The Vedanta Kesari August 2010 Issue

A ugust 2010

VOL. 97, No. 8

ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL M O N T H L Y O F T H E R A M A K R I S H N A O R D E R

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

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

CONTENTS Vedic Prayers

August 2010

285

Editorial

Strength is Life

286

Articles

Swami Vivekananda’s Voice Recording?

M S Nanjundiah An Event in the Court of Janaka Swami Golokananda Disaster Relief: Valuable Experiences Swami Suvirananda Mary Tappan Wright: Swamiji’s first Western Chronicler Somenath Mukherjee Spiritual Values in the Gita Swami Visharadananda

292 294 297 302 314

Special Column

Influence of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda on Contemporary Bengali Literature - IV Hironmoy Mukherjee

309

New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

312

The Order on the March

318

Book Reviews

321

Features Simhâvalokanam (Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master)—289, Vivekananda Tells Stories—306

Cover Story: Page 4

2

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Cover Story Kapaleshwara Temple, Mylapore, Chennai Located around 300 hundred metres from the Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, the Kapaleshwara Temple is an ancient temple.

Shiva, the presiding deity of the temple, is called Kapaleshwara and the Divine Mother Parvati is called as Karpagambal. According to the tradition, Divine Mother worshipped Shiva here in the form of the peacock (mayil in Tamil), and that is how the area around the temple is called Mylapore. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and many direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna including Swami Brahmananda and Swami Ramakrishnananda have visited the temple. Flanked by a large water tank in front, the temple is visited by thousands of devotees daily. †

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Continued on page 45

VOL. 97, No. 8, AUGUST 2010 ISSN 0042-2983

E

ACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

T HE

GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.

Vedic Prayers

Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda

`Ò_mÀnaß Zmna_pÒV qH${MV≤ `Ò_mfimUr`mo Z ¡`m`mo@pÒV H${¸V≤ & d•j Bd ÒV„Ymo {X{d {V>À`oH$-ÒVoZoXß nyU™ nwÈfoU gd©_≤ && —Shvetashvatara Upanishad, III, 9

`Ò_mV≤ to whom na_≤ superior Anaß than whom AUr`Ö more minute ¡`m`Ö older in age H${¸V≤ any one Z ApÒV there is not d•j Bd like a tree ÒV„YÖ immovable EH$Ö alone {X{d in his own effulgence {V>{V stands VoZ nwÈfoU by that Purusha (Being) BXß gd™ the whole of this nyU™ filled.

There is nothing higher than or different from Him. Nothing is greater or more minute than Him. Seated in His own glory He stands like a tree, one without a second and immovable. By that Purusha (Supreme Being) the whole universe is filled (pervaded).

Real existence, real knowledge, and real love are eternally connected with one another, the three in one: where one of them is, the others also must be; they are the three aspects of the One without a second— the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. When that existence becomes relative, we see it as the world; that knowledge becomes in its turn modified into the knowledge of the things of the world; and that bliss forms the foundation of all true love known to the heart of man.

Therefore true love can never react so as to cause pain either to the lover or to the beloved. . . .When you have succeeded in loving your husband, your wife, your children, the whole world, the universe, in such a manner that there is no reaction of pain or jealousy, no selfish feeling, then you are in a fit state to be unattached.

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—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1: 58

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D E C E M B E R

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Strength is Life A Perpetual Question ‘This is the one question I put to every man, woman, or child, when they are in physical, mental, or spiritual training,’ said Swami Vivekananda,

get a hold on us, until the mind is weakened.

This is the great fact: strength is life, weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery: weakness is death.2

Are you strong? Do you feel strength?—for I know it is truth alone that gives strength. I know that truth alone gives life, and nothing but going towards reality will make us strong, and none will reach truth until he is strong.1

Strength, therefore, is the one thing needful.

Strength is the medicine for the world’s disease.

Strength is the medicine which the poor must have when tyrannised over by the rich. Strength is the medicine that the ignorant must have when oppressed by the learned; and it is the medicine that sinners must have when tyrannised over by other sinners; and nothing gives such strength as this idea of monism. Nothing makes us so moral as this idea of monism. Nothing makes us work so well at our best and highest as when all responsibility is thrown upon ourselves.3

Indeed, strength is the greatest necessity of life. Strength is another name for life.

Weakness, in its widest sense, means death.

And strength comes from reality—or from Truth. As is the level of truth, so is the strength! Though one can gain strength from ‘lower truth’, the supreme strength comes from ‘highest truth’ only. God is the ultimate source of all strength. And life is nothing but an expression of strength.

Swami Vivekananda may rightly be called as the Prophet of Strength. He was strength incarnate and it is strength that he taught.

He equated faith in oneself, self-control and feeling for others with strength. In his famous passage he said, The weak have no place here, in this life or in any other life. Weakness leads to slavery. Weakness leads to all kinds of misery, physical and mental. Weakness is death. There are hundreds of thousands of microbes surrounding us, but they cannot harm us unless we become weak, until the body is ready and predisposed to receive them. There may be a million microbes of misery, floating about us. Never mind! They dare not approach us, they have no power to T h e

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Types of Strength When we try to understand the idea of strength, obviously, we should see it from various aspects of our personality—physical, mental and spiritual. One should try to gain strength at all these levels: 1. Bahu Balam or physical strength is the first and the grossest manifestation of strength.

Of course, we need it! Only a strong body can withstand the wear and tear of daily life and maintain good health. Swami Vivekananda rightly pointed out,

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We speak of many things parrot-like, but never do them; speaking and not doing has become a habit with us. What is the cause of that? Physical weakness. This sort of weak brain is not able to do anything; we must strengthen it. First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will A U G U S T

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come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita. These are bold words; but I have to say them, for I love you. I know where the shoe pinches. I have gained a little experience. You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger.4

Indeed, how many diseases owe their origin to our lack of exercise and wrong habits!

Rightly did a doctor once tell that if only all physical exercises could be made into a ‘pill’, it would be the most prescribed of all pills!

One needs both exercises and a healthy lifestyle to become strong and to maintain it. We cannot ‘buy’ bodily strength from outside; we have to make it manifest through physical exercises and right eating habits.

A strong body includes avoiding all harmful habits such as smoking, eating junk food and so on. One of the most important aspects of true physical strength is the practice of chastity. A licentious way of living can never lead to strength. In spite of all medical and nutritional care, an indulgent life style will only lead to weakness and dissipation. Hence the need for self-control.

2. Buddhi Balam or strength of intellect is a special prerogative of human beings. Among the living beings, it is man alone who is endowed with a superior intellect. The capacity to think is unique to man. A man can, however, think great thoughts or mean thoughts.

He can think positively or think negatively.

He has the choice while animals have no such choice. Sri Ramakrishna says, God no doubt dwells in all, but He manifests Himself more through man than through other beings. Is man an insignificant thing? He can think of God, he can think of the Infinite, while other living beings cannot. God exists in other living beings—animals, plants, nay, in all beT h e

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ings—but He manifests Himself more through man than through these others. Fire exists in all beings, in all things; but its presence is felt more in wood. Rama said to Lakshmana: ‘Look at the elephant, brother. He is such a big animal, but he cannot think of God.5

To be able to think of God, or the Highest Abstraction of Truth called God, is man’s greatest capacity. To think of God, one has to cultivate virtues such as chastity, non-violence, truthfulness, non-possessiveness, self-discipline and so on. To cultivate these virtues one should channel one’s thinking rightly.

Of course, it is man’s buddhi balam which brings forth advances in scientific, technological, economic, social, political and other fields. If today we are able to communicate and commute at great speed, it is due to scientific and technological developments. But using our buddhi only for external world and not using it for improving ourselves is actually not a sign of right use of our buddhi. Despite all modern advances, modern man is also an unhappy being. Wide spread violence, crime, suicides, frustration and depression are clear indications of this. How surprising it is that while some people have such high IQ, they are so poor and deficient in dealings with others, with their family and organization matters! Hence, buddhi balam should be taken in its widest sense of term—i.e., using our thinking faculty to explore newer areas of knowledge of the external world on one hand, and taking care our character, conduct and behaviour on other hand. Reading authentic books or articles and listening to inspiring talks and thinking over those life-giving ideas is a great help in enriching one’s buddhi balam.

3. Atma Balam or spiritual strength is man’s greatest asset. The Upanishads say that a weak person cannot attain Self-realisation (nayaam atma bala hinena labhyate). Swamiji said,

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Religion is the manifestation of the natural strength that is in man. A spring of infinite power is coiled up and is inside this little body, and that spring is spreading itself. And as it goes on spreading, body after body is found insufficient; it throws them off and takes higher bodies. This is the history of man, of religion, civilisation, or progress.6 A spiritually strong and sound man will be strong in every other respect, if he so wishes.7 Infinite strength is religion and God. . .8

Only the strong can be truly virtuous.

One of the Sanskrit words for strength is virya.

A vira-purusha (brave man) is one who has virya, strength. Swamiji explains, 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

How does one develop spiritual strength? Through living a God-centred or Atmancentred life. This means living an integrated and holistic life which includes following a routine of meditation, prayer, japa on the one side and adhering to moral principles or higher values on the other. More often than not, many people after years of spiritual practices seem to make no progress. One of the main reasons for this is their lack of following virtues such as truthfulness, non-violence, contentment, freedom from jealousy, anger, greed and so on. Swamiji also cautioned, In religion, as in all other matters, discard everything that weakens you, have nothing to do with it. Mystery mongering weakens the human brain.10

Atma balam means deriving strength from our deepest core, the atman. Atma balam

is the capacity to face life with calmness and resourcefulness. Atma balam equips one with mental and spiritual vigour to assimilate life’s good and bad experiences and keep God or atman as the highest goal. Depending on God or surrendering oneself to God’s Will in the true sense of the term is also an indication of atma-balam. By knowing the true nature of the Self, one gains immense strength (atmana vindate veeryam).

Expressions of Strength Strength should be manifested in all aspects of our social, economic and cultural life.

We should become strong as individuals, as described above, but we should also express this strength in our outer life as well. In social matters, one should express this inner strength by holding on to healthy social practices. In economics and commercial life, one should stick to those practises which are an expression of our inner strength.

One’s inner strength should find its expression in one’s cultural and moral aspects also. A culture of strength is that which manifests this inner purity of our being, and not the grossness of our being. A culturally strong person will always want to listen to songs, or see movies and plays, read a literature which makes him strong. If we wish to be strong, we should always associate with those who are already strong. The following prayer from the Upanishads is truly the ideal prayer for strength, Thou art Energy, impart energy unto me.

Thou art Strength, impart strength unto me.

Thou art Spirituality, impart spirituality unto me.

Thou art Fortitude, impart fortitude unto me!11

DD References: 1. CW, 1: 201 6. CW, 8: 185 T h e

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4. CW, 3: 242 9. CW, 7: 78 A U G U S T

5. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 432 10. CW, 1: 134 11. CW, 6: 277 2 0 1 0

Simhâvalokanam

From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI (June-July, 1920-21, pp. 97-101)

Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master

By Swami Saradananda Dakshineswar

To understand the further development of Sri Ramakrishna’s life, and the opening up of a new avenue of earning for Ramkumar, we have to acquaint ourselves a little with the events that were happening in a famous contemporary family at Calcutta.

At the southern end of the Indian Metropolis, in the quarter of Janbazar, there was the residence of the famous Rani Rasamani. The Rani was widowed at the age of 40 with her four daughters and became the sole owner of the vast property of her husband, Raj Chandra Das. Since her husband’s demise she had been managing the estate herself. And through her numerous philanthropic deeds and acts of charity she built up a great name and fame for herself among the residents of Calcutta. Moreover, she won the heart of many by her great devotion and faith, indomitable courage, unbounded sympathy for the poor and unstinted gifts of alms. An extraordinary intelligence, presence of mind, great assiduity to uphold a righteous cause, were also markedly manifest in her. These virtues and her continuous endeavour to do some good turns to the people endeared her very much to the inhabitants of the West of Bengal. Though born of the low fisherman caste (Kaivartaka), yet by virtue of the excellences of her head and heart, and the various good deeds, she gave a real and glorious significance to her title ‘Rani,’ and was able to earn love and regard from people of all castes,—from the highest Brahmana downwards.

At the time we are speaking of here, all the daughters of the Rani were married and they had their children also. When her third daughter had departed from this world leaving behind a young son, the Rani who had a special partiality for the third son-in-law Mathuranath Biswas, thought of re-uniting him with her family by a new tie, and so she married her fourth daughter Jagadamba Dasi to him. The descendants of these four daughters of the Rani are still alive in Calcutta. Rani Rasamani was particularly devoted to the Divine Mother Kali. The seal that she had for her State business bore the words—’Srimati Rasamani Dasi, the aspirant of the grace of Kali.’ . . .

Tradition has it, that the Rani had been fostering fondly for sometime past a great desire to go to Benares once and worship the Lord Visweswara and Mother Annapurna to her heart’s content. And for that purpose she had set apart a large amount of money also. But owing to T h e

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the fact of her great responsible work that had befallen upon her shoulder after the death of her husband, she could not translate her pious intention into action till then. Now, all her sons-in-law had become quite capable of looking after their own, and specially her youngest son-in-law, the said Mathuranath relieved much of the burden of her shoulder by helping her in carrying out the estate business. So the Rani thought of going to Benares in the year 1255 B. S. When all arrangements for the pilgrimage were completed, on the eve of her proposed starting she got the Pratyadesha (Divine command),—‘There is no need of your going to Benares. Erect a temple on a good site on the bank of the Ganges, install there a stone image of Mine and make proper arrangements for the daily worship and offerings of that image.

Being present in that Image I shall accept all thy worship and homage!’ The devout heart of the Rani accepted the commandment in full faith; and with much joy gave up the desire of going to Benares and resolved to utilize all the money she had set aside for the purpose to carry out the Divine command. . . . She bought an extensive plot of land on the eastern bank of the river Ganges and began to build on it a huge temple with nine towers (navaratna) and some other small temples along with it, and laid a big garden around the temple. The work of construction was carried on for several years till 1261 B.S. (1855 A.D.) Still it was not finally completed. But having thought of the uncertainty of life and being eager to do the installation of the Divine Image as soon as possible, she hurried through the building work and had the Image of the Divine Mother installed in the Temple on the auspicious day of 18th Jyaishtha, 1262 B.S (1855 A.D).

