The Vedanta Kesari - August 2015 issue by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai

102 Year

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Publication

The Vedanta Kesari

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

Swami Ramakrishnananda’s statue, RKM Students’ Home, Chennai

A ugust 2015

India's Timeless Wisdom The place (or the society) where unworthy people are worshiped and honoured and the worthy one is neglected, three things get manifested their [in due course]: poverty, death and fear. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mahabharata

Editor: Swami Atmashraddhananda Managing Editor: Swami Gautamananda Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust S T 2 0 1 5 h e V e d a n t a KMath e s aRoad, r iâ&#x20AC;&#x192; ~ 2Mylapore, ~ A U G UChennai fromT No.31, Ramakrishna - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110

The Vedanta Kesari

102

Year

Publication

VOL. 102, No. 8 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

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

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

CONTENTS AUGUST 2015

Gita Verse for Reflection

285

Editorial  Valuable Lessons From the Sun

286

Articles  Dissolving Boundaries Pravrajika Virajaprana  Ramakrishna Mission—It’s Ideal and Working Swami Tyagarupananda  A Lifelong Influence and Contribution: Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s Influence on Ma.Ko. Usha Mahadevan  Balaram Mandir and Swami Brahmananda Hiranmoy Mukherjee New Find  Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

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302 310

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Review Article  Documenting An Inspiring Era 313 P S Sundaram The Order on the March 316 Book Reviews 319 Feature  Simhâvalokanam (How to Triumph Over the Difficulties of Life) Cover Story: Page 6

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

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We invite our readers to liberally contribute to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. This will go a long way in placing this 100 years old magazine on firm financial footing to continue its service to the cause of a holistic and meaningful life. Your contributions (minimum of Rs.1000/- or US$ 25) by Cheque/DD/ MO should be sent to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, along with a covering note stating that it is meant for Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. Every contribution will be gratefully acknowledged and the donor’s name will be published in the Vedanta Kesari. All donations to Sri Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T. Act, 1961. We accept online donations also.

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Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme Do you wish to join in spreading the message of Vedanta and of RamakrishnaVivekananda to larger number of people?

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The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : thevedantakesari@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org ‘Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. . . . Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.’ —Swami Vivekananda

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N Cover Story N Swami Ramakrishnananda’s Statue, Chennai Born to pious parents in the village of Ichapur near Kolkata, Swami Ramakrishnananda (1863-1911) was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. At the behest of Swami Vivekananda, his brotherdisciple and the leader of Ramakrishna Movement, Swami Ramakrishnananda or Shashi Maharaj (as he was affectionately called by monks and devotees) came to Madras in 1897 and worked tirelessly for the cause of Ramakrishna until his demise in 1911. He was the very embodiment of devotion, service and sagacity. He founded Sri Ramakrishna Math at Mylapore and Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore. At his instance a Home for children hailing from destitute, orphan or single-parent families was started in 1905 which has grown into a large institution of 650 residential students, with multifarious activities and amenities, named Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home, Mylapore, Chennai with the units Ramakrishna Mission Polytechnic College, Ramakrishna Mission Residential High School and Sri Ramakrishna Centenary Primary School. A 4.9 feet tall fiberglass statue of Shashi Maharaj, seated on a chair, fashioned after one of his photographs, was installed in a new building at Students’ Home in 2006, to mark the institution’s centenary. It was unveiled by Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, at present the President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. This year the Jayanti celebrations of Swami Ramakrishnananda fall on 12th August. o

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

Rs. 1000

Mr. M.N. Talwar, Haliyal, Karnataka Rs.5000

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

5870. Mr. Dharam Vir Seth, Dehradun 5871. -do- 5872. -do- 5873. -do-

AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

Narayana Educational Institutions, Hyderabad - 500 036 AP Residential Educational Institutions, Hyderabad - 500 001 RGR Siddhanthi Degree & PG College, Hyderabad - 500 003 Staff College of India, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500 034 To be continued . . .

The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 102, No. 8, AUGUST 2015 ISSN 0042-2983

E ACH

SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 7

Gita Verse for Reflection Tr. by Swami Tapasyananda

—Bhagavad Gita, 12-11

If even this is too difficult for you to perform, then taking refuge in Me, and thus controlling the mind, give up the fruits of all your actions (recognising Me as their agent and enjoyer).

B Learn to feel yourself in other bodies, to know that we are all one. Throw all other nonsense to the winds. Spit out your actions, good or bad, and never think of them again. What is done is done. Throw off superstition. Have no weakness even in the face of death. Do not repent, do not brood over past deeds, and do not remember your good deeds; be azad (free). The weak, the fearful, the ignorant will never reach Atman. You cannot undo, the effect must come, face it, but be careful never to do the same thing again. Give up the burden of all deeds to the Lord; give all, both good and bad. Do not keep the good and give only the bad. God helps those who do not help themselves. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 7.91

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Editorial

Valuable Lessons From the Sun We and the Sun Sun! Have we thought of its place in our lives! Our deep relation with it! Life on the planet earth and sun are intensely interrelated. There can be no life without the sun. Sun is not the mere star of our solar system but the star of our lives too. We rise when the sun rises (except in case of those who sleep late or are lazy or have other reasons) and soon after the sun sets, we too begin to wind up and plan to lie down for our nightful of rest. And when the sun rises next day, we begin our day too. So sacred is this expectant arrival of sun that the Hindus consider the waiting time for the sun-rise early morning as the ‘hour of God’, the Brahma Muhurta—a time auspicious for contemplating on the Ultimate Spiritual Reality called Brahman. Our seasons—winter, summer, rain, and so on—depend on sun, or the movement of earth around sun. Our precious forests owe their existence to elements of nature of which the warmth and light that sun gives is of prime importance. We are dependent on sun in various and numerous other ways. Sun is the presiding deity of our bio-rhythms, the inner clock that oversees many of our physical and mental functions. Whatever we eat has some connection with sun, direct or indirect. If plants occupy a primary position in our food chain, surely the plants make their food by

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interacting with sun rays through the process of photosynthesis. In a way, then, we eat the energy and rays of the sun! Sun inspires a sense of beyond. Swami Vivekananda points out, Many of you remember the thrill of joy with which in your childhood you saw the glorious rising sun; all of you, sometimes in your life, stand and gaze upon the glorious setting sun, and at least in imagination, try to pierce through the beyond. This, in fact, is at the bottom of the whole universe—this rising from and this setting into the beyond, this whole universe coming up out of the unknown, and going back again into the unknown, crawling in as a child out of darkness, and crawling out again as an old man into darkness.1

Further, the sun is a ready and natural symbol of the Infinite. It is not a man-made symbol but one that is God-made or Naturemade. Much before images and other symbols came to be worshipped as representing the Ultimate Reality, sun was there to inspire man think of God. The famous Gayatri Mantra is dedicated to sun as the deity of creation (savitru). Sun is called by various names in Sanskrit and is worshipped as a Devata, ‘the

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shining one’, a god in Hindu tradition, and a whole tradition of worshippers (called Sauras) are devoted to the sun as representing the Ultimate Reality. While, the celebrated epic Mahabharata outlines 108 names of sun,2 in Ramayana the famous Aditya Hridayam, which sage Agastya reveals to Sri Rama before he kills Ravana, is chanted by countless Hindus every day. To our bare human eyes, sun is indeed a remarkable phenomenon, reminding us of a reality beyond our senses and ego. It inspires and amazes. It invokes a sense of allpervasiveness. It gives light and warmth, and it is believed to brighten the mind, dispelling bad moods. The ‘movement’ of sun—i.e. the way our earth rotates and revolves around it—also brings the three times suitable for thinking about God—the morning, mid-day and evening. Referring to this fact, Swami Vivekananda says, You must practise at least twice every day, and the best times are towards the morning and the evening. When night passes into day, and day into night, a state of relative calmness ensues. The early morning and the early evening are the two periods of calmness. Your body will have a like tendency to become calm at those times. We should take advantage of that natural condition and begin then to practise.3

Only an unbiased and sincere mind could have discovered such relation between mind and nature! Taking help of nature to disciplining and calming the mind—that is being spiritually practical. The Symbol of Knowledge Man lives by symbols. Much of our thinking is through symbols. The need for symbols is felt and utilized in all our human and social dealings. The flag is a symbol and so also icons used in traffic movement. T h e

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Doctors, engineers, accountants, physicists, mathematicians and all others use symbols for easy and quick statement for their ideas and needs. In spiritual matters use of symbols is of supreme importance. Swami Vivekananda points the need for symbols in spiritual context thus: In every religion there are three parts: philosophy, mythology, and ritual. Philosophy of course is the essence of every religion; mythology explains and illustrates it by means of the more or less legendary lives of great men, stories and fables of wonderful things, and so on; ritual gives to that philosophy a still more concrete form, so that every one may grasp it— ritual is in fact concretised philosophy. . . It is easy for men to think that they can understand anything; but when it comes to practical experience, they find that abstract ideas are often very hard to comprehend. Therefore symbols are of great help, and we cannot dispense with the symbolical method of putting things before us. From time immemorial symbols have been used by all kinds of religions. In one sense we cannot think but in symbols; words themselves are symbols of thought. In another sense everything in the universe may be looked upon as a symbol. The whole universe is a symbol, and God is the essence behind.4

Sun is also a symbol of knowledge. While explaining the emblem of Ramakrishna Mission, which he himself had envisaged, Swami Vivekananda wrote to Josephine MacLeod, his western disciple and friend, The Sun=Knowledge. The stormy water=Work. The lotus=Love. The serpent=Yoga. The swan =the Self. The Motto=May the Swan (the Supreme Self) send us that. It is the mindlake.5

Lotus, another important symbol, symbolizing devotion and spiritual purity, blooms when the sun rises. Sri Ramakrishna points out in the Gospel,

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The darkness of the mind disappears when God is realized. In the Purana it is said that it was as if a hundred suns were shining when Rama entered the court. Why, then, weren’t the courtiers burnt up? It was because the brilliance of Rama was not like that of a material object. As the lotus blooms when the sun rises, so the lotus of the heart of the people assembled in the court burst into blossom.6

Sun and knowledge, as also sun and devotion are often related in the Indian symbology. In the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, when Sri Krishna shows Arjuna his Universal Form, the Vishva Rupa, Arjuna describes it as so dazzling and bright as if ‘thousand suns had risen.’ No wonder, dazed by the intense light emitted when the first nuclear bomb was tested in 1945, Robert Oppenheimer, one of the key scientists involved in its making, is believed to have recalled this verse of the Gita. Once Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, had an interesting conversation with his brother-disciple at Belur Math: While at Belur Math, Latu Maharaj used to bow down to the sun morning and evening and that for a long time, which, one day, attracted the notice of one of his co-disciples, who said tauntingly, ‘What, O Sadhu, what are you doing?’ Latu Maharaj understood the hidden taunt and said, with great emphasis, ‘Why, I am bowing down to this palpably existing manifestation of God, Narayana.’ The gurubhai said, ‘Which one is your “palpably existing manifestation of God?” I do not feel His presence.’ Undaunted, Latu Maharaj said: ‘Why, don’t you see the sun, shining before your eyes? How is it you don’t feel the presence? Where will you get a more dazzling presence than this? I revere him the most as the Lord most palpably felt.’7

A symbol, we should remember, is a symbol. Though sacred and revered, it is not T h e

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the object itself that is used as the symbol but what it presents to us. No wonder the Upanishads speaks of the Ultimate Reality which the sun represents as beyond sun! Katha Upanishad, says:8 Through fear of this [Brahman or Ultimate Reality], fire burns, the sun heats; through fear Indra and Vayu are carrying on their functions, and Death stalks upon this earth.9

Sun is thus a Pratika, a symbol, par excellence. Three Lessons from Sun Having stated how the sun and we are deeply related, let us now highlight three practical lessons that we can learn from it. Lesson One: Being Friendly. Sun is called a universal friend, called Mitra in Sanskrit. It is the friend of all. It makes no distinction between the saint and the sinner, poor and rich, good and bad, educated and uneducated, pure and impure and all the varieties of men and women and all living beings. It is friendly to all and makes no distinction in giving its light and warmth to all. ‘Some are saints and some sinners. The sun shines on good and evil alike. Does he make any distinction?’ says Swami Vivekananda.10 He also says, in between quoting from a Sanskrit text, The sun [shines on the just and on the unjust]. Is he touched by the defective [character] of anyone? ‘I am He. Whatever [my] mind does, I am not touched. The sun is not touched by shining on filthy places, I am Existence.’11

Cannot we absorb even a little of this generosity and all-encompassing nature of the sun! This friendliness towards all is the first lesson one can learn from sun. Lesson Two: Give and Take. Called Yajna, it is the law that governs the universe. We are all taking or getting something constantly—we receive oxygen for our breath-

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ing from nature. We get our food from the land. We get education through an educational system and institution which is a made by the contribution of many people. We get success, fame, power and money—thanks to the presence of others, and numerous factors that make it possible. Could there be fame without others! Where could a famous man or woman be if there is no one among whom he is to become famous! It is others that impart fame, position, and success to us. And as to money, can money be eaten? It only has an instrumental value and not an intrinsic value. You cannot cook currency notes, sprinkle some Masala over it and call it a meal! It is only a means to get something in return. Recognition of this fact is what is called taking part in a cosmic Yajna, sacrifice. The fire ritual which is what most of us think as Yajna is only a symbol of this spirit of giving and sharing. Swami Vivekananda explains: None is there but will be compelled, in the long run, to give up everything. And the more one struggles against this law, the more miserable one feels. It is because we dare not give, because we are not resigned enough to accede to this grand demand of nature, that we are miserable. The forest is gone, but we get heat in return. The sun is taking up water from the ocean, to return it in showers. You are a machine for taking and giving: you take, in order to give. Ask, therefore, nothing in return; but the more you give, the more will come to you. The quicker you can empty the air out of this room, the quicker it will be filled up by the external air; and if you close all the doors and every aperture, that which is within will remain, but that which is outside will never come in, and that which is within will stagnate, degenerate, and become poisoned. A river is continually emptying itself into the ocean and is continually filling up again.12

millions of miles away, its rays keep this cosmic Yajna alive and dynamic. In our lives too we need to learn and practice this ancient and eternal principle of giving back what we receive. Perhaps this is what Albert Einstein meant when he said, ‘Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.’ While Purusha Sukta calls the first principle of righteous living (taani dharmani prathama nyasan), the Gita speaks of a number of ways this idea of Yajna is practiced in life. Referring to the spirit of Yajna, Swamiji said, ‘I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them!’13 Lesson Three: Reaching Truth is a Journey: We all know what we call the reality of God and ourselves. But do we? How much we quarrel about what is real (i.e. ultimate, unchanging and greatest)! So much of strife and conflict, violence and pain, hatred and differences are simply born of the fact that we think our view of the reality, whatever name we might give it, is the only correct and final one. Sri Ramakrishna used to say in his homely manner, ‘Everyone thinks his watch alone gives right time.’ We forget that our idea of reality too can evolve and this is what gives rise to various sects and schools of thought. Swami Vivekananda illustrates this point thus:

