Vivekananda ReviewVOLUME 2 NUMBER 3 • JUNE 2014

Vivekananda Review

V. Kumar Murty – Chief EditorAndrea MacLeod – Layout Editor

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Published by the Vedanta Society of Toronto

VIVEKANANDA REVIEW

A bimonthly publication dedicated to the study of Vivekananda’s ideas

© Vedanta Society of Toronto, 2014

The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Vedanta Society of Toronto.

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This issue features an article by Prof. Ram Murty on the Gnostic gospels. These manuscripts were discovered in 1945 and deserve to be better known

and studied. Early scholars recognized that these were Coptic translations of manuscripts from the second and fourth centuries. They spoke about Jesus and his teachings in a way that sheds new light on his thought and his personality. Many of the ideas expressed in these Gospels resonate with Vedantic thought.

Prof. Balaji continues his analysis of Rig Vedic hymns in an article that provides fresh and inspired translations of a select number of them. As he says, translation is a continuous process, one which takes us into the core of the Word and which transforms us. There are, of course, many transla-tions of the Vedic hymns. However, not all of them have been as painstaking and consistent in giving the greatest importance to the spirit of the hymns.

Dr. Abhishek Banerjee gives a moving account of the disaster in Uttarkhand that took place in the summer of 2013. While there have been many reports outlining the devastation and loss of life and property, this article is written from the perspective of two members of the Vedanta Society of Toronto who were caught in the middle of that calamity. The article describes the grace and strength shown by these devotees that enabled them to face this life-threatening situation.The news section describes two events related to our celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. One is the awarding of the first Vivekananda Graduate Scholarship. This schol-arship was endowed at the University of Toronto as part of the Vedanta Society’s anniversary activi-ties. The second is a report on the Vivekananda Dinner held on May 25, 2014 which was a colourful combination of inspiring talks, as well as musical and dance presentations.

Swami Kripamayananda • Vedanta Society of Toronto, 120 Emmett Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M6M 2E6 • kripamayananda@gmail.com

The Vivekananda ReviewSWAMI KRIPAMAYANANDA

Swami Kripamayananda is a monk of theRamakrishna Order and President of the Vedanta Society of Toronto.

“ “

Our present consciousness is only a little bit of an infinite sea of mind.

Swami Vivekananda

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(Complete Works, Volume 9, p. 268)

JUNE 2014 35”“ In December 1945, near the town of Nag Hammadi in modern Egypt, a remarkable archaeological discovery was made, quite accidentally, by two farmers. Digging

around a massive boulder, the farmers excavated alarge earthen jar almost a metre high that contained

thirteen papyrus books bound in leather.

In Volume 2 of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda are two essays on the Sankhya philosophy. In the first, titled “A Study of the Sankhya philosophy,” Vivekananda outlines the essential ideas of Sankhya and then makes the remarkable statement that “it is

the basis of the philosophy of the whole world.”1 (Vivekananda, 1983). Speaking about Kapila, the founder of Sankhya philosophy, he then adds, “There is no philosophy in the world that is not indebted to Kapila. Pythagoras came to India and studied this philosophy and that was the beginning of the philosophy of the Greeks. Later, it formed the Alexan-drian school, and still later, the Gnostic. It became divided into two, one part went to Europe and Alexandria, and the other remained in India, and out of this the system of Vyasa was developed. The Sankhya philosophy of Kapila was the first rational system that the world ever saw.”2 (Vive-kananda, 1983) In his second essay, titled “Sankhya and Vedanta,” he reiterates the same idea regarding the origins of philosophy of the entire world. Vivekananda’s assertions are supported by noted scholars in their recent writings. For instance, Richard Garbe, who has written exten-sively about the Sankhya philosophy remarks, “In Kapila’s doctrine, for the first time in the history of the world, the complete independence and freedom of the human mind, its full confidence in its own powers, were exhibited.”3 (Garbe) Winternitz adds: “It seems to me proved that Py-thagoras was influenced by the Indian Samkhya.”4 Radhakrishnan writes:

If in ancient Greece we find doctrines similar to it, they may have had independent origin and growth, though modern scholarship is against such a view. On the question we may quote two authorities on Indian and Greek thought. Macdon-nell observes that the ‘dependence of Pythagoras on Indian philosophy and sci-ence certainly seems to have a high degree of probability. The doctrine of metem-psychosis in the case of Pythagoras appears without any con-nection or explanatory background, and was regarded by the Greeks as of foreign origin. He could not have derived it from Egypt as it was not known to the ancient Egyptians.’ Gomperz writes, ‘There is far closer agreement between Pythagorism and the Indian doctrine, not merely in their general features, but even in certain details such as vegetarianism; and it may be added that the formulae which summarise the whole creed of the circle and the wheel of births are likewise the same

in both. It is almost impossible to refer this identity to mere chance … It is not too much to assume that the curious Greek who was the contemporary of Buddha, and it may have been of Zarathustra too, would have acquired a more or less exact knowledge of the religious speculations of the East, in that age of intellectual fermentation, through the medium of Persia.’5 (Radhakrishnan, 2008)

In light of latest historical research, these statements are not exaggera-tions and we have written about the “Greek myth” and the “fabrication of ancient Greece” in our earlier work titled “What is civilization?” in this review.6 (Murty, 2014) This essay considers some “recent” archaeo-logical evidence and brings it to the foreground to support Vivekananda’s statements regarding the origins of world philosophy, especially in the context of the Gnostic Gospels.

In December 1945, near the town of Nag Hammadi in modern Egypt, a remarkable archaeological discovery was made, quite acciden-tally, by two farmers. Digging around a massive boulder, the farmers excavated a large earthen jar almost a metre high that contained thirteen papyrus books bound in leather. Not knowing the value of the find, they showed it to a local historian, who suspected its importance and had them send to an expert Cairo. With all the intrigue and mystery of a spy thriller, the leather-bound books (called codices) finally reached Gilles Quispel, a noted historian in Utrecht. The codices, it turned out, were Coptic translations of earlier works and were dated at sometime between

the second and fourth centuries. As he began the translation, Quispel could not believe what he found. The opening lines were, “These are the secret words which the living Jesus spoke and which the twin, Judas Thomas, wrote down.”7 Immediately he recognized that this was the Coptic translation of the Greek Gospel of Thomas, discovered earlier in 1896. But these new gospels raised a host of questions — did Jesus have a twin brother and are the words recorded in these gospels the authentic words of Jesus — which became the focus of intense research for noted historians and scholars over the ensuing seventy years.

The discoveries made at Nag Hammadi were the Coptic translations

The Gnostic Gospels and VedantaM. RAM MURTY

36 Vivekananda Review

of earlier gospels that are not part of the traditional Bible. The New Tes-tament contains only four gospels, those according to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. The Nag Hammadi gospels — called the Gnostic gospels — have many passages that echo the traditional gospels, but many of these are set in a different background which transforms their meaning. There are also passages in the Gnostic gospels that are not part of the traditional Bible. Many of these resonate with the Vedantic tradition.

What emerges from the Gnostic gospels is the image of Jesus as an enlightened teacher, very much like the Buddha, who when asked who he was replied that he was simply “Tathagata” — “thus comes, thus goes”, a wanderer in the journey of life. In her introduction to the Nag Hammadi texts, Princeton University professor Elaine Pagels writes that the Jesus of the gnostic gospels “speaks of illusion and enlightenment, not of sin and repentance like the Jesus of the New Testament. Instead of coming to save us from sin, he comes as a guide who offers access to spiritual understanding. But when the disciple attains enlightenment, Jesus no longer serves as his spiritual master: the two have become equal – even identical.”8 (Pagels, 2003) For example, in the Gospel of Thomas, we find a remarkable teaching that echoes that of the Bhagavad-Gita. “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” The scholar immediately recognizes the similarity to the following verses from chapter 6 of the Gita:

Let a man lift himself by himself; let him not degrade himself; for the Self alone is the friend of the self and the Self alone is the enemy of the self. For him who has conquered his (lower) self by the (higher) Self, his Self is a friend, but for him who has not possessed his (higher) Self, his very Self will act in enmity like an enemy.9 (Radhakrishnan, S. , 1973)

All these teachings suggest the equation of self-knowledge as knowledge of God, which is at the core of the Gnostic tradition. The teachings point to Indian sources. In fact, the title of one of the Gospels, “The Thunder, Perfect Mind,” sounds Buddhist, and its verses — such as “I am the first and the last, I am the honored one and the scorned one, …, I am the silence that is incomprehensible, I am the utterance of my name” — echoes the poetry of chapter 9 of the Gita.