But here our readers must know something of the incidents that led to the installation.

Either owing to a pratyadesha or through the natural inspiration of her pious heart the Rani had a great mind to worship the Divine Mother with the offerings of cooked rice. She mused that the temple was completed after her heart’s desire and she was going to endow the temple with a large property sufficient to carry on the daily worship, yet if she could not carry on the worship and offerings as her heart desired,—if she could not offer Her, the Divine Mother, the dishes of cooked rice along with the side dishes then all would be in vain. Though this pious work of hers might bring to her some more name or fame,— though people might speak highly of the temple and her charity, yet all these were useless, she thought, as they could not give her any true and abiding solace of life; her soul would be satisfied only when she could worship the Mother of the universe as her very own. And so the pious Rani kept up praying constantly to her Ishtam, the Divine Mother, to become manifest, accept her worship and offerings, and thus fulfil her heart’s inmost desire.

And the great barrier in her way of fulfilling that cherished intention of hers was her caste and the current custom of the society. Otherwise, the instinct of her heart never told her, she thought, for a single moment that if she were to offer dishes of cooked rice to the Divine Mother, She would refuse, the offering, when the very idea of making such an offering brings an elation of her heart with joy! Had it been sinful it would have brought in its train a feeling T h e

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of dejection and gloom only! Then, who could have been the originator of this un-humane custom! And why? Is Shastra the promulgator? Could it be then that the author of the Shastras was so heartless as to give sanction to such custom? or, perhaps certain selfish motives might have prompted him to reserve such high privileges only for the highest caste, even in matters related to religion and spirituality? If it were so, away with such Shastras; no need with such Shastras for her! She would follow the promptings of her own heart in this matter. Yet, she meditated, that would not bring a satisfactory solution of the problem. If she were to go against the current custom of the land, none of Brahmin devotees, Sadhus and good people would come to her temple and partake of the food offered to the Goddess. That itself was a matter of great disconsolation! So, to find a way out—a satisfactory solution of all these difficulties that arose in her mind in connection with the installation of the Divine Image and the proper conducting of its worship and offerings—the Rani sent for the opinions of all great Pundits and scholars of the land, yet none of these opinions she received was after her liking.

In the mean time the constructions of the temple and the Image were completed and were ready for installation, yet she found no hope of fulfilment of her heart’s desire. All the Pundits of the country gave their opinion in one accord to the effect that a Sudra had no right to offer cooked rice to the Deity. And when all hope of hers in the matter was about to flicker out, there came the scholarly opinion from the Chatuspathi at Jhamapukur saying that if the Rani could dedicate the temple to any Brahmana before the installation of the Image and if the said Brahmana would have the installation done in his name and make arrangements for the offering of cooked rice then there would be no infringement of the mandates of the Shastras, and all the upper castes like Brahmanas, could partake of the offerings without being degraded for the same.

This opinion of Ramkumar [the elder brother of Sri Ramakrishna; who taught at Chatuspathi at Jhamapukur] revived again the withered hope of the Rani and she thought of dedicating the whole of the temple and the temple property in the name of her Guru and then to remain herself as an agent of his to look after the proper management and worship of the temple.

Next, she sent round the opinion of Ramkumar Bhattacharjee to other eminent pundits also for criticism and none of them said that the opinion was against any Shastraic injunctions, although it might be opposed to the current customs.

We can well understand that the above incident must have attracted the Rani’s attention particularly towards Ramkumar. And in truth in those days, when Brahmins, the leaders of the society, were so narrow-minded and immured within the walls of bigotry, that few of them could see a broad purpose in the words of the scriptures and accordingly give religious advice suiting to the occasion, it was no small measure of catholicity on the part of Ramkumar to give the above kind of opinion on the present occasion which solved the difficulties so satisfactorily.

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Swami Vivekananda’s Voice Recording?

A note on voice recordings of speeches given at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893 M S NANJUNDIAH

The Much-asked Question The much-asked question whether there are any voice recordings of any of the speeches of Swami Vivekananda at the Chicago Parliament of Religions in 1893 has been investigated by the author. Swami Chidananda of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago, indicated to the author that he had made enquiries and found that there were no such recordings.

Swami Chetanananda of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis also followed up this matter and corresponded with the Chicago Historical Society (Archives and Manuscripts) and the Library of Congress, as suggested by the Historical Society. The conclusion was that there were no such recordings.

Marie Louise Burke, the well-known researcher on Swamiji’s visits to the West, who discussed this matter with Swami Prabhananda, the present General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, during her visit to Belur Math in January 1994, also indicated something similar. She told him that according to two historians who have specialised in that period of American History and also according to her own searches, Swami

Vivekananda’s speech was not recorded during the Parliament of Religions.

The author also directly corresponded by email with the Research Wing of the Chicago Historical Society, and the Art Institute Archives, Chicago. They have confirmed to the

Edison Home Phonograph

author that there are no recordings available; the Art Institute archives also said, ‘There is no indication that any voice recordings were made at the Congress’. This is understandable considering the limitation of technology in those days.

A long-standing devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri M.S. Nanjundiah from Bangalore worked in the World Bank at Washington D.C., USA for about sixteen years, and held the positions of Financial Adviser and Senior Operations Adviser. Prior to joining the World Bank he was a Senior Officer in the Ministry of Railways and later in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs Department. His deep association with Ramakrishna Movement led to the publication of A Spiritual Centre Blossoms—a large volume chronicling the 100-year history of Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore.

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Cylinder recorder

Edison Recording Cylinder

Some Findings by the Author The author has reviewed the position regarding the technology available in US in 1893 for voice recording and the manner in which the recordings were made—record making required the person to speak into a mouthpiece attached to a diaphragm which was connected to a stylus that etched vibration patterns from a sound source on a rotating cylinder (The Berliner Gramophone, which could record on discs for 2 minutes only, became popular in USA only in 1894). Only ‘two minute’ cylinders were in use and these could record for only 2 to 3 minutes. Recordings outside studios were not practicable; getting an acceptable quality involved a lot of effort even in studios. In view of the limitations of the technology, a recording of the sessions at the Parliament of Religions in 1893 would not have happened.

It appears that there is a voice recording now being circulated on Internet and else-

where as Swamiji’s voice. This is unfortunate.

The recording includes not only the first address but other addresses as well and runs for several minutes; such recordings were not feasible, for the reasons indicated above.

Also one recording that is circulating has a lady introducing Swami Vivekananda. This shows it is not genuine. Swami Vivekananda himself has said in a letter written to Alasinga Perumal [an admirer of Swamiji from Madras] on 2 November 1893 that Dr Barrows introduced him; also that the applause after his opening statement, ‘Sisters and Brothers. . . ’ lasted two minutes. The applause in the recording is only a few seconds. There is another aspect. Recordings of that era (such as Edison cylinder recordings) when retrieved after many years have an ‘accumulated noise’ which, if removed, will distort the sound; the recording under circulation has no such noise. It cannot, therefore, be an authentic recording.

‘Sisters and Brothers of America, It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. . .’

—Swami Vivekananda, in his opening address at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, 1893

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An Event in the Court of Janaka SWAMI GOLOKANANDA

[A narrative based on the Antaryami Brahmana, i.e. the seventh Brahmana of the third chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad] The Great Challenge Janaka, the King of Videha, was a celebrated king and a knower of Truth. A great scholar himself, he used to promote philosophical learning through frequently held discussions and debates in his court. Scholars participated in these sessions and were honoured with precious gifts.

Once Janaka performed a Vedic sacrifice (yajna). Learned men from neighbouring countries were also invited to participate in the various rituals of this elaborate ceremony.

As part of the sacrifice, a debate on a Vedic theme was held in the king’s palace. The king announced a fabulous gift of one thousand cows with their horns adorned with gold to the person who would emerge victorious in the debate.

The announcement sent a flutter of excitement in the court. To the courtiers’ surprise, one of the learned sages stood up and ordered his disciples to drive the prize home to his hermitage. It was Yajnavalkya, the venerable sage, who gave this order. Expectedly there was loud protest from the assembly, for the competition had not even started when the prize was claimed. With utmost self-confidence Yajnavalkya saluted the assembly of great scholars and justified his claim with the plea that he was in need of the cows!

Janaka intervened and requested Ashwala, the chief priest of the sacrifice, to begin the debating session by asking appropriate questions. The questions were addressed to Yajnavalkya to gauge his understanding of God, Nature and the soul by the learned assembly. Among the questioners was, interestingly enough, Gargi, the great sage’s wife herself.

The questions were subtle and intricate and the answers pithy, precise and sagacious.

It was a highly enriching experience for the listeners who were thrilled by the confident answers of Yajnavalkya highlighted by his pleasant eloquence.

After answering queries from many scholars, then rose Uddalaka, a well-known scholar, to question Yajnavalkya. He began by recalling an incident wherein he and his guru was asked by a Gandharva (a demigod): ‘Did they know about the Sutra [-atma], the thread that strings together everything in this universe—you and me, the multitude of worlds and every particle therein?’ Neither Guru nor his disciples were aware of it.

Gandharva’s next question was: ‘There exists an Antaryami [Inner Controller] in every thing, in every constituent of this world and the next, controlling all; do you know Him?’ Again the teacher and pupils had to own igno-

A senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, the author is the Head of Ramakrishna Math, Thiruvalla, Kerala.

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rance. The Gandharva then explained to them the meaning of his riddles.

He assured them that the one who knew the answers to his questions was the wisest of the wise, the knower of all, and a realized soul.

Uddalaka was, thus, in possession of the supreme knowledge and with that confidence he asked Yajnavalkya if he knew that Sutra and Antaryami and warned him of serious consequences if he claimed the prize without knowing the right answer.

The repeated warnings and forthright manner would have baffled an ordinary person but Yajnavalkya was unruffled. Calm and composed, he faced Uddalaka and said, ‘Vayu is the Sutra by which all things are strung together. Everything gets loosened in a dead person when this Sutra vanishes. Vayu acts as a string holding together every aspect of this world and the next.’ Uddalaka exclaimed his approval and Yajnavalkya went on to describe the Inner Controller of all.

The Inner Controller Before we try to understand the highly philosophical exposition of Yajnavalkya, let us try to understand how Vayu or Prana holds the world together.

There is a mango tree in our courtyard that presents us with delicious fruit every year.

It is a marvel to watch it in spring, its boughs weighed down with honeyed blossom and tiny green fruit. It spreads its cool shade in the courtyard and dances to our delight in the breeze. But to us the ripe juicy fruit is what the tree means and we are apt to forget that every part of the tree is equally important to its system and has its function and value. If the fruit nourishes many of the animal kingdom, the leaves breathe for all living beings. The bees and the birds and the many insects crawling on its rough bark, bear witness T h e

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to the multifarious purposes of the tree. Which part of the mango tree can be considered nonessential to the tree? Is there any part that can be separated from the basic essence of the tree?

No, because the essence dwells in every part of the mango tree. It is in the fruit, it is in the flower, it is in the leaf and the trunk. It exists everywhere, as the form and the body, as its true being or essence. Thus the tree dwells in every part and controls each part from within.

It manifests itself as the vital principle of each part to retain and develop its identity. This is true of all living phenomena in nature including human beings.

We possess the senses of action and perception, the mind and the intellect and all external and internal organs of the body. In spite of their varied functions, they are all coordinated into the main function of keeping the living being happy.

This being, that is made happy, is not different from its parts, which work hard to create happiness for it. Thus the doer and enjoyer can be understood as one and the same.

When we open our eyes to the world around us, we are amazed by the beauty and grandeur of multifaceted nature. The infinite blue sky, the unfathomable oceans and the dark pathless forests are drawn in by our hungry eyes but it is not the eye that sees these shapes and colours, but it is the brain with its wonderful mechanism endowed with its power to identify, select and utilize what it requires, that makes the process of seeing possible. But the brain is not the deciding factor in seeing what it sees. There is a seer behind the brain, the Self. It is in the brain but is not of the brain.

The same holds good for the ear. The world of sounds vibrates into our being. The laughter of children, words of love, and bursts

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of thunder thrill our heart. The flow of various ragas in music can carry us into our inner recesses, away from the humdrum world. It is not the ear that really hears. The outer ear gathers sounds and conveys it to the hearing faculty seated in the brain. The brain in its turn listens to and obeys the Inner Controller who dwells in hiding.

It is the Inner Controller who is within the eye but hides himself from the eye, says Yajnavalkya; his body is the eye and yet the eye knows him not; his body is the ear and yet the ear knows him not; he is the awareness that governs seeing and hearing and indeed, all perception. In his eloquent address the great sage covers all the modes of sensory perception and action: seeing; hearing; smelling, taste and speech and turns to the mind which is the confluence of all senses. It functions in all states of awareness waking, dreaming or sleeping.

The enormous data fed into it is processed to plan various courses of action not by the mind itself but the Inner Controller, whom the mind does not know.

The Epicentre of Human Personality The intellect is the supreme faculty of the human being and is what distinguishes man from the other animals. It is also, in turn, controlled by the Inner Controller, but the intellect knows him not. The Inner Controller is the ‘I’, the Self proclaimed by the Upanishads who is in each of the five elements— earth, water, fire, air and ether—which constitute nature and makes it possible for everything to work, but is unaffected by nature.

This ‘I’, which is the epicentre of the human being, is the epicentre of the elemental world as well. Each of the five elements of Nature has its own distinctive character and

function. It is the combination and recombination of these elements that give rise to the dazzling variety of form in this phenomenal world. But as Yajnavalkya describes in his succinct, poetic manner, each and every form and each constituent element is controlled by the Inner Controller, omniscient and omnipresent, yet unseen and unheard.

The one whose body is darkness, yet whom darkness does not know; the one whose body is light, yet whom light does not know— it is the same being that dwells within us, guiding us, being our very essence, yet remains hidden from our mortal understanding. Allpervasive and all-permeate, it remains the one and only reality; nothing in the universe is separate from it. Thus the Inner Controller is the Sutra that runs through everything, like a string through a garland, interconnecting both the physical and the spiritual, making them the organs of one body.

Uddalaka and the entire assembly of scholars listened to the brilliant exposition of Yajnavalkya and they were convinced of his unparalleled wisdom. They cheered him and he was requested to take to his hermitage the winning prize for the debate.

