The Vedanta Kesari April 2011

A
pril 2011
April April April April April 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER
Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavdin,
it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.
For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org
Vedic Prayers 125
Editorial
Right to Spirituality 126
Articles
Holy Mothers Four Visits to Orissa 139
Swami Tannishthananda
The Building-blocks of Inner Strength 144
Swami Sudarshanananda
Viveka and VairagyaEssential Qualities for Success in Life 147
Gopal C Bhar
Swami Vivekananda on Regeneration of Indian Women 154
Swami Sandarshanananda
Compilation
Kathopanishad: In the words of Swami Vivekananda 130
New Find
Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 152
Reminiscences
Reminiscences of Master Mahashay 133
Satish Chandra Nath
The Order on the March 159
Book Reviews 161
Features
Simhvalokanam (Prepare Ye for the Inevitable Hour)129,
Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories143
VOL. 98, No. 4 ISSN 0042-2983
CONTENTS
Cover Story: Page 4

T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A P R I L 2 0 1 1
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Ashrama consists of a prayer hall-cum-monks quar-
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Please see page 160 of this issue for more details.
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Cover Story Cover Story Cover Story Cover Story Cover Story
To be continued . . .
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THE VEDANTA KESARI PATRONS SCHEME
125 T 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 ~ ~
EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. THE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.
VOL. 98, No. 4, APRIL 2011 ISSN 0042-2983
Vedic Prayers
Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda
d_o J hn{Vd hmo Vm Zmo Adao
d nmo Vm {dddma Mo Vm `{j `m{g M dm` _ &&
Sama Veda, Agneya Parva, Ch. 1. 61.
Ao O Great God (Agni) Z our Adao knowledge-sacrifice d Thou J hn{V
owner, master of the body (self) d hmo Vm giver of fruits d nmo Vm purifier Mo Vm
giver of knowledge {ddmao O God, the revered one of the universe d Thou
`{j perform sacrifice M and dm` _ the fruits of actions of the performers of
penances `m{g bestow.
O Great God, in our knowledge-sacrifice, Thou art the master of the
body, the purifier, the awakener of knowledge, the giver of fruits. It is
Thou, O Lord of the universe, who performest the sacrifice and bestowest
the fruits of actions to the performers.
This infinit e At man is, as it were, t rying t o see His own face, and all, from
t he lowest animals t o t he highest of gods, are like so many mirrors t o reflect
Himself in, and He is t aking up st ill ot hers, finding t hem insufficient , unt il in t he
human body He comes t o know t hat it is t he finit e of t he finit e, all is finit e, t here
cannot be any expression of t he I nfinit e in t he finit e. Then comes t he ret rograde
march, and t his is what is called renunciat ion, Vairagya. Back from t he senses,
back! Do not go t o t he senses is t he wat chword of Vairagya. This is t he wat chword
of all moralit y, t his is t he wat chword of all well- being; for you must remember
t hat wit h us t he universe begins in Tapasya, in renunciat ion, and as you go back
and back, all t he forms are being manifest ed before you, and t hey are left aside
one aft er t he ot her unt il you remain what you really are. This is Moksha or
liberat ion.
Swami Vivekananda, CW, 3: 418: 419
5
126 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i A P R I L 2 0 1 1 ~ ~
Right to Spirituality
If Only I had Known It . . .
Why was all this not told to me when I
was in my high school?! demanded a young
angry man after listening to a talk by a monk
on control of mind and giving a spiritual
orientation to life.
If only I had known, he lamented, how
to handle my mind, my thoughts and emo-
tions, my life would have been much happier
and I would have avoided all those depres-
sions and frustrations that I had to undergo.
Wasnt the young man pointing out to
something deeper? If so, was it to the need to
understand and train ones senses and mind
as basic to avoiding human suffering? To the
right to know eternal spiritual laws that govern
the human mind? Or, what may be called, his
right to spirituality?
The Gita (8.3) calls the whole field of
spiritual practices as adhyatma or that which
dwells in every body. In other words, to know
the workings of human mind, and training it
to know the highest truths is the true meanings
of spirituality. And no one can have last-
ing happiness without knowing the highest
truth.
But, jumps up the material-minded, Is
it practical, this kind of knowledge? What
anyone needs is to know and perfect the ways
to get money, fame and power. Life should be
enjoyed; and all this talk about knowing and
perfecting the inner instrument is impractical.
As if responding to this question of what
constitutes practical, Swami Vivekananda
said in a lecture given in London more than a
century ago:
What is the utility, the effect, the result, of this
knowledge? In these days, we have to measure
everything by utilityby how many pounds,
shillings, and pence it represents. What right has
a person to ask that truth should be judged by
the standard of utility or money? Suppose there
is no utility, will it be less true? Utility is not the
test of truth. Nevertheless, there is the highest
utility in this. Happiness, we see, is what every-
one is seeking for, but the majority seek it in
things which are evanescent and not real. No
happiness was ever found in the senses. . . .
Happiness is only found in the Spirit. Therefore
the highest utility for mankind is to find this
happiness in the Spirit . . .
Is it practical?is another question. Can it [the
Truth that we are Spirit] be practised in modern
society? Truth does not pay homage to any
society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay
homage to Truth or die. Societies should be
moulded upon truth, and truth has not to adjust
itself to society. If such a noble truth as un-
selfishness cannot be practised in society, it is
better for man to give up society and go into the
forest. That is the daring man. There are two
sorts of courage. One is the courage of facing
the cannon. And the other is the courage of
spiritual conviction. . . That society is the
greatest, where the highest truths become
practical. That is my opinion; and if society is
not fit for the highest truths, make it so; and the
sooner, the better.
1
In Swamijis opinion, therefore, all social
institutions, laws, educational system, all its
science and technology, literature, everything
should be so designed and aligned as to make
the highest truths practical. And the highest
7
truth, says Swamiji, is to find out and enjoy
the happiness that lies in Spirit, in atman. One
may call the highest truth as atman, or divinity
within, or indwelling Spirit or by any name.
(A rose called by any other name will still
smell as sweet.) He further says,
2
My ideal indeed can be put into a few words
and that is: to preach unto mankind their
divinity, and how to make it manifest in every
movement of life.
Right to Spirituality
We live in an age of rightsright to in-
formation, right to education, right to employ-
ment and so on. Human rights have extended
to such an extent that it was reported in a
popular newspaper the other day that a thief,
who had been hurt while escaping after
thieving, filed a suit in a court, demanding he
be compensated for being hurt, since thieving
is his basic human right!
Rights, rights and rights, everywhere,
that is modern life. Whether it is right to have
only rights and no responsibility is hardly
discussed or focused upon. But the right to
have all these, and many more, rights, is
considered a part of modern living.
In this context, what about the right to
spirituality?
Not many people, of course, will accept
the existence of such a right. Generally we
speak only of duty whenever we speak of
spiritual matters. You should pay attention
to your spiritual life. You have a duty to-
wards yourself. That means to grow spiri-
tually is only a duty, a different kind of
duty, of course. But can spirituality be a basic
right?
Again, does such a right exist? Any
right is based on a need. The right to live is
based, for instance, on our natural craving for
living. It is a fact, a natural fact, and is basic to
human life. To deny or hamper the fulfilment
of this right amounts to committing a crime.
So, on what does the right to spirituality
exist or stand upon? It is based on the eternal
truth of our beingthe atman. The Upani-
shads, the repository of these eternal truths,
state repeatedly that everyone is spiritual or
divine by nature. Spirituality is our very
nature. Each soul is potentially divine. The
Hindu scriptures, irrespective of their differ-
ences in other details, agree about the inherent
divinity of soul. This divinity has been expe-
rienced and perceived by countless spiritual
masters down the ages and if it is a verifiable
truth, it will be experienced by countless men
and women in todays world, and in future as
well.
The Upanishads say that there are two
natures or truths present in everyone. One is
ones lower nature and another is ones higher
nature. Generally it is the lower nature which
functions and has greater influence in most
human beings. Lower nature consists of our
lower drives such as lust, anger, greed,
jealousy and so on. The higher nature refers
to the Self-effulgent atman which is the basis,
and the source, of human personality. But if
atman is our real nature, why do we get caught
in our lower nature? And what is the way
out? Explains Swamiji,
But why should the soul take to itself a body?
For the same reason that I take a looking-glass
to see myself. Thus, in the body, the soul is
reflected. The soul is God, and every human
being has a perfect divinity within himself, and
each one must show his divinity sooner or later.
If I am in a dark room, no amount of protestation
will make it any brighterI must light a match.
Just so, no amount of grumbling and wailing
will make our imperfect body more perfect. But
the Vedanta teachescall forth your soul, show
your divinity. Teach your children that they are
divine, that religion is a positive something and
8
not a negative nonsense; that it is not subjection
to groans when under oppression, but expansion
and manifestation.
3
To express our divinity, thus, is our right,
our birth right, if one may call it so. And to
exercise our right to spirituality means to
express this divinity in our life, in our day-to-
day actions, by controlling our lower nature.
Creating the Right Atmosphere
Now, if expressing divinity is our birth-
right, it involves a certain amount of responsi-
bility on part of the individuals, families,
teachers, schools, colleges and all forms of
social living. Everyone and everything should
work to provide a congenial atmosphere and
create a helpful ambience for the spiritual
growth of everyone. One should first of all
recognize this need and then strive to get over
ones lower tendencies and help others do the
same. This spirit of universal good or ethics is
expressed beautifully in the following, well-
known verse:
X O Z gmZmo ^y `mV gmZ empV_mZw `mV &
emVmo _w `o V ~Yo `mo _w $m`mZ {d_mo M`o V &&
May the wicked become virtuous. May the virtu-
ous attain tranquillity. May the tranquil be free
from bonds. May the freed make others free.
Everyone should make an attempt to
explore his or her higher nature. May be in
the beginning it may sound impossible that
any such thing as a higher nature exists. But a
patient and honest inquiry will slowly open
up the truth of our being. And once this
becomes clear, true character-building starts
because it is this ideal of experiencing inner
divinity which truly provides a lasting ideal
to human life. First, therefore, one should be
convinced of this destination of life, and then
one should diligently work hard to reach it.
Referring to the message of Sri Rama-
krishna, Swamiji says,
His [Sri Ramakrishnas] principle was, first form
character, first earn spirituality, and results will
come of themselves. His favourite illustration
was, When the lotus opens, the bees come of
their own accord to seek the honey; so let the
lotus of your character be full-blown and the
results will follow. This is a great lesson to learn.
. . Few understand the power of thought. If a
man goes into a cave, shuts himself in, and thinks
one really great thought and dies, that thought
will penetrate the walls of that cave, vibrate
through space, and at last permeate the whole
human race. Such is the power of thought; be in
no hurry therefore to give your thoughts to
others. First have something to give. He alone
teaches who has something to give, for teaching
is not talking, teaching is not imparting doctrines,
it is communicating.
4
Conclusion
Rights and responsibilities go together.
A right without responsibility is insolent
power which will put the person who exercises
it in trouble, sooner or later. Duty without right
will remain ineffective and meaningless. A
healthy and holistic approach to life requires
embracing both, rights and duties.
Right to spirituality is invariably connec-
ted with our duty to our spiritual nature. It
means cultivating our spiritual life, our spiri-
tual aspirations as much, if not more, as we
cultivate our material and mundane life. No
matter what is our station, stage and profession
in life, 'right' and 'responsibility'two sides
of the same cointo cultivate our spiritual or
higher nature alone can bring lasting peace
and joy in our lives.
References 1. CW, 2: 83-85 2. CW, 7: 501 3. CW, 1: 330 4. CW, 4: 177-178
From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI
S i mh v a l o k a n a m
Prepare Ye for the Inevitable Hour
(April, 1920-21, pp. 369-371)
Adapted from the Bengali of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, Pt. II
Lost in Samadhi, Sri Ramakrishna is seated on the small cot,
surrounded by devotees, and amongst them, Sj. Adhar Sen and a few of his friends. . .
Samadhi has broken; Sri Ramakrishna finds that the whole house is expectantly looking at
him; so he says to himself:
The spiritual awareness of the worldly shines out only on occasions,and they are very
few indeed!like the flame of a lamp, nay, a ray of the sun penetrating through a chink in the
wall. They take the name of the Lord,but their heart is not in it, just as children utter oaths in
Gods name, which they have learnt from the quarrels of their aunts!
They have not any go either: they do not mind if they fail or succeed. Suppose they are
sinking a well for water; the moment they come upon a layer of stone, they leave it off; or
perhaps they find thick stratum of sand,there they stop! But must not they dig on where they
have begun? Only then can they hope to get water!. . .
It is He Who has become all this! But in man, he manifests himself the most; and
whoever has the nature of a pure-souled child, and laughs and cries and dances and singsin
him the Lord is presenting very person!
Now the Master forms the acquaintance of Adhar who speaks to him of his friends
bereavement; at that the Master sings to himself:
To arms! To arms! O man,Death doth enter thy hold in battle-array!
O mount thy devotions car, with wisdoms quiver strapped and stringing thy tongue with
loves mighty siring, aim, O aim the shaft divine of Mothers holy name!. . .
What can you do? Prepare for this Death! It has penetrated into your household; you
will have to fight it with the weapon of His holy name! Even He is the doer! Mother, say I, as
you actuate me, so I do; and as you make me speak, so I say; you are the mechanic, I am your
tool; You are the mistress, I am the house; you are the engineer, I am the carriage!