Asking if Hindu and Buddhist traditions influenced early Gnosti-cism, Pagels writes,

The British scholar of Buddhism, Edward Conze, suggests that it had. He points out that “Buddhists were in contact with the Thomas Christians (that is, Christians who knew and used such writings as the Gospel of Thomas) in South India.” Trade routes between the Greco-Roman world and the Far East were opening up at the time when Gnosticism flourished (A.D. 80-200); for generations, Buddhist missionaries had been proselytizing in Alexandria. We note, too, that Hippolytus, who was a Greek-speaking Christian in Rome (c. 225), knew of the Indian Brahmins -- and included their tradition among the sources of heresy: “There is . . . among the Indians a heresy of those who philosophize among the Brahmins, who live a self-sufficient life, abstaining from (eating) living creatures and all cooked food . . . They say that God is light, not like

the light one sees, nor like the sun nor fire, but to them God is discourse, not that which finds expression in articulate sounds, but that of knowledge (gnosis) through which the secret mys-teries of nature are perceived by the wise. Could the title of the Gospel of Thomas--named for the disciple who, tradition tells us, went to India--suggest the influence of Indian tradition?10 (Pagels, 2003)

In his book Not in His Image: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology and the Future of Belief, John Lash corroborates the report of Hippolytus. He writes:

In ‘The Refutation of all Heresies’ (book 5), Hippolytus referred to ‘Brachmans’ (Brahmins) in Alexandria who ‘affirm that God is light, but not such as one sees by’. Hippolytus, who was centuries closer than modern scholars to the subject matter, took it for granted that Brahmins from India belonged to the widespread network of Mystery cells extending across Europe and deep into Asia. His comment suggests that the experience of the Mystery light (as I will call it) was universal within the network. Hippolytus also states the Gnostic view, shared by the Brahmins, that ‘Deity is discourse.’ This tacit statement affirms that the Mystery light is interactive. The ‘hearing and word’ were two-way. The ‘Infinite light’ is said to be alive. The purpose of encountering the light is to discover the sublime mysteries of nature. (Hippolytus)11

The word ‘discourse’ here does not imply debate or discussion but rather an internal meditation and dialogue, an inner awareness of the kind spoken of in Advaita Vedanta. The word ‘gnostic’ comes from the Greek ‘gnosis’, which means knowledge. It is related to the Sanskrit ‘jnana’, which also means knowledge. But in neither case does it refer to intellectual knowledge; rather it refers to a deeper knowledge obtained through an inner spiritual journey and meditation. The life of Jesus and his core teachings are very much of the monastic tradition and reflect the view that the human body is only a vehicle for the spiritual journey and that both body and mind are instruments for the ultimate realization.

In one of the most recent and amazing archaeological discover-ies made in 2006, we find support for this idea. The Gospel of Judas portrays a picture of Jesus who continuously taught about this higher awareness. Contrary to the historical view of Judas as the arch villain of the Bible, we find statements in this Gospel indicating that Judas was only carrying out instructions of Jesus and that, in many ways, he was the foremost amongst the disciples in his understanding of his Master’s teachings. Naturally, this runs counter to the orthodox view of Judas and it is not surprising that it was banned from the Bible.

So why is it that such teachings were banned from the Bible and why is it that today the official canon accepts only the four traditional gospels? How did the present view come to be? Apparently, the Gnostic gospels were well-known and in circulation up to the fourth century. It was only after Emperor Constantine had supposedly converted to Christianity, or at least when he decriminalized it, that Christian bishops convened in the Turkish town of Nicaea to agree on a common set of beliefs that later came to be called the Nicene Creed, which has come to define Christianity as we know it today. At the core of the creed is the

JUNE 2014 37

”“What emerges from the Gnostic gospels is the image of Jesus as an enlightened teacher, very much like the Buddha, who when asked

who he was replied that he was simply ... a wanderer in the journey of life.

tenet that Jesus died for our sins, that he is the saviour, and that one must accept him as the “only begotten son”. If one accepts this creed, then, and only then, does one attain salvation. The message of the Gnostic gospels runs counter to this creed. In the Gnostic tradition, one must seek for salvation and exert oneself sincerely, with heart, mind and soul through spiritual practice. This is very much in line with most Eastern religious traditions, especially Hinduism and Buddhism.

In fact, the idea that Jesus is the only begotten son occurs in only one place in the entire Bible. In the Book of John, 3:16, we find: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoso-ever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. The Greek word being translated here is “monogenes”. In the 1534 transla-tion of Tyndale, we find it is “the only son” whereas in the King James version of 1611 it becomes “the only begotten” and in the 1973 Inter-national Version of the Bible, it becomes “one and only Son”.12 Some scholars have suggested that a more faithful translation of the word is “incomparable” or “one of a kind”. This would make the meaning of the verse less dogmatic.

It is also curious that the word “doubting Thomas” appears only in the book of John and not in the other three gospels. The story is told that Thomas did not believe in the resur-rection of Jesus and that he had to see for himself. So we find in the Book of John that Jesus said “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, but blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed.”13 There seems to be some antagonism towards Thomas in the Book of John. It would seem that the Book of John became the foundation for the modern view of Christian-ity and that rational discourse as well as meditative discourse and inner spiritual experience as proposed by the Gnostic tradition, including the Gospel of Thomas, receded to the background. The phrase ‘doubting Thomas’ has since been used in a disparaging way by some.

In her book Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, Elaine Pagels discusses the conflict between the Gospels of Thomas and John. After intense research, she writes,

I have now come to see that John’s gospel was written in the heat of controversy, to defend certain views of Jesus and to oppose others. This research has helped clarify not only what John’s gospel is for, but what it is against. John says explic-itly that he writes ‘so that you may believe, and believing, may have life in [Jesus’] name’. What John opposed, as we shall see, includes what the Gospel of Thomas teaches – that God’s light shines not only in Jesus but, potentially at least, in everyone. Thomas’s gospel encourages the hearer not so much to believe in Jesus, as John requires, as to seek to know God through one’s own, divinely given capacity, since all are cre-ated in the image of God. For Christians in later generations, the Gospel of John helped provide a foundation for a unified church, which Thomas, with its emphasis on each person’s

search for God, did not.14 (Pagels, 2003)

The opening lines of the Book of John describe creation as com-ing out of the word, which is an ancient Indian idea going back to the Krishna Yajur Veda. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”15 In the Krishna Yajur Veda, we find an identical passage. “Prajapati vai idam agra asit, Tasya vak dvitiya asit, Vag vai paramam Brahman”.16 “In the beginning was prajapati (Brahman) with whom was the Word and the Word was verily Brahman.” In Jnana yoga, a central thesis is that creation came out of the ‘omkara sabda’, and this primordial sound symbol has often been equated with Brahman, or pure awareness.

In his Inspired Talks, Swami Vivekananda opened his discourse with a discussion of the Book of John. Referring to the opening lines of

John, he said,

The Hindu calls this Maya, the manifestation of God, because it is the power of God. The Absolute reflecting through the uni-verse is what we call nature. The Word has two manifestations – the general one of nature and the special one of the great In-carnations of God – Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Ramakrishna. Christ, the special manifestation of the Absolute, is known and knowable. The Absolute cannot be known; we cannot know the Father, only the Son. We can only see the Absolute through the “tint of humanity”, through Christ.17

The Book of John has more in common with the bhakti tradition of India that emphasizes worship through a symbol, word or image. Thus, if we view the Book of John as not being in opposition to the Gnostic Gospels, and in particular, the Book of Thomas, we see it as offering another route, perhaps a more practical one, to the Divine. For in the bhakti tradi-tion, one finds the concept of the avatar, and what we find in John is the declaration of Jesus as the avatar.

