Lessons from Swamis

The Dec 2020 Special Issue of The Vedanta Kesari was on the topic ‘Lessons from Swamis’. New content on this topic is being serialised this year.

Swami Vishokatmananda

Ashutosh received his mantra-diksha from Swami Shivanandaji and joined the Order at the Tamluk centre in 1927; his guru gave him sannyasa-diksha in 1933. From 1945, Vishokatmanandaji served for 42 years as the head of Midnapore centre. He attained mahasamadhi on 25 January 1998 at the age of 98.

The August Movement

29 September 1942. The Quit India Movement or the August Movement had spread across the country. Tamluk, the ancient port city by the Bay of Bengal in the Medinipur district was in the forefront of the movement. With the leadership of Ajoy Mukherjee, Satish Samanta,Sushil Dhara, Matangini Hazra and others, the local Congress workers captured Tamluk treasury, police stations at Mahishadal, Sutahata, Nandigram and several other places and hoisted the national flag. But the bullets from the British police snatched away many lives including that of Matangini Hazra (72-year old freedom fighter popularly known as Gandhi-budi ‘Old lady Gandhi’). The dead bodies were dumped in the police morgue at Tamluk. Sri Rajanikanta Pramanik, an initiated disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and a local Congress leader, brought many wounded freedom fighters to the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Tamluk, for their treatment and nursing. Swami Vishokatmanandaji, who was the head of the ashrama, readily took up their treatment. The news reached the local administration. And when the sub-divisional officer of Tamluk censured Maharaj for his doings, he protested with a bold voice, “Ramakrishna Mission is a service organisation, and its ideal is to serve the people in distress irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. Had you, who stand with the government, been injured and had you come to the Ashrama, we would have served you as well.”

After a few days the stinking smell of putrescent dead bodies of the martyrs in the police morgue started spreading in the locality and it became unbearable to the policemen working there. Now the same sub-divisional officer and the high-rank police officials called Maharaj with a request to cremate the decaying bodies. And Maharaj agreed. He bought a huge quantity of perfumes from shops all over Tamluk, sprinkled it over the bodies and arranged a mass cremation. —Sri Gourchandra Adhikary, Retired Teacher, Ramakrishna Mission, Vidyabhavan, Medinipur

Swami Nikhilananda

The Swami received his mantra-diksha from Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and joined the Order at the Mayavati centre in 1922. Swami Saradananda ji gave him sannyasa-diksha in 1924. After undertaking a special study of Vedanta philosophy for two years at Mysore, he went to USA in 1931 and in 1933 founded the the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre in New York and was its spiritual leader until a short period before his passing away. He authored nearly half a dozen books in English, besides translating the Kathamrita and some Sanskrit scriptures into English. He attained mahasamadhi on 21 July 1973 aged 78.

Strive for perfection

This is in reference to an incident at the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of New York, U.S.A. I was a college student, and a devotee and volunteer of the Center, headed by Swami Nikhilananda. The center, then as now, was a publishing center with a busy mail-order department. All of the center’s published books were available for sale and delivery by postal service. The method of work in this mail order department was: preparing invoices in three copies, packing books placing a copy of the invoice (along with a list of books being sent) inside packages, fixing address labels on packages, carrying the packages to the Post Office for mailing and so on. I was careful in following this S.O.P. But one day I failed to place a copy of the invoice inside a large book packet to be sent by Bookpost. When I discovered my error I thought, ‘It is a small matter, the customer will refer to the invoice to have a list of the items in the package, the invoice being sent by first class envelope. No problem!’

But, strange to say, it just happened that Mr. Moffitt, of happy memory, came down the stairs for some reason to my workplace. He saw the book packet and a carbon copy of books list lying nearby and asked, “What is this?” I told him I had forgotten to put a copy of the invoice inside the packet. He didn’t say much, only: “It will be better to open the package and put it inside.” I complied, and also cheerfully suggested, “Oh nobody’s perfect, it’s an ordinary oversight; the invoice will reach the addressee ahead of the books.” Mr. Moffitt, silent, seemed unimpressed. He went up the stairs in the direction of the Swami’s room.