What Yajnavalkya expounded in Janaka’s court is the greatest of teachings. All matter is transient and perishable, but the reality that manifests itself through each and every form is imperishable and eternal. It is the Essence of our being, of every being. It is what the Upanishads call Brahman. Verily all this is Brahman. This Self ‘is all in all, and none else exists,’ as Swami Vivekananda too said.

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It is love and love alone that I preach, and I base my teaching on the great Vedantic truth of the sameness and omnipresence of the Soul of the Universe.

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Disaster Relief: Valuable Experiences SWAMI SUVIRANANDA

The Ideal of Service It is more than a century since Ramakrishna Math and Mission started conducting relief and rehabilitation services in the wake of disasters—natural or man-made, giving solace to thousands of victims. The Ramakrishna Math and Mission carry on their relief activities whenever and wherever there is a call to do it—be it floods, earthquake, cyclone, fire and so on. The monks and volunteers of the Math and Mission have been doing this sacred task with all sincerity and solemnity.

As their activities are spread all over our vast country, many people fail to see the vastness of the work that the Math and Mission have been carrying on uninterruptedly and silently.

The flame of our relief services lit by Swami Akhandananda—a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna —under the guidance and inspiration of Swami Vivekananda, is still ablaze.

Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda elevated all works to the level of worship. One may recall here the incident wherein Sri Ramakrishna spoke of service to man as equal to worship of God (shiva jnane jiva seva). ‘Each soul is potentially divine,’ said Swami Vivekananda. He says elsewhere, ‘He prayeth best who loveth best all creatures— both great and small.’ The Taittiriya Upanishad exhorts, ‘One should give with shraddha or respectfulness.’ This attitude is an important component of all relief works. The respectful-

ness or shraddha also automatically brings forth the best of quality in all service activities, under any given circumstances, for the giver, and for the receiver, an immense sense of relief.

Thus monks and brahmacharins, as well as the devotees and volunteers, of the Ramakrishna Order carry on their service activities with this idea of inherent divinity of man as their ideal. All our activities are hence a service of God in man, whether it is teaching in a school or cooking a meal in a kitchen or rendering relief work and other service activities.

This is a reiteration of what Adi Shankaracharya says: ‘Jivas or living beings are veritable manifestations of Brahman or God.’ In our relief work the sacred and the secular merge into one. This is why our relief-services are held in so high esteem by the public at large. Be it an earthquake in Srinagar or a tsunami in Kanyakumari, be it a earthquak in Gujarat or a fire in Arunachal Pradesh, the Mission has always tried to provide relief and succour to the affacted people without any distinction, and that has won the hearts of all concerned.

In recent years, two major relief activities were undertaken: Aila cyclone relief, and the flood relief in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

As an instance, let us have a look at the Aila cyclone relief to get an idea of the relief activities carried out by the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

The author is Assistant Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math. The following article is based on his talk given at a seminar on disaster management held in Kolkata in February 2010.

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Aila Cyclone Relief The Aila cyclone struck the eastern coast of India and parts of Bangladesh on 25 May 2009. It left behind in its trail a gruesome spectacle of death and devastation, misery and destitution in the Sundarban area of West Bengal and adjoining parts of Bangladesh.

The Ramakrishna Mission immediately took steps to organise primary relief on a vast scale with volunteers and monks on 26 May itself. It was done through six of our centres.

Later on the headquarters (i.e. Belur Math) and four more centres also joined the relief operations. Three of these centres served cooked food to the victims for about a month, while in Bangladesh, our Dhaka centre rendered extensive relief in two districts.

To give an idea of what was distributed to the affected people, here are some figures (for the sake of easy reading, we give here rounded off figures).

More than 1,06,300 families of 450 villages were the beneficiaries: 5,00,000 plates of cooked food, 1,50,000 kg chira, 90,000 kg rice, 15,000 kg gur, 11,000 kg sugar,

11,000 kg dal, 15,000 kg other eatables, 36,000 litres drinking water, 43,00,000 halogen tablets, 1,40,000 ORS packets, 34,000 saris, 15,000 dhotis, 20,000 other clothes, 1000 bales of used clothes, 19,000 kg bleaching powder, 7600 kg lime, 71,100 utensils, 17,000 mosquito-nets, 17,000 textbooks, 6400 tarpaulins, 6200 hygiene kits, 3000 solar lanterns, and so on.

As a part of primary relief, 20,900 patients were treated through our medical camps.

Besides, we installed a drinking-water storagetank at a Primary Health Centre (PHC) of South 24-Parganas, supplied 1200 litres of water per day from it for one month to the patients. It also helped improve sanitation facilities and hygiene condition of the PHC, installed solid and liquid waste management pits and bio-medical disposal pits at the PHC. We also installed 56 water purification plants in affected areas. One of our centres sunk a deep tube-well, and is continuing its work on 5 more tube wells—each having about 900 feet depth and a 7-foot high platform.

With our speedboats, we were able to reach many interior places for conducting

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survey and relief distribution. In many places, Ramakrishna Mission’s relief was first to reach the helpless victims. The team members of our Aila-relief carried on their relief works with great resourcefulness, at times risking their lives. The Ministry of Disaster Management, Government of India, had sent a team to assess the extent of damage, etc., in the Aila-affected areas. The following excerpts [translated from Bengali] from the Ananda Bazar Patrika (a popular Bengali daily from Kolkata) of the 9 June, 2009, page 6, says it all: The Aila-affected people of Sandesh-khali-I block reported to the team of observers, ‘There was no sign of relief from the Govt. for the last seven days. Basically, the people are surviving because of the food and water provided by Ramakrishna Mission.’

Organising Relief Operations: Some Suggestions As noted above, for more than a century Ramakrishna Mission has been in the field of relief and rehabilitation and received accolades for its efficiency and dedication.

In this context, however, one needs to ask: has there been any significant change in the situation with regard to the challenge caused by natural and man-made disasters and the relief work all these years? Could we really contain these disasters? Has any mechanism been evolved to minimize sufferings?

The answer is both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.

‘Yes’, because a new sense of social responsibility has been visualized now. The Government has now a department for Disaster Management with several administrative powers and resources.

But the answer to this vexed question is also ‘No’. Despite all improvements, we as a nation have not been able make much headway either to minimize the possibility of disT h e

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aster nor could we mitigate the sufferings of the victims promptly and effectively. The magnitude of the problem, however, is so stupendous that a small group of individuals or a particular section of society cannot tackle it alone. It calls for an all-out effort by everyone concerned.

Thanks to the dedicated work done by numerous monks and volunteers over the years, the Ramakrishna Mission has gathered valuable experience in this field. It has enabled the Mission to develop a methodology by which relief services can be organised in an effective and efficient manner at a short notice.

Let us have a look at some of the recent relief operations done by the Mission. We feel that many government, semi-government and nongovernment agencies can derive some lessons from our experiences.

1. Organising Mega Camps: In 2009, in Bihar, the large-scale erosion causing change in the course of Kosi River left a trail of unimaginable devastation of a very large scale over vast stretches. It rendered lakhs of people homeless and hapless. The government and different political parties arranged mega relief camps, wherein lakhs of people took shelter and everyday their food, medicines, expectant mothers’ delivery cases, students’ education, etc., were systematically taken care of. They requested us not to serve food to them but instead give other essentials, and accordingly, we distributed large quantities of utensils, clothes, blankets and similar items.

If it was possible in Bihar, it should have also been possible to set up similar mega camps in West Bengal during the devastating Aila cyclone. Had such large camps were to be arranged after the Aila cyclone in West Bengal, then lakhs of victims, who did not have anything for days, could have been properly fed, clothed and sheltered.

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Small NGOs and groups of persons, who were ill-equipped to handle bigger challenges, could provide relief according to their capacities in the mega camp itself. Small groups were observed to distribute the relief items to Aila victims in the roadsides, as they could not go into the interiors. Again, not being able to distribute the relief item, it was even found that in a marketplace, the relief items were dumped and left behind by some group!

2. Supply of Essential Commodities: As soon as there is a calamity, there is a manmade shortage of essential relief materials.

Items such as halogen tablets [used for disinfecting water], chira, sugar, cooking oil and so on become unavailable. For instance, after the Aila cyclone, it was such a difficult task to get, even by paying money, required quantity of kerosene oil for our speedboats in some areas in West Bengal. Again, during floods and cyclones, scarcity of drinking water is the main issue to be tackled. All those engaged in such operations should take special note of this fact and try to keep the flow of essential commodities uninterrupted.

3. The Need for Basic Infrastructure: Even after seven days of Aila cyclone, dead bodies, both human and animal, were found to be floating in rivers. It was pathetic to note that even in villages there was no one to clear them. Electric supply, telephonic communication, clearance of debris from the main roads and similar infrastructure are basic to conducting any relief operation. After a cyclone, these things remain hampered for weeks in some places. If the local government officials such as Gram Panchayat workers can monitor these issues and direct the corresponding personnel to set right these on war-footing, it would be of immense help.

4. Accessing interior places: Even after about 3 weeks of Aila cyclone, the victims of T h e

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Hingalganj, near the Bangladesh border, could not get any relief either from the government or any NGO. The interior areas were very difficult to reach; it took us about 7 or 8 hours by road and water to reach there. We had to cope with the problems like lack of electricity and water supply, and flood-born infections besides risking one’s life. The relief work went on for about a month. If the government bodies such as Gram Panchayats can monitor the network of relief operation during such times, then the interior places will not go unattended like this.

5. Provision of Speedboats: During the floods, it is always difficult to get launches or boats for conducting survey and for transporting the relief items. For example, during flood relief 2007, in one place in Hooghly district, only after much trouble we could get boats for our use. Such issues dissipate precious time and energy during these hours of crisis. If the state governments can direct the respective departments to assist relief workers by arranging boats, it will be greatly beneficial.

6. River Dredging: Unplanned developments, lopsided growth of certain pockets and ecological imbalance often contribute to natural disasters. For instance, floods have become almost an annual ritual in cities and villages of West Bengal (such as Howrah and Malda districts), causing lakhs of people suffer each time. Often problems arise due to weak embankments, faulty designs, improper construction, poor maintenance or unplanned release of water from dams. One vital measure to check floods is periodical dredging of rivers.

Similarly, in cities, drainage system also should be regularly cleared. After the Mumbai flood during 2005-06, the Maharashtra government took steps in this direction and it proved helpful. Why not similar steps be taken actively elsewhere?

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7. Shelter Houses: After the Orissa supercyclone in 1999, we constructed 6 schoolcum-cyclone-shelters in Kanaguli and Kotang areas. The inspiration to do this was drawn from the construction of a shelter-house before the cyclone by the Red Cross Society which saved thousands of lives during the calamity.

The government should take up similar projects in flood or cyclone prone areas.

8. Rehabilitation Work: While conducting various rehabilitation projects in the rural areas, our experience is that in order to maximize the involvement of the beneficiaries as well as to overcome the problems, Build Your Own House Scheme is the best way. It has been put into practice in several parts of the country with great success. Such a scheme brings the beneficiaries a sense of belonging for their homes; it also ensures proper use and maintenance of the houses. Small groups of persons or organisations with their limited resources should be especially encouraged to take it up.

9. Feelings for the Victims: Most important of all is the sincere and spontaneous feeling for the victims. If sincerity is wanting, then the whole exercise will be a mere howling without any flavour of the soul. One instance in this regard will make the whole thing clear.

We at the Ramakrishna Mission receive huge quantities of used garments during large-scale relief activities like cyclone and flood. Sometimes, we find truckloads of such clothes so dirty and torn that we just cannot give them to the victims at all! It appears that the donors send these clothes to cleanse their ward-robes, as it were, and not out of any genuine feeling for the victims!

Swami Vivekananda had this all-encompassing feeling which made him utter at one place:

The poor, the low, the sinner in India have no friends, no help—they cannot rise, try however they may. They sink lower and lower every day, they feel the blows showered upon them by a cruel society and they do not know whence the blow comes.

At another place 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 . . .

The service activities started by Swami Vivekananda were born out of this feeling.

We should try to cultivate sympathetic feeling for the needy, by trying to help them to remove their wants, wherever and whenever possible—not with the spirit of doing mercy but with a spirit of service. We should feel obliged to the beneficiaries for giving us the opportunity to serve them.

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Conclusion Ramakrishna Mission has won the admiration of people for its relief work because of its quality of service, transparency in utilisation of funds and catholicity in serving people from all sections of society without the slightest consideration of caste, creed, religion, gender or complexion. But all voluntary organisations, however big they may be, have their limitations. It cannot cover the entire area of disaster, but can play an important role in its limited area. We need everyone’s involvement.

Seminars and conferences on disaster management are surely noble endeavours.

Though they bring greater understanding, better planning, and effective implementation of relief operation, one should always keep the spirit of doing such activities—serving the God in man—to make them effective and meaningful.

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Mary Tappan Wright: Swamiji’s first Western Chronicler SOMENATH MUKHERJEE

Prelude Whenever one thinks of Swami Vivekananda’s advent in the West, instant inference, more often than not, goes to the inaugural day of the Chicago Parliament of Religions. So unique was the occasion, so enormous was the incident, be in its ceremonial splendour or in its historical impact, the overriding priority could hardly be escaped. This has, obviously, eclipsed an unmistakable but hitherto lesser discussed stride the Swami unknowingly, or, perhaps, providentially, took a fortnight before the religious parliament began.

It all started at Annisquam, which, as Louise Burke writes, is ‘a popular and picturesque little seaside resort village on Cape Ann some forty miles northeast of Boston.’ But before we talk about what started in that little sea village, a small account of how Vivekananda went there has its obvious preference.

The Diversion When Swamiji reached Chicago, the Parliament of Religions was one and half month away. But he was without proper introductory reference to become a delegate and, more so, time for becoming a delegate was well over. With utter dismay he looked for a possible way out. But with fund as little as he had, it was difficult to search for an alternative

in a costly city like Chicago. He remembered the invitation he received from a lady of Boston

Swami Vivekananda in America

while both were on the Atlantic Express journeying from Vancouver to Winnipeg. The Swami decided to accept the invitation, and, eventually, became a guest in Kate Sanborn’s farm house at Breezy Meadows, Massachusetts. Without going into what exactly happened during his one and half week’s stay at Breezy Meadows, we shall, albeit briefly,

The author is engaged in research work on the life of Swami Vivekananda under instruction and guidance of the Swami Vivekananda Archives, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata.

