Vedanta Kesari - September 2014

The Vedanta KesariTHE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

101st

Year of Publication

S eptember 2014

Swami Vivekananda’s Statue, Kali Temple, Dakshineswar

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India's Timeless Wisdom

SEPTEMBER 2014

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

VOL. 101, No. 9 ISSN 0042-2983

Cover Story: Page 6

CONTENTS

The Vedanta Kesari 101st

Year of Publication

Vedic Prayers 325

Editorial Dealing with the Deceptive Ego 326

Articles Swami Vivekananda’s Call for Global Leadership 335

Swami Atmarupananda

When Loss Becomes Gain 340Pravrajika Virajaprana

The Spiritual Universe of Sri Ramacharitamanas: As Seen through Its Two Invocatory Verses 344

A.P.N. Pankaj

Vedic Chanting and its Relation to Indian Music 352Subhadra Desai

Knowing the Self—Through the Path of Unselfish Work 355Brahmachari Tridivachaitanya

Compilation Who Is A Wise Man—A Pundit? 348

New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 350

The Order on the March 359

Book Reviews 361

Feature Simhâvalokanam (Some Reminiscences of the Early Sri Ramakrishna Math and Monks) 330

4T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

The Vedanta KesariSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004

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Cover StoryN N

Swami Vivekananda’s Statue, Kali Temple, Dakshineswar, Kolkata

The hallowed and well-known temple of Divine Mother Kali (called here Ma Bhavatarini) at Dakshineswar has a deep association with the Ramakrishna Movement. It is the place where Sri Ramakrishna performed his astonishing sadhanas, enacted his divine play and guided the young aspirants seeking spiritual realisation. Swami Vivekananda, then the young Narendranath, met Sri Ramakrishna here and their divine teacher-student relation came to fruition here. In commemoration of this historic connection as well as to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a 9-feet high bronze statue of Swamiji, placed on a 9 feet concrete pedestal was unveiled in January 2012, by Ms. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Placed right at the entrance of the Temple, the statue is a befitting tribute to the blessed days of spiritual training that Swamiji underwent here. Owned and managed by Dakshineswar Kali Debottar Estate, the temple draws thousands of devotees and visitors every day.

Mr. Y.V. Purna Chandra Rao, Nellore Rs. 1000M/s. Merino Panel Products Limited, Kolkata Rs. 100000Mr N. Rangappa, Bangalore Rs. 2000

DONORS

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EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.

The Vedanta KesariVOL. 101, No. 9, SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSN 0042-2983

Vedic PrayersTr. by Swami Sarvananda

B


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. . . . There is a vast difference between saying 'food, food' and eating it, between saying 'water, water' and drinking it. So by merely repeating the words 'God, God' we cannot hope to attain realisation. We must strive and practise.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 7: 91


Editorial

The Most Used WordThe most commonly used word in our

conversations is ‘I’. It occupies the place of ‘pride’ in all that we say. We use it right from the time we get up in the morning till we retire for a night’s rest. Even in dream, our use of ‘I’ persists though in a bit confused way. We use it in all that we want to say, eat, drink, live, do, decide, plan, admit, assert and so on. Called personal pronoun, ‘I’ is the most used term without which no one can carry his or her day-to-day conversations and activities.

But then, egolessness is what every spiritual master asks one to develop! Some- thing so frequently and essentially used as ‘I’ is asked to be negated and ‘killed’! This indeed is the puzzle that spiritual seekers have to grapple with and solve.

Let us try to understand what ego is as also its role and various shades, coverings and manoeuvrings. This will not, however, make us conquer the ego but will equip us with some knowledge and practical wisdom to deal with it—a preparation and taking a defensive measure. For rightly has it been said, ‘To be forewarned is to be forearmed’.

Ego—the Impregnated InmateWhile ‘I’ is the most used word, it is not

easy to understand it or pin-point its nature. Sri Ramakrishna used to liken ego to an onion. When we peel off an onion, we first remove a reddish layer and then comes a white layer and layer after layer, till we reach the ‘core’ which is not there anyhow! Layer after layer and nothing inside—that is ego. It is a false

covering over the Self or Atman within. Though false, it does not think so. Ego is real or so it thinks! Or so do we think! ‘I’ is a lively something, ever doing and undoing things of life.

Though ego looks real—when analysed it is not real. It gives the impression that it is real. Sri Ramakrishna points that it, the ego, is like an intruder in a house who has been accommodated and accepted as one of the inmates of the house. But when we begin to look into its antecedents—from where it came, its status, its very existence—then it seems to disappear. Further, ego is Maya, the inscrutable of the Divine which creates, preserves and dissolves the world. But once it’s true identity is discovered, ego or Maya takes to heels. Sri Ramakrishna illustrates it thus:

A priest was once going to the village of a disciple of his. He had no servant with him. Seeing a cobbler on the way, he addressed him, saying, ‘Hello! good man, will you accompany me as a servant? You will be fed well and taken good care of if you come with me.’ The cobbler replied, ‘Sir, I am of the lowest caste. How can I come as your servant?’ The priest said, ‘Never mind. Do not tell anybody what you are. Do not also speak to anyone, or make anybody’s acquaintance.’ The cobbler agreed.

At twilight, while the priest was sitting at prayers in the house of his disciple, another Brahmana came and said to the priest’s servant, ‘Go and bring my shoes from there.’ True to the behest of his master, he made no response. The Brahmana repeated his order a second time, but even then the servant remained silent. The

Dealing with the Deceptive Ego


9

Brahmana repeated again and again, but the cobbler did not move an inch. At last, getting annoyed, the Brahmana angrily said. ‘Sirrah! how dare you disobey a Brahmana’s command? What is your name? Are you indeed a cobbler?’ The cobbler, hearing this, began to tremble with fear and looking piteously at the priest, said, ‘O venerable Sir! I am found out. I dare not stay here any longer. Let me flee.’ So saying, he took to his heels.

Just so, as soon as Maya is recognised, she flies away.1

In other words, ego, which is Maya, vanishes when we recognize its true identity—that of nothing. Sri Ramakrishna further says,

The intervention of this ego creates the difference between Jiva and Atman. Water appears to be divided into two parts if one puts a stick across it. But in reality there is only one water. It appears as two on account of the stick. This ‘I’ is the stick. Remove the stick and there remains only one water as before.2

‘Who Are You?’ To understand the ego further, let us look

at the following conversation:A young man asked a monk, ‘What is

ego?’ The monk in turn asked him, ‘Who are

you?’‘Well,’ replied the young man, giving his

name, ‘Mohan.’‘I am not asking your name; I want to

know who are you?’ countered the monk.‘I am a student’, said the young man. ‘But that is your present station or

“profession” in life; my question is—who are you?’

The young man thought for a while and then said, ‘I am the son of so-and-so.’

‘That is your relation with your parents,’ smiled the monk.

‘I am a Bengali’, said the young man.‘That is your mother-tongue’‘I am a Hindu and an Indian.’‘That is your religion and your nation-

ality.’‘I am a human being,’ the young man

reached his wit’s end.‘Now, you are referring to the species—

the Homo sapiens. Who are you?’The young man had nothing more to say.‘Well, that is what Vedanta teaches,’

continued the monk,

The Vedanta says that man, i.e., man’s deepest core or substance within, is unconditioned by any description and that unconditioned substance is called Atman or Self. The Atman is what a man is. Ego is what he appears to be. Atman is true, ego is false. Atman is never born nor dies; ego comes into being through ignorance and dies when knowledge dawns in a person.

In Sri Ramakrishna’s words,

Maya is nothing but the egotism of the embodied soul. This egotism has covered everything like a veil. ‘All troubles come to an end when the ego dies.’ If by the grace of God a man but once realizes that he is not the doer, then he at once becomes a Jivanmukta. Though living in the body, he is liberated. He has nothing else to fear. This maya, that is to say, the ego, is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of a thin patch of cloud; when that disappears one sees the sun.3

Indeed so. ‘All troubles come to an end when the ego dies.’

Ego has a borrowed existence. It borrows its light from the sun of Atman and claims it to be its own! Like a satellite, it draws its existence from the Divine within, the Core of Existence. And true to its being a satellite, ego always orbits around something and makes an identity for itself through the ‘something’. For instance, ego calls many


10

things as its own which are in no way its own. It attaches itself to body, its characteristics such as beauty, ‘figure’ and so on, to learning, or to an achievement or even failure (!), or to social and economic aspects (‘I am rich’ or ‘I am poor’ / ‘I belong to higher caste’ or ‘I am from a lower caste’). The subject called ‘I’ is always accompanied by a predicate—money, beauty, learning, social connections or status, nationality and so on. Pure subject, bereft of all predicates, is not ego but the power behind the ego—the Atman within.

These predicates are called in Vedanta as Upadhis—limiting adjuncts or those conditions which limit the infinite within. Ego is the principle of separation. We become ‘individuals’ through this ego and that individuality defines us, our uniqueness and our special selfhood.

But this ‘uniqueness’ is not truly unique in the real sense of the term. We are constantly changing—that is our human existence. We are born, we grow, decline and die. In every minute, there are hundreds of changes within our bodies and outside the bodies. We are a series of changes and we call it our personality. It is ego that seems to give the changing personality its stable, unchanging identity. Ego seems to hold us together. Life goes on only if one has some traces of ego. Says Sri Ramakrishna,

You may indulge in thousands of reasonings, but still the ‘I’ comes back. You may cut the peepal-tree to the very root today, but you will notice a sprout springing up tomorrow. Therefore if the ‘I’ must remain, let the rascal remain as the ‘servant I’.4

But is ego truly what holds us together? According to saints and mystics, it appears to hold the personality together but it is God, or the Atman within, which is the true basis of personality. Swami Vivekananda puts it this way:

Human being is composed first of this external covering, the body; secondly, the finer body, consisting of mind, intellect, and egoism. Behind them is the real Self of man. We have seen that all the qualities and powers of the gross body are borrowed from the mind, and the mind, the finer body, borrows its powers and luminosity from the soul, standing behind.5

And this, ‘the soul, standing behind’, is the real knower of everything. It is not the ego but the Self which really knows. In Vedanta, Self and God are ultimately same. The difference is only in Upadhis, the conditions of ego and other characteristics of the embodied being. Dwelling on the Vedantic idea of the process of knowing, Swamiji explains:

He is the Witness, the eternal Witness of all knowledge. Whatever we know we have to know in and through Him. He is the Essence of our own Self. He is the Essence of this ego, this I and we cannot know anything excepting in and through that I. Therefore you have to know everything in and through the Brahman.

To know the chair you have to know it in and through God. Thus God is infinitely nearer to us than the chair, but yet He is infinitely higher. Neither known, nor unknown, but something infinitely higher than either. He is your Self.6

The essence of ego, in the ultimate sense, is God. But in its present form, ego is what causes bondage and misery. It is ego that competes—and wins or loses. It is ego that is elated or is dejected. It is ego that feels frustrated and feels helpless. The Atman within is in no way affected or influenced by all these actions, emotions and reactions. It is ego that suffers and struggles and finally succeeds. As the ego lessens, the divinity within becomes more manifest. All of that manifestation is also done through the help of ego but that ego is only an ego in appearance. Sri Ramakrishna says,


When the dry branch of a coconut palm drops to the ground, it leaves only a mark on the trunk indicating that once there was a branch at that place. In like manner, he who has attained God keeps only an appearance of ego; there remains in him only a semblance of anger and lust. He becomes like a child.7

Ripening the Unripe EgoFrom a practical angle, ego is what makes

our lives miserable. All our conflicts, frictions and violence is ultimately rooted in what Sri Ramakrishna calls kaccha aami, the unripe ego. He classifies ego into two types: unripe ego and ripe ego. The unripe is wicked and unbending. It raises its hood everywhere and people suffer untold miseries because of it. About the unripe ego, Sri Ramakrishna says,

It is the ego that says: ‘What? Don’t they know me? I have so much money! Who is wealthier than I?’ If a thief robs such a man of only ten rupees, first of all he wrings the money out of the thief, then he gives him a good beating. But the matter doesn’t end there: the thief is handed over to the police and is eventually sent to jail. The ‘wicked I’ says: ‘What? Doesn’t the rogue know whom he has robbed? To steal my ten rupees! How dare he?’8

According to a spiritual tradition among the Sikhs, ego is like a bamboo plant which has five defects:

1. It thinks itself higher than everyone else, from all trees and shrubs.

2. It has knots all through—robbing it of all smoothness.

3. It has thorns, even if someone caresses it with love, it pricks them.

4. It looks very strong from outside but is empty inside.

5. When one bamboo rubs against another bamboo, it erupts into fire. Forests after forests are reduced to ashes.

Likewise, an egotist person also has five defects that keep him away from the grace of the Lord;

1. He thinks all others are lesser than him—no one is greater than him.

2. He has knots in his hearts; he says something but has something else in his heart. He may use good, noble words, but is full of poison within.

3. Even if someone comes to him with genuine love, he pricks them.

4. He displays strength outside but is full of insecurities and weaknesses within.

5. When he encounters another ego, he rubs against it hard, lighting up a fire that burns everything. It causes quarrels and conflicts and gives rise to violence and wars.

So what is the solution to these outbursts of the unripe ego? Develop a ripened ego. And this ripening happens through cultivating humility, accepting oneself and, at the same time, developing faith in one’s divine nature. Sri Ramakrishna’s counsel is:

A man cannot realize God unless he gets rid of all such egotistic ideas as ‘I am such an important man’ or ‘I am so and so’. Level the mound of ‘I’ to the ground by dissolving it with tears of devotion.9

To surrender the ego to the Lord, or the Divine Core within, is the best way to ripen the ego. Of course, the act of surrendering too is an act of will, of ego, but such is the chemistry of this partnership that slowly it gets absorbed and dissolved. And then what remains is God. Only God.