I was always happy to associate with Mr. John Moffitt; he was so considerate of others. Shortly he came to the head of the stairs and called to me: “Swami Nikhilananda wants to see you!” Hearing his voice I was alert, but also feeling inner peace, that I, an insignificant volunteer, was being remembered by Swami. I had not the slightest idea why he wanted to see me, but happily put aside my work and went up the stairs. I stood at the Swami’s door and said, “Yes, Swami?” At that moment I understood that Mr. Moffitt must have spoken to him about the book order.

The Swami looked at me kindly, and then said that every work should be done perfectly and that we should always try for that. Swami’s words made an impression on me. I felt sorry about

being exposed for carelessness. But when I perceived forgiveness and was invited to stay at the Centre for dinner with the swamis, of course I felt free and blessed.

Afterward I thought about Swami’s words “always strive for perfection.” Surely, that would be the ‘yoga of action’, Karma Yoga, would it not? Certainly as a young man I had too much restless energy. And the Swami wanted me to be more spiritual. Striving for perfection in work would quieten the mind and make it one-pointed. Did not Sri Ramakrishna say: “No matter what path you follow, yoga is impossible unless the mind becomes quiet.”

— Swami Shivaprasadananda, Chapra

Swami Swahananda

Bipadbhanjan received mantra-diksha from Swami Vijnananandaji and joined the Order at Saradapitha, Belur in 1947. Swami Shankaranandaji gave him sannyasa-diksha in 1956. For the next five years until 1962 Swahanandaji served as the editor of The Vedanta Kesari. After this he served as the head of the Delhi centre until he left for America in 1968 where he served at San Francisco, Berkeley and then Hollywood centres. The Hollywood centre witnessed a phenomenal development during his 36 years of spiritual ministration from 1976 till his end. He attained mahasamadhi on 19 Oct 2012.

Indifference to public opinion

I first met Swami Swahanandaji in 1974 when he was head of the Vedanta Society of Berkeley. I was already a staunch devotee of Sri Ramakrishna and Vedanta, and had more or less decided on a monastic life, though I was unsure about how and when I could do it. I had come to San Francisco to visit friends, but I also made it a point to meet Swami Swahanandaji when I was in the area. From the very first, he greeted me like a long-time acquaintance. He invited me in for tea, and we went for a long walk together. I remember him to have been tall and slim, with a full head of wavy black hair. He was quite athletic even then; in his youth he had been an accomplished volleyball player (a “smasher”), good enough to get a full scholarship to Calcutta University and be named captain of the team. We walked around the athletic field of the university, and he walked so fast I had a hard time keeping up with him. I was so attracted to his personality, that I visited him three times on that trip, even though I was only in the area for about a week.

Eventually I ended up joining the Order under Swami Swahanandaji in 1981. By then he was head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. I stayed in our Trabuco Canyon branch until 1997, when I was transferred to the newly formed Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, DC. For the first fifteen or so years after that, I would return to Southern California for a visit every January and spend time both in the Trabuco and Hollywood centers. The incident I am about to describe took place on one of these visits.

Swami Swahanandaji had come to Trabuco for his regular monthly stay, so I had the opportunity to be with him there as well as in Hollywood. We had received an invitation that weekend to visit the home of a devotee one night and have our meal there. At the same time, one of the senior monks from Trabuco, who had moved to Santa Barbara, was coming to Trabuco for a visit. I had a very sweet and loving relationship with this monk, and he had agreed to drive the long distance to Trabuco just to see me. I informed the devotee that he was coming and requested that he also be invited. Everything was arranged, when I got a phone call from her. She explained to me that the occasion was her birthday and she had invited only those she felt especially close to, and requested me to explain to the visiting monk that it would be better if he didn’t come this time. I was in a real fix! How was I to explain to him that, after driving all the way to see me, he would have to spend the night in Trabuco all by himself? On the other hand, it would have been extremely difficult for me to skip the dinner after agreeing, especially since Swami Swahanandaji was also going.