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look into the unique role of New England in America’s cultural and intellectual heritage.

The US history is indelibly influenced by New England, which includes the regions of the northeastern United States, viz., the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, equating the New England Renaissance with that of the American one, writes: During the 17th century the [New England] population’s high esteem for an educated clergy and enlightened leadership encouraged the development of public schools as well as such institutions of higher learning as Harvard (1636) and Yale (1701). . . Its patriots played leading roles in establishing the new nation of the United States of America . . . From the 1830s roughly until the end of the American Civil War. . . the literary scene of the period was dominated by a group of New England writers. . . They were aristocrats, steeped in foreign culture, active as professors at Harvard College. . .

Initial difficulties, therefore, took the Swami to Massachusetts where, as a guest of

Kate Sanborn, he found himself surrounded by a few of the fine specimens of New England intellectuality. At that exact moment John Henry Wright, a famed scholar and Professor of the Harvard University, was vacationing with his family at Annisquam, a place close to Breezy Meadows as well. The Wrights and the Sanborns were mutually known, and the news of one ‘phenomenal’ monk staying at Breezy Meadows could, somehow, reach the Wrights.

Thus on 24 August 1893 Prof. Wright came to meet the Swami who at that very moment was away in Boston. Unsuccessful in his endeavour, Prof. Wright went back, leaving an invitation welcoming Swamiji to spend the weekend as his guest at Annisquam. Swamiji responded to this warm invitation. The Parliament of Religions was exactly two weeks away.

The Resort that Welcomed a Monk Annisquam during the days of Swami Vivekananda, as is available in a book written in 1897, was as under:

A square old-fashioned house, with a central chimney, stands at the beginning of the winding country road to Annisquam.

This is a quiet little haven, sheltered by granite hills that rise steeply between it and the sea, on one side, and boulder strewn cape hills, on the other. No matter how the wind may blow outside, the little cove is placid.

The houses are mostly snug cottaA recent photograph of erstwhile Miss Lane's Boarding House ges, many of them where Swamiji stayed during his first visit to Annisquam very picturesque.

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Here and there is a mouldering boat by a decrepit wharf, or a dory drawn up on a float, or an old fashioned well—in fact, the place abounds in artistic bits of foreground…Past the post-office and school, the road turns at the head of the harbour to the west side of the hill, where there is a summer settlement by Cambridge people.1

Referring to such setting Elva Nelson, in her article ‘Footnotes on Swami Vivekananda in Annisquam’ in Prabuddha Bharata of June 1979, writes, Such a setting attracted. . . the artistes. . . they came with their camp stools and yellow umbrellas and used to dot the landscape. . . Several small wooden hotels were built and by the time of Swami Vivekananda’s visit, the villagers had turned their residences into boarding houses for the summer visitors.

They came from various parts of the East and as far away as Chicago. So many came from Cambridge…They were not only artistes, but

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professors, clergymen, and writers, many with their families.’2

And so, with his wife, Mary, two sons, Austin, and John, and daughter Elizabeth, there came John Henry Wright. Quoting the Cape Ann Weekly Advertiser of June 23, Elva Nelson informs us that the Wright family had arrived in Annisquam on 17 June 1893. They were staying in a small summer cottage adjacent to Miss Lane’s boarding house called ‘The Lodge.’3 Responding to my queries Stephanie Buck, the Librarian/Archivist of the Cape Ann Historical Museum, has advised that ‘the total population (residents) of Gloucester in 1893 was 26,000. The subdivision (village) known as Annisquam probably contained around 5,000.’

With such backdrop Vivekananda, on 25 August 1897, Friday, had made his entry at Annisquam. The Cape Ann Breeze of August 25, as cited by Elva Nelson, writes that on that day ‘the wind has blown all day in strong sweeping gusts…and the rain has dropped down by intervals. There isn’t a hint of summer abroad…We ought to be basking in August sunshine, instead of shivering in November weather.’ 4 His host, Prof. John Henry Wright, had accommodated Swamiji at the ‘Charlotte Lane’s boarding house located at 8 Arlington Street. A spacious house with about ten rooms, its grounds ran down to Lobster Cove.’ Citing the Gloucester Daily Times of July 10, 1893, Elva Nelson also writes that Miss Lane ‘had no need to advertise her wellknown private boarding house.’5 While researching for this article, it could be known that ‘8 Arlington Street became the most popular summer boardinghouse in Annisquam. Miss Lane catered to professors, authors and artists, and she always had a long waiting list. . . Miss Charlotte Lane, the owner

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of the boarding house, was ‘a little bit of woman, full of vitality, she was held in high esteem by the entire community and was affectionately called “Aunt Tot” by everyone in the village. Children and adults alike were drawn to her by her warmth and her friendly interest.’

It was her difficulty in maintaining ‘the spacious house with its large rooms and wide verandas and its sizeable plot of land’6 which ultimately had led her to open the boarding house.

As regards the building’s remarkability, it is learnt that this is one of the most striking Greek Revival house in Annisquam both for its setting and design. . . The first wing appears to be original to the house and has an entablature frame around the entry. The second may date from later in the 19th century. This is the Capt. Oliver G. Lane house. It was built at the height of the ship building industry in Annisquam during the late 1820’s and early 1830’s. Local histories were unclear as to whether the house was built by O.G. Lane, senior or O.G. Lane, junior. Both were successful sea captains; however, it appears that Lane, junior was quite active in Church affairs and had a great concern for the social welfare of Annisquam. The house remained in the Lane family until the 1920’s.7

Advising me about its present state, Stephanie Buck of the Cape Ann Historical

Museum has written that the ‘Charlotte Lane’s Boarding House is a private residence owned by people from Lincoln, Mass. I presume they use it as a summer home.’

However, with the Swami well settled at Annisquam for the weekend, we may, for a while, be attentive to one remarkable lady; her maiden name was Mary Tappan. She deserves our close attention, for hers is the first chronicle of Swamiji in the West. In the few pages of her personal diary, and, as also, in letters she wrote to her mother, Mary Tappan had recorded the story of an unknown Indian monk.

With keen foresight and accuracy she told things about the Swami which in later days were echoed on umpteen times by people and press across the globe. But such notable observations were by no means accidental or an outcome of a fluke. It came not only from the pen of an erudite Harvard professor’s wife, but also from someone who in her own time was a noted writer in America. Besides, prior to her marriage, Mary Tappan had a New England ancestry of impeccable erudition and aristocracy. And without knowing the exact person and prudence behind the chronicle, we would never know how an unknown young monk, even less than a month of his arrival, was first evaluated in the US. (To be continued. . .)

References 1.

2.

3.

4.

Romance and Reality of the Puritan Coast – By Edmund Henry Garrett (Little Brown & Co., Boston, 1897) page 217, available at http:// www.archive.org/stream/ romancerealityp01garrgoog/ romancerealityp01garrgoog_djvu.txt > accessed 12 December 2009.

‘Footnotes on Swami Vivekananda in Annisquam’ [hereinafter Footnotes] in Prabuddha Bharata of June 1979, p. 250 Footnotes, p. 251.

Ibid 5. Ibid T h e

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7.

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Annisquam (Peaceful Harbour), by Lydia Prescott Thayer (Cape Ann Ticket and Label Company, 222, Eastern Avenue, Gloucester, Massachusetts – 01930-1361. Proprietor : Mr. Richard W. Tarr.

1994), page 61. Made available by the Cape Ann Historical Museum, 27 Pleasant Street Gloucester, MA 01930.

As per Architectural Survey done in 1985 on Charlotte Lane’s Boarding House Building, the report of which has been made available to me by the Cape Ann Historical Museum.

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Swami Vivekananda was a great storyteller. His talks and writings are interspersed with numerous anecdotes, examples, similes, and illustrations mirroring his vast knowledge of human nature—its potential and its relative limitations. Some of these stories are well known, many others are little known. We present here some more of these insightful stories, selected from his Complete Works.

XXXXXVIII The Story of Mahabharata (Continuation of previous issue. . .)

I began by telling you that the Mahabharata is one of the greatest books in the world and consists of about a hundred thousand verses in eighteen Parvans, or volumes.

To return to our main story. We left the Pandava brothers in exile. Even there they were not allowed to remain unmolested from the evil plots of Duryodhana; but all of them were futile.

A story of their forest life, I shall tell you here. One day the brothers became thirsty in the forest. Yudhishthira bade his brother, Nakula, go and fetch water. He quickly proceeded towards the place where there was water and soon came to a crystal lake, and was about to drink of it, when he heard a voice utter these words: ‘Stop, O child. First answer my questions and then drink of this water.’ But Nakula, who was exceedingly thirsty, disregarded these words, drank of the water, and having drunk of it, dropped down dead. As Nakula did not return, King Yudhishthira told Sahadeva to seek his brother and bring back water with him. So Sahadeva proceeded to the lake and beheld his brother lying dead. Afflicted at the death of his brother and suffering severely from thirst, he went towards the water, when the same words were heard by him: ‘O child, first answer my T h e

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questions and then drink of the water.’ He also disregarded these words, and having satisfied his thirst, dropped down dead.

Subsequently Arjuna and Bhima were sent, one after the other, on a similar quest; but neither returned, having drunk of the lake and dropped down dead.

Then Yudhishthira rose up to go in search of his brothers. At length, he came to the beautiful lake and saw his brothers lying dead. His heart was full of grief at the sight, and he began to lament. Suddenly he heard the same voice saying, ‘Do not, O child, act rashly. I am a Yaksha living as a crane on tiny fish. It is by me that thy younger brothers have been brought under the sway of the Lord of departed spirits. If thou, O Prince, answer not the questions put by me, even thou shalt number the fifth corpse. Having answered my questions first, do thou, O Kunti’s son, drink and carry away as much as thou requirest.’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘I shall answer thy questions according to my intelligence. Do thou ask me!’ The Yaksha then asked him several questions, all of which Yudhishthira answered satisfactorily. One of the questions was: ‘What is the most wonderful fact in this world?’ ‘We see our fellow-beings every moment falling off around us; but those that are left behind think that they will never die.

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This is the most curious fact: in face of death, none believes he will die!’ Another question was: ‘What is the path of knowing the secret of religion?’ And Yudhishthira answered, ‘By argument nothing can be settled; doctrines there are many; various are the scriptures, one part contradicting the other. There are not two sages who do not differ in their opinions. The secret of religion is buried deep, as it were, in dark caves. So the path to be followed is that which the great ones have trodden.’ Then the Yaksha said, ‘I am pleased. I am Dharma, the God of Justice in the form of a crane. I came to test you. Now, your brothers, see, not one of them is dead. It is all my magic. Since abstention from injury is regarded by thee as higher than both profit and pleasure, therefore, let all thy brothers live, O bull of the Bharata race.’ And at these words of the Yaksha, the Pandavas rose up.

Here is a glimpse of the nature of King Yudhishthira. We find by his answers that he was more of a philosopher, more of a Yogi, than a king.

Now, as the thirteenth year of the exile was drawing nigh, the Yaksha bade them go to Virata’s kingdom and live there in such disguises as they would think best.

So, after the term of the twelve years’ exile had expired, they went to the kingdom of Virata in different disguises to spend the remaining one year in concealment, and entered into menial service in the king’s household. Thus Yudhishthira became a Brahmana courtier of the king, as one skilled in dice; Bhima was appointed a cook; Arjuna, dressed as a eunuch, was made a teacher of dancing and music to Uttara, the princess, and remained in the inner apartments of the king; Nakula became the keeper of the king’s horses; and Sahadeva got the charge of the cows; and Draupadi, disguised as a waiting-woman was T h e

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also admitted into the queen’s household. Thus concealing their identity the Pandava brothers safely spent a year, and the search of Duryodhana to find them out was of no avail. They were only discovered just when the year was out.

Then Yudhishthira sent an ambassador to Dhritarashtra and demanded that half of the kingdom should, as their share, be restored to them. But Duryodhana hated his cousins and would not consent to their legitimate demands. They were even willing to accept a single province, nay, even five villages. But the headstrong Duryodhana declared that he would not yield without fight even as much land as a needle’s point would hold. Dhritarashtra pleaded again and again for peace, but all in vain. Krishna also went and tried to avert the impending war and death of kinsmen, so did the wise elders of the royal court; but all negotiations for a peaceful partition of the kingdom were futile. So, at last, preparations were made on both sides for war, and all the warlike nations took part in it.

The old Indian customs of the Kshatriyas were observed in it. Duryodhana took one side, Yudhishthira, the other. From Yudhishthira messengers were at once sent to all the surrounding kings, entreating their alliance, since honourable men would grant the request that first reached them. So, warriors from all parts assembled to espouse the cause of either the Pandavas or the Kurus according to the precedence of their requests; and thus one brother joined this side, and the other that side, the father on one side, and the son on the other. The most curious thing was the code of war of those days; as soon as the battle for the day ceased and evening came, the opposing parties were good friends, even going to each other’s tents; however, when the morning came, again they proceeded to fight each other.

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That was the strange trait that the Hindus carried down to the time of the Mohammedan invasion. Then again, a man on horseback must not strike one on foot; must not poison the weapon; must not vanquish the enemy in any unequal fight, or by dishonesty; and must never take undue advantage of the other, and so on. If any deviated from these rules he would be covered with dishonour and shunned. The Kshatriyas were trained in that way.

And when the foreign invasion came from Central Asia, the Hindus treated the invaders in the selfsame way. They defeated them several times, and on as many occasions sent them back to their homes with presents, etc.

The code laid down was that they must not usurp anybody’s country; and when a man was beaten he must be sent back to his country with due regard to his position. The Mohammedan conquerors treated the Hindu kings differently, and when they got them once, they destroyed them without remorse.

Mind you, in those days—in the times of our story, the poem says—the science of arms was not the mere use of bows and arrows at all; it was magic archery in which the use of Mantras, concentration, etc., played a prominent part. One man could fight millions of men and burn them at will. He could send one arrow, and it would rain thousands of arrows and thunder; he could make anything burn, and so on—it was all divine magic. One fact is curious in both these poems—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—along with these magic arrows and all these things going on, you see the cannon already in use. The cannon is an old, old thing, used by the Chinese and the Hindus. Upon the walls of the cities were hundreds of curious weapons made of hollow iron tubes, which filled with powder and ball would kill hundreds of men. The people

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believed that the Chinese, by magic, put the devil inside a hollow iron tube, and when they applied a little fire to a hole, the devil came out with a terrific noise and killed many people.