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1. Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, pp.331-332 2. Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, pp. 170-171 3. Gospel, p.1694. Gospel, 170-171 5. CW, 2:216 6. CW, 2.134 7. Gospel, 170-71 8. Ibid. 9. Gospel, p. 385

References


From the Archives of The VedanTa Kesari

S i m h â v a l o k a n a m

(August, 1924-25, Pp. 125 - 132)

Some Reminiscences of the Early Sri Ramakrishna Math and Monks

SWAMI BODHANANDA

During his recent stay in Madras, Swami Bodhananda held some conversations in the Ramakrishna Math, Madras. An extract from the notes taken on the occasion.

This will be a rather personal affair, nevertheless interesting to tell you how I first came into contact with the work which has been started since the advent of Sri Ramakrishna.

It was in 1890 that we formed a small group of students among ourselves—most of them, my classmates. We were about eighteen in number and some of them became swamis, viz., Vimalananda, Virajananda, Atmananda, Prakashananda and Suddhananda and myself. We used to meet together in the houses of some of our friends and talk over religious matters. That year we were studying for our F. A. Virajananda, Vima lananda, Atmananda and myself were students of the same class. In the month of August we heard that Sri Ramakrishna’s Tirobhava Utsab [literally, festival marking the dissolution of the body—i.e., the anniversary] will be celebrated at Kankurgachi [in Kolkata].

Sj. Ramchandra Dutt was the owner of that Samadhi Mandir. This gentleman was a distant relative of Swami Vivekananda. He was a great devotee of the Master. He used to celebrate the Mahasamadhi anniversary of the Master, unlike us who celebrate the birthday. Hearing of this celebration, one afternoon I went alone, all the way to Kankurgachi, without speaking a word about this, to my friends. It was 5 o’clock when I arrived there. The date of the Utsab fell a couple of days hence; but, throughout that week there used to be some celebration or other. I was introduced to Ram Babu. He received me very kindly and asked me many questions—what I was, whether I was a student, etc. To each of the questions I gave my answers. He then asked my opinion about Sri Ramakrishna—whether I had seen him. I replied, ‘No, I have only heard of him.’ ‘What do you think of him?’ I replied that he was a great Siddha Mahapurusha. He did not like my remark.

You know, he was a bigoted follower. So he at once began to explain to me how Ramakrishna was an incarnation of Vishnu. His argument was that if Ramakrishna was not so he would not have expressed all the divine powers he had manifested. He also disclosed to me some incidents of a personal nature—how he got his own mantram in dream, how he told Sri Ramakrishna about it and Sri Ramakrishna confirmed it and told him, ‘Yes, that is your mantram.’ He counted this mantram for several months and one day when he came


to Sri Ramakrishna, he asked him to return his mantram. Sri Ramakrishna touched him on his chest and said that, he had, from that day forwards, taken all his disciples’ responsibility on his own shoulders.

I remember now one more incident Ram Babu told me. Ram Babu was taking some Jilipi (sweets) to Guru Maharaj. As he was going to Dakshineswar a young boy came up to him and Ram Babu gave him one or two pieces. When he came to the Master, Sri Ramakrishna could not touch the sweets. You know, the Master could not touch any food which had been first tasted by others first. Now the Master knew what had transpired and so he could not take the Ucchistam. He told me many other things. It was 6-30 pm and darkness was setting in. As Ram Babu came home he offered me a seat in his carriage. On our way, he told me about the coming anniversary. I spoke to him about our group of friends. He welcomed them too.

When I went home and told my friends about the day’s experience, they were all surprised be yond all measure. That night we were all so delighted. We were so jubilant at the idea that Sri Ramakrishna was the Incarnation of this age and that we were all shortly going to witness a festival, to be celebrated in his honour. We felt, as if, we knew Sri Ramakrishna from a very long time. That night we spent in talking about our forthcoming visit. We decided to buy some things to be offered in the temple. As we had no money, we went to different people. Some gave us pies, some rice. We sold the rice and used the money to buy sweets. In this connection we went to Iswarchandar Vidyasagar, famous for his charities. We had a hope that he would give us some money. But we were disappointed. Perhaps, he thought that we, young boys, were going to be spoiled in this way. He scolded us saying that we were students and so should mind our studies first. If we want to serve Mahatmas, we must work ourselves and earn the money and not beg it out. He did not give us any money. However with what little we had, we bought mangoes and sweets and went to the temple.

We saw Ram Babu about 8 pm. Afterwards there was Kirtan. He was very delighted to see us. He told us how he first heard of Sri Ramakrishna. He had seen an article in a Brahmo paper regarding Sri Guru Maharaj. We were fortunate to hear some more reminiscences of the Master. That day we saw a young man, a relation of Ram Babu going into samadhi. With the progress of the Kirtan, he became outwardly unconscious. This was the first time we saw what is meant by Bhava, practically before us. We had our supper at 10 pm and then we all walked back home that night.

The public Utsab came the next day. There was a big procession from Simula to Kankurgachi—three miles off. A Kirtan was accom panying the procession. The Kirtan parties are got up after many days rehearsal. But we joined the party without any preparations. The result was that we spoil ed the whole performance in a way. At Kankurgachi, there was

13


dancing and singing. The sight was worth seeing. That day there was service, Bhog (food offerings) and Aratrikam, and we partook of the Prasadam before we left the place.

We were students of the Rippon College. M.— (Sj. Mahendra Nath Gupta, the author of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna), was a professor in that college. We saw him one day in the college at his leisure hour. He began to talk to us about Sri Ramakrishna. He told us for the first time that instead of going to Ram Babu we must frequent the residence of the sannyasin disciples of the Master. We had heard about them from Ram Babu, but he did not talk kindly of them. He did not like the sannyasa ideal. He believed that Sri Ramakrishna came to this world to emulate the true householder’s life. Ram Babu thought, he understood the Master more than the sannyasin disciples; for he knew Sri Ramakrishna many years before they had met him. M. compared Ram Babu to an ordinary mango but ripe; but the sannyasins though not ripe, but when ripe will be very delicious. He told us that if we must see Sri Ramakrishna’s spirit working in a living form, we must see these sannyasin disciples. He promised to take us to them. M. used to spend his holidays with the Sadhus.

One afternoon we accompanied him there. I saw Swami Ramakrishnanandaji. You know, he had never for once left the service of the Master and stuck to the spot, even when all his comrades had gone on pilgrimage to differ ent parts of India. He was very vigilant about his daily worship. We were four—Virajananda, Vimalananda, Atmananda and myself. Ramakrishnanandaji asked us what we will do. Hearing that we are students, he asked us not to neglect our studies. He quoted to us the saying of Sri Ramakrishna,— Buddhi-Shuddhi. He examined us in our subjects. He gave us Prasad. He also gave us some Nirmalya [offered flowers]. When we were ushered in to the shrine, we felt the atmosphere simply transporting —so holy. The shrine room was a very small one. The picture of Sri Guru Maharaj was on the bed. In front of the bed-stead was his Paduka and Kauta, containing his ashes. We saluted them. Swami Ramakrishnanandaji prayed to Guru Maharaj to bless us, that our bondages may be cut off. From that day we began to visit the Math.

Sometimes M. used to take us in his own carriage. M. had told us that even if the swamis asked us to go away, we should not do so, we must go on visiting them continu-ously. We should seek opportunities to do them some personal services such as shampooing them, or preparing chilum of tobacco for them to smoke, or run on errands for them. As we began to visit the Math, Swami Ramakrishnanandaji allowed us some privileges. When the day is too hot, he would ask us to take the fan and fan Sri Guru Maharaj. What a wonderful spectacle it was to see Swami Ramakrishnanandaji serving the Master! Day and night the swami had no other thought but that of his Lord. If he felt hot, he would get up and fan Sri

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Guru Maharaj. In fact to him, the Master was a living personality who could be seen, felt and served. His services were very simple. He would get up and after washing and changing his clothes, he would enter the shrine, raise up the curtain from the bed-stead and rouse the Lord from His sleep. He would then offer water for washing. Then the Bhog consisting of a few coconut laddus will be offered; next tobacco to smoke was offered. He would then sweep the room. He never allowed even his Gurubhais to help him. Next, he would collect flowers for worship and then go to the bazaar for buying vegetables. He would select the best the market could offer. He himself would dress the vegetables for cooking. Then he would go for his bath in the Ganges. When he would return to the Math, he would carry with him a pitcher of the holy water for Puja. He would then sit for worship; it was very simple—a few flowers devotionally offered. After the Puja, Bhog and Prasadam will be given. After the Bhog the Prasadam will be distributed. Now and then he would give us the privilege of preparing Chandanam [sandal paste]. We enjoyed these so much.

I think it was two or three years after this, the Math was removed from Baranagore to Alambazar. I was present on the occasion when the Math was shifted to its new abode. It was on Chaitra Sankranti.

One day Swami Trigunatita took me out for a beg ging; he gave me a Gerrua cloth. We went about two miles, to several houses; we cried out, ‘Hari Krishna’—some gave us rice, some pice. That rice was cooked for Bhog for Sri Guru Maharaj used to say that Bhiksha Annam [food obtained by begging] was sacred.

Then Maharaj (Swami Brahmanandaji) and Hari Maharaj (Swami Turiyanandaji) were travelling. I first saw Maharaj in 1895. I had not met Swamiji until he had returned from America. I had seen Swamiji before; but that was without knowing who he was. I was a student in a school in which he was the head-master at that time. I was as in the fourth class and I used to see Swamiji coming to the school every day. I was impressed by his sparkling eyes, and his ways of moving about. Then Sri Guru Maha raj [Sri Ramakrishna] was living; but I had not known or heard anything about him. I did not know that this, our head-master, was to be our future Swamiji. When he used to come to the school, we could see him from a window—200 ft from the main street. He used to look about with great dignity and will have a book in his hand.

In 1895 Swami Brahmanandaji returned from his tour. He was for the most part spending his days in Brindavan. Maharaj’s nature was like that of a child. His body was as soft as butter. He used to ask us to press his body. In 1896, Holy Mother was living at a house in Bagh Bazaar near the Ganges. Maharaj was also with her. Though they lived in the same house Maharaj hardly used to go upstairs to see Mother. Mother used to send fruits and sweets for him, saying, ‘Take these to Rakhal.’ Of Sri Guru Maharaj, he used to talk very little. In fact, Maharaj incorporated into his life much of what Sri Guru Maharaj actually was.

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His feelings were so deep and intense, that he could not talk anything about him. To him it mattered not if people looked up on Sri Guru Maharaj as a Siddha Purusha or Avatar. To him it was enough, if people came into contact with Him. I found him, performing worship one day. After Swami Ramakrishnananda left for Madras, Swami Premananda did the worship. One day he was sick and so Maharaj had to do it.

In this connection, I remember also the worship which Swamiji performed. He was very particular about meditation. I know for some months we used to keep vigils. By turns, we used to sit for medi tation the whole night and thus the spiritual thought was kept alive. One day when all were meditating at about 10.30 am Swami Premanandaji came and requested Swamiji to do the Puja. Swamiji sat on the Asanam. He mixed the Chandanam with the flowers and sprinkled the flowers on the Vedi [altar], Kauta [the urn containing sacred relics of Sri Ramakrishna] and Paduka [the sacred sandal used by Sri Ramakrishna] and threw the remaining flowers on us who were meditating in the shrine room. To him, Sri Guru Maharaj was a living person. He neither rang the bell, [nor] sprinkled water, nor did Prana Prathishta [the ritual invoking the presence of the deity]. Swamiji saw the presence of Sri Guru Maharaj in his disciples also. So he worshipped them too. What a grand idea of worship! After the Puja was over we all came and prostrated before him.

We never heard of Swamiji until the end of 1893. The first letter he wrote was from Japan to Swami Ramakrishnananda. We received it in August. Until then, we did not know that he was going to America. I was then a teacher away from Calcutta, so I could not come as often to the Math as before.

I saw Swamiji in February, 1897. That day was Sri Guru Maharaj’s Utsab, and I had come away to attend the Tithi Puja [birthday celebrations]. Swamiji was then staying in Seal’s Garden House which was two miles away from the Alambazar Math. Without in forming any one, I had come to see him. As I went to him Swamiji had just got up and was washing his face. Swami Shivanandaji introduced me to him. Swamiji said, ‘I will make you a sannyasi, my son; well, can you bring me a glass of water?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘I am going to the Math,’ he continued, ‘to initiate Harri son; I don’t know whether Shashi (Swami Ramakrishnananda) would like it. What do you think of it. You can come with us.’ I replied, ‘If there is no room in the carriage I can walk.’ But Swamiji said, ‘No, you can sit on the top of the carriage.’

There were G. G., Kidi and Chakravarty. We had hired three carriages. We came to the Math; Swamiji initiated Harrison. After Bhog was offered we partook of the Prasad. Afterwords we accom panied Swamiji to Dakshineswar. There had assembled, the record making crowd. That day’s public Utsab was the last of the kind held in Dakshineswar. People thronged round Swamiji. He made two or three attempts to speak, but the crowd made it impossible for him to be heard. He came back to the Math. That day I enjoyed the privilege of fanning him. I could not stay there, as I had to attend to my school work.

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An Eternal Source of Inspiration It is a delight to be a part of a youth

convention—to be among the youth gathered from all over India and from around the world. It is such a beautiful, inspiring sight! Swamiji himself would be thrilled; rather, he is thrilled to see such a sight, because he is not a dead historical figure whom we honour, but a living, vital presence among us, continuing his work. As Swamiji himself said,

It may be that I shall find it good to get outside of my body—to cast it off like a disused garment. But I shall not cease to work! I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.1

Let us always remember this: Swami Vivekananda is not primarily a historical figure, but an eternal source of light, of wisdom and of love, an ever-present guide, a support, an impersonal Person, a ‘Voice without a form’,2 and yet approachable as our dearest friend.

