care to go to heaven, I will even go to hell if by doing so I can help my brothers.’ This unselfishness is the test of religion. He who has more of this unselfishness is more spiritual and nearer to Shiva. Whether he is learned or ignorant, he is nearer to Shiva than anybody else, whether he knows it or not. And if a man is selfish, even though he has visited all the temples, seen all the places of pilgrimage, and painted himself like a leopard, he is still further off from Shiva.2

In these few words, Swamiji has condensed the essence of Vedanta and spirituality and given us all a manual to live by. Shiva Bhave Jiva Seva and Daridra Narayana Seva are the new taraka mantras which have the potential

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 739 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

264

of liberating Indians from the shackles of demeaning selfishness. It is heartening to see that Swamiji’s fiery message of Seva and Tyaga is reaching out to more and more youth across the country, inspiring them to do great deeds of service. A Babar Ali who set up a school for the poor kids of Bengal and became the youngest school principal of the world or Dr. Hanumappa Sudarshan who left behind his medical practice to work with the tribal communities in Karnataka or R. Balasubramaniam who launched the Vivekananda Youth Movement—

they are all living examples of the ideals of seva and tyaga that Swami Vivekananda placed before the Indian youth. India is eagerly waiting for their numbers to grow, for those, Hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy for the poor and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up, the gospel of equality.3 o

References 1

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda, Chapter V, http://www.swamikrishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-01.html Address at the Rameswaram temple on real

worship, Lectures from Colombo to Almora, http:// www.vivekananda.net/BooksBySwami/ LecturesColomboAlmora/4.html CW, 5.15

In Giving Lies the Secret of Life It is because we dare not give, because we are not resigned enough to accede to this grand demand of nature, that we are miserable. The forest is gone, but we get heat in return. The sun is taking up water from the ocean, to return it in showers. You are a machine for taking and giving: you take, in order to give. Ask, therefore, nothing in return; but the more you give, the more will come to you. The quicker you can empty the air out of this room, the quicker it will be filled up by the external air; and if you close all the doors and every aperture, that which is within will remain, but that which is outside will never come in, and that which is within will stagnate, degenerate, and become poisoned. A river is continually emptying itself into the ocean and is continually filling up again. Bar not the exit into the ocean. The moment you do that, death seizes you. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 740 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Man, the Maker of His Own Destiny A Spiritual Perspective R. GOPALAKRISHNAN

Man and His Destiny By oneself, indeed is evil done; by oneself is one injured; by oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity belong to oneself. No one purifies another, says Dhammapada (165)

Purananuru, an ancient Tamil text, proclaims a universal truth: Every place is my dwelling place; everyone is my kith and kin; both good and evil seldom will invade a person by others. Even as a boat caught in the turbulent currents of the flooded river cannot move smoothly and sail in a particular direction, the life on this earth is conditioned and controlled by one’s destiny and accordingly mankind receives joy and sorrow alternately.

The implication of these lines can be summarized in a nutshell: ‘As you sow, so your reap’. According to Protagoras, a Greek thinker, ‘Man is the measure of all things, of things that are that they are and of things that are not that they are not’.1 Indeed, man is the centrifugal point in all the spheres of existence—social, political, moral, religious, spiritual, economic, historical, etc. But whether man has known or is living upto the expectations of how man ought to live is a hundred million questions. Generally there are two approaches to life especially by the species with five senses

viz. ‘human’: First one is, flouting all norms and leading a whimsical life without caring for moral, legal or social code of conduct. In this life the sensuous mind is predominantly active by subjugating the rational mind. ‘Reason becomes the handmaid of passions’. The second type is, leading a life with due respect to the law of the state and abiding by all the codes of conduct. Here the intuitive mind is more operative, while the intellectual mind is assisting to adhere seriously to the cherished principles of life. Understanding Man’s Destiny Indian saints and sages have carefully analysed the destiny of man from the metaphysical, religious and axiological perspectives. From the metaphysical perspective, man is a combination of both matter and spirit which causes bondage and the separation of the two leads to liberation. The problem that remains here is, whether man can achieve this goal by his own efforts or does he require some alien external powers to release him from the thralldom. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, Philosophy insists that there is a joy which is absolute, which never changes. That joy cannot be the joys and pleasures we have in this life, and yet Vedanta shows that everything that

Dr R. Gopalakrishnan is Professor and Head (Retd), Department of Philosophy, University of Madras, Chennai. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 741 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

266

is joyful in this life is but a particle of that real joy, because, that is the only joy there is. Every moment really we are enjoying the absolute bliss, though covered up, misunderstood, and caricatured . . . We have to give up ignorance and all that is false and then truth will begin to reveal itself to us.2

Sankhya system of philosophy has developed a theory that every human being has been endowed with three fundamental qualities viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which are the essential constituents of Prakriti—the prime matter. Even the internal organs (antahkarana) like Manas (mind), Buddhi (intellect), Chitta (resolute mind) and Ahankara (ego) are the products of Prakriti. Sattva Guna refers to purity of thought, word and deed; Rajas indicates aggressive actions and Tamas points out to indolence, slothfulness and dullness. As long as the human spirit (Purusha) is in association with the products of Prakriti there emerges bondage and its separation with them lands in liberation. The Sankhya system lays down that mankind has to denounce animal characteristics like selfishness and fighting rise above the human nature like respect, name, fame etc. and anchor on the divine qualities like love, service and sacrifice. Enlightenment of the self with the grace of a benevolent God alone can burn the impurities caused by ego-centricism, Karmic activities and enjoying the comforts caused by matter. For, man’s intelligence is limited, conditioned and falliable. In association with

T h e

the sense organs the mind is able to acquire perceptual knowledge rather than wisdom (Jnana). This process leads man to enjoy the peripheral things and entangle him in Karmic forces leading to miseries. The mind which is fickle in nature indulges in incredibly complicated and unscrupulous game of power manoeuvring. Only when the Self is realized through religious practices and its illumination leading to a non-return communion with God supreme alone can be the highest objective of man’s life on earth. This state is feasible when the spiritually awakened self resorts to divine-oriented service, engages in devotional activities, involves in yogic practices and develops wisdom. From the axiological perspective man has to lead a life based on the highest value viz., virtue (dharma—righteousness). Artha or acquiring wealth is the lower value and Kama or sensuous enjoyment is the lowest one both of which are to be guided by dharma. These are the means for the attainment of the highest value—Moksha or a state of emancipation, the real and ultimate destiny of man. Two Views of Life Generally, there are two approaches to life viz., pessimistic and optimistic. The former indicates that ‘life is not a bed of roses but full of thorns’. Again, ‘life is a fairy tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’. This attitude results in the epicurean style of living preferring only egoistic hedonism. In a life where animal

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 742 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

267

temperament is predominating, then it stultifies all norms of life, shatters all human values and vandalism will prevail everywhere. The other side of life is sanguine, cheerful and buoyant. The optimistic approach to life will open the flood gates of global perspective culminating in universal brotherhood. Only at this stage, the summum bonum, would be ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’. Everything will be viewed through spiritual fervor than intellectual perversion. The sentimental love with conjugal coating will be converted into divine love. For love and God are non-dual. Love for the beloved Lord would be overflowing the measure, the overwhelming temperament will engender in love for the creations too thereby minimizing confrontation and maximizing conglomeration. To put it more precisely, the heterogeneous mass will become the homogeneous whole. In between the two types of approach to life there is another sect known as the ‘occasional group’ who try to act ‘now and then’ when the situation warrants. Like a cat on the wall their behaviour would be unpredictable since they follow the righteous deeds occasionally and prefer a life of sensuous gratification at any cost. Men of this nature will have scant respect for human values and even the entertainment of certain values would be within the framework of selfish motivations and personal aspirations. Seldom do we come across concordance in them. Such persons would put a circle around themselves and rarely do they come out of its circumference and will not allow anyone into it other than their kith and kin. Here the ego is in the forefront and prevents the person attached to and affected by it from moving beyond the horizon of ego-centric cognition, conation and affection. All his actions would be self-centered T h e

without having an iota of knowledge of the Self. Hence there would be no respect for other selves since the person would engage in personal entertainment by following moral sentiments occasionally. Dealing with ‘Karma’ Men with good hope about future believe that they can rescue themselves from the onslaught of Karmic forces and win over the ego-centricism through a life of detachment. To achieve this ambitious target the requirements are: a) reading several worthwhile written materials, both secular and sacred, b) avoiding the profane documents, c) imbuing all noble traits, d) non-indulging in violent acts through thought, word and deed, e) listening to the discourses of learned scholars, f) reflecting seriously upon the truth contents of eminent sayings g) realizing the truth that man is after all a social, rational and political animal, but man can become divine through enlightenment. It is given to the men of wisdom to realize the truth that ‘Man can make his own destiny’ or alter the already established destiny. Others will simply be the onlookers and participants in the pre-established or destined course of events. Such persons will wander like floating things caught in the whirlpool of tidal waves. In most of the cases, man’s destiny has been determined by the personal vanity or pride. In fact man’s existence has been mostly asserted by ‘I’ consciousness which is a primary and indubitable expression. If this ‘I’ is persistently projected in all the human pursuits, it becomes indicative of one’s personality and exerts one’s influence in all the

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 743 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