Sun is always engaged in this exchange of taking and giving back. While it is situated T h e

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Suppose a man starts straight towards the sun. At every step of his journey he will see newer and newer visions of the sun—the size, the view, and light will every moment be new, until he reaches the real sun. He saw the sun at first like a big ball, and then it began to increase in size. The sun was never small like the ball he saw; nor was it ever like all the succession of suns he saw in his journey. Still is it not true that our traveller A U G U S T

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always saw the sun, and nothing but the sun? Similarly, all these various sects are true—some nearer, some farther off from the real sun which is our—‘One without a second’.14

So, while our present idea of reality may be right, there is always a possibility of evolving our idea. ‘The soul passing through its different stages goes from truth to truth, and each stage is true; it goes from lower truth to higher truth.’ A recognition of this fact will make us much more inclusive, compassionate and harmonious. Conclusion While the sun and we are deeply related at different levels of our existence—physical, mental and spiritual—we must penetrate through the external form of sun and discover

what lies behind it. Citing a passage from Isha Upanishad, Swami Vivekananda joins with the ancient sage in a prayerful mood and says, Thou sun, who hast covered the Truth with thy golden disc, do thou remove the veil, so that I may see the Truth that is within thee. I have known the Truth that is within thee, I have known what is the real meaning of thy rays and thy glory and have seen That which shines in thee; the Truth in thee I see, and That which is within thee is within me, and I am That.15

The truth out there, in sun, in the external world, is, in essence, same as the truth in here. Let us tear apart the glittering disc of wealth and infatuation and discover the Eternal Truth which underlies this changing phenomenon. That is what we really learn through this study of sun—discovering the divinity within. o

vvv References 1. 2. 3. 4.

CW, 4.203 Vana Parva, Sec. 3.10 CW, 1.145 CW, 1.72

5. CW, 8.528 6. Gospel, p. 189 7. Swami Adbhutananda As We Saw Him, p.315

8. Katha Upanishad, II.iii,3 9. CW, 7.136 10. CW, 6.148 11. CW, 1.502

12. CW, 2.5 13. CW, 5.58 14. CW, 2.383 15. CW, 2.154

Teachings of Swami Ramakrishnananda v Mind is like a big mirror which gives a perfect reflection but which has been so thickly covered with dirt that nothing can be seen in it. The more you can rub off that dirt the more you will be able to see yourself in it. The more you can remove the least speck of dust the more you can get a perfect image of your true Self. What is that dirt that hides the image? Selfish desires. v Few of us believe in God all the time. As long as we have two or three rupees in the pocket, we think we can depend on ourselves. Only when the last anna is gone and we do not know where to get another do we begin to trust in God. v To remove the eye trouble, put on green spectacles instead of painting the whole world with the green paint. So set the mind right and not attempt to right the world. v There is no difference between the purified mind and the true Self of man. The mind is pure when it is single, that is, when it is devoted to one object. If you wish to see God, the only way is to get rid of all selfish desires and make the mind single.

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Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (June, 1967-68, p. 80-89)

How to Triumph Over the Difficulties of Life SWAMI BUDHANANDA

Introductory

Even if you can conceive of an ocean without waves, you cannot conceive of a life without difficulties—be one an educated or uneducated man, a poor or a rich man, a white man or a coloured man, a religious man or an irreligious man. Difficulties are the inevitable concomitants of life, and every single one of us is confronted by them in familiar or unfamiliar ways. They affect or afflict our lives in a farreaching manner. Difficulties may be of innumerable varieties. We do not intend to deal with any specific difficulty, but indicate certain general principles, through the application of which we may squarely face, and triumph over most of the difficulties of our lives. II Great Religions Promise Great Things

Great religions of the world promise us quite a few great things, such as : (a) Vision of God, (b) Happiness in heaven, (c) Realization of Atman, (d) Liberation while living in the body, (e) the state of steady wisdom, (f) Peace that passeth understanding, (g) Nirvana or the state of cessation of all miseries. And in the religious history of the world we have in the lives of saints positive proofs that these are not empty promises. They have been time and again fulfilled. But in our complicated times of multiple stresses and strains, tension and turmoil, these great promises of religions appear to leave the vast majority of even the so-called religious people, the faithful, somewhat cold and uninspired, and that not without reason. Most of the frightfully highflown promises of religions go much above our heads. They do not seem to touch the real issues of our lives, our personal and family problems and difficulties of various sorts. It is these problems and difficulties which absorb all our time and energy left over after our bread-winning daily work. Frankly, then, where is the time and energy to take religion seriously? And what purpose does it at all serve to take religion seriously even if there were time and energy, if religion did not touch the real issues of our lives? T h e

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Pragmatically speaking, if religion cannot help us out of our difficulties, or show us the way of solving the immediate problems of our lives then what good is it to us? Then it does not actually enter into the necessities, realities and depths of our lives. Religion may remain seated correctly on a soft sofa in our well-furnished drawing room, perhaps gazing at a modern painting. Meanwhile, our quarrel goes on in the dining hall; or we have had not talks exchanged days on end; or mistakes are being committed in whatever is being done; or mark is being missed in spite of promise; or body and mind are coming to breaking points; despair and gloom surrounding; and fear and suspicion making us all the time jumpy. In the office, at home, in the club, or even in places of worship, there is so much talk, but so little solace. Where should we go? Who would understand us? And this is our situation though we are good people, religious people. We go to places of worship, and return the same self home. Preachers of religion loudly expound scriptures, but as we sit listening, our difficulties dance before our eyes like disembodied spirits. Some preachers speak good things no doubt, but like water on duck’s back, they do not enter our inside. Hence in spite of our affiliation to religious institutions, our difficulties continue in almost the same manner and we hardly can make any spiritual progress. Gradually in the course of this exhausting fight, as we become weaker and weaker, we decide that God can wait, for after all He is said to be good. Meanwhile our difficulties eat away our nerves. And one day we slowly go and sit in the psychiatrist’s couch and pacify our uneasy heart with a rebuke, ‘after all I have taken a bold step and at last done the right thing’. This is happening specially in high society, and in homes where there is no worship at all. And these are deadly signs of the problematic progress that is being made. In affluent societies in the West where many people do not seem to know how to live with their own mind, getting ‘analysed’, has even turned out to be a high fashion! By the side of this, interesting and dynamic developments have been taking place in religious thought in the Western world. In India it does not seem to be very well-known how much vigorous thinking and writing are being done in the West not only on applied sciences but also on applied religion. It will be good for students of religion in India to stay informed about these developments. Patterns of living are fast changing in India due to the impacts of industrialization and secularity. What the people in the West are trying to do today to cope with the evil effects of these two phenomena in their civilization, Indians may have to devise their own ways of doing tomorrow. So it will be good for advanced thinkers to continue to stay informed, so that our religious teaching and learning may become more answerable to the problems and purposes of living, and not only an education for dying. T h e

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III Western Experiments in the Field

In the West exacting demands of the difficulties of life are bringing about curious and problematical developments in spheres of religion and psychiatry. Professionally speaking, religion is finding psychiatry handy and psychiatry is finding religion paying. Hence there is a clear trend in the West to psychiatrize religion and spiritualize psychiatry. What result this encounter between religion and psychiatry might lead to, could well be a matter of anxious speculation, with which we are not immediately concerned. But we can well notice that the process has gone quite a good far: (i) ‘Certain schools of psychoanalysis have come to regard moral and spiritual values as central to mental health, with profound implications for both theory and therapy.’1 (ii) ‘Conversely, many of the clergy now think of religion as performing a function like psychotherapy. Courses in mental health have been introduced in the curricula of many seminaries. Many clergymen take psychiatric clinical training (in America there is a National Academy of Religion and Mental Health, and an American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry).’2 (iii) ‘The clergy devotes more and more time to pastoral psycho-therapy. According to a recent survey of 150 Protestant Ministers, only 10% of the problems brought to them pertain initially to religion—the rest are marital and domestic problems, juvenile behaviour, alcoholism, sex.’ This state of affairs which is turning men of God more and more away from direct spiritual ministry, has given rise to this curious legend: A great and pure soul was about to be born on earth. Satan lodged complaint before the heavenly court: ‘If this soul is allowed to be born, it will turn so many people away from sin that I will be unable to do my evil work. And after all, I too have a place in God’s scheme of things.’ ‘Don’t worry’ was the reply. ‘This soul will spend its earthly life as a clergyman. He won’t have time to interfere with you.’3 The moral of the legend appears to be that the more the clinician’s and the clergyman’s partnership thickens satan’s evil work has a better chance of succeeding. In other words, our difficulties will only continue to increase in the process. One, however, should not dogmatize on this issue, the whole affair being in an experimental stage. And the needs of society are so urgent and complex that we cannot afford to ignore any help coming from any quarter. (To be continued. . .) References 1. & 2. From an article captioned, ‘Psychiatrists & Clergymen, Enemies or Allies’ by Dr. Abraham Kaplan in the 3. Ibid. Post, New York, September 23, 1961. T h e

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Article

Dissolving Boundaries PRAVRAJIKA VIRAJAPRANA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .) The Self and It’s Domains Our whole life is geared to reinforcing this first primary boundary from the moment we were born and were issued a birth certificate, to proving who we are at the airport, the bank, or our local hospital, with our photo ID, by submitting to fingerprinting or iris scans, to finally being issued a death certificate on our way out. At each stage our existence or nonexistence has to be verified. We just can’t escape from it. Everything stems from this initial act of drawing a boundary line between my physical body and mind, that which is myself, and that which is not myself. Ironically, in spiritual life we use the same procedure to distinguish our true Self from the apparent self, but as we’ll see the process is reversed. The second domain of self is the emotional self; this aspect is the closest to the core of our being. Our feelings seem to constitute a self that is more vital and alive than the thinking self, or the self of thought. The heart, which is associated with our feelings and emotions, is considered to be central to our being. Within this boundary, we feel intensely about some persons or issues and are completely indifferent to others. Our happiness, disappointments, anxieties, etc., are determined by our identification with this emotional boundary. It is the main

driving force behind the next level of self, the functional self¾the active self. The third domain is the functional self, which implies action. It encompasses our realm of experience; we’re quite aware that we do things in what appears to be a stable, concrete world. It is through our physical body, which is identified with sensations and our location in space, that we experience the world. The boundary of the functional self is our body; intellectually, our mind forms the mental boundary. All three domains of self: thinking, feeling, and acting, have predetermined boundaries. The fourth domain, the observing self, (which interestingly corresponds in many respects to the fourth state of consciousness, turiya, in Vedanta) is of an entirely different order. The observing self is the transparent center, that which is aware. This fourth self is the most important of all the domains, because it is prior to thought, feeling, and action. Regardless of what our experience happens to be, nothing is as central as the self that observes. The most important fact about the observing self is that it is incapable of being objectified. It is impossible to locate that self to establish its boundaries. Whatever we can conceptualize is already an object of awareness, not awareness itself. The

The author is a nun of the Ramakrishna Order at Sarada Convent, Santa Barbara, Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA. This article is based on her talk delivered in March 2012. o T h e

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conclusion is the observing self can be intuitively known, but not located, not seen. It has no limits, no boundaries¾whereas everything else in the relative world does. Interestingly, our everyday consciousness contains a transcendent element that we seldom recognize because we have limited ourselves by etching innumerable boundaries in our consciousness. As a result, the ground of our existence, our true nature, which is unitive consciousness, remains hidden from view. Our pure, true Self then functions, as it were, pragmatically on all these levels with different boundaries and identifications. It is in and through these various identities that we attempt to answer the question: ‘Who am I anyhow?’ Understanding the Boundaries So how do these boundaries come? This is equivalent to asking why maya, which is an unanswerable question for two reasons: one, maya being an illusion doesn’t really exist, and two, our minds that raise this question are products of maya. But even with these limitations, we can find some reasons for these illusory boundaries, which we take so seriously. According to Advaita Vedanta, there is only one reality, one existence, a vast ocean of homogeneous consciousness. It is undivided, unchangeable, and Self-luminous being. It is always fully manifest because that’s all there is. This reality, call it divinity, is equally present everywhere at all times. As Swami Vivekananda said we need only open our eyes and see it. However, superimposed upon this pure existence, through cosmic maya, are the boundaries of names, forms, shapes, colours, sounds, tastes, sensations, and so on¾the whole gamut of our sensate experience. These divisions originate from the apparent T h e

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bifurcation of consciousness, into subject and object: I who know this and things that I know. In his lecture, ‘Sankhya and Vedanta,’ Swamiji said: All difference is due to time, space, and causation. These are the constituent elements of the mind. No mentality is possible without them. You can never think without time; you can never imagine anything without space; and you can never have anything without causation. These are the forms of the mind. Take them away, and the mind itself does not exist. All difference is, therefore, due to the mind.