Not knowing what else to do, I explained the entire situation to Swami Swahanandaji and sought his advice. We both agreed that it would not look nice for me to miss the birthday celebration. When I asked him how I should explain skipping out on my brother monk after he had come such a long way to see me, he immediately gave a reply, which even today I find astounding. Without the slightest hesitation, with perfect equanimity and simplicity, he said, “You can blame me.” I was amazed to see his reaction. Aside from the fact that he was not to be blamed in any way for the situation, what astounded me was his tremendous love and protectiveness, his perfect selflessness, and, a quality that I had seen many times in him and which I feel was one of his greatest virtues, his complete indifference to the opinion of others. Of course, I could never have agreed to his suggestion, and eventually the visiting monk very graciously understood the matter once I had explained it to him. But I will never forget the fatherly kindness and love with which Swami Swahanandaji made that simple offer for me. The impression that it left on me remains strong even today. — Swami Atmajnanananda, Hollywood

Everything is Real as Brahman

On 21 July 1922, Swami Turiyananda, one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna breathed his last. Just before his mahasamadhi, lying on the bed, he declared his life’s realisation that this world is real as the Brahman:

“The vital energy is leaving the body. Straighten my legs. Pull them together and keep them straight.” When this was done, the Swami said, “Raise my arms—higher, higher!” Then he folded his hands.

“Jaya Gurudeva! Jaya Gurudeva!” With these words he saluted the Master, and then took some holy water. “Everything is real,” he continued. “Brahman is real. The world is real. The world is Brahman. Everything is real. The life force is established in Truth. Raise my hands. Jaya Gurudeva! Jaya Gurudeva! Say that he is the embodiment of Truth, the embodiment of Knowledge!”

Swami Akhandananda recited the Upanishadic text: सत्यं ज्ान अननतयं ब्रह्म “Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, Infinity.” This made Turiyananda very happy. With great joy he cried out, “Yes, yes! Please repeat these words again.” Akhandananda repeated them twice. Swami Turiyananda joined him the first time, then he became silent. Suddenly, his mind steadfast in the thought of Brahman, he left the body.

— Swami Turiyananda: Life and Teachings

Jagat Satyam

SWAMI SATYAPRIYANANDA

Vedanta speaks of सा्नचतष्ट्म् or four spiritual practices; the first of these is त्नत्ात्नत्त्वसतयुत्त्वत्वेक:, i.e., the ability to identify the eternal and the noneternal. This is stated as ब्रह्मैत्व त्नत्यं त्वसतयु ततवोऽन्दखखलमत्नत्त्मत्त त्त्वत्वेचनम् – to discriminate

that Brahman alone is eternal and every other thing is non-eternal. To this anitya, non-eternal, concept, Sri Krishna added that this world is also असखम्, joyless. Misery comes to us in the garb of joy and when we try to embrace it, one experiences misery instead of joy. This is not a pessimistic view of this world; it is realistic.

Again, Vedanta declares, ब्रह्म सत्यं जगखनमथ्ा, ‘Brahman is Truth, the Reality, and the world is untruth, unreal.’ Thus, this drives home the point that clutching at this world for support is like catching shadows. Though the world is false or unreal, the Jiva or embodied being, is given some status: जरीत्ववो ब्रह्मैत्व नापरः, the embodied being is verily Brahman. This enigmatic statement must be understood using the techniques used to understand the mahavakyas or great statements of the Upanishads. But that is not the intention of this article.

