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Vivekananda Way
ISSUE 42
This issue is part 3 of the lecture Vedanta in its Application to Indian life. We covered the first two parts of this lecture in Issue 39 and Issue 41.
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focus in this issue: Vedanta in its Application to Indian Life - 3
In Part 3 of the lecture: What the Upanishads tell us
Strength, strength is what the Upanishads speak to me from every page. This is the one great thing to remember, it has been the one great lesson I have been taught in my life; strength, it says, strength, O man, be not weak.
1.1 There are human weaknesses, but more weakness will not heal them. The answer is to stand up and be strong
“ Are there no human weaknesses? — says man. There are, say the Upanishads, but will more weakness heal them, would you try to wash dirt with dirt? Will sin cure sin, weakness cure weakness? Strength, O man, strength, say the Upanishads, stand up and be strong. Ay, it is the only literature in the world where you find the word "Abhih", "fearless", used again and again; in no other scripture in the world is this adjective applied either to God or to man. Abhih, fearless!
1.2 For centuries, we have weakened ourselves till we have become “earth worms”. What we need now is strength
“ There are thousands to weaken us, and of stories we have had enough. Every one of our Puranas, if you press it, gives out stories enough to fill threefourths of the libraries of the world. Everything that can weaken us as a race we have had for the last thousand years. It seems as if during that period the national life had this one end in view, viz how to make us weaker and weaker till we have become real earthworms, crawling at the feet of every one who dares to put his foot on us. Therefore, my friends, as one of your blood, as one that lives and dies with you, let me tell you that we want strength, strength, and every time strength.
1.3 The Upanishads are the great mine of strength through which the whole world can be unified
“ And the Upanishads are the great mine of strength. Therein lies strength enough to invigorate the whole world; the whole world can be vivified, made strong, energised through them. They will call with trumpet voice upon the weak, the miserable, and the downtrodden of all races, all creeds, and all sects to stand on their feet and be free.
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1.4 Swami Vivekananda tells us a story that highlights the Upanishadic idea of strength and fearlessness
And in my mind rises from the past the vision of the great Emperor of the West, Alexander the Great, and I see, as it were in a picture, the great monarch standing on the bank of the Indus, talking to one of our Sannyâsins in the forest;
the old man he was talking to, perhaps naked, stark naked, sitting upon a block of stone, and the Emperor, astonished at his wisdom, tempting him with gold and honour to come over to Greece.
And this man smiles at his gold, and smiles at his temptations, and refuses;
and then the Emperor standing on his authority as an Emperor, says, "I will kill you if you do not come", and the man bursts into a laugh and says, "You never told such a falsehood in your life, as you tell just now.
Who can kill me? Me you kill, Emperor of the material world! Never! For I am Spirit unborn and undecaying: never was I born and never do I die; I am the Infinite, the Omnipresent, the Omniscient; and you kill me, child that you are!"
That is strength, that is strength!
Freedom, physical freedom, mental freedom, and spiritual freedom are the watchwords of the Upanishads. Ay, this is the one scripture in the world, of all others, that does not talk of salvation, but of freedom. Be free from the bonds of nature, be free from weakness!
2.1 Every one of us must admit this truth − that this freedom is already in you For dualists(Dvatists)
“ You are a Dvaitist; never mind, you have got to admit that by its very nature the soul is perfect; only by certain actions of the soul has it become contracted.
“With the Advaitist the one difference is that he admits evolution in nature and not in the soul. ... This is the Advaitist's position with regard to evolution — evolution of nature and manifestation of the Self within. Not that the
For qualified non-dualists (Vishishta Advaitists)
“ Indeed, Ramanuja's theory of contraction and expansion is exactly what the modern evolutionists call evolution and atavism. The soul goes back, becomes contracted as it were, its powers become potential; and by good deeds and good thoughts it expands again and reveals its natural perfection.
Each of us in our essence is that Infinite One. The goal of life is to manifest that divinity within
For non-dualists (Advaitists)
Self can by any means be made to contract. It is unchangeable, the Infinite One. It was covered, as it were, with a veil, the veil of Maya, and as this Maya veil becomes thinner and thinner, the inborn, natural glory of the soul comes out and becomes more manifest.