Swami Vivekananda’s Call for Global Leadership

An Address to the Future Youth LeadersSWAMI ATMARUPANANDA

Why is this sight so delightful? Because the Swami placed great hope in the youth of India and of the world. He looked to you as the ones who would carry forth and develop

his ideas. You are his hope. And the hopes of a Vivekananda are not mere

wishes, not idle fancies, but the truths of tomorrow. His hopes

will be realized, whether we step forward to help or not: if we don’t, others will. So let us come forward and be blessed by joining our efforts to Swamiji’s indomitable will.

Why Youth?Let us begin by asking,

why did the Swami place hopes in youth? There are two obvious

reasons.One is the natural idealism of youth.

Youth are not yet saddled with the weight of the difficulties of life, the disappointments, the failures. They are not yet resigned to the status quo but look at life and the world with openness, seeing possibilities rather than problems.

Based on the author’s talk delivered on 10 August 2013, at the International Youth Conference organized by the Ramakrishna Mission, Vadodara, Gujarat, as part of the worldwide celebrations in honour of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The author is senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order who, after many years in our American Centres, now lives at Belur Math.

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The second reason is the tremendous energy of youth. Youth are dynamos of potential energy, ready and waiting to find fields of expression. Why in some countries have the youth turned to terrorism and destruction and mayhem? Because that tremendous energy has to go somewhere, and if it doesn’t have positive ideals to serve, and a positive channel to flow through, it becomes frustrated and then becomes destructive. There is thankfully no need for that here, because Swami Vivekananda has opened vast fields of opportunity to youth which no government can seal off, no old traditions can forbid, no old fears can cloud.

Swamiji looked to youth with hope because of your innate idealism and your tremendous energy, but also because once that energy is joined to that idealism, you are unstoppable. Great energy joined to idealism is power, because it gives the confidence that something can be done!

Be Cautious about PowerHowever, here lies a danger—the danger

of power.Recently I was in Bhutan for a confe-

rence. There we were taken to a very remote monastery, high in the Himalayas and far from any town. Outside the monastery two young boys, maybe seven or eight years old, were playing, one dressed in monastic robes and the other in a tee-shirt. It turned out that both of them were believed to be reincarnations of great lamas of the past, and the one that was in the tee-shirt was said to be an incarnation of a very high lama. The tee-shirt of this little lama was covered with pictures of superheroes, like the Hulk, Ironman, Spiderman, and others. So if superheroes have reached this remote Bhutanese monastery, I’m sure that you will all know of Spiderman, and probably all

of you have seen the films. In the first film, Spiderman is told by his Uncle Ben the now famous words, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ Let me repeat: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ Indeed a wonderful line to remember! You can forget everything else about Spiderman, no harm, but remember that.

Idealism + Energy = Power. With the idealism and energy of youth comes great power, and with that power comes responsibility. Historically that power of youth has been used to great purpose. In America it was youth power that brought to an end to racial segregation, whereby African Americans were freed from second-class citizenship, which eventually led to the possibility of an African American becoming president of the United States. Youth power was also used to stop America’s engagement in the disastrous Vietnam War. The youth in India were instrumental in the struggle for freedom from British imperialism.

The Power of YouthIt was also youth power, however,

that was used to devastate China during the Cultural Revolution, when countless innocent men and women were killed, when 6,000 Tibetan monasteries were razed to the ground, countless Buddhist libraries with their priceless manuscripts—books found nowhere else in the world—were destroyed. It was youth power that was unleashed in Cambodia to kill over one fourth of their own population, resulting in the gruesome Killing Fields.

Power is neutral, neither good nor bad. But it can be harnessed to great good and to horrible destruction. Therefore, use your power wisely, and your own life will be blessed, and so will the world be blessed. All that I have to say to you centres on that responsibility.

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Leadership for a Global CivilizationDo you want to be leaders? Well, you

already are. It isn’t something you have to achieve. Everyone is already a leader and a teacher—even the poor man or woman living on the street. You may not recognize it, but that doesn’t change the fact. Each of us, within the sphere of our influence, however limited, influences others, teaches others by our actions and by the quality of our being. Everyone is an example and an exemplar, because each of us is a centre of influence, however small.

Therefore, the question is not, do you want to be a leader? The question is rather, what kind of leader do you wish to be? Conscious or unconscious? Effective or ineffec- tive? For good ends or for ill? This doesn’t mean that everyone is destined to be a political or social or religious leader with millions of followers. It does mean that everyone within his own sphere does influence the world around him. Let us not worry, therefore, about how many ‘followers’ we have. Let us rather concern ourselves with self-development so that we can be effective in whatever we do, so that we can be a blessing to the world rather than a curse. What are we teaching through our thoughts and actions and behaviour? How are we leading through everything that we do? Swami Vivekananda taught us to take the subjective view, to take care of who we are, not to worry about the success or failure of outer actions.

Now let me briefly address a few words to those of you that live here in India, and then a few words for those of you from around the world.

To Indian YouthSwami Vivekananda saw a great future

for India. He saw that India would rise once again on many fronts, but central to all would

be her spirituality. That, he saw, is what India has above all else to give to the world, and that is what the world needs, more than ever. Once again as during the Buddhistic Age, great teachers will go out, this time spreading throughout the world, conquering the world through love and wisdom, conquering quietly but effectively through India’s spirituality.

The youth of India are a part of that spiritual awakening. Most of you will not become Sannyasins and Sannyasinis. Most of you will have careers and families. But if you want to be a part of the new India, the India that is awakening, you must know who you are first, and that includes knowing what India is. Not the India that is appearing on the surface right now, with its night clubs and bars and conspicuous consumption, but the new India that is deeper, that is far more powerful, that is enduring—the eternal India. Yes, learn the sciences, learn the arts, learn from other countries, help improve the material society of India, but first know who you are. Study Vivekananda, study the history of India, study your ancient sages. Then you will know how to bring all the noise of modern civilization into a beautiful harmony, a harmony whose central melody, whose central organizing principle is spirituality. This is what India needs, and what the world wants desperately.

This is of central importance, but this is not enough by itself. Whenever I meet Indian youth, I ask what their field of study is, and almost all say that they are in the sciences or engineering, especially computer science. That is good, but use it to serve India, whether you live here or outside, and that will do good. But where are the youth of India who are also needed for other areas of development? Where are the young historians who are to discover the true history of India, using modern critical methods but without Western prejudices?

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Where are the young archaeologists who will uncover the data of India’s ancient past? Where are the Sanskritists who can rediscover the true meaning of the Vedas, as the Swami wanted? Where are the philosophers who can do more than repeat the antiquated arguments against the now silenced Nyayavadins and Mimanskas, and who can also do more than mimic the dead philosophy of the West, which for the last one hundred years has turned destructive? Where are those that will take up the ancient system of Ayurveda and approach it once again as an expanding field of inquiry rather than just a collection of old books to be repeated endlessly, as if the field had reached the end of knowledge two thousand years ago? Where are those who will revive the arts of India? Where are those that will bring back a sense of aesthetics into the everyday life of India, something so prevalent once and now so sadly absent?

In India the best part of two generations has been given to the physical sciences alone. Some good will come, but don’t ignore these other fields. India also needs people educated in the humanities, people who can synthesize as well as analyse, people who can look at the broad picture, people of larger vision, not just people that can make machines dance and computers talk as if that were the end of existence. Do not succumb to the huge pressure here just to find remunerative jobs: there’s more to life and knowledge than making money.

And finally, youth of India, steep yourselves in the higher values of Indian civilization: self-sacrifice, service, single-minded dedication to an ideal, simple living combined with high idealism, the ability to see the harmony already existing in the midst of diverse ideas, and the deep conviction that the meaning of life is found in God and God alone.

Love every Indian man as your brother, every Indian woman as your sister, and never forget the poor. Then whether you are conscious of it or not, you will be a light to the world, not just to India. You will be a powerful teacher and a great leader, even if you never hold an official post.

To the Youth of the WorldAnd to the youth of the world: wherever

you live, go deep into your own culture, don’t float on the surface, and don’t be an imitation of the cheapened popular culture that is taking over the world, where everyone dresses the same, speaks the same, listens to the same music, dances the same, mimics the same popular gestures. As Swami Vivekananda said, that is a sign of death. Variety is the sign of life. Learn who you are, be proud of your own heritage, and then learn the best that others have to offer, but integrate it into your own culture.

Swami Vivekananda saw that the emerg- ing world needs spirituality more than anything, and here he felt that India had a great gift to give. Learn from that. Swami Vivekananda was not a missionary, trying to turn everyone into a Hindu. He didn’t believe in that. What he did believe was that there are universal principles of religion, found most clearly expressed in India’s ancient scriptures, which are not destructive to any religion or any culture, but which can be imbibed and then expressed according to the genius of each culture. These principles, he felt, are as true as the law of gravity is true. Newton was an Englishman, but gravity is not English. Einstein was a Swiss Jew, but Relativity is neither Swiss nor Jewish. And so an impersonal truth is not true because someone said it, nor is it tied to a particular culture or nation. It is true because it is the way

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the universe operates. And it can be expressed in cultural forms according to the genius of each culture.

So youth of the world, learn who you are in the cultural sense, but also go deeper and find out who you are in the universal sense, and that is spirituality. Then you will know how to lead and how to teach in a way that will help bring the change that is so needed in the world.

Let me close with an anecdote. In 1989 I was managing the Vedanta Society in San Diego. A very senior Swami, a disciple of the Holy Mother named Swami Nitya- swarupanandaji, came to visit, arriving in San Diego on his 90th birthday, and stayed with me for five days. I took him to see various sights—historical, cultural, natural—during those days. On the last full day that he was with me, I took him to one final sight, a small mountain called Mount Soledad, just near the Pacific Ocean. From the top of the mountain you can see a long distance in all directions, 360 degrees.

When we arrived at the top and got out of the car, the Swami said with great excitement: ‘Ah, now you have brought me somewhere! Now I am really seeing something!’ And he began to walk around the large area on top, from side to side, front to back, gesturing with his arms spread wide in different directions as he talked: ‘Ah! Here is North America! And here is Mexico spread

before us! Over there are the wonderful c u l t u r e s

o f S o u t h America! And

here is Africa,

with all its diverse countries and cultures, men and women dressed in beautiful colours! Here is Europe over here, with its different languages and varied geography and rich history, and there the vast stretches of Asia: Siberia, China, Mongolia, the Tibetan Plateau! There Japan, and over there Australia!’ And so he went on, exclaiming in a loud, excited voice, gesturing dramatically as he strode from side to side of the peak, other visitors to Mount Soledad all looking to see what was going on, while he was unaware of their presence. It is impossible to describe, but it was a remarkable sight. Of course, the only countries he could actually see from the mountain top were the United States, where we were, and nearby Mexico. But in his mind’s eye the whole world was spread before him. And that is the lesson to learn.

Youth of the world, wherever you are from, be proud of who you are, be proud of your heritage, know your heritage, know your mother tongue, study your literature and art. But that isn’t enough. Look out on the larger world and be proud of humanity, be proud of the wonderful achievements of humanity everywhere. It is all yours. The whole world is your own. Learn to love it all. Don’t be narrow or parochial. Everything is an expression of the Universal Truth. But even that is not enough—recognizing the Universal in the particular, that is, recognizing the Divine in everything, then bow down in worship, and go out to serve the Divine in all. Then you will be true teachers, then you will be true leaders. Every action will have power, every word will be charged. And you will be a blessing to the world.

What more could you seek?

1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati Memorial Edition), vol. 5, p. 414. 2. Complete Works, vol. 6, p. 283.

References

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The Way of LifeIn Lao Tzu’s, Tao Te Ching, or The Way

of Life, which consists of eighty-one brief poems, he speaks to the real meaning of loss by introducing the idea of stripping the self of everything that binds us to materialism. The Way may be equated with our higher Self, which is not a separate reality but the only Reality.

The student learns by daily incrementThe Way is gained by daily loss,Loss upon loss until at last comes restBy letting go, it all gets done;The world is won by those who let it go!But when you try and tryThe world is then beyond the winning.

The wisdom embodied in this ancient mystical Chinese poem describes the ultimate gain which is found when all else falters and finally fails us. ‘The Way is gained by daily loss; by letting go, it all gets done.’ In Vedanta we often talk about the changing dynamic nature of the world, jagat, which is like a swiftly flowing river—nothing remains the same for a moment. Everything is constantly moving, continually rushing downstream, one thing morphing into something else. In a way we can equate this change with loss, because we cannot hold on to anything pleasant or otherwise for very long even ‘when we try and try’, as Lao Tzu tells us. Negative as it may

When Loss Becomes GainPRAVRAJIKA VIRAJAPRANA

sound, the truth is: life is a continual series of losses. Seekers of truth are bold; instead of ignoring or denying this fact, they want to examine it and face it head on.

Our passage through life from birth, childhood, adolescence, middle age, to the restrictions and indignities of old age, decay, terminal illness, and ultimately death are proof enough of this loss physically. Yet we are inordinately attached to the body. We want to pamper it; indulge it in all ways: feed it well, dress it nicely, preserve it at all cost. As Sri Ramakrishna says in the Gospel, and this not to worldly people but to devotees, ‘Try as you may to get rid of the body idea, the body clings to us.’ Sri Ramakrishna doesn’t gloss over this experience that identification with matter runs deep. Even if we wish to, uprooting this identification is an uphill task. It must be done, but it is tough—a real challenge.

