Pariprasna

Srimat Swami Tapasyananda Ji (1904 – 1991), was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. His deeply convincing answers to devotees’ questions raised in spiritual retreats and in personal letters have been published in book form as Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers. Pariprasna is a selection from this book.

QUESTION: How can we intensify our spiritual life even when we are engaged in work?

MAHARAJ: In the intensification of spiritual life, whether we are at work or not is not a very important matter. It comes to be of importance only at a later stage of spiritual life. The most important point is whether we have spiritual aspiration or not, and how intense it is. To what extent do we feel life to be utterly meaningless without the thought of, and striving towards, the Lord coming into it? This is what determines the intensity of our spiritual life. To the extent that ambitions and pleasures prove satisfying to us, to that extent our spiritual aspiration will not gain strength. As long as these worldly values continue to give us meaning for our life and our strivings, our spiritual life remains at the mere conventional level. The cessation of this state of mind is called the dawn of Sraddha—the state when we take God and spiritual life as very serious concerns in our life.

A person whose ideas of God, soul and the hereafter remain at the mere conventional level cannot attach to these the same importance and put forth the same earnestness in his striving for them as he will attach and put forth towards questions relating to his property, relatives and other worldly concerns. But in one in whom Sraddha has dawned, the attitude changes and gets reversed completely. He is ready to devote his time, service, efforts and resources and also to risk dangers and suffer worldly losses, for the sake of his cherished spiritual values. The intensity of our spiritual life will depend upon the depth and sincerity of our Sraddha. On it too depend our application to spiritual practices and our success in them. Sraddha itself is established in the mind through contacts with persons who lead a really holy life, through reflection and discrimination and through lessons taught by intense sufferings in life. Of all these factors, contact with holy men, i.e., persons who live their lives taking God as the pivot of their lives, is the source of all spiritual inspiration.

A spiritual aspirant who has work to do as a part of his duty, should look upon them as a trust from the Supreme Being and then discharge them with Him in view. Only thus can the sense of opposition or discord that one feels between his work and spiritual life be overcome and an integrated spiritual life built up.

Sri Ramakrishna advises all aspirants engaged in various activities in the outside world to take a holiday for a day or two once in a while and go into some solitary place, where one can be in congenial surroundings away from one’s usual environment and spend one’s time at a stretch for spiritual practices. It is maintained that this will refresh the spirit, and help one maintain an attitude of detachment.

Attempt must also be made to keep constant remembrance of the Lord by taking his name silently in the mind while engaged in work. By long practice such constant repetition can even become effortless. Impressing the mind with the transitoriness and pettiness of worldly values through the discipline of discrimination, will also help one to keep an attitude of detachment in work.

The Religion Which Is Oneness

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distinguish one from the other, how can we even think of finding common elements at this level? 5 It is only by inaugurating the higher phase of religion, in each of the world religions, that the common ground can be found. Don’t the different rivers, which fight for right of passage while on land, mingle peacefully and harmoniously once they enter the ocean? Similar will be the case in religions as a result of Swamiji’s contribution.

Such is the religion that Swamiji conceives. Such is the religion Swamiji has bequeathed to us. It is now up to us to take up this challenge and realize it. For, our ancestors expect that from us, and the future beckons us to achieve this in our lives.

Go to the direct source. Ask God what He is. Unless He answers, He is not; but every religion teaches that He does answer. 6

I will go to God direct; let Him talk to me. I cannot take belief as a basis; that is atheism and blasphemy. If God spake to a man in the deserts of Arabia two thousand years ago, He can also speak to me today, else how can I know that He has not died? Come to God any way you can; only come. But in coming do not push anyone down. 7

All we know is the projection of the Self. Teach this to the children, they can grasp it. Every religion has worshipped the Self, even though unconsciously, because there is nothing else. 8

We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose that path that suits him best. 9 References tt

1) Strictly speaking, they are more heuristics than principles. But we will not enter into semantics here. For the purpose of this article, it is sufficient to consider these ideas as foundational principles of

Science. 2) This section is actually a synopsis of the two lectures

Practical Vedanta-II and Practical Vedanta-III . The conclusions we have presented in this section follow from the ideas Swamiji has presented in these two lectures. 3) Cf: According to the Vedanta, when a man has arrived at that perception, he has become free, and he is the only man who is fit to live in this world. Others are not. The man who sees evil, how can he live in this world? His life is a mass of misery. The man who sees dangers, his life is a misery; the man who sees death, his life is a misery. That man alone can live in this world, he alone can say, “I enjoy this life, and I am happy in this life”, who has seen the Truth, and the Truth in everything. Complete Works: Vol-2:

Practical Vedanta-II 4) Complete Works: Vol-3: Lectures from Colombo to

Almora: The Mission of the Vedanta: Kumbakonam 5) Complete Works: Vol-7: Inspired Talks: Sunday,

August 4, 1895: All the different religions are but applications of the one religion adapted to suit the requirements of different nations. 6) Complete Works: Vol-7: Inspired Talks: Sunday,

August 4, 1895 7) Ibid 8) Ibid 9) Complete Works: Vol-6: Epistles – Second Series:

CXLII: Written to Mohammed Sarfaraz Husain of Naini Tal from Almora, 10th June, 1898