The mind, then, is the culprit behind this division, which distorts our perception and makes us feel separate from others. Our thinking, which involves language, is one of the main boundaries. Words and symbols, even thoughts themselves, are actually nothing but boundaries, for whenever we think, or talk, we create boundaries. I feel that I am; that you are; that she is; that he is¾each a distinct entity with sharply defined borders. In the state of ignorance, this is what we actually perceive to be true. The nature of the mind is to ignore that which is essential and cling to the peripheral. Instead of penetrating into the heart of things, we tend to float on the surface accepting the boundaries imposed by our senses and mind. As far as we are concerned, the center of this unreality is our own circumscribed consciousness, our ego, the pivotal point of our universe, our primary boundary. All individual superimposition, what Swamiji calls the apparent man, begins right here with this original mistaken identification, and spreads forth, ultimately conjuring up our whole world of multiplicity hemmed in by endless boundaries. If we pause for a moment and analyze our thoughts, we can observe how our ordinary thinking fragments our experience.

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Instead of perceiving the absolute ground of all phenomena, we continually make arbitrary divisions, which are really only a matter of convenience. Sooner or later we begin taking the arbitrary boundaries that we have drawn as solid facts, beginning with the most crystallized boundary of all, our own separate individuality. As Lord Buddha said, In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.

We divide and subdivide the universe into millions of categories. Then this fragmentation seems to assume an existence of its own, independent of our thinking and willing. This is how boundaries come. Our lives are spent almost completely in drawing these boundaries around things and people, and hence we live in a world of duality and opposites. Consider, for example, a few boundaries that we draw between states, countries, mountain ranges, and oceans¾a striking example is Kanyakumari in South India where three oceans meet: the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea. One body of water has three names at the point where they come together. While driving across the Golden Gate Bridge, suddenly you are no longer in San Francisco County, but Marin County. There are many examples of disputes arising over territorial boundaries, Israel and Palestine, for one. There was the Great Wall of China and the Berlin wall, separating the city into east and west. Further, there is the disputed barrier between the U. S. and Mexico. Our everyday lives are filled with examples of how we take cognitive knowledge, which is based on arbitrary boundaries and

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separation to be real knowledge, when it is actually based on illusion. In his book The Spectrum of Consciousness, the psychologist Ken Wilbur discusses two ways of knowing: cognitive and intuitive. The same idea comes in Swamiji’s Jnana Yoga. Wilbur calls cognitive knowing symbolic, or inferential knowledge. He refers to it as ‘map territory relationship.’ The territory, according to him, is the actual world, while a ‘map’ is any symbolic notation that represents or signifies some aspect of the territory. The map defines the boundaries of the territory. The obvious point, however, is that the map is not the territory. If you want to travel to the Grand Canyon, you won’t get there by flipping through a book of road maps, no matter how coluorful, entertaining, or detailed they are, or by going online and taking a virtual tour. You need to pack up and drive there. An even subtler map is our everyday language, in which a name represents an idea of the form. The name and the boundary it imposes isn’t the actual thing. The word ice cream will not satisfy your sweet tooth. Sri Ramakrishna gives the homely example of an almanac that predicts rainfall. He says you won’t get even a drop of water by squeezing it. In the same way, ideas about reality, no matter how exalted, are circumscribed, limited, and are not reality itself. They only describe it¾point to it. But because we assume the unreal boundaries, which create the feeling of separateness, to be real, we ascribe reality to something that is no more than a shadow. Intuitive or nondual knowledge, however, is a territory with no boundaries; it is a type of perception that bypasses the usual sensory

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pathways and the mind. It doesn’t split up the universe. Nondual knowledge requires a shift of identity; it is being and becoming. It takes the universe as a whole, in one segment, without the demarcations and fragmentations characteristic of the symbolic map mode. It is unifying¾each so-called separate thing is not an aspect of the whole; it is itself the whole. We are that infinite being. Inside Versus Outside The peculiar thing about a boundary, no matter how complex it may be, is that it only delineates an inside versus an outside, not of two separate things, but of the same thing. Imagine a convex and concave line, like a half of a parenthesis, you cannot have one without the other; the convex implies that the other side of the same line will be concave. There are not two separate lines. You can see where we are going with this. They are actually two aspects of one reality. In truth, all opposites share an implicit identity; they are completely inseparable and mutually interdependent. The world of duality, composed of the pairs of opposites, is very problematic and complicated. That is why, especially in Eastern philosophy and religion, so much is discussed about transcending, or rising above the pairs of opposites. The firmer one’s boundaries are the more difficult it is to free oneself. Our tendency is to consider any boundary (as we

do time) to be real, and then try to manipulate the opposites created by our self-imposed boundaries. This is counter intuitive. So psychologically, when we seek pleasure, we fear pain; when we frantically pursue goodness, we obsess on evil; when we are attached to our individuality, pride flares up; when we tenaciously cling to life, we are terrified of death. None of these are two separate emotions or mental processes, but two ends of one event. The example is given of buying and selling. You can’t buy a Mercedes Benz unless someone else is selling cars, and, similarly, a Mercedes Benz cannot be sold unless there is a potential buyer. So the two, buying and selling, can be viewed as separate, but they are also an inseparable event. This process applies to the whole spectrum of duality, the obverse and reverse of the same coin. The scientific explanation is we can no longer speak of or think about an object being located in space or happening in time, but only of a space-time occurrence. We can distinguish between life and death, pleasure and pain, good and evil, but it is impossible to separate them. Another way of looking at this is to observe the natural world: lines exist, say, between the shore and the ocean, or the sky and the earth; these lines divide the two, but they simultaneously unite and join the two as well. (To be continued. . .)

‘If you fall into water, whether willingly or unwillingly, your cloth will get wet all the same. Constantly practise meditation. Your mind is unripe—unsteady—now. But constant meditation will make it steady and calm. And always discriminate. Whenever the mind goes after anything other than God, consider it as transient and surrender the mind at the sacred feet of the Lord. Be like the man who, while angling for fish, became so absorbed in it that he did not hear the least of the din and bustle of a marriage procession passing by.’ —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi T h e

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Article

Ramakrishna Mission —It’s Ideal and Working SWAMI TYAGARUPANANDA

The Starting Most people might know that May first is observed as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day. Celebrations are held to mark this annual event in many parts of the globe. Not many, however, may be aware that May first is also the day when Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission. This took place in May 1897. On his return from the West, Swamiji called a meeting of well-wishers and devotees of Sri Ramakrishna at Balaram Bose’s House in Calcutta. In the meeting, he said that his experience in Western countries had taught him the value of organization. The message of Sri Ramakrishna can only be preserved through a well-structured society (i.e., organisation) which would uphold democratic values and would be geared to the service of the needy. Swamiji further said that ‘to serve man as God’ would not be a mere theory but would be the practical means by which this lofty Vedantic message could be carried into practice.

There were a number of issues raised when Swamiji proposed this. One of the key issues was—is it appropriate to us to have Western methods of administration to govern a religious order? Moreover, it meant taking up social work on large scale. Was it acceptable from a spiritual standpoint? On the other hand, Sri Ramakrishna had undergone hard disciplines for spiritual realization. He spoke of a life of introspection, contemplation and devotion to God. In his teachings one also finds him decrying excessive engagement in external work and social service as spiritually detrimental. Being engaged in actions such as these could lead one astray, he opined, from the focus of spiritual realization. Philosophy of Service In general, the path of ‘social service’ as a means of spiritual growth is not a much accepted path in Hinduism. Buddha had, of course, spoken of service as a way of life some 2500 years ago and the monastic order (Sangha) which he founded had reached out with his message to all and sundry. But by 1890s, when Swamiji taught this new path of spirituality, Buddhism was not a force to reckon with. Ages ago, Buddhism had lost its root in India along with Buddha’s ideal of service. Though based on the idea of ‘for

A monk of the Ramakrishna Order, the author is the Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar, Jharkhand. T h e

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the good of many, for the welfare of many’ (bahujana hitaya bahujana sukhaya), it was not popular as a spiritual path among the adherents of Hinduism. Then there are the teachings and personality of Sri Krishna. Godhead personified, Sri Krishna is considered as one of the perfect of men and expounder of Karma Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gita. Karma Yoga means mentally offering the fruits of one’s actions to the Almighty and remaining free from the bondages that actions entailed. Sri Krishna gave his message of the Gita in battlefield where destruction, bloodshed and death were the facts of everyday experience. Sri Krishna’s doctrine of Karma was, however, held to be applicable only for householders who were too busy in day-to-day sundries to spare enough time for the rituals of worship. It was pertinent for a married person like Arjuna who was torn between his duties towards the relatives and the ethics of good governance. But how could such a philosophy, advocating more activity in the world and thus leading to the extroversion of the mind, be a means to Mukti, freedom from the rounds of earthly existence? Could this be applicable to a monk, a person devoting himself fully to the spiritual realm? Further, the Advaita Philosophy of Acharya Shankara, a most rigorously argued philosophy, stresses on discernment (vichara) as a way to Self-realisation. Advaita has the largest following among the Hindu monks. But physical works done for the welfare of the world, beyond the confines of the monastery, have little relevance to the traditional followers of Advaita. To them hearing (shravana), cogitation (manana) and deep introspection (nididhyasana) on the oneness of existence, are the methods stressed on as means to realization of Truth. No wonder at first Swami T h e

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Vivekananda’s ideal of atmano mokshartam jagaddhitayacha—for one’s own liberation and for the welfare of the world—was received with disbelief and looked upon as a deviation from the traditional path of the Indian order of spirituality. Swamiji’s Vision Swami Vivekananda had extensive and first-hand knowledge of the wretched condition of the poor in those days. He travelled breadth and length of the contemporary India. From 1888 onwards, he visited various parts of India. Starting initially as visits to places of pilgrimage, he later took to the itinerant style of living as is the wont of Indian monks, abandoning himself to hardships of an itinerant life. This aroused in him a spirit of adventure and heroism, taking him through different princely states in India and giving him a taste of the diverse languages, culture and tradition of the country. He mixed with rich and poor, scholarly and illiterate and concluded that the real India lived in the cottages of the poor. On the whole India appeared to be in a state of stupor, a tremendous jerk was necessary to unleash the powers hidden beneath the veil of ignorance and inertia. He observed that even though India had passed through many trials and difficulties, the honesty and simplicity of the poor as a whole remained unsullied. The heartthrob of the country remained rooted in the culture and religion that came down over the centuries. But because of the tyranny of the upper castes and the oppression of the rulers, the poor had lost their individuality. They nevertheless had deep faith in religion and God and this belief was their great asset in the everyday struggle for existence. Swamiji felt that there was an urgent need to bring in a new philosophy of work,

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based on ancient tradition of Sanatana Dharma, which could help engage the religious fervour into social well-being. One of the aims behind the founding of the Ramakrishna Mission was to raise the country from such a state. Swamiji’s deep empathy for the down-trodden, urged him to establish an organization which could bring about a real change in the condition of the masses. This lead to some people viewing Ramakrishna Mission as a mere social organization. The colonial rulers that ruled India then assumed that it was a secret movement against them, as portrayed in the novel Ananda Math by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. As in that novel, the Mission too had a band of energetic monks who pledged their lives for the development of the country. Swamiji, however, categorically forbade the Mission from dabbling in the murky waters of politics. The aim of service should finally be the spiritual development of the person and not accumulation of worldly power. Service is a spiritual practice, a lofty means for uprooting the evil propensities of the mind. The blows that befall the aspirant in his efforts to serve others crush his ego and remove the angularities in his character. That is how it becomes a spiritual practice. Swamiji believed that ‘service’ should always be accompanied by discernment (viveka) and dispassion (vairagya). Then only one can be steady in one’s task and attain the goal of spiritual wellbeing. It will then lead to the removal of the veil of ignorance (ajnana) from the mind and one will be able to realize one’s true potential, the great dormant power hidden within. Carrying the Mission Forward Five years after the establishment of Ramakrishna Mission (in 1897), Swami T h e

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Vivekananda passed away (in 1902). Swami Brahmananda, another disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, and whom Swamiji had made the President of the Ramakrishna Mission, steered the newly founded movement through many troubled times. Many thought that the Mission would perish in the absence of the founder, Swami Vivekananda. But the strong spiritual foundation laid by Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda and direct disciples withstood the test of time. In early 1900s, the Ramakrishna Mission monks took to serving the poor patients in Haridwar area. Due to the cleaning and menial work they carried on, they were called Bhangis Sadhus (sweepers monk). They nursed the patients and took care of their treatment and care. Many of the traditional monks did not approve of it. But in course of time, their perceptions changed and monks from the

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Mission are well accepted and honoured for the work and philosophy they adhered to. This has led to further change in the way Indian monks were looked by many educated people. The new types of monks that Swamiji envisaged are now no longer seen as leading a parasitical existence, depending on the society without contributing anything perceptibly. Rather missionary works are increasingly taken up by the different Indian monastic orders, which now branch out to different fields of service. This indeed has been the steady influence of the Ramakrishna Mission and Swami Vivekananda on the Indian religious scenario over the last century. Besides carrying on its educational, medical and other activities of social welfare, the Ramakrishna Mission conducted huge relief work during natural calamities and political fallout of the Partition of the country as also during the concomitant displacement of thousands of persons in the Eastern part of India. In the post-independence period, the Mission came forward in assisting the reconstruction of the country, especially in the educational field. A number of schools and colleges were set up to provide characterbuilding education and till date they continue to contribute to the cause of excellence in various fields of life. Many of the students who study in these institutions have played pivotal role in society. The Mission’s activities are diverse and many. Medical service, relief and rehabilitation during disasters, agricultural and village development and training, publication of literature in different languages—the Ramakrishna

Mission has contributed substantially in these and allied areas. The Vedanta Movement— another vital aspects of Ramakrishna Mission—in America, Europe and other parts of the world too has been growing and spreading over the years. Conclusion Thanks to Swami Vivekananda’s visionary efforts and revolutionary restatement of ancient philosophy of Sanatana Dharma, there has been much change in Indian scene now. Religion has been revitalized to enter into the different aspects of social uplift. It is no longer a luxury for the affluent or a convenient refuge for the distressed; it is but a positive force which results in different activities for the rejuvenation of society. Ramakrishna Mission has now traversed more than 118 years of its existence. Never given to blatant advertising of its contributions in the different fields, the Mission is nevertheless well-known in the country and abroad for its efficient and dedicated services. Ramakrishna Mission now stands as symbol of a balanced and cogent approach to spiritual life. It encourages individuals to lead pure and unselfish lives. Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda are the beacon lights of this movement based on Vedanta. The ideal is to do unselfish service to the needy as a spiritual practice. The monks of the Ramakrishna Mission, educated and idealistic men from all parts of India and even abroad, take up the ideal of walking ‘razor’s edge,’—the path of Sacrifice, ‘for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many’. o