Then there is the tenuous grip that we have on our mental territory, including the eventual dulling of our intellectual capacity, the instability and ultimate loss of memory, and the wavering power and efficiency of our senses, especially as we age. At any time the slightest accident or illness can scramble our mental faculties in a heartbeat. We can lose all sense of who we are, what we have done in life, or what we have done the moment before. What happened to our well-

A nun at the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, USA, since 1972, Pravrajika Virajaprana is the editor and compiler of Photographs of Swami Vivekananda. She has contributed many thought-provoking articles for Vedanta Kesari and Prabuddha Bharata. This article is based on her talk on the same subject delivered at the Vedanta Society in February 2011.

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established identity, to all the information, knowledge, and various skills that we strug- gled over a lifetime to acquire, that we are so proud of—our precious in-di-vi-du-a-li-ty, as Swami Vivekananda would say? Mentally, emotionally, and physically we are always fragile, vulnerable to loss.

Evanescent Nature of LifeThe popular culture is supersaturated

with the idea that youth and beauty prevail, but youth and beauty, frail as they are, fade in a flash. Who doesn’t know this? Yet, billions of dollars are spent on cosmetics by those who are trying to sustain youth or prop up aging bodies. What we do with our body affects our mind and what we think affects our bodies. As we know, in Vedanta mind is considered to be nothing more than a finer vibration of matter. In and of itself it is inert; it is not self-conscious.

Somehow we are convinced, either con- sciously or unconsciously, that we can cheat time mostly by ignoring or denying it, but time is the all-devourer. Like it or not, we are all in the queue, as Arjuna witnessed when Sri Krishna revealed his universal form. We are all walking straight into the jaws of death; it’s just a matter of time. Loss as a process is unavoidable. Paradoxical as it may sound, however, loss is the basis of life and personal evolution; the basis of the constant cycle of death and rebirth or renewal. Certainly it isn’t reasonable or factual that we can have one without the other. In the Gita, Sri Krishna says,1 ‘Whatever is born will

surely die; whatever dies is sure to be born again. Therefore one should not grieve for the inevitable.’ So when this great spiritual master has stated this profound truth so clearly and simply, why then do we continue to grieve?

What is it that makes us fearful, so ner- vous when we feel the least threat to our physical condition, be it interrupted meal- times, loss of sleep, or some other minor inconvenience, discomfort or disease, to more serious complications and conditions? Then there are our various emotional and mental reactions and meltdowns, especially when our self-interest or ego is touched. A spiritual seeker wants to investigate why he or she feels insecure, so susceptible to loss. If we did not have these feelings, we would not respond in the ways that we do. The most obvious reason for this is our identification with our body and mind. The more our consciousness is centered there, to that extent we feel vulnerable and hence instead of just acting, we react.

So we have to push the investigation further with the question: What are we losing, really? What can actually be lost, or relatively what is it that is irretrievable as far as we are concerned? Certainly if we lose a loved one, that person, that personality, will not come back in the same way or in the same form. We are not going to see that person nor hear that person’s voice again. It’s a final severance. The natural reaction to such loss is grief. And grief is always painful.

But as Sri Krishna has said,2 ‘One should not grieve for that which is inevitable.’ In the case of death, what has gone is the body, not

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the person. In fact, according to Vedanta the person’s character, his or her subtle body, survives intact ready to take further births until one reaches enlightenment. ‘Just as a person throws out worn out clothes and puts on new ones, even so does the embodied self give up bodies and enter other new ones.’3

According to our spiritual teachers, what we truly are, the Spirit, can never ever be lost. Our nature, the essence of our being, is immutable, eternal, infinite blissful consciousness. It can never be altered; ‘it is the same forever.’ As Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna,4

Know that by which all this is pervaded to be imperishable. None can cause the destruction of that immutable principle. This Self is said to be unmanifest, incomprehensible, and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing It to be so, you should not grieve.

So no matter how you look at it, according to Sri Krishna we should see the truth and not be disappointed or depressed by loss on any level. If we think that our self is somehow identified with the body and mind, well, there will be another chance, another rebirth. But the supreme Truth is the Self is other than body or mind; It always remains, untainted, untouched. Everything other than our true Self will surely be lost sooner or later. That’s the fact.

Some Moving ExamplesThis point can be illustrated with a few

examples.In Lord Buddha’s life there is an incident

when a grieving woman who had lost her child came to him for consolation. Lord Buddha, the embodiment of compassion and mercy, listened patiently to her sad story. By way of comforting her, he instructed her to go out and collect some mustard seeds and bring them back to him. But there was one condition; she

had to collect those seeds from a house where no one had died.

The woman started out—she knocked on the door of the first hut and asked if she could have some mustard seeds. ‘Of course,’ was the reply, ‘but wait,’ she said, ‘has anyone in your house ever died?’ ‘Oh yes, unfortunately the other day my dear sister and her son died suddenly from fever.’

She declined the mustard seeds and went to the next house. ‘Has anyone died here?’ Quick came the reply, ‘My mother just passed away last week.’ So on and on she went. She could not find a single house where someone or other hadn’t died. Then it dawned on her; she understood the Master’s teaching. Buddha could have removed her sorrow by a mere touch, by a glance, but she, as well as all of us, had to go through the process of self-discovery. She had to disclose the truth for herself. Returning to Lord Buddha, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Now I understand, everyone must die.’ Her loss was not singular. Buddha helped her see the universality of loss, turning it into the greatest possible gain—spiritual insight.

It is possible to turn the most devastating loss into positive gain. In 2009, the home of a Palestinian doctor, Izzeldin Abu/elaish, was shelled. He lost three daughters and a niece in a matter of moments. In the wake of this horrible personal tragedy, Dr. Abu/elaish, a deeply insightful religious man with unshakeable faith in a higher power, wrote a hopeful book entitled, I Shall Not Hate—a book of reconciliation determined to conquer hatred and violence with compassion, forgiveness, and genuine love for others regardless of circumstances. It is a remarkable testimony to the spiritual nature of man.

Another striking example of turning extreme loss into positive gain, and even into

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an uplifting experience of self-transcendence, is the case of Victor Frankl, a Viennese psychiatrist, the author of the incredible book, Say Yes to Life in Spite of Everything published under the title, Man’s Search for Meaning. Without going into the details of Frankl’s psychological theories, we can say that he was one of the first in the field of psychology to focus on mentally healthy people, instead of trying to cure those who are already ill. His theory was that it is possible to prevent healthy individuals from becoming negative, feeling frustrated, alienated and desperate in life by cultivating the awareness that life has meaning under all circumstances, including during the experience of great loss—that tremendous gain can be made spiritually during times of extreme loss physically and/or mentally.

He developed these ideas in the 1930s and then had a chance to test them firsth- and during his tortuous time spent in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany during the Second World War, where he managed to survive the dehumanizing horrors of im- prisonment through tremendous will power, determination, and unselfish concern for others. So how did he accomplish this? He had a strong conviction to begin with of man’s spiritual core and while imprisoned he trained himself to turn within, to enter a spiritual space, where he could remain impervious to whatever happened to him, as a witness, where nothing external could touch him. Frankl discovered that finding meaning, understanding loss and what we usually consider gain, was completely an inner attitude independent of actual circumstances.

By changing his attitude toward what was happening to him, the effect was entirely

different than it would have been otherwise. This attitude is governed by forgetfulness of our small, constricted, ego-centric self. As Swami Vivekananda says,5

We colour everything with our own selves. We have a brush—a thing comes and we do not like it and we brush a little then look at it. Selfishness prompts us to paint everything with ourselves.

As a result, our vision is distorted; we take ourselves very seriously. But by being unselfish, by removing our exaggerated sense of self-importance, which blocks and cramps our being, we can expand ourselves by opening up another dimension of our consciousness where there is an unbroken blissful awareness that life has a deep meaning, the only meaning—the spiritual. Just as the young woman that Lord Buddha sent out for mustard seeds found through her experience of loss.

Another dramatic example of loss becoming gain is the saint Ramana Maharishi who underwent an intense exercise of will while pursuing the inquiry, ‘Who am I?’ He decided he wanted to experience the death of his body, to try and understand what the loss meant, who and what he really was. Mentally he imagined in analytical detail the entire death process. Because he had a pure and one-pointed mind, he was able to do this quite successfully. He intricately describes the results of his experiment and ultimate experience. This practice was transforming; he felt completely separated from his body and mind and totally identified with his true essence. For him the loss of all that he had ever previously identified with resulted in the realization of the Truth.

(To be continued. . .)

References: 1. Bhagavad Gita, 2.27 2. Ibid 3. Ibid, 2.22 4. Ibid, 2-17 5. CW, 1: 476-77

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The author is a devotee from Chandigarh and is known for his scholarly and insightful writings on spiritual matters.

The Spiritual Universe of Sri Ramacharitamanas As Seen through Its Two Invocatory Verses

A.P.N. PANKAJ

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

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Besides what Kevata, the boatman, extols about the glories and the power of the holy feet of Lord Rama, there is this instance of Ahalya, wife of the seer Gautama, waiting as a rock under the curse of her husband. Her redemption lies in Rama’s feet and for them she has been waiting for ages, as it were.

On being asked, Vishvamitra tells Sri Rama the story of the curse and suggests that the former touch Ahalya with his foot because only the dust of that foot shall annul the curse. Rama obeys and touches the rock and it is transformed into a tapa-punja—a mass of penance—a woman, the wife of the seer. She then, with folded hands, supplicates him with grateful eulogies and concludes by saying,

These verily are the feet wherefrom the holiest Ganga originate and was received by Shiva on his head. These indeed are the feet which Brahma worships. You, graceful Hari, have placed them on my head.69

The Sage Valmiki, in the course of mentioning the places where Rama, with Sita and Laksmana, should live, points to the hearts of those who worshiped his feet and other than him had no other resort, as one of such places (II.129,2). We do know that Bharata, after returning from Chitrakuta, installed Sri Rama’s sandals in Nandigrama and himself acted only as a caretaker (II.323,325) (Isn’t there a lesson for us all that we should act as the Lord’s

servants and perform our ordained duties in that capacity?). On seeing Rama, Sutikshana falls at his feet as a stick falls on the ground.70

Shabari of the Bhila tribe had been told by her teacher, the seer Matanga, that Sri Rama

would visit her. With unquestioned faith in his words, she waits for long in her Ashrama. And when Raghunatha comes, she, at a loss for words, just falls in his feet, fetches water and reverentially washes them.

There also are the examples of Narada (III.42 kha, and VII.51,1-5), Indra (VI.113;1-8ch), Siva (VI.115, 1-5ch and VII.14, 1-10ch)


Sanaka and other three divine seers (VII.34;1-4 to 35), Vedas (VII.13; 1-6ch), Hanuman (IV.2;3,V.32-33;1) and others. They are all devotees of the feet of Sri Rama with total commitment and single mindedness—ekameva padaplavam.

Single-minded devotion—Ananya Bhakti—is sine qua non for final beatitude. Sri Krishna says, ‘Those devotees who with single-minded attitude, worship—sit near, (paryupasate)—Me, I grant them what they lack and protect what they have (Gita 9.22)’. He also assures us that ‘those who, surrendering all their actions to Me, meditating on Me, always sit near Me with all their thoughts vested in Me, are delivered by Me from the ocean of samsara fraught with death’ (Gita 12. 6-7). And, in a statement of finality,

Abandon all rites and duties, come in my refuge to the exclusion of all else (mamekam sharanam vraja): have no grief, I shall release you from all sins. (Gita, 18.66)

. . . Where is your faith? Stand firmly and perseveringly. Be patient and have courage. . . I will come and cure you. . . It is vain and useless to feel either grief or joy.72

On a full moon autumn-night, Sri Krishna on the bank of Yamuna, plays his flute. Gopikas, oblivious of everything, including their own physical state, go to him. He tells them about their dharma and asks them to return. They desperately pray that they be permitted to stay in his feet,

Up to now, we were contented with our domestic duties and our hands were engaged in performance thereof. But now you have stolen our hearts. Our feet no longer are prepared to move away from the soles of your feet—padmulat. How can then we return to Vraja [Brindavan] and what shall we do there.73

In fact, those of them who were locked in their homes, left their mortal frames and

reached the Lord with their ‘gunamaya deha’, the subtle bodies. 74

It is not for nothing that Narada in Narada Bhakt i Sutras , whi le ex- pressing his views about the essential characteristics of Bhakti—consecration of all activities, by complete surrender to Him, and extreme anguish, parama vyakulata, if He were to be forgotten—gives the example of Gopis of Vraja.75

So does Tulasi, one with all the great lovers of the Lord, and with unflinching faith in the words of the Lord himself, Lord Shiva, Narada and the other sages, asserts that for those who wish to cross over the ocean of Samsara, there is only one plava—one boat—Rama’s feet.

IV. Vande’ham Tam Ramam: Obeisance to that Rama.

Following the birth of Rama and his three brothers, Dasharatha invites Vasishtha, the family priest and a great seer, to perform the nama-karana—christening ceremony of the children. Vasishtha says,

Many and matchless are their names, I shall yet mention one for each of them according to my ability. He who is the ocean of bliss treasure of joy, whose one drop makes three worlds comfortable, his name is Rama, the abode of joy and shelter of repose for the entire world.’ (I-197; 2-3) ‘Your physical frame—deha’, Valmiki tells Rama, ‘is pure consciousness and bliss, not subject to change or defilement, (but) only the deserving ones realize this (II.127;3).

Returning from the hermitage of Agastya, ‘Shiva sees Rama and Lakshmana coming from the opposite direction and reverences him with the words, ‘Jaya Sacchi- dananda Jaga Pavana’—‘Hail, Existence, Consciousness, Bliss and the purifier of the world’ (I.50; 2).