268

realms of life by making one’s presence felt. If the ego is directed in accumulating wealth, then the sense of possession is added to already existing conceit. This will result in the unfair means, disobedience to law, resorting to illegal measures and above all showing disrespect to all the moral codes, social norms and legal establishments. On the contrary, if a person’s ego is guided properly and master-minded by all positive traits, then that person would be endowed with all noble, magnanimous, virtuous and honourable features and the wealth earned by him through righteous means would be beneficial to mankind like the tree bearing fruits in the centre of a village. Thus man’s role in society is determined by his ego-centricism. The execution of ego either affirmatively or antagonistically is possible not in isolation but in association with action. Hence Karmas are accrued and the experience as well as expatiation of Karmas that are stored up results in transmigration. Thus a child’s birth on earth is conditioned by the residues of action of the previous births and the willful indulgence in immoral deeds paves the way for storage of Karmas fructifying in future births. According to Swami Vivekananda, Karma has its effects on character. In his own words, Our Karma determines what we deserve and what we can assimilate. We are responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions; so we have to know how to act. You will say, ‘what is the use of learning how to work? Everyone works in some way or other in this world’. But there is such a thing as frittering away our energies. With regard to Karma yoga, the Gita says that doing work T h e

with cleverness and as a science by knowing how to work, one can obtain the greatest results. You must remember that all work is simply to bring out the power of the mind which is already there, to wake up the soul. The power is inside every man, so is knowledge; the different works are like blows to bring them out, to cause the giants to wake up.3

The Art of Right Action Swami Vivekananda’s thought-provoking view-points link the present with past and future i.e., man’s ‘becoming’ is determined by his ‘being’. The overt and covert preference of one’s own egotism motivates one to engage in actions either selfish or selfless and it relates to the handling of the material world outside to fulfill one’s gratification and nurturing. An action becomes right if it is gainful to ‘me’ and wrong that goes against ‘me’ and ‘mine’. A kind of inner agitation takes place due to psychic aggrandizements like rivalries, hatred, competitions, aggressions and malicious deeds. The ego-factor plays a vital role in establishing one’s name and fame in the social, political, religious and economic realms. The general law is that none can escape the law of Karma which gives a shape to the fate of a person. He has been destined to undergo all the ordeals of life especially preferred by him. However, we come across virtuous persons suffer and the vicious one’s prosper. Swami Vivekananda repeatedly explains that Karma-Yoga is the attainment of God through work. Without knowing the secret of work majority of the people fritter away the greater portion of their energy. This secret is unveiled by Karma-yoga. All misery and pain come from attachment.

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 744 ~

Karma-yoga teaches us how to work for works sake, unattached, without caring into who is D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

269

helped and what for. The Karma yogi works because it is his nature, because he feels that it is good for him to do so, and he has no object beyond that. His position in this world is that of a giver, and he never cares to receive anything. He knows that he is giving and does not ask for anything in return and therefore, he eludes the grasp of misery. The grasp of pain, whenever it comes, is the result of the reaction of attachments.4

Fight Against Evil In order to triumph over evil, man, without analyzing its root cause, indulges in all kinds of techniques most of which are detriment to his peaceful existence. This process to eradicate evil, paves the way for accruing more Karmas. Similar is the case with joy too. Without knowing the truth that pleasure is phenomenal and ephemeral, persons spend their time, energy and wealth to obtain happiness at any cost. This method also results in the accumulation of Karmas. According to Jeremy Bentham,

annihilate the dual nature of existence and promote ‘one-ness’ or equilibrium of duality. Man, to enjoy the perennial bliss prevailing within him must strike a balance between the two-fold natures of existence. He must remain the same person both in prosperity and adversity. The pre-requisites to reach this stage are as follows: Man must relinquish ego-centricism  His actions must be God-centred  He must develop detachment towards matter  He must promote firm belief in God  He must cultivate contemplation of God and His divine qualities  He must have trust in the efficacy of God’s grace  He must entertain religious austerities and spiritual pursuits. In the opinion of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, ‘as a lamp does not burn, without oil, so man cannot live without God.’ He says further:

Nature has placed mankind under the government of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do;’ as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand the standard of right and wrong, on the other claim of causes and effects, are fastened to their throne. They govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every efforts we can make to throw off our subjection, will serve but to demonstrate and confirm it. (Constitutional Code)

The human body is like a boiling pot, and the mind and the senses are like water, rice or potato etc in it. Put the pot with its ingredients in fire; it will be so hot as to burn your finger when you touch it. But the heat does not belong to the pot nor anything contained in it, but is in the fire. So it is the fix of Brahman in man that causes the mind and the sense to perform their functions, and when that fire ceases to act, the sense also, or the organs stop . . . How does the Lord dwell in the body? He dwells in the body like the plug of a syringe, i.e. in the body, and apart from it.5

So man in order to alter his (constitutional code) destiny of muddling with births and deaths, joy and sorrow, truth and falsehood, darkness and light, bondage and liberation, etc., must endeavour earnestly to

So both positive and negative deeds are controlled (as Antaryamin) and activated through an in dweller in the body, an unseen succour. God is to be realized as a moving spirit and guiding star.

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 745 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

270

From Lower to Higher Planes As a point of departure, the human being shifts his manoeuvres from the carnal plane to the illuminative plane. A true mystical conversion takes place wherein the soul enters into a state of passivity from activity. The aspirant gradually withdraws himself from the society and establishes his own world where he himself becomes the ‘source of all knowledge and fountain of all wisdom’. Commenting on mysticism that it is an attitude towards life, Russell observes,

strengthened by subjugating its weaknesses. Hence renunciation serves as a catalyst to the tormented souls in bringing forth a solace by declaring that ‘any kind of manifestation of power in nature belongs to the soul and not to nature’. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, We have to speak of a preparation to the practice of this Para-Bhakti (Supreme devotion). All such preparations are intended only for the purification of the soul. The repetition of names, the rituals, the forms, and the symbols, all these various things are for the purification of the soul. The greatest purifier among all such things, a purifier without which no one can enter the regions of this higher devotion (Para Bhakti) is renunciation. This frightens many; yet without it, there cannot be any spiritual growth. In all our Yogas this renunciation is necessary and the real centre and the heart of all spiritual culture—renunciation. This is religion, renunciation.7

There is an element of wisdom to be learnt from mystical way of feeling, which does not seem to be attainable in any other manner . . . this emotion . . . is the inspirer of whatever is best in Man.6

William James calls the mystic experience as ‘noetic quality’—novel or unique experience. If a man wants to shape his destiny by realizing the total meaning of life, he is expected to develop a sense of transcendence, i.e., he must ascend the ladder, of higher level experience which will explore ‘what lies beyond’ and develop an ‘ideal’ in him. Man is generally satisfied with the ‘immediate’ and the ‘actual’. When a man is deeply engaged in actual and immediate concerns, then naturally egoistic and self-regarding tendencies and activities emerge in him leading to untold suffering. To avoid such temperaments man is expected to develop a technique called ‘purgation’—purification of the senses, mind and the self. ‘Atma-suddhi’ or purification of the self gains significance that the aspirant must promote non-attachment towards the immediate and actual entities; rather he has to cleanse himself by a technique called ‘inward looking’ As this technique is pursued systematically and seriously, the self becomes T h e

Conquering the Lower Self It is clear that tattvasuddhi becomes the pre-requisite for atmasuddhi. By tattvasuddhi we mean the experience of the peripheral worldly phenomena and at a point when realization comes, relinquishment takes place. Swami Vivekananda calls non-attachment as ‘complete self-abnegation’. To quote him,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 746 ~

Man thinks foolishly that he can make himself happy, and after years of struggle finds out at last that true happiness consists in killing selfishness and that no one can make him happy except himself. Every act of charity, every thought of sympathy, every action of help, every good deed, is taking so much of self-importance away from our little selves and making us think of ourselves as the lowest and the least; and therefore, it is all good. Here we find that Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma all come to one point. The highest ideal is eternal and selfabnegation, where there is no ‘I’ but all is ‘Thou’; D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

271

and whether he is conscious or unconscious of it, Karma yoga leads man to that end.8

As long as man is under the sway of sensibility he will be under the clutches of gratifying the baser sensations. In a joint venture of sensibility and understanding there will be some regulations in the furtherance of life. If there is the adoption of categories of pure reason or understanding, man is conditioned by antinomies or contradictory conclusions leading to unresolved puzzles, conflicts and dualities. When the spirit is also involved in the process of cognition, conation and affection, the mission on earth is accomplished. For, all discriminations will vanish and ‘oneness’ of everything will not only be manifested, but also glorified and realized. Since divinity will be at the helm of affairs, such persons will easily eliminate the deceptive appearance and prefer which are really good. Says an eminent monk, They reject the bad and try to follow the good. Their life is a life of constant struggle. They try to follow a certain ideal instead of flowing with the current of desires. They belong, it may be said, to the human plane. The sense of discrimination and the constant effort to follow what is good differentiates them from lower animals. So they may be said to belong to the plane of ‘Man’. And then there are persons who are fortunate enough to have succeeded in their attempt to have full control over themselves—their minds no longer go astray; like a broken horse, they follow always the right path. These men may be said to have become divine, though belonging apparently to things earthly. Man’s goal in life is to reach this stage of divinity.9

It becomes obvious from the above quotation that there are two major methods to determine one’s destiny. First, man lives in this strife-torn world without any goal and secondly, man ought to live with an objective so that he triumphs over all ordeals in life. T h e

The above quotation of Swami Pavitrananda, an eminent monk of the Ramakrishna Order, explicitly explains the need for following the path of virtue to attain divinity. According to Mathew Arnold, ‘Religion is morality tinged with emotion’. Ethical pursuits and religious exercises must go together. The experience of divinity within oneself illumines the self and leads to establish an intimate rapport with divine supreme. This is an ecstatic state which results in an inherent communion with God. All the dark nights of the soul would be annihilated by God’s grace. To reach this state of experiencing rapture and everlasting bliss, the aspirant has to constantly contemplate on the personal God. In his Jnana Yoga, Swami Vivekananda excellently elucidates thus: To say that God is the Father or the Mother, the Creator of this universe, its protector and Guide, is to him quite inadequate to express Him. To him, God is the life of his life, the soul of his soul. God is his own self. Nothing else remains which is other than God. All the mortal parts of him become pounded by the weighty stroke of Philosophy and are brushed away. What last truly remains is God Himself.10