A man should uplift himself by his higher self. Let him not weaken this self. For this self is the friend of oneself, and this self is also the enemy of oneself. —Bhagavad Gita T h e

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Article

A Lifelong Influence and Contribution Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s Influence on Ma.Ko. USHA MAHADEVAN

Pandit Gopalakrishna Iyer (Ma.Ko.) Pandit M. Gopalakrishna Iyer (1878-1927), popularly known among Tamilknowing people as Ma.Ko., was a celebrated Tamil poet, translator, patriot, teacher and editor of literary journals who strained every sinew and nerve to promote the right values among the youth, having come under the influence of Swami Vivekananda when he was hardly 19. In 1897, M. Gopalakrishna Iyer had accompanied Bhaskar Sethupathy, the Raja of Ramnad, to Pamban to receive Swami Vivekananda when he returned after his historic visit to America. That visit surely left an indelible impression on young Gopalakrishna Iyer’s mind and this found expression in his writings and activities in various ways. Song of Sannyasin in Tamil In July 1895 while in New York, Swami Vivekananda had composed 13 stanzas under the title ‘Song of the Sannyasin’. Ma.Ko. rendered a splendid Tamil translation of these 13 stanzas and published them in the 1904 July issue of Tamil journal Viveka Chintamani (pp.7175). It was reviewed in the 1904 September issue of Vivekabhanu. In this review the editor

lauded the manner in which Ma.Ko. had absorbed the ideas of Swami Vivekananda.1

Pandit Gopalakrishna Iyer (Ma.Ko)

Ma.Ko’s translation of ‘Song of the Sannyasin’ was proof of the extent to which he was drawn to the magnetic personality of Swamiji. Swami Vivekananda ends each one of the 13 stanzas with the refrain, ‘Sannyasin

Dr. Usha Mahadevan, grand daughter of Pandit M.Gopalakrishna Iyer, served for long as a professor and then Head of English, Hindu College of Pattabiram, Chennai, besides being faculty in the department of Humanities in IIT Madras. She is passionately interested in Literature and translation studies. She has a few books to her credit and is now actively engaged in unearthing works of Ma.Ko.. o T h e

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bold! Say, ‘Om Tat Sat Om.’ Using his creative skill, Ma.Ko. gives 13 different translations for the phrase ‘Sannyasin bold’! Obviously, it is the dynamic, vibrant personality of Swamiji himself that must have inspired Ma.Ko. when he translated the ‘Song of Sannyasin’. While Swamiji would have referred to a bold Sannyasin in general, various powerful synonyms Ma.Ko. has used makes one feel that he had no ordinary Sannyasin in mind, but the very lion among Sannyasins, Swami Vivekananda! In Ma.Ko’s translation, we can see Swami’s magnetic personality full of power, courage and imperturbable calm before our mind’s eye. When he published the translation of ‘Song of the Sannyasin’, Ma.Ko. dedicated it to his eldest brother Jagadeesa Iyer, stating that Jagadeesa Iyer was ‘the first and best interpreter of the spirit of the teachings of the Great Swami Vivekananda.’ In the elegy he wrote on the demise of Jagadeesa Iyer, Ma.Ko. says that Jagadeesa Iyer considered Sri Ramakrishna as his Guru, very much in the fashion Eklavya took to Drona. He further asks his departed brother whether he left this world to listen to Swami Vivekananda in heaven! Ma.Ko. also refers to his brother as one who viewed the king and pauper with the same vision which clearly brings out what an evolved soul Jagadeesa Iyer was. More About Ma.Ko. T h e

Swami Vivekananda

Ma.Ko. was third of the four brothers: Jagadeesan, Paramasivam, Gopalakrishnan (Ma.Ko.) and Duraiswami. One can say that all four of them were influenced by Swamiji. The love and adoration of the entire family for Swamiji was such that the first child born in the family after Swamiji’s visit to Madurai was named Narendranath. This child was born to Duraiswami Iyer, the youngest of the brothers. Also all four brothers exercised A section of the original manuscript of ‘Song of the considerable

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influence in Madurai and so when Ramanujacharya was mobilizing funds for Ramakrishna Mission, all the brothers actively participated and mobilized a good collection from Madurai and neighbouring areas. Ma.Ko. became the secretary of Vivekananda Union in Madurai. In the meanwhile, his love of Tamil and his love for the student community inspired him to start an organization called Madurai Manavar Sendhamizh Sangam, which he founded in May 1901. In 1916, under the auspices of this organisation, he started a literary journal called Vivekodhayam and became its editor. The choice of name for his journal once again is proof of his love and reverence towards Swami Vivekananda. This organization was also running a library in the name of Swami Vivekananda. He had served as a teacher in the Tamil Dept of Madura College, known as Native College during the early part of the 20 th century. As a Tamil teacher he inspired in his students not only love of Tamil but adoration of Swamiji as well. Almost all his students had memorized his translation of the Song of the Sannyasin (Sannyasi Geetham in Tamil) and exhibited a keen interest in bringing it out as a small booklet. While bringing it out in 1910, he acknowledged in his preface the enthusiasm all his students had displayed in wanting to see it brought out as a book. While still on the subject of his students, it is interesting to read the reminiscences of Rangasami Iyer who was student at Madura College in 1907-09 and who later became President of Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta Sanga, Sivaganga (in southern Tamilnadu) which office he held from 1950 till 1986. Rangasami Iyer had come under the inspirational influence of Ma.Ko. when the latter was a lecturer at Madura College. T h e

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While recalling his student days, he has recorded how he enjoyed listening to Gopalakrishna Iyer’s translation of Swamiji’s ‘Song of the Sannyasin’: Gopalakrishna Iyer was a majestic personality with a resonant voice. He was part of the reception committee headed by King Bhaskara Sethupathy when Swami returned from US to India via Sri Lanka. He had made an excellent Tamil translation of the 13 stanzas which were composed by Swamiji under the title ‘Song of the Sannyasin’ and I had the privilege of listening to Gopalakrishna Iyer as he sang them. I enjoyed listening to his rendering so much that I memorized them all. . . I want to cherish the ‘Sannyasi Geetham’ and so I ensure that every year, on the holy occasion of Vivekananda’s Jayanthi, Swamiji’s ‘Song of the Sannyasin’ is recited along with Gopalakrishna Iyer’s Tamil translations at Sri Ramakrishna Primary school, Sivaganga.2

Sri Rangasami Iyer’s son, Sri R. Venkatakrishnan who is now the President of Sri Ramakrishna Primary School, Sivaganga, maintains this remarkable legacy to this day and Swamiji’s Songs and Gopalakrishna Iyer’s translations continue to be recited on Vivekananda Jayanti. That Ma.Ko. was closely associated with the Ramakrishna Math is also evident from his translation of the beautiful speech, ‘Why is Hindu a Vegetarian’ made by Swami Abhedananda in the Vegetarian Society, New York in 1898. Ma.Ko’s translation featured in his collection Arumporuttirattu published in 1915. Ma.Ko. moved to National College, Trichy in 1919, where he served as Head of Department of Tamil, till his demise in April 1927. At the request of his students he started another journal by name Nachinarkiniyan. The influence of Swami Vivekananda was evident from the excellent way in which he discharged

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his duties and his students kept bagging the gold medals from Madras Presidency. Kaviyogi Sudhananda Bharathi happened to visit Ma.Ko. when he was serving in National College and he records this meeting in his Autobiography. Kaviyogi says, Ma.Ko. spoke about his life from the time he met Swami Vivekananda till date.3

Obviously, Ma.Ko. must have considered this meeting as a life-defining moment in his life. He continued to translate Swami Vivekananda and one of the translations appeared in the 1926 issue of Nachinarkiniyan under the title the three qualities of a patriot. This is a translation of Swami Vivekananda’s address at Victoria Hall, Chennai on 9 February 1897 and it carries the power, flow and passion in Swamiji’s speech. References to Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in Ma.Ko’s Works The impact of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda on Ma.Ko. is such that he refers to them or quotes them wherever applicable—whether he is writing a scientific essay, a political article or an elegy. Here are some instances: Article on Surat Congress In his exhaustive article on the Surat Congress of 1907 published in December 1907 issue of the Madurai based journal Vivekabanu, Ma.Ko. narrates with objectivity the split in congress following the pandemonium during the Congress session. As pointed out by Sri Pe.Su.Mani (Vivekananda Vidya Prashasthi awardee) Ma.Ko., who was soaked in Vivekananda’s Song of the Sannyasin, quotes from it to throw light on the happenings in congress. Mr. Morley, the secretary of State for India, had observed that in matters concerning T h e

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Governance in India, the Govt. must ensure that they should not exclude the old members of the Congress party. Ma.Ko. comments that the old members who were mostly moderates were thrilled by this observation of Mr. Morley and got misled. Here Ma.Ko. quotes the following lines from Swamiji’s ‘Song of the Sannyasin’: The will o’ the wisp that leads With blinking light To pile more gloom on gloom

Ma.Ko. suggests that the old members of the congress should have realized that Mr. Morley’s words were will o’ the wisp promising light, but would actually lead them to gloom. They should never have allowed themselves to be misled by Mr. Morley. Essay on Carnivorous Plants He wrote several essays on subjects connected to botany and zoology where he links the scientific data to human life. In fact, he uses the scientific data as a springboard to say something more sublime and higher to lead the youth towards a higher, more purposeful life. And naturally the impact of Swami Vivekananda is there when he refers to a higher, purposeful life. For instance, in his essay on carnivorous plants, he speaks of different kinds of vegetation like butterworts, sun-dew, bladder-wort, fly-trap and pitcher-plant and explains in detail how they feed on different kinds of insects. Even as he lists them, he anticipates the question from non vegetarians that when plants themselves are given to eating insects, what is wrong if human beings eat meat. Having put that question, he answers it saying, ‘Even if we take it that man is naturally a non-vegetarian, we must remember the words of Swami Vivekananda who has said that man is born to win over nature, not follow nature blindly’

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and so for man’s own good he must be a vegetarian.4 Essay on the Pearl Likewise, in his essay on ‘The Pearl’, Ma.Ko. writes in detail about the origin of pearls, how they are formed as also the pearldiving methods of people from different nations. In the concluding part of the essay, he surprises us by quoting Sri Ramakrishna and compares the process of the formation of the pearl with the aspiration for liberation or mukti! A person aspiring for liberation keeps on searching for the guru and perseveres till he finds him and receives initiation, just as the oyster leaves its place from under water, floats to the surface, keeps itself open and waits for the rain drop to fall inside it and eventually forms the beautiful pearl!5 Elegy on V. Krishnasami Iyer V. Krishnasami Iyer, who founded the Sanskrit college in Chennai must have been a friend of Ma.Ko. as is evident from the elegy Ma.Ko. has written in his honour. Here Ma.Ko. refers to Krishnasami Iyer’s association with Ramakrishna Movement. Ma.Ko. hails Krishnasami Iyer for having made liberal donations to Sri Ramakrishna Mission. He refers to Ramakrishna Mission as an organization that transcends barriers of religion and as one that helps people to be liberated from worldly attachments.6 Essay on Evils of Dowry Ma.Ko. strongly advocated women’s education and empowerment and had raised his voice against the evils of dowry system. In an article that appeared in the February 1914 issue of Purna Chandrodayam, he lists the travails that the father of prospective bride undergoes. In the course of this article he addresses the young men in powerful verse T h e

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where he echoes Swamiji’s ‘Awake, Arise’ in connection to spreading awareness against dowry system.7 Elegy on Swami Shraddhananda Ma.Ko. wrote an elegy on Swami Shraddhananda [the leader of Arya Samaj] who was killed in Delhi by a fanatic in December 1926. Swami Shraddhanada was an Indian educationist and an Arya Samaj missionary who followed the teachings of Swami Dayananda, the founder of Arya Samaj. In his elegy Ma.Ko. pays a great tribute to Swami Shraddhananda and lists his mighty contribution and the deep grief caused by

Swami Trigunatitananda

his death. Here he also draws a parallel between Swami Shraddhananda and Swami Trigunatitananda, who was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and an associate of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Trigunatitananda also died at the hands of a fanatic when Swami was calmly speaking at the Hindu temple at San Francisco in USA. After drawing this parallel in the elegy, Ma.Ko. provides further information about Swami Trigunatitananda in the notes:

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Swami Trigunatitananda organized to build a Hindu temple in San Francisco near the Pacific. A fanatic who could not tolerate Swami Trigunatitananda’s popularity and influence threw a bomb at him in the temple and killed him. Swami Trigunatitananda who was full of compassion understood that the act was committed in ignorance and forgave him.

Swamiji’s Influence The impact of Swami Vivekananda is evident in the way Ma.Ko. discharged a variety of duties with commitment and dedication. He fulfilled all these multifarious duties with a clear focus on promoting the right values in the youth of India. One of his books entitled, Filial Duty was prescribed as a textbook in Chennai and Ceylon for Intermediate students and the authorities must have found it eminently suitable for value education. In that work Ma.Ko. narrates the stories of forty personalities drawn from the best of Eastern and Western Literatures. Some of the values Ma.Ko. had cultivated in himself including his absolute integrity, intellectual honesty, far-sightedness, simplicity, sense of duty, courage, tireless work, have all been lauded

by his contemporaries. It is evident that he did not waste a single second. The editor of Amrithagunabodhini observed that Ma.Ko. continued to work and was writing articles even when he was seriously bedridden. When his health failed he was anxious that those who had paid the annual subscription in advance for his journal should not lose their money if the journal stops coming due to his impending death. He made the announcement in March 1927 that in case of his demise, the subscribers can get the books from his publishers for the amount they have already paid. He passed away on 18th April 1927, a few weeks after he made this announcement. Conclusion Ma.Ko. or Gopalakrishna Iyer, an inspiring teacher and writer, made significant contribution to Tamil literature and he especially worked tirelessly and ceaselessly for instilling the right values in the younger generation. All the qualities that governed his life can be attributed to the impact of Swami Vivekananda who gave the clarion call, ‘Awake, Arise and stop not till the goal is reached’, and Ma.Ko. did not stop till the very end! o

References 3. Kaviyogi’s Autobiography, p.91

1. Swami Kamalatmananda, ‘Swami

Vivekanandar Patri Mahakavi Bharathiyar Kuriyavai’ (Mahakavi Bharathi on Swami Vivekananda), in Tamil, p 364 2. Ma.Ko. Kalanjiyam, p.lxxiii

4. 5. 6. 7.