Giver Her the power of attorney, and no mishap need you fear, if you rely on a good
man! Let Her will be done!
And wont there be grief!born of his own self! When Ravana fell in the battle, Lakshmana
ran to him to find that every bone had been pierced through and through! And he said, O
Rama, how effective is your aim! There is no part of his body, as has not been perforated by
your arrows! But Rama replied, Brother, these holes you find in his bones, are not made by
my arrows! Grief has pierced them; these holes testify to his heavy affection!
Death Makes Amends:
nr: xrxr+
r + n + rlrrr+ i
rr+
nrr rloln ii -- ii
= l -n r
l lrl=r i
rrr +l=rl
=rr+r rr =rr =rr l ii -: ii
=rr r r r =
nr+ =rro-: r i
sr rrr: nrr: n r
+ rnr r+r + : i
rlrrl: |rrr
+l= r r r:+ ra: ii -- ii
Death said, Ask for sons and grandsons
who will live one hundred years, many cattle,
elephants, gold, and horses. Ask for empire
on this earth and live as many years as you
The following compilation from the nine-volume Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
attempts to present Swamijis thoughts in relation with the verses from the Kathopanishad. Of all the
Upanishads, Swami Vivekananda loved the Kathopanishad most. He once told [CW, 6: 456] his
disciple, Sharat Chandra Chakravarty, to memorize the Kathopanishad. In many of his lectures,
Swamiji quoted from the Kathopanishad.
This compilation juxtaposes what Swamiji said in different contexts (references to the CW, are
given in brackets) with the original verses. The Kathopanishad consists of two chapters, sub-
divided into 2 and 3 sections, and in all having 120 verses. Swamiji has referred to some 86 verses
from different sections of the Upanishad. In this compilation only those verses which could be related
to Swamijis words have been given; uncommented verses have been omitted. This compilation has
been done by V. Radhakrishnan, a retired teacher of mathematics from Pune, Maharashtra.
like. Or choose any other boon which you
think equal to thesewealth and long life. Or
be thou a king, O Nachiketas, on the wide
earth. I will make thee the enjoyer of all
desires. Ask for all those desires which are
difficult to obtain in the world. These heavenly
maidens with chariots and music, which are
not to be obtained by man, are yours. Let them
serve you, O Nachiketas, but do not question
me as to what comes after death. (2.160-161)
The enjoyments of the gods, even these
I offer you. Do not insist upon your query.
(6.88) Do not press me to answer this.
Whatever man desires for his enjoyment, ask
all that and I will fulfil it, but do not want to
know this secret. (2.407)
But Nachiketa was firm as a rock. (6.88)
Youth and beauty vanish, life and wealth
vanish, name and fame vanish, even the
mountains crumble into dust. Friendship and
love vanish. Truth alone abides. (5.71) Neither
COMPILATION
(Continued from the previous issue . . .)
11
money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning;
it is character that can cleave through adaman-
tine walls of difficulties. (7.487)
Blazing renunciation of Nachiketas:
rrr r -=
n -rrr r- : i
l n l=
rrr + r ii - ii
Nachiketas said, These are merely things
of a day, O Death, they wear away the energy
of all the sense-organs. Even the longest life is
very short. These horses and chariots, dances
and songs, may remain with Thee. (2.161)
What is religion? To pray, Give me this and
that? Foolish ideas of religion! Those who
believe them have no true idea of God and
soul. My Master used to say, The vulture rises
higher and higher until he becomes a speck,
but his eye is always on the piece of rotten
carrion on the earth. Go beyond that if you
dare; go beyond law, let the whole universe
vanish, and stand alone. . . (3.18)
+ l + r + r
rr lrr r i
lrr rlnln r
r r: n ii - ii
No, sir, said the boy, man is not to be
satisfied with wealth; if wealth were wanted,
we should get it, if we have only seen you.
We shall also live so long as you rule. (2.407)
Man cannot be satisfied by wealth. Can
we retain wealth when we behold Thee? We
shall live only so long as Thou desirest. Only
the boon which I have asked is chosen by me.
(2.161)
rr+rr
-r : :: r++ i
lr+ rl rr+
l l =r r ii -c ii
What decaying mortal, living in the
world below and possessed of knowledge,
having gained the company of the undecaying
and the immortal, will delight in long life,
knowing the nature of the pleasure produced
by song and sport? (2.407)
Every sense-activity results in a reaction.
Everything is evanescent. Enjoyment, misery,
luxury, wealth, power, and poverty, even life
itself, are all evanescent. (2.71) While there is
birth there is death, and again entering the
mothers womb. This is the manifest evil of
transmigration. How, O man, dost thou want
satisfaction in such a world! (7.449)
There is death . . . inevitable death, in
water, in air, in the palace, in the prison
death everywhere. What makes you fearless?
When you have realised what you arethat
infinite spirit, deathless, birthless. Him no fire
can burn, no instrument kill, no poison
hurt.(4.245) If I had to go after a few handfuls
of gold, my life would not be worth living! I
should die. (2.171)
l lll=rn- rr
rnrrrr rl lr + i
r: rr +lr
+r- rl= r ii - ii
Therefore, tell me this secret about the
great hereafter, I do not want anything else;
that is what Nachiketas wants, the mystery of
death. (2.407)
Then the God of death was pleased. . . .
[Seeking] Jnana prepares the mind. So you see
here that the first preparation is that a man
must desire nothing else but the truth, and
truth for truths sake. See how this boy rejected
all these gifts which Death offered him;
possessions, property, wealth, long life, and
everything he was ready to sacrifice for this
one idea, knowledge only, the truth. Thus
alone can truth come. (2.407)
12
Chapter I Canto 2
Then the god of death said, My boy, you
have declined, for the third time, wealth, power,
long life, fame, family. You are brave enough
to ask the highest truth. I will teach you. There
are two ways, one of truth, one of enjoyment.
You have chosen the former. (6.88)
. . . Note here the conditions of imparting
the truth. First, the puritya boy, a pure, un-
clouded soul, asking the secret of the universe.
Second, that he must take truth for truths sake
alone. Until the truth has come through one
who has had realisation, from one who has
perceived it himself, it cannot become fruitful.
Books cannot give it, argument cannot esta-
blish it. Truth comes unto him who knows the
secret of it. (6.88)
Two ways: Perfection and enjoyment
-or:- :
+r+r r ln+: i
r : rr+ nr l
r :r c r ii \ ii
Perfection is one thing and enjoyment
another; these two having different ends,
engage men differently. He who chooses per-
fection becomes pure. He who chooses enjoy-
ment misses his true end.(2.161)
The God of death became pleased. Here
are two ways, he said, one of enjoyment, the
other of blessedness. These two in various
ways draw mankind. He becomes a sage who,
of these two, takes up that which leads to
blessedness, and he degenerates who takes up
the road to enjoyment. (2.408)
Both perfection and enjoyment present
themselves to man; the wise man having
examined both distinguishes one from the
other. He chooses perfection as being superior
to enjoyment, but the foolish man chooses
enjoyment for the pleasure of his body. (2.161)
We now get a very developed idea of
renunciation and Vedic morality, that until one
has conquered the desires for enjoyment the
truth will not shine in him. So long as these
vain desires of our senses are clamouring and
as it were dragging us outwards every moment,
making us slaves to everything outsideto a
little colour, a little taste, a little touchnotwith-
standing all our pretensions, how can the truth
express itself in our hearts? (2.161-62)
. . .the Upanishads condemn all the
sacrifices and say that is mummery. That may
give you all you want, but it is not desirable,
for the more you get, the more you [want],
and you run round and round in a circle
eternally, never getting to the endenjoying
and weeping. Such a thing as eternal happiness
is impossible anywhere. It is only a childs
dream. (1.451)
(To be continued . . .)
True Love Becomes Universal
The higher we rise above t he animal plane, t he wider becomes t he circle of Self- love,
and inst ead of being confined t o t he body and senses of t he individual, it becomes
general, covering t he selves, not merely of dearest relat ives and nearest friends, but of
neighbours, count rymen, and at last , of all humanit y. Thus, t he more universal our love
of Self becomes, t he nearer we approach t he Divinit y, because t he divine Principle is t he
universal Being, whose love flows equally t oward all living creat ures, as t he sun shines
equally upon t he heads of t he virt uous and t he wicked. Swami Abhedananda
Reminiscences of Master Mahashay
SATISH CHANDRA NATH
Master Mahashay, Mahendranath Gupta, or M, was an eminent householder disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna. He recorded the conversations of Sri Ramakrishna in Bengali and published them later
as Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (translated into English: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna). The
following is the translation of reminiscences of M from Srima Sarada magazine, recorded by Satish
Chandra Nath (Sri Sri Yogeswari Ramakrishna Math: Howrah), 5:1,7,10 issues and 6:1,2,6 issues.
Swami Chetanananda (the translator of the present article) is the Head of Vedanta Society of St. Louis,
USA. He has to his credit several notable books in Bengali and English, translations as well as
original.
Gadadhar Ashrama, Calcutta, 30 January 1924
M. was staying at Gadadhar Ashrama [a
centre of Ramakrishna Math in Kolkata] for a
few days. Early every morning he went to the
shrine and meditated for hours. He took care
of his own needs and would accept service
from no one. The Master had taught him that
holy company is vital to spiritual life, so he
had come to stay in the Ashrama to associate
with the monks.
M. said: Vidyasagar took English lessons
from a teacher for one week. Later, when he
heard that the teacher had passed away, he
took responsibility for his family. Just see his
gratitude! Holy Mother used to say, Is he a
man who is ungrateful? Lalit Maharaj [Swami
Kamaleshwarananda] served people and
taught the scriptures for the welfare of all.
Now we should look after him. [He was
suffering from mental illness.]
Once some women devotees went to
Jayrambati to visit Holy Mother. In the
morning while everyone was absorbed in
meditation, Holy Mother scrubbed the mud
floor by hand. When one of the women saw
that, she came forward and began to mop the
floor. Holy Mother asked, Will you not
meditate? She replied, Mother, how can I
meditate when you are cleaning the floor?
1 February 1924
It was winter. M., the monks, and the
devotees sat on the roof for lunch.
M. said: Once when Nivedita visited
Holy Mother, she took her dog along. But Holy
Mother would push the dog away with a fan
so that it would not enter her room, which
was also her shrine. Nivedita said: Mother,
do you love me? Then why will you not love
my dog? It is said in the Bible: Love me, love
my dog.
M. pointed to me and said: What a
precious statement! Memorize it.
M. told me privately: Let me give you a
secret task. From today onward, keep a diary
and record the sayings of great personalities.
Be sure to note the time, subject, place, and
who is talking to whom. Dont record discus-
sions about politics. In this manner you will
develop the power of judgement and insight
14
into human nature. You will be able to discern
right from wrong. In the future, this will help
your meditation. I started to write my diary
when I was in the eighth grade. Fifteen years
later I met the Master. My habit was to make
brief notes in the diary; later the Kathamrita
emerged from it. The Masters message to the
world remained hidden, like seeds, in the
pages of that ordinary diary.
That night M. asked a devotee: Do you
meditate?
No, I cannot medi-
tate, the devotee replied.
Please try, M. said.
The mind will run around
in the beginning, but grad-
ually it will come under
control. Try to practise
meditation for at least 15
minutes a day. There is
another kind of meditation
thinking of the Masters
divine play. Meditation is
nothing but uninterrupted
thought of God.
3 February 1924
After lunch M. rested
for a bit and then he talked to us.
It is a difficult discipline to say, I am
Brahman,
M. began. Listen to a story. A drunkard
pretended that he was dead, and some of his
drunken friends carried him on their shoul-
ders. The man said, I am dead. The people
on the street said, No, you are not yet dead,
as you are still talking. When a man expe-
riences I am Brahman, he becomes silent and
no words come from his mouth.
The night before, we had studied Bhakti
Yoga; the topic was A knower of Brahman
becomes Brahman.
M. said: What will you achieve by
repeating I am Brahman? Brahman has the
power of creation, preservation, and destruc-
tion. Do you have that power? So the Master
said, It is good to have the attitude of a
devotee, such as I am His child, or I am His
servant.
In the afternoon we went with M. to walk
in Harish Park, in South Calcutta. A public
meeting associated with Swamijis birth
anniversary had been scheduled, but it was
cancelled for some reason.
What happened to
that meeting? M. asked. It
is good that it was can-
celled. The Master taught
us: Call on God in solitude
and in secret. This is the
truth. There is no need to
put up a signboard: This
place is meant for calling
on God. All are welcome to
call on God.
The Master used to
say: A flower blooms in
the deep forest. It has a
sweet fragrance and is full
of honey. Is it necessary to
inform the bees that such a flower is blooming
in that spot of the forest? The bees go there of
their own accord. Learn how to gather honey
[spirituality].
Gadadhar Ashrama, Calcutta, 27 February
1924
In the evening many devotees came to
listen to M. talk about spiritual matters.
A brahmachari asked: Shall we achieve
something in this life?
M. replied: Suppose you are asleep on a
cot and others carry you a great distance. Can
you know how far you have gone? There is a
Master Mahashay
great power [Ramakrishna] behind you who
is thinking of you.
A devotee asked him: Could you tell us
why people go to a holy place with great diffi-
culty and then endure humiliation? In the Puri
temple priests humiliate the pilgrims and even
beat them with broomsticks.