Kakabhusundi tells Garuda,

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Rama is that unalloyed existence-consciousness-bliss, who is not subject to birth, the very form of pure knowledge, abode of strength, all pervading and pervaded by all, the Lord (possessing six majesties), beyond the modes of (maya), copious, beyond speech and senses, seer of all, unblemished, invincible, free from attachments, not constituted by elements of Maya, free from delusion, eternal, free from Maya, treasure of bliss, beyond Prakriti, Master, dwelling in every heart, Brahman, indestructible. Can darkness ever go near the sun? (VII. 72; 2-4)

Narada seeks boon from Sri Rama: Even though your names are many and the Vedas declare that each is greater than the other, I pray O Lord! May Rama-nama be the greatest of them all and a fowler of the hosts of sins.

Your Bhakti be the full-moon-night and may Rama-nama shine as the full moon with other names as stars on the firmament of a devotee’s heart (II.42: 4).

This is Rama of the Ramacharita- manas and this is his name. Tulasi, in fact, has dedicated a full section of the First Book (Bala Kanda) to the majesty and glory of Rama-nama and gone to the extent of suggesting that the Name is greater than Rama himself. In this Kali-age in particular, he says, Rama-nama is the only support (I.19; 1-4 to 28;1).

And the Upanishad says,

When Mahavishnu, Sri Hari, the Supreme Spirit was born on earth as Dasharatha’s son, sages pronounced his name as Rama; Ra standing for rati or rajate, shining; and ma for mahisthitah, abiding on earth. It is, however, not necessary to go into the etymological analysis of the name; he is famous on earth simply by virtue of his eminence . . . Or, because he expounds the path of Dharma to the deserving rulers by his conduct, shows the path of knowledge to

those who utter his name, inspires detachment from the worldly cravings among those who meditate on him and on those who worship him, he bestows majesty. . . finally, however, the name Rama stands for Brahman, the infinite,

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the eternal, the very nature of bliss and pure intelligence in whom yogis rejoice:

Ramante yogino’nante n i tyanande chidatmani

iti ramapadenasau param brahmabhidhyate. 76

Even though Brahman is pure intelligence, without a second not comprising the elemental body, yet for accomplishing the cause of his devotees, he manifests himself in his chinmaya vigraha [the embodied consciousness]; Nirakara [the formless] becomes Narakara [the form of a Man].


This Rama is also Isha and Hari, he is also Ashesha-karanapara [beyond all causes]. He is the efficient and material cause; ashesha—whole, complete; karana—cause; he is both the nimitta [efficient] as well as upadana [material] cause. The Mundaka Upanishad says,

As spider creates the cobweb and then itself it consumes it, just as all kinds of herbs grow on earth and hair on the body of living person, so does this world appear from that imperishable one.77

Sri Krishna tells Arjuna (Gita, 9 7-8),

All beings return to my Prakriti at the end of a cycle, and of the beginning of the next cycle, I send them forth. This is my own Prakriti; I send forth again and again this multitude of helpless beings under the control of Prakriti.

This engagement of the Lord with the cause and effect does not, however, compro- mise in any manner whatever, his being Karanapara, beyond and above all causes. ‘After surrounding the earth on all sides, stands He, ten fingers breadth beyond’.78

Sri Shankaracharya says, ‘Although Brahman manifest himself in the cosmos, He still transcends it’.

In fact, all contradictions and para- doxes are within him, reflected in His

creation and resolved in Him even as He remains untouched, unaffected by them. Tulasi says,

‘He walks without feet, hears without ears; without hands he performs a variety of acts; without mouth he savours all flavours, without tongue, he is an accomplished orator. He touches without skin; sees without eyes; without nose, he enjoys all smells. Such are His unimaginable activities that it is impossible to recount his glory…

And having scripted this, Upanishadic (Shvetashvatara III. 19) statement, he adds:

Thus sing the Vedas and sages of him, on him meditate the ascetics. He verily is the son of Dasharatha, the ruler of Koshala and the Supreme Lord God (I.118; 3-4).

To this very Rama, as we mentioned in the beginning, to his feet, to his name, to his Bhakti is Tulasi irrevocably committed. He says,

Rama is the goal, Rama is intelligence, Rama is love, Rama is strength. Tulasi speaks not for other, but for him, this is the only attainment of the existence worldly.

‘I reverence’, he says, ‘Rama, ashesh- karanapara, Isha, Hari.

(Concluded.)

68. Padd pakhari jalk pana kari, apu sahita parivaraPitara paru kari prabhuhi puni, mudita gayau lia para

For complete episode: Manasa I. 210; 6 to 211 cp. Adhyatma R.I. 6.3-5; Ananda Ramayana I.3. 3-5; Ananda Ramayana I.3. 24-28. In the latter two works, the episode occurs when Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Vishvamitra are on their way to Janakapura after Ahalya’s redemption.

69. For complete episode: Manasa I. 210; 6 to 211; Adhyatma R.I. 5.14-61; Ananda R.I. 3. 17-21

70. Manasa III. 10; 1-12 to 11. Adhyatma R. III. 2.26-34

71. Manasa III. 34 to 36. Adhyatma R. III. 2.26-3472. Kempis, Thomas A., The Imitation of Christ

(Mumbai, St. Paul’s 2001) p. 21773. Srimad Bhagavata X. 29-3474. Ibid X.29, 9-1175. Tyagisananda, Swami: Aphorisms on the Gospel of

Divine Love or Narada Bhakti Sutras 19, 21 (Madras, Ramakrishna Math, 1955) p. 6-7

76. Sri Ramapurvatapini Upanishad, I. 1-777. Mundaka Upanishad, I. 1.878. Rig Veda X. 90.1, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, III. 1979. Kavitavali, VII. 37

References

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t t


Sixteen Verses from Vidura Neeti—a text from Mahabharata containing dialogue between Vidura, one of the central figures in the Mahabharata, and Dhritarashtra, the blind king and father of Kaurava brothers, on the characteristics of a true Pandit. Cf. Vidura Neeti, chapter 1, verse 20 to 34, 45. Trans. by Dr. Urmila Rustagi, J.P. Publishing House Delhi.

Who Is A Wise Man—A Pundit?

Compilation


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Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1

New Find

The MathP.O.Belur. Howrah.

The Feb 4th 1903.My dear Hari Maharaj,2

I received your kind letter duly & thank you as much for it. I am glad to know you are better than before & hope you will recover fully in the near future.

A foreign M.O. has come today in your name for Rs 10/ & 4 as. only sent by Mrs. Peterson. I have received it at the request of Rakhal Maharaj3 & will place the sum at the Savings Bank account tomorrow.

Rakhal Maharaj is doing better. The rest of the members of the Math are well.The Deposit Receipt has been sent to the Bank as you desired, for changing your name

to its proper spelling.I hope Krishnalal is well. My love & blessings to him.With my constant love & prayers for you

Yours affeclySarat.

P.S. Nivedita has just finished her Saraswati Puja with success at her own house at Baghbazar.

The MathP.O.Belur : Howrah

The 1st Sept. 1903My dear Hari Maharaj,I am sorry I could not write you so long & especially as to think that the money which

you kept near me has been sent only now after your repeated demands. The thing is I kept the savings Bank a/c near Rakhal Maharaj, thinking that will be convenient as I will have to be away from the Math for the work. Rakhal Maharaj used to send everything until he went to Benares, keeping the book with Haripada. About twenty days ago I went to the Math & told Haripada to draw all the money on my a/c from the S. Bank & send it to you; he told me the book is with the P.O. for calculation & adding up of interest. I thought he will send you the money as soon as the book is returned; but he forgot all about it or waited to have my further order & in the meantime I could not go to the Math for the whole time. I hope it has not inconvenienced you seriously.


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1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna 2. Swami Turiyananda, a direct disciple

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

I heard from Tulsi you are still having spell of fever & head complaints. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear it. Please change the place if it is not doing you any good by improving your health. How long you are to remain thus paralysed when all hands & more are wanted to push on Swamiji’s work—the Lord alone knows. My best prayers to Him that you feel perfectly well in the near future. With love & pranams,

Yours afflySaradananda

P.S. I have been kept very busy with various things, so much so that I am unable to keep myself along with the pressure. I hope you will understand if I cannot write you as often as I like to & as I would if it were otherwise. I do not wish to trouble you with all the details of the work I am engaged with at present until I feel sure you are well. How is Krishnalal? I am glad of the prospect of Rakhal Maharaj’s visit to Brindaban soon. Tulsi is going to America early in October. The rest of the Math are well.

Yours afflySarat.

Dec 21st 19032/1 Baghbazar Street

Calcutta.My dear Hari Maharaj,I am glad to inform you that the sum which has been so kindly lent to my family by you,

has been paid by them at last, with 4 percent interest on the same for 11 months. I feel grateful to you for this kindness.

Everything is getting on as usual here. Christine’s work is flourishing. You know perhaps it is intended for grown up women & not little girls. The number of students has come up to 40 besides as many children & the school is held twice a week. The whole thing is free besides the students are brought to & taken back at our expense. They are taught sewing, Bengali, English & Geeta. A very high standard is being kept up for sewing.

I am sorry to hear you are still suffering. I hope you will be well in the near future.The Math inmates are well & so too are all friends here.With love to you as ever

Yours afflySaradananda

P.S. According to your instructions Rakhal Maharaj is going to deposit the sum in the Bengal Bank in your account in a day or two.

YoursS.

References

3. Swami Brahmananda, a direct disciple


Changes in the Pronunciation of Mantras Apparently Sama texts undergo various

changes when they are adjusted for singing. They are technically known as Vikara, Vishleshana, Vikarshana, Abhyasa, Virama, Stobha, Lopa and Agama, where ‘agna’ becomes ‘ognayi’, ‘vitaye’ changes to ‘vayi tayayi’. ‘Grinano havya dataye’ becomes ‘Grinano ha vyada tayayi’, and so on.

The singing of Stobha is another dis- tinctive feature of Sama singing. Stobhas are generally understood as non-textual phonetic forms having no meaning. Some traditions however also employ Stobhas which denote meaning. According to the traditional Samavedic scholars, Stobhas are used in order to make the Sama sing-able or more melodious and also for Chandapurti or to complete the Chandas or Vedic rhythm. Stobhas are used by all shakhas, each following a distinct pattern. There are a variety of Stobha such as ‘Havu, Aihi, Au ho va, Hoyi’, which are often inserted in the beginning of a Sama, and are considered useful aids in building up of the Svaras. This practice may be compared to the Alapa14 at the commencement of a Raga, in the classical music system of the present day.

Stobhas (just as Alapa) are also inserted between the lines of a Sama, and sometimes

at the end. A word from the original text may be lengthened or shortened with the help of the Stobha (as a Bol Alapa in Raga music). However, a basic difference between the two is that Alapa and Bol Alapa in Raga music are open to improvisation, while in Samavedic singing the use of Stobha are defined, but may vary in different traditions. Personal improvisation is not permitted in Sama singing.

Origin of Techniques After a preliminary study of the techni-

ques employed by each school of Sama-singing in the present day, it has been noticed that each maintain that they employ the same prescribed Svaras. With a sound knowledge of the technical aspects of classical music, one can easily follow the Svaras and determine a parallel. One may also find some techniques which have close resemblance to the techniques of Hindustani music of today.

Firsthand information received from practicing Samagas of the living Shakhas in present times, perhaps reveal for the first time a set of remarkable connections of Samagana with present-day Indian Music:

a) The Svaras Shadja, Shuddha Rishabha and Shuddha Dhaivata can be clearly

Vedic Chanting and its Relation to Indian Music

SUBHADRA DESAI

(Continued from the previous issue...)

A classical vocalist and researcher in Indian Classical Music from New Delhi, the author did her PhD on ‘Musical Heritage in Valmiki’s Ramayana’. This article is based on her research as part of a project under the aegis of IGNCA, New Delhi.

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Svaras prescribed by Naradiya Shiksha, the transformation becomes evident.

For example, in the first line of the hymn ‘Devo vo dravinodah’, the Svaras are given as 5, 4, 5, 2, 4 and 5. The Svara designated for De is 5th, i.e., Mandra or Dhaivata; for vo is 4th, i.e., Chaturtha or Shadja; for the vowel o or avagraha is 5th, i.e., Dhaivata again, and the Svara designated for vo is 2nd, i.e., Dvitiya or Gandhara; and so on; thus for ‘devo vo’ we have Dha, Sa, Dha, Ga. However if the same is notated according to Svaras as sung in Hindustani music today, it becomes Komal Ga, Ri, Komal Ga, Ri, Sa, Komal Ga with a touch of Ma.

According to scholars, the Samavedic Svaras laid the foundation of Murcchana17, which in turn became the source of Jati and Raga of Hindustani music.18 The opening Svara in the Saman singing was regarded as the first or Arambhaka Svara. As each of the seven svara namely Ma, Ga, Ri, Sa, Dha, Ni and Pa became the Arambhaka Svara, new Svara and phrases of Svaras grew from them thus initiating the development of Murcchana. It is widely accepted by scholars that Murcchana is the foundation of the concept of Raga, the seeds of which appears to be germinating in the music of Samaveda. It appears however, that this concept is not in use in the present practice of Samagana.

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identified from the Sama singing of the Jaiminiya Samagas of Kerala.

b) Their mode has stress areas which closely parallel the ‘Gamakas’15 of Indian classical music.

c) Some of the Svaras used by the Tamil Jaiminiya are moved in ascending and descending order in a manner that closely resemble the technique of ‘Meend’16 of Indian classical music.

d) The Svaras Shadja, Shuddha Rishabha, Komal Gandhara and Madhyama can be clearly identified from the Sama singing of the Kauthuma Samagas of the Madra Paddhati. The Gurjara Paddhati of the same Shakha appears to employ Komal Nishada in addition to the above mentioned Svaras.

e) The Svaras Shadja, Shuddha Rishabha, Madhyama, shuddha Dhaivata (mandra), and even Mandra Panchama can be clearly identified from the Sama singing of the Samagas of the Ranayaniya Shakha based in Karnataka. The particular manner in which Shadja is touched while going on to the Mandra Dhaivata is a common technique in today’s classical music, where it is known as the ‘Kan Svara’.

f) The Svaras—Komal Nishada, Shadja, Komal Rishabha, Komal Gandhara—can be clearly identified from the Sama singing of the Samagas of the Ranayaniya Shakha of Kashi (Govardhani paddhati).