Whether God and the self are identical or similar in the liberated state is a philosophical discussion which can be resolved only when a person resorts to the actual experience of God. Swami Vivekananda’s ideal is interesting when he synthesises both philosophical theory and religious experience. According to him, only through the experience of the Divine a seeker after truth concludes that the self and God are one and the same at the ultimate level. To quote him,

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 747 ~

His heart becomes open again to divine light; thus gradually he approaches God, and as he gets nearer and nearer, he finds his old self melting away, when he has come near enough, D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

272

being muddling with joy or sorrow or as an elevated soul enjoying the perennial bliss of the Divine thereby declaring that there is ‘ever joy and never sorrow’. To quote once again Swami Vivekananda in conclusion,

he sees that he is no other than God and he exclaims, ‘He whom I have described to you as the life of this universe, as present in the atom, and in suns and moons. He is the basis of our own life, the Soul of our soul. Nay, thou art That’. This is what this Jnana-Yoga teaches. It tells man that he is essentially divine. It shows to mankind, the unity of being, and that each one of us is the Lord God Himself, manifested on earth. All of us, from the lowest worm that crawls under our feet to the highest beings to whom we look up with wonder and awe—all are manifestation of the same Lord.11

The usage of double epithets like ‘Lord’ and ‘God’ by the Swamiji is to emphasise that the same divine force is to be experienced both as immanence (as Lord) and transcendence (as God). The omnipresence and omniscience of God can be felt through His creations which is full of duality, but which can converge into unity or oneness. From the foregoing discussion we can safely conclude that man is the maker of his own destiny either as a mere

If it be true that we are working out our own destiny here within this short space of time, if it be true that everything must have a cause as we see it now, it must also be true that which we are now is the effect of the whole of our past; therefore no other person is necessary to shape the destiny of mankind but man himself. The evils that are in the world are caused by none else but ourselves. We have caused all this evil; and just as we constantly see misery resulting from evil actions, so can we also see that much of the existing misery in the world is the effect of the past wickedness of man. Man alone, therefore, according to this theory, is responsible. God is not to blame. He, the eternally merciful Father, is not to blame at all. ‘We reap what we sow.’12 o

References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Quoted by Plato in Theaetetus Jnana Yoga, pp. 162-163. Karma Yoga – The Yoga of action, p.7. Jnana Yoga, pp. 392-392. Maxmuller, F., Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings, p.103.

7. 8.

Quoted by Gopalan, S., ‘Mystics and Social Concern,’ Indian Philosophy and its Social Concerns, p.202. Bhakti Yoga, p.65. Karma Yoga, p.83.

Swami Pavitrananda, Modern Man in Search of Religion, pp.58-59. 10. Ibid p.396 11. Jnana Yoga, pp.397-398 12. Ibid., pp.274-275 9.

Where is fate, and who is fate? We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate. None else has the blame, none has the praise. The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have their sails furled do not catch the wind. Is that the fault of the wind? Is it the fault of the merciful Father, whose wind of mercy is blowing without ceasing, day and night, whose mercy knows no decay, is it His fault that some of us are happy and some unhappy? We make our own destiny. —Swami Vivekananda

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 748 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Article

Spirituality in the 21st Century— A Scientific Overview JAY LAKHANI

Spirituality Holds the Key The last century, the term spirituality was used in a manner that it almost lost its dignity and potency. It was seen as a floaty term suited for the new age movement and received no acceptance by rational thinkers. Atheists in the West often ridiculed the term as utterly meaningless. It is my proposal that in the 21st Century we will see this term re-emerge to not only regain its dignity but occupy the centre stage in the realms of both religious and scientific thinking. I maintain that Spirituality holds the key to reconciling a multitude of religious as well as religious and science oriented worldviews. In order to see this reconciliation it is necessary to bear in mind the role of language and the limitations it comes with, when trying to grasp some of the key ideas both in religions and science. The Role of Language Language is not only something we use to communicate with each other, but it is the tool we require to understand things ourselves; to gain a handle on reality. Without a string of words appearing in our minds we cannot make sense of the world we live in. Without

this linguistic tool, which we seem to possess naturally, the world will appear as a blur to us. Weigstenstien caught on to this idea and became the most renowned philosopher in the last century. This concept is not new in Hinduism. Since ancient times we have used the terminology: ‘Nama-Rupa’ (name and form) as being the handles we require to capture reality. The interface between our mind and reality is name and/or form. Unfortunately the use of language has become second nature to us, and we sometimes forget its importance in making sense of the world we live in. However the use of language also comes with a serious down side which we fail to recognise. Though languages allow us to get a grip on reality they also limit the locus of our understanding of the workings of the world. The locus of our linguistic capacity also becomes the limiting factor in our ability to grasp anything whether it is religious or scientific. The Language of Religion The fountain-head of every religion or mystic tradition is the firsthand encounter of the spirit by some individual. These individuals seem to gain a deeper insight into the nature of reality and become prophets of

Jay Lakhani, the Head of the Hindu Academy, as also Education Director, the Hindu Council, United Kingdom, and a theoretical physicist, explores how the findings of modern physics relate to the broader ideas of spirituality. He is a teacher at Eton College, and author of several books relating to the teaching of Hinduism in schools in United Kingdom. o T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 749 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

274

mankind. They report experiences that are far more intense than the intensity with which we experience the empirical world. The lives and teachings of these seers and sages, both ancient and modern, become the basis of religion or a sectarian movement within a religion. I am suggesting that the reason why we have such vastly varying religions is not because these prophets had different experiences, but because they were different interpretations to their experiences. Christ proclaims that he encountered the father in heaven; while Buddha claims he gained enlightenment and Sri Ramakrishna talks about the vision of the Mother Divine. Their experiences are essentially transcendental (meaning that they defy articulation) and yet every prophet has looked upto for a verbal expression to his or her experience. The mindset of these sages colours and interprets their experiences. It cannot be otherwise. This becomes the source of variations in religious world-views. This feature is unavoidable—the only way anyone (including the prophets) can give expression to their experience is using the mental framework they possess. What they experience is absolute, but the expression they give is always relative. The variations we see as religious outputs are nothing but variations of the mind-sets of these sages in reporting their encounter of the Spirit. This marvellous insight was encapsulated by Sri Ramakrishna who said, ‘The love of the devotee freezes this formless God (Spirit) into the form of his or her desire!’ Here lies the genuine reconciliation between a multitude of religious world-views. What Sri Ramakrishna has suggested offers solid ground for genuine inter-faith and intra-faith understanding. The present form of Inter-faith dialogue is way off course. It started as we must tolerate people of other religions. I once T h e

challenged the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the term ‘tolerate’ because that means I give you permission to exist! The Archbishop graciously agreed that the term was concessionary and as such poor for interfaith dialogue. The interfaith dialogue then progressed to respecting people of other religions. This is still not satisfactory. I have repeatedly challenged this terminology because it allows exclusivist agendas to hide behind such diplomatic terminology. For the exclusivist religions and its evangelical followers this simply translates as: ‘We know that our religion alone is right but we are not going to make a fuss about it here and now— people of other religions will find this out in the here-after!’ As long as such exclusivist agendas are not put to rest, the world will continue to witness bloodshed in the name of religion. Plural ways to God or plural ways for making spiritual progress is a potent idea all world religions need to embrace. In Swami Vivekananda’s words at the World Parliament of Religions in 1893: ‘We do not show tolerance to other religions but accept them to be true.’ A Scientific World-view The second greatest divide spirituality can bridge is the gulf between a scienceoriented world-view and a multitude of religious world views. In the Science versus Religion dialogue, Science clearly wins out. The vast majority of youngsters we interact with in schools and colleges in Britain relate to the teachings of a book called God Delusion rather than a God. Science seems to have answered almost all the questions about reality including some startling discoveries such as the Big Bang theory and the theory of evolution through natural selection. The latest progress in understanding the elementary particles and the forces that operate on them

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 750 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

275

are prime examples of how science is confident in sorting everything out. Inventions such as the internet and its by product, social networking, steals the hearts and minds of the thinking public. They feel that science has all the answers while religions are outdated human enterprises. This is not true. The mature scientists are quite aware that at the heart of both physical and life sciences sits certain anomalies that are difficult to explain away. These anomalies are termed as the hard problems of science—they sit at the heart of these disciplines and have yet to be addressed. It is my proposal that the only way these issues can be resolved is by incorporating the term spirituality in science. The Quantum Idea At the heart of physics sits a phenomenon called Quantum discovered in the 1920s and till today no Physicist has a conceptual grasp of what they have encountered! The reason why quantum is difficult to grasp conceptually is because it robustly affirms that the underpinning to this reality is guaranteed to be non-material. Unfortunately all physical sciences are built on the concept of explaining everything in terms of matter and its epi-phenomenon (attributes). Elementary particle physics is nothing but an extrapolation of this methodology to the smaller than the smallest (still seen as smaller than the smallest point particles of matter with attributes like mass, charge, spin, etc.). Quantum discovery demolishes this paradigm in a spectacular manner. According to the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum, the underpinning to this reality is nonmaterial. This issue is non-negotiable! Matter, which science is so fixated on, is just an appearance—it has no reality! No physicist has ventured to say what this underpinning is. T h e

This is the hard problem at the heart of the most physical of physical sciences. The reason why the progress of theoretical physics has come to a halt since the 1920’s is because it is not prepared to embrace that Spirit as the underpinning to reality. This is not an easy thing for Physicists to swallow because for the past two thousand years they have successfully explained everything in terms of matter and its attributes; and now suddenly the ground (literally) under their feet is disappearing! The real problem is the narrative or language used in science. Science has used the narrative of matter—to understand and explain everything. This narrative is now showing its limitations. Quantum has shown that the narrative of matter is not adequate and a new narrative that looks beyond matter is needed. If we were to ask the physicists to go beyond the narrative of matter and give us the nearest physical description of what quantum is all about—the answer that we get is highly unusual; almost poetic—the nearest physical way to describe reality now, says quantum physics, is that it is merely probability of existence. Or to put it in simple English, reality is a wiggle in existence. Understanding Consciousness The hard problem of life sciences sits at the heart of neuroscience. It is: What is consciousness? The mature neuroscientists admit that they have no clue as to which slice of the brain produces consciousness or exactly what it actually is! Though it gives us access to reality we have no clue as to where it springs from! At one meeting I encountered a biologist who insisted that consciousness is just a brain phenomenon produced by the chemical and electrical activities of the brain. He insisted that if we interfere with