M. replied: People go through various
ordeals to realise God. Is it not a great blessing
to be touched by a broom that is used to clean
the temple and the Lords chariot? For that
reason, people who visit Puri are willing to be
beaten with that broomstick.
Some ask, What miracle did Sri Rama-
krishna perform? I answer: The Master
turned the worldly current in the opposite
directiontowards God. He made the pleasant
(preyas) into the good (shreyas). Is there any
greater miracle than this? He changed the
current of life for those who went to him.
A swami asked: How can we get rid of
our old samskaras [tendencies]?
After a brief silence, M. replied: Listen
to a story: A Hindu was forcibly converted to
Islam and was made to repeat the name of
Allah. Out of fear, he repeated Allah, but
from time to time he said Jai Jagadamba.
When the Muslims beat him, he said: Look,
your Allahs name is on my lipsbut inside I
am full of Jagadamba [the Divine Mother]. So
Jagadambas name comes out, pushing Allahs
name aside. What can I do? You had better
kill me. Such is the influence of samskaras.
M. then began to read from the Bible.
He said to the audience: Do you know the
meaning of spirit, water, and blood? It means
Christ, baptism, and crucifixion. Everything
happens by Gods will. If a man cannot love
his own brother, how can he love God?
After Swamiji returned from the West,
one day we were talking on the roof of
Balarams house. It is extremely difficult to
understand the principle of the avatar [the
doctrine of divine incarnation]. Swamiji said:
I read so much in the Vedas and Vedanta;
and I heard so many things from the Master;
yet I still cannot fathom this mystery of the
avatar.
Morton Institution, 29 September 1924
In the afternoon a gentleman came from
the Basumati Publication Office to meet M.,
the rector of the school. He had read excerpts
from the Kathamrita in the Basumati and Manasi
magazines, and he was curious to meet the
author who had written under the pseudonym
of Srima. I met the gentleman downstairs and
told him: Mahendra Babu did not want people
to know who he was, so in the Kathamrita he
used several pen names, such as Srima, Master,
Mani, and M. In fact, he wanted to spread the
message of Sri Ramakrishna to the world. On
the title page of the Kathamrita is written
Srima Kathita, or As Told by Srima. This
has a deep meaning: He would open his old
diaries; meditate on those episodes concerning
Sri Ramakrishna; and then give dictation. Some
designated people would write down his
words. Thus the Kathamrita came into exist-
ence. So it is written on the title page, as told
by Srima and not written by him.
The gentleman replied: My goodness!
Sir, this is something unprecedented.
When we came to M., two devotees were
with him.
A devotee asked: When I sit for medi-
tation, my mind wanders to worthless things.
M. responded: One needs to practise
meditation regularly, and then gradually the
mind will come under control.
Another devotee asked: What was the
Masters complexion like?
M. said: Holy Mother told me that the
Masters complexion was like milk and red
15
paint combined. When we met him, his
complexion was not like that, and his beard
was turning a little grey.
The gentleman now said: I wish you
would touch my head. Your blessed hands
have served the Master, and the touch of his
feet remains on your hands.
What will you achieve from the touch
of these ordinary hands? M. responded.
Please visit Dakshineswar from time to time.
The blessed feet of the Master touched every
particle of dust in that place. The Panchavati,
the bel tree, and the pine trees have seen the
Master. Blessed are the births of those trees.
You will be inspired by the Divine Mothers
temple. Please visit that place.
The gentleman from the Basumati office
was speechless and overwhelmed.
Morton Institution, 2 December 1924
I reached the Morton Institution at 8:00
a.m. M. was reading the proof of the Kathamrita
and asked me to sit on a bench.
M. said: A free soul loves to see long
roads, expansive skies, and vast meadows, and
also to have the company of the holy. He does
not like to be caught in bondage. The Master
could not tie a knot, tuck the mosquito curtain
under his mattress, or stitch a cloth. He could
not even write. His mind always dwelt in God.
It was necessary for him to bring the mind
down to write something, so he could not
write. When he tried to, it turned into scribbles.
Again the Master could not eat his meal
mixing various dishes together, because this
required him to bring the mind down. But to
please the devotees, he would bring his mind
down and eat. Sometimes to bring his mind
down, he would say, I shall drink some
water. One day he asked me, Could you tell
me why I am in such a state? I replied: Your
mind remains in a higher state. You bring it
down to play with the devotees. Immediately
he corrected me, saying: No, I dont bring
the mind down. It is the Mother who does
that.
I asked: In the Kathamrita it is written
that Govinda Roy initiated the Master into an
Allah mantra. Who is this Govinda Roy?
M. replied: Govinda Roys house was
near Dum Dum. He was not a Muslim, but he
used to practise Islam.
Morton Institution, June 1925
It was evening. Devotees silently medi-
tated with M. Afterwards M. asked someone
to read from the Kathamrita. The topic was:
One should realise ones true nature.
M. said: Gods true form manifests in
the hearts of the devotees. Whatever you see
in this world is nothing but pretense, like
actors performing on a stage. It is a dramatic
performance. The actress who is dressed like
Sita must act like the all-suffering Sitaalways
crying. Sometimes she cries so much that it is
hard for her to perform.
There are three ways one can destroy
the false show of this world. First think: This
is not my true nature. I have assumed this
form. I am that free soul. This is jnana yoga.
Second: I have dressed as you wished me to.
Please dont make me wear this false garb
anymore. I cannot perform anymore. Reveal
Yourself to me. This is bhakti yoga. Third:
Sitting in the green room, one thinks, Now I
am putting makeup on myself. When the play
is over it will be removed. Thus one gets rid
of delusion. This is called abhyasa yoga, or the
yoga of practice.
The devotees left at 10:00 p.m.
It was winter. M. was seated on a bench,
covered with a woollen shawl. During that
16
evening gathering he talked about the Master
and Holy Mother.
M. said: In Jhamapukur, the Master
studied in his brothers Tol [Sanskrit school].
That Tol was closed long ago and the Shyam-
sundar temple was erected in its place. You
will feel awakening if you sit there for a while.
Genuine devotees will go there and think of
the Master.
Meanwhile, a devotee came from Belur
Math. M. inquired: Who is the worshipper in
the Masters temple? Who is worshipping Holy
Mother? What kind of sari was used to
decorate the Mothers picture? Does she have
a shawl? How is the flower garden at Belur
Math? Did you feel joy there?
The devotee answered: Yes, I did.
There are various signs of bliss, M. said.
One of them is to visit a holy place again and
again. The minds of those who are not married,
will be drawn to God, and will be inspired to
renounce everything and join the Ramakrishna
monastery. There is a gulf of difference
between the grihastha ashrama and the san-
nyasa ashrama. Light comes into a househol-
ders life through a chink, and a flood of light
comes from all directions into a monastics life.
They are full of light, inside and out.
Meanwhile, a devotee brought offered
sweets and fruits from the Shyamsundar
temple. M. touched the prasad to his head and
then distributed it amongst the devotees.
M. said: The Master used to say,
Whoever thinks of me, I think of him. We
think of him very little, and now just see how
much prasad he has sent us. I cant imagine
what the Master would do for us if we offered
our body, mind, and everything at his feet.
In the evening M. was seated, surround-
ed by devotees. As different water channels
lose their identity when they meet with the
Ganges, so people of different temperaments
and views lost their individualities when
associating with M.
M. said: On Christmas day I went to the
Roman Catholic Church in Dharamtala [Cen-
tral Calcutta] to pray as well as to see their
manner of praying. I knelt down with the
Indian and foreign Christians. The next day
also I joined in their prayers, and I had an
opportunity to talk about Christ with the
pastors. Their idea about the Holy Bible is
different from ours. You see, we have seen
Christ. If you ask: How? He lived nearly 1900
years ago. Well, the Master said: I am Rama,
Krishna, Christ, and Chaitanya. Thus have I
seen Christ.
On the same day I went to Dakshin-
eswar and had prasad of the Divine Mother.
The priest kindly opened the western door and
I entered the Mothers temple. I saw the
Mother standing from three positionssouth,
southwest, and westand each angle of vision
was different.
You see, we have seen the Master. Those
who have seen him speak about him in one
way; those who have heard about him speak
of him in a different way; and those who have
read about him speak in yet another way. A
man who has seen the ocean describes it in a
detailed way, whereas the man who has
merely heard about the ocean cannot speak as
impressively as the eyewitness. Some have
seen milk, heard about milk, and drunk milk.
We belong to the last group. In other words,
while drinking the milk, we have seen, heard,
and tasted it.
The Master accepted all religious views.
In fact, he not only accepted them but also
practised those religious paths. He practised
Islam and realised that God has made all paths.
While practising Islam, he dressed like a
17
Muslim. He also did not go to the Kali temple,
and he wanted to eat Muslim food. So Mathur
arranged to have Muslim meals prepared by
Hindu cooks.
Some ask: What miracle did Sri Rama-
krishna perform? Is there any dearth of the
Masters miracles? One of his miracles is Girish
Ghoshwhat he was and what he became.
The current of his life was moving in one
direction and the Master reversed it. Another
miracle is Gauri-ma. The Master made her
practise sadhana and did much work through
that woman. Latu Maharaj [later Swami Ad-
bhutananda] was another of the Masters
miracles. He was truly phenomenal, a piece of
rusty iron turned into gold by the Masters
touch. He [Latu Maharaj] was a servant of Ram
Datta and would carry various things for the
Master. Later he began to serve the Master at
Dakshineswar. Seeing him asleep one evening,
the Master said to him, If you sleep in the
evening, then when will you do spiritual
disciplines? From then on, Latu Maharaj
gave up sleeping at night and practised
sadhana.
It is a great miracle to change a persons
life current.
Saying this, M. became serious and silent.
It was late evening and the devotees took their
leave of him.
M. recalled:
The Mast er [ Sri Ramakrishna] went t o see t he play Chaitanya Lila in Sept ember 1884.
We went wit h him. Girish Ghosh arranged a box seat for t he Mast er and engaged a man t o
fan him wit h a big palm- leaf fan. The Mast er asked, How much will t hey charge? Not hing,
I replied. They are happy t hat you have come t o see t he performance. Then t he Mast er
said j oyfully, I chant Mot hers name, so t hey do all t hese t hings for me. I t is amazing t hat
he was reluct ant t o t ake any credit for himself. The Mot her was doing everyt hing.
Sri Ramakrishna went on anot her occasion t o see Gririshs performance at t he St ar
Theat re. He gave him a rupee since he did not want t o see it for free. Put t ing t he money
on his head, Girish began t o dance. He regarded it as Prasad from t he Mast er and
preserved it in his shrine.
One day while going t o Balarams house, t he Mast er passed near t he home of Girish
Ghosh, who was t hen seat ed on his veranda. Point ing t o him, Narayan, a young devot ee,
said t o t he Mast er, There is Girish Ghosh, who wrot e Chaitanya Lila. As t he Mast er was
by nat ure humble, he salut ed Girish wit h folded hands. Girish followed t he Mast er t o
Balarams. There t he Mast er said t o him: The play is well writ t en. Many people will derive
j oy from it . Girish replied: Sir, I am an unwort hy person. I do not deserve such a
compliment . Wherever I sit , t he eart h becomes impure seven cubit s deep. I mmediat ely
t he Mast er ent ered int o an ecst at ic st at e and sang t his song:
If only I can pass away repeating Durgas name,. . .
List ening t o t his song, Girish felt consoled. The Mast er blessed him. Aft er t hat Girish
would inquire about when t he Mast er was coming t o Calcut t a and would wait for him at
t he homes of his host s. Gradually his life began t o change. One day he and his friend went
t o Dakshineshwar by carriage. Bot h were dead drunk. Holding ont o t he Mast er, Girish
began t o sing, O Lord, where is your sweet heart Radha? Lat er t he Mast er said: What
fait h Girish has! I t is so deep t hat it cannot be measured.
Girish Chandra GhoshA Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, p.388- 389
18
Holy Mothers Four Visits to Orissa
SWAMI TANNISHTHANANDA
The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at its Nagpur Centre.
[Given below are some reminiscences
which give a glimpse of her stay at Kothar:]
(Recorded by Sri Surendranath Sarkar)
In December 1910, I went to meet Holy
Mother at Kothar along with two devotees
from Shillong, namely Hemant Mitra and
Virendra Muzumdar. At Kothar that time
Ramakrishna Basu, Swamis Dhirananda,
Achalananda, Atmananda, a devotee of Sri
Nag Mahashaya named Haraprasanna Muz-
umdar and others were present. We took some
fruits, etc., for Holy Mother. We reached
Kothar at about 1 pm. After the bath, we were
called for lunch. I told that we would eat only
after the darshan of Holy Mother. It was
communicated to her and she readily agreed.
Entering the room, we found Holy
Mother who had covered her body with a
cloth. Golap-Ma said to Mother that we were
just children and had come from far off place
to meet her. Hearing this, Mother removed
her veil and we could see her divine face
clearly. Since that day Mother never put her
veil before me. I prostrated myself before her
and prayed. Mother blessed me by putting her
hand on my head and said, May you get
devotion.
Myself: Mother we want to stay here for
a few days, but it is very difficult to meet you
here.
Mother: I will send for you. Have your
meals now and take some rest.