In fact, the parallels between the Book of John and the bhakti tradition, especially as it relates to the story of Krishna as the Avatar, are striking. Apart from the obvious similarities in the words ‘Christ’ and ‘Krishna’, we find in the Book of Matthew the story of King Herod or-dering the slaughter of all infants born on the same day as Jesus, which is identical with the story of Kamsa ordering the killing of all children born on the same day as Krishna. This story may have been transplanted from Indian sources along with other aspects we have already indicated. In the

38 Vivekananda Review

”“What must have attracted many to the teachings of Jesus was undoubtedly his towering spiritual personality combined with compassion and his message that the kingdom of heaven is within everyone.

Indian context, we find the Upanishadic tradition, with its emphasis on knowledge and meditation, overtaken by the personality of Krishna and the bhakti tradition. Something analogous seems to have taken place in Christianity, with the Gnostic tradition being supplanted by the bhakti perspective as pronounced by the Book of John and its assertion of Jesus as the Avatar. This analogy has one important feature, namely in the In-dian context, the bhakti tradition is complementary to the jnana tradition, whereas in the Christian context, it seems to be opposed to it.

There is another image that permeates these early gospels. If we read them carefully, we find in them an impression of Jesus as one who is spiritually illumined, who lives with his disciples as one of them, jok-ing with them, eating with them, and claiming no special divine status. For the modern scholar familiar with Sri Ramakrishna, the scenes look familiar. What must have attracted many to the teachings of Jesus was undoubtedly his towering spiritual personality combined with compas-

sion and his message that the kingdom of heaven is within everyone. In an age of slavery, tyranny and persecution, especially amongst the poorer segments of society, Jesus offered a message of hope. It would seem many early Christians had practised this teaching even at the point of death, as Jesus had done when he blessed those who crucified him by saying, “Forgive them, Father, they do not know what they do”.

Foremost amongst the Gnostic Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas seems to have been in wide circulation, since it was found in many places and copied onto the best quality paper. In this gospel, we do not find any biographical narrative, as we do in the four traditional gospels, nor any mention of the resurrection, but only a collection of teachings. The opening lines resonate with Upanishadic teachings:

These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded. And he said, ‘Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death’. Jesus said, ‘Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]’ Jesus said, ‘If your leaders say to you, Look, the (Father’s) kingdom is in the sky, then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, It is in the sea, then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father’s) kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will

understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.18

There is an old story from ancient India about a Brahmin scholar whom all considered to be a great philosopher. One day the local king asked him to come before him. Then the king said to him: “I have three questions that puzzle – even torment – me: Where is God? Why don’t I see Him? And what does he do all day? If you can’t answer these three questions I will have your head cut off.” The Brahmin was terri-fied because the answers to these questions were not so simple and he didn’t know how to respond. So the king ordered his execution. Then the Brahmin’s son intervened and said that he could answer the king’s questions, but first securing a promise from the king that if the king was pleased with the answers, then his father would be released. The king

agreed and the son then asked for a container of milk. The boy then asked that the milk be churned into butter. When that was done, he said to the king that the first two questions have now been answered. The surprised king asked for an expla-nation. The son replied, “Where was the butter before it was churned?” “In the milk”, replied the king. “In what part

of the milk?” asked the son. “In every part of it”, replied the king. The son then said, “In the same way, God is within all things and pervades everything.” “Why don’t I see him then” asked the king. “Because you do not ‘churn’ the mind” replied the son. “If you ‘churn’ your mind through reflection and meditation, you too will see Him.” Then the king said, “What about my third question? What does he do all day?” Then the son replied, “For the answer, we need to switch places.” This was a daring request but since the king’s curiosity was piqued, he relented. When the son was seated on the throne, he told the king, “You see, one moment you are here and I was there. Now things are reversed. God perpetually lifts up and casts down every one of us. One moment we are exalted and in another we are cast down. “ The king was so pleased with all these answers that he released the Brahmin scholar and bestowed many honours on the son. The philosophical teaching embodied in this story can be found throughout the Indian lore, such as the opening verse of the Isa Upanishad. The message from this story can also be found in the Gnostic gospels. The answer to the king’s third question reverberates in several places in the Bible. For instance, in Luke, we find: “He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree”.19 Again, in Matthew: “But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first”.20 And in Mark: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first”.21

Those familiar with the Katha Upanishad will recall its central mes-sage of the mystery of death. One transcends death by gaining spiritual knowledge and as a consequence attains immortality. Enlightenment

JUNE 2014 39

does not consist in knowing factual knowledge but in having spiritual experience. Yet some of the early disciples viewed the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as a physical place, and so we find that in the Gospel of Thomas, the disciples ask what the kingdom of heaven is like, and Jesus says, “It’s like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky.”22 This is reminiscent of verses of the Chandogya Upanishad, in which the student asks the teacher about the nature of the Atman. The teacher then asks the student to bring to him the fruit of the nyagrodha tree. The student brings it. The teacher asks him to break it open and the student says, “It is broken sir”. The teacher asks, “What do you see there?” The student replies “Extremely fine seeds sir”. The teacher then asks the student to break open the seeds. The student does so and the teacher asks, “What do you see there?” “Nothing sir”, is the reply. Then the teacher says, “My dear, out of that nothing all of this has arisen”.23

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus teaches,

If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the (Fa-ther’s) kingdom. If you do not observe the sabbath as a sabbath you will not see the Father. … I took my stand in the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see, for they came into the world empty, and they also seek to depart from the world empty. But meanwhile they are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change their ways. … If the flesh came into being because of spirit, that is a marvel, but if spirit came into being because of the body, that is a marvel of marvels. Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has come to dwell in this poverty.24

This reminds one of the story Vivekananda relates in his commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:

There is the story that the king of gods, Indra, once became a pig, wallowing in mire; he had a she-pig and a lot of baby pigs, and was very happy. Then some gods saw his plight, and came to him and told him, ‘You are the king of the gods, you have all the gods under your command. Why are you here?’ But Indra said, ‘Never mind; I am all right here; I do not care for heaven, while I have this sow and these little pigs’. The poor gods were at their wit’s end. After a time they decided to slay all the pigs one after another. When all were dead, Indra began to weep and mourn. Then the god ripped his pig-body open and he came out of it, and began to laugh, when he realised what a hideous dream he had had – he, the king of the gods, to have become a pig, and to think that that pig-life was the only life! Not only so, but to have wanted the whole universe to come into this pig-life!25 (Vivekananda, 1983)

This passage again emphasizes the danger of complacency and the importance of seeking and practice in the spiritual realm. For later in the Gospel of Thomas, we find: “Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened”. 26

However, the passage is striking for a variety of reasons. It gives

us a very human impression of Jesus the teacher, pining for sincere students. It reminds us of the exasperation of Sri Ramakrishna who went up to the rooftop and cried for suitable students who were eager to gain spiritual knowledge. In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Nikhilan-anda describes the longing Sri Ramakrishna had for suitable aspirants who could follow his spiritual teachings. Sri Ramakrishna later related,

There was no limit to the longing I felt at that time. During the daytime I somehow managed to control it. The secular talk of the worldly-minded was galling to me and I would look wistfully to the day when my own beloved companions would come. I hoped to find solace in conversing with them and relat-ing to them my own realizations. Every little incident would remind me of them and thoughts of them wholly engrossed me. I was already arranging in my mind what I should say to one and give to another, and so on. But when the day would come to a close I would not be able to curb my feelings. The thought that another day had gone by, and they had not come, oppressed me. When, during the evening service, the temples rang with the sound of bells and conch-shells, I would climb to the roof of the kuthi in the garden and writhing in anguish of heart, cry at the top of my voice, ‘Come, my children! Oh, where are you?’27 (Nikhilananda, 1984)

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says,

No prophet is welcome on his home turf; doctors don’t cure those who know them. … A city built on a high hill and forti-fied cannot fall, nor can it be hidden. … What you will hear in your ear, in the other ear proclaim from your rooftops. After all, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, nor does one put it in a hidden place. Rather, one puts it on a lampstand so that all who come and go will see its light. … If a blind person leads a blind person, both of them will fall into a hole.