Ma.Ko. Kalanjiyam, p.216 Ma.Ko. Kalanjiyam, p.247 Ma.Ko. Kalanjiyam, p.93 Ma.Ko. Kalanjiyam p.423

Learning and wisdom are superfluites, the surface glitter merely, but it is the heart that is the seat of all power. It is not in the brain but in the heart that Atman, possessed of knowledge, power, and activity, has Its seat. —Swami Vivekananda T h e

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New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 Belur Math. Belur P.O. Howra. India. Aug 30. 06. My dear Mrs.Browne I am sorry I could not send you a line for a long time. The demands on me here had been very great on account of the death and disablement of some of our very good workers here. Swami Svarupananda, who was in charge of our Himalayan Centre dies & Swami Brahmananda, the President is still unfit to take charge of any serious work. Then again famine is still raging all over Bengal this year & we are attending to the relief of the helpless sufferers. That too has kept us not a little busy. I hope however you are well with your family and are growing in strength day by day. My kindest regards to yourself and blessings to the children. Remember me kindly to all friends there Mrs.Wheeler Miss Schroeder, Mrs.Campbell, Mrs Platt, Mrs Wilmer and the rest. I do love to think of you all and the pleasant days at Montclair, I passed with you all. There is one thing more which I would request you to attend for me. The Roycrofters have been sending their magazine, The Phillistine & some books of theirs regularly to us. They have sent a bill for 4 dollars for former dues lately. I am writing to them that you will pay the bill for us & that they are to discontinue to send these to us henceforth. Enclosed you will find copy of the letter & the bill. Will you kindly see that they are paid and that our names have been struck off from the list of their subscribers? We will feel so grateful to you if you do the same for us, dear Mrs.Browne and repay yourself from the subscriptions that you so kindly raise for us from time to time amongst you. Hoping this to find you well & happy and to hear from you soon, I remain Most truly yours Saradananda [On the cover:] Mrs.Browne 9 Mountain Avenue, North, Montclair, N.J. U.S.America.

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Nov. 1. 06 Math. Belur. Howrah. India. Dearest Granny2 – Your letter of Oct 3rd was so unexpected! Only the day before I was told by Christine that you had written Dr.Bose to expect you in India by the end of November! My mother, Jogin maa and all of us were so anxious until the cable came yesterday and relieved us of the strain! May Sri Ramakrishna keep you amongst us for many many years and bless you, as you have blessed the lives of so many and bring you ‘peace that passeth understanding’! May this find you perfectly well and happy. The Bank advised me of the arrival of £70 on Oct 23rd. Out of Rs1039 realised Rs500 will go towards the repayment of the sum borrowed by me for Sep & Oct obligations. I am laid up with a rheumatic pain for about a week. I believe it will soon pass off. Nivedita has come back from Mussorie where she had suffered much from Malaria and dysentery. She is well now though not quite herself yet. Christine has come back from Mayabati about a week ago & is well. Mrs.Sevier will come down by the end of Nov. Sarada Devi is in her native village. She will be in Calcutta two months later. She has desired her love & blessings to you. My mother and Jogin Maa are doing well & both of them have prayed for your speedy recovery & desired their heart’s love to you. I am so glad to know Santi can be near you at this time. My love and blessings to her please. Swami Brahmananda is at Puri now & will surely desire to send in his kindliest regards and wishes for your speedy recovery, with the other inmates of the Math. Do you think you will be able to come to us, when you are well? It will be such a blessing if you can! Get well quickly dear Granny, and come to us as you thought ere long. With my earnest prayers for your speedy recovery and love and blessings as ever, I am Always your affectionate boy Saradananda

References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math Let these people be your God—think of them, work for them, pray for them incessantly—the Lord will show you the way. Him I call a Mahatman (great soul) whose heart bleeds for the poor, otherwise he is a Duratman (wicked soul). Let us unite our wills in continued prayer for their good. We may die unknown, unpitied, unbewailed, without accomplishing anything—but not one thought will be lost. —Swami Vivekananda

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Article

Balaram Mandir and Swami Brahmananda HIRANMOY MUKHERJEE

(Continued from the previous issue . . . ) Swami Brahmananda’s Playfulness Sometimes Swami Brahmananda would play pranks on his brother-disciples, especially Gangadhar Maharaj (Swami Akhandananda). Once at Swami Brahmananda’s insistence Gangadhar Maharaj had come to Balaram Mandir from Sargachi, a place in rural Bengal where he founded and ran a centre of the Ramakrishna Order. He was not well and had come to Kolkata for treatment. After a few months he recovered and was eager to return to Sargachi. Whenever, however, he fixed a date for his departure, Maharaj would use some ploy to get it postponed. Swami Akhandananda greatly believed in good omen for setting on a journey. Sometimes before Swami Akhandananda’s planned journey, Swami Brahmananda gave Mahamaya (the daughter of Ramakrishna Bose) a sealed envelope and asked her to give it to Swami Akhandananda. The latter opened the envelope and found that it contained something that was a very bad omen for starting on a journey. So he had to cancel his trip that day. On another day when he was about to leave for Sargachi he found a boy standing near the stairs looking at him with one eye closed which was again a bad omen. He postponed his journey again.15 Gangadhar Maharaj knew of this playfulness

of Raja Maharaj and hence, despite all delays, he enjoyed being in the company of Maharaj at Balaram Mandir till he could finally move to Sargachi. Another incident: Shyam Babu had brought an animal skin of bear from Kashmir Swami Brahmananda and gave it as a gift to Swami Brahmananda. Any one wearing it would just look like a real bear. It was a little after dusk. Swami Brahmananda’s room was lit with a dim light. He sent for all the children of the Bose family and as soon as they entered his room, they saw a terrible bear standing there baring its teeth and shaking its arms. Even the grown-ups found it scary. The children ran screaming with fear out of the room as fast as they could. But the young son of Tulsiram Babu’s daughter, Vishveshvari, did not run away. The Swami was very fond of the boy. With tears in his eyes the little boy, though little afraid, stretched his arms out to him and said, crying, ‘I know you are Maharaj.’ The Swami immediately took off the bear skin and picked him up hugging tightly.16

o A retired government official, the author is an active volunteer of Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, Maharashtra. T h e

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Naturally, all children loved him dearly and treated him as their own. Raja Maharaj had a childlike nature. After Holy Mother’s return from Jayrambati to the Udbodhan Math in Baghbazar, Kolkata, Swami Brahmananda came walking all the way from the Balaram Mandir. After reaching there, he came upstairs and saluted her touching her feet. In the mood of a little boy, he asked her, ‘Mother, how are you?’ The Holy Mother did not have a veil on her face at the time. She said, ‘My child I have a pain in my leg. I am suffering a lot. I also have a slight temperature.’ The Swami was listening to her words and at the same time, just like a restless young boy, kept looking from side to side. It appeared as though he was looking at the pictures on the walls. Then he said, ‘Mother I will give you a homeopathic medicine to use. I have read a lot of books on homeopathy. I also have medicines with me. I will give you a medicine; you will be cured.’ Then still in the mood of a child, he saluted the Holy Mother and hurriedly went downstairs.17 Sometimes Sharat Maharaj (Swami Saradananda) would come to Balaram Mandir to discuss official matters with Maharaj. The latter would persuade Sharat Maharaj to play cards with him instead. While playing against Maharaj, Sharat Maharaj would purposely lose. That would make Maharaj very happy and he would say, ‘Sharat, it seems you do not know how to play at all!’ Sharat Maharaj would respond, ‘Brother, what can I do? I cannot play as well as you. That is why I make all those mistakes and lose.’18 Elsewhere, once Swami Saradananda remarked that it is good that Raja Maharaj plays with them for he lives high up in spiritual plane, and for the good of all, he brings his mind down through such trivial ways. T h e

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His Lofty Spirituality While Swami Brahmananda’s lofty spirituality is well-known among the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, we may recall here some incidents that took place in Balaram Mandir. Having heard a lot of praise of Swami Brahmananda, a professor of Kolkata University decided to meet him and arrived at Balaram Mandir. Balaram’s son, who was a great devotee, had a room specially furnished for Maharaj and had presented him with a beautiful robe. As the attendant was not present, the professor straight away entered Maharaj’s room. Maharaj was at that time lying on his bed in his silk robe and absentmindedly smoking a hookah. The professor retreated from the room without speaking— he was disappointed at what he felt was not proper for a monk. But he remained seated on a bench outside the room. The attendant returned shortly. As he was not aware of professor’s visit to Maharaj’s room, he asked him whether he would like to meet Maharaj. The professor thought for a moment and said, ‘Yes, I would.’ So he was ushered in. Maharaj welcomed him and entered into a discussion with him on spiritual matters. When the professor came out of the room, he was smiling and told the attendant, ‘I almost made the greatest mistake of my life. I was going to judge Maharaj by externals, with my own idea of spirituality. Now the deepest problem of my life has been solved.’ Later he became a disciple of Maharaj.19 One day Ramnam Kirtan was being sung in Balaram Mandir. That day Maharaj came— something he did not always do. Several Monks sang in chorus and devotees joined them. Maharaj would say enthusiastically: ‘Continue! Continue!’ But soon his attendant found that Maharaj was in a realm of his own; he was not conscious of the external world, so

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he took Maharaj to his own room, where he remained for forty-five minutes in an ecstatic state. Afterwards, it came to be known that Maharaj had said about the Ramnam, ’It has lifted our consciousness to an exalted plane!’20 Boshishwar Sen, popularly known as ‘Boshi’, was close to the monks of Ramakrishna Order. He was then working with world-renowned scientist Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose and would occasionally visit Swami Brahmananda at his Balaram Mandir residence. It was the trait of Maharaj to give due recognition to any person who would serve him, however trivial the service may be. Once Boshi was asked to prepare a chillum for Maharaj. While the three personal attendants of Maharaj were trying to hurry him, Boshi took his own time till he was satisfied that the chillum had been rightly prepared. When Maharaj took his first puff from the hookah, he gave a mild, affectionate blow on Boshi’s back and said, ‘One more chillum like this and I will give you Sannyasa (monastic vow)’— indicating he was deeply pleased with his perfection in doing even such works. Out of his grace, Maharaj gave Boshi the privilege to serve him. On his way to Bose Institute, Boshi would shave Maharaj daily and earned the nick name-‘Maharaj’s barber.’ Boshi also got the opportunity of massaging Maharaj. Maharaj liked vigorous massage. While Boshi would massage Maharaj, he would hold Boshi’s thumb down under his in a sort of mock trial of strength—when Boshi would invariably try to pull out his hand. One day suddenly it dawned upon Boshi that it was foolish of him to pull his hand away when Maharaj was holding it and immediately

stopped struggling. For this Maharaj gave him a wonderful smile. Afterwards Maharaj continued to give that particular s i g n a t u r e pressure whenever Boshi would massage his Boshishwar Sen palm. In the month of April, 1922, Maharaj had an attack of Cholera. The last two days of Maharaj’s life at Balaram Mandir have been described in detail by his biographers. He gave hints about who he was and what was his real self. He was in great spirits and blessed everybody who was present. Boshi rushed to Balaram house. On hearing his voice, Maharaj allowed Boshi to fan him. An hour before Mahasamadhi, Maharaj stopped speaking and seemed to have withdrawn himself from this world. Boshi was gently stroking his hand and wondered whether Maharaj still remembered that old playful gesture of his thumb. At the same instant, Boshi felt it—light but unmistakable—Maharaj’s last bequest to Boshi.21 Swami Brahmananda left his mortal coil on 10 April 1922 at Balaram Mandir, leaving behind an indelible impression of peace and divinity on the minds of his devotees and disciples—and on Balaram Mandir which is a centre of the Ramakrishna Math, and a sacred place of pilgrimage. o (Concluded.)

References 15. Akshaya. P.168; As We Saw Him, pp.169-170 20. As We Saw Him, pp.239-240 19. Charit, p. 219 T h e

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18. Ibid, p.191

Review Article

Documenting An Inspiring Era P S SUNDARAM

Swami Vivekanandar Patri Mahakavi Bharatiyar Kooriyavai (A book in Tamil titled Mahakavi Bharatiyar on Swami Vivekananda) Part One. Edited by Swami Kamalatmananda. Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. E-mail: mail@channaimath.org, 2014, hardback, pp.440. Rs 200. The Book As one goes deeper (as in case of woodcutter in Sri Ramakrishna’s parable), more treasures await the researcher. The revival of the spirit of Hindu religion and human dignity by Swami Vivekananda and the role of Sister Nivedita in promoting education of women are well known. Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati’s crusade against foreign rule is also common knowledge. But the influence of Swami Vivekananda and of Sister Nivedita on the Mahakavi and other leaders in southern India in awakening the thirst for freedom is lesser known. This book is the result of extensive research by Swami Kamalatmananda, the Adhyaksha of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madurai and a former editor of Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam (the Tamil monthly published by Chennai Math), on the life of Mahakavi Bharati and his contemporaries. Many writers and savants of the day were inspired by the Ramakrishna Movement, the role of Swami Vivekananda globally and of his illustrious disciple Sister Nivedita. How this was o

promoted by Bharathi and admirers of Swamiji in the South, especially in Tamilnadu, facing a hostile colonial administration, is the focus of the book. Bharathi had unbounded respect for Swamiji and Sister Nivedita. In all humility the poet-patriot bemoans his limitations in writing (Chakravardini, March, 1906) about Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, the ‘. . . ever free, luminous stars in the sky . . .’ Appropriately, this book has been dedicated to Bharathi’s Gurumani, Sister Nivedita. There are four principal chapters with several topics under each of them: 1. A facet of Subramanya Bharathi; Vivekananda Bharathiar. 2. Sister Nivedita, Gurumani of Bharathiar. 3. Bharathi’s writings on Swami Vivekananda. 4. Later additions. (articles / reports on Swami Vivekananda by Mandayam Srinivasacharya, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Suddhananda Bharati, Usha Mahadevan, G. Subramania Iyer, among others.)