After our meals, we took some rest. In
the afternoon, Golap-Ma gave us the prasad
of Holy Mother. After sometime, Mother sent
for us. After offering our pranams, I told her
that I wanted to talk to her in private. I told
Mother how I saw Sri Thakur and Mother in a
dream.
Then Mother said that whatever I saw in
the dream was right. Then I told her about the
desire of my companions for initiation. Mother
agreed to bless them.
(Continued from the previous issue. . .)
Holy Mother in the shrine at Udbodhan, 1909
20
Then I told her, Thakur had worshipped
you with flowers, etc. We also wish to do the
same. Mother consented to my request. After
coming out, I felt that though Mother wanted
to know about the initiation of my compa-
nions, she did not ask anything about my own.
So I decided not to ask for my own initiation.
Next day after our bath, we were ready
for initiation with flowers, etc. We were asked
to go to Mother one by one. I went first. It
appeared to me that Mother had finished her
worship and was waiting for us. When I
entered the room, she said, Whatever Thakur
had given you in dream, you do that. I am
also giving you something. Then she gave me
initiation. Then I worshipped her. Mother
accepted my worship. I had a Dhatura flower,
Mother forbade me to offer it at her feet saying
that it was meant for the worship of Lord
Shiva. I offered her a cloth and one rupee.
Mother said, Why do you give money?
You need it for your household. There was
no talk about my household but she knew
everything.
I said, Mother, it is all yours. Whatever
we earn, if we can offer only a fraction of it at
your lotus feet then we will feel ourselves
blessed. Mother appreciated my feeling. I told
her, Mother, devotees call you Divine Mother
Kali, Adyashakti and Bhagavati. In Bhagavad
Gita [10.13], it is said that Rishis such as Asit,
Deval, Vyas, and other knew the real nature
of Lord Krishna and regarded him as Narayan
himself. Sri Krishna himself too said it to
Arjuna. Since it was told by Sri Krishna
himself, it adds value to what Rishis had said
and so people believe it. Likewise, I believe
what devotees say about you, but if you repeat
it yourself, then all the doubts will be removed
from my mind. I want to hear from you
whether what the devotees say about you is
true or not.
Mother said, Yes, that is true.
As a result, in future I never had any
doubt about the real nature of Holy Mother.
I requested Mother, Please bless me so
that I can have the darshan of my Ishta
[Devata], as I can see you, talk to you and feel
you. Mother granted my request and replied,
Yes, you will get it.
Next day before taking leave, I offered
my pranams to Mother and saw her in happy
and joyful mood.
Golap-Ma asked me, Are you not going
to Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath?
I said, I have a pilgrimage and every-
thing at the feet of Mother, where else shall I
go? I do not want anything else.
Listening to me Mother said, All right,
you need not go anywhere.
9
(Recorded by Swami Kamaleshwarananda)
Holy Mother went to Kothar at the estate
of Balaram Basu. As they looked upon Holy
Mother as a guru, they did not allow her to
do any household work. So Mother said, Give
me some betel leaves, I will roll it. Can I sit
idle like this? Thakur never liked me to sit
idle. Women should never sit idle. It is heard
that when she had nothing to do, then Thakur
used to bring to her fibres for making a rope
or used to give her some similar kind of work.
A view of the Kothar village
21
Mother said to Krishnalal Maharaj, Work,
work. If you work, it will do your mind
good.
10
Kothar Today
Besides, Holy Mother, some of the direct
disciples of Sri Ramakrishna such as Swami
Brahmananda, Swami Akhandananda and
Swami Subodhananda have also stayed at
Kothar.
In 1997, Shree Maa Sarada Devi Smruti
Mandir, Kothar was started. It is an affiliate of
Orissa Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhava
Prachar Parishad and functions under the
guidance of Ramakrishna Math, Belur. The
Smruti Mandir has plans to expand its
activities and funds are being raised to give
shape to them.
The house where Mother stayed is
dilapidated but three out of the seventeen
rooms have been renovated. The room where
Holy Mother stayed as also the front hall have
been renovated and made into a temple. At
the entrance of this temple, there are the
photos of Balaram Basu and his wife. In the
sanctum sanctorum there is a photo of Holy
Mother in the centre on a raised platform and
on the two sides there are the photos of Sri
Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. Out-
side the veranda, where Holy Mother used to
sit, is a Tulasi grove (Basil plant on a pedestal)
on which Ma is written.
In the Radha-Shyamchands temple
nearby images of Sri Radharani and Sri
Shyamchandji are enshrined. Holy Mother too
worshiped these images. Next to these are the
images of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra.
These were earlier in the house of Balaram
Basu at Calcutta where on the Ratha Yatra
day Sri Ramakrishna took part in the festival
which was celebrated with singing of Bhajan
and Kirtan. In 1942, Hatibagan area in Calcutta
was bombed by Japanese troops. So Basu
family had shifted to Kothar taking the Ratha
Yatra images with them.
Renovated courtyard of the house
Shaligram-Shilas at Radha-Shyamchand temple
Entrance to Shree Maa Sarada Devi Smruti Mandir
22
9. Bengali Sri Sri Mayer Katha Vol-1 by Udbodhan
p.222-227
10. Bengali Sri Ramakrishna Parikar Prasanga by Swami
Kamleshwarananda p.116-117
On the other side of Radha-Shyam-
chandji is kept Shaligram-Shila. The photos of
Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji
The veranda where Mother would meet devotees The room (now a shrine) where Holy Mother stayed
References
worshiped by Basu family are also kept there.
There is a garden of flowers, fruits and
vegetables towards the boundary wall. In the
entrance of the Radha-Shyamchand temple, we
may find the huge wooden Ratha in a decrepit
condition.
At present, there is a school and also a
college in the name of Holy Mother in Kothar.
11
As noted earlier, the Holy Mother, on
her way to Kothar, alighted at Bhadrak and
stayed there overnight. To commemorate this
occasion, the devotees arrange every year a
procession around the village with the portrait
of Holy Mother in a palanquin and finally
place the palanquin in front of the house where
she had stayed. (To be continued . . .)
11. Bengali Udbodhan, June-2008, p.393, Udbodhan
November 1997, p.624-633 and Bengali Sri Sri
Ramakrishna Lilamrita by Vaikunthalal Sanyal
P.186 and Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami
Nikhilananda P.50 & 304-306
The well in the house used by Holy Mother
A man must not t ry t o fit grace int o t he framework of his own underst anding. There is
no rule, t he Mot her counselled again, t hat Gods grace will fall on one simply because one
is pract ising aust erit ies. I n olden t imes, it is said, t he ascet ics pract ised aust erit ies for
t housands of years, wit h t heir feet up and heads down and a light ed fire burning under
t hem. Even t hen, only some of t hem received Gods grace. God is not like fish or
veget ables, t hat you can buy Him for a price. Swami Nikhilananda, Holy Mother, p.249
Sri Ramakrishna was a master-story teller. While he spoke of
profound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply used
stories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At
times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and change
the tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. The
following stories, mainly culled from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
(published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are an
attempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishnas rich store-
house of stories which are both illuminating and simple.
4
Story of Govindajis Priests
The priests in the temple of Govindaji at
Jaipur were celibates at first, and at that time
they had fiery natures. Once the King of Jaipur
sent for them, but they didnt obey him. They
said to the messenger, Ask the king to come
to see us. After consultation, the king and his
ministers arranged marriages for them. From
then on the king didnt have to send for them.
They would come to him of themselves and
say: Your Majesty, we have come with our
blessings. Here are the sacred flowers of the
temple. Deign to accept them. They came to
the palace, for now they always wanted money
for one thing or another: the building of a
house, the rice-taking ceremony of their babies,
or the rituals connected with the beginning of
their childrens education.
(Pp. 166-167)
The Elephant and the Blind Men
Once some blind men chanced to come
near an animal that someone told them was
an elephant. They were asked what the
elephant was like. The blind men began to
feel its body. One of them said the elephant
was like a pillar; he had touched only its leg.
Another said it was like a winnowing-fan; he
had touched only its ear. In this way the others,
having touched its tail or belly, gave their
different versions of the elephant. Just so, a
man who has seen only one aspect of God
limits God to that alone. It is his conviction
that God cannot be anything else. (Pp.191)
Seeing God in Everything
There was a monastery in a certain place.
The monks residing there went out daily to
beg their food. One day a monk, while out for
his alms, saw a landlord beating a man merci-
lessly. The compassionate monk stepped in
and asked the landlord to stop. But the land-
lord was filled with anger and turned his
wrath against the innocent monk. He beat the
monk till he fell unconscious on the ground.
Someone reported the matter to the monastery.
The monks ran to the spot and found their
brother lying there. Four or five of them carried
him back and laid him on a bed. He was still
unconscious. The other monks sat around him
sad at heart; some were fanning him.
Finally someone suggested that he
should be given a little milk to drink. When it
was poured into his mouth he regained con-
sciousness. He opened his eyes and looked
around. One of the monks said, Let us see
whether he is fully conscious and can recog-
nize us. Shouting into his ear, he said,
Revered sir, who is giving you milk?
Brother, replied the holy man in a low voice,
He who beat me is now giving me milk.
(Pp. 201,202)
The Building-blocks of Inner Strength
SWAMI SUDARSHANANANDA
The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at its Shillong branch.
This is the one great thing to remember,
says Swami Vivekananda,
It has been the one great lesson I have been
taught in life. Strength . . , strength, O man, be
not weak. Are there no human weaknesses?
says man. There are, say the Upanishads, but
will more weakness heal them? Would you try
to wash dirt with dirt? Will sin cure sin, weak-
ness cure weakness? Strength, O man, strength,
says the Upanishads. Stand up and be strong.
Ay it is the only literature in the world where
you find the word abhih, fearless, used again
and again. In no other scripture in the world is
this adjective applied either to God or to man.
Abhih, be fearless!
And in my mind rises from the past the vision
of the great emperor of the West, Alexander the
Great, and I see, as it were, in a picture, the
great monarch standing on the bank of the Indus,
talking to one of our sannyasins (monks) in the
forestthe old man he was talking to, perhaps
naked, stark naked, sitting upon a block of stone,
and the emperor, astonished at his wisdom,
tempting him with gold and honour to come
over to Greece. And this man smiles at his gold,
and smiles at his temptations, and refuses. Then
the emperor, standing on his authority as an
emperor, says, I will kill you if you do not come,
and the man bursts into a laugh and says, You
never told such a falsehood in your life as you
tell just now. Who can kill me? Me you kill,
emperor of the material world! Never! For I am
Spirit, unborn and undecaying. Never was I born
and never do I die. I am the Infinite, the Omni-
present, the Omniscient. And you kill me, child
that you are!
That is the highest ideal of strength.
Everyone, irrespective of his station in
life, needs strength. For, life means strength.
Strength is life and weakness is death.
What are the factors that influence us in
becoming strong or weak? What makes us
weak or strong? Let us look at this issue from
a commonsensical viewpoint.
1. The Influence of Ones Mother: Ones
mother is the first and foremost teacher. She
can inspire her children from the very
childhood to develop strength. Her inspiration
and training goes a long way in making one
strong in future life. Hence, when a baby is in
the cradle, she should inspire the child with
the songs and valiant chanting as Queen
Madalasa (a great woman mentioned in the
Puranas) did. How did she inspire her children
in the cradle? She used to chant to her children:
shuddhosi, buddhosi, niranjanosi taatO my
child you the Pure One, the Awakened One,
the Taintless One. As a result of this chanting
her children grew to become Knowers of
Brahman. They imbibed the highest wisdom
from their childhood.
There is divinity in the depth of every
child. A child is not merely a combination of
material substances. He is a Spirit living in a
body. There is divine spark in it. A mother
can create trust in her child by her own
exemplary life and also by telling stories of
25
heroic sons and daughters from history.
Mothers influence leaves a lasting influence
on a childs impressionable mind.
2. The Influence of Ones Father: Ones
father is the second teacher of a child. Rightly
does the Taittiriya Upanishad say that one
should look upon ones mother and father as
living gods. But a father should also deserve
to be called so. His life and conduct should be
exemplary, inspiring the child with a positive
outlook towards life. Instead of being negative
and always critical, he should tell his child,
My child, do you know how much energy,
how much powers, how many forces, are still
lurking behind that frame of yours? Therefore,
you must not say that you are weak. You know
but little of that which is within you. For
behind you is the ocean of infinite power and
blessedness. Such ideas will encourage the
child and help create tremendous will power
and instil confidence in him or her. A child
can do wonders if it learns to have faith in
itself. One should not create a negative self
image in a child. He should be taught to have
a positive self-image through reading and
listening to inspiring stories from the lives of
great men and women. This will arouse faith
in the young mind and this faith in oneself is
the source of all strength needed to make one
pure, focused, positive and brave.
3. The Influence of Teacher: Life alone
can convey life, as the old saying goes. Only a
living example can inspire and carry the
message to ones heart. Although even a
teacher lacking in integrity and right values
may impress the students, it is the shining
example of a teacher of integrity and purity
which really inspires and changes a student.
The following story narrated by Sri Rama-
krishna, often referred to by Swamiji, effec-
tively conveys how a teacher can make a
difference in ones life:
A tigress once attacked a flock of sheep.
