The Vedanta Kesari August 2012

August 2012

august august august august august 20122012201220122012

A A A A A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDERMONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDERMONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDERMONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDERMONTHLY 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

Vedic PrayersVedic PrayersVedic PrayersVedic PrayersVedic Prayers 285

EditorialEditorialEditorialEditorialEditorialSelf-change: Some Lessons from the Kathopanishad 286

ArticlesArticlesArticlesArticlesArticles Guru, Mantra and Initiation 294

Swami Swahananda Swami Vivekananda’s Heroic Struggle 299

Swami Tathagatananda Man Beyond All Coverings 304

S.Panchapakesan Dhaniya Sutta: An Introduction 308

Swami Sunirmalananda Belur Math Temple 312

Hiranmoy Mukherjee Monastic Rules for the Layman 317

Gokul Muthu

New FindNew FindNew FindNew FindNew Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Turiyananda 297

The Order on the MarchThe Order on the MarchThe Order on the MarchThe Order on the MarchThe Order on the March 318

Book ReviewsBook ReviewsBook ReviewsBook ReviewsBook Reviews 321

FeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeatures Simhâvalokanam (Swami Ramakrishnananda: The Meaning of

His Life And Work)Swami Ranganathananda 290

Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories 307

VOL. 99, No. 8 ISSN 0042-2983

CONTENTS

Cover Story: Page 4Cover Story: Page 4Cover Story: Page 4Cover Story: Page 4Cover Story: Page 4

T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A U G U S T 2 0 1 2

The Vedanta KesariSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, ChennaiSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, ChennaiSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, ChennaiSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, ChennaiSri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 600 600 600 600 004004004004004hhhhh (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) FFFFFaxaxaxaxax ::::: (044) 2493 4589

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TTTTTHEHEHEHEHE VVVVVEDANTAEDANTAEDANTAEDANTAEDANTA KKKKKESARIESARIESARIESARIESARI PPPPPATRONSATRONSATRONSATRONSATRONS’’’’’ SSSSSCHEMECHEMECHEMECHEMECHEME

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Side-view of Swamiji’s Statue at Vivekanandar Illam

Vivekanandar Illam or Vivekananda House, formerly known asIce House/Castle Kernan, is an important landmark in Chennai. Itis the place where Swami Vivekananda stayed for nine days in1897 and where the first centre of Ramakrishna Math in SouthIndia was housed from 1897 to 1906. As one enters the Illampremises, facing the Marina Beach, one sees the stately fibreglassstatue of Swamiji, placed under a U-shaped concrete canopy.Sculpted in a sitting posture by Sri Nityanand Bhagat, a well-known artist from West Bengal, and installed in 1999, the statueis lighted up every morning by the rising sun.

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285T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9~ ~

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

VOL. 99, No. 8, AUGUST 2012 ISSN 0042-2983

VVVVVedic Prayersedic Prayersedic Prayersedic Prayersedic PrayersTr. by Swami Sambuddhananda

`mo yV§ M ^ì § M gdª `üm{Y{Vð>{V &ñd ©ñ` M Ho$db§ Vñ_¡ Á oð>m` ~«÷Uo Z_… &&

—Atharvaveda—Chap. X. 8. 1

`… who yV§ the past M and ^ì § the future M as

well gdª the whole universe `… M A{Y{Vð>{V governs,

controls ñd… bliss `ñ` whose (nature) M verily Ho$db§pure Vñ_¡ to that Á oð>m` the highest (of all gods) ~«÷Uoto Brahman Z_… salutation.

He who is all that was in the past and that will bein the future, who lords over the whole universe andwhose very nature is pure bliss—to Him, Brahman thehighest, my salutation.

Come out into the broad open light of day, come outfrom the little narrow paths, for how can the infinitesoul rest content to live and die in small ruts? Come outinto the universe of Light. Everything in the universe isyours, stretch out your arms and embrace it with love.If you ever felt you wanted to do that, you have feltGod.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2: 323

�

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286T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A U G U S T 2 0 1 2~ ~

Self-change:Some Lessons from the Kathopanishad

The KathopanishadThe term Upanishad means ‘to sit near

an illumined teacher’, an act that destroysignorance or misconception about the realnature of the Self. The idea of ‘self’ is thedeepest concept one has about oneself. Tobegin with—and this beginning may last for avery long time!—one thinks of oneself as bodyor mind or a body-mind combine. But as oneevolves in one’s thoughts and perception, anew and better understanding opens up onone’s mental horizon. With a greater refine-ment of thinking, one begins to recognize theessential fallacy of body-mind being the Self.This realization is the start of the inner journeyof self-change which every thinking humanbeing is struggling for. Without changingoneself, how can one change others!

Kathopanishad is one of the Upanishadswhich has been, and continues to be, the sourceof inspiration for numerous thinkers andseekers down the centuries. Swami Viveka-nanda was fond of this Upanishad. He oncetold one of his disciples to commit to memorythe whole Upanishad (consisting of 120 verses).The Kathopanishad is told in the form of adialogue between Nachiketa, a young, intelli-gent and bold seeker, and Yamaraja, the godof death.

As one reads through the Kathopanishad,one finds Yama making profound statementsabout different aspects of life, the power of

desires as well as discrimination, Self, UltimateReality, liberation and so on. His descriptionof the human personality, and how one candevelop it, is one the most gripping and fasci-nating passages. Let us go through some ofthem and cogitate over their implications forhigher living.

The Imagery of a ChariotSays Yama (Kathopanishad I.ii.1), using

a powerful imagery,

Know the (individual) self [Jiva] as the masterof the chariot, and the body as the chariot. Knowthe intellect as the charioteer, and the mind asverily the bridle.They call the organs the horses; the organshaving been imagined as horses, (know) theobjects as the roads. The discriminating peoplecall that Self the enjoyer when It is associatedwith body, organs, and mind.

He likens human personality to a chariotor a car. Suppose you own a car, you own thecar but you are not the car. You and car aredifferent. So, too, chariot is different from themaster who is riding it. Here the ‘master’ refersto the Divinity or the Divine Self which isriding the chariot called body from birth tobirth. Senses are likened to the horses whichpull the chariot. The sense-horses are con-trolled by the reins—the strap fastened to eachend of the bridle, by which the driver checksand directs a horse—which are in the hands


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of the driver called intellect or buddhi. Tocomplete the picture, Yama says the horsesrun on the road called objects of senses.

What are senses? They are the windowsthrough which the body-mind perceives theworld. We see or hear the world through thesenses. According to Vedanta, senses, ten innumber, are of two types: jnanendriyas andkarmendriyas or organs of perception andorgans of action. The five senses of perceptionor jnanendriyas are vision (eyes), hearing(ears), smell (nose), taste (tongue), and touch(skin). Through these, we import the externalworld into our inner world.

The five senses of action, or karmen-driyas, are speech (mouth), manual movement(hands), locomotion (feet), excretion (anus) andprocreation (organ of reproduction). Some-times mind is also included as a sense organ,the eleventh organ. We export things intoexternal world through these senses.

We function through these senses, withmind as the controlling and directing autho-rity. Without the presence of mind or the mindfeeling one with the sensory perceptions andactions, the senses cannot be fully functionalor effective. Mind, organs, body, along withahamkara or the sense of ‘I’, together make thewhole process of perception complete.

In terms of three gunas (sattva, rajas,tamas), body has more of tamas or inertia,senses have more rajas or activity/restlessnessand the mind, and the buddhi, have more ofsattva or serenity in them. Ego or ahamkara,too, has sattva element in it but as it getspredicated to various ideas such as ‘I ambody/mind,’ ‘I am beautiful/ugly’, ‘I amwealthy/poor’, ‘I am learned/ignorant’, andso on, it becomes covered by tamas and rajasand loses its pristine nature.

Yama later says (ibid, 10-11), tracing theorigin of the whole thing to God:

The sense-objects are higher than the senses, andthe mind is higher than the sense-objects; butthe intellect is higher than the mind, and theGreat Soul is higher than the intellect.

The Unmanifested is higher than Great Soul; thePurusha, the Supreme One, is higher than theUnmanifested. There is nothing higher than thePurusha. He is the culmination, He is the highestgoal.

Indeed, the energy behind the senses isthe Supreme Self, of God. But since the sensesare created with outward tendencies, they failto see the reality within (K.U., II. i.1).

The Role of BuddhiYama points the role of buddhi or

intellect whose use or abuse empowers orweakens a person’s capacity to control thesenses. Without controlling or discipliningsenses, one cannot face the vagaries of life.Disciplined senses are man’s good friends orelse they are enemies leading to greed andviolence.

Says Yama (K.U., I. iii.5-6),

But the organs of that intellect, which, being everassociated with an uncontrolled mind, becomesdevoid of discrimination, are unruly like thevicious horses of the charioteer.

But of that (intellect) which, being ever associatedwith a restrained mind, is endowed with dis-crimination, the organs are controllable like thegood horses of the charioteer.

In other words, if we are alert enough, ifour intellect is freed from attachment to desirefor enjoyments in its gross and subtle forms,our senses behave better. They do not behaveas if they are the master. The point is thatintellect should be made pure, free from allattachments. It is the one basic condition allreligious teachers speak of—purity of intellect.In itself, intellect is like a sharp knife which


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can be used in any way. We can also argueagainst or for something—this is a function ofintellect. It knows how to take sides. Butspiritual life is not about taking sides butfinding the ultimate reality. What it means isthat we should free the intellect from likes anddislikes (raga and dvesha), purge it of allhankerings for enjoyment of objects of sensesand redirect the intellect to its source, theDivinity within, which is by nature full of joyand peace. After all, it is this joy and sense ofmeaning which everyone is seeking, thoughthe real source is within and not without.

A saint once described an ‘attachedintellect’ thus: An army, mainly consisting ofhorse-mounted soldiers, was proceeding toinvade the enemy territory. Coming to knowof this, the enemy country acted smart andemployed a trick. As the horses approachedthe country, they laid out heaps of fresh dryhay and fresh grass, mixed with oats, barleyand other things which horses like to eat. Theyalso added some intoxicants in the fodder. Asthe war-strategists of the enemy had bribedthe riders of the front rows, the riders let thehorses eat the grass and in the meanwhile theenemy attacked the advancing army anddefeated them.

Same is the case of those people who lettheir senses get tempted by the object of senseswithout any check. While the sense-organsdevour the ‘grass’ of sense-objects, enemiessuch as lust, anger, greed, delusion, egoismand jealousy attack the master of the chariotleading to inner and outer turmoil. Conqueredby the enemy called sense-objects, the sensessurrender their freedom, leading to personaland collective ruin.

Swami Vivekananda describes it thus[CW, 1:235]:

The organs are the horses, the mind is the rein,the intellect is the charioteer, the soul is the rider,

and the body is the chariot. The master of thehousehold, the King, the Self of man, is sittingin this chariot. If the horses are very strong anddo not obey the rein, if the charioteer, theintellect, does not know how to control thehorses, then the chariot will come to grief. But ifthe organs, the horses, are well controlled, andif the rein, the mind, is well held in the hands ofthe charioteer, the intellect, the chariot reachesthe goal. What is meant, therefore, by thismortification? Holding the rein firmly whileguiding the body and the organs; not lettingthem do anything they like, but keeping themboth under proper control.

In the words of Yamaraja,

The man, however, who has as his charioteer adiscriminating intellect, and who has undercontrol the reins of the mind, attains the end ofthe road; and that is the highest place of Vishnu(all-pervading reality).

Resolving the Intellect versus MindOften there is a conflict between what

one feels (i.e. what their mind is telling themto do) and what one thinks is right (i.e. whattheir intellect is telling them to do). Most of usknow what is right but do not do it and knowwhat is wrong but cannot resist doing it!Knowing and not doing is what makes onehelplessly stuck in one’s inner evolution.

It would be good to understand the terms‘mind’ and ‘intellect’ in Vedantic terminology.Vedanta says that mind and intellect both arepart of antah-karna or the internal instrument,the umbrella term used for ‘mind’ in general.The antah-karna has four functions or aspects—chitta, manas, buddhi and ahamakara, i.e.,mind-stuff, mind, intellect and ego.

Chitta or mind-stuff is the repository ofall past experiences and tendencies in theirseed form called samskaras. The chitta is thereceiver of all sensory experiences. It receives,for instance, the impression of a bird through


the sense of eye. It passes on the data thusreceived to mind or manas which searches outvarious options about the object/event per-ceived and presents them to buddhi. By naturebuddhi is that part of the antah-karna whichdecides or settles on something. Ahamkara orthe sense of ‘I’ makes the process completeand hence, we say, ‘I know it’.

Now, if one wants to improve oneself, toknow one’s real Self, one should try to ‘attack’the enemy through proper understanding ofantah-karna. One should, first of all, ensurethat one’s chitta is trained to receive only goodsamskaras and block all the bad ones. The wellknown peace-chant from Upanishads says,

Om, May we hear with our ears what isauspicious,May we see with our eyes what is auspicious,May we live with contentment with strong bodyand limbs.May we praise the God and sing His gloriesduring our lifespan allotted to us by gods.

This is the first step towards cleansingthe mind: to take in through our senses whatis healthy and noble. Let us take care of whatbooks we read or what sites, pictures, blogsand pictures on Internet we see, what con-versations or songs we hear and so on. What-ever we gain through the senses gets depositedinside, in the mind. And ultimately, it is themind which gets polluted or cultured throughthe senses. One should be conscious aboutwhatever one hears, sees, smells and so on.

The second step in controlling andrefining the antah-karna is to strengthen thebuddhi. In most cases, as said earlier, buddhiis attached and hence sees only a limited viewof the reality. In order to make the buddhiawake, let us discipline it to make healthy,good choices. Let us choose good, and rejectwhat is not good. Almost at the very beginningof the Kathopanishad, Yama refers to making

a choice between shreyas [preferable] and preyas[pleasurable]. He says,

The preferable is different indeed; and so, indeedis the pleasurable different. These two, servingdivergent purposes, bind men. Of the two, goodcomes to him who accepts the preferable and hewho selects the pleasurable, falls from the trueend.