The author is a long-standing devotee of Sri Ramakrishna and a regular book reviewer for The Vedanta Kesari. T h e

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Swami Kamalatmananda has given elaborate editorial comments on reports and articles Included in his book. On Swami Vivekananda The book recalls Swamiji’s concern at the evils in society keeping large sections of people ignorant, depressed and poor, and retarding their spirit. Print media of those days did commendable work in fearlessly reporting on them. For instance, Vijaya, (Tamil) in its issue of February 9, 1910 wrote about Swami Vivekananda’s distress: For generations, having forgotten our Soul force, we were resigned to a state of helplessness, . . . that all events are fated to happen and that it is foolish to try and change its course. . . Realising that the remedy is to educate people about the inherent Soul force contained in our scriptures, he (Swamiji) began to preach the oneness of atma… Every word from him carried his core message of ‘strength, courage and spirit’. Often he said, ‘there is no greater sin in the world than fear’.

Swadesamitran, which Bharathi edited, in its Annual Number, 1920, wrote :

About casteism, Swadesamitran (June 9, 1920) mentioned Swamiji’s suggestion of conferring brahminhood by merely weaning away people from meat, offering the sacred thread and teaching Gayatri mantra. Bharathi, the author recalls, employed this strategy to confer the recognition on one Kanakalingam from a subordinate caste. Freedom Movement in South India The book is packed with information, some hitherto unknown, about the role of Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita in awakening the freedom spirit, untiring work by Bharathi and many others in inculcating that spirit in Tamil speaking part of India through trenchant writings. English-literate Indians who ridiculed the Hindu faith were put to shame by Swami Vivekananda’s writings and speeches. Bharathi reported on them. Here are some reports on Swami Vivekananda taking Madras by storm: Chakravardani (Tamil) wrote in April, 1906: Citizens of Chennai have never witnessed, among exponents of Hindu Faith, one so great and dexterous as Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda’s motto was that the most despised, wicked and the poor who suffered greater indignities are embodiments of God worthy of worship. . .

Swami Vivekananda stressed that the country’s emancipation rests in ensuring absolute freedom to women to live dignified life as free birds in the sky, with access to education at all levels, enabling them to meet their requirements out of their own employment / earnings, enjoying equal status as men in any occupation ensuring equal opportunities in all professions like men; in short treating women as incarnations of Parashakti—Divine Mother. T h e

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India, October 24, 1908 observed: Swami Vivekananda incarnated and gave us dharmopadesa. Even though many may not know him now, day by day the help rendered to us by him will spread, gain strength and be capable of saving our human race…

Bala Bharata of November, 1907: . . .Vivekananda had produced a new thrill in the world of philosophic thought by his eternal message of the Vedantic Religion. . .

India (Tamil weekly), Bala Bharat (English published by Dr. Nanjunda Rao, Chennai), Karmayogi (Tamil, by Bharatiyar as Owner/

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Editor), Vijaya (Tamil daily from Pondicherry), Bala Bharata, Pondicherry (English monthly by Bharatiyar), Viveka Bhanu, in Tamil started In Tuticorin by ‘VOC’ are some of the print media that gave wide coverage of the work and writings of Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita, and articles on Sri Ramakrishna. The role of the founders of The Hindu and its sister edition in Tamil, Swadesamitran in the freedom movement is significant. Equally, we admire the deep involvement of Alasinga Perumal, his relatives and friends in all events concerning the Ramakrishna Movement. The life and struggles of Bharathi and brief sketches of many stalwarts of the day, their courage, sacrifice, dedication, high standards of ethics and morals and true patriotic spirit are poignantly revealed. Chapter 2 explains Nivedita’s role in guiding Bharathi, and includes articles by Swami Kamalatmananda, Swami Chidbhavananda, Bharathi’s wife, daughter and granddaughter and others. Swami Chidbhavananda mentions Swamiji’s prophetic words; English rendering would be: One day India will gain Independence but will struggle to safeguard it so as to enjoy freedom and establish a righteous Government. Neither VIP culture should be encouraged, nor caste prejudices. Educationists, defense personnel, agriculturists, businessmen and workers must have equal status in society. Education should be available to all. Achieve self sufficiency.

Significantly, speaking in Chennai, Sister Nivedita asked people to be united, avoid North versus South feelings and shun weaknesses or helplessness. Bharathi was heartbroken at Nivedita’s sudden demise. His meeting with Nivedita, first in Kolkata and later in Mayavati ashrama, vision of Bharata Mata, were momentous events in his life. Severely hurt by an elephant, T h e

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Bharathi was heroically rescued by his disciple. But he passed away on 11th September 1921; like Swamiji, at the age of 39. In the Cause of Freedom The active selfless work of Mandayam Srinivasachariar and two of his brothers, popularly known as ‘Mandayam Brothers’, along with Bharathi and others are worth recalling. There is also an article by Bal Gangadhar Tilak reminiscing about his association with Swamiji. The Mylapore Math, Swami Ramakrishnananda, services by Sri V.Krishnaswamy Iyer who started the first national bank, viz., The Indian Bank, provide valuable information. Viveka Bhanu, Tamil periodical from Tuticorin, was one of the front runners in promoting the Ramakrishna Movement. A selected ten gems from Sri Ramakrishna formed an interesting article in one of them. It also carried a ‘Review’ of Prabuddha Bharata which moved to Mayavati from Chennai. M. Gopalakrishnan, Professor of Tamil, rendered in Tamil Swamiji’s Song of the Sannyasin as a booklet titled Sannyasiyin Geetham. A sub-chapter is devoted to this topic. Bharathi and other editors covered Swami Abhedananda’s tour of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (then Mysore State). There was an interesting conversation at which Swami Abhedananda effectively refuted allegations by Christian Missionaries. These reports are included along with attractive photographs of Abhedananda. The other photographs add value to the book. The volume is a significant document of a glorious past and will be well received by those interested in Swami Vivekananda’s influence on contemporary India. o

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The Order on the March News and Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Mission Doordarshan Documentary on The Vedanta Kesari The Chennai Kendra of Doordarshan, India’s national TV, prepared and telecast a documentary marking the Centenary of The Vedanta Kesari. The 27-minute documentary featuring a brief history of the magazine, short messages from some of the past editors, senior monks and a cross section of readers was telecast on DD Sanskrita Bharati channel on 14 May (Sunday) at 7.30 pm. The documentary has been uploaded on the website of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai and the popular online video web site YouTube. The readers can view the same at http://www.chennaimath.org/the-vedanta-kesari-centenary-celebration-13053 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhLTyCT71A o Books by Anna Subramanian An initiated disciple of Swami Shivananda (Mahapurush Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the second President of Ramakrishna Order), Sri Anna Subramanian is well known among the Tamil speaking devotees of the Ramakrishna Movement for his noble character and writings in Tamil. He has over 70 books in Tamil on Hindu scriptures—all published by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai. He was also intimately associated with R.K. Mission School, T. Nagar, and Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home. With the generous support and subsidy received from devotees, the Chennai Math is digitizing and republishing his books. A function marking the launch of some of these books was held on 17 May 2015 at the Chennai Math. Swami Gautamanandaji, Adhyaksha of Chennai Math, presided over the function. Several scholars, devotees and well-wishers were present on the occasion. o Value Education Programme for Youth by RMIC Report for April 2014 to March 2015 Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata, organized over the year 244 Youth conferences in 20 districts in West Bengal in which 49,016 youth participated and 45,000 books on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda were distributed free of cost. The institute organized Zonal Level Cultural Competitions in Elocution, Recitation, Drawing, Drama, Speaking Extempore and Music for students of different age groups in different zones, and prizes were distributed to the winners. The 252 finalists from the Zonal Level Cultural Competitions participated in T h e

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the Central Cultural Competition at the Institute. Over the year, three Teachers Conferences were held in which a total of 905 teachers participated. In the Central Youth Conference a total of 1,450 delegates from all over West Bengal participated. Vivek-Vikas programme was started for youth in 2008 with the objective of personality and character development, improving communication skills and study of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature. Also, 19 sessions were regularly conducted throughout the year as a part of Vivekananda Anuseelan program in which 120 boys and 190 girls participated. The Institute has been conducting academic counselling sessions with the help of experienced psychologists since 2009, to help students in career guidance. Every year more than 100 students make use of these counselling sessions. Mobile Awareness Campaign Unit (Vivek Chetana Rath), was launched with assistance from the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India to preach the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The Vivek Chetana Rath travelled through various districts of West Bengal and received enthusiastic response. As a part of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the institute awarded 200 ‘Medha Puraskar’ scholarships to poor and meritorious students who passed Secondary Education Board Examination. Each student was given Rs.2000 as scholarship and text books free of cost. The institute organized two football tournaments one at Jangal Mahal and the other at North Bengal. All the teams were given football kits and trophies were presented to winners and runners-up teams. o Youth Programme at Hyderabad Math Ramakrishna Math, Domalguda, Hyderabad, organized two annual summer camps for personality development for youth. Named Samskar and Shraddha, the camps were well attended. Samskar (held in the morning, 1300 participants) and Shraddha (held in the evening, 400 participants), comprising of

yogasanas, meditation, chanting, Bhajans, lessons on Indian culture and the teachings and message of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, were held from 26th April to 24th May. o Centenary of Prabuddha Keralam Prabuddha Keralam, the Ramakrishna Order’s monthly in Malayalam, published by Ramakrishna Math, Thrissur, Kerala, organized a function to mark its centenary. The year-long celebrations were inaugurated by Guru Muni Narayana Prasad, the spiritual head of Narayana Gurukula, Varkala. The function was presided over by Swami Abhiramananda, one of the trustees of Belur Math and the secretary T h e

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of RKM Vidyalaya, Coimbatore. Cardinal Mar George Alanchery, the spiritual head of Syro Malabar Catholic Church delivered benedictory address. Islamic scholar and leader Panakkad Syed Munivarali Shihab Thangal, wellknown historian, and M. G. S. Narayanan, former Chairman of Indian History Council and Dr. K. K. N. Kurup, former Vice Chancellor Calicut University and historian, and an eminent scholar Sri R. Hari addressed the gathering of 500. Later, a flute recital was also held. Mathrubhumi, Malayala Manorama and other Malayalam papers published articles on the history and contribution of Prabuddha Keralam. There are plans to hold year-long celebrations by conducting seminars and by launching a subscription drive to enhance the readership. o Swacch Mangaluru—A Report Swacch Mangaluru for Swacch Bharath—cleanliness drive launched by Mangalore Ashrama—continued its 40 week-long programme. On 7 June 2015, the 19th consecutive Sunday cleanliness drive, the event was launched at Bunts Hostel Circle in Mangalore by Swami Gautamanandaji, senior trustee, Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math and Adhyaksha, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, in the presence of several monks and a host of well-wishers and devotees. Employees of Hosadiganta, Vijayavani—two daily newspapers in Kannada, members of Yuva Brigade, BJP Mahila Morcha, devotees, volunteers and well-wishers of the Ashrama took part in the drive. The volunteers cleaned the drains, removed tons of garbage and sand, filled in the holes in the stone footpath, and a facelift was given to a poorly maintained bus shelter. The area in Bunts Hostel Circle was also cleaned and synthetic grass was laid thus adding to the beauty of the circle. Handbills on awareness were distributed by our volunteers among the public in the locality. MRPL, the principal patron, sponsored this week’s initiative. o Award for Green Initiative The Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home, Mylapore, Chennai, has installed a solar power plant and hybrid wind turbine for powering the hostel building and commissioned solar thermal cooking and biogas cooking systems and has become almost self-sufficient. SunEdison donated a rooftop solar plant to power the hostel that houses 700 students. The commissioning of the 100-KW solar plant has brought down electricity expenses by more than 80 per cent. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Chennai Chapter awarded the institution a Platinum rating, the first of its kind for a school in the State of Tamilnadu. o T h e

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Book Reviews

For review in The Vedanta Kesari,

publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Value of Brahmacharya By Swami Tathagatananda Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600004; mail@chennaimath. org; paperback, pp.38 + vi. Price: Rs. 20/On the occasion of the 150 th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Swami Tathagatanandaji wrote a series of three articles for Vedanta Kesari on the important role that Brahmacharya plays in spiritual life. These three articles have now been published in a small booklet of 38 pages. Most of the ideas are taken from the lectures and writings of Swami Vivekananda, but Swami Tathagatanandaji has also referred to both Christian sources as well as Western scientific writings. As the author himself notes, the subject matter will appeal mainly to those with a very sincere interest in spiritual life, and particularly, to those who have taken to monastic life or are interested in it. For them, the ideas presented in this booklet will be of the highest practical value. However, the general reader will certainly find much of interest in this small book as well. Swami Tathagatanandaji begins his analysis from the most general point of view, explaining Brahmacharya as ‘a course of conduct that keeps the mind on Brahman or God.’ He then turns to the specific practice of continence as a means of raising one’s spiritual consciousness as well giving rise to the spiritual energy spoken of in the scriptures as Ojas. The author offers some very beautiful quotations from Swami Vivekananda to support this view. He also quotes the writings of various Western psychologists and philosophers in this regard. The science may seem a bit antiquated to some, but the point is well made regarding the many benefits of leading a continent life. The book is further enhanced by various references to scriptures, the writings of T h e

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Shankaracharya, and even the example of the life of Mahatma Gandhi. And of course, the final word on the subject is found in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna to his future monastic disciples. The topic of Brahmacharya is no doubt a difficult and sensitive one to try to tackle, but Swami Tathagatanandaji has done a wonderful job and has added another small gem to his growing collection of books. ________________________ SWAMI ATMAJNANANANDA, USA