As she sprang on her prey, she gave birth to a
cub and died. The cub grew up in the company
of the sheep. The sheep ate grass and the cub
followed their example. They bleated; the cub
bleated too. Gradually it grew to be a big tiger
but continued to eat grass and bleat like a
sheep. One day, another tiger attacked the
same flock. It was amazed to see the grass-
eating tiger. The wild tiger chased the escaping
tiger and seized it, whereupon the grass-eating
tiger began to bleat. The wild tiger dragged it
to the water and said: Look at your face in
the water. It is just like mine. And then he
thrust a bit of meat into its mouth. But the
grass-eating tiger would not swallow it and
began to bleat again. Gradually, however, it
got the taste for blood and came to relish the
meat. Then the wild tiger said: Now you see
there is no difference between you and me.
Come along and follow me into the forest. As
the wild tiger roared, the sheep tiger, casting
off its sheepness, roared too. This is how a
teacher teaches the student. He makes us
realise our true nature, help us manifest our
potential and make us strong. One need not
fear if one is blessed to have the right teacher
in ones life.
4. The Influence of Company: The influ-
ence of society and the company of people in
which one grows up is another factor that
makes one strong or weak. If a child grows in
a cultured environment with educated and
pious parents, moves in the company of people
with character and nobility , he will develop a
right sense of values and habits. As the old
saying goes: If children live with criticism,
they learn to condemn. If children live with
hostility, they learn to fight. If children live
with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If
children live with encouragement, they learn
to be confident. If children live with fairness,
26
they learn justice. If children live with
tolerance, they learn to be patient. If children
live with security, they learn to have faith in
themselves. One should therefore choose the
right company. Of course the parents must
take care to provide proper guidance in this
matter. Or one should oneself choose the right
company of people. A healthy society is
essential to instil strength in a childs mind.
5. Faiththe Ultimate Source of All
Strength: Faith is a quality of the Self, the very
essence of ones being. Faith is power. No one
is without faith but the difference lies in what
one has faith in. We should learn to strengthen
our faith. The intensity of faith definitely has
a profound effect on our life, health, profession
and our mind. Faith is the means with which
we can open up the secret treasures of
universe. It is faith that leads to Supreme Being
who is the repository of all power and glory
that manifests in this world. Faith makes one
truly powerful. It is faith that gives us the
steadiness to hold on in the midst of gloom
and destruction. With faith, one can achieve
enlightenment. It is vital to have faith. Faith
makes or unmakes us. We should always read
or listen to such things which strengthen our
faith. Says Sri Krishna in the Gita (4.39):
A man of deep faith (shraddha) obtains this divine
knowledge, being full of zeal and devotion for it
and endowed with mastery of the senses. Having
obtained that knowledge, he is established in
supreme peace very soon.
Conclusion
Whatever you think, that you will be. If
you think yourselves weak, weak you will be.
If you think yourselves strong, strong you will
be, says Swami Vivekananda. The tonic for
weakness is not brooding over weakness, but
thinking of strength. Teach men of the strength
that is already within them.
Let us first recognise what makes us
weak, and then consciously try to overcome
those factors and focus on our strengths. Stren-
gth comes from positive thoughts. We should
never forget that only a strong person can truly
live a meaningful and effective life.
The Power of God's Name
I once met an I ndian monk who had achieved illuminat ion by t he sole spirit ual
pract ice of hallowing Gods name. When I was a college st udent , I visit ed Brindavan.
There I learned about a holy man who lived in a forest nearby, and I decided t o go
and see him. A narrow pat h led me t o a small hut in t he cent re of a clearing. Soon
t he holy man came out of t he hut , sat on a mat which his disciple spread on t he
ground, and mot ioned me t o be seat ed also. There was a t angible at mosphere of
saint liness about him. I prost rat ed before him. Then I asked, Revered Sir, how did
you at t ain t his st at e? Nama, he said, giving me t o underst and t hat he had
achieved perfect ion t hrough repet it ion of t he Nama, t he Lords name. He said no
more, and I sat before him in silence for a while. At last I bowed down t o him and
left . My heart was filled wit h peace.
Swami Prabhavananda,
The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta, Pp.103- 104
Viveka and Vairagya
Essential Qualities for Success in Life
GOPAL C BHAR
The Balance Sheet of our Life
Ishavasya Upanishad tells us to live with
dispassion since everything ultimately belongs
to God:
t utt-|

e |t==t *tt *a
a = t= = *tt t =-|-q=
Om. All thiswhatsoever moves on the earth
should be covered by the Lord. Protect yourself
through detachment. Do not covet anybodys
wealth.
Whatever we earn for enjoyment, there
is a contribution from others though it may
not be apparent. Hence we should learn to
share it with others. The simple fact is that
everything that we use daily is produced by
the labours of other people. But we fail to give
back what we receive. The world needs its
share back; if we ignore its demands we rece-
ive blows. As for personal life we get blows
from within by refusing to share with our
parents, relatives though brought up by their
sacrifices. Swami Vivekananda says (CW, 2: 5),
You come into life to accumulate. With clinched
hands you want to take. But the nature puts a
hand on your throat and makes hands open;
whether you will or not, you have to give; the
moment you say I will not, the blow comes; you
are hurt. . . It is because we dare not give, beca-
use we are not resigned enough to accede to this
grand demand of nature, that we are miserable.
Our living has cosmic dimensions. Lavish
and consumerist life-style, it is now well
recognized, is at the root of environmental
imbalances leading to disasters such as global
warming, excessive rain and draught. But we
ignore the tangle of karmic relation of cause
and effect of the material world through denial
of our family and social obligations. This leads
to inner and outer disharmony and endless
problems. Such problems cannot be solved by
superficial patch-ups. One needs lasting
solutions or else they keep recurred time and
again.
Sri Ramakrishna used to say that in a
pond the clear water is covered by weeds. But
when it is removed a little, one sees the clear
water underneath. But soon it is again covered
by the weeds as before, if the weeds are not
held away strong enough. This simply means
that if the viveka (discrimination) is not
supported by vairagya (dispassion), even a
small temptation can uproot the well-earned
viveka at once.
Head versus Heart
Viveka and vairagya give rise to human
values which are truly necessary for a success-
ful earthly as well as spiritual life. The Gita
(chapter 16) calls them as daivi sampad (divine
qualities). These include forgiveness, forbear-
ance, calmness, compassion, self-restraint,
A former professor of Physics at Burdwan University, the author is now a research professor in the Ramakrishna
Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, District Howrah, West Bengal.
28
absence of anger and hatred, straightforward-
ness and absence of pride. Modern manage-
ment ethos, interestingly, identifies the practice
of these qualities as soft skills. One cannot be
a good manager with just a few hard skills
(i.e. IQ) which may help a person develop only
technical expertise. Being equipped with hard
skills is not the sole criteria for success in life.
A person with high IQ may not necessarily be
accommodative and understanding which is
an essential quality to be a good administrator.
Soft skills also include creativity, optimism and
determination which are important for success
in mundane affairs. Says Daniel Goleman, the
noted Harvard Professor,
IQ, at best, probably contributes about 20% to
the factors that help determine a persons success
in life. EQ, on the other hand, can be much more
powerful and contributory to success in life than
IQ.
Intellect, in its ordinary sense, is an im-
portant tool for living in the marketplace of
the world. But unless heart is developed, one
cannot live a balanced and fruitful life. The
root of most of our problems is a lack of
emotional management, a lack of understand-
ing, care, respect and compassion. Most
organizations and institutions face the pro-
blems of malfunctioning such as conflicts and
misunderstanding because their leaders lack
skills to manage themselves emotionally. It is
interesting to note Swami Vivekanandas
realistic view on this aspect spoken (CW, 7:
45) more than a century back:
What we really want is head and heart com-
bined. The heart is great indeed; it is through
the heart that come the great inspirations of life.
I would a hundred times rather have a little heart
and no brain, than be all brains and no heart.
Life is possible, progress is possible for him who
has heart, but he who has no heart and only
brains dies of dryness.
The Aim of Life
The Vedas and various scriptures empha-
size that the ultimate aim of human life is
liberation (mukti). For which the first stage is
abhyudaya or material well-being. This consists
of desire (kama), for which one is required to
earn wealth (artha) through ethical way
(dharma). At this stage, man is a producer of
wealth, social welfare and an enjoyer of the
delights of social existence, in association with
his fellow men. At the ethical level man takes
into account not only himself but also others.
This is also called samsara.
But samsara also consists of limitation,
competition and pain. A person, who seeks to
come out of it, seeking freedom from all inner
and outer bondages, has to come to the second
stage of inner evolution called nihshreyasa or
moksha.
Service and welfare of fellowmen or
society is common for both abhyudaya and
nihshreyasa. Spiritual knowledge helps one to
swim across the sea of the world, but those
who are bereft of this knowledge and are
deluded by wealth, name and fame, undergo
untold miseries, not knowing how to swim
across the sea of this world.
Education is the Way
In the Mahabharata when Sri Krishna
comes to Duryodhana for holding negotiations
to avert the impending war, greedy Duryo-
dhana refuses all offers and makes a significant
statement. He says (in Pandava Gita),
*t=t| = |-t *t=t- = |= |a
= =t| = | |-a = t |= =t |- at =t |
I know what dharma is, but I feel no inclination
to follow it. I know what adharma is but I cannot
resist from doing it. I am guided by my inborn
tendencies and inclinations. Whatever these
tendencies goad me to do, the same I am forced
to do.
29
This indicates how deep our inborn
tendencies are. In the context of education and
character making, we should, however, ex-
plore the possibilities of inner change through
conscious and deliberate efforts. This is the
true meaning of self-effort. And this training
of will is a life-long process. Our learning
process starts right when we are born and
continues the whole of our life. In modern
science of Neuroplasticity it has been proved
that if one tries something from the very
childhood there becomes a pathway in the
brain which continues to guide one all thro-
ughout the life.
Generally we think that we learn, as in
the case of general meaning of education,
through listening or direct seeing or experien-
cing and through repeated failures. This is the
case of, in the words of Sri Ramakrishna,
lighting a piece of wet wood. No wonder that
the wet wood of our mind does not get lighted
and instead keep emitting only smoke!
The true purpose of education is to make
the heart pure and thus obtain a clear vision
of the purpose of life and how to live life. In
the Anu Gita, which occurs in the Mahabharata,
it is mentioned that there are four types of
learners or students. They gather knowledge,
in the ascending order of intelligence:
1. Those who grasp very slowly but also
rapidly forget what they learn.
2. Those who grasp slow but their for-
getting is slow.
3. Those who grasp rapidly but also for-
get rapidly.
4. Those who grasp rapidly and also
retain it for a long time.
How does one get this aptitude for
learning? According to our scriptures, this is
an inborn gift (i.e. through samskaras) as well
as acquired through practice. Kathopanishad
says it is difficult to get good teacher, it is still
more difficult to get a good listener (or
student). In the case of an ideal teacher and
an ideal student, knowledge is transferred at
the first instance itself.
The Role of Self-effort
We are responsible for what we are.
There is no loss of fruits of our activities. This
is an eternal law. We get what we deserve no
matter good or bad. Everything we get is of
our own making. None is to be blamed for
our misery or troubles. This means we should
watch over what we do: what we are now has
been the result of our own past actions, earlier
in this or in previous life. Since the cause is
not seen direct it is termed as adrishta, invisible,
or daivam or belonging to God. The Gita
(18.14) says that daivam or adrishta plays an
important role in determining success.
The law of karma says what one does,
physically or mentally, shapes ones future.
This also means that the disparity in the world
amongst people is not an act of God, but is
due to ones own doing. This simply reveals
that one has the freedom to change ones
situation by right thoughts and right actions.
It certainly follows that whatever we wish to
be in future can be produced through our
present actions; we have to know how to
act. Once we are in the game of life, we have
to follow the rulings of the umpire of the game
of life. Again, when we act then only we know
how much of patience and unselfishness we
have.
Unlike animals, human beings are
provided with a unique qualitythe power
to discriminate. To be born of a human mother
alone does make one a complete man. One
has to acquire manly qualities in order to be a
true man. If a man thinks of living in
satisfaction with food, sleep, fear and reprodu-
ction like animals, he is no better than an
30
animal. Man is man if he has cultivated higher
values such as non-violence, truthfulness, non-
stealing, cleanliness, and control of mind.
There are four types of developments (in
the order of their subtleness): physical, inte-
llectual, moral and spiritual. Mere physical and
intellectual development does not make us
human. We should be morally and spiritu-
ally developed as well.
The highest strength that a man can
acquire is from spirituality. It is the strength
that enables one to stick to an ideal and keep
oneself upright under all circumstances. This
inner strength alone makes one strong to face
all trials and temptations.
Two Sources of Inner Strength
Viveka and vairagya are the two most
important sources for living a higher life.
Viveka includes understanding the difference
between permanent and impermanent, cho-
osing good from bad, doing right action and
avoiding bad ones and so on. The important
thing in viveka is the awakening of dhi or
prajna or higher type of intellect. For any
higher pursuit, one needs both viveka and
vairagya. One needs discriminative power and
at the same time restraint from passions. One
develops these qualities through constant
practice.
In Kathopanishad (1.2), viveka has been
included in shreyas (ultimate good) and preyas
(pleasure). Preyas brings immediate pleasure
but is a potential problem while shreyas often
does not bring immediate pleasure but it holds
the seeds of eternal peace. Normally these two
orientations are mixed together in our day-to-
day affairs.