These passages suggest frustration and an awareness that the seeker must also be worthy of salvation and able to recognize the spiritual teacher. It reminds one of the verses from the Katha Upanishad, where Yama says to Nachiketa,

Abiding in the midst of ignorance, wise in their own esteem, thinking themselves to be learned, fools treading a tortuous path go about like blind men led by one who is himself blind. … He who cannot even be heard of by many, who many hear-ing, do not know, wondrous is he who can teach and skilful is he who finds Him and wondrous is he who knows, even when instructed by the wise. Taught by an inferior man He cannot be truly understood as He is thought of in many ways. Unless taught by one who knows Him as himself, there is no going thither for it is inconceivable, being subtler than the subtle.28

The image of the “blind leading the blind” appears in the traditional Bible too, particularly in Matthew.

Jesus continues, “Do not fret, from morning to evening and from

40 Vivekananda Review

evening to morning, [about your food and clothing]. You’re much better than the lilies, which neither card nor spin”. This passage also appears in the other gospels of the New Testament and is couched in greater poetic beauty:

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, not about your body, what you shall put on. … Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.30

All of this supports the view that it was a monastic teaching that Jesus gave to his disciples.

Again in the Gospel of Thomas, we find that Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven, either on earth or in heaven.” So what exactly is the “holy spirit” in the Gnostic tradition? It refers to the ‘higher Self’ of Vedanta. As noted earlier, the Bhagavad-Gita instructs us that if we purify our mind and harness its energies, then our higher Self becomes our friend; otherwise it will act like our enemy. This calls to mind the fundamental teaching of yoga and has been reiterated again and again by many spiritual exponents of the yoga tradition. For instance, in the teachings of Sri Sarada Devi, we find that

everything depends on one’s mind. Nothing can be achieved without purity of mind It is said, ‘The aspirant may have re-ceived the grace of the Guru, the Lord, and the Vaishnava; but he comes to grief without the grace of one’. That ‘one’ is the mind. The mind of the aspirant should be gracious to him.31

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:

It is I who am the light which is above them all. It is I who am the all. From me did the all come forth, and unto me did the all extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.32

This is similar to the Indian idea of the all-pervasive nature of Brah-man. In chapters 7, 8 and 9 of the Gita, Sri Krishna conveys the omni-presence of the divine: “I am the taste in the waters, … I am the light in the moon and the sun, I am the syllable Om, I am the sound in ether.”33

More historic research is needed to ascertain exactly what may have happened. The discovery of the Gnostic gospels is quite recent. Howev-er, to the Vedantic scholar, it is clear that the essential teachings of Jesus were monastic and emphasized inner reflection and meditation. This tra-dition parallels the Upanishadic and Buddhist traditions in India, as Ed-ward Conze has already suggested. As in India, the philosophic approach to enlightenment, with its emphasis on knowledge and meditation, is not widely appealing; nor is it accessible without considerable mental prepa-ration. Thus, the bhakti tradition evolved naturally in India, where one meditates on a spiritual personality in the form of the divine incarnation. This is how the Krishna tradition developed on the Indian subcontinent. The same must have happened with the life of Jesus several centuries af-ter his death. It is easy for the human being to love and adore a spiritual personality and, through that adoration, grow in spiritual evolution. This bhakti tradition must have been absorbed and assimilated in many of the biblical texts, especially in the book of John. Viewed from the Vedantic tradition, the Book of John is not in opposition to the Book of Thomas or to any of the other Gnostic texts. Rather, John emphasizes the path of devotion whereas Thomas teaches the path of knowledge. These are not contradictory but rather complementary. It is not appropriate or desirable that an individual follow only one path to the divine; he should follow a combination of them since the human mind has many facets and must be developed harmoniously in all aspects. As taught in the Gita, the human mind has four aspects: thinking, feeling, willing and restraining. In the Indian tradition, these aspects are developed and trained through the four yogas, of jnana yoga (the yoga of knowledge), bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion), karma yoga (the yoga of work) and raja yoga (the yoga of meditation).

We selected the Gospel of Thomas as exemplary of the Gnostic gospels and quoted liberally from it in the hope that other scholars will take up the study in earnest. From this short exposition, it is evident that further research is necessary. From such a study, it will emerge that there is some commonality between the gnostic and biblical traditions on the one hand and the Jnana and Bhakti traditions of India on the other. Such an inquiry and study will only help to hasten the progress of the spiritual seeker.

M. Ram Murty • Department of Mathematics, Queen’s University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6 • murty@mast.queensu.ca

NOTES

1 See page 445, Vol.2, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.2 Ibid., p. 445.3 See R. Garbe, Philosophy of Ancient India, p. 30. 4 See S. Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Volume 2, p. 227.5 Ibid., p. 210.6 See Vivekananda Review, February 2014.7 Judas Thomas should not be confused with Judas. Apparently, Judas was a common name in those days and Judas was also one of the given names of Thomas.8 The Nag Hammadi Library, p. 4. 9 See S. Radhakrishnan, The Bhagavadgita, pp. 189-190.10 The Nag Hammadi Library, p. 5.

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11 See J.L. Lash, Not in His Vision, Gnostic Vision: Sacred Ecology, and the Future of Belief, p. 127.12 See Richard T.A. Murphy, Background to the Bible, Servant Publica-tions, 1978. 13 See John 20:29.14 See Elaine Pagels, Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, p. 34.15 See John I, 1-4.16 See Krishna Yajurveda, Kathaka Samhita, 12.5, 27.1. This is quoted and commented upon on page 276 of “A Commentary of the Upani-shads” by Swami Nirmalananda Giri, which is available online at: http://hinduonline.co/DigitalLibrary/SmallBooks/UpanishadCommentaryful-lEng.pdf17 Complete Works, Volume 7, p. 3.18 The Nag Hammadi Library, p. 74.19 See Luke 1:52.20 See Matthew 19:30.21 See Mark 10:31.22 Ibid., p. 75.23 S. Radhakrishnan, The Principal Upanishads, p.462.24 Ibid., p. 75.25 Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Volume 1, p. 248.26 Ibid., p.87. 27 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 46.28 S. Radhakrishnan, The Principal Upanishads, p. 610.29 See Matthew, XV, 14.30 Ibid., VI, 25.31 See Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi the Holy Mother, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1983, p. 28.32 Ibid., p. 8733 The Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 7, verse 8.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Garbe, R. (1897). Philosophy of Ancient India, Chicago: Open Court.James M. Robinson, E. (1988). The Nag Hammadi Library in English. Brill.

Lash, J. (2006). Not in His Image, Gnostic Vision: Sacred Ecology and the Future of Belief, White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing.

Murphy, R.T. (1978). Background to the Bible. Servant Publications.

Murty, M.R. (2014). What is civilization? Vivekananda Review, Febru-ary, 8-13.

Nikhilananda, S. (1984). The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. New York: Ramakrishna - Vivekananda Center.

Pagels, E. (2003). Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas. New York: Random House.

Radhakrishnan, S. (1973). The Bhagavadgita. New York: Harper Colo-phon Books.

Radhakrishnan, S. (2005). The Principal Upanishads. New Delhi: Harper Collins.

Radhakrishnan, S. (2008). Indian Philosophy, Volume 2. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

The Holy Bible. (1962). New York: New American Library.

The Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi. (1983). Mylapore: Sri Ramakrishna Math.

Vivekananda, S. (1983). The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashram.

42 Vivekananda Review

Translation of Some Hymns from the Rig VedaVIKRAMAN BALAJI

In this article we offer a selection of hymns from the Vedic literature with a translation and very brief comments. Our primary sources of inspiration are the writings of Sri Aurobindo.1 (SriAurobindo, Secret of the Veda, 1972), (SriAurobindo, The Upanishads, 1972) and (AK-

Coomaraswamy, 2000). In the context of sacred literature, a translation is usually taken to be

an adaptation of sacred speech in a language accessible to the uninitiated. Normally, such an adaptation distils the mental elements from the entire substance of its experience as a means to conceptualize and philosophize. But for us, the process of translation is sounding the Word in silence as a means to plumb our own depths. Translation and dwelling on the Word constitute a process that we employ to enter into the core of the Word so as to allow its substance to transfigure our being. Each translation is a journey by itself and therefore no translation can be taken as final.