2.2 The idea of divinity within every one will revolutionise the world
“Do you not find how everything is being revolutionised? Do you not see how it was the custom to take for granted that everything was wicked until it proved itself good? In education, in punishing criminals, in treating lunatics, in the treatment of common diseases even, that was the old law. What is the modern law? The modern law says, the body itself is healthy; it cures diseases of its own nature. Medicine can at the best but help the storing up of the best in the body. What says it of criminals? It takes for granted that however low a criminal may be, there is still the divinity within, which does not change, and we must treat criminals accordingly. All these things are now changing, and reformatories and penitentiaries are established. So with everything.
The treatment of one man to another will be entirely revolutionized, and these old, old ideas of pointing to the weakness of mankind will have to go. They will have received their death-blow within this century.
Examples of revolutions we should expect: Can we educate assuming that all knowledge exists within every individual?
Can we treat assuming that wellness (not illness) is the body's natural state?
Can we develop a psychology based on strength? Can we begin by assuming that criminals are essentially good?
...the world is waiting to receive from our Upanishads the [idea of the] solidarity of this universe.
A world moving towards solidarity is in need of this message from the Upanishads. The world is moving towards solidarity among nations, in science, in politics and sociology, and in ethics and morality.
3.1 The Upanishads offer us a way to digest the increasing intercommunication and globalization of the world
3.2 The idea of solidarity will help address challenges across multiple domains
– According to Swami Vivekananda, the old lines of demarcation and differentiation are vanishing rapidly across the world. The world is in increasing intercommunication (a process that has since accelerated with the birth of the internet). – As a result, people have encountered each other from across the world, and have gone beyond their medieval notions. In
Swami Vivekananda's words, "we Hindus no longer say that every country beyond our own land is peopled with demons and hobgoblins, nor do the people of Christian countries say that India is only peopled by cannibals and savages". – In practice, we are beginning to recognise that when we go out of our own lands, we find people similar to us, with the same desire to help and the same desire to support each other, as in our own country.
– Problems which were only at a national or a localised level, even late into the 18th century, are now becoming problems that are international or global in nature. And, such problems can only be solved through solidarity at an international level − through international combinations and international laws. – Science is coming to a broader view of matter (a thought which predated Einstein's formula that energy and matter are one whole) – There is also a need for a new universal ethics.
Note: This has become particularly obvious when we consider that there is a growing tide where people are not depending on religion and social norms alone for supplying their ethics and morality.
Our Upanishads say that the cause of all misery is ignorance; and that is perfectly true when applied to every state of life, either social or spiritual. It is ignorance that makes us hate each other, it is through ignorance that we do not know and do not love each other. As soon as we come to know each other, love comes, must come, for are we not one? Thus we find solidarity coming in spite of itself.
You speak of matter, the whole universe as one mass, one ocean of matter, in which you and I, the sun and the moon, and everything else are but the names of different little whirlpools and nothing more. Mentally speaking, it is one universal ocean of thought in which you and I are similar little whirlpools; and as spirit it moveth not, it changeth not. It is the One Unchangeable, Unbroken, Homogeneous Atman. ... The explanation of morality, the fountain of ethics, that also the world wants; and that it will get here.
TO BE CONTINUED in Part 4: Swami Vivekananda discusses What we want in India
Magic , Miracles and the Mystical Twelve
LAKSHMI DEVNATH
PAGE DONOR : SRI SRINIVASARAMAN GOVINDARAJAN, CHENNAI
The Divine Bride
The Story of Aandal
(Continued from the previous issue. . .)
Adeer beckoned Poorva from a distance. Walking towards it, she crossed Periaazhvaar’s house and heard him relating delightful tales about Krishna to his daughter. Tempted to listen to them, she jumped smartly onto the windowsill.
The deer capered across to her, wondering why she had changed her mind. Poorva put her arms around its neck and both listened happily to the stories, along with Kodhai.