Buddhi has to be trained to follow thepath of shreyas, what is beneficial. This meanswe choose beneficial over pleasurable. To gofor only the mere pleasurable-ness of some-thing is to allow the senses to have the upperhand. We should look for ultimate spiritualbenefits and that is what prepares the intellectto become a tool for self-change. To train abuddhi is to develop viveka or discernmentwhich plays a central role in all paths—KarmaYoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.

ConclusionUNESCO’s constitution famously says:

‘Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is inthe minds of men that the defenses of peacemust be constructed.’ Indeed, whatever changewe want outside, we should first make it inourselves. As Swamiji says,

We are to take care of ourselves—that much wecan do—and give up attending to others for atime. Let us perfect the means; the end will takecare of itself. For the world can be good andpure, only if our lives are good and pure. It isan effect, and we are the means. Therefore, letus purify ourselves. Let us make ourselvesperfect.

To make ourselves perfect is to know ourinside world, to change it slowly and gradu-ally, through right thought, right words andright action. We have to make our body-chariotrun on the path of spiritual perfection throughchecking the sense-horses, reining in the mindthrough a trained, awakened intellect. Are wewilling?

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From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI

S i m h â v a l o k a n a m

(August, 1953-54, Pp. 261-265)

Swami Ramakrishnananda:Swami Ramakrishnananda:Swami Ramakrishnananda:Swami Ramakrishnananda:Swami Ramakrishnananda:the Meaning of His Life and Wthe Meaning of His Life and Wthe Meaning of His Life and Wthe Meaning of His Life and Wthe Meaning of His Life and Workorkorkorkork

Among the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Ramakrishnananda holds a uniqueposition; he bears the Master’s name; and he, among all the disciples, may be consideredas a specially commissioned apostle chosen to work in one part of the world—the Southof India. While other disciples were sent to various places as a matter of course, thespecial act of commission to this teacher by Swami Vivekananda is something distinctive,and significant.

The Early PromiseShashi [the future Swami Ramakrishnananda] entered this world at Calcutta in the

same year in which Swami Vivekananda entered it—in 1863. We find him cheerful,vivacious and active as a child, and intelligent, inquisitive and energetic as a boy. Atschool he studied the various subjects that were taught to him but the fire in him couldnot be quenched with the studies that the school provided. There was in him a passion forpurity, a spirit of dispassion, and a mood of searching and inquisitiveness, a burningdesire to probe deeper, and not rest content with what was given on the surface plane ofexperience. A mood of spiritual quest was marked in him even in his boyhood.

Along with Sarat (the future Swami Saradananda), a younger cousin of his, we findhim wending his way to the Brahmo Samaj which was then the movement to which mostof the spiritually hungry among the English-educated went at that time. There he came intouch with the great Keshab Chandra Sen and others. He participated in the spiritualministry of the Brahmo Samaj and sought to satisfy his soul’s hunger. From there aninexorable destiny guided his steps gently and steadily to the temple of Dakshineswarwhere he met with the great Sri Ramakrishna whom he accepted as his Guru, guide, andall in all, and under whose training he developed into that great spiritual personality inwhose blessings we all have the privilege to share.

Mutual Discovery of the Master and the DiscipleShashi’s meeting with Sri Ramakrishna is significant because of the future which lay

hidden within it. He goes to the teacher and there was an interview between the teacher

(Excerpts)

SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA


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and the disciple. It was characteristic of Sri Ramakrishnaand characteristic also of the disciples who went tohim, that in these interviews there were interestingquestions and answers. Sri Ramakrishna asked Shashi—hardly 18 years then—as to what aspect of God hewould like to meditate on, whether God with form orGod without form. This was a usual question whichSri Ramakrishna put to various aspirants coming tohim. But straight came the answer from this young,inquisitive and frank boy to this query of the Master: ‘Ido not know whether God exists at all or not—so howcan I decide whether I should worship God with orwithout form. . .’ The mood behind this frank answeris very significant for religion.

The Mother-Heart of the Young YogiSwami Ramakrishnananda’s devotion to his

Master was characterised by a supreme spirit of dedication and self-effacing servicecharacteristic of the mother-heart. During Sri Ramakrishna’s illness in the last year of hismortal existence Swami Ramakrishnananda dedicated himself to the unremitting care ofhis master’s body, excelling in this all his other brother-disciples. The spirit and intensityof that service to the person of the Master earned for him, after the passing of the Master,the name Ramakrishnananda. Swami Vivekananda who had desired to take that name forhimself, chose, however, to bestow it on his brother-disciple, Shashi, in appreciation ofhis self-effacing love and service to the Master. We next meet with him as SwamiRamakrishnananda in the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Order at Baranagore, Calcutta,in the company of Swami Vivekananda and other young Sannyasin disciples of the Master.The great mother-heart of Shashi found another remarkable expression in the life of thatmonastery. This famous monastery is the origin of the now world-wide Ramakrishna Mathand Mission. In the Baranagore monastery the life of the members was marked by an utterforgetfulness of the body and its needs in an intense pursuit of spiritual awareness andDivine presence. But in this code of life there was one exception—and that was SwamiRamakrishnananda. Second to none in his spirit of renunciation, austerity and devotion,he chose to give expression to these through the loving service of the Master’s relics in thechapel and of the Master’s children in the monastery. His mother-heart found the fullestexpression in these two channels. For ten long years he tended the infant Order with arare love and devotion. The monastery’s life centred in him and his life centred in theMaster whose service constituted his austerity and spirituality, pilgrimage and devotion. In

Swami Ramakrishnananda


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the meantime, great things were happening outside which were to affect profoundly thecourse of the world and the life of Swami Ramakrishnananda.

Southward Ho!Swami Vivekananda, after his wanderings through the length and breadth of India,

had gone to the West and preached successfully for four long years the message ofVedanta through the Chicago Parliament of Religions and a thousand other platforms. Onhis return to India in 1897, he had burst upon our horizon with a mighty spiritual force,had shaken our nation out of its lethargy and complacency, and had imparted to it amessage of strength and practical spirituality, of patriotism and national service, the message,in short, of a dynamic national character. This dynamic impact was to affect SwamiRamakrishnananda’s life also in a radical way. For, as part of his plan of spiritual campaignin India, and in response to the desire of his Madras devotees and admirers, SwamiVivekananda decided to open one of the three centres of his movement in Madras—theother two being in Calcutta and in Mayavati. And he deliberately chose Swami Rama-krishnananda for Madras, as his apostle to South India. The call was sudden as well asrevolutionary. From the even tenor of a cloistered life, he was to plunge into theresponsibilities and cares of an abbot in a big city. Swami Ramakrishnananda cheerfullyresponded to the call of his beloved leader and thus expressed another facet of his greatspirit of renunciation and self-effacement. He reached Madras in the middle of 1897 tocommence a new form of spiritual sadhana where service of God flowed into service ofman, and which continued to the end of his life in 1911.

A mantle of simplicity and humility, covered the gigantic spiritual stature of SwamiRamakrishnananda, Swami Premananda and other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. He wentabout his work in his new field in Madras denying himself in the affirmation of the Divine.Only to a few discerning souls was it given to see the man behind the mantle.

Swami Ramakrishnananda came to a Madras which had only just a while agoexperienced the mighty impact of Swami Vivekananda’s personality. The difference betweenthe two personalities was wide. Swami Vivekananda was an orator and organizer, and adynamo of spiritual energy and power which neither the East nor the West could resist orignore. Swami Ramakrishnananda was the opposite of this. But he possessed just thosegifts which could canalise a spiritual flood for the lasting benefit of the people concerned.His purity and renunciation, non-sectarian spirituality and broad tolerance, his utterselflessness and intense love for man, and above all, his complete dedication to the causeof his Master—these he placed in the devoted service of the people of this part of ourcountry. He was endowed with a strong physique and keen intellect; the first enabled himto bear the hardships of a pioneer’s job, while the second enabled him to satisfy thespiritual demands of an intellectual people such as the people of Madras are known to be.


South India may well claim the honour of having been the spiritual teacher of Indiafor centuries together. To this South India came Swami Ramakrishnananda. We can seethe unseen hand of Providence in this choice; his attainments and outlook and approachbore a relation to the spiritual background and present requirements of South India. Thewholesome effects of this choice are already beginning to manifest, but its full effects, itsmature fruits, would come in course of time.

Thawing the Frozen Snow of the SpiritA stagnant religiosity which found expression largely in formal acts of piety and

correct smarta behaviour could not catch up with, much less sustain, the movements of adynamic society. Life and religion, therefore, began to function in separate compartments.This division in the mind of man had disastrous consequences for his character andpersonality. The impulses of a static piety and the forces of dynamic social urges tended tocancel each other so as to reduce man’s strength of character and effectiveness of personality.The country needed a re-statement of religion as a spiritual adventure and quest which hasthe capacity to invigorate a society from within and make for progress all-round. This wasthe service that Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda did to religion in general andIndia in particular. And it was the message of that dynamic and comprehensive spiritualitythat Swami Ramakrishnananda bore to the religious people of the south.

(To be continued. . .)

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Swami Ramakrishnananda’s PersonalitySwami Ramakrishnananda was a radiant embodiment of love and purity. Such physical

and mental purity is rare to find. His devotion and faith toward his only God in life wasinfinite and unparalleled. His devotion to the Guru can only be compared with that ofMahavira to Sri Ramachandra. He held his brother-disciples like Swamis Vivekananda,Brahmananda, and others in high esteem, considering them as Sri Ramakrishna’sinseparable limbs. His love for brother-disciples was akin to worship. He knew nodifference between the high and low, rich and poor. He remained ever anxious for thewell-being of one and all. He would stretch out his hand to embrace all, and would giveaway compassion to all irrespective of their good or evil nature. The vow of his life wasto serve the Master in every being and help them manifest their inherent divinity. Hesacrificed himself on the altar of this vow; he would perform the act himself beforecompelling others to do it. He came to this world only to fulfill the work of the Master. . .The great field of work that has been created in South India in the name of SriRamakrishna had its foundation stone laid with the heart’s blood of SwamiRamakrishnananda. With the passage of time people will come to realize by degrees theextent of his love and its influence. —Swami Shivananda

� � �


Guru, Mantra and InitiationSWAMI SWAHANANDA

Why Take Mantra from a Guru?If a mantra is taken from a book, the

results will not be exactly the same as ifreceived directly from a guru, nor will it be awaste of time either. God’s name has its ownpower. Illumined souls explain that if anaspirant learns from a guru who lives the life,who has progressed a little, the results will begreater. One becomes convinced it is possibleto realize God after having seen such a soulbefore one’s own eyes. In the struggle God-ward, every now and then aspirants becomediscouraged. Therefore, to keep up the struggleand sustain a certain zeal, one must associatewith the holy. That is another benefit of theguru.

Sri Ramakrishna was asked, ‘Is a gurunecessary? Who is the guru?’ He explained,‘God—Satchidananda—is the guru. Humangurus are the conduits of this supreme Source.’Swami Satprakashananda, former head of theSt. Louis Vedanta center, had a conflict fromwhom he should take initiation—SwamiBrahmananda or Holy Mother. Each one

told him to go to the other. Finally he went toSwami Shivananda who said, ‘It is the samewater (meaning the power conveyed from thesupreme Guru). Rain water has fallen fromthe roof. It is coming out through the mouthof the tiger and the mouth of the lion. There isno distinction between the two.’

We are only the conduits, the channelthrough which the guru power flows. If one’sguru is evolved, the result will be better. Thepower of the mantra will be more. Your faithwill be more. Your power, mantra power, andthe guru power all combined give the results.Mantra power is increased if you have faith,and it increases even more if the teacher hasfaith.

In another context, Ramakrishna taught:‘When one’s mind becomes pure, then thatmind itself becomes the guru.’ In other words,the pure mind shows us what is right andwhat is wrong, what is good what is bad. Butone must receive the mantra from a person, ahuman being. When Swami Brahmananda wasasked, ‘Is a guru necessary?’ he replied, ‘Of

During recent spiritual retreats at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Texas, ReveredSwami Swahananda, Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, responded to devotees’questions on meditation and spiritual life. An initiated disciple of Swami Vijnanananda, a directdisciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Swahananda is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order. Hewas the editor of Vedanta Kesari (August 1956 to April 1962) and has written and translatednumerous books and articles in English.

This article is based on the question-and-answer sessions, which were transcribed and compiledby Ranjana Chopra, President of the Society, were edited by Pravrajika Brahmaprana, a nun of theVedanta Society of Southern California, at Sarada Convent, Hollywood, USA.


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course. If you want to learn how to steal yourequire a guru. So why not accept a guru forGod-realization when one has no immediateexperience and the path is not so evident?’

In the Vedanta tradition, the guru is theVeda, which is knowledge not found withinthe range of ordinary human experience.Anything that is beyond the normal experiencemust come from some source, and that sourceis the Veda. It is a self-evident truth. No onehas created it; but it exists for all to experience.Ultimately, everything comes from the Vedaor from the personal God—Vishnu, Brahma,or Shiva.

The Ramakrishna TraditionIn the Ramakrishna Order the guru tells

the disciple, ‘I am not the guru. The guru isGod.’ Swami Shivananda and other directdisciples of Ramakrishna all verified, ‘I am notthe guru,’ meaning, according to the gurulineage, the supreme Guru was Sri Rama-krishna. Furthermore, the direct disciplesspoke this way from experience; they did nothave the sense of ego, the idea ‘I am the doer’.In them that idea of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ was almostnonexistent. In the Ramakrishna-Vedantatradition, their example is normally followed.