Swami Vivekananda2 says “Veda is of the nature of Shabda or of idea. It is but the sum total of ideas. Shabda, according to the old Vedic meaning of the term, is the subtle idea, which reveals itself by taking the gross form later on.” To us, the Riks3 are embodiments of the Rishis themselves, in the form of Word-substance, for a perennial interaction and experiencing of the seeker after light. Rishi Dīrghatamas says,

ṛcaḥ aḳśare parame vyoman yasmin devā adhi viśve niṣeduḥ

The luminous Word (ṛcaḥ),In the changeless (aḳśara) summit space (parame vyoman),Wherein, seated above the universe,Are the beings of Light (devā).(Rig Veda, 1.164.39)

To understand the Riks, therefore, it is necessary to try and enter the soul of the rishi. Sri Aurobindo writes4

For ultimately, as I have already insisted, we can know the subject of the Veda only by the soul and its pure faculty of knowledge, not by verbal scholarship, metaphysical reasoning or intellectual discrimination. By entering into communion with the soul of the thinker which still broods behind the inspired language, we come to realise what he saw and what he put into his words, what waits there to make itself known to us. By communion with the soul of the Universe, which is behind the soul of the thinker, and one with it, we get those experiences which illumine and confirm or correct by amplifying our vision of truth in the Sruti. And since no man should lightly hope that he has been able always to think, act and

know by the supreme method, it is fitting always to bow down in utter self-surrender to the Master of All, the Lord, who as the Knower dwells in Himself as name and form and offer to him the truth we have found in the Sruti and the error we have imported in it to do both with the truth and the error whatever He wills in His infinite power, love and wisdom for the purpose of His eternal and infinite Lila.

Vedic thought is rooted in several basic principles. The thought around which all is centred is the seeking after Truth, Light, Immortality. There is a Truth higher and deeper than the truth of outward existence, a Light higher and greater than human understanding, which comes by revelation and inspiration, an Immortality towards which the soul has to rise. We have to find our way to that, to get into touch with this Truth and Immortality, to be born into the Truth, to grow in it, to ascend in spirit into the world of Truth, and to live in it. To do so is to unite ourselves with the Divine and to pass from mortality to immortality.

We must bear in mind that the object of the Veda Samhitas was not an enunciation of the general truths of Brahman but the practice of its particulars. They are essentially a record of Yoga, describing stages and movements in the progress of the individual towards the divine goal. There are hymns which praise and invoke the gods who preside over human functionings and the Cosmic order (the ṛta). But they are in most parts statements of experiences packed full of psychological detail and minute spiritual realization which confirm the experiences of the seer and assist in the journey of the seeker by providing significant landmarks.

The Vedic Rishis perceived the nature of the evolutionary process as well as the nature of all conscious action as a yajna or an offering. Self-fulfillment by self-offering, ātma yajna, to grow by giving, was recognized as the universal law. We must offer into the Agni, the Divine Fire, every single thought, every feeling and action, even our very body, for it is thus, by baking this body, as it were, shall we be in a condition fit to receive that draught of immortality (soma rasa). A perfect sacrifice constitutes a con-scious offering to Agni, and a perfect apportioning of all the offerings to the various deities. But this comes as a culmination of a long process of Yoga, when the seeker is completely surrendered to the Divine Will; for it is Agni, the Supreme Will, who effects this perfect arrangement and ordering of the Truth-Law. The process of transformation is thus a gradual replacement of the fallible human will by the divine flaming force. But in the ultimate scheme of things, the Rishis recognized the law that ultimately all is offered by the Divine, to the Divine himself through the Divine. The Divine is the eater, eating and himself the eaten. As the Purusha Sūkta declares this:

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”“Translation and dwelling on the Word constitute a process that we employ to enter into the core of the Word so as to allow its substance to transfigure our being. Each translation is a journey by itself and therefore no translation can be taken as final.

yajñena yajñam ayajanta

The yajna is made by a yajna through the yajna. (Rig Veda 10.90.15)

We begin with a verse from the Rig Veda enlightening us on the sym-bolism underlying the Vedic hymns:

Aśvād iyāyeti yad vadanty ojaso jātam uta manya enam,

When they say he is come out of the horse, I understand Him to be born of luminous energy (ojaso jātam), and out of the mind’s force. (Rig Veda 10.73.10)

It is essential to keep in mind our basic premise that the Rishi is a mystic poet who employs material occurring in physical existence into instruments for effectively expressing and communicating inner Truths. There is a new syntax, uncommon constructions and novel vocabulary. In the context of the mystical rite in the Vedic literature, we quote from Dr

Ananda Coomaraswamy a few lines which apply admirably to the inner symbolism of the Rig Vedic hymns. He writes: “ When we assert the prior-ity of the metaphysical significance of a rite, we are not denying that there may have been, then as now, avidvānsaḥ, for whom the given rite had a merely magical character: we are deducing from the form of the rite itself that it could have been thus correctly ordered by those who fully under-stood its ultimate significance, and that this metaphysical significance must have been understood in the same way by the evamvit; just as a mathemati-cal equation presupposes a mathematician, and also other mathematicians able to riddle it. That the modern scholar trained in a school of naturalistic interpretation is not a “mathematician” in this sense proves nothing. “ For the scriptures crave to be read in that spirit wherein they were made; and in the same spirit they are to be understood” (William of Thierry, Golden Epistle, X.31).”5

We now trace out one path (among infinite possibilities) through the mystical world of the Veda.

ā devānāmapi panthām agnam yat śaknavām tat anu pravoḷahuṃ

We have come (agnam) to the path of the gods (devānām panthām),

may we have the power (śaknavām) to tread it, to drive forward (pravoḷahuṃ) along that road6. (Rig Veda 10.2.3, Rishi Trita Aptya, Tr. by Sri Aurobindo)

The seeker needs to keep in mind that:

nahi sthūri ṛthuthā yātam asti na ut śravaḥ vivide sam gameṣu

A laboured7 (sthūri) movement is not in accordance with the Truth (ṛta)8, nor does one get knowledge of (vivide) of inspiration (śravaḥ) in gatherings (sam gameṣu).

(Rig Veda 10.131.3, Rishi Sukīrti Kākśīvata)

There is the initial onset of self-doubt, and a feeling of inadequacy and a subsequent inflow of inspiration:

na vijānāmi yat iva idam asmi niñyaḥ sam naddhaḥ manasā carāmiyadā mā agan prathamajā ṛtasya āt it vācaḥ aśnuve bhāgam asyāḥ

I know not who I am, a mystery (niñyaṃ),

Tethered (saṃ naddhaḥ) by the mind I wander.

When the first-born (prathamajā) of the Truth (ṛta) came into me,

Then I enjoyed (aśnuve) a portion of the Word.

(Rig Veda 1.164.37, Rishi Dīrghatamaḥ)

The path is hard and beset with obstructions; the only strength is the inner light and inspiration. The inspiration

comes up as the expressive Word. The breaking down of the caves of Vala (the subconscient obstruction), and the role of the Word of inspiration in this breaking, is a recurring theme in the Vedic literature.

sa suṣṭubhā sa ṛkvatā gaṇena valam ruroja phaligam raveṇa

The phalanx (gaṇa) that sings the hymns of the perfect rhythm that affirms (su-ṣtubhā) and the chant of illumination (ṛkvatā) break Vala into pieces (phaligam) by his roar (ravena).

(Rig Veda 4.50.5, Vāmadeva)

The seeker soon realizes he is not alone on the path. Indeed, the entire gamut of experience of all the forerunners on the path is stored within him and can be recovered.

seyam asme sanajā pitrya dhīḥ

This in us is that contemplation of the ancient Fathers (sanajā pitṛya). (Rig Veda 3.39.2, Viśvāmitra)

44 Vivekananda Review

”“There is a new dawning of the Sun in this ocean and the consciousness is in

a state of total purity and simplicity. In the deep inner solitude this Sun is

witnessed in utter proximity.

The seeker (the Rishi) prays for the epiphany of the Dawn of the light of Truth (ṛtasya jyotiḥ), the awakening of the inner consciousness. The Rishi invokes her as the deity who opens the pathways with her hues and lessens the pain on this long and tardy journey.

dyutat yāmānam bṛhatīm ṛtena ṛtāvarīm aruṇapsum vibhātīmdevīm uṣasam svar āvahantīm prati viprāso matibhir jarante.