Sri Ramakrishna Vedantadarshanasya Chatussutri By Swami Harshananda, English Translation by Swami Nityasthananda Published by Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore - 560 019. rkmfive@gmail.com, 2014, pp. 48, Rs.12. Vedanta is the common name given to Uttara Mimamsa system of philosophy promulgated by Badarayana Vyasa. He composed aphorisms called ‘Sutras’ to analyze and examine the Upanishadic sayings in order to show that the true import of all of them is the great universal principle called Brahman. All the three principal Acharyas namely Sri Shankara, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhwa have written detailed commentaries on these sutras popularly known as ‘Vedanta Sutras’ or ‘Brahma Sutras’. Sri Ramakrishna represents true spirit of Vedas and Vedanta. His teachings contain the essence of ‘Darshana’ or philosophy of Vedanta. This is what is meant by ‘Vedanta Darshana of Sri Ramakrishna’. As such, these teachings can be systemized in accordance with the Sutras of Badarayana. There is also need to study these liberal, catholic and all-inclusive teachings from traditional perspective. This much-needed task has been ably accomplished in this small work

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by Swami Harshanandaji, one of the highly respected and learned monks of the Ramakrishna Order. The author has exquisitely condensed all the essential teachings of Sri Ramakrishna in simple but erudite Sanskrit and has classified them under the headings of first four Sutras of Badarayana. In the traditional circles, it is held that the study of the first four sutras in the light of commentary of Sri Shankaracharya is sufficient to have a comprehensive view of Advaita Vedanta. In the same manner, the present commentary on the first four sutras definitely helps us to have an overall view of the philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna in a nutshell. The book begins with a short biographical introduction on Sri Ramakrishna. In his commentary to the first Sutra, the author rightly highlights the emphasis given by Sri Ramakrishna on the realization of God as the highest goal of human life. The second sutra deals with the nature of God as the creator. Through the simple but elegant illustrations given by Sri Ramakrishna, the commentator explains the former’s philosophical position on various related topics like Brahman, Consciousness, Maya, Impersonal and personal God, the individual Jiva, and Naradiya Bhakti as the best spiritual discipline for this age, the state of Vijnana, etc. The third Sutra upholds the authenticity of Vedanta being rooted in Shastras or Scriptures. In this section, the commentator has skilfully brought out the point that Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings are in harmony with the tenor of the scriptures. He has achieved this by comparing Sri Ramakrishna’s opinions with the views expressed in the original scriptures on various topics like the nature of Brahman, Maya, the world as the creation of Brahman, incarnation, Brahman as the indwelling spirit of the whole universe, Bhakti Yoga, and the characteristics of realized soul etc. The last Sutra deals with ‘Samanvaya’ i.e. true import of the scriptures. The traditional commentators say their own particular path (Dviata, Vishistadvaita or Advaita) is the true import of the scriptures. However, Sri Ramakrishna says that all these are but the different paths to the same Reality. As such, all the religions expressing different opinions are not only to be tolerated but are to be accepted as equally true and valid. This T h e

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vital distinction in Sri Ramakrishna’s philosophy is masterly demonstrated in the commentary. In all, Swami Harshanandaji deserves deep gratitude from every Jijnasu (aspirant of knowledge) for this maiden attempt of bringing Sri Ramakrishna’s philosophy in the traditional structure of Sutra literature. The English translation rendered by Swami Nityasthanandaji, another senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, deserves our special appreciation. It is lucid, to the point and highly readable. ____________________ SWAMI VIRESHANANDA, BELUR MATH

Glimpses of Swami Vivekananda’s Heroic Struggle By Swami Tathagatananda Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. mail@chennaimath.org, 2013, paperback, pp.52, Rs.15. Swami Vivekananda spoke many times about the positive role of suffering, obstacles, and struggle in spiritual life. We see the truth of this in the lives of saints and martyrs, and also realize it in our own small way in our own lives. Yet how few of us really understand the obstacles that Swamiji had to overcome in spreading the message of Vedanta to the West! How few of us can begin to fathom the terrible struggles Swamiji had to face when deciding whether to renounce the world for the good of humanity or live in the world to remove the burden of poverty for his family? And how few of us ever consider the terrible toll all this took on Swamiji’s physical health! In his small but valuable book, Glimpses of Swami Vivekananda’s Heroic struggle, Swami Tathagatananda has beautifully delineated these obstacles and many more that Swamiji had to face, how they shaped his attitude toward life, and how they helped create the compassionate hero who devoted his life to transforming the spiritual thought current of the West as well as awakening the dormant power of India. The book begins with a description of the dire experiences of Narendranath’s youth after the sudden death of his father, the indifference of the world to his plight, and even the callousness

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of so-called friends. We see how Narendra had to go barefoot from office to office, only to have doors shut in his face, how he often went without food so that his mother and brothers would have something to eat. We then find Swamiji leading the extremely austere life of a monk in the Baranagore Math, not only facing a complete lack of comforts, but also having to deal with the lack of support from both family members as well as many of Sri Ramakrishna’s householder disciples who felt the young disciples should return home and live in the world as they did. When Swamiji took to the life of a wandering sadhu, he once again faced all sorts of challenges, sometimes practically dying for want of food or proper medical care. There were also betrayals from trusted friends that had promised to help Swamiji go to the West. And after finally reaching America, Swamiji had to face numerous challenges, from slander of his opponents both in India and the West, to overwork and excessive travel, disloyalty of disciples and devotees, and of course his bad health. And finally, perhaps the greatest source of suffering for Swamiji was the grinding poverty and lack of education of the masses of India. All of these are lucidly explained in the present book, along with a final section on Swamiji’s philosophy of suffering and its role in spiritual life. In this small booklet of 82 pages Swami Tathagatananda has presented us with a beautiful portrait of Swamiji in both his human aspect as well as his heroic aspect. __________________________ SWAMI ATMAJANANANDA, USA

The Ships of Vivekananda By Somenath Mukherjee Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014. mail@ advaitaashrama.org, 2013, paperback, pp.136, Rs.55 Apart from reading Swami Vivekananda’s life, a further step in growing to know and love Vivekananda is by going to the places where he had been. One then then feels ‘connected’ to him. Though it is not possible for everybody to make the pilgrimage of all the places he visited, reading the account of his itineraries gives a feeling T h e

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of being with him. Careful reading of the book under review imparts to a reader the feeling of being in the holy company of Swami Vivekananda on different seafaring vessels. Swamiji had spent almost three years in the United States during his two trips in the West (1893-96, and 1899-1900). His two sojourns in the West add up to around fifty-six months, as mentioned in the publisher’s note; forty in the US and the rest in Europe. The cross-country journeys, barring a few stretches on railways, were entirely undertaken through seafaring. In the book under review, the author, a devoted researcher on the life of Vivekananda, has given a detailed and interesting account of the eleven ships that carried Swamiji over the seas between 1893 and 1900, and Swamiji’s life aboard. The book has eleven chapters, bearing titles of the names of the eleven ships in which Swamiji sailed. Each chapter gives in the beginning the detailed description of the vessel carrying Swamiji; its length, breadth, tonnage, characteristics of the engine and capability of speed in knots. Also provided are the particulars on the amenities provided to passengers of each class; size of the rooms, types of upholstery, panelling, flooring, carpeting and furniture; description of library, dining rooms, menus, hospital and nursery. One can visualize the life on the ship in general and of Swami Vivekananda in particular. The author’s meticulous research also presents the intricacies of the ship business. ‘The Journey’ in each chapter mentions the dates and the names of the initial and final destinations. In his Interlude, the author has attractively interwoven the tapestry of sequence of events of Swamiji’s life in between his voyages, and in the backdrop we have many of his letters, writings, the revelation of objective of Swamiji’s visit to a particular place, some idea of his mission, his fellow travellers, his brilliant conversation and his scholarly account of the places passed by. The pages of the book are interspersed with the illustration of ships in which Swamiji sailed, docks and ports, cities visited by Swamiji, railway stations where he had alighted, the group of people on board a ship, and these certainly enhance the value of the book. The book has suitable Forward by Linda Prugh, the eminent Vivekananda researcher from Kansas City, Missouri, USA; the book has notes and references as well as Index. Besides, in the epilogue,

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the author has documented Swamiji’s forceful impact on the Indian sea voyage movement. To devotees of Vivekananda, all information about him is treasured. We are really grateful to the author for his novel and innovative work and for providing such interesting, enthralling and valuable information on Swamiji’s life on ship, and about those Seafaring vessels, which were instrumental in enabling him to carry India’s spiritual heritage to the West. ______________________ CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH.

The Glory of Monastic Life By Swami Bhajanananda Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Ropad, Kolkata 700 014. mail@ advaitaashrama.org, 2012, paperback, pp.55, Rs.25. This is an invaluable book for all earnest spiritual aspirants. The value of the book lies in profound insights it contains concerning monastic life in general and Ramakrishna Order of monks in particular. The author is a much respected and erudite monk of the Ramakrishna Order, who also happens to be the senior Assistant Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. The book serves as an effective guide book to the monastic way of life. The inner spiritual quest of man finds expression in the renunciation of hearth and home. This genuine renunciation, in fact, is the hallmark of monasticism. There are several reasons why one chooses monastic life. Among the world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity only give honoured place for monasticism. With this introduction, the author traces the origin and evolution of monasticism in east as well as in west. Further, he explains the ideal of Sannyasa and its two approaches i.e., as a means to the realization of Brahman (vividisha) and as an expression of the direct realization of Brahman (vidvat). The social position of the Sannyasins is also described in brief. Buddha’s contribution as also the drawbacks of the Buddhistic monasticism, which eventually disappeared from India, is the next theme discussed. Then the author gives a graphic description of how the Rishi ideal came to be replaced by the Sannyasin ideal and its historic background. At this T h e

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juncture, Sri Shankracharya came on the scene and gave a new orientation to Hindu monasticism by setting up four Maths and establishing Dashanami Sampradaya. This was followed by the establishment of ‘akharas’ by Madhusudhana Saraswathi. Then the author describes various traditions of Hindu monasticism. However, the traditional approach to monasticism had several drawbacks. Traditional monasticism was highly individualistic, based on negative attitude towards life and had no social awareness or relevance. In the modern period, a new monastic ideal which might serve as universal pattern of monastic life emerged. This ideal, which acquired universal dimension, is one of the important contributions of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda to the mankind. The contributions of Sri Ramakrishna to the monastic ideal also constitute the fundamental characteristics of monasticism of the Ramakrishna Order. Some of them are 1. God Realization as the goal, 2. Harmony of religions and sects, 3. The ideal of Vijnana beyond even Advaitic experience. 4. Source of divine love and grace, and 5. Stress on essentials. The contribution of Swami Vivekananda to this modern monastic ideal includes 1. Adding a social dimension to the monastic ideal, 2. Adding a humanistic dimension to the monastic ideal, 3. Positive outlook in life, 4. Missionary Zeal, and 5. Giving a universal dimension to the monastic ideal. All the above topics are treated in concise but comprehensive manner. This new monastic ideal requires a new way of monastic living. The author devotes last section of the book to compare and analyze the old patterns of monastic life with the unique features of monastic life in the Ramakrishna Order. These features include universal outlook, modernity in life-style, new concepts of discipline and freedom, brotherly love, all activities centreing around Sri Ramakrishna and God-realization as the ultimate goal of life. Above all, it is the ideal of synthesis of Yogas as a guiding principle of life and service as a way of life that give unique identity and distinctiveness to the Ramakrishna monasticism. The author concludes with a summary of all the themes he touched upon in this book. The unique feature of the book is the highly professional and refined handling of the huge mass of source material at hand. The historical and spiritual significance of the subject is wonderfully

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brought out in an elegant and orderly manner leaving no room for any kind of ambiguity. This clearly gives a glimpse of expansiveness and profundity of the author’s scholarship and spiritual insight. This slender volume is a special gift given to all in general and earnest spiritual aspirants in particular especially to those who are inclined towards a life of renunciation. ____________________ SWAMI VIRESHANANDA, BELUR MATH

They ‘R’ Gods By Sidhanta Tulasi Published by Sanatana Publications, 142F, Sabari Sanatana, Greenways Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai 600 028. omsanatana@gmail.com Pages 90, Paper Back, Price Rs.60/-. Divinity pervades all creations but it manifests more in avataras. The incarnations have been many. However, eight commonly known avataras beginning with the form of fish and ending with Sri Krishna indicate the stages of evolution, explains the author and concludes with Sri Ramakrishna as Sarvottama— ‘the best among all’. Swamiji, as we know, hailed his guru as avatara varishta. On the Kalpataru Day one of his disciples whose lifestyle saw a transformation said that even a Vyasa or Valmiki would be hard pressed to fully understand Sri Ramakrishna. The book under review briefly highlights some of the revelations made by three incarnations of the Supreme, namely, Rama, Krishna and Ramakrishna. Their lives and lessons to be drawn therefrom and a few popular episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata are mentioned, through twelve chapters. Sri Ramakrishna possessed ‘all the significant qualities of all the earlier avatars’, says Sidhanta Tulasi—the author, who has written books on Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji, among others. Sri Ramakrishna’s life was extraordinary; devoid of lust, greed, fear, etc., but unassuming, humble. He represented a synthesis of all religions. The parents of Sri Ramakrishna were poor and adherents to truth. Parents of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were noble and pious. Sri Krishna’s parents suffered imprisonment and were engrossed in prayers. T h e

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A couple of observations in the book may be noted. When and how did Gadadhar become Ramakrishna is unknown. Sri Rama and Sri Ramakrishna were adherents to truth. However, once Rama jocularly told Surpanaka that Lakshmana was unmarried; Sri Ramakrishna once asked Rakhal to inform troublesome visitors that he was absent. He explained that the company of sinful and selfish people had to be avoided. As happened in the two earlier avataras, we find that a close associate Hriday failed to evolve spiritually despite spending years with the Great Master. Such indeed is the Lila of avataras! Surely there is a lesson hidden for all seekers in such episodes. They ‘R’ Gods will inspire readers as it deals with the lives of divine personalities. _______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM., MUMBAI