Although, on one hand we say we arenot the guru, but in another sense, we agreethat ‘Yes, we are the human guru’. However,before the human guru dies, he should try toinspire initiated devotees that the real guru isnot the human guru. The atman within is thereal guru. The atman is nothing but God, orthe Ishta. In other words, that guru is the realguru, which is God.

Sri Ramakrishna explained that if thehuman guru has attained a certain spirituallevel, he will be released—not the final release,but released into the body of the Ishta, andthere he remains identified with the Ishta.

Therefore, whenever the human guru ispraised by the devotee, that praise actuallygoes to the Ishta. If the devotee wants to seethe guru at the end of his or her life, the gurumay come, but really it is God himself whocomes.

In this connection, there is a beautifulstory of Kusum, a child widow who lived anaustere life. Initiated by Swami Subhodananda,a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Kusum wasdevoted to guru and God. The story goes thatshe died at the age of forty. On the day thatshe passed away a light was seen above herhouse, which some neighbours saw and under-stood to mean that she had died. Her guruwas also aware that she had passed away.

After sometime Swami Subhodanandavisited that area where Kusum had once livedand came down with a high fever. He wasput into a guest house alone, where he tossedand turned all night. Suddenly he saw Kusumsitting by the bed, fanning him. He asked:‘Kusum, where have you come from? Did younot die?’ ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘Thakur has sentme.’

‘What happened the day you died?’Swami Subodhananda asked.

‘I was in great agony,’ she explained,‘and I was calling on you.’ (The guru isconsidered more accessible, while the Ishta isless so.) ‘I was calling on you and suddenly Ifound you had come, hooded, and took meby the hand. We both ascended into the air—higher and higher until we reached a wonder-ful place. You removed your hood and I sawthe face of Thakur smiling. I asked, “Whathappened to my guru?” Sri Ramakrishnareplied, “It was always me. But you werecalling on your guru, so I had to take thatform when I came to you.”’

This story also explains the theory thatthe guru will not be released until all his


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disciples are liberated. The guru merges intothe Ishta, who does whatever is necessary forthe disciple.

The Ishta when manifested is the guru.After the human guru passes away, you maythink, ‘The guru has not left me. The guru hasbecome more infinite, more cosmic. The guruis part of the Ishta.’ So, do not feel you are notthinking of the guru when you are remember-ing the Ishta, because the guru’s major job isto introduce you to the Ishta by the mantra.

Swami Vivekananda stipulated that theminimum qualifications of a guru are, first, hemust be sinless. Second, he must know thespirit of the scriptures. He need not be a greatscholar, but he should have insight into thedisciple’s nature and thus be able to recom-mend proper solutions to spiritual problems.Third he should be without any worldlymotive, keeping the good of the disciple ashis main purpose. Therefore the human gurushould be ethical and never take advantage ofthe disciple.

Guru and UpaguruThe real guru gives the mantra—that is,

the power of the mantra—and helps thedisciple mystically. But a teacher who helpsan aspirant spiritually in other ways can becalled an upa guru.

Sometimes in the Ramakrishna Order,one’s guru is quite old and has so manydisciples that it is difficult to receive an oppor-tunity to go near him for guidance. So oftenthe aspirant will seek out some other seniorswami, normally the head of a Rama-

krishna Math centre, to ask crucial questionsabout spiritual life. This teacher is called asubsidiary teacher, an upa guru, or siksha guru.

Dreams about the GuruSwami Vivekananda explained, ‘Deva-

swapna satyam’—‘Spiritual dreams are true’. SriRamakrishna used to say that if one dreamsabout sannyasis, a cremation ground, or fire,these are auspicious signs. I normally say thatif a dream gives you encouragement, thenbelieve it. If it depresses you, forget it. Do nottry to find meaning in everything. But if theguru scolds you in a dream, obey him.

Serving the GuruThe best service one can give the guru is

to realize God—have the vision of the Ishta orattain Brahmajnana. The second best servicewould be to try to achieve that realization.Another would be to convey Sri Ramakrishna’smessage to others.

Once, Swami Yatiswarananda, later aVice President of Ramakrishna Order, wantedto perform sadhana in solitude. Swami Brah-mananda, his guru, asked: ‘How much capa-city do you have to do this? We have alreadydone this for you. Go and preach the messageof Vivekananda door to door.’ To lessen theego, don’t think you are preaching, but ratherthat you are merely conveying the teachings. Ifyou are asked, ‘Have you realized God?’ say,‘I believe in God and I have some convictionthat God is there, but I have not yet realizedHim.’ We practice humility by not thinkingwe are either the guru or the teacher.

The highest spiritual discipline is the practice of Brahman consciousness. The next ismeditation. Chanting of hymns and repetition of the divine Name form the third step. Thelowest step is external worship with the help of an image.—Mahanirvana Tantra, 14.122

297T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J U N E 2 0 1 2~ ~

The Ramakrishna Advaita AshramaLakoha, Benares City

U.P.The 13th Jany/17.

My dear RamChandra,I am in receipt of the “Gita Rahashy” by Bal

Gangadhar Tilak which you so kindly sent me at Almoraby registered Book Post. It was redirected to me here asadvised before. I already made acknowledgment of the parcelof Dhupa to you form here the other day. I hope you have gotthat by this time. I expected a letter from you. But I think you must bevery busy and could not make time to write. I trust you are doing well in every way. I amdoing a little better just at present. S. Shivananda, Premananda and myself going to theBelur Math very shortly. I will be there for some time, may be till the winter is over andwhen it is hot I may again go to the mountains with S. Shivananda who loves to be thereespecially in summer. I shall feel happy to hear from you about your well being in reply tothis. My best wishes and love to you as ever. With sincere greetings

Yours afftlyTuriyananda

Sasi NiketanPuri.India

The 10th July/17My dear Miss McLeod,2

Many thanks for your kind letter of May 12th which I received here on the 22nd Junelast. It relieved us a great deal. The news that Lord Charmichel lost all his belongings inthe steamer he sailed by put us not to a little anxiety about you. We are very glad to knowthat you are once more amongst your own safe and sound. I left the [Belur] Math on the 3rd

June and arrived here the next day and was delighted to find Swami Brahmananda andparty hale and hearty after a long time. Really I found him very much more active &

Unpublished Letters ofSwami Turiyananda1


298T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J U N E 2 0 1 2~ ~

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energetic than what I saw him last time some five or six years ago. His travel in theSouthern Presidency has done him good. We had a very nice time of it here at the CarFestival of Jugannath Deva. But I had the other side of it also. I had a boil in my right earwhich kept me almost confined to bed and made me restless for twenty two days. Now Iam all right again. You see I could not attend the Darjeeling Conference. Gonen wentthere. You must have heard the sad news of Mrs.Geddes’ passing away by this time.Nobody can understand the ways of the Lord. We are now more concerned for Mr.Geddeswho seems to be quite helpless at this terrible loss. We invited him to come and live withus in the Math. He came for a day but could not stay as he had to go back to Darjeeling tolook after the Conference there.

Perhaps you are not aware that Swami Premananda had an attack of Typhoid feverof late. We were put to great anxiety and almost despaired of his life. But thanks to themercy of the Lord he has come round and now is in the fair way of recovery. He is inCalcutta at 57 Ramkanto Bose’s Street Baghbazar and progressing fast there. They aredoing well at the Math the Swamis and Brahmacharins of the Mission. You will be sorryto learn that Biren had relapse of the brain disorder from which he suffered twice before.He has gone to his parents and being treated there medically but shows no signs of anyimprovement yet. He may come to his senses after some time as he did twice before. Youasked me to write to you often nay oftener. But I am so sorry I could not write to you inreply so long. I hope you hear from Swami Saradananda every now and then. He alsosuffered a great deal from liver complaints of late but now he is quite himself again.Kindly let me know from time to time how you do.

Trusting you are well and prosperous. With my best wishes and affectionate regards& greetings as ever

Yours afftlyTuriyananda


Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

References:References:References:References:References: 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna2. Josephine McLeod, a friend of Swami Vivekananda


Swami Vivekananda’s Heroic StruggleSWAMI TATHAGATANANDA

Prophets and saints suffer for the goodof humanity. They bestow love and wisdomto the world. They accept suffering willinglythroughout their life for the lasting welfare ofhumanity. All are exemplars of self-sacrificeand renunciation. They come to remove oursuffering. Through their love for us, they showus the way that leads to the end of sorrow. SriShankaracharya says:

O Lord, with thy nectar-like speech, sweetenedby the enjoyment of the elixir-like bliss ofBrahman, pure, cooling to a degree, issuing instreams from thy lips as from a pitcher, anddelightful to the ear—do thou sprinkle me whoam tormented by worldly afflictions as by thetongues of a forest fire. Blessed are those onwhom even a passing glance of thy eye lights,accepting them as thine own.4

Swami Vivekananda says, ‘The purity ofthese few Paramahamsas is all that holds theworld together. If they should all die out and

Suffering is the lot of the world’s best and bravest—yet, for aeons yet—till things are righted,if possible, here—at least it is a discipline which breaks the dream [of worldly existence]. In mysane moments I rejoice for my sufferings. Someone must suffer here;—I am glad it is I, amongstothers of nature’s sacrifices.1

Come ye that are heavy laden and lay all your burden on me, and then do whatever you likeand be happy and forget that I ever existed.2

For the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, great-souled men take their birth;their lives and works are past the ordinary human run, and the method of their preaching is equallymarvellous.3

—Swami Vivekananda

leave it, the world would go to pieces.’5 In theBhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says to Arjuna:

Whatsoever the superior person does, that is alsofollowed by others;What standard he or she demonstrates by action,people follow that.I have, O Partha, no duty, nothing that I havenot gained, and nothing that I have yet to gain,in the three worlds;Yet, I do continue in action.If ever I did not continue to work without anyrelaxation, O Partha,Men and women would, in every way followmy example.6

God’s messengers have always been mis-understood, persecuted, and tormented. Theysuffered more than others did. Swami Viveka-nanda says:

The great Prophets were giants—they bore agigantic world on their shoulders. Comparedwith them we are pygmies, no doubt, yet we

The author is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and the Head of Vedanta Society, New York. His booksinclude The Journey of the Upanishads to the West, and Light from the Orient, among others.


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are doing the same task; in our little circles, ourlittle homes, we are bearing our little crosses.There is no one so evil, no one so worthless, buthe has to bear his own cross. But with all ourmistakes, with all our evil thoughts and evildeeds, there is a bright spot somewhere, there isstill somewhere the golden thread through whichwe are always in touch with the divine.7

The lives of the prophets testify to theDivine love and truth that transforms peoplewhen they go astray. Swami Vivekananda wasa world prophet and apostle of Shakti, divinestrength. He had the great heart of LordBuddha. He had the penetrating intellect ofSri Shankaracharya. He had Sri Chaitanya’slove for God. He had the burning renunciationof Jesus Christ and the dynamism of St. Paul.Swami Vivekananda’s share of the humanstruggle made him a truly heroic person.

Swami Vivekananda was a God-man, agreat spiritual luminary, a Rishi. He was theIncarnation of Lord Shiva8 who was rousedby Sri Ramakrishna from his deep samadhi.He took a human form and accepted humansuffering for the good of humanity. The Masterexplained Narendra’s profound power ofmeditation by saying that Narendra was theembodiment of the ‘Shiva-nature’ or ‘Shiva-power.’9

We can never grasp his infinite spiritualsignificance or the fullness of his humanpersonality. His life was perfectly balanced.His universal sympathy for human sufferingdrew him to others. We are giving someillustrations of his heroic struggle to removehuman suffering while he was enduring hisown trials and tribulations. These sketches willcreate a deep impression in the minds ofsincere devotees.

Christ says, ‘If any will come after Me,let him deny himself, and take up his crossand follow Me.’10 The cross is our symbol of

compassion, forgiveness and universal lovethat Christ gave us through his crucifixion.Swami Vivekananda’s soul was always ‘han-kering after peace and rest eternal undis-turbed’11 and longing for the solitary life of asadhu:

I long, oh! I long for my rags, my shaven head,my sleep under the trees, and my food frombegging! India is the only place where, with allits faults, the soul finds its freedom, its God.12

Swamiji had to experience extremehardship, humiliation, betrayal, and undergomany other sufferings throughout his life. Hebore his cross with love and was the apostleof strength to others. He taught them that theytoo might experience the glory of the Self thathad given him his strength.

One of Swami Vivekananda’s earliest photographs


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Narendra’s Early Experience of Poverty.The dire poverty of young Narendranath andhis family after his father’s death in 1884 iswell known. Narendra, still in college andunemployed, was the eldest child. All hoperested on him alone. During this period, hegot his first bitter taste of betrayal. His onceaffectionate relatives became hostile enemies.They evicted his family from their residenceon illegal terms. They deprived his mother ofher legitimate possessions and her share ofproperty. For many years, Swamijihad to go to court to defend thelegal rights of his family. Theselawsuits were expensive and causedhim severe financial and emotionaldifficulties. He was often withoutfood for days at a time. One timehe was so famished that he faintedby the roadside. His emotional andpsychological suffering more thanmatched his physical suffering.

While his heart burned withthe desire to protect his mother andfamily, his mind longed for Godand the contemplative life. Hewanted to renounce everything andbecome a monk. That was his nobleideal. Friends and relatives tried todiscourage him and circulatedhorrible false statements about his character.Then, in 1886, when he was twenty-three yearsold, his beloved and revered Guru left themortal coil. This was more than he could bear.Sri Ramakrishna had been the Life of his lifeand the support of his being. He had been hisonly friend, consoler and spiritual teacher.Bereft of the Master, all hope left him and hebegan to doubt himself. The shock severelytested his faith in God. It was a terrible time.