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 751 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

276

the brain say through injecting anaesthetic, consciousness disappears—hence he concludes that consciousness is just the output of the physical brain. I had to correct him saying that just as a light switch—a conduit of electricity— does not produce electricity, the brain too is just a conduit of consciousness and does not produce consciousness! Just as we can interfere with the light switch to stop the flow of electricity; we can interfere with the physical brain and stop the flow of consciousness but that does not prove that the brain produces consciousness. It is a phenomenon that cannot be explained away in material terms! Just as in physical science Quantum defies material explanation in life science consciousness defies material explanation. The reconciliation of both these hard problems of science lies in the field of spirituality. If we were to ask ancient and

modern prophets of Hinduism—say Adi Shankara or Swami Vivekananda to give us a handle on the nature of reality (Brahman) they use terms: Asti (of the nature of existence), Bhati (of the nature of consciousness) and Priya (of the nature of bliss). Mankind is now rediscovering these spiritual truths through the integrity of modern science. Here lies the reconciliation between the science and spiritual worldviews. The integrity of science has produced a marvellous discovery that is pointing to a deeper dimension to ourselves and the world we inhabit—the exciting dimension of the Spirit. It is not just the prophets of the past but the discoveries at the cutting edge of science that will also lead mankind to discover the spirit in the 21st Century—making spirituality appealing to ever greater number of thinking people. o

 Science and Religion Science and religion will meet and shake hands. Poetry and philosophy will become friends. This will be the religion of the future, and if we can work it out, we may be sure that it will be for all times and peoples. This is the one way that will prove acceptable to modern science, for it has almost come to it. When the scientific teacher asserts that all things are the manifestation of one force, does it not remind you of the God of whom you hear in the Upanishads: 'As the one fire entering into the universe expresses Itself in various forms, even so that One Soul is expressing Itself in every soul and yet is infinitely more besides' . . . We find that searching through the mind we at last come to that Oneness, that Universal One, the Internal Soul of everything, the Essence and Reality of everything, the Ever-free, the Ever-blissful, the Ever-existing. Through material science we come to the same Oneness. Science today is telling us that all things are but the manifestation of one energy which is the sum total of everything which exists, and the trend of humanity is towards freedom and not towards bondage. Why should men be moral? Because through morality is the path towards freedom, and immorality leads to bondage. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 752 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

277

Volume 101

Index to Titles and Authors

The Vedanta Kesari January–December 2014 ‘Let the Lion of Vedanta roar, the foxes will fly to their holes.’ —Swami Vivekananda

Managing Editor: Swami Gautamananda { Editor: Swami Atmashraddhananda Printed and Published by Swami Vimurtananda for

SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH MYLAPORE, CHENNAI 600 004

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 753 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

278

Annual Index 2014 Title - Index

Section A—January to November 2014

B Book Reviews 40, 82, 121, 161, 201, 242, 281, 320, 361, 441, 480 C Compilations Call to the Youth of India—Swami Vivekananda 18, 63, 107 ‘Do not Grieve. . . Truly do I promise to You’: Sri Krishna’s reassuring words from the Bhagavad Gita 28 Insights into Some Keywords: In Swami Vivekananda’s Words 430 Meaning of Dashanami Sampradaya, The 239 ‘This is Business Integrity’—Swami Vivekananda 144 Who Is A Wise Man—A Pundit? 348 Coming True of a Great Vision—Satadal Ghosh

460

E Editorial—Swami Atmashraddhananda Anatomy of Fanaticism, An Dealing with the Deceptive Ego ‘Is it Possible?’: The Question That We Ask Often Moral Gymnasium, A Power of Practice, The Setting Right the Compass Shraddha—the Power that Empowers Everything Some Permanent Facts About the ‘Impermanent’ Types of People, The View of Life, A—from ‘Above’ Waking Up Education For Self-development: Swami Vivekananda’s Views On Education— Amulya Ranjan Mohapatra T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 754 ~

D E C E M B E R

286 326 406 446 246 2 86 166 206 46 126 435 2 0 1 4

279

Extraordinary Mental Abilities of Swami Vivekananda: A Scientific Explanation—Syamal Kumar Sen F Family Values in Hinduism: Their Role in Promoting Peace and Happiness—Swami Sthiratmananda

195

G Gist of Vedanta in Two Words—Gokul Muthu Gita Verse for Reflection

33 445

H Holy Mother’s Panchatapa—the Austerity of Five-fires: A Mythological Perspective—Swami Sunirmalananda

131, 184

I ‘It Fills My Heart with Joy Unspeakable’—B. Hrudayakumari

149

K Knowing the Self—Through the Path of Unselfish Work —Brahmachari Tridivachaitanya

275, 314, 355, 431

M Man-making Education!: Some Reflections—Prema Nandakumar Medical Practice in India: Some Guidelines from Swami Vivekananda —Swami Brahmeshananda

262 219

N New Find—Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

31, 78, 99, 154, 193, 217, 260, 298, 350, 428, 470

O Order on the March, The

35, 80, 112, 158, 199, 241, 279, 318, 359, 438, 476

P Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash— Swami Damodarananda

414, 452

R Reports New Ramakrishna Temple at Jaipur, A Passing away of Revered Swami Gitanandaji Maharaj Restoration and Renovation of Vivekananda Illam Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2012-13 Relevance of Swami Vivekananda to the 21st Century—Swami Harshananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 755 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

181 172 156 75 173

280

S Saradananda in America, Swami: A Tapestry of Images—Vandana Jani 212, 255, 292 Scientific Basis of Habit, The: Spirituality in the Light of Neuroplasticity—Gopal C Bhar 229 Shri-viveka-guruvashtakam: Eight verses in praise of Swami Vivekananda —Sanskrit Composition—Brahmachari Bhudevachaitanya 209 Simhâvalokanam Arguments Against Atheism 6 Arguments Against Atheism 50 God 250 Misconception about Vedanta Removed 291 Notes of the Month: Psychology of Yoga 171 Pages from the Past 90 Reason and Faith 449 Renaissance of the Spirit 130 Some Reminiscences of the Early Sri Ramakrishna Math and Monks 330 With the Swamis in America 410 Work and Worship 211 Sister Nivedita’s Legacy in Ireland: Some Findings—Sarada Sarkar 472 Sister Subbalakshmi—A Pioneer in Women’s Education In South India—Prema Raghunath 308 Spiritual Universe of Sri Ramacharitamanas , The— As Seen through Its Two Invocatory Verses—A.P.N. Pankaj 9, 55, 96, 142, 189, 226, 272, 304, 344 T Thakur-Ma, One Reality—Sudesh True Education Liberates: Lessons from Sri Ramakrishna’s Upbringing —Swami Sandarshanananda

424, 457 69

V Value of Brahmacharya, The—Swami Tathagatananda 138, 177, 235 Vedanta: The Root of American Transcendentalism—Pravrajika Virajaprana 14, 58, 92 Vedic Chanting and its Relation to Indian Music—Subhadra Desai 269, 300, 352 Vedic Prayers 1, 45, 85, 125, 165, 205, 245, 285, 325, 405 Vivekananda, Swami: The Saint and the Patriot: And the Continuing Legacy —Umesh Gulati 101 Vivekananda’s Call for Global Leadership, Swami—Swami Atmarupananda 335 Vivekananda’s Host in London, Swami—Mystery Unveiled—Asim Chaudhuri 251 W What Do the Upanishads Teach Us?—Dan A. Chekki When God Descends on Earth—Swami Shantivratananda When Loss Becomes Gain—Pravrajika Virajaprana

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 756 ~

D E C E M B E R

135 265 340, 421

2 0 1 4

281

Author - Index A Amulya Ranjan Mohapatra—Education For Self-development: Swami Vivekananda’s Views On Education Asim Chaudhuri—Swami Vivekananda’s Host in London—Mystery Unveiled Atmarupananda, Swami— Swami Vivekananda’s Call for Global Leadership Atmashraddhananda, Swami—Editorial A Moral Gymnasium Anatomy of Fanaticism, An Dealing with the Deceptive Ego ‘Is it Possible?’: The Question That We Ask Often Power of Practice, The Setting Right the Compass Shraddha—the Power that Empowers Everything Some Permanent Facts About the ‘Impermanent’ Types of People, The View of Life, A—from ‘Above’ Waking Up

435 251 335 446 286 326 406 246 2 86 166 206 46 126

B Bhudevachaitanya, Brahmachari—Shri-viveka-guruvashtakam: Eight verses in praise of Swami Vivekananda—Sanskrit Composition Brahmeshananda, Swami—Medical Practice in India: Some Guidelines from Swami Vivekananda C Chekki, Dan A.—What Do the Upanishads Teach Us?