So in those old days, they used to fight with magic arrows. One man would be able to fight millions of others. They had their military arrangements and tactics: there were the foot soldiers, termed the Pada; then the cavalry, Turaga; and two other divisions which the moderns have lost and given up—there was the elephant corps—hundreds and hundreds of elephants, with men on their backs, formed into regiments and protected with huge sheets of iron mail; and these elephants would bear down upon a mass of the enemy— then, there were the chariots, of course (you have all seen pictures of those old chariots, they were used in every country). These were the four divisions of the army in those old days.

Now, both parties alike wished to secure the alliance of Krishna. But he declined to take an active part and fight in the war, but offered himself as charioteer to Arjuna, and as the friend and counsellor of the Pandavas, while to Duryodhana he gave his army of mighty soldiers.

Then was fought on the vast plain of Kurukshetra the great battle in which Bhisma, Drona, Karna, and the brothers of Duryodhana with the kinsmen on both sides and thousands of other heroes fell. The war lasted eighteen days. Indeed, out of the eighteen Akshauhinis of soldiers very few men were left. The death of Duryodhana ended the war in favour of the Pandavas. It was followed by the lament of Gandhari, the queen, and the widowed women, and the funerals of the deceased warriors. (4: 90-95) (To be continued...)

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Contemporary Bengali Literature - IV HIRONMOY MUKHERJEE

(Continued from previous issue. . .)

Bengali Poets Before concluding this brief survey, let us have a look at the poets who have been influenced by the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology.

Karunanidhi Bandopadhya Among the Bengali poets Karunanidhi Bandopadhya (1877-1955) was attracted at his young age to the philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda which got reflected in his poems written in later years.

His poem ‘Dakhineshwar’, consisting of 56 lines (included in his anthology of poems Satnari), gives a poetical description of Sri Ramakrishna doing his shakta-sadhana at Panchavati.

Jatindramohan Bagchi Jatindramohan Bagchi (1878-1948), another poet, wrote the poem ‘Ramakrishna Dev’ (Falgun, B-S 1342, Udbodhan). The poem describes Sri Ramakrishna as the foremost

among saints, a beacon of hope for the suffering mankind and as the one who built a bridge of immortality between this and other world. Jatindramohan also wrote a 10-line poem on Swami Vivekananda where he tries to portray Swamiji’s brilliant personality and contribution to the modern world with wonderful poetical skill.46 Kumudranjan Mallik Another poet Kumudranjan Mallik (18821971) in his poem ‘Sri Sri Ramakrishna’ (Falgun 1342 BS, Udbodhan) described Sri Ramakrishna as Nara-Narayan and a recipient of motherly love from the Divine Mother herself. He calls Sri Ramakrishna’s Gospel as ‘nothing but a new rendering of Gita’. Sri Ramakrishna appears to him both as Sri Krishna and Jesus Christ.

Kabisekhar Kalidas Roy Kabisekhar Kalidas Roy (1889-1975) in his poem ‘Yug Yugantarer Ramakrishna’

Dr. Hironmoy Mukherjee is a devotee from Nagpur who retired as Chief Controller of Explosives, Nagpur, Ministry of Industry, Government of India.

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published in Udbodhan (Falgun, 1342 BS) describes him as an eternal child in the garb of an unlettered unknown priest as well as ‘a condensed version of the spiritual effort of India for thousand years.’47 Satyendra Nath Dutta Satyendra Nath Dutta (1882-1942) was a master in rhyme poetry and a well-known writer of patriotic songs in Bengali. He was also an excellent translator of poems written in foreign languages into Bengali. He was well known for his masterful translation in Bengali of Swami Vivekananda’s celebrated poem in English ‘Kali the Mother’. He also wrote a number of poems on Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita. His famous Bengali poem ‘Methar’ (sweeper) articulates as ‘who says friend that you are unclean and untouchable; cleanliness always follow you.’

One is reminded here of Swamiji’s rousing words, ‘The cobbler, the sweeper are your blood, your brother.’48 Many of Satyendra Nath’s poems carry Swamiji’s ideas. When one Sri Nafar Kundu entered a manhole full of poisonous gas in Kolkata and saved a sweeper from dying at the cost of his own life, Satyendra Nath wrote in his poem ‘Nafar Kundu’: ‘He had seen God’s manifestation in man otherwise how could he give his own life smilingly seeing another man in acute distress.’ A number of his poems speak highly of the religion of service to all and criticize harmful social practices. The deepest reflection of Swamiji’s ‘service to all’ doctrine gets echoed in Satyendranath’s poem ‘Sevashram’.

Kaji Nazrul Islam Kaji Nazrul Islam (1898-1976) was a rebel -poet who had to suffer imprisonment because of his writings which angered the British T h e

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Kaji Nazrul Islam

Government. When he was on hunger strike in Shillong jail, Rabindranath Tagore had sent a telegram saying, ‘Give up hunger strike, our literature claims you.’ But as a poet, his writings were not only political; he wrote a variety of poems—religious poems on Mother Kali, Sri Krishna, Lord Shiva and many other Hindu deities; he was a modern poet, a patriotic poet and also excelled in writing satirical poems.

His famous poem on Sri Ramakrishna written during centenary celebration of Sri Ramakrishna described Sri Ramakrishna as one who had worshipped ‘God’ in temple, mosque and Church with equal reverence—his name mixed with love for God is spread in all three worlds.

Nazrul truly believed in Sri Ramakrishna’s teaching that all religions finally lead to the same God and always raised his voice through his poems against rigid social practices and communal attitudes.

He wrote many songs on Mother Kali (Shyama Sangeet) and took this tradition to great heights following the footsteps of Ramprasad and Kamalakanta; even today his

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songs occupy a prime place in Shyama Sangeet.49 About Swami Vivekananda he wrote in his famous poem that Swamiji carried the message of the Hindu scriptures to the proud West which removed many misconceptions about India. He wrote further in the poem that Vivekananda had brought a new Veda for a new India to remove all differences between caste and religion. Many of Nazrul’s poems had their base on views and thoughts expressed by Swamiji earlier. Swamijis call for uplifting the lower classes became a national agenda. Nazrul’s poem ‘Shudrer majhe jagiche Rudra’ (‘Rudra is rising among Shudras’) is a reflection of the same. Swamiji’s idea of ‘Seva to Daridra Narayan’ finds an expression in Nazrul’s poem in stirring Bengali: Poor is my companion in pain, Daridra is my brother . . .

Poor is my closest relation . . .

My constant prayer is that no one should remain without food or clothes and without independence.50

Sufia Kamal

A well-known woman poet from Bangladesh Begum Sufia Kamal paid her tributes to Sri Ramakrishna through her poem Se Paramhansa Smriti. She says in her poem that though more than a century has passed since Sri Ramakrishna left this mortal world, still even today millions swear by Sri Ramakrishna’s Name. She describes Sri Ramakrishna as ‘a devotee of Truth’, and his message of Sevadharma [service] which has opened a new path of religion. 51 A number of poets namely Kabita Sinha (1931-99), Shakti Chattopadhyay (1933-1955), Jivananda Das (1899-1954) and many others have paid their literary homage to Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji through their poems.

To conclude, Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda are an embodiment and a beacon light of spirituality and service. Their influence on writers, poets, thinkers, historians and others enriched Bengali literature in various ways. We hope the modern Bengali literature reignites the spark of idealism and spirituality lit by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda in the hearts of some of the finest men and women of Bengal.

(Concluded.)

BB References 46. Udbodhan, September 2008, p. 694 47. Ibid, p.695 48. Vivekananda O Samakalin Bharat Barsha, Vol 7 pp.

614-615

49. Udbodhan, May 2007 pp.325-326 50. Vivekananda O Samakalin Bharat Barsha Vol 11 pp.619-620 51. Udbodhan, September 2008, p.695

In my study of the world’s religions I have been fortunate in coming upon inspiring firsthand accounts of the world’s great spiritual geniuses, including Sri Ramakrishna, India’s greatest nineteenth century saint.

During the summer in the 1950s while I was writing the chapter on Hinduism in what was to become my book, The World’s Religions, I read and meditated on ten pages of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna each day, and I credit those meditations for the acclaim that has greeted that chapter.

—Huston Smith, Great Thinkers on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, p.29 T h e

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Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 April 7th 1899 Morvi My dear Akhandananda, I have mailed today a prospectus for your work at Calcutta, to get it corrected from the Swamiji. I hope you will receive it soon.

You have heard by this time of the sad death of our brother Jogananda, on the 28th of March last.

We are glad to hear of the celebration of the Utsab in the orphanage. We start tomorrow for Bhavnagar, care of Gopaldas Viharidas Desai Esq. With love & best wishes always Yrs. Saradananda & Turiyananda

April 11th 1899 Bhavnagar, Kathiawar My dear Granny,2 I thank you for your kind letter of March 15th, received day before yesterday on our arrival here. I did not go to the Math during the anniversary and have not heard anything about it as yet. In the meantime the Swami Jogananda has died. He died on the 28th of March last at 3 p.m. This must have made great changes in the Math and especially at our Mother’s place. I fear she will go back to her native place. The last words of dear Jogananda were ‘Om Ramakrishna!’ Nivedita was present at the last hour. She wrote the funeral ceremonies were most impressive. They chanted the ‘Hari Om’ and waved lighted camphor before the dead, after dressing him in his sannyasin robe & turban & then they carried him away with ‘Jaya Sri Ramakrishna Jaya’—I do not know how it will touch the Swami. It might pull him down again. I have written to go back to the Math or to Bombay, as he wants me to for the work.

I have read the letter of Prof.William James & I think it is very fine. I have sent it to the Swami today & told him to keep it with one of the Math men, for me.

And so you were in Italy for the last month—so near India! Is Mrs.Vaughan also coming there or does she go direct to Norway where you join her?

Bhavnagar is a very big place with about 75000 inhabitants. It is very near the sea & boats can be had from here to Bombay. The place is a growing one. There are so many charitable institutions here, but it makes me sad to see, they are creating beggars for want of a little method and organisation and these two are the great defects of India. . . What an

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amount of time it will take for India to get them. We do not hope to see it in our life time at least.

I hope you are now on your way to Norway. Do not forget to take flowers to the little grane. I thank you for sending the Prof.Maxmuller’s books, to A & S. & Mrs.W. Try to send some books for the Math library, when you go back to U.S. e.g. Prof.Fiske’s & William James & Royce’s & Dr.Jane’s & Le Contes’, etc.

My very kind regards to yourself and Mrs.Vaughan. May the journey to Norway bring you nearer the Love that passeth understanding.

Yours affly.

Saradananda

May 19th 1899 Math. Belur. Howrah.

Bengal My dear Badri,3 Your two kind telegrams reached me today and I have just sent the message in reply to you, not to keep the Thompson House, but rent it if you have got a tenant. The lady friends are Bengali too and they will prefer to come back to their homes at Calcutta after they have made their pilgrimage. They were once rich; but now rather straitened in their circumstances. But they are sincere friends to us and disciples of our Great Master. Look upon them as your own sisters and try to help them what you can. I thank you very much for your sending Jairam & Ganji to take them to Kedar & Badri Narayan. I hope you have received my letter by this time, in which I have told you all.

The Swami Vivekananda sails for England with Turiyanandaji on the 20th June per[?]

Steamship Golconda of the B.I.S.N. line. He is well.

I hope yourself and family are doing well. My love and blessings to you all.

Ever your well-wisher Saradananda.

[On the side margin:] P.S. The Swami Subodhananda might start with the ladies to Hardwar & up. Thanking you again for the kind help.

Yours

1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna 2. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda 3. Lala Badri Shah of Almora, a close devotee of Swami Vivekananda

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math T h e

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Spiritual Values in the Gita SWAMI VISHARADANANDA

(Continued from March 2010 issue. . .)

[An exposition of verses 7-11 of the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the following is the thirteenth instalment of the article; January to October 2009 issues contained the first ten instalments] 16. Mayi cha ananyayogena bhaktiavyabhicharini [‘by developing unswerving devotion to Me by the Yoga of non-separation’] Bhakta—a Sattvika Bhokta There are two adjectives used with the term bhakti or devotion to God in the above phrase. These two adjectives are: unswerving devotion to Me (avyabhicharini) and Yoga of non-separation (ananyayogena). Let us understand these terms.

We, the embodied beings (jivas), have a strong sense of enjoyment of worldly objects and desires (bhoktritva). But as spiritual seekers, we have to change our approach towards life.

Thus the enjoyer (bhokta) has to transform this worldly tendency to ‘enjoying’ God. This is how one becomes a devotee (bhakta). When one becomes a devotee, one’s craving for sense-enjoyment (bhoktritva) becomes weakened and one progresses towards freedom from desires. This inner redirection of approach is the best way to change one’s tendencies.

Most people want to enjoy objects of senses; they want to use every available thing for their own selfish purpose. The attitude of

a devotee, on the other hand, is entirely different. He does not want to use anything for himself; he feels happy to serve God and His devotees. He feels delighted if he can help others. He feels happy by serving and not by being served. This is still being an enjoyer but a sattvika enjoyer. A gross bhokta thus becomes a sattvika bhokta.

One has to learn that by giving an upper hand to sense enjoyment (bhoktritva), one only becomes miserable.

Can anyone be happy with a demanding, bossing person? Bhoktritva is to be like such a person: it makes strong demands and imposes itself on one’s own mind. A mind demanding enjoyments can never be easy with itself. It only makes one frustrated. Expectations and frustration are inter-related. If mind expects more, it will be more frustrated! A crude bhokta expects a lot from people, and hence gets more miserable too. He swings between the extremes of depression and elation. One can enjoy playing on the swing as long as it is smooth.

If a swing rises too high, there are twitches in the stomach and sickness is the result! Playing on a swing is enjoyable only when it is gentle.

At the same time too slow a swing also does

Swami Visharadananda is a monk of the dashanami tradition. He lives and teaches at Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Mahavidyapith, Prashanti Kutiram, near Jigani Industrial Area, Bangalore, Karnataka. This serialised article has been condensed from his book Human Values, published by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashan, Chamarajpet, Bangalore, pp.102.