The fulfilment of life depends on the path
one pursues since both shreyas and preyas
approach man under veil simultaneously. The
latter is normal since all our sense organs are
directed outward and people do not care to
go in depth. The way of preyas can never lead
to fulfillment though it will yield sensory
satisfaction. The path of shreyas, on the other
hand, is the way to illumination. A man of
discrimination (dhira) through intelligent
examination adopts the shreyas while the
foolish chooses preyas fooled as they are for
immediate gain and pleasure. In our quest for
the mundane, we often forget that the world
is a world of appearance. We should avoid all
such deceptions and make the right choices,
through shreyas and shun preyas. As the New
Testament says, You cannot serve God and
Mammon together.
Viveka plus Vairagya
Viveka without vairagya is not fruitful.
The secret of power is detachment. Vairagya
is not simply detachment from action, but
action done in a spirit of dispassionwithout
attraction or repulsion. Vairagya does not
mean abandoning ones social duties and
responsibilities. It is not abandoning the world
and living in a solitary place. It is a mental
state whereby the mind does not run into
sensual grooves. Often, in order to succeed,
one gets attached to many minor matters
which later develop into major ones. In the
process we become harsh and petty-minded.
A man of vairagya has the capacity to be
detached from petty matters for the sake of
higher pursuits. One has to give up the small
for the sake of the big.
Real vairagya comes from viveka. It
comes from the understanding that the
material objects of enjoyments do not give us
lasting happiness; they lead us unto pain and
sorrow. This beautiful body, which we adore,
is also subject to so many diseases.
Sage Patanjali says that to a man of
discrimination, everything is full of pain
31
(sarvam duhkham vivekinah). Such deep enquiry,
again and again persisted for a very long time,
produces lasting vairagya. In the monkey
dispassion (markata vairagya), one loses
interest in life when one faces sudden tragedy
such as death of a dear one or a failure in life.
But such renunciation lasts only as long as
that grief remains in ones mind. After
sometime one forgets all about ones renun-
ciation!
Further, one must ponder over that one
came alone, naked and weeping. One has to
go alone, also, naked and weeping. Why then
are you proud of your titles, wealth and know-
ledge? Let us be humble and meek. All that is
earned in this world is always subject to fear
and cannot be protected. It is vairagya alone
that makes one fearless.
Bhatrihari says in his vairagya shatakam,
that enjoyment has the fear of disease, man in
a high social position has the fear of falling
off, in wealth there is fear of (hostile) kings, in
honour there is fear of humiliation, in power
there is fear of foes, in beauty there is fear of
old age, in scriptural erudition there is fear of
opponents, in virtue there is fear of traducers;
in body, the fear of death. All the things of
this world pertaining to human beings are
attended with fear; renunciation alone makes
one fearless.
Bhatrihari also tells that we should stick
to our conviction, whether we are praised or
criticized or whether wealth comes or goes
and so on. One needs a strong will to remain
loyal to the path of viveka and vairagya. Strong
will gives rise to the force of prana (vital force)
which balances our thoughts and emotions.
The case of a man of vairagya is the case of a
boat in water but not water in the boat.
Conclusion
Without practice our higher aspirations
become weak. And one should practice for a
long time, uninterruptedly, with faith as the
sage Patanjali advices in his Yogasutra. Sri
Ramakrishna gives the example of a dancer.
He is initially required to learn very carefully
and when that has been absorbed, the dancers
leg would never be in disharmony. Let us start
our practice right away!
Indias Timeless Wisdom

|a |t -at e-aa=t=tt |a
=|-t -=ar=te|-= =ra
Too much int imacy wit h ot hers produces disrespect ; by visit ing a person t oo
oft en one begins t o get humiliat ed. [ For inst ance] The t ribals living on t he Malaya
Mount ain, owing t o t he availabilit y of sandal wood in plent y t here, use it as fuel for
cooking food.
Traditional sayings

That life is deat h which is for self only, and deat h is verily et ernal life when t hat
happens t o be for t he good of many. Swami Vijnanananda
152 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i M A R C H 2 0 1 1 ~ ~
November 2
nd
1899
Math. Belur. Howrah. India
Granny
2
dear
Yours of Oct 3
rd
from the Murray Hill Hotel, awakened many a
memory of Jan. 11
th
of 1897. My especial greetings to yourself and
Uma today for this is the Kally [Kali] worship day. You know
perhaps the worship days of the Divine Mother, are the anniversary
days of the day when the Mother, first assumed the different forms,
from some especial purpose. Today is the anniversary day of the day,
she first appeared as The Kally.
I am glad Olea is feeling so much better. My cordial regards to her.
How glad am I to learn of the hopeful expressions of Dr.Helmer, regarding Santi. May
she regain herself perfectly.
Yes this winter will try my strength & patience to the utmost, I am afraid. But Sri R.
[Ramakrishna] will give me the power to meet the demand.
The Swamis law suit will be filed by the end of November. I am glad he is feeling better
under Dr.Helmers treatments. Our respects & love to him.
Srimati Sarada Devi has started for her native village, Monday last. Brahmananda, myself
& another went as far as Burdwan, 67 miles from Calcutta to see her off with Trigunatita. She
often asked of her Sara & Jojo & sent her love & blessings. We will miss her presence very
much here.
I am planning to publish a prospectus of the R.K.M. [Ramakrishna Mission] works done
in 97, 98 & 99 in a month or two. The accounts we have sent the Swami of the Math & other
expenses, will be there the expenses of the famine work, still unpublished will be in full in it
& so on. I believe the public will appreciate it much, especially the western public. Do you not
think so? I have already written the prospectus of the Orphanage & that will be published very
soon. The accounts of the money entrusted by you to me, I will send privately to you in
December or January possibly.
My father & mother are still in Benares. They would like to come to Calcutta for a few
months, but my father could not possibly come until the garden is disposed off & part of the
debts paid. I am trying for it.
This is the worst time for Malaria in Bengal & some of the Math men are down. But the
climate on the whole of Belur, at least where we live is not worse than Calcutta. I am keeping
well.
The R.K.M. meeting, will be reopened on little over a fortnight.
Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda
1
153 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i M A R C H 2 0 1 1 ~ ~
33
Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math
1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna
2. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda
References
Mother sends her warm love as ever to Uma, Santi & Agni.
With very kind regards to you, Affly yours,
Saradananda
Nov. 8
th
1899.
Math. Belur. Howrah.
India.
My dear Mrs.Bull
Your very kind letter of Oct. 7
th
duly to hand, for which my sincere thanks.
I am quite well & ready to begin the winters work. The season for the R.K.M. meetings,
begin in a week or ten days.
Srimati Sarada Devi has gone to her native village. She told me to send her love [&]
blessings to any who care for them.
Mr.Mohini called here one day, but I was off to see the Holy Mother starting at
Burdwan. I believe the Swami never wrote S.Brahmananda to consult Mr.Mohini on the
case. He only wrote repeatedly for an attorney, who will push on his case without any
scruple whatever & without the least delay. You have heard in my last how he has transferred
the conducting of the case on my shoulder.
I wish Margot had written what I should do with Santosini. I have been compelled to
stop her allowance, for the present. Will she ever come back or work for India in the west. It
would be good to keep Santosini if she comes back.
How sorry I am to hear of Joe troubles. I hear the brother is dangerously ill.
Tender my very kind regards to Mrs.Vaughan. I am so thankful for her kind wishes to
me. I hope she will be well & strong, by the time this reaches you.
Santi writes Dr.Helmer has confessed her case incurable. It is sad. I include her letter
with yours.
I do not remember Mrs.Affin at whose house my brother has his rooms. I believe it is
the same house, in which Mrs.Farewell had hers, the time she went away from the house in
Cambridge. Will you kindly see sometimes that he is not put in the way of any temptations,
especially of women. Of course this is between you & I.
My very kind regards to you. Mother sends her warm love & blessings always.
Faithfully yours
Saradananda
P.S. Remember me kindly to all friends & to Mrs.Crossby. I hope the latter is getting
helped by Dr.Helmar & her case is curable.
Swami Vivekananda
on Regeneration of Indian Women
SWAMI SANDARSHANANANDA
A monk of the Ramakrishna Order at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith at Deoghar in Jharkhand, the author
occasionally contributes articles to The Vedanta Kesari and other monthlies.
Indian Women in the Larger Context
From a historical viewpoint, despite
many sufferings, the Indian women have had
many blessings. Their noble qualities have
been upheld from the earliest period of Indian
civilization. Their highly developed character,
built upon spirituality, sacrifice and self-
control, has always been praised by thinkers
through the Indian history. It is widely realised
that they, though unobtrusive, are the real
power behind all success. Manu says:
Where women are respected, there the gods
delight; and where they are not, there all works
and efforts come to naught.
1
But the Indian women have many issues
and problems to solve as well. The extra-
ordinary nature of Indian womanhood makes
the problems of Indian women different and
difficult. And it is all the more so today be-
cause of unabated interference by men. Mens
obsession for leading women has a muddling
effect on society. The notion that women are a
weaker gender and so they are unable to do
anything themselves, has possessed the men
folks, causing much damage to our social
fabric. Swami Vivekananda rightly remarked:
We should not think that we are men and
women, but only that we are human beings, born
to cherish and to help one another.
2
Swamiji felt that the gender bias was one
of the key debilitating factors of the nation; it
was a stout stumbling block before growth.
Not until you learn to ignore the question of
sex and to meet on a ground of common
humanity will your women really develop,
3
he stressed. In order to make a proportionate
and comprehensive progress, both men and
women should progress, shoulder to shoulder,
at the same pace. Swamijis comparison of
society with bird, in this connection, is quite
apposite. If men and women are the two wings
of a society, both of its wings have to be
equally strong to gain the required speed.
A Modern Ideal
Swamiji calls education as the magic
word for women regeneration. In the period
of degradation, when the priests made other
castes incompetent for the study of the Vedas,
they deprived the women also of all their
rights,
4
he remarked. Lack of opportunities
left them unlettered; stringent restrictions were
imposed on them and, eventually, unobtru-
siveness became the hallmark of their exis-
tence.
In the Vedic or Upanishad age ladies had
definitely much freedom. They were so learned
that they took the places of Rishis through
their skill in serious philosophical discussions
before the public. In an assembly of a
thousand Brahmanas who were all erudite in
the Vedas, Gargi boldly challenged Yajna-
35
valkya in a discussion about Brahman.
5
Citing
this, Swamiji argues, in the nineteenth century,
why shall not the women have the same
privilege now, given the same capacity? All
nations have attained greatness by paying
proper respect to women. The principal reason
why our race has degenerated is that we have
no respect for women who are of immeasu-
rable potential.
In the modern times, according to
Swamiji, Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual spouse
of Sri Ramakrishna, is the ideal of womanhood.
Sri Ramakrishna quietly removed the impedi-
ments that came in the way of her unfolding
matriarchal potential but never interfered with
her decisions nor stepped into the territory of
her own existence and activities. Once he felt
she had grown in her understanding, he left
her to herself with exclusive right and freedom
due to a woman. In view of her extraordinary
abilities, he eventually called her as the
Incarnation of the Goddess of learningfull
of wisdom and divine qualities but unrecogni-
zable to casual observers. This became
gradually clear to Swamiji. He too found in
her a sublime combination of perfect mother-
hood, knowledge and workshe unassum-
ingly developed into an extra-ordinary
personality, having to do with the outstanding
women leadership. So he unequivocally told:
Our Mother (Sarada Devi) is a vast reservoir of
spiritual energy, though outwardly calm like the
deep ocean. Her advent marks the beginning of
a new era in the history of India. The ideal lived
and taught by her would not only spiritualize
the efforts for emancipation of women in India
but also influence and penetrate into the minds
and hearts of women the world over.
6
He offered her, as it were, as a role model
to modern women everywhere.
Under the benign wings of Saradas
celestial love and sympathy numerous grew,
cutting across colours and creeds. Hers was a
complete education. Therefore, enlightened,
ignorant, rich, poor and many others always
had a lot to learn from her and properly
develop themselves. Unattached yet deeply
concerned but unfazed, she deftly discharged
her duties for the good of the world with
alacrity. By dint of a consummate character
she thus stands out to be an object lesson
indeed.
Swamijis Plan
Let us now look at the days when
Swamiji had to deal with the issue of Indian
womens emancipation. He was cut to the
quick when he saw that the character of Indian
women was being systematically denounced
by various groups. He felt particularly con-
cerned about the activities of the Ramabai
Circle and Christian missionaries in this
regard. They falsely cast a slur on the clean
image of Indian women, showing them as
savages full of superstitions and cruelty.
Ramabai was an Indian lady coming from a
lower caste, converted to Christianity. While
in India, she had to bear serious social
persecutions due to the prevailing caste
prejudices. She fused the steam of her
accumulated anger condemning Indian wo-
manhood in that foul manner. But it was
entirely misplaced.
On the other hand, some Christian
missionaries who visited India and were
linked to the Christian work in India, looked
upon it as their holy duty for convenient
spread of Christianity. To establish the
legitimacy of their actions, they wanted to
demonstrate, directly and indirectly, that
Christianity alone was the way for the
redemption of the fallen Indian women.
Swamiji tried to expose their ulterior motive,
giving a lie to their propaganda. He faced them
36
squarely. When derogatory questions were
being hurled to ridicule him he reacted with
sharp intellectual repartee and proved their
foolishness to the hilt. However, to stomach
such an insult was too much for him.