Though the Naradiya Shiksha equates the Svaras of the Samaveda with the Svaras of classical Indian music of a later period, where they correspond to the Ma, Ga, Ri, Sa, Dha, Ni and Pa (of the bamboo Flute), it appears that the actual position of the Svaras have undergone considerable change after the period of Naradiya Shiksha. If we try to notate the Sama hymns according to the


The use of techniques such as Gamaka, Meend and Kan Svara in the present day practice of Samagana (by practicing Samagas) are indicators of some kind of parallel between the chanting of present day and the practice of Indian music today. These evidences or parallels definitely exist in the present day Samagana but their source and cause of origin are yet to be established and are subject to further investigation.

It is difficult to comprehend whether these techniques of singing influenced the technical nuances of the music of today or were centuries old influences of the local regions where they thrived. The practice of

Koodiyattam in Kerala may be considered as an example of such intimate influence19.

ConclusionThe cultural artefact of Vedic Chanting

and its Samavedic counterpart, in the forms and locations they are sustained till the present, are living links for India to its past and its identity. This is confirmed again in this study, where clear indicators are present that demonstrate that Indian Music, as we know it today, is an inheritance from these practices.

It is thus very important that this tradition is nurtured back to health, to explore fully its relation to Indian Music.

(Concluded.)

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14. Alapa is a specific manner of elaborating a Raga with the help of notes, using the syllable ‘A’. It is sung at the commencement of a Raga, as also in its elaboration and improvisation. The Bol-Alapa is a similar manner of improvisation where the lyrics of the song are also used, and are inserted in between.

15. Gamaka is a technique in Indian classical music of singing one Svara after the other, or repeating only one Svara with a specific technique of stress or emphasis in the accent.

16. Meend is another technique in Indian classical music where two or more Svaras are connected

Referencesby soft and unbroken/ continuous ascent and descent of Svaras. Both the techniques are used in vocal as well as instrumental music.

17. Murcchana is a technical term in Hindustani Music that denotes the practice of ascending and descending order of notes, and beautiful musical phrases created by them.

18. Bharatiya Sangiit Ka Itihas, p 68.19. Koodiyattam is an ancient form of theatre in

Sanskrit which involves music and dance, prevalent in Kerala for the past thousand years. Scholars agree that its music has an unmistakable resemblance to Samagana practiced in Kerala.

Swamiji's Musical Voice

In quoting from the Upanishads his [Swami Vivekananda] voice was most musical. He would quote a verse in Sanskrit, with intonations, and then translate it into beautiful English, of which he had a wonderful command. And in his mystical religion he seemed perfectly and unquestionably happy. . . I can see him yet as he stepped upon the platform, a regal, majestic figure, vital, forceful, dominant, and at the first sound of the wonderful voice, a voice all music—now like the plaintive minor strain of an Eolian harp, again, deep, vibrant, resonant there was a hush, a stillness that could almost be felt, and the vast audience breathed as one man.

—Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries, Advaita Ashrama, 1.35 and 1.307


A monastic inmate of Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata.

Knowing the Self —Through the Path of Unselfish Work

An Exposition of Swami Vivekananda’s Philosophy of Karma Yoga

BRAHMACHARI TRIDIVACHAITANYA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

expanded very much, and I have learnt to feel. Believe me, I feel intensely indeed.28

The heart-rending cries of the ignorant men and women made Swami Viveka-

nanda cross the ocean against the conventional beliefs of popular

Hinduism. As an unknown penniless monk, Swamiji had to pass through indomitable struggle to establish himself in the west against all odds and opposite forces that were trying to pull him down. But as he himself

says, Divine Grace descends on one who lives for others

and sacrifices his everything for the good of mankind. He says,

Truth, purity and unselfishness—wherever these are present, there is no power below

or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole universe in opposition.29

From America, Swamiji wrote many letters to his brother-disciples, friends and disciples that were charged with the ideas of unselfishness and self-sacrifice for the upliftment of the downtrodden masses. Swamiji showed that it was the lack of the

His Call for Service As a Way of Life The whole life of Swami Vivekananda is

a saga of self-sacrifice and unselfish love for mankind. Not only did he give up his hearth and home, his wealth and position in society, following the path of Sannyasa, but he also laid down his very life for the good of mankind.

Travelling the length and breadth of the country as a Parivrajaka, a wandering monk, Swamiji was moved by the utter poverty, ignorance, and helplessness of the suffering masses. The monk, who had made up his mind to remain in the solitude of the Himalayas immersed in the bliss of Samadhi, could not contain himself to enjoy the peace of meditation, while his brethren were groping in darkness and misery. Immortal are the words which Swamiji spoke to Swami Turiyananda, his dear brother-disciple, before leaving for the West, so as to find some solution for the downtrodden masses of his country. He said,

Haribhai, I am still unable to understand anything of your so-called religion. But my heart has

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implementation of the great ideas of Vedanta that had led to the downfall of the Indian race. To his dear disciple Alasinga, Swamiji wrote,

I have discovered the secret through the grace of the Lord. Religion is not in fault. On the other hand, your religion teaches you that every being is only your own self multiplied. But it was the want of practical application, the want of sympathy—the want of heart.30

Swamiji appealed to the educated young faithful men to dedicate their lives for this great sacrifice of selfless service, which Swamiji felt to be a divine mission. Whatever is the need of the society, whatever is necessary for raising the poor and the lowly, that has to be provided by all means. Though spiritual knowledge is the ultimate thing to be given to all, they have to be first awakened to stand on their own feet with the ability to earn their basic living. Swamiji exhorted,

A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up—the gospel of equality.31

My whole ambition in life is to set in motion a machinery which will bring noble ideas to the door of everybody, and let men and women settle their own fate . . . Sympathy for the poor, the downtrodden, even unto death—this is our motto.32

But this edifice of selfless service for the lowly has to be built upon the foundation of divine love born of deep conviction in the supreme truth of the unity of all existence. It is the same Universal Self or God who is peeping out through the masks of ignorant men and women. One who has heart to feel for them

and is ready to sacrifice oneself for their well-being is truly fit for spiritual life.

To Sister Nivedita, Swamiji wrote:

One idea that I see clear as daylight is that misery is caused by ignorance and nothing else. Who will give the world light? Sacrifice in the past has been the Law, it will be, alas, for ages to come. The earth’s bravest and best will have to sacrifice themselves for the good of many, for the welfare of all. Buddhas by the hundred are necessary with eternal love and pity. Religions of the world have become lifeless mockeries. What the world wants is character. The world is in need of those whose life is one burning love, selfless. That love will make every word tell like thunderbolt.33

To Alasinga, Swamiji wrote, We will do great things for the world, and that for the sake of doing good and not for name and fame. ‘Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die.’ Be of good cheer and believe that we are selected by the Lord to do great things, and we will do them. Hold yourself in readiness, i.e. be pure and holy, and love for love’s sake. Love the poor, the miserable, the down-trodden, and the Lord will bless you.34

Giving a New Turn to Hindu Monasticism Swamiji gave revolutionary ideas of

monastic life that were to transform the destiny of India and also help the monks to realize their supreme goal through inner purification. To his brother disciple Swami Akhandananda, Swamiji wrote:

Go from door to door amongst the poor and lower classes and teach them religion. Also, let them have oral lessons on geography and such other subjects. Work, worship, and Jnana (knowledge)—first work, and your mind will be purified; otherwise everything will be fruitless like pouring oblations on a pile of ashes instead of in the sacred fire. . . You must give your body, mind, and speech to ‘the welfare of the

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world’. You have read, ‘Matridevo bhava, pitridevo bhava’—‘Look upon your mother as God, look upon your father as God’—but I say ‘Daridradevo bhava, murkhadevo bhava’—‘the poor, the illiterate, the ignorant, the afflicted—let these be your God.’ Know that service to these alone is the highest religion.35

But Swamiji’s concept of worship had little to do with rituals and ceremonies. Selfless service to man, knowing him to be a manifestation of God, is the real form of worship that can directly lead to spiritual transformation. All the religious concepts leading to selfish ends should be given up, and complete self-abnegation and self-sacrifice should be adopted with utmost love for mankind. Swamiji wrote to his brother disciples:

You have renounced everything. Come! Now is the turn for you to banish the desire for peace, and that for Mukti too! Don’t worry in the least; heaven or hell, or Bhakti or Mukti—don’t care

for anything, but go, my boy, and spread the name of the Lord from door to door! It is only by doing good to others that one attains to one’s own good, and it is by leading others to Bhakti and Mukti that one attains them oneself. Take that up, forget your own self for it, be mad over the idea. As Sri Ramakrishna used to love you, as I love you, come, love the world like that.36

After his triumph in the west, hoisting the flag of Vedanta and gathering sufficient resources for beginning his future work, Swamiji returned to India. The entire nation recognized Swamiji as the hero born to save their religion and civilization. He travelled throughout the country awakening the spirit of modern India and re-establishing the Ideal of renunciation and service. Swamiji organized his brother-disciples and householder devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna so as to preserve and preach the Vedantic truths in the light of the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and to do work for the welfare of humanity on

all fronts. The organization was named ‘Ramakrishna Mission’. Swamiji gave Sannyasa Diksha to novices who had joined the Math as Brahmacharis. To these disciples Swamiji defined the Sannyasa Dharma as follows:

Remember, for the salvation of his own soul, and for the good and happiness of the many, the sannyasi is born in the world. To sacrifice his life for others, to alleviate the misery of millions rending the air with their cries, to wipe away the tears from the eyes of the widow, to console the heart of the bereaved mother, to provide the ignorant and depressed masses with the ways and means for the struggle for existence, and enable them to stand on their own feet, to preach broadcast the teachings of the Shastras to one and all without distinction for their material and spiritual welfare, to rouse the sleeping lion of Brahman in the hearts of all beings by the diffusion of the light of Knowledge—for this

39

Ramakrishna temple, Belur Math


the sannyasi is born in the world! . . . You must renounce everything; you must not seek pleasure or comfort for yourself. All attachment will have to be cut and cast aside. You must look upon lust and gold as poison, name and fame as the vilest filth, glory as a terrible hell, pride of birth or position as sinful as drinking wine. Being the teacher of your fellow-men and devoted to the Self within, you will have to live to attain freedom and for the good of the world.37

The downtrodden and suffering masses of India saw a new light for the first time, after hundreds of years of slavery, in the form of this saviour prophet of modern India, who voiced for the lower masses and sacrificed himself to arouse the divinity in one and all. Swamiji gave his very blood to lay the foundation of the Ramakrishna Mission, which is his legacy for his motherland and the world at large. Swamiji wrote to Mary Hale, his American devotee,

I must see my machine in strong working order, and then knowing sure that I have put in a lever for the good of humanity, in India at least, which no power can drive back, I will sleep, without caring what will be next; and may I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls—and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.38

To his Sannyasin disciples Swamiji said:

Sri Ramakrishna came and gave his life for the world; I also will sacrifice my life; you also, everyone of you, should do the same. All these works are only a beginning. Believe me, from the shedding of our life-blood will arise gigantic heroes and warriors of God, who will revolutionize the whole world! . . . Never forget, service to the world and the realization of God are the ideals of the monk! Stick to them! . . . You will go to hell if you seek your own salvation! Seek the salvation of others if you want to reach the Highest! Kill out the desire for personal Mukti! That is the greatest of all spiritual disciplines.39

The self-sacrifice of Swami Vivekananda was the greatest inspiration for India to stand on its own feet shrugging off all weakness, ignorance and delusion, not only to carve its own glorious future but also to transform the spiritual destiny of the world. After his ceaseless activity along with the rigours of monastic life, Swamiji’s health deteriorated and he left his mortal coil at a young age of 39. But the spirit of Swamiji is still working and his words of inspiration are arousing the spiritual fervour in millions of hearts around the globe,

It may be that I shall find it good to get outside of my body—to cast it off like a disused garment. But I shall not cease to work! I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.40

(To be continued. . .)

40

28. Life of Swami Vivekananda, 1: 388 29. CW, 4: 279 30. CW, 5: 14 31. Life, 1: 527 32. Life, 1: 532-533 33. Life, 2: 111-112 34. Life, 1: 528 35. Life, 538-539 36. Life, 1: 544 37. Life, 2: 243 38. Life, 2: 269 39. Life, 425-426 40. Life, 661

References

The rich should serve God and His devotees with money, and the poor worship God by repeating His name. —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi


The Order On The March

Ramakrishna Math and Mission—News and Notes

Vivekananda Cultural Centre at Chennai Inaugurated

Vivekanandar Illam is a historic building in Chennai. It is here that Swami Vivekananda stayed for nine days in 1897 and, later, Ramakrishna Math in Chennai was started and functioned for about 10 years—before shifting to its present site in Mylapore in 1906. For the past fifteen years, the Math has been managing the Vivekanandar Illam (called Ice House earlier, renamed Vivekanandar Illam or House in 1963) where hundreds of people come daily to see the permanent exhibition of the life of Swamiji and facets of Indian Culture set there.

In February 2013, the land next to the main heritage building of Vivekananda Illam was leased out to the Math for 99 years—thanks to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Selvi J Jayalalithaa. She also laid the foundation stone and given a financial grant of Rs 2 crores for the construction of Vivekananda Cultural Centre on that land.