209 219 135

D Damodarananda, Swami—Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash

414, 452

G Gokul Muthu—Gist of Vedanta in Two Words Gopal C Bhar—The Scientific Basis of Habit: Spirituality in the Light of Neuroplasticity

33 229

Harshananda, Swami—Relevance of Swami Vivekananda to the 21st Century Hrudayakumari, B—‘It Fills My Heart with Joy Unspeakable’

173 149

P Pankaj, A.P.N.—The Spiritual Universe of Sri Ramacharitamanas— As Seen through Its Two Invocatory Verses 9, 55, 96, 142, 189, 226, 272, 304, 344 T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 757 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

282

Prema Nandakumar—Man-making Education!: Some Reflections Prema Raghunath—Sister Subbalakshmi—A Pioneer in Women’s Education In South India

262 308

S Sandarshanananda, Swami—True Education Liberates: Lessons from Sri Ramakrishna’s Upbringing Sarada Sarkar—Sister Nivedita’s Legacy in Ireland: Some Findings Satadal Ghosh—Coming True of a Great Vision Shantivratananda, Swami—When God Descends on Earth Sthiratmananda, Swami—Family Values in Hinduism: Their Role in Promoting Peace and Happiness Subhadra Desai—Vedic Chanting and its Relation to Indian Music Sudesh—Thakur-Ma, One Reality Sunirmalananda, Swami—Holy Mother’s Panchatapa—the Austerity of Five-fires: A Mythological Perspective Syamal Kumar Sen—Extraordinary Mental Abilities of Swami Vivekananda: A Scientific Explanation

69 472 460 265 22 269, 300, 352 424, 457 131, 184 195

T Tathagatananda, Swami—The Value of Brahmacharya Tridivachaitanya, Brahmachari—Knowing the Self—Through the Path of Unselfish Work

138, 177, 235 275, 314, 355, 431

U Umesh Gulati—Swami Vivekananda: The Saint and the Patriot: And the Continuing Legacy 101 V Vandana Jani—Swami Saradananda in America: A Tapestry of Images Virajaprana, Pravrajika—Vedanta: The Root of American Transcendentalism Virajaprana, Pravrajika—When Loss Becomes Gain Vivekananda, Swami—Call to the Youth of India—Compilation Vivekananda, Swami—‘This is Business Integrity’—Compilation

292, 212, 255 14, 58, 92 340, 421 18, 63, 107 144

Review - Index 100 Stories You Will Never Forget—by J.P.Vaswani. Adhyatma-Ramayanam—published by Shastra Dharma Prachar Sabha Advaitic Mysticism of Sankara—by A. Ramamurty Beggar—by Nileen Putatunda Bhagavad Gita: Duty Devotion and Divine Grace—by Thotalam Chellaswami Bhagavad Gita: Quin—Essence (Saarasaaram) of the Gita Semon—by Thotalam Chellaswami Biography of Swami Dayananda Giri—published by devotees Candipathah Incorporating Sridurgasaptasati (Devimahatmyam) and the associate Hymns—by Allahabadia Pran Nath Pankaj in association with Bhavana Pankaj T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 758 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

243 164 482 484 43 44 363 42

283

Classical and Contemporary Issues in Indian Studies—Edited by Penumala Pratap Kumar and Jonathan Duquette Classic Wisdom of Srimad Bhagavatam, The—by Swami Gurudasananda Cultural Unity of India—Edited by Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Destination Happiness—by J.P. Vaswani Empowering the Youth—Edited by Dr. M. Sivaramkrishna Enlightenment is Your Birthright—by Deepk Kodikal Garland of Letters, The—by Sir John Woodroffe Gift Within, The: Unravelling Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankara—Transmitted by Ram S Ramanathan How I Found God—by Yogi M. K. Spencer Introduction To Religious Philosophy—by Y.Masih Ishavasya Upanishad and the True Import of Dharma—by Swami Tyagishananda Journal of Oriental Research Madras, The—by The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute Meetings with Ramakrishna—by Lex Hixon Miracle of Forgiving, The—by J.P. Vaswani Mother of Mayavati—by Amrita M Salm, Ph.D. Panchajanyam Beckons—by V. Partha sarathy Pravrajika Bharatiprana—by Pravrajika Jnanadaprana Religious Behaviour and Spiritual Experience—by Ashit Chandra Chakraborty in collaboration with Swami Priyavratananda Saint of Modern India, A —A Biography of Sadhu Vaswani—by Hari P.Vaswani Sanatana Dharma And Its Special Features—by Swami Mukundananda Saraswati, Translated from original Telugu by K. Thirupaiah Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother—by Sumita Roy Say no to Negatives—by J. P. Vaswani Seven Spiritual Strategies—by Sri Vishwanath Shirdi Sai Baba—by S.G.Subramanian. Sister Christine and Sister Sudhira—published by Pravrajika Amalaprana Sister Subbalakshmi—by Pravrajika Jnanadaprana Social Message of Mahayana Buddhism, The—by Satya P. Agarwal and Urmila Agarwal Spirituality in Daily Life: Experiencing God Everyday—by J. P. Vaswani Sri Ramakrishna – Love That Knows No Limits—by M Sivaramkrishna Story of Nachiketa, The—by Sri Vishwanath Story of Sister Nivedita, The—by Pravrajika Atmaprana Sundara Kandam in Kamba Ramayanam—Translated into English by R. Viswanathan; original Tamil text by Kurinji. Gnana Vaithiyanathan SwaDhyaya Makarandam—by Shyamala Devi Bhogaraju Tapaswini Matajee Ganga Bai—by Pravrajika Jnanadaprana Ubhaya Bharati—A historical Play—by C.K. Venkata Ramayya, Tr. by S. Ramaswamy Vivekananda, Swami – New Perspectives – An Anthology on Swami Vivekananda —by Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata Vivekananda, Swami—Prophet of Patriotism—Edited by Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan, T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 759 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

281 483 201 82 41 122

481 281 244 443 282 242 283 162 163 363 321 202 83 361 444 204 202 362 363 83 201 442 324 362 203 84 362 122 441 41

284

Vivekananda in Europe—by Swami Vidyatmananda Vivekananda Tells Stories, Swami—Compiled and edited by Swami Atmashraddhananda Vivekananda the Man of Letters, Swami—by Prof. Dr. K. Subrahmanyam. Way to Women’s Freedom, The—by Anjana Gangopadhyay Why Be Sad—by J.P.Vaswani Women: Where Would the World Be Without You—by J.P.Vaswani Yoga in day-to-day Life—by Swami Brahmeshananda You Can Change Your Life—by J.P. Vaswani

242 40 480 323 123 121 284

Reviewers Chetana Mandavia Dr. Eakambaram, N Gokul Muthu Gopalakrishnan, Dr. R Gopalan, K Monastic Reviewer, A Panchapagesan, K Prema Nandakumar Prema Raghunath Probal Ray Choudhury Ramanarayanan, M.C. Santosh Kumar Sharma Seshadri, V Shantichaitanya, Br. Sivaramkrishna, Prof. M. Srinivas Chari, T.K. Subhasis Chattopadhyay Sundaram, P.S. Swami Brahmeshananda Swami Divyakripananda Swamy, NVC

201 203 243 363 204, 164 483 83, 123, 244 281 283, 122 82 41 164, 444 163 124, 162, 443, 481, 484 43, 83 282 84 364 324 242 204 202 41, 42, 84, 202, 284, 324, 361, 44, 444 321, 323, 484 244, 284 121, 441, 482

Section B—DECEMBER - 2014 (CENTENARY ISSUE) The Vedanta Kesari (1914 - 2014)—A Journey of 100 years ‘Let the Lion of Vedanta Roar’

485

Benedictions  Swami Atmasthananda President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Smaranananda Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Vagishananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 760 ~

D E C E M B E R

487 488 489 2 0 1 4

285

Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Prabhananda Vice President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission  Swami Suhitananda General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

490 491

Editorial  The Lion of Vedanta—Its Eternal Roar

492

Articles  The Brahmavadin: Chronicler of Early Ramakrishna Movement Somenath Mukherjee Compilations  ‘Let this Paper be Your Ishtadevata’ Swami Vivekananda  The Vedanta Kesari—An Overview  Days at the Vedanta Kesari: Recollections of Past Editors

504

496 512 529

Feature (Simhâvalokanam)  Eight Decades (1914-1997) of the Vedanta Kesari: A Look Back B.N. Sikdar

519

Spotlight: Spirituality Today An overview of contemporary trends in spiritual living and essentials of spirituality

Editorial  Why Spirituality Today?

540

544 548 637

Feature (Simhâvalokanam)  Spiritual Life— Swami Bhuteshananda  The Synthesis of Science and Spirituality— Swami Ranganathananda  Science and Spirituality— Swami Tapasyananda

556 560 564

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 761 ~

D E C E M B E R

568 568 571 574

2 0 1 4

286



                  

Naumi Guru Vivekanandam: Contemplation on Swami Vivekananda: An Aid to Spirituality Swami Chetanananda Yoga in the Eyes of Swami Vivekananda Swami Bhaskarananda Global Spiritual Movement and Swamiji’s Universal Vedanta Swami Bhajanananda Living the Spiritual Life Swami Dayatmananda Resolving Inner Conflicts: A Spiritual Perspective Swami Atmarupananda How To Lead An Enriching Life: Lessons from Vedanta Swami Brahmeshananda A Life of Fulfillment and Peace—the Vivekananda Way Swami Nityasthananda Sarada Devi—A Great Spiritual Wonder Swami Suvirananda The Atman—Our Divine Core Pravrajika Vrajaprana Spiritual Life for Students Swami Abhiramananda Spirituality Today—Lessons from Ramakrishna Swami Atmapriyananda Spiritual But Not Religious Swami Tyagananda Practical Vedanta in the Contemporary Western Context Swami Baneshananda Conveying Spirituality to the Youth Swami Sarvapriyananda The Practical Spirituality of Holy Mother Swami Mahayogananda A Modern Approach to an Ancient Religion Prema Nandakumar Science of Spirituality NVC Swamy The Impact of Swami Vivekananda in the West: An Overview Jeffery D. Long Unselfishness—the Core of Spiritual Practices R. Balasubramaniam ‘Character is Spirituality’ : Cultivating Character of Youth in America T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 762 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

578 590 594 606 611 617 622 632 653 657 664 671 675 685 690 695 699 705 712 715

287

      

Vandana Jani Is Virtue It’s Own Punishment?: Spiritual Quest and Pursuit of Virtues Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani Keys To Understanding Spirituality M. Sivaramkrishna Spirituality and Scientific Temperament: A Vedantic Perspective N. Gokulmuthu Seva—the Foundation-stone of Spirituality Pramod Kumar Man, the Maker of His Own Destiny: A Spiritual Perspective R. Gopalakrishnan Spirituality in the 21st Century—A Scientific Overview Jay Lakhani Annual Index Month-wise page numbers of the volume

Month

Page No

Month

723 726 731 736 741 749 754

Page No

January

1-44

July

245-284

February

45-84

August

285-324

March

85-124

September

325-364

April

125-164

October

405-444

May

165-204

November

445-484

June

205-244

December (Spotlight)

485-763

Note: Volume pages from 365 to 404 were skipped by oversight. Hence the volume pages for October issue (pp. 405-444) should be read as continued from September issue (from p.364).