Narendra’s Hardships at Baranagore.Just before his Mahasamadhi on 16 August 1886

at Cossipore, the Master had transmitted hispower to Narendra. This profound power wasworking within Narendra to make him a fitinstrument for creating a new epoch. Heestablished the basic form of the RamakrishnaMath in a rented building at Baranagore on 19October 1886. He later wrote,

When my Master left the body, we were a dozenpenniless and unknown young men. Against uswere a hundred powerful organizations, strug-gling hard to nip us in the bud.13

During his lecture, ‘My Life and Mission,’in Pasadena, California in 1900, he spoke ofthe physical, emotional and psychologicalhardships of those days:

We had no friends. Who would listen to a fewboys, with their crank notions? Nobody. At least,in India, boys are nobodies. Just think of it—adozen boys, telling people vast, big ideas, sayingthey are determined to work these ideas out inlife. Why, everybody laughed. From laughter, itbecame serious; it became persecution. . . . Andthus we went on, that band of boys. The only

Swamiji (with turban and rudraksha mala) with along his brother-disciples in Baranagore Math


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thing we got from those around us a kick and acurse—that was all. Of course, we had to begfrom door to door for our food: got hips andhaws—the refuse of everything—a piece of breadhere and there. We got hold of a broken-downold house, with hissing cobras living underneath;and because that was the cheapest, we went intothat house and lived there. . . . I believed, as Iwas living, that these ideas [life-trans-forming ideas of Sri Ramakrishna] were goingto rationalize India and bring better days tomany lands and foreign races. With that belief,came the realization that it is better that a fewpersons suffer than that such ideas should dieout of the world. What if a mother or twobrothers die? It is a sacrifice. Let it be done. Nogreat thing can be done without sacrifice. Theheart must be plucked out and the bleeding heartplaced upon the altar. Then great things aredone. Is there any other way? None have foundit. . . .14

Sri Ramakrishna’s young disciples need-ed to succeed as a brotherhood with a clearmission. Narendra, as their leader, bore thisheavy responsibility alone while also lookingafter his family. Narendra suffered mentalagony at Baranagore:

I had to stand between my two worlds. On theone hand, I would have to see my mother andbrothers starve unto death; on the other, I hadbelieved that this man’s [Sri Ramakrishna] ideaswere for the good of India and the world, andhad to be preached and worked out. And so thefight went on in my mind for days and months.Sometimes I would pray for five or six days andnights together without stopping. Oh, the agonyof those days! I was living in hell! The naturalaffections of my boy’s heart drawing me to myfamily—I could not bear to see those who werethe nearest and dearest to me suffering. On theother hand, nobody to sympathize with me. Whowould sympathize with the imaginations of aboy—imaginations that caused so much suffer-ing to others? Who would sympathize with me?

None—except one. . . . [Holy Mother Sri SaradaDevi] was the only one who sympathized . . .but she was powerless . . . Oh, how much it hascost! What agony! What torture! What terriblesuffering is behind every deed of success in everylife!15

After practicing hard austerities, Naren-dra acted on his innermost resolve. In Decem-ber 1886, at the home of Matangini Devi inAntpur,16 he took the vow of renunciation onChristmas Eve along with the other discipleswho were living at Baranagore.

A serious conflict troubled his mind.Before the Master’s death, he had experiencedNirvikalpa Samadhi by his grace but Sri Rama-krishna had denied him further experiencesof that state. Still, he longed to go to a solitaryplace in the Himalayas and remain absorbedin the Absolute. This desire would not leavehim. During this period of mental turmoil,Balaram Bose and Surendra Mitra, the twomain householders who supported the Bara-nagore Math, died.

Swami Vivekananda’s Hardships as aWandering Monk. Between 1890 and 1893,Swamiji wandered as a monk throughout thelength and breadth of India. He encounteredgreat hardships along the way, with his ‘healthbreaking all the time’:

It tells on the body in the long run: sometimesone meal at nine in the evening, another time ameal at eight in the morning, another after twodays, another after three days—and always thepoorest and roughest thing. Who is going to givethe beggar the good things he has? And then,they have not much in India. And most of thetime walking, climbing snow peaks, sometimesten miles of hard mountain climbing, just to geta meal. They eat unleavened bread in India, andsometimes they have it stored away for twentyor thirty days, until it is harder than bricks; andthen they will give a square of that. I wouldhave to go from house to house to collect suffi-


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1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda(Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1977), VI: 419.[Hereafter CW]

2. CW, VII: 521.3. Ibid, IV: 419.4. Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya, (“Crest-

jewel of Discrimination“) Swami Madhavananda,trans. (Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama, 1952), Slokano. 39, p. 15.

5. CW, VII: 85.6. Bhagavad Gita, 3: 21-23.7. CW, IV: 152.8. Udbodhan, Vivekananda Centenary Number, p.

262. two volumes), Vol. I, p. 134.

9. The Life of Swami Vivekananda By His Eastern andWestern Disciples (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 5th

ed., 1979 in two volumes), Vol. I, p. 134. [Here-after Life of SV, Vol. I]

10. St. Mark, 8: 34. See also St. Matthew, 16: 24.11. CW., VI: 359.12. Ibid.13. Letters of Swami Vivekananda (Calcutta: Advaita

Ashrama, 1976), p. 247. [Hereafter Letters]14. CW, VIII: 80-3 passim.15. Ibid, 81-2 passim.16. Life of SV, Vol. I, p. 196.17. CW, VIII: 84.18. Life of SV, Vol. I, p. 257.

cient for one meal. And then, the bread was sohard, it made my mouth bleed to eat it. Literally,you can break your teeth on that bread. Then Iwould put it in a pot and pour water over itfrom the river. For months and months I existedthat way—of course it was telling on the health.17

Several times, Swami Vivekananda be-came seriously ill due to starvation and severecold. Once in Almora, a single cucumberoffered to him by a Muslim farmer energizedhim. Another time when Swamiji was minis-tering to the needs of the local people in Khetri,he completely forgot to eat or drink water forthree days.

The most serious illness attacked himwhen he was in Hrishikesh with a few of his

brother-monks towards the end of 1890. Itturned out to be a great blessing. A dange-rously high fever and diphtheria had loweredhis pulse. In the bitter cold, he fell down un-conscious but gradually recovered. Later, hetold his brother monks that

During that apparently unconscious state, he hadseen that he had a particular mission in the worldto fulfill and that until he had accomplished thatmission, he would have no rest. Indeed, hisbrother-disciples noticed such a super-abundantspiritual energy welling up in him that it seemedthat he could hardly contain it. He was restlessto find a proper field for its expression.18

The vision ended his desire for intensesadhana in the Himalayas. (To be continued. . .)

ReferencesReferencesReferencesReferencesReferences

The Devoted CrowOne day in the forest Rama and Lakshmana stopped by a clear stream to rest. There

they saw a crow, apparently parched with thirst, yet every time it would go down to thewater, it would turn and come back without drinking.

‘What a foolish crow this is!’ said Lakshmana. ‘He is suffering from thirst here on thebank of a stream and does not drink single drop.’

‘Do not judge so hastily, my brother,’ Rama replied. ‘This crow is a great devotee ofGod. He is constantly repeating God’s name. Whenever he goes down to the water todrink, he remembers that in order to drink he must discontinue the repetition and hecannot bear to do that, so he goes back without drinking.’ —Swami Ramakrishnananda


Man Beyond All CoveringsS.PANCHAPAKESAN

What Is ImportantLet us begin with an analogy.Nowadays, we keep all our important

documents, jewellery and other valuables inthe bank lockers. Whenever we want toretrieve them for usage or checking, we go tothe bank, sign the register (with the lockerdetails), enter the strong-room and withsimultaneous use of our keys and the bank-keys, open our locker. What is important tous is our belongings—documents or jewels.The bank, the register, the strong room, lockerand the keys are only the means to get to that.Without our valuables, none of these are ofany value. These are needed for keeping thedocuments or jewels which is what we possess.We do not own the bank, its register, the strongroom, the locker or the keys (as the last twoare only given to us on rent), but only ourvaluables such documents or jewels. Ourvaluables alone matter to us.

Similarly, the most important thing abouta human being is his Divine Self. This Self oratman, says the Vedanta, is covered under anumber of coverings or sheaths. In order toknow the Self, we need to transcend thecovering layers or sheaths. These sheaths areneeded for the Self to carry on its mundanejourney, and their usefulness ends there. Theyare not intrinsic to the Self.

As in the above example, we do not ownany of the first five items (bank, register,strong-room, key and locker); they are only a

means to access our valuables, so also is ourDivine Self the most valuable thing about us—body, mind, vital energy, knowledge and otherthings are only coverings over it.

There are some more examples in thisregard. When we offer a cup of tea to a guest,we need a receptacle to offer the tea—a cup ora mug. But the empty mug or cup is of no useto the guest; it is only what is contained in thecup which matters to him. The guests do noteat or drink the cup. They are interested inthe tea.

We can see similar things in other caseslike the wrapping of a sweet with a colouredpaper, sheath or case of a sword, envelope ofa letter, packing of machinery—to cite a few.In all these, the outer sheath, though a nece-ssity, does not assist in the experiencing of theobject they cover. We need to remove the outerlayer to get to the item which is of our interest.It is like peeling the jack fruit, removing itsthorny and sticky skin to reach pulp of thefruit. We take the fruit and reject the others.Sri Ramakrishna gives the example of peelingthe jackfruit after applying the oil on hands.While jackfruit stands for the world, the oil isthat of viveka or discernment. To know theSelf, one should apply the oil of viveka onone’s mind, negate the five sheaths, and affirmthe unchanging Divinity within.

Called Koshas or sheaths, these coveringsare annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, manomayakosha, vijnanamaya kosha and anandamaya kosha

A retired technical consultant in mechanical engineering, the author lives in Mumbai.


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—the food-covering, vital energy-covering,mind-covering, (lower) knowledge-covering,and (relative) joy-covering. These are men-tioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad. (II.ii.1 toII.v.1)

Beyond the SheathsTo understand the idea further, let us

take the case when we go to a doctor for amedical check up. Though we may go to hisclinic well-dressed, when we go to his exami-nation room, he asks us to remove our coat,shirt, etc., for a clinical examination of thebody. The type of dress we wear while goingto the clinic does not make any impact on thebody (or its ailments, which we came to check).The outfits that we wear are needed only fortravelling from our home to the clinic. Thoughthese layers of garments covered the body, forthe check-up, they need to be discarded at thetime of checking. They are, however, notthrown out, but kept aside in order to observethe body. Same is the use of the five sheaths;they are just coverings for the Self within.

But in the case of Self-realisation, removalof sheaths does not mean removing themphysically; it is, on the other hand, a processof intellectual negation. It means removing ourmisconception about the real Self. AdiShankaracharya in his Atma Bodha [verse 16]says

Through discriminative self-analysis and logicalthinking one should separate the Pure Self withinthe sheaths as one separates the rice from thehusk, bran, etc., that are covering it.

Hence when one says, ‘I am sad’, or ‘Iam happy’, one does not refer to the tongueor mouth that utters it. He refers to the mind.His words transcend the mouth that uttersthem and refer to the mind which is the realperceiver. Further, in Vedantic tradition, whenone says ‘I am Atman’, it is not the mouth or

body which is meant but the ‘I’, the real ‘I’,the Self which is being referred to.

Take another example. In a water tankor pond, sometimes the surface is covered withhyacinth or scum, which gives a lush greenlook of cultivated field to an unwittingobserver. If the hyacinth is removed, one getsclear water. And this clear water allays thepangs of our thirst and satisfies us. One maybe standing on the banks of such a tank andbe thirsty. All that one needs to do is removethe scum and quench our thirst with water.Similarly, supreme happiness will be obtainedwhen the Self is realised after removing thecovering (koshas). (cf. Vivekachudamani, verses149-152).

Swami Ranganathananda in his com-mentary on Vivekachudamani quotes Americanscholar George Gaylord Simpson from hisbook The Meaning of Evolution where he refersto the isolation of the three sheaths of the body,vital force and mind respectively. This is whathas been enumerated in the Upanishads.

As Sri Ramakrishna says,

A thief enters a dark room and feels for thevarious articles therein. He puts his hand on atable perhaps, and saying, ‘Not this’, he passeson; he comes in contact with some other objectsand again says ‘Not this’. Thus he leaves onething after another till he finally lays his handin the box containing the treasure; then heexclaims, ‘It is here!’ and his search ends there.Such is indeed the search for Brahman.

The same is defined in the TaittiriyaUpanishad, as to how to negate the variousKoshas and discover the atman within.

In his Advaitapancha-ratnam (verse 1),Adi Shankarcharya says,

I am not a body, I am not the network of varioussense-organs, I am not the ego of ‘I’, I am notthe set of Prana (life-breath), and I am notwisdom. I am away from wife, husband, farms,


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finances, etc. I am the eternal witness ofeverything turned inwards towards the Atman.I am eternal bliss.’

To know the Self by transcending thesheaths is like digging a well. When you dig awell, you are not creating any space there;space is already there. When you scoop outthe mud, you are removing a covering, thefalse notion that space was not there. In the

same way, what we call liberation is nothingbut the removal of the covering of avidya, thefive sheaths, of the false notion that I am notthe infinite Brahman or Atman. It is alreadythere, that pristine state of our being, beyondthe Koshas. All that one needs to do is toremove the coverings and discover the EternalSelf present within. That is the real man, theman beyond all coverings.

Swamiji’s Drawing by Maud StummThis is a photograph of a pastel drawing of Swamiji au Bedouin by Maud Stumm, a

young artist who was one of the Leggett’s house guests during 1899.‘The lines of the mouth were so

simple and lovely and yet so verydifficult!” Miss Stumm wrote of herattempts to draw him.’