One day, Poorva was strolling around the garden as usual, when she felt her feet drag. It was almost as if someone was compelling her to stop. Unable to resist the force, she halted in front of an open window and peeped in. “Oh my God,” she covered her lips with her palm. “Why on earth is Kodhai doing this? If Periaazhvaar were to see her now, he would get very, very angry.”
Just then who should walk in but Periaazhvaar! He took in the scene with one horrified glance and cried out, “The Lord’s flower garlands around your neck? And you’re admiring yourself in the mirror? Don’t you know it is wrong? Haven’t I taught you to offer everything to the Lord first before we enjoy it? Thank God, I saw you put the garlands back into the basket. Imagine, what a terrible sin I would have committed had I offered them to the Lord.” He then broke down.
Kodhai remained calm and that only increased his agitation. She tried to talk to him, but he seemed in no mood to listen to anything. Distressed, he went and lay down on the
The author is a researcher and writer with various books and articles on Indian music and culture to her credit. lakshmidevnath@gmail.com Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. lalithyagu@gmail.com
floor and Poorva heard him lament in a faint voice, “That such a thing should happen in my house! I can’t imagine my daughter Kodhai doing this …”
Poorva was beginning to get angry. She felt that the least a person who makes a mistake could do was to say sorry, and Kodhai was not doing even that.
Eager to tell the Swami all that had happened, Poorva searched the garden for him. She found him attending to an injured squirrel. Seeing his kindness, her anger receded. Dropping down on the grass, she said softly, “Sweet of you, Thaatha, to take care of this little thing.”
As if she had been waiting to be asked, Poorva animatedly told him about Kodhai’s mischievous behaviour and was surprised to see the Swami’s reaction, or rather, the lack of it. Bewildered, she asked, “You’re not upset?”
The Swami gave her a meaningful look. “Anger clouds one’s thinking. Recall all that I told you about Kodhai.”
His tone indicated that she had forgotten something important. And then it flashed through her mind. “Now I remember …” she began enthusiastically.
The Swami took over, “Kodhai, or rather Bhooma Devi, is eagerly awaiting the day when she’ll be reunited with her Lord. She was wearing those garlands only to see whether she could look as charming as her divine groom. The interesting thing about this whole story is that Kodhai’s father is unaware of all this.”
“Hasty again! You forget that you can’t do that,” the Swami reminded her.
“There you go, all excited again. Everything happens only according to the plan of God. I suggest that you simply wait and watch,” the Swami said firmly.
Left with little choice, Poorva walked across to the hut, got into her bed and snuggled under the warm sheets. (To be continued. . .)
Sri Ramanuja’s Inventive Arrangement (Continued from page 22...)
servant to their house. Remaining totally unconcerned about the matter Sri Periya Nambi told them to speak with Sri Ramanuja. The in-laws’ family then rushed to Sri Ramanuja and begged him to save them from the predicament. With a gentle smile Sri Ramanuja said, “Oh! Since you wanted a servant sent as a gift along with our daughter, I sent Sri Mudaliyandan. But if you find it so uncomfortable, I will call him back. Also, in future if Atthuzhaai ever needs any help, he can again be of service at your home.”
Reference : Vaartthamalai. Sri Pinbazhagiya Perumal Jeer. Ed. Sri S Krishnaswami Iyengar, 1983, No 211, pp 244
Adhar Lal Sen
DR. RUCHIRA MITRA
्मेत्वैष त्वृणते तेन लभ्ः
It is attained by him alone whom It chooses (Kathopanishad. 1.2:23)
This is the fourteenth story in the series on devotees who had a role in the divine play of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna.
One day in 1884, a devotee was yearning to entertain his guru Sri Ramakrishna at his home; and when Sri Ramakrishna arrived, he said, “You haven’t come to our house for a long time. The rooms looked gloomy; they had a musty smell. But today the whole house is cheerful; the sweetness of your presence fills the atmosphere. Today I called on God earnestly that you should come. I even shed tears while praying.” Deeply touched by these words, Sri Ramakrishna suddenly stood up and blessed him in an ecstatic mood, touching his head and chest. In a voice choked with love Sri Ramakrishna said: “I look upon you as Narayana Himself. You are indeed my own.”1 This fortunate devotee was Adhar Lal Sen.