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not give joy. Mind is like a swing, and our lives, hooked as they are to mind, too experience the same up and down as that of a swing.

We have to realise that holding to strong likes and dislikes, or strong opinions and judgments, is like the movement of a swing— rising high, hitting the roof one moment, and the next moment bouncing back to bang on the ground! As we develop bhakti towards God, we learn to swing in a balanced way.

Then we are not affected by strong likes and dislikes and become more peaceful.

Cultivating Bhakti One has to become a devotee in the true sense of term. A true devotee is sincere to the core. Of course, one can pretend to be a devotee, putting marks on one’s body such a tilakam, chandanam, and vibhuti. But these do not matter to the Lord; a true devotee of God is one who is selfless and self-sacrificing.

Bhakti is a relationship formed in the mind between oneself and God. Through Bhakti our mind learns to become subordinate to the object of devotion. In worldly life, our ego does not want to submit to anyone. Rather, it wants to take the driver’s seat. It wants to dominate, manipulate and exploit others. On other hand, in bhakti our ego learns to humble itself, by taking the back seat and submitting to God. It learns to keep its likes (raga) and dislikes (dvesha) aside, and fill the mind with holy thoughts.

We all have emotions. If we do not direct these emotions towards God, we will direct them towards the family and friends. Bhakti is directing our emotions towards God. It is depending on God instead of others.

A bhakta learns to practice respectfulness towards others. By respecting others, he learns to get rid of his cranky likes and dislikes. These T h e

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likes and dislikes are the source of all negative emotions. To have strong likes and dislikes is like having a notorious terrorist inside. It dictates terms to us and says, ‘I want this and do not want that!’ And like a slave of likesdislikes, we follow every word of what we are told by the inner terrorist! What could be more miserable than this?

But one can overcome this by directing the mind toward the altar of God. By devotion one becomes a sattvika bhokta. A sattvika bhokta does not transgress dharma and accepts life as it comes. Whatever life brings, he receives it as God’s prasadam.

When an action is done with devotion, it becomes spiritually rewarding. A bhakta does not wait to enjoy the fruits of his action later; he enjoys even while doing. He sees every opportunity to serve as a privilege and not a job to be done. This brings him back his positive emotional self and when that happens it makes life joyful, free from all drudgery.

Many times we do not want to do some particular work yet we cannot help it and finally become tired and exhausted. In other words, while working this way our emotional self is full of negative thoughts and feelings.

But when our emotional self becomes positive, we do not become tired, and remain enthusiastic always. Life, then, becomes a sweet melody, and all discordant notes vanish. A sense of gratitude fills the mind. Mind sees how it has received so much, and in gratitude, wants to give back something. And one begins doing so to the best of one’s capacity. Our vision expands then, and we start seeing the Lord everywhere.

Sadhana—the Path to Freedom Sadhana or spiritual practice is a path towards freedom. We have limited time at our disposal. If our mind runs after wealth or

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worldly fame, we should remind it that all these would be left behind when we leave the body. Only our mind, its purity and impurity, will go with us. We should try to make our mind better through cultivating the divine qualities (daivisampatti).

By always complaining about things which we do not have, we are expressing our lack of gratitude towards Lord. One keeps asking God to give an endless list of things. Of course, to ask things from God is not wrong.

If one has to ask, then one should ask God and not any mortal being. When we approach God to fulfill all our needs, this it called ‘unswerving devotion‘(avyabhicharini bhakti). A Sanskrit proverb (subhashita) says: The legendary Chataka bird is very selfrespecting. It drinks only the rain water. When it is thirsty, it would have water directly from the (clouds) only and from no other source, even if it dies of thirst.

The point here is that to a devotee God alone is the provider of everything. Why should he then approach anyone else? A person who approaches others for his needs does not have an unswerving devotion.

Unswerving devotion means asking God and God alone for my needs. Whatever is my need, I will approach only God—that is the attitude of a bhakta. He is devoted to God only. Such an attitude brings steadiness in one’s spiritual efforts. Or else, one will be like a housefly which sits everywhere and partakes of all kind of things. A bhakta, on the other hand, is like a honey-bee that sits only on flowers. It is called ‘one-pointed devotion’ (aikantika bhakti).

A person with unswerving devotion approaches only God to solve his problems and God rescues him from a precarious situation. Such a devotee does not ask for favour from anyone else.

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Bhartrihari, a great Sanskrit poet, says, O friend please listen carefully to what I say. So many clouds come in sky; some pour water, some roar and go away. People are also like that. All are not going to fulfil your desires.

When desires cannot be fulfiled by all, why do you go on telling them to all? If at all I ask, I will ask God only. When He cannot fulfil them, even others cannot. If it is not in our karma, nobody can do anything, so why should not one ask God only? If He gives, fine, and, if not, I accept it!

The Purpose of Spiritual Practices The purpose of all our spiritual practices is to remove our self-centredness. As an enjoyer, one tries to use everything for oneself.

But as a seeker of God, one becomes aware of one’s higher purpose of life, and hence instead to using others for one’s purpose, one develops an attitude of service and humility. One should first of all be aware of one’s worldly tendencies. Then only can one amend oneself and give a spiritual turn to his tendencies.

How to change one’s attitude? Through introspection and self-analysis. We have to realise that we cannot be happy by just manipulating others. By manipulating others we only make others miserable, and that cannot bring happiness. It is only by making others happy that one becomes happy. This is a kind of enlightened self-interest—to seek one’s happiness by seeking others’ happiness.

We keep complaining about things which we do not have. When we are thus busy with our complaints, we overlook the presence of things we already have. What we are privileged to have is the precious human body— out of millions of other things which we could have become, we are born as human. But we just do not look at this privilege; we only

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complain. If only we could focus on what we have, we will feel grateful for it.

This feeling of gratefulness does not come easily because of our complaining attitude. We need to realise that everything is not provided to everybody. If something is provided to us, something else is absent in our life. Everyone’s life is a permutation and combination of presence and absence; everyone gets certain things and does not get certain things according to one’s past actions. It is said that people who have teeth do not have groundnuts (that requires chewing) and those who have groundnuts do not have teeth. That is life!

Reversing Our Roles It is always said that of all the sadhanas, bhakti is the best sadhana (uttama sadhana).

Ultimately, Supreme bhakti (para-bhakti) and Self-knowledge (jnana) are one and the same.

An ordinary man’s life is ego-centred. Bhakti melts down the ego. In bhakti, the attitude is ‘O Lord, what is yours, only is offered to you’ (tvadìyam vastu govinda tubhyameva samarpaye), Thus, through bhakti, the ego becomes a secondary enjoyer (gauna bhoktritva). Then Ishwara/Guru/elders/others become more important than oneself. This is akin to the working of a professional cook. Though he himself enjoys what he cooks, the primary purpose of his cooking is to please the master.

So also a driver enjoys his driving but he essentially drives for the master. This is the case of a secondary enjoyer.

If we apply it in life, ego becomes purified and ultimately disappears. In the path of devotion it is said of ego: ‘I and Lord both

cannot be there. Either He can be there or I will be there.’

Bhakti is a slow and gradual melting down of our ego. It is realizing the fact that we are merely an instrument in the hands of God. When this feeling (bhavana) becomes permanent, a change takes place in our personality and we become free from all angularities and pain.

In bhakti one begins with the assumption ‘I am different from the Lord.’ But as one progresses, one discovers that one is not different from the Lord. ‘I and the Lord are not different.’ This is called ananyabhava. The term anya means ‘different’ and ananya means ‘not different’. One has to ultimately discover the Lord as his own self (svarupa). One begins one’s journey by accepting the difference until the oneness is discovered.

In another sense, in the path of bhakti one learns to de-identify oneself from one’s upadhi—our false personality. Our body and mind are controlled objects and Lord is the controller. God is our Inner Controller (antaryami) and He makes us function. One should slowly find out the deeper dimension of one’s personality. We should pray to the Lord to give us dispassion and strength to see our oneness with Him. Finally, let us remember that we live in our mind only—whether in this life or the next.

Hence it is better to clean it up. Let us clear up all the garbage of anxieties, worries, egostruggles and wrong notions, and cultivate purity of mind and devotion to God. Once that happens, peace, shanti, enters into our life.

(To be continued. . .)

With the thirst, the longing for God, comes real devotion, real Bhakti. Who has the longing? That is the question. Religion is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is realisation.

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Bal Vikas Kendra—Patna Ashrama’s Initiative for the Poor Children More than a century ago, Swami Vivekananda rightly said, ‘I consider that the great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is one of the causes of our downfall. No amount of politics would be of any avail until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed, and well cared for.’ He also said, ‘Let New India arise—out of the peasants’ cottage, grasping the plough; out of the huts of the fisherman, the cobbler, and the sweeper. Let her spring from the grocer’s shop, from beside the oven of the fritter-seller.

Let her emanate from the factory, from marts and from markets…’

It is, therefore, befitting to do something significant for uplifting the deprived children, especially when we are preparing to observe the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in 2013.

At the initiative of the Patna Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, 100 children from poor sections were adopted with the idea of meeting their physical, mental, and educational needs. Coming from financially and

Prayer session and coaching class in progress—Patna Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama

socially deprived sections of the society, most of these children are in their pre-teen and teens. The children were selected and adopted by the Ashrama after a meticulous survey of the children’s background.

To begin with, in order make them feel secure and ‘being wanted’, an affectionate treatment was given to them by the monks. They were taught Hindi and English alphabets, and basic mathematics through fun and games, using books and interactive CDs available in the market. They were also taught about basics of hygiene, how to maintain discipline, and not to utter bad words to which they are accustomed to in their families. Each adopted child is supplied with: 1. One bath soap and one washing soap and 250 ml oil per month.

2. Two pairs of dresses per year with the Ramakrishna Mission logo on it 3. Study materials (note-books, hand-writing books, pen, pencil, eraser, and a school bag) 4. A pair of slippers 5. A nail cutter T h e

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Five teachers are appointed with honorarium to teach the students for three hours (4.00 pm to 7.00 pm).

The following is the routine of the adopted children when they come to the Patna Ashrama: 1. Arrival at 3.30 pm at the campus with uniform supplied to them, cleaning their own place of study and keeping the study materials ready (black board, carpets, etc.)

2. Playing the in the campus of the Ashrama (30 minutes) 3. Prayer session (in Hindi and Sanskrit) (10 minutes) 4. Checking cleanliness (dress, hair, nails, teeth) (10 minutes) 5. Teaching session (two and a half hours) 6. Music Class (teaching of shanti panchakam, narayan sukta, purusha sukta, etc.) (20 minutes) 7. A sumptuous evening snack 8. Interaction (story telling by the monks or some general chatting) While adopting the children, they are divided into two groups (4 to 6, and 7 to 8) and the children are coached in various ways using stories and games. As the students progress, they are subdivided, for the sake of better coaching, into different classes—from first to fifth year—and then arrangements are made by the Ashrama to get the eligible children admitted to schools. Even after getting admitted to schools, the children keep coming to the Ashrama for coaching and regular studies.

Occasional tours to local tourist spots are also arranged for them. Screening of films/documentaries on the topics of value education, cartoon films on Indian gods and goddesses, Ramayana, Mahabharata and so on are also arranged for them.

Sometimes the students are also involved in the activities of the Ashrama so that they identify themselves with the Ashrama and feel that they are part of the society. This helps them to get back their self-dignity.

Despite financial limitations, the Ashrama has taken up this noble work. It is a right step towards realising Swami Vivekananda’s dream of a modern India. All right thinking people, including public sector units and industrial houses, should come forward to support such a worthy cause. Currently the Ashrama is spending some eight lakhs of rupees annually for this purpose.

Y The following centres conducted summer camps for children. The programme included chanting, bhajans, moral lessons, yogasanas, etc.

Sl.No.

Centre

Duration of the camp

Total Participants

Two weeks (from 14 to 29 April)

50 boys from class 8 to 10

Ten days (from 1 to 10 May)

85 boys from class 5 to 7

Porbandar

Five weeks (from 1 May to 5 June)

160 students from class 4 to 7

3.

Rajkot

Four weeks (from 3 to 28 May)

73 children in the age group 7-13

4.

Visakhapatnam

Three weeks (from 26 April to 14 May)

128 students from class 3 to 7

Three weeks (from 17 May to 4 June)

82 students from class 3 to 7

5.

Chennai

Four weeks (from 3 to 30 May)

350 children in the age group 8-14

6.

Hyderabad

Four weeks (from 25 April to 22 May)

1080 children in the age group 8-15

7.

Kanpur

Two weeks (from 9 to 23 May)

175 children in the age group 9-16

1.

Belgaum

2.

Y Swami Prabhanandaji, the General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, inaugurated the newly constructed western wing of the Higher Secondary School building at Ramakrishna Mission, Cherrapunji on 11 June.

Y Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai conducted a three-day All Tamil Nadu Youth Retreat from 8 to 10 June in which 225 young men participated.

Y As part of its free tuition centre for the poor students Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madurai, distributed free note-books worth more than eighty thousand to 500 deserving students from 4 to 12 classes from various government schools. The function was held on 10 June 2010.

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Concluding Function of Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Japan Centre The Vedanta Society of Japan [Nippon Vedanta Kyokai] brought its year-long programme, commemorating 50 years of service in Japan, to a close on May 30 this year. The concluding function was combined with Swami Vivekananda’s 148th Birth Anniversary.

(From left) At Tokyo—the public meeting, Bharatanatyam performance, and Santoor recital

Organised by the Society’s Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee and co-organized by the Department of Global Citizenship Studies of Seisen University, a women’s Catholic liberal arts university, the event was held in the campus’ spacious auditorium facility. From May 26 to 30 the Society’s Indo-Japan Relationship Exhibition was also on display in the foyer of the university’s main building annex.

After the opening Invocation, floral offerings were made to Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda. Swami Medhasananda gave the Welcome Address summarizing the centre’s programmes and projects and highlighting future projects. Sister Junko Shioya also gave a brief welcome, followed by the release of Society’s new publications. Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ambassador of India Sri H.K.Singh, Tokyo Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada, Buddhist Jôdo Sect Master (Kangaku) and Professor Emeritus of Taisho University, Ryojun Sato, and Dr. Yasuji Yamaguchi of Meiji University addressed the gathering. A Vote of Thanks was presented by Tsuyoshi Nara. Light Indian snacks were then distributed to about the 600 guests present. A cultural programme comprising classical Indian dance and a sitar performance was also presented.