The jnanis discriminate, following the method of नेत्त नेत्त, ‘not this’ ‘not this’: ‘Brahman is not the five elements, nor the sense-organs, nor the mind, nor the intelligence, nor the ego. Brahman is beyond all these cosmic principles.’ What are the grounds on the basis of which all these are eliminated? There are a few litmus tests for anatman, that which is not the atman. These are: 1) gross; 2) being possessed; 3) an aggregate of parts; 4) compacted of gunas; 5) impure; 6) not existing in all the three periods of time, and being subject to modification; 7) delimited by space, time and objects; 8) seen and later not seen; 9) produced, i.e., an effect; 10) the known and not the knower; 11) ruled, not the ruler; and 12) dependent, not selfsubsistent.

Reasoning in this way, the mind becomes steady. Then it disappears and the aspirant enters into samadhi. This knowledge of Brahman is the unwavering conviction of the jnani that Brahman alone is real and the world illusory. All these names and forms are illusory like a dream. What Brahman is cannot be described. One cannot even say that Brahman is a Person. This is the opinion of the jnanis, the followers of Vedanta philosophy.

The atman, thus separated from the three bodies — gross, subtle and causal, is the inmost, apart and beyond all of them, selfexistent, the eternal, what is signified by the term aham, ‘I’, the witness of waking, dream and sleep states, different from the five koshas or sheaths (physical, energy, mental, intellectual, blissful) all-pervasive, illuminating all, the inmost self, beginningless and of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Though it is easy to comprehend this intellectually, atmajnana and atmanubhava is the final test. Being very difficult to accomplish,

The author is a senior sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order and lives in Belur Math. satyapriyananda@rkmm.org

this exercise is left for the all-renouncing sannyasins. Thus a major section of the population, the householders, with a thousand cares and worries get excluded from this path.

The jnanis, who adhere to the nondualistic philosophy of Vedanta, say that the acts of creation, preservation, and destruction, the universe itself and all its living beings, are the manifestations of Shakti, the Divine Power. All these are as illusory as a dream. Though one reasons all one’s life, unless one is established in samadhi, one cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of Shakti. When one says, ‘I am meditating’, still one is moving in the realm of Shakti, within Its power.

Thus Shakti has to be accepted as having a significant role in one’s spiritual life. All Vedantic teachers have accepted Shakti in their lifetime. Sri Ramakrishna says, “Brahman and Shakti are identical. If you accept the one, you must accept the other. It is like fire and its power to burn. If you see the fire, you must recognise its power to burn also. You cannot think of fire without its power to burn, nor can you think of the power to burn without fire.” Sri Ramakrishna gives other examples as well: 1) sun and its rays, 2) milk and its whiteness, 3) snake and its wriggling motion, 4) gem and its splendour, and so on. Thus one cannot think of the Absolute without the Relative, or of the Relative without the Absolute. The Primordial Power is ever at play, creating, preserving, and destroying, as it were. Sri Ramakrishna calls this Power by the name Kali. Kali is verily Brahman, and Brahman is verily Kali. When we think of It as inactive, not engaged in the acts of creation, preservation, and destruction, then we call It Brahman. But when It engages in these activities, then we call It Kali or Shakti. Bondage and liberation are both of Her making. By Her Maya worldly people become entangled in ‘lust and greed’, and again, through Her grace they attain liberation. She is called saviour, and the remover of the bondage that binds one to the world. She gives freedom to one out of a hundred thousand.”

The bhaktas accept all the states of consciousness. They take the waking state to be real also. They don’t see the world to be illusory, like a dream. They say that the universe is a manifestation of God’s power and glory. God has created all these — sky, stars, moon, sun, mountains, ocean, men, animals. They constitute His glory. He is within us, in our hearts. Again, He is outside. The most advanced devotees say that He Himself has become all this — the twenty-four cosmic principles, the universe, and all living beings.