A charming sequel to this accountis that Swamiji himself took drawinglessons from Miss Stumm. Sherecalled:

At an appointed hour he came,promptly, bringing to me, with acurious little air of submission, ahuge red apple, which he laid in myhands, bowing gravely. I asked himthe significance of this gift, and hesaid, ‘In token that the lessons maybe fruitful’—and such a pupil as heproved to be! Once only did I haveto tell him anything; his memoryand concentration were marvellous,and his drawings strangely perfectand intelligent for a beginner. Bythe time he had taken his fourthlesson, he felt quite equal to aportrait. . . .

[From Maud Stumm’s remini-scences—for more details see ‘MaudStumm—Who taught Swamiji to

Draw’ by Somenath Mukherjee, The Vedanta Kesari, January-May 2012]


Pundit who could not swimOnce several men were crossing the

Ganges in a boat. One of them, a pundit, wasmaking a great display of his erudition, sayingthat he had studied various books—the Vedas,the Vedanta, and the six systems of philo-sophy. He asked a fellow passenger, ‘Do youknow the Vedanta?’ ‘No, revered sir.’ ‘TheSamkhya and the Patanjala?’ ‘No, revered sir.’‘Have you read no philosophy whatsoever?’‘No, revered sir.’ The pundit was talking inthis vain way and the passenger sitting insilence, when a great storm arose and the boatwas about to sink. The passenger said to thepundit, ‘Sir, can you swim?’ ‘No’, replied thepundit. The passenger said, ‘I don’t know theSamkhya or the Patanjala, but I can swim.’

(p. 392)

Bird on Ship’s MastA bird sat absent-mindedly on the mast

of a ship anchored in the Ganges. Slowly theship sailed out into the ocean. When the birdcame to its senses, it could find no shore inany direction. It flew toward the north hopingto reach land; it went very far and grew verytired but could find no shore. What could itdo? It returned to the ship and sat on the mast.After a long while the bird flew away again,this time toward the east. It couldn’t find landin that direction either; everywhere it saw

nothing but limitless ocean. Very tired, it againreturned to the ship and sat on the mast. Afterresting a long while, the bird went toward thesouth and toward the west. When it found nosign of land in any direction, it came back andsettled down on the mast. It did not leave themast again, but sat there without making anyfurther effort. It no longer felt restless orworried. Because it was free from worry, itmade no further effort. (p.792)

Man who Lost LetterA man received a letter from home

informing him that certain presents were tobe sent to his relatives. The names of thearticles were given in the letter. As he wasabout to go shopping for them, he found thatthe letter was missing. He began anxiously tosearch for it, several others joining in thesearch. For a long time they continued tosearch. When at last the letter was discovered,his joy knew no bounds. With great eagernesshe opened the letter and read it. It said that hewas to buy five seers of sweets, a piece ofcloth, and a few other things. Then he did notneed the letter any more, for it had served itspurpose. Putting it aside, he went out to buythe things. How long is such a letter necessary?As long as its contents are not known. Whenthe contents are known one proceeds to carryout the directions. (p. 729)

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Sri Ramakrishna was a master-story teller. While he spoke ofprofound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply usedstories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At

times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and changethe tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. Thefollowing stories, mainly culled from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna(published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are anattempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishna’s rich store-house of stories which are both illuminating and simple.


Dhaniya Sutta: An IntroductionSWAMI SUNIRMALANANDA

The author is the asisstant Minister of Centre Vedantique, Geneva, Switzerland.

Swami Akhandananda was in Tibet then,enduring terrible cold of the coldest monthsof the year. While there, he translated the‘Gandara Sutta’ and sent it to Swami Viveka-nanda. Swamiji was then in Ghazipur, intoday’s Uttar Pradesh. Pleased with Akhanda-nanda’s translation, Swamiji wrote thesefamous words in February 1890: ‘The LordBuddha is my Ishta—my God. He preachedno theory about Godhead—he was himselfGod, I fully believe it.’ Further, he wrote: ‘Thetranslation of the Gandara-Sutta that you havemade from the Suttanipata is excellent. In thatbook there is another Sutta—the “Dhaniya-Sutta”—which has got a similar idea.’1

The following is an introduction to thiswonderful Sutta. ‘Dhaniya Sutta’ is a poem inPali containing seventeen verses. It forms partof the ‘Uraga Vagga’ of Sutta Nipata. Buddhistmonks, nuns and scholars attach great impor-tance to this Sutta, and Venerable ThanissaroBhikku and others have translated it intoEnglish. There are also several commentarieson this Sutta (Sukta). Though a small sutta,the Dhaniya Sutta has deep meaning. Theauthor of this sutta has combined poeticimagination with spiritual depth, renunciationwith involvement, simple narrative withprofound philosophy, all in one little Palipoem. What greater certificate does its authorneed when Swami Vivekananda, the greatestprophet and the embodiment of the Buddha,has himself liked this Sutta!

Dhaniya Sutta is an interesting narrativeof two situations in which two individuals are.

Dhaniya, the Gopa or cowherd, is one; andthe Buddha, the other. The worldly cowherdand the enlightened Buddha are the heroes ofthis song. They both speak to the god of rains.The Sutta is a dialogue—not between two indi-viduals, but two individuals, the Buddha andDhaniya, talking to the god of rains indirectly.There’s also a verse in which Mara, thetormenter, enters the field.

Dhaniya, a cowherd, is deeply attachedto the world. His words in the initial stages

Bhagawan Buddha


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appear to show that he leads a prosperous,happy and contented life. So he is not botheredif it rains. The other person is the Buddha, thesupremely illumined one. The Buddha too iscontented, but his contentment is of a differentorder altogether. So he is not bothered if itrains. Since both are not bothered if it rains,they say, ‘atha yadi patthayasi pavassa deva—soif you wish, pour down, O Lord.’ The Sutta isarranged in such a way that the reader is initi-ally made to feel that the cowherd, Dhaniya,is blissful and happy while the Buddha is aloneon the dark banks of the River Mahi, withouta hut, without help, and it might rain. Tablesturn only towards the end.

This Sutta is mystical. While the cowherdsymbolizes worldliness, the Buddha symbo-lizes renunciation and spirituality. Rainssymbolize fate, difficulties and problems.While the cowherd’s vision is very limited andcannot see farther than that moment, andfoolish enough not to understand wheretoheavy rains lead, the Buddha is not concernedabout problems. Therefore both the Gopa andthe Buddha address the rain god and ask himto shower if he so wishes.

The first verse of Dhaniya Sutta says (inPali):

Pakkodano duddhakhiro hamasmi (iti dhaniyogopo)Anutire mahiya samanavasoChanna kumi ahito ‘giniAtha ce patthayasi pavassa deva.

A simple Sanskrit rendering couldperhaps be this:

Pakvodanah dogdha-kshriah ahamasmi (itidhaniyo gopah)Anutire mahiyah svagriha-vasahChadito kutirah ahito’gnihAtha yadi pipatishasti pavasva deva

Venerable Thanissaro Bhikku’s transla-tion reads as follows:

The rice is cooked, my milking done. I live withmy people along the banks of the Mahi; my hutis roofed, my fire lit: so if you desire, rain-god,go ahead and rain.

The cowherd is confident. He is happythat his family is doing well. He lives perma-nently on the banks of the River Mahi. He hasa good hut, an excellent family with helpfulwife and children. He is affluent as he hashundreds of milk-giving cows. He thinks heis quite safe, and so wishes that it might aswell rain.

The next verse is from the Buddha. Hesays (in Pali):

Akkodhano vigatakhilo hamasmi (iti bhagava)Anutire mahiyekarattivaso,Vivama kumi nibbuto ‘giniAtha ce patthayasi pavassa deva.

A somewhat close Sanskrit version couldperhaps read thus:

Akshobhanah vigata-khilah ahamasmi (itibhagavan)Anutire mahiyah eka-ratri-vasahVivrita-kutirah nibhrto’agnihAtha yadi pipatishasti pavasva deva

Thanissaro Bhikku’s translation readsthus:

Free from anger, my stubbornness gone, I livefor one night along the banks of the Mahi; myhut’s roof is open, my fire out: so if you want,rain-god, go ahead & rain.

The Buddha has attained supreme calm-ness and tranquillity. He is little concernedabout the world and its changes. He knowslife is momentary and hence does not have ahut—his place is here one day, and elsewherethe other. So, he is not worried if it rains.

In the next two verses each, we see thecowherd, Gopa Dhaniya, and the Buddhaexplaining their positions further. Accordingto the Gopa the area around is full of greengrass, which shall not be disturbed by heavy


30

rains. Then there are no flies to disturb, andthe situation is favourable and prosperous. Inhis subsequent verse, the Gopa adds that he isfree from problems as his wife is in excellenthealth and wonderful state of mind. TheBuddha says in his two verses that he hascrossed the river and has overcome the floodof worldliness. So he has no need of a raftanymore. He also adds in the subsequent versethat he has controlled his mind, has overcomeevil, and is free; so if it rains, it may do so.

The Buddha is not concerned about rains,i.e., misery and misfortune, as he has crossedthe ocean of life and has attained illumination.The Gopa does not see problems and mis-fortunes because he is blinded by his apparentprosperity. This shows that apparent pro-sperity blinds our vision of the future.

In another verse, the Gopa says:

Atta-vetana-bhatohamasmi,Putta ca me samaniya aroga.Tesam na sunami kinci papam.Atha ce patthayasi pavasva deva.

The Sanskrit version of this Pali textcould read thus:

Atma-vedana-bhritohamasmi. Putrah ca mamavidheyah nirogah ca. atha yadi pipatishasti,pavasva deva.

Gopa Dhaniya is happy that he is notdependent on anybody for anything. He hashis own, good income. His children arehardworking, obedient and good. A good,prosperous, and happy family. If it rains, he isnot concerned now, he says.

The Buddha says that he is independentin the spiritual sense of the term. He movesabout in all the worlds freely. He lives on almsand is not in need of any money. So, whetherit rains or not is immaterial to him.

In subsequent verses, Dhaniya gives alist of his wealth and property to show how

secure his life has been: he has a number ofcows and calves (thousands according to onecommentator), bulls and breeding cows, afertile field full of munja grass, the fences beingstrong and well maintained. Everything is inorder. So, says the Gopa, there would not beany problem if it rained. The next verse is fromthe Buddha. He says that he has neither bullsnor cows nor calves. He has no possessions.So, he has nothing to bother about if it rains.We saw the cowherd being proud of the strongfences protecting his fields. But the Buddhasays (in Pali):

Usabhoriva chetva bandhanani,nago putilatam va dalayitva,nanaham puna upessam gabbhaseyyam,atha ce patthayasi pavassa deva.

The Sanskrit version would be somewhatlike this:

Vrishabha iva chitva bandhanani,naga iva puti-latan dalayitva,naham punah pravishyami garbhashayamAtha yadi pipatishasti pavasva deva.

Having broken all my bonds as the Bull breaksthe bonds or the elephant cuts asunder rottencreepers, I am free. I shall never again enter thewomb. So what worry is there for me about thefuture or the past?

This extraordinary verse is like the songof the liberated of the Upanishads. SageTrishanku (in the Taittiriya Upanishad), forinstance, sings immediately after his attain-ment of supreme Knowledge that he is beyondall bonds and is free.

With both the cowherd Dhaniya and theBuddha having declared their positions, itrains. It rains heavily.

. . . ninnan ca thalan purayanto mahameghopavassi tavad eva.

Sanskrit rendering of the verse could bethus:


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nimnan sthalan ca purayanto mahameghoplavati tavad eva.

Torrential rains start immediately, flood-ing the high and the low areas. When thishappens, the tune of the Gopa’s song changes.He becomes wise. He changes completely. Hisconfidence in all his belongings, family andwealth vanishes. And he along with his wifemeet the Buddha, who is on the same banksof the River Mahi.

Dhaniya Sutta just says this much:Dhaniya Gopa sees the God of rains shower-ing, and says: ‘We are blessed; our fortune isbeyond limit, for we have seen the Buddha. OLord! We have surrendered to you! Pleaseteach us.’ Not just that. The cowherd Dhaniyaunderstands the vanity of everything, andrenounces the world along with his wife:

Brahmachariam Sugate charamase (Pali),Brahmacharyam Sugate charamvahe—we shalllead a mendicant life following the Sugata (theBuddha).

They want to do this in order to over-come the torment of births and deaths. Soheavy rains awaken the ignorant cowherd and

his wife, and make them know the futility ofthe world.

Mara, the tormenter, however, is not togive up so easily. He tries to instigate andinduce the Gopa to return to the world withthese words:

Those who have a good family, wealth, children,etc., rejoice always and live a contented life. Theyare the ones who are truly happy. Those withoutanything are in misery.

The Buddha silences Mara and replies:

Sochati puttaihi puttima (iti Bhagava), gomikogohi tatheva sochati. Upadhi hi narasasasochana. Na hi so sochati yo nirupadhi.He who has progeny has misery. He who haswealth has misery. All these—wealth, progeny,cattle, and so on—are mere superimpositions andbondages. He alone is free from sorrow whohas no such bondages or superimpositions.

This, then, is the Dhaniya Sutta. A personwho thought he was comfortable with hiswealth and worldly security is reminded bythe Buddha of the momentary nature of theworld. He is also taught the truth of renun-ciation and freedom from bondages.