By being pleasant always and smiling, it takes you nearer to God, nearer than any prayer. How can those minds that are gloomy and dull love? If they talk of love, it is false; they want to hurt others. Think of the fanatics; they make the longest faces, and all their religion is to fight against others in word and act. Think of what they have done in the past, and of what they would do now if they were given a free hand. They would deluge the whole world in blood tomorrow if it would bring them power. By worshipping power and making long faces, they lose every bit of love from their hearts. So the man who always feels miserable will never come to God. It is not religion, it is diabolism to say, ‘I am so miserable.’ Every man has his own burden to bear. If you are miserable, try to be happy, try to conquer it. God is not to be reached by the weak. Never be weak. You must be strong; you have infinite strength within you. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 763 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

288

T h e

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 764 ~

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

289

2 0 1 4

All India Short Film Contest on

Swami Vivekananda National Youth Day - 12th January 2015 In the year 1985, Swami Vivekananda's birthday, 12th January, was declared as National Youth Day by the Government of India. This year Sri Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, are jointly conducting a Short Film Contest on Swamiji. This year we are conducting a Short Film Contest on Swamiji open to all below 35 years.

Themes for short films on Swami Vivekananda

STRENGTH:

1. ‘Face the brute’ 2. 'Every idea that strengthens you, must be taken up and every thought that weakens you, must be rejected.'

MAN MAKING:

3.‘Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.’ 4. Work like a master, not as a slave.

NATION BUILDING: 5. ‘The national ideals of India are RENUNCIATION AND SERVICE. Intensify her in these channels, and the rest will take care of itself.’ 6. ‘There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of woman is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.’ Apart from these themes, whatever thoughts of Swami Vivekananda that deal with present day challenges of the society can be adopted as theme of the short film. ✔ Awards for six best entries. ✔ Registration fee Rs.100/✔ Film duration 3-8 mts in HD quality. ✔ Films can be in Tamil/Hindi/English/Silent.

✔ For other Indian languages subtitle must be in English. ✔ All entries should be original & creative.

1st Prize - Rs. 1,00,000/Two 2nd Prizes - Rs. 75,000/Three 3rd Prizes - Rs. 50,000/For Terms & Conditions visit our website www.chennaimath.org/ydc2015 Application Form can be downloaded from the same site.

Last date for submitting your entries: 10 December 2014 Address: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai -600004. Ph: 24621110 Email:ydc@chennaimath.org Facebook: facebook.com/srkvijayam Blog: srkvijayam.com Contact : 98407 86029, 82208 22026

T h e

V edanta K esari

290

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Swami Yatiswarananda As We Knew Him Reminiscences of Monastic and Lay Devotees Compiled and edited by the monks and devotees of the Ramakrishna Order (A set of two volumes) Swami Yatiswarananda (1889-1966) was an eminent disciple of Swami Brahmananda Maharaj, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna and the first President of the Ramakrishna Order. Swami Yatiswarananda lived with many direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and was the President of Mumbai and Chennai Centres of Ramakrishna Math before leaving for Europe in 1933. At the request of earnest devotees in Germany, he was sent to Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and later America. He returned to India in 1950 and was the President of Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, from 1951 to 1966. He was one of the Vice Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. His well-known books, Adventures in Religious Life, and Meditation and Spiritual Life, are classics in holistic approach to spirituality, harmonizing the Four Yogas of Jnana, Karma, Bhakti and Dhyana. Containing more than 100 articles by senior monks, nuns and devotees of the Ramakrishna Order, the new book has a detailed biography of Swami Yatiswarananda, select letters, precepts and several pictures. An audio CD containing 16 recordings of his lectures and chanting are a part of the book. Book Size : ‘Royal’, hardbound Price: Rupees 200/- per set (total pages 1550) Postage: Rupees 100 per set (registered parcel) No request for VPP entertained

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

T h e

V edanta K esari

291

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Booklets for the Youth Bhagavad Gita for Students Meant to help the modern students to become better students and live meaningfully. It is a topical selection of Gita verses keeping a student in mind. It is a readyreference to know what Gita says about control of mind, overcoming anger, concentration of mind, healthy interpersonal relationships, true happiness and so on. Pages 70 + xiv. Price: Rs. 20/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy.

Upanishads for Students Upanishads, the eternal source of strength and wisdom, are the foundation of Indian Culture. The modern students can learn from them the greatest findings about Self-knowledge, concentration, true purpose of life and strength to face challenges of life. This booklet helps students gain some insights into the timeless message of the Upanishads. Pages 62 + xviii. Price: Rs. 25/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy.

Universal Prayers for Youth A compilation of soul-stirring prayers from the Sanskrit literature aiming at introducing the youth to the practice of prayer for self-development and spiritual living. Being prayerful helps one live a life of fearlessness and strength drawn from a Divine Source. Pages 44 + xxvi. Price: Rs. 25/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

T h e

V edanta K esari

292

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

The Vedanta Kesari

Some of the recent Annual Issues of The Vedanta Kesari now available in book form: (1999) Globalization (2002) How to Organise Life (2004) Sri Ramakrishna in Today’s Violent World (2005) Channelling Youth Power (2006) No One is a Stranger (2007) Upanishads in Daily Life (2008) Gita for Everyday Living (2009) How to Shape the Personality (2010) Facets of Freedom (2011) Joy of Spirituality

: : : : : : : : : :

Rs.60/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.60/Rs.80/-

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Plus postage Rs.25/- for single copy. No request for VPP entertained

T h e

V edanta K esari

293

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

BUILD A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN Daridra Narayan Seva: Serving the uneducated, illiterate women, and people affected by flood/drought, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion by regularly distributing dhoti and sarees (about 800 per year), blankets (about 700 per year), food packets to the suffering villagers, and 15 to 10 bicycles every year to poor high school girls. Education Seva: Serving the indigent tribal children, who are first generation learners, by running three rural primary schools and six free coaching centres in the remote village areas. In addition, the Ashrama administers a higher secondary school, a primary school, and a kindergarten school for the indigent children of Malda. Finally, we also provide a hostel for 70 students, either at nominal cost or free. Medical Seva: Serving the indigents who dwell in the slums and do not have the means for proper medical care, by operating both allopathic and homeopathic dispensaries, providing mobile medical service for the poor, and conducting ten medical camps every week. T B patients are given free medicines and injections. Every year approximately 30,000 people receive free medical care in the units of the Ashrama. Dear Friends, Your contributions are the sole sustenance for the above seva. I humbly request you to donate generously. We hope to create a corpus fund of two crore rupees, the interest of which will help us to meet the above expenses. In your donation, kindly mention that it is for the ‘corpus fund for the philanthropic activities of our Ashrama’. All donations for this noble cause are tax exempt as per the Income Tax Act, 80G. A/c payee Cheque/ Draft may be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Malda’. Online donations may be made to the following bank accounts of Malda Ashrama with intimation to us: State Bank of India of Malda —111753632.70, United Bank of India 0133010034363. Swami Parasharananda Secretary RAMAKRISHNA MISSION ASHRAMA (A branch centre of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, West Bengal) Malda, West Bengal—732,101. Tel.- 03512-252479; email: rkm.malda@gmail.com

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

294

2 0 1 4

Ramakrishna Math

South Nada, Opp. Ashoka Petrol Pump, Haripad - 690514

Dist. Alleppey, Kerala. Phone: 0479-2411700, 0974 5325 834. Email: srkmathharipad@gmail.com, viveka.vira@gmail.com Website: www.rkmathharipad.org

Help Build A New Centre For Sri Ramakrishna An Appeal

Swami Brahmananda

Dear Devotees, well-wishers and friends, Ramakrishna Math at Haripad in Kerala was started in 1912 and has been sanctified by the stay of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, the Spiritual Son of Sri Ramakrishna. But by long lapse of time, the buildings have become totally unfit for use. To start with, we propose to have the Monk’s quarters, rooms for Welfare and social activities, office building, Library and free reading room, guests room and a Universal Temple of Sri Ramakrishna. The entire infrastructure has to be re-constructed. By the grace of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna, the plans for rebuilding the whole centre has been prepared. The estimated expenditure for this project is Rupees 5 Crores. We invite every one of you the noble-hearted people, specially the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, to come forward with their generous donations to enable us to erect this abode for Sri Ramakrishna and serve humanity. Every one, who participates in this seva-yajna (service-sacrifice) will be a sure recipient of the blessings of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi Yours in the Lord, and Swami Vivekananda. Swami Virabhadrananda, Adhyaksha

Details for sending donations Donations from India: Cheque / D.D may be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Math, Haripad’ NEFT Transfer :A/C Number : 30642551603, : State Bank of India. Haripad. RTGS/NEFT/IFSC code: SBIN0010596. (In case of NEFT transfer please email your Name, Amount, Postal Address, PAN NUMBER, phone number &transaction details to srkmathharipad@gamil.com This is for accounting purposes.) Donations from Foreign countries: Kindly draw a Cheque / Draft in favour of "Ramakrishna Math" and send it to the General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, Dt. Howrah (West Bengal), Pin -711 202, India. In the covering letter mention that it is a donation for Haripad Centre building fund. And inform all the details of the donation to e-mail: srkmathharipad@gmail.com, viveka.vira@gmail.com