The building for the Centre meant for conducting a host of cultural and spiritual activities such Vivekananda Cultural Centre

Chief Minister inaugurating Vivekananda Cultural Centre through video conference


42

as classes on Yogasanas, meditation, computer learning, personality development, language studies, sale of our publications and others, was recently completed. The new building was inaugurated on 8th July 2014 by the Chief Minister through video conference. While a few monks were present at the Chief Minister’s Office in Chennai, others were at the Vivekananda Cultural Centre when the inaugural-plaque was unveiled by video conferencing.

The Vivekananda Cultural Centre will be an ‘Academy for Human Excellence’ to train the participants, especially the underprivileged youth, in achieving excellence through value assimilation and in adopting healthy, holistic and culturally enriched lifestyles.

Swami Ramakrishnananda’s Birthday Celebrated

The 152nd Jayanti celebrations of Swami Ramakrishnananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the founder of Chennai Ramakrishna Math as also the Ramakrishna Movement in South, was celebrated at Chennai Math with due solemnity and festivity on 24 July 2014. Puja, Bhajans, Homa, Arati and lectures marked the occasion. More than 2000 people took Prasad and took part in the celebrations.

On this occasion the annual three-day spiritual retreat for devotees was also organised in which more 320 devotees took part. The three day programme included guided meditation, lectures, cultural programmes and interaction with monks.

The Chennai Math also released six new titles in English and three titles in Tamil. A function to this effect was held on 26 July. The much awaited book Swami Yatiswarananda As We Knew Him was also released on this occasion. The function included Vedic Chanting, Introduction to various books, recollections by two old devotees about their associations with Swami Yatiswarananda and benedictory address by Swami Gautamanandaji, Adhyaksha, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. More than 400 people attended the programme. Swami Ramakrishnananda’s image, Chennai Math

Swami Atmapriyananda and Swami Gautamananda and a section of the audience


Sarada devi, The holy MoTher

By Sumita Roy

Published by Indus Source Books, PO Box 6194, Malabar Hill PO, Mumbai – 400 006. 2013. Email: in [email protected] Pages xl + 198. Paperback. Price Rs.225/.

Sri Sarada Devi , revered as Holy Mother,

was no ordinary mother. But her divine motherhood was almost invisible in the public domain. She earned the respect and reverence of even contemporaries who were not fortunate to meet her. There were occasions when Sri Ramakrishna cautioned his aides and disciples who were unaware of Holy Mother’s stature about the consequences of causing annoyance to her. Unlettered in the traditional sense, her ability to analyse complex issues and pronounce the right decision surprised educated intellectuals. For one born and brought up in orthodox moorings she had intrepid courage and conviction to jettison superstitious beliefs. It was Sri Sarada Devi’s word that enabled Swamiji to proceed oversees as she knew that it was necessary to fulfill the mission of Sri Ramakrishna. She was the Sangha Janani, the Mother of the Order, who formalised and steered the progress of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

Sumita Roy’s book is about the relevance of the life and teachings of Holy Mother in the context of the upheavals in society and not on any specific area of research. Holy Mother has received the attention of scholars and writers, apart from her own disciples. However, her message is perhaps yet to reach many. The author recalls a gathering of about a thousand college students who were unable to remember Holy Mother even during her 150th birth centenary. This is strange particularly if the event was in Kolkata. On the other hand the growing volume of literature on Holy Mother

known for her extremely low profile life devoid of any sensational revelations or revolutionary activities, one who was neither an author nor orator or a mythical person, is evidence of the uniqueness of her personality.

A number of incidents in Holy Mother’s life, some seemingly simplistic, are mentioned in the book. Lavish in appreciation of even minor efforts of others, humility, attention to minute details in daily routine, acceptance of devotees regardless of caste or nationality, forbearance, unbounded love, were natural to Holy Mother. She was accessible to all and sundry without distinction. She distanced herself from meaningless orthodoxy, possessed remarkable foresight, knew her role and stood by her conviction. Her views on education and animal sacrifice are examples of a progressive outlook. Sri Sarada Devi’s reactions to the interfering nature of Bhairavi Brahmani, tactfully managing without contradicting irrational actions and disobediences of a mentally unsound niece, forgiving objectionable conduct of inquisitive visitors, playing around with children, juvenile tantrums like refusing milk during illness, are adorable facets of her personality. She played her part in providing the ideal ‘Model of Marital Harmony’.

She handled with tact and firmness challenges at almost every stage of her life. The social stigma that heartless orthodoxy enforced on widows had to be resisted for the benefit of future generations and Holy Mother did this with ‘enlightened stance’. In the chapter ‘Love that Inundates’ the author refers to the Holy Mother’s intervention whenever needed. Her tactful handling helped the temple sweeper to have the good fortune of enjoying bliss at the hands of Sri Ramakrishna. The experiences of some devotees who had the privilege of Mantra-diksha from Holy Mother have also been narrated. At the same time she had no hesitation in dismissing unfair demands and favours. Those who are stressed facing adverse circumstances will find solace reading Holy Mother’s life._______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, MUMBAI

Book ReviewsFor review in The VedanTa Kesari,

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


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Torch-bearers SeriesA set of five booklets: All the books published

by Pravrajika Amalaprana, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Dakshineswar, Kolkata - 700 076. 2013. All paperbacks. Price for each booklet: Rupees.4.

This set of booklets have been published on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, and highlight the inspiring and valorous lives of five prominent women, who have left the enlightening trail and whose example will serve as a beacon for many for fulfilment of the highest ideals of life.

TapaSwini MaTajee GanGa Bai (Pp.79.)

Born to a family of a Maharashtrian King in Tamilnadu, Ganga Bai was the personification of the ideal of an empowered woman Swami Viveka- nanda envisaged: an asce- tic, able administrator, a prodigy with many intellec-

tual attainments endowed with strong physique, expert in martial and other

arts related to warfare. Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai was her maternal aunt and was her role model. She fought bravely the battle of 1857. Her life was full with thrilling events, as she fought with the British, and spent fugitive life for many years. Concerned with the urgency of imparting moral education and domestic training to Hindu girls, she established ‘Mahakali Pathshala’ in 1893 in Kolkata. It was visited by Swami Vivekananda who expressed great appreciation. Her totally unselfish life and her attempt to instil a sense of patriotism and pride in girls will continue to inspire humanity eternally.

The STory of SiSTer nivediTa (PP.104)

The story of Sister Nivedita is the story of a committed life shining forth with sincerity, purity, strong determination and immense love for India. Swami Vivekananda had invited this Irish lady to India with the intention of blending the best ideals of the East and West to create a core group of missionary educationists. Sister Nivedita dedicated her life to making her guru’s dream a reality.

The reader gets a glimpse of her relationship with Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, and with prominent people l ike Jagadish Chandra and Abala Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and many others. The immensity of her efforts in revival of Indian arts, her struggle for India’s

independence and her literary contribution leave one wonderstruck.

‘Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Nivedita Girls’ School’ founded by her in Kolkata reminds us of her pioneering efforts in girls’ education. Undoubtedly, this lioness continues to inspire thousands with her dedicated life.

SiSTer ChriSTine and SiSTer Sudhira (Pp.118)

This book deals with two great women who contributed much to educating the Indian women.

Sister Christine was another western spiritual daughter of Swami Vivekananda who geared up the work of girls’

education initiated by Sister Nivedita. Pure, sober, loving, supportive, mature, hard-

working and with an unflinching zeal for service to mankind, Christine met Swamiji in Detroit in 1895. In April 1902, she arrived in India to carry out the work so dear to Swamiji—educating Indian women. The book very beautifully describes her relationships with Swamiji and Sister Nivedita as also the work she carried out against all odds and in extremely trying circumstances. She plunged whole-heartedly into the work training women folk in drawing, clay modeling, mat-weaving, sewing, games, mathematics, Geography and English. She will be remembered as a woman of great spiritual accomplishment and bravery.

Sister Sudhira’s life is a saga of service, intense devotion, dedication, and untiring zeal for the upliftment of women. Born in Kolkata, she


45

was endowed with very strong, independent, yet dispassionate mind. After coming in contact with Sri Sarada Devi she developed a deep yearning for God. An efficient administrator and an effective leader, she acted as the Head of Sister Nivedita School from 1914 onwards, and was instrumental in starting a girl’s hostel and an ashram section of the Nivedita School which became the forerunner of Sri Sarada Math. Her heroic and noble character is worth emulating.

SiSTer SuBBalakShMi (PP.104)

The story of Sis- ter Subbalakshmi, an edu- cationist par excellence, a visionary, a strict discipli- narian and a prolific writer, she was an unusual and astonishing woman. It was an extraordinary feat on her part to be educated

and to open a home for widows, especially in the context of rigid social milieu

of the late nineteenth century India. She founded the Sarada Ladies Union, and Sarada Home—a haven for the homeless Brahmin Widows in Madras in 1912, as also Sarada Vidyalaya, started in 1927. In due course, the Sarada Vidyalaya was handed over to the Ramakrishna Mission in 1938. She was given Kaiser-i-Hind Medal and Padmashri in recognition of her dedicated service to alleviate the condition of widows.

pravrajika BharaTiprana (PP.104)

The life of Pravrajika Bharatiprana, a disciple and a personal attendant o f Holy Mother Sr i Sarada Devi chronicles contemplation, service, sacrifice and holiness. In 1954 she became the founding president of

Sarada Math, the women’s monastic order envisioned by Swami Vivekananda and

guided several spiritual aspirants to the path of blessedness for nearly two decades.

As a child bride she escaped from her in law’s house located in Kolkata, was protected by Sister Sudhira and practiced rigorous austerities under her guidance. Later Sudhira got her trained as a nurse. She lovingly served Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi for seven years.

After passing away of Sri Sarada Devi and Sister Sudhira, she went to Varanasi and spent a life of deep meditation and penance for nearly thirty years. She was like a rock on which Sarada Math was built and she guided its destiny. Her inspiring life will steer the lives of many spiritual aspirants for years to come.

This highly subsidized collection of portraits motivate and energize the readers to follow the examples of brave, strong-minded, goal-oriented, unselfish women trend-setters who strived hard to fulfill the lofty ideals to which they were committed to, and provide inspiration for emulating their lives. ___________________ DR. CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH

BioGraphy of SwaMi dayananda Giri

Published by devotees, available from GC Garg, 99, Preet Nagar, Ambala City-134 003. Hard back. 2012, pp.152, For free distribution

The third edition of the Swami’s biography in Hindi was published and released on 19 March 2011

at Ambala Cantt. in Haryana. A large number of the Swamiji’s devotees

have been keenly looking forward to the publication of Swamiji’s biography in English to enable them to know about Swamiji’s journey in search of spiritual truth and his yearning to know and unfold the secrets of human life on earth and beyond.

The book has two parts—Part A of around 25 pages which contains the biography of the Swami, and Part B of around 125 pages which contain the reminiscences of his close relatives as also a number of devotees who came in contact with him.

Born in an affluent and religious Brahmin family at Hoshiarpur in Punjab on 19 March 1919 as Madan Lal, he demonstrated his detachment to the material world even during his childhood


46

and boyhood. At the age of 19, he left his home at Shahpur near Sargodha (now in Pakistan) in search of God and the real truth of life. He visited various places including Haridwar and Rishikesh. Greatly impressed with his dedication, devotion and renunciation, Swami Vishnudevananda Giriji Maharaj, the Mahamandaleshwar of Kailash Ashrama accepted him as his disciple. He wanted to anoint him as the religious heir of the Kailash Ashrama. The Swami however was not keen to be bound down by the shackles of an institution and left the Kailash Ashrama without informing anybody.

He stayed in a number of secluded areas of Uttarakashi and spent many years in Sadhana. He practised Tapasya at ‘Beehadgufa’ in a jungle near Badarinath and attained Supreme Wisdom and the complete realisation of the Paramatma. He also spent around 6 years at Kashi for an extensive study of the Vedas and other Sanskrit scriptures under the tutelage of Swami Shankar Chetan Bhartiji Maharaj. The Swami also visited Bodh Gaya and studied the Pali language and attained the complete knowledge of Buddhism. He however declined to take charge of Buddhist monasteries and deliver lectures on Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Until the age of 80, the Swami travelled on foot throughout India and also some parts of Pakistan and Nepal, without using any mode of transportation. His life was an austere one. He would take Bhiksha from five houses in a coconut pot and lived on one meal a day. He never touched money and never allowed ladies to meet him alone without a male companion of the family being present. His austere way of life and his lifestyle of not seeking any material comforts for himself, attracted the attention of thousands of people who became his devotees and followers. Yet he never established any Math or Ashrama or recruited any follower.

He remained a spiritual seeker throughout his life and spread the message of God to the thousands who came into contact with him. It is of interest to note that nearly 15 books have been published, both in Hindi and English, which contain the Spiritual Discourses of the Swami. A complete list of such publications is available in Page 25 of this book.

Part B of the book contains the reminiscences of various people who were connected with the

Swami at different times of his life. The Swami came into contact with three categories of persons.

First was the category to which belonged saints, sannyasins, spiritual teachers and his fellow companions with whose association his knowledge of the scriptures was enriched giving him a deeper understanding of the intricacies of Hinduism including Yoga, Tantras, Sadhana, Samadhi etc. The reminiscences of Swami Swayambhu Tirth, a close associate and admirer of the Swami, is quite revealing in understanding the character and personality of the Swami.

The second set of persons were his family members who re-established contact with him in a very accidental and mysterious way many years after he had left home. Though they made many attempts to persuade him to return to family life, they had to taste defeat seeing the Swami’s determination to tread the path of spirituality and sadhana. His devotion to his parents, particularly his mother, reminds us of the love and affection Swami Vivekananda had for his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi.

The third, and by far the most important, category includes thousands of the Swami’s devotees spread all over the country. Though many of them were not able to meet the Swami in person, they were inspired when they read the spiritual discourses of the Swami through the books published by the devotees who came into contact with him and kept a record of the Swami’s discourses at various places. This book contains many reminiscences of people who were directly inspired by him and many more who came into contact with him through his books.