So he had a concrete plan of fighting their
hatred. He thought of taking a well accomp-
lished Indian lady to America. He deemed, to
counter the evil endeavours of tarnishing
Indian womanhood by a learned Indian lady
was the perfect means. He discovered the right
mettle for the purpose in Sarala Ghosal, the
editor of the popular Bengali magazine Bharati,
who was a niece of Rabindranath Tagore. He
was deeply impressed by the social activities
of Sarala Ghosal.
Soon after his return from the West in
1897, she published an article on Swamiji.
Swamiji was pleased to note that he was able
to win the approbation of highly talented
ladies like her and corresponded with her.
He wrote to her:
We have the doctrine of Vedanta, but we have
not the power to reduce it into practice. In our
books there is the doctrine of universal equality,
but in work we make great distinctions. It was
in India that unselfish and disinterested work of
the most exalted type was preached; but in
practice we are awfully cruel, awfully heartless
unable to think of anything besides our own
mass-of-flesh bodies.
After a couple of weeks he again wrote
to her:
From the day when education and culture, etc.,
began to spread gradually from patricians to
plebeians, grew the distinction between the
modern civilization as of Western countries, and
the ancient civilization as of India, Egypt, Rome,
etc. I see it before my eyes, a nation is advanced
in proportion as education and intelligence
spread among the masses. The chief cause of
Indias ruin has been the monopolizing of the
whole education and intelligence of the land, by
dint of pride and royal authority, among a
handful of men.
Considering her intellectually equal,
Swamiji openly discusses the existing pro-
blems and their remedies. The letter (dated 24
April 1897) in Bengali is indeed a masterpiece.
He was confident that she would appreciate
its implications and try to cooperate as much
as possible. So he gives her the proposal with
an earnest request. He said:
In the West, women rule; all influence and power
are theirs. If bold and talented women like you
versed in Vedanta, go to England to preach, I
am sure that every year hundreds of men and
women will become blessed by adopting the
religion of the land of Bharata. The only woman
who went over from our country was Ramabai;
her knowledge of English, Western science and
art was limited; still she surprised all. If anyone
like you goes, England will be stirred, what to
speak of America! If an Indian woman in Indian
dress preaches there the religion which fell from
the lips of the Rishis of IndiaI see a prophetic
visionthere will rise a great wave which will
inundate the whole Western world. Will there
be no woman in the land of Maitreyi, Khana,
Lilavati, Savitri and Ubhayabharati, who will
venture to do this? You have the power of
wealth, intellect, and education; will you forgo
this opportunity? Conquest of England, Europe,
and Americathis should be our one supreme
Mantra at present, in it lies the well-being of the
country.
Unfortunately, however, this did not
materialize. Sarala backed out, with serious
objections coming from her kith and kin. She
kept an absurd condition which under no
circumstances Swamiji could accept. Knowing
well it absolutely impossible for Swamiji to
leave Guru-worship, she placed it as a proviso
for her consent to go abroad with him. Swamiji
gave a sharp rejoinder on 18 April 1899,
37
condemning her pretentious attitude. But then,
it pricked her conscience deeply. In her auto-
biography she gave a vent to her feeling,
regretting the rare offer she let go.
Swamijis Contribution
Towards the end of British rule in India,
a few families in urban areas occasionally
allowed their daughters to break inhibitions
and come out for education. Sixty years on,
after Indias Independence, this modicum
initiative has perhaps resulted in a rather small
section of smart and edgy young women. But
it has, nonetheless, brought the picture of
swelling number of illiterate women in our
rural areas to the surface. Let us remember
that what enlightens the women in urban
societies does not work for the poor, backward,
shy and conservative women in rural milieu,
let alone the traumatized widows there. In a
peculiar situation like this, a mix of traditional
and modern methods functions well. This is a
truth which none could better understand than
Swamiji did. The well known historian Ramesh
Chandra Majumdar makes a right assessment
of his ingenuity. He says:
He (Vivekananda) was a product of the nine-
teenth century Renaissance in Bengal, in its initial
stage, but it was his genius and personality that
moulded into the shape it finally assumed.
Majumdar considers it a great achieve-
ment that Swamiji brought about a synthesis
between the thesis and antithesis which are
being represented by the first two phases of
Indian Renaissance
7
The synthesis between
the spirituality of ancient India and the
material culture of the West brought by
Swamiji, he thinks, has laid before us the final
phase of the Renaissance Movement
8
Reflection of Swamijis synthetic outlook
is clearly visible in his thought regarding
women education. His idea was that they
should be equipped in such a way so that they
will solve their own problems. That they have
all the time been trained in helplessness and
servile dependence on others
9
was utterly
repugnant to him. He said, Along with other
things they should acquire the spirit of valour
and heroism. In the present day it has be-
come necessary for them also to learn self-
defense.
10
Swamiji urged to open girls schools in
every village. He wanted that the students in
them should be intensified in the ideal of
chastity first. Along with that, they must be
taught science and other things.
11
Since his
focus was primarily on the large section of
oppressed unmarried, married and widows
who had never stepped out of the inner
apartments of houses, he had a practical idea
for their uplift. He planned to send nuns,
educated and trained in monasteries, for the
purpose. Shaped with the vow of renunciation
and service, they would take up the task as
their spiritual duty and the consequences
thereby would be definitely much better.
Through such devout preachers of character
there will be the real spread of female edu-
cation in the country,
12
he reckoned.
Swamiji intended to make women the
real agent for real development. He believed if
the women are properly raised, then they will
raise their children properly, who will be able
to awaken the culture, knowledge, power, and
the spirit of dedication in the land. According
to him,
Motherhood represented the highest expression
of womanhood, especially in India. It is an innate
instinct in every woman, the signs of which
might be discovered even in a little girl.
13
Child marriage was one of his main
bugbears. No girl should get stuck in any
wedlock before the age of fifteen
14
, he mused.
38
He wanted that everyone knows something
by which she can earn a living, in case of
need.
15
Conclusion
Swamiji held all through that purity of
character was the core competence of Indian
women. On its power alone they could do
wonders. He was sure that gender equality
1. CW, 7: 214-15 2. CW, 5: 412 3. Ibid 4. CW, 7: 214
5. Ibid 6. PB., vol. 7: 506 7. Great Thinkers on Ramakrishna Vivekananda, RMIC,
Kolkata, 2009, pp 123 8. Ibid 9. CW, 5: 342 10. Ibid
11. Ibid 12. CW, 5: 215 13. Prabudha Bharata, col VII/506 14. CW, 7: 219
15. The Master As I Saw Him, Sister Nivedita, Udbodhan, Kolkata, 1977, pp 263 16. CW, 5: 229-30
would come sometime, but he never wanted
it at the cost of purity and integrity. His
talisman was:
Our right of interference is limited entirely to
giving education. Women must be put in a
position to solve their own problems in their
own way. No one can or ought to do this for
them. And our Indian women are as capable of
doing it as any in the world.
16
References
Swami Saradananda's Loving Concern
(From a letter of a grandson of Yogin Ma, a woman disciple of Sri Ramakrishna)
When I was a st udent of t he Engineering College at Shivapur, near Calcut t a, I came
t o Udbodhan and said t o t he Swami, Maharaj , I have got a scholarship for Rs.15.00 for
my performance at t he annual examinat ion. The Swami replied, Go and relax. Then he
called his at t endant and said, Ent ert ain Mont i. Prepare t ea for him and give him
biscuit s, sweet s and ot her refreshment s for his sat isfact ion. Again, when I came t o
him, being unsuccessful in my final examinat ion t wice, I said t o him, Maharaj , I
have failed, Even t hen he t reat ed me in t he same way as before and said,
Dont worry. Take it easy. Relax. He called his at t endant and asked
him t o prepare t ea and serve me wit h my favourit e delicacies. He did
not show t he slight est difference in his at t it ude t owards me, alt hough
t he whole responsibilit y of support ing me during my st udies in engineering
college was mainly his. A lay devot ee of Sri Ramakrishna, who sat next
t o him, list ened t o t he t alk and said, Well, it all shows t hat you were
quit e indifferent t o your st udies. You were simply wast ing your t ime
doing not hing. To t his, t he Swami replied, What has happened has
happened. No need crying over t he spilt milk. Mont i, you bet t er go from
here and have some refreshment s in t he next room. Our grandmot her,
Jogin Ma, from upst airs, cried out , Sarat , are you list ening? Mont i has
failed again. Wit h an unpert urbed mind, which not hing could shake, t he
Swami answered, Yes, I have heard, Yogin Ma. What is done cannot be undone. Let
us forget about t he past and give Mont i anot her chance.
Swami Aseshananda, Glimpses of A Great Soul, p.317- 318

Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Ms Mamata Banerjee, Railway Minister of India, flagged off at Howrah Railway Station Vivek Express,
a special train with two air-conditioned coaches exhibiting pictures and write-ups on the life and message of
Swamiji, on 12 January. The train will cover important stations of the country during the next three years.
A view of the Vivek Express stationed at the Howrah railway station (left) and the exhibition inside (right)
The National Youth Day
The National Youth Day (12th January) was
celebrated with great enthusiasm in an impressive way
by many of our centres. The day was celebrated with
various programmes such as processions, speeches,
recitations, cultural competitions, music, yogasana-
demonstration and so on
Vadodara centre held a state-level written quiz
competition on the Life of Swami Vivekananda in which
more than 34,200 students of more than 700 schools
participated. On 28 February, Dr Shrimati Kamla,
Governor of Gujarat, distributed prizes to the winners
in a function held on this occasion. The Youth Day
celebrations also included a colourful procession with
many colourful floats, through the main streets of
Vadodara. The centre organized on 13, a seminar on The role of Electronic Media in Value Education. Sri
Rajiv Mehrotra, the well known film producer, director and TV host and Pravrajika Brahmaprana, a nun of
the Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA, addressed the gathering.
Shrimati Kamla, Governor of Gujarat, receiving a memento

40

Function at Belgaum Ashrama
Swami Vivekananda visited Balgaum, in Karnataka, in October 1892 and stayed, first, at the house of
Sadasiva Bhate, and later at Haripada Mitras house. Both the houses are now part of the Ramakrishna
Mission. The main centre, started in 2000, is located around the house of Haripada Mitra which is situated in
the Belgaum fort. The ashrama conducts multifarious activities and has a spacious and green ambience.
On 4 February, Sri L K Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the newly built
auditorium at the Balgaum Ashrama. Srimat Swami Smarananandaji consecrated the newly built gopurams of
the temple on 5 February. Swami Smarananandaji, Vice President, Swami Prabhanandaji, the General
Secretary, Dr Abdul Kalam, former President of India, Sri Advani, and several other distinguished speakers
addressed the public meetings, youth convention and devotees conference. Many monks, dignitaries and
thousands of devotees attended the four-day programme from 4 to 7 February.
(Clock-wise) LK Advani, Swami Smarananandaji and others at the inauguration of the auditorium, the procession of monks and
devotees as part of the gopuram consecration, cultural programme and a view of the audience

At Hyderabad
On the occasion of National Youth Day, on 19 January,
Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad, organised a public meeting
in which around 20,000 youngsters from many schools,
colleges and other institutions Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh, Sri Kiran Kumar Reddy, Sri Pullela Gopichand
of Badminton fame, and other eminent speakers addressed
the gathering. The programme ended with cultural
presentations. The whole event was telecast live by three
TV channels.

For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI,
publishers need to send us
two copies of their latest publication.
ALAYAM: THE HINDU
TEMPLE, AN EPITOME OF
HINDU CULTURE
By Sri Venkataramana
Reddy.
Published by Sri Rama-
krishna Math, Mylapore,
Chennai - 4. 2010, paper-
back, pp.128, Rs.110.
The ancient Vedic
rishis placed emphasis on fire-worship. The
building of temples where the community could
gather and worship god came later in Indian
culture. Even so, temple culture is quite ancient.
The Egyptians built magnificent temples; wor-
shipping in shrines was a way of life in Tamilnadu,
in the ancient Sangam period. At some stage in
Indias cultural evolution, the Vedic stream
entertained holy places in a big way and a unique
adventure enveloping religion, spirituality, art,
architecture and literature was begun. To contain
this enormous world into a slim book and yet
manage to give the essence of the subject along
with his own expressive line-drawings and
photographs, one needs decades of scholarship and
deep involvement in the subject. G. Venkataramana
Reddy has an extra qualification as well. He has
designed several of the Universal Temples of Sri
Ramakrishna Math that have come up in places
like Madurai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Vishakha-
patnam.
Temples are not stones, brick and mortar.
According to Mr. Reddy there is a science and
philosophy behind their creation. Unlike in other
religions where the community structures are meant
for worship, the Hindu temples are seen as the
actual dwelling places of gods. Even the Buddhist
chaityas are revered especially for containing the
relics of Buddha. There has been plenty of
interaction of ideas among Buddhist, Jain and
Hindu temple art and architecture. The richness of
spread is breathtaking: the Pallavan rock-cut
temples and hill-top shrines apart, the many halls
and corridors of huge dimensions that have been
built during the last millennium and half remain
the pride of India.
The South of India has been rather lucky in
this matter for the Jihad of the Muslims armies spent
most of its anger in North India deciminating all
the temples. For instance, Mahmud of Ghazni
destroyed rich temples like Nagarkot, Thanesar,
Mathura, Kanauj and Kalinjar and took away all
the wealth. He is said to have raided Somnath
temple several times and broken the presiding
Lingam into several pieces that were used to build
the steps to a Mosque he set up in Afghanisthan.