Vishnu Sahasranama By Kakale Raghavendra Rao and K.R. Mohan Published by Dr.Nagaraj Rao Havaldar and Family, # 140, ITI Lay out, BSK III Stage, Bangalore-560 085. 2013, paperback, pp.57, Rs.90 The efficacy of chanting, listening to and reading the Vishnu Sahasranama has been clearly outlined and celebrated in Hinduism through the ages. Most Hindu families make it part of their daily prayers or devotional activities and many people will not leave their front doors without either reading or reciting or listening to it. Its history is very well-known—it is part of the Anushaasana Parva of the Mahabharata and is taught to Yudhisthira by the great Bhishma himself and that in front of Sri Krishna. The holiness of the prayer and its immense spiritual quality is thus established. This particular version, as the authors themselves declare, is the Adhibhoutika interpretation, ‘a domain concerned with the knowledge that can be gained with the help of the mind, intellect, emotions and the memory’ (pages viiviii). This makes the book invaluable in terms of understanding what it is one is saying when reciting or listening to the prayer. Each and every

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term in the extremely spiritual experience that the Vishnu Sahasranamam is for the devotee has been extensively researched, annotated and explained and even the most intellectual and scientificminded can approach the prayer with its rational explanation. This is a good companion to one’s daily devotional practice and is recommended to anyone who wants to know more about the Vishnu Sahasranamam. The author, Sri Raghavendra Rao, belongs to a family which ‘treated the (Vishnusahasranama) as an article of faith for generations (page vi)’ and he has wanted to pass this great tradition on to others. __________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

Life After 60 By Dr. CN Sudarsanan Published by Dr. CN Sudarsanan, Management Consultant, No.2 Majestic Park, Saligramam, Chennai-600093. darshancns@yahoo.com, 2014, paperback, pp146, Rs.400. The title says it all—60 is retirement age in most places of work, whether it is the corporate world or the public and private sectors. After years of working, sometimes a lifetime of being useful and productive, one is disgorged at the bottom of the slide and left feeling useless and unproductive. When in the humdrum world, most people long for the day that will set them free: from the rat race, the treadmill, the endless roundabout—there are many terms in use for the rough and tumble of ordinary life. Then why is it that, after about a month of doing nothing, most people look back nostalgically on their working lives and feel that the interminable holiday now imposed upon them is a burden? Why is there such a feeling of anti-climax and a vague restlessness resulting in misery and unhappiness for everyone in the family? It is to answer these and other related questions that the author has written this very useful book. The book has 16 chapters which cover almost every aspect of retirement. These range from the practical to the spiritual. The book begins

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with the planning stage which should start well before the actual retirement day. He advocates at least 16 years, though 25 years would be ideal. This must include the practical aspects of living such as finances, house, health and so on. This introductory chapter is followed up with suggestions for every aspect of life—enjoyment and happiness, daily life, family relationships, selfknowledge, exercise, diet and physical, mental and emotional health. One novel aspect is the chapter dedicated to safety measures, something that has become a contentious issue, considering the number of attacks on elderly people. Financial planning has taken pride of place in the book. The author has not underestimated the importance of finance in worldly life and has explained many of the latest innovations in the financial world, such as reverse mortgages on one’s property, income tax assessment for retired people and has made positive suggestions for the path to financial peace. The book ends with annexures on the nitty-gritty of daily living which include first aid, how to measure body mass index and precautions that older people could take to increase their safety. Famous places of historical and religious interest have been enumerated with brief descriptions of each and one of the most contemporary aspects of present day old age— retirement homes—has also been considered. Societal changes, the break-up of the joint family which afforded continuing support even after retirement, and the rise of the nuclear family in its place have created new social mores. This means that retirement may mean 20 to 25 years of living alone or with assistance that has to be paid for, not taken for granted as in the old days. The tone of the book is positive and encourages independent thinking. The other great feature of the publication is the language: simple and clear, while at the same time practical and contemporary. There is no nostalgia about the ‘good old days’, the author is dealing with the here and now, and he advises his readers to do the same. Certainly recommended to anyone over 50 so that retirement can be fulfilling rather than filled with the futile desire of putting back the clock. __________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

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The Vedanta Kesari

Some of the recent Annual Issues of The Vedanta Kesari now available in book form: (2002) How to Organise Life (2004) Sri Ramakrishna in Todays Violent World (2005) Channelling Youth Power (2006) No One is a Stranger (2007) Upanishads in Daily Life (2008) Gita for Everyday Living (2009) How to Shape the Personality (2010) Facets of Freedom (2011) Joy of Spirituality (2012) Indian Culture (2013) Swami Vivekanandaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Charm of His Personality and Message

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Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.60/Rs.80/Rs.275/-

Rs.110/-

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Plus postage Rs.30/- for single copy. No request for VPP accepted E-mail: mail@chennaimath.org

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Digitised Archives of the Vedanta Kesari (1914 to 2014)

New Release

DVD containing the archives of 101 years of the Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Kesari has been effectively disseminating Indian Ethos and Values, with uninterrupted publication for 101 years. This entire collection of archival articles (1914-2014) by scholars and thinkers, savants and admirers, monks and practitioners of Vedanta is now available in one DVD. With search facility indexed author-wise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, plus other features, this veritable encyclopedia of Vedanta is now available to you at the click of a button! Price: Rs.300/-Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/(within India) For ordering your copy, draw your DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai and send to: The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004. You can also order Online. Email : mail@chennaimath.org Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

New Release

Manifesting Inherent Perfection Education for Complete Self-improvement

This book attempts to discuss the ‘inside’ of education which is man-making. A collection of 50 writings on various aspects of education ‘in its widest sense’, this book presents the Indian worldview of divinity of man and unity of existence. Compiled from the archives of The Vedanta Kesari, these writings deal with various aspects of education, including the key ideas of Yoga and Vedanta which are of great value to all educationists and students. ‘As long as I live, so long do I learn,’ said Sri Ramakrishna. This handy volume on education draws our attention to this fact through articles, stories and personal accounts of monks, teachers, students, scholars and commoners. Hardbound, Pages 586, Price: Rs.250/- Postage: Rs.75/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

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Booklets for the Youth Bhagavad Gita for Students Meant to help the modern students to become better students and live meaningfully. It is a topical selection of Gita verses keeping a student in mind. It is a readyreference to know what Gita says about control of mind, overcoming anger, concentration of mind, healthy interpersonal relationships, true happiness and so on. Pages 70 + xiv. Price: Rs. 20/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy.

Upanishads for Students Upanishads, the eternal source of strength and wisdom, are the foundation of Indian Culture. The modern students can learn from them the greatest findings about Self-knowledge, concentration, true purpose of life and strength to face challenges of life. This booklet helps students gain some insights into the timeless message of the Upanishads. Pages 62 + xviii. Price: Rs. 25/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy.

Universal Prayers for Youth A compilation of soul-stirring prayers from the Sanskrit literature aiming at introducing the youth to the practice of prayer for self-development and spiritual living. Being prayerful helps one live a life of fearlessness and strength drawn from a Divine Source. Pages 44 + xxvi. Price: Rs. 25/+ Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Emailâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;: mail@chennaimath.org

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From Delusion to Reality Bhaja Govindam of Sri Shankaracharya by Swami Gurudasananda One of the most widely known Sanskrit compositions by Adi Shankaracharya, Bhaja Govindam (also called Moha Mudgara) extols the highest and noblest truths of Vedanta in exquisite poetry. This book is a lucid explanation of these verses full of dispassion, holiness, devotion and highest knowledge. Text in Devanagari and English transliteration and meaning with detailed elucidation. Hardbound, Pages x +86, Price: Rs.45/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

WANTED DOCTORS Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur (A Branch Centre of Ramakrishna Mission, PO- Belur Math, Howrah (W.B.) wants for its 30 bed hospital “Vivekananda Arogya Dham” a General Surgeon (M.S.), an Ophthalmologist (M.S.), an Orthopaedician (M.S.), a Pediatrician (M.D.), a Gynecologist (M.D.), and a Physician (M.D./M.B.B.S.). SalaryRs. 1,25,000/-. Retired persons upto age of 65 years also may apply. Free accommodation in Ashrama campus in peaceful atmosphere. Apply within 15 days with bio data to The Secretary Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama PO/Dist. Narainpur, Chhattisgarh 494 661 Phone/FAX (07781) 252251, 252393 e-mail : rkm.narainpur@gmail.com, website : www.rkmnarainpur.org

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Ramakrishna Mission Hanumanthaputheri, Chengalpattu Tamil Nadu 603 002 Website: www.rkmchengalpattu.org Email: rkmchengalpattu@gmail.com Phone: 044-27426217 An Appeal Destitute Welfare Centres: Through welfare centres for the poor we provide one meal a day for the neglected and aged people of that area. They are provided with clothes on special occasions. Poor students are given free coaching also along with nutritious food. They are given notebooks and dresses also. One such centre works in our Ashrama and ten centres are working in and around Chengalpattu. Each centre helps 100 deserving cases. We spend Rs. 3,50,000/- per year on this scheme. Vocational Training for Poor: To help the women to stand on their own feet, training is provided in tailoring, embroidery, typewriting, and computer science through our coaching centres. Value Education in Schools and Colleges: Our monks visit schools and colleges frequently and conduct motivational and personality development classes for students. Educational films are shown and books on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda are distributed freely. Medical Help for Poor: A clinic is maintained in the Ashrama which provides Allopathic, Homeo, and Siddha medicines to needy cases free of cost. Monthly medical camps are conducted in nearby villages to help people of those areas. Rs. 2,00,000/- expenditure per year is the budget for this scheme. Cloth Distribution to aged people for Dipavali: Every year during Dipavali season 1,000 destitute people are given clothes. Destitute people from far and wide come and get the benefit. Saris are given to women and dhotis and towels are given to men. Total budget for this scheme is around Rs.2,00,000/. All these service activities require the helping hand of the generous public. Donations are exempt from Income Tax under Section 80G of Income Tax act. Thanking you, Yours in the Lord Swami Aksharatmananda Secretary

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Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University (RKMVU) Declared by Govt. of India under section 3 of UGC Act, Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education (FDMSE) Specialized Faculty Centre, Coimbatore. The multi-campus Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University (RKMVU) has its headquarters at Belur Math, Howrah, W.B. Its Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education (FDMSE) is in the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Ooty Main Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641020.  The Faculty prepares teachers in the field of Special Education (Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Mental Retardation).  Special Education course imparts practical and theoretical training for providing professional service to disabled persons and their rehabilitation.  Anyone who undergoes this course is called a Special Teacher or Special Educator.  Both normal individuals and persons with disabilities can pursue Special Education courses. COURSES OFFERED: DEGREE COURSES S.No 1 2

Course B.Ed. in Special Education (Visual Impairment/ Hearing Impairment/ Mental Retardation M.Ed. in Special Education (Visual Impairment/ Hearing Impairment/ Mental Retardation

M.Phil. in Special Education

Ph.D. in Special Education

Entry Qualification Any degree with 50% marks B.Ed. in Special Education with 50% marks M.Ed. in Special Education

M.Phil. / M.Ed. in Special Education Special B.Ed. is equivalent to General B.Ed., according to G.O (Ms) No.56 dt.24.04.2012 DIPLOMA / CERTIFICATE COURSE

S.No 1 2 3 4

Course

Entry Qualification

D.Ed. in Special Education (Visual Impairment/ Hearing Impairment/ Mental Retardation

Pass in + 2

DISLI (Dip. In Sign Language Interpretation) CTAHD (Certificate Course in Theatre Arts for Holistic Development) CCAT (Certificate Course in Assistive Technology)

10th Pass for Deaf persons / +2 Pass for Hearing persons 10th Pass/ +2 / UG/ PG of any discipline 10th Pass/ +2 / UG/ PG of any discipline

(D.Ed., DISLI, B.Ed., M.Ed. Courses are approved by Rehabilitation Council of India)

Hostel Facilities are available, separately for Men and Women For more details contact: Visit us: www.vucbe.org The Assistant Administrative Head, FDMSE, RKMVU Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University SRKV Post, Periyanaikenpalayam, Coimbatore 641020 Phone: 0422-2697529, 2698553, Cell: 75027 32223, Email: fdmse@vucbe.org

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Lord Shri Krishna preached the most important lessons to His intimate devotee and friend Uddhava in the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, just as He had preached to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. This conversation between Sri Krishna and Uddhava, known as the Uddhava Gita, is full of Knowledge of the Supreme. Swami Brahmeshananda is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order. His elaborate and delightful discussion on this preaching of Lord Krishna (in Hindi) is now presented for the enlightenment of the listeners.

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

An Appeal 36 Years of Service to Humanity 1979–2015 1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children – 2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital – 3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged – 4. Navajeevan Annaksetram - 5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram – 6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - 7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - 8. Navajeevan Orphanage Children Homes – 9. Navajeevan Atharvana Veda Pathasala -

Tirupati, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda Tirupati Tirupati, Rishikesh, Parlekhimundi and Chennai Kothapeta / Rishikesh Tirupati Berhampur [Orissa] Serango & Kalahandi [Orissa] Tirupati, Parlehkimundi, Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag & Araku Tirupati

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

– Rs. 5000/-

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

– Rs. 6000/-

2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations

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. 7000/–

Rs. 5000/-

–

Rs. 2000/-

– Rs. 50000/-

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings. Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act. Our Bank details for online transfer : Bank Name : Indian Bank , Gandhi Road Branch, Tirupati SB A/c No: 463789382, Account Holder : Navajeevan Blind Relief Centre, Branch Code: T036, IFSC code: IDIB000T036,

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

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Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood. —Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda’s statue, RKM Students’ Home, Chennai

With Best Compliments From:

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Vol.102-8 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) August 2015. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. POSTAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 15-17. LICENSED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2015-2017. Date of Publication: 24th 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 self-conscious activity. —Swami Vivekananda

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Subscription (inclusive of postage) Annual : ` 100 10 years: ` 1000 60 ~ A U GWebsite: U S T 2 0 www.chennaimath.org 1 5 Contact: Ramakrishna T h Sri e V e d a n t a K eMath, s a r i ~Chennai.