Supplies of the book Swami Vivekananda and Japan, both Japanese and English versions, along with the booklet Inspirational Messages were completely exhausted. A CD of songs in Japanese on the Holy Trio, a CD of Mantras and Hymns on Shiva, a DVD, ‘Swami Vivekananda—A Documentary,’ with Japanese subtitles, were released. A special Golden Jubilee Issue of The Universal Gospel, the Society’s bi-monthly magazine, was also released. An exhibition exploring the Indo-Japan Relationship was organized by the Society and held at four locations throughout the year drawing a viewership of about five thousand.

Service for the homeless Narayanas was included during the Golden Jubilee year and it will be continued by the Society.

Karnataka Rehabilitation News After rendering primary relief services to the victims of October 2009 flood, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Belgaum and Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore have jointly taken up construction of 229 houses in two villages of Sindhanur Taluka of Raichur District, Karnataka, for the people affected by heavy rains and floods. The construction has begun in Chintamanadoddi Village where 126 houses are in the different stages of construction. Out of them nearly 72 housed have come up to the plinth level.

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For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

THE WONDER THAT

IS

SRI RAMA-

KRISHNA

By Swami Bhaskarananda. An English translation of the Bengali book Sri Sri Ramakrishna Mahima by Akshay Kumar Sen Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, R.K. Math Road, Chennai - 600 004. 2009, paperback, Pp.213, Rs.60.

Sri Ramakrishna is worshipped by millions as an Incarnation of God. However, very few could comprehend his greatness, his ecstatic moods and Samadhi when he was living. The author of the book under review, Sri Akshay Kumar Sen, was one among them. The book has a great historical value so far as the history of RamakrishnaVivekananda literature is concerned.

Akshay Kumar Sen, a householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, is well-known as the writer of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Punthi, a long narrative poem in Bengali on the life and divine play of Sri Ramakrishna. Since its publication more than a hundred years ago, it continues to be read in most Bengal villages with the same devotion and fervour as the Indian epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The present book is the English translation of Akshay Kumar Sen’s Sri Sri Ramakrishna Mahima.

The book opens with the conversations and mature reflections between two friends on Sri Ramakrishna; they subsequently approach a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna to satiate their hunger to know more regarding his life. The first four chapters introduce Sri Ramakrishna and from the fifth chapter onwards, the devotee draws up the glorious and enlightening portrait of Sri Ramakrishna and

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his divine play. The devotee (the author himself) is inundated with the devotion for Sri Ramakrishna, and he beautifully explains the significance of Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings with suitable examples and establishes him as a Divine Incarnation, by chanting whose name one can instantly remove all sins and sufferings. He advises, ‘Dive deep into the ocean of Sri Ramakrishna’s Lila, then you will find precious gems.’

Sitting alongside this ‘devotee’, we witness Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual ecstasy, his amazing insights into spiritual life, his wonderful anecdotes, his straightforward teachings imbued with deep philosophy, and his advice for common people yearning to know God. The stories of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna are also described in swift sketches. The narrative abounds with incidents and anecdotes, enlivened by the author’s commentary interspersed with devotional verses composed by the author as also those sung by Sri Ramakrishna.

Having read the book, one indeed marvels at the wonder that was Sri Ramakrishna. An unlettered person, unostentatious and simple, he experienced God not only through Hinduism but also other religions. Having walked the path to God, he is best suited to give us authentic knowledge and guidance. No wonder, today his teachings permeate the Interfaith Movement, New Age thoughts, Yoga and modern Hinduism.

The translation is lucid and clear, capturing the interest of the readers all throughout. The reader experiences Sri Ramakrishna’s living presence and feels that the reading of the book is as revitalizing as a bath in the limpid waters of the Ganga. Swami Bhaskarananda, the Head of the Vedanta Society of Western Washington, Seattle, U.S.A. and Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, deserve gratitude of Sri Ramakrishna’s devotees. _______________________ CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH

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TOWARDS

THE

GOAL

By Mrs. Vandana Sarathy, Dr.Rajeev Ramakrishna Published by Chikala Centre, 12A Fletcher Avenue, Blackhurst, NSW 2221, Australia. 2009, paperback, pp.113, $10. [Book available from Kanaka Ramakrishna, C/o S.R. Sampath, 36, NRI Lay-out, RTI Extn., Sanjaynagar, Bangalore - 560 094] Towards the Goal is a chronicle of the coming true of a dream of a band of devoted and highly motivated devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, dedicating their lives to achieving their treasured goal—to have a Centre of Vedanta in Australia, affiliated to the Ramakrishna Order. It is a joy to read the evolution of Ramakrishna-Vedanta Movement, beginning from a tiny seed to the present proportions.

The seeds of the Vedanta Movement in Australia were planted by Swami Shivananda, a direct disiciple of Sri Ramakrishna. During his visit to Ceylon in 1897, he inspired an Australian lady, Mrs. Elsie Picket, a keen student of Vedanta and especially trained her to teach Vedanta. Consequently, she opened the classes in Adelaide and Nelson, which marked the beginning of the Vedanta Movement in Australia. In 1920s, a fresh momentum was added through a mysterious vision of Swami Vivekananda which James Wales had. James later joined the Ramakrishna Order as a monk, and dedicated his life to the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda.

Thereafter, it was Swami Ranganathanandaji, the spiritual and cultural ambassador of India, who, right from his first visit to Australia in 1956 till 1986, gathered around him a band of sincere devotees attracted by his life aglow with spirituality and by his erudition and oratory. The Vedanta Movement continued to gain strength by the visits of Swami Damodaranandaji from Fiji Ramakrishna Mission and other monks who would hold satsangs and provide guidance to the growing number of devotees. The book provides a detailed account of these devotees as also their perseverance and struggle to set up Vedanta Centres in Australia.

One can palpably feel their intense and passionate efforts in persuading the Belur Math authorities to send a Swami to start an official centre. Their efforts T h e

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finally bore fruit when the centre started functioning from October 2000, with Swami Sridharanandaji to guide the devotees.

The book opens with the philosophical background of Vedanta, and the introduction of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Chapter I provides a preamble to the Ramakrishna Order, briefly describing its origin and activities, enabling the reader to grasp the significance of what follows in the successive chapters.

Chapters II through VI slowly unfold the history of the centre: early years, establishment, growth, affiliation, and opening of additional centres spread over Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth.

This provides an insight into the contribution of the devotees and the monks of the Order in establishing and putting the Movement in Australia on strong footings. Genesis of the centre of Sarada Math, the women’s wing of Ramakrishna Order, is also described.

Short biographical sketches of pioneering monastic members and devotees who worked for the furtherance of the cause, visits of the swamis of Ramakrishna Mission from 1985 to 2000, important photos and references are appended.

Written by the children of a devoted couple, this book is a faithful and valuable record of the Vedanta Movement in Australia, offered with brilliant lucidity and painstaking detail along with the philosophical background. One is struck by the worldwide acceptance of the ideals of the Order by people belonging to different religion and culture.

Printed on the fine quality paper and with an elegant cover page, the book will surely be liked by the Ramakrishna devotees in general and by thoughtful people in particular. ______________________ CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH.

THE SCIENCE OF GOD-REALIZATION

By Roy Eugene Davis Published by New Age Books, A44, Nariana Industrial Area Phase –I, New Delhi-110 028. 2002, paperback, pp.142, Rs.150 This is a compact book, a collection of essays, some of them published earlier as magazine articles, and the rest new. The author, Roy Eugene Davis, is a disciple of Parama-

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hamsa Yogananda of the Self Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles. He is also the founder-director of the Center for Spiritual Awareness.

There are fifteen short essays in the book, preceded by a short preface, and containing at the end a section on questions and answers. This is followed by a glossary. This makes the book selfcontained.

Each essay is about a specific topic, all topics having something or other to do with meditation.

The book starts by establishing that the spiritual quest is a scientific quest. It demands of us the same methodical investigations as physical sciences, emphasizing experimentation rather than dogma.

The book goes on to describe what is meant by self-discovery, in a fairly long essay. The rest of the book is about specific practices, like meditation, the purpose of life, how to make life worthwhile, states of consciousness, mysticism, righteous living, God’s grace, peace of mind and positive affirmation.

Each of the essays is independent and the theme of the essay has been described in unequivocal terms for easy understanding and appreciation. Each essay closes with a positive affirmative statement and a quotation from a scripture.

An added attraction of the book is the last section on questions and answers. The answers provide a good number of practical hints on how to live in this world and face its challenges. The suggestions are down-to-earth and do not indulge in polemics or hair-splitting arguments. This makes the book all the more useful to the common readers.

Though small in size, the book is profound in its message. Anyone interested in entering the field of spirituality will find the book quite valuable. _______________________________NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE

DEWDROPS

OF

LOVE

By J.P. Vaswani Published by Sadhu Vaswani Centre, Singapore, 127, Marshall Road, Singapore 424914.

2008, Hardback, pp.128, Rs.500. (Available at Gita Publishing House, 10, Sadu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001) Dada Vaswani obliged his Singapore-based devotee Jyoti Mirchandani by incorporating his T h e

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thoughts in the form of a diary, during his visits to that country.

This elegantly brought out book contains those noble thoughts along with attractive pictures of the spiritual leader taken on different occasions.

Undoubtedly, the wisdom of Dada Vaswani will enable a person to shed all bad tendencies and develop true love. The unhappy situations in life are best tackled if we approach with an offer of unconditional love.

Every page in the book has very useful lessons as the following selections indicate: Y ‘May I see good in everyone I meet. Then I shall never judge anyone, never criticize anyone …only then will my mind be at peace’ Y ‘Strive for the imperishable’, not for money which is ‘like quicksilver’.

Y ‘Blessed is the man who sees no fault in others, only in himself…’

The book, like its author, abounds in epigrams of joy and happiness. The sagely wisdom the book contains will be a source of strength to all those who feel frustrated and make them realize that ‘life is’ indeed ‘beautiful’. _______________________________P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI

CHICKEN SOUP FOR SPIRITUAL SCHOOL

THE

INDIAN

By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Veena Seshadri Published by Westland Ltd. S35A, III Floor, Green Park Main (In Green Park Market), New Delhi - 110 016. 2009, paperback, Pp.393+xii., Rs295 Everyone is familiar with the Chicken Soup for the Soul series— warming and satisfying as only soul food can be.

Here is the next volume which is specially meant for Indian audiences, with 101 contributions to further faith in human goodness, to show emphatically that human beings will conquer any odds to come up as winners.

The book is divided into eight subheadings, ranging from Faith, to Love and Forgiveness, Death, Caring and Sharing, and even on Lighter Moments.

Contributors come from every walk of life— journalists, editors, doctors, teachers and even an ex-President of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.

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We have stories that celebrate triumph over physical odds that come out of the blue, unexpected and harrowing as in Way to Go Megha by Khursheed Dinshaw (p. 44), events that transform, as in When He Calls by Veena Seshadri (p. 67 ) and the satisfaction of doing the ‘Right Thing at the Right Time’ by Shinie Anthony (p. 93). There are accounts of finding a nugget of truth in the most unexpected of places, of learning to count ones blessings, seeing God in the places least imagined.

All through the book the message that comes out clear and strong is: we are not alone and love and faith and forgiveness are the pillars upon which moral fibre stands. These three virtues show up whether we will or not, and astound us with their power and magnitude, however small the incident which revealed it.

This is a very inspiring book which would be a great addition to our bedside tables rather than the library shelf—to be read and savoured every day, to be reflected upon and, most importantly, to be emulated at every opportunity. ___________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

THE PERFECT RELATIONSHIP (GURU DISCIPLE)

AND

By J.P. Vaswani Published by Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. A-59, Okla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi - 110 020. 2008, Paperback, Pp.298, Rs.250. (Copies received from Gita Publishing House,10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001) The greatest human experience is liberation or self-realization. It is also called, by various traditions, as salvation, mukti, deathlessness or emancipation from bondages. To ‘attain’ to this experience, one needs the guidance of a self-realized person. Such a person is the Guru who acts as a guide unto the disciple. The necessity of having a qualified Guru, qualities expected of the disciple, relationship between Guru and disciple and the journey to liberation are the main themes of the book under review.

The book begins with a discussion of the need to embark on such a journey—by highlighting the deeper dimensions of our existence and the gift of human life. Of course, this journey is daunting and T h e

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requires time, effort and attention on the part of the disciple. The aspirant needs directions, guidance, protection, encouragement and advice.

But once the disciple succeeds in awakening his faith and serves and surrenders unconditionally to the Guru, the Guru takes on the responsibility for the disciple. The Guru then becomes a father, mother, guardian and preceptor to the disciple.

The book dwells in great detail on the Guru’s nature, centred on love and grace. The author explains that the Guru is not merely a great teacher or guide, but an exalted being having powers to purify, transform and bring forth illumination. The book has references to the Guru-disciple relationship in different religious traditions spanning several centuries and diverse communities. Highly anecdotal and narrative in style, multiple illustrations and examples in the book simplify the concepts explained. All chapters, except the last one on frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) are greeted with pictorial line-sketches depicting the stories. The simple language adopted by the author speaks directly to the reader. The book ends outlining lives of great Gurus, teachers and a brief sketch of the author’s own Guru—Sadhu Vaswani—who was an embodiment of humility, compassion and service.

A preface or introduction and note on the author would have further aided readers appreciate the book. Non-English words are in italic fonts—a reader new to Indic languages may need some research to understand them. ____________________SHARATKUMAR VARIYAR, BANGALORE

NEARER HEAVEN THAN EARTH, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BOSHI SEN AND GERTRUDE EMERSON SEN

By Girish N. Mehra.

Published by Rupa & Co., 7/ 16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi - 2. 2007, Hardback, Pp.815 +xxi, Rs 995.

The book is a lucid account of lives of Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson Sen, with many rare pictures, and a Foreword by Dr. MS Swaminathan. Boshi Sen was the founder of the Vivekananda Laboratory for agricultural research in Almora. He was associated with many direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. He worked with the famous Dr. J.C. Bose and many others.

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The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme Continued from page 4 4401. A Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna 4402.