Dawn with her illumined chariot, vast with the Truth (bṛhatīm ṛtena), full of the Truth (ṛtāvarīm), with a form like that of Aruna, is the radiant One, who ushers in (āvahantīm) with herself the heaven of Light. The vibrant illumined seers (viprāsaḥ) adore her (jarante) with their inspired mentalisings (matibhiḥ) (Rig Veda 5.80.1, Satyaśravas ātreya)

The cosmic Dawn heralds the rising of the inner Sun and a deeper contemplation leads to the inner soul, experienced as Agni, the flame burn-ing in the cave of the heart. He is the Supreme’s Design, Intention and Will placed in the human to lead him in the journey9.

dhruvam jyotiḥ nihitam dṛśaye kam manaḥ javiṣṭam patayatsu antariti

viśve devāḥ samanasaḥ saketāḥ ekam kratum abhi vi yanti sādhu

A moveless light (dhruvam jyotiḥ), he is placed within (nihitam) that we may have vision (dṛśaye); he is the mind, the swiftest (javiṣṭam) among all that wings (patay-

atsu). The universal deities,

one in mind, one in percep-tion (saketā) move straight (sadhu),

in their wide-ranging paths, towards the Design, the Divine Will (kratu).

(Rig Veda 6.9.5, Rishi Bharadvāja)

The soul within is seen often as a Bird, a symbol for the soul in its swiftness of flight, its ability to see depths from afar, and simply because the symbol of the Bird is integrally inter-twined with the form of the human soul.

Ekaḥ suparñaḥ saḥ samudram āviveśa saḥ idam viśvam bhuvanam vicaśte

Tam pākena manasā apaśyam antitaḥ tam māta reḷiha saḥ u reḷiha mātaram

One Bird of beautiful wing enters (āviveśa) into the ocean. Thence he beholds (vicaśte) this universal existence (viśvam bhuvanam). Him with an infant mind (pākena manasā) I have seen from anear (antitaḥ), him the mother kisses and he in turn kisses the mother. (Rig Veda 10.114.4)

The Rishi (also the seeker) opens his eyes towards the world of Light and he beholds in the blue vastness a pure body of Light, a Swan seated on it. Its Light illumines the entire skies and this Light pervades each atom in the skies. From thence, this Bird beholds this earth through a Light which is its very own. When the seeker’s inner eye opens, then his seeing is simul-taneously an objective seeing as well as a seeing which arises by becoming all in a total subjectivity. When this vision awakens, the things afar become verily the things within, seen within the heart’s ocean (hṛt samudra). One is reminded of Sri Ramakrishna’s exquisite intuitive observation: “Sea-water appears dark blue from a distance, but when you take a little of it in your hand, it is all pure and limpid. So Lord Krishna appears azure from a distance”.10

There is a new dawning of the Sun in this ocean and the consciousness is in a state of total purity and simplicity. In the deep inner solitude this Sun is witnessed in utter proximity. He beholds that the Sun in the Light worlds above is indeed the Vaisvānara Agni within his earthly foundation, within his heart. The process of sādhana forges this inner Sun and this earthy foun-dation is verily its Mother, Aditi (the Infinite matrix11). The entire founda-tion of the seeker is gradually being fashioned and forged by the Agni.

Elsewhere, the Rishi Vāmadeva sings his Swan-chant:

hamsaḥ śucisad vasur antariḳṣhasad hotā vedisad atithir duroṇasad nṛsad varasad ṛtasad vyomasad abjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtam.

The Swan, seated in the Pure (śucisad), the shining One (vasuḥ), seated in the mid-worlds, in the wide empy-

rean (antariḳṣhasad), The Caller of the Gods (hotā) seated in the sacrificial seat (vedisad), The Guest, seated in the body (duroṇasad), Seated in Man (nṛsad), and in the Void (vyomasad), Born of the Waters (abjā), Born of Matter (adrijā), Born of Light

(gojā), Seated in ṛta, Born of ṛta, The ṛtam.(Rig Veda 4.40.5, Rishi Vāmadeva)

In yet another place this is sung differently. The Bird within the heart aspires and reaches the cosmic Sun followed by the descent and the move towards universalization.

JUNE 2014 45

kṛṣñam niyānam harayaḥ suparñāḥ apaḥ vasānā divam ut patantite ā avvṛtran sadanāt ṛtasya āt it ghṛtena pṛthivī vi udyate

Bright (harayaḥ) and Beautiful of wing (suparñā),The Bird dwelling in the waters (apo vasānā),Surges heavenwards through the dark passage.He returns (avavṛtran) from the seat of Truth (sadanād ṛtasya),And the Earth is wide-upliftedby his flowing luminosity (ghṛtaṃ).(Rig Veda 1.164.47, Rishi Dīrghatamaḥ12)

Repeated visitation of the light results in a constant perception of the Sun of Divinity in all that exists:

tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ divīva cakṣur ātatam.

That paramount stride of Vishnu which the illumined seers (sūrayaḥ) perpetually behold like an eye extended (ātatam) in heaven (divi). (Rig Veda 1.22.20 Rishi Medhātitiḥ Kāṇvaḥ)

The three strides of Vishnu clearly correspond to the three boons of Naciketa in the Katha Upanishad, with the third step being the paramount stride (paramām gatim) (see Katha Upanishad III.9).

The seeker reaches the end of the road where he discovers the well of honey, the fount of Ananda, the goal of the Taittiriya Upanishad (in its Ananda Mimamsa) which is also the culminating word of the Kena Upani-shad (tad vanam).

urukramasya viṣnoḥ pade parame madhva utsaḥ

The wide-moving (urukrama) Vishnu’s paramount step where there is a well of honey (madhva utsaḥ)13.

(Rig Veda 1.154.5 , Rishi Dīrghatamaḥ).

V. Balaji • Chennai Mathematics Institute, Chennai, India • vikramanba-laji@gmail.com

NOTES

1 (Sri Aurobindo, Secret of the Veda, 1972), (Sri Aurobindo, The Upani-shads, 1972) and (A. K. Coomaraswamy, 2000). 2 See Collected Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 6, Conversations and Dialogues IX, pp. 496-499 .3 Having the same root as arka, meaning ‘a hymn of Light’.4 See page 305, Supplement to the Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo, [Birth Centenary Library], Volume 27, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, 1972.5 A. Coomaraswamy, Volume 1, Selected Papers, p. 447.6 Page 381, (Sri Aurobindo, Hymns to the Mystic Fire, 1972)7 heavy, dense.8 the dynamic Truth, the Order.9 See also the last hymn in Isha Upanishad.10 No 885, from “Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna”, Sri Ramakrishna Math,

Mylapore, 1954.11 Not to be confused with the mathematical concept of infinite.12 We invite the reader to compare this with the following translation of this hymn given by Wendy Doniger, The Rig Veda, Penguin 2000. “The yellow birds clothed in waters fly up to the sky on the dark path. They have now returned from the home of the Order, and at once the earth was drenched with butter”. While comparing these renderings, the reader should keep in mind the passage from Dr Coomaraswamy’s writings quoted earlier. In rendering ghṛtam as “flowing luminosity” we follow the leading of Sri Aurobindo.13 Or a fount of honey.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sri Aurobindo. (1972). The Upanishads, The Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo (Birth Centenary Library), Volume 12, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

Sri Aurobindo. (1972). Secret of the Veda, The Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo (Birth Centenary Library) , Volume 10, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

Sri Aurobindo. (1972). Hymns to the Mystic Fire, Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo (Birth Centenary Library), Volume 11, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

A.K. Coomaraswamy. (2000). Perception of the Vedas. Indira Gandhi National Center For Arts.

A. K. Coomaraswamy, Selected Papers, Volume 1, Bollingen Series LXXXIX, Princeton University Press.

S. Radhakrishnan. (1996). The Principal Upanishads . Harper-Collins.

Pandit Shripad Damodar Satvalekar (Editor). Vajasaneyi-Madhyandina - Shukla Yajurveda Samhita. Swaadhyaya Mandal, Paradi Nagaram, Balsaad Pradeshe, Gujarat.

Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, The Most Exhaustive Collection of them their number being 1120, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, 1954.

Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Vol-umes 1-8, 1989, Volume 9, 1997.

46 Vivekananda Review

ABHISHEK BANERJEE

Uttarkhand is a state in north-eastern India, bordering Tibet and Nepal on the east and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh on the west. Archaeological evidence suggests there was a civilization here in ancient times. The

region is revered by Hindus as it is associated with the tapasya (path to en-lightenment) of many sages, and as it includes four major pilgrimage sites, namely Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims make their way to these sites, even though they are in mountainous areas which are hard to reach.

Given the volume of pilgrims, it was with horror and dismay that we learned last summer of utter and total ruin and disaster in Uttarkhand. Heavy rains had caused devastating floods. wiping out roads, bridges, homes, even entire villages. Some 6,000 people lost their lives and more than 100,000 pilgrims were stranded as a result of the floods. Rainfall was about four times the amount normally expected at that time. The situation was so dire that the government called in the military to conduct rescue operations. Even so, these operations themselves proved hazardous and at least one military helicopter crashed, killing several soldiers.

The floods of 2013 were not the first to cause widespread destruction and death in the region. There had been floods a year earlier (albeit on a smaller scale) which had resulted in loss of life and property. Environmen-tal groups believe that indiscriminate and rapid development had resulted in excessive deforestation and that the increased rainfall only exacerbated the problem. These conclusions, as well as others by various other experts, have prompted many to analyse the causes of the disaster and consider how similar calamaties might be prevented in the future. There is thus much to learn from the disaster in terms of preparedness, development, and the minimization of casualties. However, the focus of this article is on something else that we can learn, namely how to remain spiritually strong in the face of adversity. The following is an account of the extraordinary experience of two devotees — elderly women both — from the Vedanta Society of Toronto who were caught up in this horrifying natural disaster. (We are withholding their names for reasons of privacy.)

The 2013 disaster was especially felt at Kedarnath. Every year scores of pilgrims pay homage to this great place. The history of Kedarnath is as mystical as it is rich. Situated on the shores of the River Mandakini,

surrounded by the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, the town harbours one of the most famous Shiva temples, the Kedarnath Temple. Its exact origin is not known, but the spiritual significance of the temple is unquestionable. There is also a temple dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya behind the main temple and it is here that the great philosopher is said to have attained maha-samadhi.

Desiring to visit Kedarnath, our two devotees flew from Toronto to Kolkata. On June 3, they set out on their journey, visiting several places along the way, including the Advaita Ashram in Mayavati, the Dehradhun Ramak-rishna Mission, and the pilgrimage town of Gangotri at the source of the Ganges. According to one of the devotees, the natural beauty of the area combined with the Ganga Mandir (temple) in Gangotri creates an ineffable, heavenly impres-sion. On June 12, they finally began their trek towards Ut-tarkashi, a place of great spiritual heritage and significance en route to Kedarnath.

Although there were already indications of bad weather, the devotees persevered on their journey. Soon the rain started and the mountainous roads became blocked by traffic. A lot of pilgrims were forced to walk to reach Gaurikund (the legendary hot springs associated with the mythology of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha). The two devotees had earlier made arrangements to spend the night at the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, a charitable organization dedicated to people in distress. The swami in charge of the organization at Gauri Kund arranged for them to be taken by carriage (doli) to Kedarnath. They arrived there in the

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evening and performed a worship of Lord Mahadeva (Siva) at the temple. They were put up at the Bharat Sevasram Sangha in Kedarnath, by whch time the chill in the air and the strength of the rain were steadily increas-ing. This was the 15th of June.

The lightning and thunder kept lashing through the night. Next morn-ing the resident swami and the doli wallas (carriers) advised everybody to descend to Gaurikund. The devotees took leave of the swami and started the descent on the doli. The swami worked selflessly and diligently to make sure all the devotees were on their way to safety — with the excep-tion of himself, that is, for nobody had the slightest inkling that he and the ashram would soon be immersed in the terrible peril, namely flooding from the ferocious Mandakini River.

The carriers ultimately could not reach Gaurikund. The torrential rain forced them to leave the passengers on the way, covered with plastic sheets. The two devotees had to spend the night in the carriage with a steep cliff on one side and a falls on the other, amidst the sounds of boulders falling, thunder, lightning and heavy incessant rain.

The terrible circumstances caused the foot of one of the devotees to swell, impeding her ability to walk. The roads were already unusable and thus began the most excruciating part of their journey. They were essentially stranded, along with many other pilgrims, between Kedar-nath and Gaurikund and all the existing routes to descend to the plains were demolished. One of the two Toronto devotees even lost her purse, which contained her passport, medicine and money. A cancer survivor, she depends on these medicines for her well-being. Sleepless nights in inclement weather combined with lack of adequate food and proper shelter exasperated our dear devotees. As news about the terrible Mandakini and her trail of destruction started to circulate, they were forced to take shelter in deserted shops where they spent sleepless nights under adverse weather conditions. They watched others fall sick and die all around them while still others drowned in the Mandakini. Eventually the Indian army started distributing food from helicopter; however many food packets didn’t even reach the starving stranded pilgrims. A good number of them fell into the river, and those that did not were taken by those who were able-bodied and mobile. The very idea of elderly ailing people starving in such conditions without medicine is heart-wrenching. The calamity was of gargantuan proportion. And yet so is the human spirit to endure and to help each other.

Indeed, what we have come to learn from our dear devotees and their ill-fated adventure is the indomitable human con-nection, that is, the strong tendency for people to help each other. The emergence of goodness and compassion even in the face of disaster causes us to identify with each other’s sufferings. One must remem-ber that in olden days, people had an even harder time coping owing to the lack of communication. Thankfully one of the

pilgrims managed to get a mobile phone connection and he generously allowed the two devotees in question to call their relatives, putting anxious family members somewhat at ease. They were able to do so even though the signal was irregular and insecure.

According to one of the devotees, in the midst of the tandava (dance) of Mother Nature, she was reminded of a song by Rabindranath Tagore on Lord Shiva: pralay nachan nanchle jokhon apon bhule he nataraj’ (O re-vered Nataraja, when you started the dance of dissolution in your own way . . . ). Such is the ability of the mind to separate itself from the embodi-ment. Soon, the devotee with the swollen foot and no medication began to feel a sense of resignation; she felt that if the antim nidra (final sleep) were to descend on her, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. She even begged her companion to leave her behind, but the latter refused and instead cared for her constantly. She never wasted a moment in attending to her ailing friend. She strived constantly and gathered whatever food and water were available under the circumstances while trying to get help. In her own words, she felt ‘she was working just as an instrument’. One is reminded of the advice given by Krishna to Arjuna in chapter 11 of the Gita: Nimitta matram bhava savyasachin (Just be an instrument).

The amount of care this devotee took under such perilous circum-stances is truly extraordinary. It was she who spotted and signalled the army helicopter and who pleaded that her companion be taken to safety in the very first flight. Ultimately they were both lifted to safety, along with others. A good number of local people helped in every way they could.In time, even the lost purse with passport and other valuable documents were found and returned, and the two devotees flew back to their families in Toronto.

Abhishek Banerjee • Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto • banerjee.avi@gmail.com

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48 Vivekananda Review ”““Every year we see many strong international students who are ineligible for

many provincial and federal awards. Therefore it was a special pleasure to

present the Vivekananda Award to Ivan Livinskyi; an outstanding student who

has been at the top of his class since his arrival two years ago. It is also a great

pleasure to acknowledge the generous donation of the Vedanta Society of

Toronto that made this award possible.”Professor Almut Burchard

The Vedanta Society of Toronto has established a new scholar-ship in Mathematics at the University of Toronto (U of T). It will be awarded annually to an international PhD candidate on the basis of academic acheivement and financial need.

U of T is a global leader in higher education, ranked 17th in the world and 12th in mathematics (according to the 2013 QS World Univer-sity Rankings). It is imperative that the university able to attract the best and brightest students from around the world. This is made possible in part by the stellar faculty who have international reputations as leaders in their field. However, it is also necessary to find adequate financial support for these students.