The Swami passed away on 23 November 2004 at Chandigarh after a brief illness. A number of the Swami’s long-time associates and thousands of his devotees witnessed his jal-samadhi on 24 November at Haridwar.

While this book provides a revealing portrait of Swami Dayananda Giriji, we earnestly hope that in the next edition, care is taken to correct the numerous spelling mistakes which are found in the text. It may also be fitting to include a chronological table containing the main events in the Swami’s life which may be useful to put his life in its total perspective. ________________________________ V SESHADRI, BANGALORE

Old godown used as Monks’ Quarters at present

t t


Ramakrishna MathSouth Nada, Opp. Ashoka Petrol Pump,

Haripad - 690514 Dist. Alleppey, Kerala. Phone: 0479-2411700,

0974 5325 834. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.rkmathharipad.org

Help Build A New Centre For Sri Ramakrishna An Appeal

Dear Devotees, well-wishers and friends,Ramakrishna Math at Haripad in Kerala was started in 1912 and has been sanctified by the

stay of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, the Spiritual Son of Sri Ramakrishna. But by long lapse of time, the buildings have become totally unfit for use.

To start with, we propose to have the Monk’s quarters, rooms for Welfare and social activities, office building, Library and free reading room, guests room and a Universal Temple of Sri Ramakrishna. The entire infrastructure has to be re-constructed. By the grace of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna, the plans for rebuilding the whole centre has been prepared.

The estimated expenditure for this project is Rupees 5 Crores.We invite every one of you the noble-hearted people, specially the devotees of Sri

Ramakrishna, to come forward with their generous donations to enable us to erect this abode for Sri Ramakrishna and serve humanity. Every one, who participates in this seva-yajna (service-sacrifice) will be a sure recipient of the blessings of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.

Details for sending donationsDonations from India: Cheque / D.D may be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Math, Haripad’ NEFT

Transfer :A/C Number : 30642551603, : State Bank of India. Haripad. RTGS/NEFT/IFSC code: SBIN0010596.(In case of NEFT transfer please email your Name, Amount, Postal Address, PAN NUMBER, phone

number &transaction details to [email protected] This is for accounting purposes.)Donations from Foreign countries: Kindly draw a Cheque / Draft in favour of "Ramakrishna Math" and

send it to the General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, Dt. Howrah (West Bengal), Pin -711 202, India.

In the covering letter mention that it is a donation for Haripad Centre building fund. And inform all the details of the donation to e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Donations to Ramakrishna Math are Exempt from Income Tax Under Section 80 G.

Yours in the Lord,Swami Virabhadrananda, Adhyaksha

Swami Brahmananda

Old godown used as Monks’ Quarters at present Old building in a dilapidated condition


Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama, DevaprayagAn Appeal

The Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama was inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of the Chaitra Shukla Navaratri. The high-points of the week-long celebration were the enshrinement of Devi Durga, the presiding deity of Devaprayag Lord Raghunathji and Sri Thakur, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda and also chanting, homa and cultural programmes.

Mokshaprana Centenary BhawanMost Revered Mataji accompanied by Pravrajika Atmaprana Mataji had visited Devaprayag.

She was ecstatic after taking a bath at the sangam and said, ‘I have completed my journey to the Himalayas.’

To commemorate her visit to Devaprayag and also as a symbol of her immense love for Himalayas, a building is being constructed at Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama in Devaprayag. The three-storeyed building will have the following facilities:

1. Five guest rooms in the names of Revered Bharatiprana, Mokshaprana, Muktiprana, Dayaprana and Shraddhaprana Mataji. 2. A library and a study room—Mokshaprana Path Bhawan. 3. A Sunday study circle for local students on value education and life-skills—Vivek Bodha. 4. Spiritual Retreats—Moksha Satra. 5. Pre-primary School for local children—Sarada Kusum.

The project will cost about Rs 50 lakhs. We appeal fervently to all devotees, NGOS, service and welfare-oriented corporate houses to extend their kind and generous helping hand and receive the choicest blessings of Thakur, Ma, Swamiji and Revered Mataji.

Any person wishing to perpetuate the memory of their near and dear ones may donate minimum Rs. 50,000 and above and have the privilege of displaying a marble plaque in his/her name in the ashrama.

Communication: Swami Sarvatmananda, Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama, Dak Banglow Road, PO: Devaprayag, Tehri Garhwal. Uttarakhand. Pin: 249301

Email: [email protected]; Phone: 09410520930, 9897452084

Cheque/DD may please be drawn in favour of Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama.For online donation: Our CBS A/C. Punjab National Bank, Devaprayag. A/C---

0625000100098104 (IFS code: PUNB: 0062500). State Bank of India, Devaprayag. A/C No: 30932831669 (IFS code: SBIN 0014135)


Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama Charitable Hospital(A Branch Centre of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, W.B.)

Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram - 695010(A 200-bed multi-speciality hospital)

Phone: 0471-2722125, 2722453 2727607,2726603,2727393 Fax: 0471-2313502Email: [email protected] Website: www.srkachospital.org

Appeal for Sadhu Niwas Construction

The message of Sri Ramakrishna was brought to Kerala by Swami Vivekananda himself when he visited this part of the country in 1892 during his Bharat Parikraman. He was in Thiruvananthapuram for 9 days before proceeding to Kanyakumari on December 22nd. He made a group of friends, admirers and followers there and some of them kept track of his later successful endeavors but it was only in 1916 a beginning for an official branch of the Ramakrishna Math was made when Revered Swami Brahmanandaji, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the first president of Ramakrishna Math & Mission laid the foundation stone for Sri Ramakrishna's shrine at Nettayam, Thiruvananthapuram. The 99 years old Ashrama with its beautiful serene background has been sanctified by the visits and stay of many saints of the order including direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda.

There are no permanent structures other than the temple itself built for the stay of Sadhus so far. All the Sadhus, especially elderly swamis have been put up with great difficulty all these years due to lack of even basic facilities and it was decided to construct a Sadhu Niwas along with a kitchen and common dining hall for devotees and visitors as well. The estimate for the proposed two storied structure is just above Rs. 1,00,000,00 (Rupees one crore) and the work will be begun in the middle of June and finished within 12 months. We earnestly appeal to the devotees and well wishers of Thakur, Ma and Swamiji to contribute for this noble project and receive Their blessings.

All donations are exempt from Income Tax rule under 80G.

Your contribution could be sent to the above address or remitted directly to any of the

‘Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama’ accounts:

Account no: 3054 9599 482 State Bank of India Jawaharnagar branch IFSC SBINB0004685 or Account no: 08211 0100 7063 Canara Bank Sasthamangalam branch IFSC CNRB0000821 or Account no: 4018 2200 001 039 Syndicate Bank Sasthamangalam branch IFSC SYNB0004018

Yours in the Service of the Lord,Adhyaksha



New Release

Swami Yatiswarananda As We Knew HimReminiscences of Monastic and Lay Devotees

Compiled and edited by the monks and devotees of the Ramakrishna order

Swami Yatiswarananda (1889-1966) was an eminent disciple of Swami Brahmananda

Maharaj, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna and the first President of the Ramakrishna Order. Swami Yatiswarananda lived with many direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and was the President of Mumbai and Chennai Centres of Ramakrishna Math before leaving for Europe in 1933. At the request of earnest devotees in Germany, he was

sent to Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and later America. He returned to India in 1950 and was the President of Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, from 1951 to 1966. He was one of the Vice Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order.

His well-known books, Adventures in Religious Life, and Meditation and Spiritual Life, are classics in holistic approach to spirituality, harmonizing the Four Yogas of Jnana, Karma, Bhakti and Dhyana.

Containing more than 100 articles by senior monks, nuns and devotees of the Ramakrishna Order, the new book has a detailed biography of Swami Yatiswarananda, select letters, precepts and several pictures.

An audio CD containing 16 recordings of his lectures and chanting are a part of the book.

Book Size : ‘Royal’, hardbound Price: Rupees 200/- per set (total pages 1550)

Postage: Rupees 100 per set (registered parcel)No request for VPP entertained

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004 Email: [email protected]

(A set of two volumes)


Of all the Upanishads, Swami Vivekananda loved the Kathopanishad most. Kathopanishad containing the dialogue between Yama, the God of Death, and Nachiketa, the young boy with intense spiritual aspiration, is a time-honoured text dealing with the issue of death, life, and what lies beyond it.

This book presents Swami Vivekananda’s exposition of the Kathopanishad. It juxtaposes what Swamiji said in different contexts with the original verses.

Indian Culture continues to intrigue and amaze anyone who comes in touch with it. This booklet explains some of the Indian cultural practices such as ‘Namaste’, ‘Bhajan’, ‘Prasada’, ‘Arati’, besides Indian Way of Dressing, Dining, and Medicine, among others.

A collection of 22 short monographs describing some of the living traditions of Indian Culture-‘the acumen of ages and the experience of centuries’.

Beyond Life and DeathA Dialogue Between Yamaraja and Nachiketa

Living Imprints of Indian CultureSome Glimpses of the Indian Cultural Practices



Pages 84 + ix. Price: Rs. 30/- + Postage: Rs.20/-for single copy.

Pages 102 + vi. Price: Rs. 20/- + Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy.

New Releases


The Complete Works of Swami Ramakrishnananda

Hardbound. Vol. 1, Pp.xlii + 469. Vol. 2, Pp.v + 462, and Vol. 3, Pp.vi + 542.

Price: Each Volume Rs.180/- , Complete Set (3 volumes) Rs.540/- + Postage (by registered packet): Rs. 30/- for single volume, Rs.40- for two volumes and Rs.50/- for the complete set. No request for VPP entertained.

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

Email: [email protected]

Swami Ramakrishnananda (Shashi Maharaj), a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna wrote and spoke on a wide range of subjects, besides penning numerous letters to monks and devotees. The Complete Works of Swami Ramakrishnananda in three volumes bring together all his available writings in English, with translations from Bengali and Sanskrit.


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

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.

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.

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 ready-reference 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.

Universal Prayers for Youth

Upanishads for Students

Bhagavad Gita for Students

Booklets for the Youth

Email : [email protected]

No request for VPP entertained



Om

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

Sri Swami Chidbhavananda AshramamVedapuri, Theni. Tamil Nadu

6 MONTHS COURSE IN VEDANTA AND SANSKRITAn opportunity for youth interested in spiritual growth, and for dedicating their lives to the welfare of society

Vedanta Sasthra Prachara Trust is pleased to announce a 6-month course from December 1, 2014. The course, under the guidance of Pujya Sri Swami Omkarananda, will be conducted by Br. Sivatma Chaitanya (disciple of Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati) along with Sri Ramanujam and Swami Adhyatmananda. Details about the teachers can be found in our website. The medium of instruction will be English.

Aim of the course:Bring about inner transformation through a study of Vedanta and live a life based on the

principles of Vedic heritage.

At the end of the course in addition to getting a basic understanding of Vedanta and Sanskrit, one will also be able to conduct some basic workshops in personal growth to students and young professionals. In short it will be geared towards one’s personal growth along with service to the society. Selected students can stay back for long term course.

Syllabus and ActivitiesVedanta – Will include a study of some basic texts of Advaita, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad and

an overview of Mahabharata.

Sanskrit – The goal would be to get a good grasp of the language. Spoken Sanskrit will also be taught. The course will include an introduction to Paninian Grammar.

Workshops / interactive sessions – Interactive sessions to bring out tangibly the role of Vedanta in one’s inner transformation.

Indian Heritage – A detailed overview about the ancient Indian education system, it’s advantages and relevance to world today, history of how India has influenced global thought over thousands of years.

Other activities – Vidyapitham puja, chanting classes, guided meditations, Yoga, Satsang and Ashram Seva.

Eligibility:v Age between 22 and 35 yearsv Male College Graduates with a minimum of 10+2+3 years of formal education.v Conversant in Englishv Have physical & mental stamina, interest and commitment for personal growth and

evolution

The course is provided free of charge. Donations are welcome from those who can contribute.

Last date for receiving completed applications: 1st October 2014

More details about the Ashram and course, including the application form, can be found at http://www.vedaneri.org or can be obtained from the office at: Sri Swami Chidbhavananda Ashramam, Chatrapatti Road,

Vedapuri, Theni 625531. Tel: 04546-253908; email: [email protected]


NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE

‘We can attain salvation through social work’ – Swami Vivekananda

K. Sridhar Acharya Founder/ President

1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children – Tirupati, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital – Tirupati 3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged – Tirupati, Rishikesh,

Parlekhimundi and Chennai4. Navajeevan Annaksetram - Kothapeta / Rishikesh5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram – Tirupati6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - Berhampur [Orissa]7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - Serango & Kalahandi [Orissa]8. Navajeevan Orphanage Children Homes – Tirupati, Parlehkimundi,

Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag & Araku

1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged – Rs. 5000/-2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations – Rs. 7000/-3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year – Rs. 6000/-4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year – Rs. 5000/-5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area – Rs. 50000/-6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child – Rs. 2000/-

(FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED)TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.]

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.navajeevan.org

An Appeal35 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2014

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 Hold-er : Navajeevan Blind Relief Centre, Branch Code: T036, IFSC code: IDIB000T036,

A Humble Request for Donation



Swamiji's altar in the Old

Shrine at Sri Ramakrishna

Math Mylapore, Chennai

Let us be at peace, perfect peace, with ourselves, and give up our whole body and mind and everything as an eternal sacrifice unto the

Lord... Day and night let us renounce our seeming self until it becomes a habit with us to do so...

—Swami Vivekananda


Vol.101-9 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) September 2014. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. POSTAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 12-14. LICENSED TO POST

WITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2012-14 Date of Publication: 24th of every month

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

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-con-scious activity.

—Swami Vivekananda

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Documents

Vedanta Kesari - September 2014