Reference: 1. Complete Works, Vol. 6, p. 227

Although a man has not studied a single system of philosophy, although he does notbelieve in any God, and never has believed, although he has not prayed even once inhis whole life, if the simple power of good actions has brought him to that state wherehe is ready to give up his life and all else for others, he has arrived at the same point towhich the religious man will come through his prayers and the philosopher through hisknowledge; and so you may find that the philosopher, the worker, and the devotee, allmeet at one point, that one point being self - abnegation . . . Have you not seen even amost bigoted Christian, when he reads Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia, stand in reverenceof Buddha, who preached no God, preached nothing but self-sacrifice? The only thing isthat the bigot does not know that his own end and aim in life is exactly the same as thatof those from whom he differs.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1:86


Belur Math TempleAnd the Role of Two American Devotees in Its Construction

HIRANMOY MUKHERJEE

The Construction WorkThe construction of Belur temple started

while Swami Akhandananda was the Presi-dent of the Ramakrishna Math and Rama-krishna Mission. The responsibility to overseethe construction work, however, was givento Swami Vijnanananda, another directdisciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vijnana-nanda was also a professionally trained civilengineer.

The foundation stone for the temple bySwami Shivananda, the second President ofthe Order, was laid in 1929. But it had to beshifted by about a hundred feet from southto north as per the advice of the engineers.Accordingly the earlier foundation wasrelocated on 16th July, 1935 by Swami Vijnana-nanda. Thus began the construction workwhich took more than three years to complete.Josephine Macleod, a close friend of SwamiVivekananda (as she used to call herself), hadcome to India in November 1935. Her visitwas to last till early March, 1936. The newBelur temple was under construction at thattime. In a letter dated 24th November, 1935,she wrote,

It is good seeing these hundreds of workmenabout and the growing of this great Rama-krishna Temple—320 feet long, 120 feet broadand 120 feet high—the hundreds of bamboo

scaffoldings reminding me of Milan Cathedral. .. . the new temple will not be finished till 1937.’10

Date for the ConsecrationAfter Swami Akhandananda’s demise in

1937, Swami Vijnanananda became the Pre-

sident of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.He would generally stay at RamakrishnaMath, Allahabad. During one of his visits toBelur Math in 1937, on the occasion ofJagaddhatri Puja which comes immediatelyafter Kali puja, an interesting development

A retired officer from the Ministry of Industry in the Central Government, the author is associated withRamakrishna Math, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Swami Vijnanananda

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)


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took place. It had been earlier decided thatthe consecration of the new temple would bedone on Jagaddhatri Puja day but as the workon the sanctum had not been completed, itwas postponed. Swami Vijnanananda knewhis own end was nearing and hence he waskeen to install Sri Thakur in the new templeas early as possible. One day he poured hisheart out to the trustees of the Belur Math:

Do not delay it [completion of the temple] anymore. Swamiji conceived the idea, [but] couldnot start it; Mahapurush Maharaj laid thefoundation but [he] failed to get the work started.Gangadhar Maharaj, yes, started the constructionbut was unable to get it through. One by one,all [direct disciples] have passed away. So I say,please try to finish as quickly as possible. Letthere be no more delay.

Everyone understood what he was driv-ing at. He, himself, consulted on almanac andsaid, ‘See, there are auspicious days for theconstruction of the temple in the comingmonth of January between 14th to 18th. Try yourbest to hold the [consecration] ceremonyduring that period.’11

Though construction of the temple hadtaken nearly three years, some work on theassembly hall was yet to be completed.However, the trustees of the Math did notwant to delay the consecration ceremony anyfurther in view of Swami Vijnanananda’sfailing health. Finally the day for consecrationwas fixed: the 14th January, 1938, the MakarSankranti, an auspicious day.

Belur Temple ConsecrationSwami Akhilananda along with two

American devotees Mrs Anna Worcester(Annapurna) and Miss Helen Rubel (Bhakti),both of whom had donated handsomelytowards the construction of the new temple—had arrived in the latter the part of 1937 to

attend the consecration ceremony. SwamiVijnanananda had arrived two days earlier (on12th January, 1938) before the consecrationceremony. Swami Virajananda, the GeneralSecretary of the Math, along with three seniormonks visited Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta Mathto invite Swami Abhedananda, the onlysurviving direct disciple of the Master otherthan Swami Vijnanananda. He was requestedto attend the consecration ceremony. SwamiAbhedananda’s health was very poor, andphysicians had forbidden any movement forhim. The great saint talked with the visitorsfor some time affectionately and told them thatit would not be possible for him to attend thefunction.12

On the day of consecration, Friday 14th

January, 1938, Swami Vijnanananda got upearly and put on a new ochre cloth. He satquietly in his chair waiting for the auspiciousmoment. His countenance was serene and hespoke very little. He whispered to his atten-dant standing nearby,

Having installed the Master on the altar in thenew temple, I will tell to Swamiji: ‘Swamiji, youinstalled the Master in the old shrine, youconceived the grand idea of the temple nowcompleted; the Master has been installed on thealtar. You told me you would see it from above;so fulfil your promise; see it, the Master is seatedthere illuminating the whole temple.’ And thento the Master, I will say something else.

Swami Vijnanananda’s health was notgood, so a car was arranged for taking him tothe new temple from the old Math building.The entire road was covered with red silkcloth. Arati was done before Sri Thakur in theold temple. The auspicious moment was athand.

Swami Vijnanananda came down and satdown in the car. Swami Shankarananda satnext him. A monk brought the relics of the


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Master (atmaramer kouto) from the old shrineand handed it over to Swami Vijnanananda;later he handed it over to Swami Shankara-nanda. Above the car was a huge umbrella ofred colour. A milch cow was proceeding infront of the car. The devotees fanned fromeither sides of the car. The monks, brahma-charis and devotees moved along the car tothe accompaniment of conches, bells andburning of incense. A group of singers led theprocession singing a well-known Bengali song,Eseche Nutan Manush dekhbi jodi aye chole (‘anew man has come; come if you want to seehim’).

The procession reached the new templeby 9.30 a.m. Near the staircase of the newtemple, Swami Vijnananandaji alighted fromthe car, carrying the relics in his hand, andentered the garbha-griha (sanctum sanctorum)

and placed the relics on the altar. Then heoffered flowers, performed arati and thenoffered cooked rice and other food items tothe newly installed image of Sri Thakur. Whenthe worship was over, he returned to his roomslowly, in measured steps. Still in the grip ofinwardness, he sat without any motion, apicture of gravity. The attendant, in order totake him out of his grave mood, asked him aquestion, ‘Maharaj, you said you would saysomething to the Master, after the consecrationceremony. Did you do it?’ ‘Yes, I did’, was thereply and then he added,

I told Swamiji, you said you would see theceremony from above. There on the altar isseated the Master, whom you installed in theold shrine. Please keep your word. Then I sawvividly in the sky above, all of them standingwith folded hands: Swamiji, Mahapurush

A recent picture of Belur Math temple


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Maharaj, Sharat Maharaj, Hari Maharaj, Ganga-dhar Maharaj—a whole host of them. They werestanding and observing the ceremony.

The attendant was struck with wonderon hearing this. The attendant put anotherquestion to him, ‘Did you not say you wouldsay something to the Master? Did you do it?’He replied: ‘Yes, that also I did. But that I willnot divulge to any one now.’ And then hesmiled. Most probably, he had prayed to theMaster to release him now from the bondageof the body13. (He was to leave his mortal coilon 25th April, 1938 at Allahabad.)

The function went on for the wholeday—puja, homa and other ceremoniesconnected with consecration went on till 10p.m. The Math campus resounded withsankirtan, Bhajan and songs of Mother Kali.About one lakh people, without distinction of

rich and poor, had assembled in the Math ofwhich twelve thousand devotees partook ofprasad. With illumination at night, the templelooked gorgeous. Dasmahavidya puja, whichcontinued till midnight, was done at thetemple. In late night hours Viraja homa wasperformed and nine brahmacharis were givensannyasa vows (monastic vows) and ninedevotees were initiated into Brahmacharya.14

After the ConsecrationSwami Akhilananda along with Swami

Virajananda and some other monks went byroad and visited Kamarpukur (the birth placeof Sri Ramakrishna) and Jayrambati (the birthplace of Holy Mother) while Bhakti andAnnapurna, the two American devotees,stayed at Grand Hotel. One day they invitedSwami Virajananda and some other monks.Swami Virajananda visited them and told themabout Swamiji and stories of the earlier daysin the Math.

The citizens of Calcutta presentedwelcome addresses to Swami Akhilananda,Annapurna and Bhakti at a crowded publicmeeting at the Albert hall, Calcutta on Mondaythe 31st January, 1938. It was organised underthe auspices of Vivekananda Society. Mr. SanatKumar Roy Chowdhary, Mayor of Calcuttapresided. The Mayor then presented theaddresses in three expensive caskets to SwamiAkhilananda, Annapurna and Bhakti amidprolonged cheers. Mayor in his speech hadsaid:

These two noble American ladies, coming fromdistant America to India, have not only donatedseven lakh rupees but had made great efforts tofructify a dream of Swami Vivekananda . . . Thistemple will be a permanent meeting ground ofculture as well as religious thoughts of Americaand India and this temple will leave an uniqueimpression of universal brotherhood, on the

The marble image of Sri Ramakrishna worshippedin Belur Math temple


line of thinking of thoughts of the East and theWest.

Swami Akhilananda and the two Ameri-can devotees thanked the organizers in suitablespeeches for the addresses presented to them.The women of Calcutta, not to be left behind,appreciated the princely donation by the twoAmerican disciples and as many as ninewomen’s association gathered at Grand Hotel,Calcutta on 4th February, 1938 and presentedgarlands and addresses to them.15

Miss Josephine Macleod, who was notpresent in India during the consecrationceremony and returned to Belur in Autumn1938, was to write in a letter:

All criticism of spending this vast sum of moneyfades away in this fulfillment of Swamiji’s plan!For he himself gave (made) the plan forty yearsago. Thousands came to see it [temple] daily.16

After the celebrations were over, Bhaktidecided to stay back in India and saw SwamiAkhilananda, Annapurna and Frances off fromBombay on February 15th 1938. Though shedecided to stay in India, Bhakti came toSwitzerland in April 1952, because of poorhealth. She again came back to India but thisvisit was very short. She was in regular touch

with Swami Virajananda, Swami Abhyananda,Swami Shankarananda and other Swamisduring her stay in India. She was held in greatesteem by the monks and devotees. She passedaway on 5th August, 1959 in Zurich.

ConclusionHere we again remember the words

spoken by Swami Vivekananda while placingthe relics of Sri Ramakrishna in the newlypurchased land at Belur in 1898:

Pray today all of you, heart and soul, to the holyfeet of Sri Ramakrishna, that the great Avataraof the cycle that he is, he may, for the welfare ofthe many and the happiness of the many (bahujanhitaye, bahujan sukhaye), reside in this holy spotfrom this day for a great length of time, andever continue to make it the unique centre ofharmony amongst all religions.

Later he further said.

Through the will of Sri Ramakrishna—hisdharmakshetra (sanctified spot) has beenestablished today . . . This Math will be a centreof learning and spiritual discipline.17

Belur Math Temple is a living monumentof these prophetic words of Swamiji.

(Concluded.)

10. Josephine Macleod and Vivekananda’s Mission, LindaPrough, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p. 439

11. Divya Prasange (Bengali), 3rd edition, SwamiDivyatmananda (henceforth Divya), p. 149-50.

12. Atiter Smriti (Bengali), Swami Shraddhananda(hence forth Atiter), p.252-253

13. Divya, p.155-15614. Atiter, p. 25415. Atiter, p.254-255 and Prabuddha Bharata, May 193816. The Life of Josephine Macleod—Pravajika Pra-

buddhaprana, p.263-26417. Talks with Swami Vivekananda, p.131.

ReferencesReferencesReferencesReferencesReferences

Work performed as worship is no work at all, for it fails to bind. But inactivity in thematter of duty is really work, for it causes bondage. He who thus sees inaction inaction, and action in inaction, he is intelligent among men, he is a Yogi and a doer of allactions. —Bhagavad Gita

36


Monastic Rules for the LaymanGOKUL MUTHU

A devotee of the Lord, Gokulmuthu N. works as a software engineer in Bangalore.

All monastic orders of all religions followthe three cardinal rules—poverty, chastity andhumility. These directly correspond to thebasic psychological defects in man—greed, lustand arrogance, respectively. Most monasticorders add at least two more rules – serviceand contemplation. There are other rules anddisciplines like silence, fasting, etc., which aresupplementary. Thus the five rules—poverty,chastity, humility, service and contemplation—form the bedrock for almost all monasticorders.

Poverty is followed as non-possession ofany material belongings. Chastity is followedas celibacy. Humility is followed as completesubmission to the head of the monastery andto God. Service is followed as various kindsof work in the monastery, medical and educa-tional service, teaching and counselling, etc.Contemplation is followed in the form ofprayer, study of scriptures, meditation, etc.

The psychological defects that a monkfights, very much trouble the other humanbeings also. Thus these disciplines are not ex-clusively for the monks. They are to be follow-ed by the laymen also. However, due to theroles and responsibilities in the society, theway they are followed by the laymen can be abit different.

Poverty, chastity and humility can betoned down to honesty, purity and kindness.The monk also follows honesty, purity andkindness. But the monk follows them to theextreme as poverty, chastity and humility. Thelaymen can be a bit relaxed.

Honesty is followed by complete con-gruence of knowledge, intention, words andaction, and also as absence of unfair posses-sion.

Purity is followed by decent and appro-priate attitude towards the other gender. Theappropriate attitude towards everyone is tolook upon the person as thinking and feelinghuman beings, and not as physical entities.

Kindness is followed by treating every-one with dignity. It is in not exploiting theweakness of anyone, but bringing out the bestin everyone by highlighting and encouragingthe person’s strengths.

The last two—service and contemplation—are almost the same for both monks andlaymen.

Service is followed by positive contri-bution by doing one’s duty towards family,profession, society and environment. It is alsoin charity to the needy and support for nobleenterprises.

Contemplation is followed by doingeverything as an offering to God and acceptingthe results as a gift from God. In addition tothis, prayer, study of the scriptures and medi-tation also forms a part of the layman’s life.