The Vedanta Society of Toronto has long been a champion of education and plays an important role in providing this much-needed support. In 1997, the Society, together with the University of Toronto and the Province of Ontario, endowed the Vivekananda Graduate Prize for a graduate or doctoral student who demonstrated academic excel-lence, financial need and who was seen to embody Vivekananda’s ideal of education—namely that education is not about memorizing information, but about the character-building assimilation of knowledge. The Prize has been awarded every year since 2000-2001 with the exception of 2008-2009. In two years 2007-2008 and 2012-2013, two awards were made. From its inception, the Prize has distributed close to $12,000 to deserving students.

Regarding the newly endowed Vivekananda Graduate Fellowship in Mathematics, Swami Kripamayananda, the President of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, said, “The Society is very happy to see a new scholar-ship established in the name of Swami Vivekananda during the 150th an-niversary of his birth. Amongst India’s many contributions to the world, mathematics certainly holds a distinguished place and so it is appropri-ate that this fellowship will be for students of mathematics. Moreover, in modern times, we feel that Swami Vivekananda is himself another great Indian contribution to the world. We hope that a fellowship named after him will increase awareness and study of his thought. He laid great

importance on the value of a good education. We know that students work very hard and they deserve whatever support we can give them. It has long been the tradition in India that education should not create a financial burden on the student. We hope that the Vivekananda scholarship will not only help students financially, but also that the ideas of this great thinker will inspire them to achieve great heights in their studies.”

The first award was made this year in 2013-2014. The winner was Ivan Livinskyi, a second year doctoral student working under the supervi-sion of Professor Steve Kudla. Ivan’s field of research is in Number Theory with a focus on modular forms. He was very honoured to receive this inaugural award.

Professor Almut Burchard, Associate Chair (Graduate Studies), De-partment of Mathematics, presented the award to Ivan and was pleased to be able to acknowledge his work as well as the generosity of the Vedanta Society of Toronto.

NEWS FROM THE INSTITUTE

Vivekananda Graduate Scholarship in Mathematics

Ivan Livinski receives his scholarship from Professor Almut Burchard.

JUNE 2014 49

In keeping with the worldwide celebrations of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, the Vedanta Society of Toronto hosted the Vi-vekananda Dinner on May 25, 2014, at the Bombay Palace in Bramp-ton, Ontario. Many distinguished guests were on hand, including

Swami Divyananda (Trustee, Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math), Swami Ishatmananda (Head, Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago), Professor Neil Turok (author of The Universe within: from Quantum to Cosmos; win-ner of the 2008 Technology, Entertainment Design -TED prize, and director of the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario), Mr. Akhilesh Mishra (Con-sul General of India in Toronto), founding members of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, and Inter-faith leaders. More than 500 guests attended.

The program started with the chanting of Shanthi mantras, a flower offering, and lighting of a candle in front of the portrait of Swami Vive-kananda by the Swamis and the Consul General. Mr. Buddhadev Guha read passages from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, follow-ing which Swami Kripamayananda, President of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, delivered the welcome address.

Swami Divyananda spoke on manifesting the Vivekananda ideal in our daily lives. He told the story about a poor rickshaw puller who allocated funds from his meagre earnings for charity, and recounted the life of Charuchandra Das (later Swami Shubhananda), a direct disciple of Swami Vivekananda, who served the poor and the sick in Varanasi. They both lived in accordance with the teachings of Swami Vivekananda by serving the living god in man.

Swami Ishatmananda spoke on Swami Vivekananda’s first visit to the U.S.A. He arrived in Chicago over one hundred years ago, without any friends or even acquaintances to whom he could reach out. Penniless, hungry and tired after his long journey, he sat on the steps in front of the house of a stranger whereupon the owner, a kind lady, opened the door and welcomed him in. His speech at the Parliament of Religions was greeted with a standing ovation. When he addressed the audience as “Sisters and Brothers of America” he established a powerful connection with them.

V. Kumar Murty, a Trustee of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the past, present and future of the Vedanta Society of Toronto. He outlined the humble beginnings of the Society, which was founded by the late Dr. Aravind Menon, along with Mr. K. S. Senathirajah and Professor B. Ramaswamy, both of whom were present. He also outlined the activities of the Toronto Centre, including the Institute for Vivekananda Studies, and stressed the need to raise funds to expand the current building to accommodate all activities.

This was followed by a devotional song Jai Jai Ramakrishna Hari which was sung by Bijoy Chakraborty accompanied by Raya Bidaye on Harmonium, Shreyas Ambikar on Santoor, Debashish Maitra on Guitar, and Ravi Naimpally and Tapas Bagchi on Tabla. The song is a popular namavali, where names of God are repeated musically. It was based on the raga Mishra Khamaj.

Vivekananda Dinner 2014

Keynote speaker Neil Turok discussed growing up in South Africa during the apartheid era, the imprisonment of his father for resisting the apartheid regime, moving to Tanzania as refugees, then pursuing his educa-tion in England. His attraction to mathematics and physics started at an early age. He spoke about various celebrated scientists and their individual contributions to physics, mathematics and the development of electromag-netic laws. His close association with renowned scientists such as Stephen Hawking enabled him further to pursue his interest in the field. He also spoke about his work at the universities in Cambridge and Princeton before getting on to the main topic of the evening: cosmology, quantum physics and the theories on the origin of the universe. He made special references to the latest developments and findings at the Hadron Collider (particle ac-celerator) in Geneva. He spoke about the Higgs Field, Boson and Fermion particles and the nature of their diverse movements. Turok’s talk also touched on the evolution of digital technology, in particular the accessibility of vast stores of digital information and processing power. In addition, he discussed interacting with Nelson Mandela, pointing out that he had intro-duced the late South African president to Stephen Hawking. He concluded his talk with a brief overview of the development, mandate and activities of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. Established by Turok in 2003, the institute is designed to increase access to higher education and research in mathematics.

The MC, Manoshi Chatterjee, then invited dancers from the Chitrale-kha Dance Academy, Devraj and Ellora Patnaik, to perform the Dasavatar (ten divine incarnations) in accordance with the song by the poet Jayadev. In the song, Jayadev pays homage to the ten avatars and describes them individually. Music and choreography were by Devraj Patnaik..

With this, the program came to a close. The MC invited Swami Kri-pamayananda to say grace, after which dinner was served by the Bombay Palace caterers. During the dinner, participants had an opportunity to inter-act with the speakers, inter-faith leaders, and other distinguished guests.

Dr. Menaka Rajasingham • Trustee, Vedanta Society of Toronto • rajasing-ham.menaka@gmail.com

From left to right, Swami Kripamayananda, Prof. Kumar Murty,Prof. Neil Turok and Dr. Menaka Rajasingham

MENAKA RAJASINGHAM

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Volunteers and Organizers Rajeev Seeburun, Uttam Saha and Suman Sinha

From left to right: Ravi Naimpally (Tabla), Shreyas Ambikar (Santoor), Bijoy Chakraborty (Vocalist), Raya Bidaye (Harmonium), Tapas Bagchi (Tabla). Also performing was guitarist Debashish Maitra (not shown).

Odissi artists Ellora and Devraj Patnaik of the Chitralekha Dance Academy perform Jayadeva’s composition on the ten incarnations

Consul General of India in Toronto Shri Akhilesh Mishra

Vedanta Society member Buddhadev Guha

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Swami Kripamayananda, President of the Vedanta Society of Toronto

Prof. Neil Turok, Director of the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical PhysicsSwami Divyananda, Trustee, Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, India

Swami Ishatmananda, Head of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago

CONTENTS

THE VEDANTA SOCIETY OF TORONTO120 Emmett AvenueToronto, Ontario, CanadaM6M 2E6

Visit us online at: www.viveka-institute.org

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 3 • JUNE 2014

M. Ram Murty, The Gnostic Gospels and Vedanta ......................................................................................................35

Vikraman Balaji, Translation of Some Hymns from the Rig Veda .........................................................................42

Abhishek Banerjee, Grace and Strength Amidst Calamity .....................................................................................46

Vivekananda Graduate Scholarship in Mathematics ..................................................................................................48

Menaka Rajasingham, Vivekananda Dinner 2014 ........................................................................................................49