Once previously, in the summer of 1883, Adhar yearned to receive Sri Ramakrishna at his home. And as if to prove that God answers earnest prayers, Sri Ramakrishna visited his home that day! Sri Ramakrishna actually visited Adhar’s home many times, and those visits were occasions for religious festivals. Devotees would assemble in large numbers, professional musicians would sing and play on instruments, and Adhar would feed everyone sumptuously. Sri Ramakrishna once said, “I saw in a vision that the houses of Adhar, Balaram, and Surendra are places for our gathering.”2
Born on 2 March 1855, Adhar lived in Sobhabazar in north Calcutta. He had an extraordinary academic record.He received the Duff Scholarship in English literature and also published two books of Bengali poems when he was only nineteen. At a young age, he became a deputy magistrate — a government official of high prestige. He was also a Fellow and member of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Calcutta.
Adhar Lal Sen
The author is a devotee and researcher on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature. Her doctoral thesis was on the life stories of Sri Ramakrishna. ruchiranewid@gmail.com
Like other Bengali intellectuals of his time, Adhar was introduced to Sri Ramakrishna through Keshab Chandra Sen’s journal. Almost every day, after finishing his tough work at the office, Adhar would hire a carriage and reach Dakshineswar to meet Sri Ramakrishna. His sole delight was in seeing Sri Ramakrishna. After seeing Sri Ramakrishna and offering his pranams at the temples he would lie down, at Sri Ramakrishna’s request, on a mat spread on the floor and fall asleep. At 9 or 10 pm he would be awakened to return home.3
Sri Ramakrishna saw the latent spirituality in Adhar and told him, “My son, meditate on the deity whose name you chanted.” With these words he touched Adhar’s tongue with his finger and wrote something on it, thereby imparting him spiritual power.4
Sri Ramakrishna urged Adhar to be up and going, “You are a scholar and a deputy magistrate, but with all that you are henpecked. Go forward.”5 “You have your position through the grace of God, do not forget Him. We stay in the world only for a couple of days. One must have strong determination, then alone is spiritual practice possible. But one must finish it speedily.”6 He also told him, “You have both – yoga and bhoga.”7
Every year Sri Ramakrishna attended the Durga Puja celebrations in Adhar’s house. He would be surcharged with emotion. On one such occasion, Sri Ramakrishna went into the worship hall to see the evening worship. When it was over, he remained standing there in an abstracted mood and sang in praise of the Divine Mother. In a mood of divine fervour, he told the assembly: “Gentlemen, I have eaten. Now go and enjoy the feast.” Perhaps the Master was hinting that the Divine Mother had partaken of Adhar’s offering! Then, addressing the Divine Mother, he continued: “Shall I eat, O Mother? Or will You eat? O Mother, the very Embodiment of the Wine of Divine Bliss!”
Adhar invited several deputy magistrates who wanted to watch the Master and judge his holiness. Among them was Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the famous Bengali writer and composer of‘Vande Mataram’. Sri Ramakrishna impressed them with his spiritual fervour.
When Adhar didn’t visit Sri Ramakrishna for a few days, he upbraided him, “So you completely lost yourself in schools and meetings and forgot everything else? Look here. All these are unreal — meetings, school, office, and everything else. God alone is the Substance, and all else is illusory. This moment the body is, and the next moment it is not. One must make haste to worship God.”
Such remarks assumed significance because Adhar died very young, before he was 30. The all-knowing Sri Ramakrishna warned him against riding horses. But who can avoid fate? On 6 January 1885 Adhar went to inspect Maniktola distillery. He fell from the horseback and broke his wrist. Soon the wound developed into tetanus. Hearing this, Sri Ramakrishna commented, “While riding the horse, Adhar had ishta-darshan and hence he lost his balance, and fell from the horse.” He came to visit Adhar during his last days and mourned for three days when he died on 14 January 1885.
References
1) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. 9 March 1884 2) Ibid., 20 June 1884 3) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. December 6, 1884 4) Ibid., 18 August 1883 5) Ibid., 24 May 1884 6) Ibid., 8 April 1883 7) Ibid., 11 October 1884