Every thinking human being—monk orlayman—is a self-declared warrior against theanimal propensities of lust, greed and arro-gance. He has to be ruthlessly honest, pureand kind to fight the battle. Any furtherrelaxation in this is to give up to the enemy indefeat. To fight is to rise as a man. To succumbis to fall as a brute.


�� Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami VivekanandaThe following centres organized various programmes to commemorate

the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. (Main programmesconducted by them are mentioned against their names.)

❖ Bangalore: Spiritual retreat on 16 and 17 June, in which about 1200devotees participated;

❖ Baranagar Mission: Inter Ramakrishna Mission School FootballTournament from 21 to 25 June, in which 15 school teams took part;

❖ Chengalpattu: Processions, bhajans and film shows on Swamiji atNaduvakkarai, Puliyur, Vitalapuram and Paiyambadi on 3, 16, 17 and 24June respectively;

❖ Guwahati: Quiz competitions on 30 May and 2 and 4 June, in which143 students from three schools took part;

❖ Hyderabad: On 20 June, several books on the life and teachings ofSwami Vivekananda in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam werereleased by Sri Jawhar Sircar, CEO, Prasar Bharati, and the GeneralSecretary. The General Secretary presided over the meeting.

❖ Itanagar: A two-day programme on 16 and 17 June, in which 218school children and 240 devotees took part;

❖ Salem: On 29 June, the centre launched ‘Salem District Swami Vivekananda Literary Competitions’ forschool and college students. The Ashrama will be distributing 1,00,000 books on Swamiji to various schoolsand colleges in the district free of cost for conducting these competitions.

❖ Swamiji’s Ancestral House: On the centre’s initiative, two institutions, one at Pathuriaghata and theother at Garia, organized public meetings on 2 and 24 June on the relevance of Swamiji’s message in today’scontext. In all, about 900 persons attended the meetings.

The function at Salem


39

The centre conducted a youth conference on 16 June, in which 250 youths and 100 observers took part.

General News❖ Porbandar centre conducted a one-month summer camp for children from 1 May to 2 June, in which

165 students from Class IV to VII took part. The programme included chanting, bhajans, meditation, morallessons, classes on drawing, painting, etc.

❖ Guwahati centre conducted a free medical camp during Ambuvachi Mela near Kamakhya Temple from22 to 24 June in which 2233 patients were treated.

Relief News1. Drought Relief: Our Pune centre continued its

drought relief work in Ahmednagar district. The centredistributed about 30 lakh (3 million) litres of drinkingwater to nearly 56,000 residents of 25 villages in thedistrict last month.

Earlier the Pune centre distributed drinking waterto about 45,000 persons affected by acute water scarcityin 6 villages of Solapur district and 9 villages ofAhmednagar district.

2. Hailstorm Relief: West Bengal: Our Malda centresupplied hut-building materials (640 bamboos, 22,600roof tiles, etc) to 52 families of Khaspara village inMalda district, whose dwellings had been severelydamaged in the destructive hailstorm last month.

3. Tornado Relief: Bangladesh: In the wake of thepowerful tornado that had hit northern Bangladesh inthe month of April, our Dinajpur centre distributedrice, plates, buckets and dhotis among 136 affectedfamilies of 7 villages in Thakurgaon district,Bangladesh.

4. Flood Relief: Fiji: Our Nadi centre continued itsprimary relief work in Western Viti Levu in Fiji. Thecentre further distributed 2730 lunch parcels amongneedy students. Moreover, 10,000 exercise books andstationery goods are being distributed among 1200students of 10 schools in flood-affected areas.

5. Fire Relief: Arunachal Pradesh: Our Itanagarcentre distributed 18 sets of utility items [each setcontaining a steel trunk, a bed-sheet, a plastic mat,two buckets, a tawa (griddle), cooking vessels, ladles, a mug, a plate, a tumbler, candles, bathing soap,washing soap, matchboxes, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc] among the families whose houses had been gutted bya devastating fire in Barapani basti (area) in Naharlagun district.

6. Distress Relief: Our Madurai centre distributed 5008 notebooks among 500 needy students on 8 June.The following centres distributed various items, shown in brackets, to needy people:Belgharia (saris, dhotis, lungis, shirts, pants, frocks, sets of salwar-kamiz, woollen garments and blankets

among 728 families of 15 villages in Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Hooghly districts);Vrindaban (rice, wheat flour, pulses, mustard oil, salt and sugar among 600 elderly widows of Vrinda-

ban).

��

��

Distribution of water in the Ahmednagar district

� � �


For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI,publishers need to send us

two copies of their latest publication.

THE BHAGAVAD GITA

by SwamiGurudasanandaPublished by the author,Sreyas, Plot No.53, IV Street,Kulandai Ammal Nagar,Thanjavur, Tamilnadu - 613007. 2012, paperback, Pp.307, Rs.120.

Srimad Bhagavad Gitaor the ‘Song Celestial’ is an

immortal classical text in theIndian spiritual and philosophical lore.

Undoubtedly, it is a divine message passed on tohumanity through the divine-incarnated soul, SriKrishna. The symbolic theme of this comprehensiveperennial philosophy is that the whole world is abattle field wherein there is a constant fight betweenthe good and the bad, the sacred and the profane,truth and falsehood, morality and immorality,perfection and imperfection, and so on. As long asthe duality persists, there is no remedy to all humanmaladies. Through the yogic techniques and spiri-tual moorings the aspiring souls can annihilate thedual nature of existence and achieve ‘Oneness’ orunity of consciousness. At this stage there emerg-es an intimate rapport or inseparable union betweenthe divine and the human. The commentators ofthis grand text may have varying views with regardto its philosophical interpretations, but the ultimatetruth remains that man, in spite of his multifariousevil-tendencies and temperaments, is bound to workout his salvation. It is a state where there is no iotaof suffering and at the same time he experience thepresence of divinity in himself whether one with,along with or different from the Supreme Reality.

Swami Gurudasananda, the translator of thepresent volume, has made an earnest endeavour ingiving a lucid and elegant translation of the Gita,

with a fair and small interpretation without anybias or prejudice and without any philosophicalcommitment. For instance, to verse no. 35 of 4thchapter, he translates and comments thus: ‘Know-ing which you will not fall again into this kind ofconfusion; O Pandava (Arjuna). For by this youwill see the whole of creation in (your) self and inme.’ The commentary goes thus: ‘The Lord declareshere in unequivocal terms that He is non-differentfrom man’s inmost self. When wisdom dawns, wegain a universal stature and an expansion ofconsciousness that comprehends the whole ofcreation and in itself. All devotees vanish andconfusion comes to an end once for all.’

This interpretation reveals the truth that whenspiritual illumination enlightens the soul, allvarieties of personal aspirations with all itsvexations, vanish. The sub-titles to each chapterare really remarkable and thought-provoking. Onlythose, who are disciplined in the yogic path andinitiated into the spiritual realm leading to perfectwisdom, are eligible to have a thorough under-standing of this kind of sublime teaching.

This work serves as a means to fulfil therequirements of the novices who are unable to giveup the worldly attachments and at the same timeinclined to climb the ladder of spirituality to acquireinner peace, strength and tranquillity. Undoubtedlythis work will be a boon to the English-knowingreaders to read, reflect and realize the truth aboutthe various vistas of life especially elimination andenlightenment.__________________________ R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI

STUDY STRATEGIES

by Dr Ramakrishna SankaraPublished by Giri Trading Agencies, 134, TSVKoil Street, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, 2010,paperback, Pp, 120, Rs 60.


41

This slim volume con-tains the kind of informationthat almost all studentswould like to get as theyface the big bogeyman—examinations. However, itgoes a step beyond justpreparing students to con-quer their immediate fears.Here is guided, step-by-stepapproach which, if assimi-lated, will help students to

lay a foundation for systematic,controlled attitude towards any stressful

delivery situation, which is what exams actuallyare.

The book is divided into seventeen chapters,followed by three appendices. All the chapters aretightly written and remain short and succinct, sothat the reader is not put off by lengthy homilies.

The first three chapters deal with the mindsetone must have towards learning. Dr Sankara hasgiven many examples and has dealt with each ‘type’of learner. Tips have been given for each person’slearning style, comparable with Dr HowardGardener’s Eight Intelligences. But where DrGardener addresses teachers so that they can tailortheir teaching methodologies, Dr Sankara addressesthe students, thereby making them active parti-cipants in the learning process.

The next three chapters have to do with thenitty-gritty of studying itself. Many students wouldlike to do well, indeed, they are hard-working andconscientious, but don’t get the desired results.Experts have already talked about working ‘smartly’rather than merely working hard. In these threechapters, Dr Sankara has outlined his strategies foreffective reading and time management, essentialto good performance. The chapter on reading skillsis particularly interesting. Here, different types ofreaders have been described and readers have toidentify their own styles. The game plans for eachtype have been briefly related and it is for thestudent to choose whatever suits him/her best.

The last part is entirely devoted to eliminatingthe obstacles to success in studies. Chapter 10,entitled Overcoming Procrastination (p. 83), talksabout the common hurdles—laziness, stress, forexample. The final chapters have to do with physicalhealth in order to be at the peak of one’s powers.

Thus, breathing exercises and stress-busters aredescribed.

There are several advantages in this book.The first is its simple but fluent writing style, itslogical manner and the fact that students are giventhe (right) idea that they are themselves in chargeof their performances and thus, finally, their futures.At every step, the student is addressed and he/sheis made to participate. Mnemonic devices (QUA-SAR, p. 63) and diagrams and flow charts take themonotony off just reading.

This is a very efficient attempt at amelioratingan experience which has today become a majorcause for concern for parents, students and teachersalike—and Dr Sankara deserves praise for hisproactive approach.

On the whole, a good reference book foranyone who has a stake in the teaching and learningprocess.___________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

GURUKUL: ENDURING VALUES FOR CHILDREN,CLASSES

by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission; Gita publishingHouse, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune 411001;Hardback, Pp. 270; Price not mentioned.

GURUKUL - II INSPIRING AND MOULDING YOUNG

MINDS

by the Sadhu Vaswani Trust; Hardback,Pp.257+appendices; Price not mentioned.

These two books form an extensive andintensive course in Value Education designed bythe well-known Sadhu Vaswani Trust of Pune. Thefirst one is obviously intended for younger children


42

and the second, Gurukul II is aimed at an older agegroup.

The first book, Gurukul, begins with qualitiesthat children should be encouraged to cultivate andgoes on to describe attitudes that these qualitiesshould engender. In that respect there is a logicalprogression in the way the book can be used byteachers, whether formally in the classroom orinformally in, say, a workshop. To illustrate: thetitles of the first five chapters of the book areEmpathy, Humility, Perseverance, Faith and Tole-rance. The chapters begin with a definite routine ofchanting, prayers, meditation, kirtan singing andthought for the week. The values then follow,illustrated with a story which may be read aloud.Following this, activities are suggested to furtherimpress the lesson on the hearer/reader. The lessonends with another arati and closing prayers.

Some of the chapters contain very interestingvignettes of information about famous people suchas Edison the scientist and inventor, and Tennysonthe poet. This is to illustrate to the children thatattitude matters more than a privileged background,which in itself is a very valuable lesson to learn.

The book then goes on to deal with attitudinalissues, such as Hold No Grudges, Never Judge Others.In chapters such as these, beliefs that have beenhanded down over the ages—such as the meaningof the Indian greeting namaste is explained. Thepattern of the proceedings remains the same, sothat both teacher and learner are familiar with themethodology.

The book also contains stories of Sri Krishnaand Ganesha, while the value of the Ramayana isalso discussed. However, it is a course on valueswhich a person has to learn from the earliestchildhood and thus the book abounds in thatparticular aspect of Indian culture.

The second book, Gurukul II, largely followsthe same pattern, the difference being that, whileGurukul contains 52 lessons for each week of theyear, this book’s contents is demarcated by months.Thus there are topics arranged for each month,subdivided into weeks. The format could not bemore self-explanatory: Om, followed by Openinginvocation, hymn, kirtan singing and prayer. Thereis a prayer recommended for the end of the session,as well. While topics have been dealt with in amore complex manner, the week’s programme isfixed: the first week there is a story, followed by

the character sketch of a saint. Then a religion isstudied and finally, a theme is chosen for self deve-lopment. This particular area starts with physicalwell-being, followed by emotional health followedby spiritual wholesomeness. Finally, the course issynthesised to include overall personality develop-ment. This is a very valuable progression and onethat often gets overlooked in schools today.

Both books contain very well-thought outappendices which contain prayers and otherrelevant material such as kirtans, which could betaught in class. They are beautifully produced, incolour and on glossy art paper and are hardboundso that they can withstand repeated use over theyear. The stories are told in a simple, easy flowingstyle and both books are packed with material andsuggestions. They are also very well-organised: everyteacher will welcome material that has been thoughtout so carefully and is so classroom-friendly.

However, since it is the duty of a critic topoint out all aspects of a book, mention has to bemade of two things. The first is that it is essentiallyHindu in content which means that childrenbelonging to other faiths will find it difficult to relateto. The second is an aspect which requires carefulhandling and that is—talking about God in class.There is a danger that the concept of an omnipotent,omniscient spirit might result in complacence and,worse, belief in fatality. A good mentor will berequired to handle that.___________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

REVISITING VEDANTA IN

THE TWENTY FIRST

CENTURY,Edited by S.Panneer-selvam and UmaShankar.Published by Depart-ment of Philosophy, SIESCollege of Arts, Scienceand Commerce, SionWest, Mumbai - 400 032.2010, paperback, pp.273+ xv. Rs.250.