Donations to Ramakrishna Math are Exempt from Income Tax Under Section 80 G. Old godown used as Monks’ Quarters at present

Old building in a dilapidated condition

T h e

V edanta K esari

295

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

296

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

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

DEEPAVALI GREETINGS - 2014 An Appeal 36 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2014 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 Annaksetram - Kothapeta / Rishikesh 5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram – Tirupati 6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - Berhampur [Orissa] 7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - Serango & Kalahandi [Orissa] 8. Navajeevan Orphanage Children Homes – Tirupati, Parlehkimundi, Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag & Araku 9. Navajeevan Veda Vidyalaya [for Atharvan Vedam] - Tirupati

A Humble Request for Donation 1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged 2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations 3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year 4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year 5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area 6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child

– – – – – –

Rs. 5000/Rs. 7000/Rs. 6000/Rs. 5000/Rs. 50000/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. Our Bank details for online transfer : Bank Name : Indian Bank , Gandhi Road Branch, Tirupati SB A/c No: 463789382, Account Holder : Navajeevan Blind Relief Centre, Branch Code: T036, IFSC code: IDIB000T036,

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

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

297

Prime Academy

In Pursuit of Academic Excellence New No.20, Old No. 10, Justice Sundaram Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Ph: 2467 1478, 2467 1298 Webstie: www.primeacademy.com E-mail: primeacademyindia@gmail.com

“world is the light

India’s gift to the

spiritual. The gift of India is the gift of religion and philosophy, and wisdom and spirituality.

”

—Swami Vivekananda

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

298

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

OUR BEST WISHES FOR THE CENTENARY YEAR OF VEDANTA KESARI

A boat may stay in water, but water should not stay in the boat. An aspirant may live in the world, but the world should not live within him. —Sri Ramakrishna Be content with whereever and in whatever situation he places you. The goal is to call upon Him and to attain to him. If you call upon Him, Sri Ramakrishna will lead you by the hand. —Sri Sarada Devi Strength is life, weakness is death. We are the Atman, deathless and free ; pure, pure by nature. —Swami Vivekananda

Sri Ramakrishna Trust & Ashrama, Sri Ramakrishna Mat. Hr. Sec. School, Chengam – 606 701. Ph : 04188 – 224123, 222252 E.mail : srktrust.chengam@gmail.com, srkms.chengam@gmail.com

K.S. Venkatraman & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Exotica, 8th Floor, B Block, 24, Venkatnarayana Road, T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017, India T + 91 44 4400 4700F + 91 44 4400 4747. www.ksv.co.in

T h e

V edanta K esari

299

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

PRANAMS TO HOLY TRIO

Muthuraman & Sons Agencies No: 29, Stringers Street, Chennai - 600 108. Ph.No: 044 - 2536 7320 / 2536 3703 / 2538 2990 Fax.No: 044 - 2536 6719

egappan@muthuraman.in, sairam@muthuraman.in, kesavan@muthuraman.in

Whole sale dealers: 1. Seshasayee Paper & Boards Limited, 2. Malar Paper Mills Pvt. Ltd. 3. Servalakshmi Paper Ltd.

Our Sister Concern:

Sethu Enterprises No: 29, Stringers Street, Chennai - 600 108.

Wholesale dealers: Premium Stationery from ITC Class mate & Paper Craft Note Books BILT - Premium Executive Series, Royal Executive Bond SPB Success Note Book / Examination Paper Ruled / Unruled

T h e

V edanta K esari

300

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

Om Sakthi Binding Works No. 43, T.K. Mudali Street, Choolai, Chennai - 600 112. Phone : 26690988 Mobile: 9940216389 / 9840835022

F Perfect Binding F Machine (Section) Sewing F Machine Folding

F Machine Perforation F Machine Scoring F Pinning

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

301

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

302

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

With Best Compliments

Bhavan’s Book University RECENT RELEASES 1. The Rig Veda Samhita Vols.I to IV Modern English Translation —Prasanna Chandra Gautam (each) 2. Tips for Health Care—Vaidya Suresh Chaturvedi 3. Encounters: Real and Surreal—V.N. Narayanan 4. Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple—Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi 5. Mahabharata 6. Ramayana 7. Srimad Bhagavatam—Kamala Subramaniam 8. Ramayana 9. Mahabharata 10. Bhagavad Gita (A Handbook for Students)—C. Rajagopalachari 11. Kulapati Munshi: Pictorial Biography 12. The Vedas—Kanchi Paramacharya 13. Role and Responsibility of Teachers In Building up Modern India—Swami Ranganathananda For details, please contact: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Publication Division 505, Sane Guruji Marg, Gora Gandhi Compound, Tardeo, Mumbai–400034. Ph.: 23530916/23514466/23519808/23520385(Direct) E-mail: bhavan@bhavans.info or pvsankarankutty@bhavans.info Website: www.bhavans.info

` 1, 250/` 150/` 400/` 750/` 600/` 600/` 600/` 190/` 190/` 70/` 100/` 175/`

175/-

T h e

V edanta K esari

303

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

304

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Speaking Flute A Collection of Stories Swami Vimurtananda A collection of stories on higher values published at different points of time in Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam, the Tamil monthly of the Ramakrishna Order, the book has the English translation of 25 selected stories. The stories highlight the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Originally written in Tamil by Swami Vimurtananda, under the pen name Bhamathimaindan, and translated into English by a group of devotees. Pages 218 + vi. Price: Rs. 85/- + Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy. Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

Wisdom in Verses Translation of Dohavali of Goswami Tulasidas Swami Brahmeshananda Dohavali is an important work by the famous saint-poet Goswami Tulasidas. Written in Awadhi language, it contains both spiritual and secular wisdoms with specific emphasis on the devotion to Sri Rama and chanting Rama Nama. The book abounds in nuggets of wisdom as well as intence devotion to Sri Rama. English translation is by Swami Brahmeshananda, a senior monk and a former Editor of The Vedanta Kesari and an author on spiritual matters. Pages 222 + ix. Price: Rs. 70/- + Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy. Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

T h e

V edanta K esari

305

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

Maruthi Coaching Centre Training Division of SAB Professional Service (P) Ltd. 42, Alamelu Mangapuram, Chennai - 600 004

“own actions. So, instead of blamOne suffers as a result of one’s

ing others for such sufferings, one should pray to the Lord and depending entirely on His grace, try to bear them patiently and with forbearance under all circumstances.

”

—Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

306

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

Shri Guru Kripa Learning Centre (A Unit of Taxpayer Plan Pvt. Ltd.,)

‘Shri Guru Padhuka’ 27, Akbarabad 2nd Street, Kodambakkam, Chennai - 600 024. Tel : 044 - 24837667 / 24847667 / 24803737 / 24801372 Email : padhuka@shrigurukripa.com

“earth. What iniquities are being One must be patient like the

perpetrated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. Man, too, should be like that.

”

—Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

307

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

With Best Compliments

C. Sitaraman & Co LAW BOOKSELLER, PUBLISHER AND DISTRIBUTOR

Authorised Agent for Government of India and Tamil Nadu Government Publication E-mail: csandco@sitaraman.com / order@sitaraman.com Website: www.sitaraman.com 73/37, Royapettah High Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 Ph: 28111516, 28117069, 28112990, Fax: 044-28113947

be afraid. Human birth “is Don’t full of suffering and one has to endure everything patiently, taking the Name of God. None, not even God in human form, can escape the sufferings of the body and mind.

”

—Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

T h e

V edanta K esari

308

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

309

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

310

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

311

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

With Best Compliments

Sri Ramakrishna Book Stall Working Hours: 8 a.m to 8 p.m Sunday Holiday Egmore Railway Station, Chennai - 600 008. Ph: 9444437174 / 9445143339

As a lamp does not burn without oil, so “a man cannot live without God. ” —Sri Ramakrishna

T h e

V edanta K esari

312

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

V edanta K esari

T h e

313

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

Apollo Hospital Enterprise Ltd. Ali Towers, 55, Greams Road, Chennai - 600 006 Tel: 28294203, 28293333. Fax: 28292026

“can make himself happy, and

Man thinks foolishly that he

after years of struggle finds out at last that true happiness consisting killing selfishness and that no one can make him happy except himself.

”

—Swami Vivekananda

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

314

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

“

Simplicity is the secret. My ideal of language is my Master’s language, most colloquial and yet most expressive. It must express the thought which is intended to be conveyed. —Swami Vivekananda

”

With Best Compliments From:

Sanvik PRINTERS

No. 9, Appavu Gramani 2nd Street, Mandaveli, Chennai - 600 028

: 2431 0419, 2432 0569, 2495 1979 Fax : 4206 7879 Email : sanvikprinters@gmail.com

With Best Compliments

The Vadasery Handloom Weavers’ Store New No. 25, R.K. Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Head Office: Nagercoil Tel No: (044) 2464 1746

For

High Quality 10 x 6, 9 x 5, 9, 8, 4 Dhoties and towels

T h e

V edanta K esari

315

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

316

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

With Best Compliments

CMC Manufacturing Co. Pvt. Ltd. An ISO 9001-2008 COMPANY - Certified by DNV) Manufacturer of Copper, Aluminium Bus Bar, Switchgear Component, CNC Machining Component, Transformer Busing Stud, Flexible Jumper, Industrial Battery Connectors, inserts, Fasteners & Lead Casting Strap.