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Technical Edu. & Research Institute, Ghazipur, U.P. - 233 002 Technical Inst. of Advanced Studies, Bajitpur, Delhi - 110 085 Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharastra - 400 088 Tamilnadu College of Engineering, Coimbatore - 641 659 T.N. Rao College, Rajkot, Gujarat - 360 001 Synergy Institute of Advanced Mgt., Pune, Maharastra - 411 030 Symbiosis Inst. of Business Mgt., Pune, Maharastra - 411 004 Symbiosis Centre for Mgt., Pune, Maharastra - 411 027 Symbiosis Instite of Telecom Mgt., Model Colony, Pune - 411 016 Symbiosis Institute of Mgt. Studies, Pune, Maharastra - 411 020 Sydenham Institute, Maharastra - 400 020 Swarna Bharathi Inst. of Science, Khammam, A.P. - 507 002 SVKP & DKSR Arts & Science College, West Godawari, A.P. - 534 320 Swami Vivekananda PG College, Secunderabad, A.P. - 500 003 Suryadatta Group of Institutes, Pune, Maharastra - 411 030 Surana College, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560 004 Subodh Institute, Jaipur, Rajasthan - 302 004 SSMRV College, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560 078 Srusti Academy of Management, Bhubaneswar, Orissa - 751 031 SRM Institute, Ghaziabad, Uttarapradesh - 201 204 Sri Y N College, Warangal, A.P. - 534 275 Sri Srinivasa Vidya Parishad College, Visakapatnam, A.P. - 530 041 Sri Sringeri Sharada Institute, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi - 110 057 Sri Ramakrishna Degree College, Nandyal, A.P. - 518 502 Sri Nehru Mahavidyalaya College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 021 Sri Indu College, R.R. Dist., A.P. - 501 510 Saraswati Viswa Mahavidyalaya, Kanchipuram, T.N. - 631 561 Sri Balaji PG College, Anantapur, A.P. - 515 001 Sreenivasa Institute, Chittoor, A.P. - 517 127 Sree Rama Institute, Godavari Dist., A.P. - 534 211 Sree Chaitanya P.G. College, Karimnagar, A.P. - 505 002 Sree Aman Institute of Management, Erode, T.N. - 638 102 S.I.E.S. College of Mgt., Mumbai, Maharastra - 400 706 SOM Lalit Institute, Navarangpura, Ahmedabad - 380 009 Soldier Mgt. & Tech. Institute, Jalandhar, Punjab - 144 002 Ranchi University, Bihar - 834 004 SMT. R.D. Gardi Department of Business Mgt., Rajkot, Gujarat - 360 005 Siva Sivani Inst. of Mgt., Secunderabad, A.P. - 500 014 Adarsh College, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560 018 Sister Nivedita College, Hyderabad, A.P. - 500 004 Sir CRR College, A.P. - 534 007 Sinhgad Technical Education, Pune, Maharastra - 411 041 Sigma Institute, Vadodara, Gujarat - 390 010 Siddhartha Technical Institute, Ranga Reddy Dist., A.P. - 501 301 Shri Shivaji Maratha Societies Inst. of Mgt., Pune, Maharastra - 411 002 Shri Shankaracharya Mahavidyalaya, Chattisgarh - 490 006

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Shri Ramswaroop Memorial Inst. of Mgt., Lucknow, U.P. - 226 020 Smarak College, Bhojipura P.O., U.P. - 243 202 Mahila College, Amreli, Gujarat - 365 601 Shri Jaysukhlal Vadhar Inst. of Mgt., Jamnagar, Gujarat - 361 004 Shri Guru Ram Rai Inst. of Mgt., Dehradun, Uttranchal - 248 001 Shri Gujarati Samaj Inst., A.B. Road, Indore - 452 010 Sri Devi Institute of Engineering & Tech., Tumkur, Karnataka - 572 106 Shri Chimanbhai Patel Inst. Ahmedabad - 380 051 Shri Chanakya Education Societies, Pune - 411 033 Shri H.N. Shukla College, Rajkot, Gujarat - 360 002 Shivdan Singh Inst. of Tech., Aligarh, U.P. - 202 124 S.P. Mandals Department of Mgt., Nagpur - 441 302 S.P. Mandalis Institute, Pune, Maharastra - 411 030 S.P. Mandalis Institute, Mumbai - 400 019 S.M.G.S. College, Wardha, Maharastra - 442 001 Shikshan Mandals Dept. of Mgt., Nagpur, Maharastra - 440 010 Sherwood College, Lucknow, U.P. - 226 016 V.S.C. Academy of Mgt. Studies, Wardha, M.H. - 442 001 Shadan Inst. of Mgt., Hyderabad, A.P. - 500 004 Hemachandracharya University, Mehsana, Patan - 384 265 Sengunthar Inst. of Mgt. Studies, Namakkal, T.N. - 637 205 SDM Institute of Mgt., Mysore, Karnataka - 570 005 Lakshminarayan College, Bhopal, M.P. - 462 021 Regional College of Mgt., Bhubaneswar, Orissa - 751 023 SPC Jain Institute, Agra - 282 004 S.C.S. Kothari Academy, Kilpauk, Chennai - 600 010 Malnad College of Enginnering, Hassan, Karnataka - 573 201 National Institute of Technology, Karnataka - 575 025 Malout Institute, Malaout, Punjab - 152 107 Lovely Institute, Punjab - 144 402 Lala Lajpatrai Memorial Institute, Punjab - 142 001 Kedarnath Aggarwal Institute, Haryana - 127 306

To be continued . . .

India’s Timeless Wisdom

`Wm ¯oHo$Z MH´o$U aWÒ` Z J{V^©doV≤ü& Edß nwÈfH$maoU {dZm X°dß Z {g‹`{Vü&& As a chariot cannot move on only one wheel, so also without personal effort destiny accomplishes nothing.

—Yajnavalkya-Smriti, I, 353

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Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama

P.O. & Dist. Narainpur - 494 661, Chhattisgarh Phones - 07781- 252251, 252393, Fax - 252393 Email ID - rkm.narainpur@gmail.com

AN APPEAL The Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur, a Branch Centre of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal along with its five (5) Service Centres inside Abujhmarh jungles has been rendering welfare services since its inception in 1985 for the ‘Hill Marias’, one of the poorest and most primitive Tribes in India, residing in ‘Abujhmarh’ of Chhattisgarh to eradicate illiteracy, ill health and poverty. The Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur covers more than 2/3 (two-third/ 173 out of total 233 villages) of the Abujhmarh (4000 sqr. km.) with its welfare activities.

The Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur runs F A residential Higher Secondary School at Narainpur with 831 students at present, 2 residential Middle Schools and 3 residential Primary Schools with total 606 Students in Abujhmarh F A 30 bedded Hospital at Narainpur and 5 health posts in Abujhmarh F A Tribal Youth Training Centre (Vocational Training) F An Agriculture Training and Demonstration Centre F Integrated Rural Development Project F A free Coaching Centre for 300 students F A Computer Training Centre The enormity of our task in this far corner of Central India demands much more resources to run the main activities and the problem of regular income can be solved if a corpus fund is created for each stream. We, therefore, fervently appeal to generous people, well wishers and friends to contribute in cash, kind and labour whatever is possible for the noble cause. Your contribution will be of help for years together and please be assured that every rupee will be spent for the welfare services exclusively.

Cheques and Demand Drafts may kindly be issued in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur’. All donations to Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur are exempted from Income Tax under 80G of I.T. Act 1961 and donations for Integrated Rural Development Project from Business Organisations only are exempted 100% from Income Tax under 35AC of I.T Act 1961.

We also need doctors for our 30 bedded hospital. MBBS doctors will be paid Rs.25,000/- to Rs.30,000/- with rent free quarter and MS, MD, Specialised doctors’ remuneration is negotiable with rent free quarter. Please apply with bio-data to The Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, P.O. & Dist. Narainpur, PIN - 494 661.

Please visit our website at www.rkmanarainpur.org Secretary

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Ramakrishna Mission

Shivalaya, Karan Nagar, Srinagar - 190010 : Kashmir Telephone- 0194-2479141; e-mail: rmsrinagar@gmail.com (A Branch Centre of Ramakrishna Mission, P.O.Belur Math: Dist Howrah-West Bengal)

AN APPEAL Kashmir, the land of beauty and culture, is twice blessed with the visits of Swami Vivekananda.

In a letter to Sister Nivedita, Swamiji wrote in 1897: I shall not describe Kashmir to you. Suffice it to say, I never felt sorry to leave any country except this paradise on earth: and I am trying my best if I can influence the Raja in starting a Centre. So much to do here and the material is so hopeful.

In 1955, a band of young men, inspired by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology, started a Centre under the name Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama in Srinagar. Visits of senior monks like Swami Vireswaranandaji, Swami Abhayanandaji, Swami Bhuteshanandaji and Swami Ranganathanandaji spurred the religious and philanthropic activities of the Centre. The Centre continued to function under the leadership of Prof B N Kaul despite the turbulent situation in Kashmir. In March 2008, the Ashrama was affiliated to the Ramakrishna Mission.

Srinagar Ashrama has a shrine and a prayer hall, a library and reading room, auditorium and has published a few works in Kashmiri and Sanskrit. We now propose to upgrade our infrastructure and facilities, and add the following activities for the spiritual and social welfare of the people of Kashmir.

1. Providing Basic Medical Services by establishing a charitable dispensary and a dental clinic for the poor in the first phase; a modern pathological laboratory and X-ray clinic to be added in the second phase.

2. Construct a Pilgrims Guest House to provide accommodation to the pilgrims proceeding to Holy Cave of Lord Amarnath and the shrine of Mata Kshir Bhavani.

Urgent requirements of the Centre include: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Particulars Establishing a Charitable Dispensary and Fully Equipped Dental Clinic Renovation of Shrine and prayer Hall Renovation of 200 years old Shivalaya in the Ashrama Premises Upgrading the present Library and Reading Room Construction of Pilgrims’ Guest House for devotees Working Capital for Philanthropic services Permanent Fund for Ashrama maintenance and Sri Thakur Seva Renovation of the existing old monastery building

Rs in Lakhs 10 15 5 2 35 25 25 20

We appeal to all kind-hearted people and socio-philanthropic organizations to extend their generous hand through donations in cash/kind towards this noble cause. Donations to the Ramakrishna Mission are exempt from Income tax under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961.

Cheques/Demand drafts may kindly be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Mission, Srinagar’.

The names of the donors of Rs. 1 lakh and above will be displayed on a plaque.

With best wishes and prayers Swami Paratmananda Secretary

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SRI RAMAKRISHNA ADVAITA ASHRAMA (Hqs.: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Belur Math) P.O. Kalady, Ernakulam-683574; Ph: 0484-2462345. E-mai1:srkaadv@dataone.in The Ashrama has been running a free hostel for the poor, underprivileged and orphan children from classes V to X since 1936. There is an urgent need for repair and renovation of the old buildings and also creating a corpus fund for maintaining the hostel of 100 children, providing them with food, uniform, accommodation and study materials free of cost.

We appeal to the generous public and well wishers to donate liberally for: 1) Hostel Corpus Fund and/or 2) Hostel Renovation Fund, which are exempt 100% from Income Tax under 35AC. An Endowment of Rs.1 lakh and above may be created in memory of the loved ones.

Donations towards other activities of the Ashrama- Daily Puja, Charitable Dispensaries, Celebrations, Maintenance etc. (General Fund) are exempt from I.T. under 80G. Cheques/Bank Drafts/M.O. may be drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Kalady and sent to the above address.

Donors from foreign countries can send their contributions online to our F.C. A/C No. 338602010005806 while the Indians can send to the I.C. A/C No.338602010009164 at Union Bank of India, Kalady (IFSC Code: UBIN0533866).

Swami Amaleshananda

Adhyaksha

New Release

Paperback, number of pages 282 + vi Price: Rs. 50/- + postage: Rs. 23/- per copy No request for VPP entertained

Madras or Chennai is associated with the Ramakrishna Movement from its inception.

Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Brahmananda, Swami Ramakrishnananda and several other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna have visited the city of Madras on different occasions. The first monastery of the Ramakrishna Math was started in Madras in 1897.

The present book is a compilation of details of these visits from various books and articles, giving a focused and comprehensive picture of chain of events associated with the great disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

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

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Sr imad Bhag avad Gita Srimad Bhagavad With Sridhara’s Gloss Fulfilling a long-felt need for having a translation of Sridhara Swami’s gloss (Tika) along with the original gloss in devanagari script, it is the revised edition of Swami Vireswarananda’s English translation of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. The previous edition, with its simple and lucid language, was quite well-received by scholars as well as general readers. That edition, however, had only the translation of the gloss. The present edition also contains the original Sanskrit Tika in devanagari script.

In addition, provides the references (verse number, chapter and the name of the source book) to the quotations cited in the Tika, along with their translations. All references to the Gita verses appearing in the Tika are also suitably cited. In order to facilitate search, an index to the Gita verses and the words appearing in the Gita verses in Sanskrit has been added at the end.

Pages xxxiv + 589 Price for single copy: Hardbound Rs. 200/- + Postage Rs 30 Paperback Rs. 150/- + Postage Rs 25 No request for VPP entertained

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

An invitation to drink deep at the eternal spring of Bhagavad Gita presented through these pages!

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NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE REGD. (FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED) TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 E-mail: navajeevan@sancharnet.in Website: www.navajeevan.org

Our Sewa Kendras 1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children 2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital 3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged 4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram 5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram 6. Navajeevan Orphanage

– – – – – –

7. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres 8. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres

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Tirupati & Orissa Tirupati Tirupati & Rishikesh Kothapeta Tirupati Patapatnam / Parlaki Mudi [Orissa] Berhampur [Orissa] Serango [Orissa]

A Humble Request for Donation 1. Sponsor one day Annadanam 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.

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

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The Vedanta Kesari Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. Postal Registered No. TN / CH (C) / 190 / 09-11 Licenced to Post WPP No. 259 / 09-11 Date of publication: 26th of every month

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

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121-122, Mittal Chambers, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021 Tel: 91 22 6632 5141 (11 Lines) Fax: 91 22 6632 4979 / 6632 4421 / 2282 0577 E-mail: lavino@vsnl.com Website: www.absorbent-cotton.com TARAPUR PLANT: H-1, MIDC, Tarapur Industrial Area Taps Post, Boisar - 401 504 District - Thane.

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Subscription (inclusive of postage) Annual : Rs. 100 10 years: Rs. 1000 Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org