Comparative studies of Indianand Western philosophies by Indian scholars is veryless. In that way, some articles in this book are agood exception. This book contains some articles


43

with comparative studies. However, it is dis-appointing that most of these articles look at IndianPhilosophy from a Western point of view. Most ofthe comments on the Vedas, Upanishads and otherIndian books are quoted from Western scholars.The book inadvertently shows the lack of confidencein the Indian scholarly work on Indian philosophy.The need of the day is to look at the WesternPhilosophy from Indian point of view and showhow Vedanta can contribute in understanding theworld in the twenty first century.

Another major drawback of the book is thatalmost all of the authors are ‘academicians’ whohave not learnt Vedanta from a traditional Guru.Many of the views presented as Sankara’s is notaccurate. Many of the questions that are left openare actually answered adequately in the tradition.Universities which deal with Vedanta should getguidance from traditional teachers to rightlyunderstand Vedanta according to Sankara and otherAcharyas.

The book is a record of the proceedings ofthe seminar held at SIES College, Mumbai inJanuary 2009. The book has five sections:

1. Vedantic Tradition2. Interpretation of Vedanta3. Redefining Vedic / Vedantic Concepts4. Vedanta Through the Ages5. Debates in VedantaThe imaginary dialogue between Adi Shan-

kara and a contemporary Western Philosopherpresented in the chapter by R.Balasubramanian isvery interesting. It presents a very sympatheticWestern Philosopher. The dialogue is more offinding the commonalities. It will be interesting tohave a similar imaginary dialogue to bring out thedifferences in a friendly way. This will make abalanced presentation of the topic.

The article by S.Panneerselvam, comparingSankara’s and Western methods of interpretationis good. It presents Western Hermeneutics asdescribed by Heidegger and Gadamer and theIndian Mimamsa method as presented by Sankara.The interrelation between the two is brought aboutin detail. A detailed discussion on the commongrounds and the places where they differ couldhave been a good addition.

S.E.Bhelkey points out a very important needof the time: ‘We think of perennial problems andsolutions as given in the Indian philosophical

tradition. However, common man does not for-mulate his problem as it has been formulated as aperpetual one. And hence, such a philosophizingbecomes obsolete to him. . . . The modern philo-sopher has to transform the perennial (problem and)solution to make it relevant and satisfying.’ Thechapter by him in the book tries to do this.

The article by T.C.Roymon titled ‘Approachesto Reality: Sankara vs Plato and Kant’, is one of thebest academic articles in the book. It introduces theconcept of these three thinkers and provides adetailed comparison of their views. It provides thesimilarities and dissimilarities in great detail.

L.Vijai’s article presents Sri Aurobindo’sphilosophy of Integral Yoga as the synthesis ofAdvaita Vedanta and Agama. Mahesh Ursekar’sarticle and ShobhaDoshi’s article raise somequestions on the Law of Karma and Free Will.However, if these articles had been reviewed by atraditional teacher of Vedanta, many of thequestions left open in the articles could have beenclosed for the benefit of the author and the readers.The article by SunitaJeswani and Vatsala Pai presentsome salient concepts in the Upanisads in the lightof Swami Vivekananda.

There are several refreshing articles likeRajshreeVasudevan’s article on ‘Guru’, KanchanaNatarajan’s article on the saint, Avudai Akka, UmaShankar’s article on Ramana Maharishi, S.G.Nigal’sarticle on Shri P.V.Athawale Shastri, Geeta Mehta’sarticle on Vinoba, and Gauri Mahulikar andShubada Joshi’s articles on the saints ofMaharashtra. There are also some general articlesrelating Vedanta with Environmental Ethics, VedicMathematics, Management, Secularlism, etc.

There should be more such conferences anddebates of still better quality all over the country.There should be a clear and consistent understand-ing of Indian philosophies of Sankara, Ramanuja,etc in the academic circles. The academia shouldtake help from traditional scholars to achieve this._____________________________ GOKUL MUTHU, BANGALORE

DOES GOD HAVE FAVOURITES?

By J.P. VaswaniPublished by Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. 2009,paperback, Pp.168, Rs.125.(Available at GitaPublishing House,10, Sadu Vaswani Path, Pune- 411 001).


The title is instantlythought-provoking be-cause, as we look aroundus, the thought has surelycrossed many points thatcertain people are the‘chosen ones’, chosen to beluckier, cleverer, richer,more powerful, to namejust a few of the situationsthat most of us aspire to.

The book is a compi-lation of talks given by JP Vaswani

over the years, translated into English so as toenable a larger audience to benefit by them.

So, does God have favourites? This volumeby JP Vaswani answers that question in fifteenchapters of this well-written and easily accessiblebook, where he discusses commonly expresseddoubts that spiritual aspirants have always had.

The book begins with a talk on the Guru andwhat a Guru symbolises. JP Vaswani says that aGuru, being the person who aids the aspirant toachieve his goal by helping him/her to differentiatebetween the true and the false, is to be consideredthe light that illumines darkness. The next talk, ThePower that is Within You, is equally importantbecause it lays the onus of spiritual progresssquarely on the practitioner. The first two chaptersare particularly significant as they set the stage forindividual participation. The value of meditationand the question of what real wealth are addressed.That it is not worldly riches is something everyoneunderstands, but then what is it? Meditation ‘helpsus to understand and experience this higher self’(p. 20).

In the chapters following this beginning,conscious participation in the great journey to self-awareness is emphasized. One generally goesthrough life with ‘blinkers’ on. This leads to moreand more involvement with worldly matters,further, it puts one on the treadmill of desire andacquisition. To get off the treadmill, there must berealization, a moment when one stops to ask thequestions befitting human intelligence. In thechapter ‘Art of Living’, the concept of detachmentis introduced. ‘A true pilgrim on the path is onewho has no attachment to any kind of worldlyaffairs’ (pg 115). The various metaphors used todescribe this world and our short spans on it are

described: a bridge, a stage, a field of thorns. JPVaswani everywhere brings the reader to therealization that purity of heart and sincerity ofpurpose are the two main attributes to success inspirituality. However purity of heart, as he pointsout, encompasses humility and love. Without thesetwo, all our efforts are in vain.

The book ends with a talk that is really theanswer to the intriguing question in the title of thebook: The Man Who Made Friends With God. Hemakes it clear that one cannot be anything otherthan single-minded in the pursuit of this noble andlofty goal. However, there is one flag post on theway—that God is ever ready to help us, alwaysavailable and accessible. We only have to call onHim; again, with love and humility. If we do this,then it becomes that God does not particularlyfavour anyone except his true devotee.

JP Vaswani’s writing is full of wisdom andunderstanding and the style of his expression is sosimple that it is easily understood. However, thisis not to say that the content is not complex—it is,though he makes it appear straightforward. Thisquality deepens the value of the lectures—since itis inclusive, the reader is encouraged in hisattempts, however feeble they may be at the begin-ning—to reach the goal. Beautifully produced andarranged, it is a book that is at once reassuring andencouraging.___________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

31 PEARLS OF FEELINGS

by Mrs. Sushil Suri.Published by M.R. Publications, # 10, MetropoleMarket, 2724-25First Floor Kucha Chelan,Daryaganj, New Delhi - 110 002. 2011, paper-back, Pp.72, Rs.50.

This small book is a collection of some of thecouplets composed and sung by Mrs. Sushil Suri toher son Vicky Suri on various occasions. Theoriginal is in Urdu. Vicky Suri has given transli-terations in Devanagri and English and meaningwith short explanations.

The subject covered is mainly Bhakti in itsvarious aspects. One couplet says that life withoutdivine love is a series of intoxications and sadness.There is a couplet glorifying the need for continuousremembrance of God. The booklet should interestsincere devotees and spiritual aspirants._______________________________________________ VK OFFICE

44

T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A U G U S T 2 0 1 245T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A U G U S T 2 0 1 245


RAMAKRISHNA MISSION,KADAPAPutlampalli, Near RIMS Hospital, Kadapa - 516002, AP

Ph-08562- 200120, 200633City Centre: Ramakrishna Math, Trunk Road, Kadapa, 516001, Ph-08562-241633

Email: [email protected] Web site: www.rkm-kadapa.org

Consecration of the Universal TempleBy the grace of the Holy Trio, the Universal Temple of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna at

Kadapa is nearing completion. Though initially the temple was estimated at Rs.140 Lakhs, wehave to spend an additional Rs.20 lakhs to complete it. Now it has been decided to performthe consecration of the temple along with a marble image of Sri Ramakrishna on Thursday,22 November 2012 (the sacred Jagad-dhatri Puja day). In this connection afour-day programme will be held from20 to 23 November. We welcome alldevotees and admirers Sri Rama-krishna to the celebrations.

Srimat Swami SmarananandajiMaharaj, Vice-President of Rama-krishna Order, has kindly agreed toperform the consecration ceremony.We expect about 250 sadhus andbrahmacharis and around 5000 devo-tees (2000 from outside Kadapa) forthe function which would includeVastu Homa, special pujas, bhajans and cultural programmes, procession of sadhus anddevotees, discourses by monks and eminent persons, and the publication of a souvenir. Theestimated cost of these celebrations is Rs.45.00 lakhs. We appeal to all the devotees andadmirers to generously contribute towards this noble event and make it a grand and memorableoccasion.

You contributions through cheques or DDs, drawn in favour of Ramakrishna Mission,Kadapa, payable at Cuddapah (the old spelling still in use in banks), may be sent to the aboveaddress. You can also use the E-transfer facility to remit to our bank account (details for back-transfer: Ramakrishna Mission, A/c No 30186936408, State Bank of India, RIMS BranchCuddapah. Bank code: SBIN 0010107). Please intimate us your full name and address soonafter the e-transfer is complete.

With prayers and good wishes,

Note: The details of the celebrations can be had on our website. You can also download the enrolment

form and send back the filled-in form along with the DD as required. For more details for enrolment as

delegates, please SMS your full address to 09248545012. The last date for enrolment is 15 August 2012.

Swami AtmavidanandaSecretary

A recent picture of the temple under construction


RAMAKRISHNA MISSION SEVASHRAMAVijnanananda Marg, Mutthiganj, Allahabad - 211 003

Phone : 0532-2413369 Fax : 0532-2415235E-mail : [email protected]

PURNA KUMBHA MELA CAMP - 2013An Appeal

Dear Friend,The famous Kumbha Mela of Prayag is believed to be the biggest religious gathering in

the world. This time Purna Kumbha Mela is being held here from 15th January to 25thFebruary 2013. More than a hundred fifty lakh pilgrims and Sadhus are expected from allparts of the country and even abroad to participate in this great event. Special arrangementshave to be made for the medical care of the Sadhus and the pilgrims including the Kalpavasis.

The Sevashrama proposes, as in the previous years, to open a camp on the Melagrounds with charitable Allopathic and Homeopathic clinics and a first-aid centre for givingfree medical treatment to the assembled pilgrims and Sadhus. Qualified doctors, compounders,paramedical staff and volunteers will be required to help us in the work. Board and lodgingarrangements will also have to be made for one thousand pilgrims and two hundred Sadhusand volunteers. It is also proposed to maintain a Mandir and Satsang Pandal for regularreligious programmes in the camp.

The approximate expenditure of the whole camp is Rs. 100 lakhs. The Sevashramatherefore earnestly appeals to the generous public for help in the noble venture as they havespontaneously done in the past. Contribution in cash will also be thankfully received andacknowledged.

Cheques and drafts should be crossed “A/c Payee only” and drawn in favour of“RAMAKRISHNA MISSION SEVASHRAMA, ALLAHABAD” and sent preferably by registered/speed post.

Thanking you,Yours in the Lord

Swami NikhilatmanandaSecretary

1. Donation to the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama are exempted from income-taxunder Section 80 G of the Income tax Act, 1961.

2. Important bathing days are 15th January (Makar Sankranti), 27th January (PaushPurnima), 10th February (Mauni Amavasya), 15th February (Basant Panchami) and 25th February(Magha Purnima).

3. Those who want board and lodging facility at our campus during the Purna KumbhaMela should reserve their accommodation by applying in the prescribed form along with anadvance payment by 15th October, 2012. For the prescribed form and details please write tothe above address at your earliest.


SWAMI VIVEKANANDAAN INTUITIVE SCIENTIST

Swami Vivekananda was a multifaceted genius.Besides his profound insights into spiritual life, Swamijiwas well-acquainted with the scientific thoughts of his timesand was remarkably accurate in his observations withregard to many scientific notions. What is even moreimportant is the ample hints he gave on ways to train themind, arousing the unseen power of intuition, which is

vital to all scientific pursuits. This book attempts toexplore this aspect of Swamiji’s personality.

The author of the book is a retired scientistof ISRO, Bangalore.

NNNNNEWEWEWEWEW R R R R RELEASEELEASEELEASEELEASEELEASE

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

Price: Rs. 40/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained

Pages xvi + 156


NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE

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

K. Sridhar AcharyaFounder/ President

1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children – Tirupati & Orissa

2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital – Tirupati

3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged – Tirupati, Rishikesh & Chennai

4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram – Kothapeta

5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram – Tirupati

6. Navajeevan Orphanage – Parlaki Mudi [Orissa]

7. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - Berhampur [Orissa]

8. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - Serango [Orissa]

9. Navajeevan Orphan Homes - Visakha & Saluru

A Humble Request for DonationA Humble Request for DonationA Humble Request for DonationA Humble Request for DonationA Humble Request for Donation

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 AppealAn AppealAn AppealAn AppealAn Appeal

33 Y33 Y33 Y33 Y33 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012ears of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012ears of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012ears of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012ears of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address onthe occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of LordBalaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.

Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for TaxRelief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.

Vol.99-08 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) August 2012. Regd. with theRegistrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. POSTAL

REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 12-14. LICENCED TO POSTWITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2012-14

Date of Publication: 26th of every month

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Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon thesleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory willcome, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything thatis excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity. —Swami Vivekananda

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

The Vedanta Kesari August 2012

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Transcript of The Vedanta Kesari August 2012