Office 85, Netaji Subhas Road, 1st. Floor, Kolkata - 700 001 Ph: 2243 3433, Fax: (033) 2337 9333 Email: cmc@cmcpl.co.in Contact Person: Mr. D. Saha, Mob: 9830045610

T h e

V edanta K esari

317

D E C E M B E R

Srilanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Angkorwat Tours. All international international package package tours tours we we will will be arranged. All arranged

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

318

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

319

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

320

2 0 1 4

With Best Compliments

Xicon International Ltd INDIAN IN ESSENCE : GLOBAL IN APPROACH Engineering Procurement & Construction Services

• For Turnkey Projects: Fuel Oil – Unloading / Storage / Transfer Balance of Plant Equipment for DG & Gas Turbines based Power Plants Electrical Heat Tracing System Lube Oil Purification System

• Mechanical Projects Involving: Tanks / Pressure Vessels Stacks / Chimneys Piping Steam Tracing Pumping & Heating Skids Ducting Structural steel

M/s. Xicon International Ltd.

Solaris I, F Wing, 283-287, Saki Vihar Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai – 400 072. Phone: 022-28478700 – 03 Fax: 91-22-28478707 Email: xicon@bom4.vsnl.net.in Website: www.xiconinternational.com

With Best Compliments

Blow Packaging (India) Private Limited MANUFACTURES OF: Jerry Cans, Carbouys, Blow and Injected Moulded Plastic Articles Ranging from 250 ML to 260 Ltrs Factory: 271, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Ambattur, Chennai - 600 098 Admin: 403, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Ambattur, Chennai - 600 098 Telephone: 044 42189453, 42189454 Fax: 044 42080411 / 044 42009348 E-mail: bpil55d@gmail.com / bpilsales@gmail.com

T h e

V edanta K esari

321

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

322

With Best Compliments

Nalli Silks Chennai

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

323

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

Sri Krishna Pharmacy [Unit of Sri Krishna Health Care & Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.,) New No. 6, Hospital Road, Cuddalore - 607 001 Ph: 04142-292545

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

324

D E C E M B E R

With Best Compliments

A Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna

“upon all as your equals, cleanse Do not pity anyone. Look

yourself of the primal sin of inequality. We are all equal, and must not think, ‘I am good and you are bad, and I am trying to reclaim you.’

”

—Swami Vivekananda

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

325

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

326

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

327

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

328

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

329

With Best Compliments

Scope Software Pvt. Ltd., Regd. off.9, (Old No.4), 10th Street, Nanganallur, Chennai - 600 061. Phone : 2267 1088 Email: sspl1985@gmail.com

up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream “ofTake it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.

”

—Swami Vivekananda

With Best Compliments

EXPO

HMHD, LD, PP, POLYTHENE BAGS & ROLLS a Pick-up Bags a Textile Bags a Bread Bags a Nursery Bags

a Poly Colour Bags a Coffee Bags

a Grocery Bags a Salt Bags

FLEXO PRINTED BAGS

Expo Plastic Industries 10, ANDERSON STREET, CHENNAI – 600 001. PHONE : 044 - 43111134 Dealers in : Plastic Raw Materials & Colour Concentrates Cell No : 9840229510 / 9884029506 Fax: 42625990 E-mail : expoplastics@yahoo.co.in

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

330

With Best Compliments

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

331

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

D E C E M B E R

332

2 0 1 4

Merit Engineer Solution for Modern Wagon Rapid Bulk Loading

System, Silo system, Weighing, Gates/Valves, Dust Control & Automation. ♦

♦ ♦

4000 TPH WAGON BULK LOADING SYSTEM

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Rapid Bulk loading system for Clinker/Coal/ Gypsum/Iron Ore/ Pellets/Sulphar into Wagon/Trucks with Dust control system. Silo Feeding, Aeration & Extraction System for Cement & Fly Ash. Conventional Clinker/Cement/Fly Ash Bulk weighing & Loading System in Trucks and Wagons Auto sampling system Mini Material Handling Plant. Air Blaster Telescopic Dustless loading spout/ Chute Bag Filter (Integral or External) Horizontal Positioner Electronic Weigh Bridge. Air Slide - Open and Close type Clam Shell/Sector/Silo extraction

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Gate Double Flapper Valve Sluice Flapper Valve Rolling Blade Diverting Gate Bucket type Diverting Gate Flap Type diverting Gate Prism Type Diverting Gate Rack & Pinion Gate Screw Conveyor Screw Sampler Rotary Air Lock Valve Nip Trap Rod Gate Belt Feeder Gate Rolling Slide Gate Manual Slide Gate Hydraulic Power pack Hopper Weighing & Plant Automation

Please Contact to:

MERIT TECHNOLOGIES INDIA LTD Pre weigh Truck loading system

152 Defence Colony, Ekkattuthangal, Chennai - 600 032, TamilNadu Tel. No. 91-044- 22334099, 22318697/98/99 Fax. No. 91 - 044-42647382 E- Mail: Sales@merittech.co.in Website: www.meritbulkhandling.com

With Best Compliments

Cauvery Motors Pvt. Ltd. Sy.No. 13, 11 k.m. Kanakapura Road, Bangalore - 560 062 Tel.: 080 26322271 / 72 / 73 /74 Fax: 26321945

“sacrifices.. ” —Swami Vivekananda Great things are done only by great

T h e

V edanta K esari

333

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

Yoga in Day-to-Day Life

Swami Brahmeshananda How many really know that Yoga is much more than mere bodily postures and breathcontrol? According to Patanjali, Yoga has eight limbs aimed at total extinction of all suffering. The book has chapters on the common theme of yoga as well as on basis of Yoga—five Yamas, universal moral values, and Niyama, the specific disciplines a true Yoga seeker must practice. There are sections on Asana and Pranayama. Pratyahara, Dharana, Japa and meditation. The book introduces the reader to the various limbs of Yoga in order to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Pages xiv + 250

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

Price: Rs. 50/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy. Request for VPP will not be entertained

Walking the Walk A Karma Yoga Manual

Swami Tyagananda A handy volume containing a clear elucidation of Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga—as well as other Yogas—Walking the Walk is a must for all serious spiritual seekers. It attempts to demystify and unravel the concept of Karma, bondage and freedom along with practical suggestions for transforming ordinary Karma into an act of Yoga. The author, a former editor of the Vedanta Kesari, is the head of Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, USA, and Hindu Chaplain at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

Pages xiii + 129. Price: Rs. 55/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained

T h e

V edanta K esari

334

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

List Advertisement of the Vedanta Kesari December 2014 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

SOUTHERN ELECTRONICS MAHENDRA PERFUMERY OBUL REDDY SVISS LAVINO KAPOOR SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH, MYLAPORE (SHORT FILM CONTEST 7. SWAMI YATISWARANANDA AS WE KNEW HIM, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 8. BOOKLETS FOR THE YOUTH, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 9. THE VEDANTA KESARI SPECIAL ISSUES, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 10. MALDA APPEAL 11. SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH, HARIPAD 12. ADVAITA ASHRAMA, MOTHER OF MAYAVATI 13. NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE 14. PRIME ACADEMY 15. SRI RAMAKRISHNA MAT. HR. SEC. SCHOOL 16. K.S. VENKATRAMAN & CO. PVT. LTD. 17. MUTHURAMAN & SONS AGENCIES 18. SRI NACHAMMAI COTTON MILLS LIMITED 19. OM SAKTHI BINDING WORKS 20. M/S. THATIKONDA VATSALA RAMACHANDRA FOUNDATION 21. KRISHNA AGENCIES & SERVICES COMPANY 22. BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN 23. SUNDARAM-CLAYTON LIMITED 24. SPEAKING FLUTE, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 25. WISDOM IN VERSES, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 26. MARUTHI COACHING CENTRE 27. SHRI GURU KRIPA LEARNING CENTRE 28. C. SITARAMAN & CO 29. SRI RAMAKRISHNA EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY, VILLUPURAM 30. VAYANA 31. SUNDARAM FINANCE GROUP 32. NATIONAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE, KOVILPATTI, TAMIL NADU

2 335 336 337 338 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 298 299 300 300 301 302 302 303 304 304 305 306 307 308 309 310

33. SRI RAMAKRISHNA BOOK STALL, EGMORE, CHENNAI 34. TVS MOTOR COMPANY 35. APOLLO HOSPITAL ENTERPRISE LTD. 36. SANVIK PRINTERS 37. THE VADASERY HANDLOOM WEAVERS’ STORE 38. BAKER’S CAFE 39. SANGEETHA VEG. RESTAURANT 40. CMC MANUFACTURING CO. PVT. LTD. 41. HYDRO PNEUMATIC ENGINEERS (HYD) PVT. LTD. 42. SRI RAMAKRISHNA YATRA SERVICES 43. THE RAMAKRISHNA-VIVEKANANDA VEDANTA LITERATURE SHOWROOM 44. SIFY CORP 45. SURUCHI (APPOLLO SINDOORI) 46. XICON INTERNATIONAL LTD 47. BLOW PACKAGING (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED 48. SANKARA EYE HOSPITAL 49. NALLI SILKS, CHENNAI 50. ADYAR BAKERY 51. SRI KRISHNA PHARMACY 52. A DEVOTEE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 53. VIJAYA BANK 54. URC CONSTRUCTION (P) LTD 55. INDIAN OVERSEASE BANK 56. SINDOORI FABER 57. SCOPE SOFTWARE PVT. LTD., 58. EXPO PLASTIC INDUSTRIES 59. PONVIDYASHRAM 60. SUDARSHAN SAUR 61. MERIT TECHNOLOGIES INDIA LTD 62. CAUVERY MOTORS PVT. LTD. 63. YOGA IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, SRK MATH, CHENNAI 64. WALKING THE WALK, SRK MATH, CHENNAI

311

Our grateful thanks to the advertisers for their generous support

311 312 313 314 314 315 315 316 316 317 317 318 319 320 320 321 322 323 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 329 330 331 332 332 333 333

T h e

V edanta K esari

335

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

336

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

337

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T h e

V edanta K esari

338

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 4