As long as a man is bound by his human limitations, he cannot but worship God through human forms. Devotees look on God as the parent, the husband, the child, the friend or the servant. The name of God ultimately leads to the Nameless, the form to the Formless, the word to the Silence, the emotion to the serene realization of Peace in Existence-KnowledgeBliss Absolute. The gods gradually merge in the one God. But until that realisation is achieved, the devotee cannot dissociate human factors from his worship. Therefore, the Deity is treated in every way as a human being. He is woken up, bathed, clothed, decked with ornaments, fed and put to sleep. He is propitiated with hymns, songs, and prayers. And there are appropriate rites connected with all these functions. During worship, he awakens the different spiritual centres of the body and invokes the Supreme Spirit in his heart. Then he transfers the Supreme Spirit to the image before him and worships the image, regarding it no longer as matter, but as the embodiment of Spirit, throbbing with Life and Consciousness. After the worship the Supreme Spirit is recalled from the image to Its true

sanctuary, the heart of the worshipper. The real devotee appreciates the absurdity of worshipping the Transcendental Reality with material articles and prays for forgiveness.

Vijnana means Knowledge with a greater fullness. Those who have heard of milk are ignorant; those who have seen milk are jnanis; and those who have drunk milk and strengthened by it have a fuller knowledge of it; they are vijnanis. After having the vision of God one talks to Him as if He were an intimate relative. That is vijnana.

The vijnani clearly realises that God Himself has become the universe and all living beings, that He is not outside the world. One realises this when he has the ‘spiritual eye’. This requires a pure mind. Through that pure mind one sees God in this world. It is God alone who is moving about in various forms: as a holy man, as a cheat, as a villain.

The Vedantins hold that knowledge and work of any kind cannot be combined. The reason is that action has one of four kinds of effects: 1) उतपाद्यम्, the production of something in a form which did not exist previously; 2) आप्म्, the attaining of something new or elsewhere; 3) ससका््थम्, the purification or sanctification of that which is impure or defiled, and 4) त्त्वका््थम्, effecting a change of form. None of these pertains to Brahman because, 1) Brahman is ever-existing; 2) there is no question of Brahman attaining Brahman; 3) Brahman being त्नत्रयुद्धत्वसतयु or ever-pure does not require purification, and 4) Brahman being unchanging, it cannot be altered in any way.

However, it stands to reason that while the snake superimposed on the rope is unreal, the underlying rope on which the superimposition takes place is real. Again, the rope cannot be in one place and the superimposed snake in another place. Thus this world which is not a real transformation of Brahman but is an unreal superimposition on Brahman, has Brahman for its substratum. Hence, it is reasonable to hold that Brahman, which is the substratum of the image as also of human beings, admits of worship. This worship is not work; it is jnana, yoga, worship, all combined. It is called Seva Yoga. It is worship of the Divine by the Divine. While a sannyasi renounces the world, he does not renounce the underlying Brahman. So, doing good to the world means giving up the world-view and worshipping the Virat, God in His Universal Form as the manifest physical Cosmos. As the great Vedantin, Swami Turiyananda said, “This creation is Truth (satyam). This world is Truth. All is Truth, Prana is established in Truth.”

The Ishopanishad says in its very first verse: “All this—whatsoever moves on the earth—should be covered by the Lord. Protect your Self through that detachment. Do not covet anybody’s wealth.” The idea is to change our world perception to a deified world by detaching ourselves from our ego-centric perception of it. When everything is renounced through the thought of God, one should not have any hankering for things such as wealth that are unreal.

Bhagavan Kapila also says in the Bhagavatam: “I abide in all beings as their inner-most soul. Disregarding My Presence within them, men make a show of worshipping Me through images. If one disregards Me present in all as their soul and Lord but ignorantly offers worship only to images, such worship is as ineffective as sacrificial offerings made in ashes. A man who persecutes Me residing in others, who is proud and haughty, who looks upon God as the other —such a person will never attain to peace of mind. If a man disregards and persecutes fellow beings,

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