Just when the Vedic stream was being over-
whelmed by non-Vedic religions like Buddhism and
Jainism, Adi Sankara (8
th
century) appeared and
codified the varied Hindu religions into six major
pathways (Shanmata) giving rise to the agamas that
laid down helpful rules in the construction and
worship concerning temples. The interaction
between architecture and philosophy in post-
Sankara period is fascinating.
Alayam means a temple. This charming
slender volume is an educative and inspiring
introduction to the entire gamut of concepts that
underlie a Hindu temple. In these chapters, studded
with significant details (like the temples structure
symbolizing the human body, the evolution of
temple architecture and the influence of reformist
movements in the present neo-Vedantic period), Mr.
Reddy sprays with a prodigal hand, apt quotes from
Swami Vivekananda: The more, therefore, the
Hindus study the past, the more glorious will be
their future. How very true! Alayam is one such
guide which should find a place in the home of
42
every Hindu to help them and their descendents to
study, understand and illumine their lives.
___________________________ PREMA NANDAKUMAR, TRICHY
SHRI DAKSHINAMURTI STOTRA
By Swami Ramanandaji
Saraswati
Translation by Swami
Swatmananda Puri.
Published by Markandeya San-
yasa Ashram Public Trust,
Omkareshwar, Mandhata Dist.
Khandwa MP - 450 554. 2008,
paperback, pp.263, Rs.40.
Hinduism is too deep for the shallow minded
and too complicated for the narrow minded,
observed a venerable monk. The Dakshinamurti
stotra, an apt example of this unique feature, of
just ten hymns holds the essence of deep philo-
sophical truths. Sri Ramana Maharshi points out
that a compassionate Sri Shankara composed this
stotra (hymn) in order to remove ignorance of
people and enable them to realize the Self. This
stotra is in adoration of Lord Shiva as Dakshina-
murti in His guru aspect.
The primeval Masters [Dakshinamurtis]
disciples include sages even far advanced in age
who learn at his footstep. Age is not a determinant
of reverence. The lessons on Cosmic Consciousness,
highly philosophical in content, are conveyed by
the dynamic Master through mouna, as silence
explains the mystery of Reality rather than speech.
His presence itself becomes precepts In order to
understand this text, an exposure to Oriental
thoughts is necessary. And therefore discourses on
such a subject can be rendered only by a scholar
who is also a spiritual leader.
A week long discourse was delivered at the
Nagpur Centre of Ramakrishna Math in 2000 by
Swami Ramananda Saraswatiji, a much respected
spiritual leader. These discourses in Hindi were
published in that language and have now been
translated into English that is under review.
The stotra deals with complex issues such as
creation, existence, atman, maya and consciousness.
The world is perceived through the influence of
maya and therefore unreal. The I or ego recedes
from the body during sleep. During dreams the
person gets identified with the body he/she creates.
In the previous life, the ego identified with another
body. Through illustrations the learned Swami
points out that Maya does not bind you but you
get yourself bound. And cognition is one thing
and reality is another. Upon realization of the Truth
the reality of the world ceases to exist. Thus while
the body undergoes change, the same I remains
as ever. Shraddha is essential in order to promote
our spiritual growth.
A reader will notice that the discourses were
quite scholarly. The learned speaker has also drawn
upon the wisdom of Sureshwaracharya and
Goswami Tulsidas, for instance, in understanding
the real state when the ego and delusions cease to
rule.
The translators job is arduous as it is nece-
ssary to retain the spirit of the original, finding
appropriate synonyms. However, the first reaction
of a reader will be that the book will have added
value if the grammatical and spelling errors are
rectified. The book is valuable for all seekers.
______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI
GOD AND SCIENCE: DIVINE
CAUSATION AND THE LAWS OF
NATURE
By Richard L.Thompson
Published by Motilal Banarsi-
dass Publishers Private Limi-
ted, 41, UA Bungalow Road,
Jawahar Nagar, Delhi - 110
007. 2010, hardback, pp.
217+ xxviii, Rs. 595
The book is a collection of
essays, showing the connection between
science-and-religion and Hinduism, on the seven-
teen topics distributed under following five
categories: Religion and the Laws of Nature,
Physics, Consciousness, Evolution, and Cosmology
and Ancient Culture
The book to some extent is similar to Capras
Tao of Physics trying to correlate the Eastern
mysticism with the modern developments in
science. For the Eastern mysticism the author mainly
has taken up Bhagvad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam
for illustration, even though the Upanishads say
more than that; but this has not been elaborated
into depth perhaps for obvious reasons of coverage
43
of so many topics under his discussion. On the other
hand highly technological aspects like David
Bohms Implicate Order, correction of imaging
through Optical Phase Conjugation, etc., have been
introduced to investigate the mysticism, but many
other scientific developments like Holography,
Einsteins Relativity Theory which have lately been
very much relevant in the spiritual context, have
not been seriously taken up.
The author discusses the roles of brain, mind
and computer in the context of consciousness.
Understanding the human mind in biological terms
has emerged as the central challenge of science in
the twenty-first century, says Dr. Eric Kandel, a
Nobel laureate. Lately there have been a lot of
developments in the brain sciences: brain circuits
are changeable and malleable unlike computer
software and hardware. Modern science has taught
us that mind and brain are intimately connected,
anatomically, functionally, and historically. The two
are indissolubly linked, leading to the notion that
thoughts, feelings, and all other manifestations and
reactions of the mind are products of the activities
of neurons in the brain. The mind cannot be
completely defined by the brain any more than the
body can be defined by bones and skin. Conscious-
ness is understood as a multifaceted matrix of
events. Some of them are utterly dependent on the
brain, and some of them are completely inde-
pendent of the brain. There is also important role
played by our heart as has been elaborated in
various Eastern scriptures.
While in Chapter 2 on Science and Religion
the author concentrates on the opinion of some
scientists, it would have been more interesting to
put up the quote of Albert Einstein although the
author discussed his discoveries. He said, Science
without religion is lame, religion without science is
blind. Mention may also be made of the quote of
another Noble Laureate Charles Townes in this
regard: Religion and science are united by similar
goals: science seeks to discern the laws and order
of our universe; religion, to understand the
universes purpose and meaning, and how human-
kind fits into both.
Apart from some minor mistakes, correction
is needed for the year 1993 at the footnote of page
37 as 1893, being the year when Swamiji spoke at
Chicago Parliament of Religions.
______________ GOPAL C BHAR, VIVEKANANDA UNIVERSITY
1. THE HEART OF A MOTHER
2. THE ONE THING NEEDFUL
3. BREAK THE HABIT
4. THE LORD PROVIDES
5. THE KING OF KINGS
All by J.P. Vaswani
Published by Gita Publishing
House, 10, Sadhu Vaswani
Path, Pune - 411 001. (Year not mentioned),
Hardback, pp13. Price: Rs.60. each
This is a series of five books but before the
actual review, some comments on the difficult task
of writing for children: as a genre, childrens books
are in some ways more difficult to write than are
adults books of whatever category because of issues
of appropriatenessof language, subject, style and
register. What the winning formula is would be
difficult to define, possibly a combination of all
these aspects in the different proportions, depen-
ding on the target age group.
Then there is another issue confronting this
reviewer. How much emphasis should one place
on religious belief when writing for the very young?
Swami Vivekanandas famous dictum that religion
is about self-belief rather than belief in God is, as
every statement made by him, thought-provoking
and worth passing down to future generations.
Should the message that God provides
everything be presented before a child has the
maturity to comprehend the more complex issues
of work ethics, self-esteem and self-reliance? It
would require a very talented and sensitive adult
to handle this set of stories and tell them, or read
them out, in a way that would best get the messages
across.
This series gives rise to these and other
concerns. The first, The Heart of the Mother, intends
to show that a mothers love never wanes, even in
death. However, the story itself creates crude
stereotypes, that of a beautiful woman who sets a
young man the task of cutting his mothers heart
out in order to prove his love for her. She is
portrayed as ravishingly beautiful but very cruel.
Several questions are raisedthe naivet of a young
man who would fall into such a trap, the association
of beauty with wickedness, the time-honoured
rivalry between a young mans love interest and
his mother.
44
The second book, The One Thing Needful, is
an old story in which a boatman, carrying a learned
but vain man in his boat is harangued about his
ignorance of so-called learning, only to discover
that he himself does not know the one thing
required while crossing a stormy river, namely
swimming. This story could have been used to show
that all knowledge is equally useful depending on
the circumstances. Instead, mention is made of
swimming to the other shore, a concept that a
child may not understand.
The third, Break the Habit is the most age-
appropriate story of the series. A father demon-
strates the necessity of rooting out evil habits before
they take hold in one.
The fourth book, The Lord Provides, seems the
most puzzling choice. It is again an old story. A
young sadhu, on his journey, sees a young womans
breasts, mistakes them for tumours, expresses his
sympathy only to be told that they have been given
to women to provide nourishment for their children.
The sadhu goes away in wonderment at Gods
foresight and gives up asking for alms. What lesson
can be drawn for a child from this? On the other
hand, the last of the books, The King of Kings,
touches upon this point with greater sensitivity.
The books are beautifully produced, multi-
coloured volumes on thick cardboard so as to
survive rough handling. The length of each story is
rightthirteen pages, set in bold and child-friendly
type. However, the choice of the stories and their
ultimate aims could have been given deeper and
graver thought.
__________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI
WHAT IS KARMA
By Paul Brunton
Editor: Paul Cash. First Indian
Edition 2009. New Age Books.
A-44, Naraina Phase-1, New
Delhi -110 028. 2009 Paper
back Pp. 144. Rs. 150.
Paul Brunton (1898-
1981) is remembered in India
as an advanced spiritual
aspirant and writer, who introduced Sri Ramana
Maharshi to the West. This slim volume, which is a
compilation of passages gleaned from his vast
writings, with an incisive introduction by the editor,
Paul Cash, provides a coherent exposition of karma
and its implications in relation to human existence.
Though the world views of the three religions of
Indian origin, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism,
have karma as an essential ingredient, a classical
treatise treating the subject exclusively is not
available. The laymans concept of karma is too
simplistic and inextricably linked to reincarnation.
This book, therefore, supplies a want that had
existed too long. Though only a compilation, it
serves the purpose of a treatise, largely because of
the painstaking selection and skilful editing. As the
editor points out in the introduction, Brunton has
been reflecting on the idea all his life. This is evident
from the fact that he translated the term karma
variously as law of consequences , law of creative
equivalence, law of recompense, law of self
responsibility and so on.
Brunton does not approach the idea as a
metaphysician or as a religious teacher, but as a
seeker eager to penetrate into the mystery of human
existence. This little book presents in condensed
and concentrated form, what he learned about
karma from a long and richly varied life time, from
personal research, relentless trial and error, and
intimate association with wise men and women
from sacred traditions throughout the world.
The book is divided into five chapters, respec-
tively dealing with the definition of karma, its mode
of operation, grace operating in a world dictated
by karma, how one can mould ones destiny taking
advantage of the working of karma, and final
liberation from the yoke of karma. The working of
your karma would never come to an end, if your
egoism never comes to an end. It would be a vicious
circle from which there would be no escape. But
when the sense of personal selfhood, which is its
cause and core is abandoned, the unfulfilled karma
is abandoned too. (p. 136) The book is free from
any doctrinal bias and of universal relevance, and
should appeal to all discerning people.
_________________________ M.C.RAMANARAYANAN, KERALA
I nt elligence is but anot her name for ignorance, because it s area is limit ed. Therefore,
if a man want s t o at t ain all knowledge and underst and all myst eries, let him devot e
himself t o t he knowledge of God. Swami Brahmananda
Appeal for Restoration
Ramakrishna Kutir (Ashrama) at Almora, Uttarakhand, was founded in
1916 by Swami Turiyananda and Swami Shivananda (two direct disciples of
Sri Ramakrishna) at the behest of the Swami Vivekananda. The Almora Ashrama
is a retreat centre where monks and devotees of Sri Ramakrishna come to live
in its spiritual atmosphere and get peace of mind. The place is imbued with the
spiritual vibrations of Swami Turiyanandas holy and austere life. The Ashrama
also conducts welfare activities for the poor hill people and needy students.
Last year we distributed 5000 woollen blankets to the victims of devastating
rain that hit Almora district.
Unprecedented rains and cloud burst in September 2010 in Almora resulted
in tremendous landslide, gorges, cracks and land-sinking of the Ashrama
premises. The changed land contour has damaged the temple and other
buildings. Our engineers have suggested abandoning of an old building and
rebuilding of other damaged ones.
Hence we appeal to all devotees and general public to extend their helping
hands to restore the Ashrama buildings. The restoration of land, at least,
should be completed before the next rainy season in 2011. After that we
shall have to start the construction of the damaged buildings. For this entire
restoration and reconstruction work, we need more than 2 Crore rupees.
Cheque/Draft may please be drawn in favour of Ramakrishna Kutir, Almora
and sent to: Ramakrishna Kutir, Bright End Corner, Almora, Pin - 263 601
(Uttarakhand). The name of the donors of 2 Lakh rupees and above will be
displayed in prominent place, if he or she wishes.
All donations to Ramakrishna Math are exempt from the Income Tax U/S.
80G of the I.T. Act.
RAMAKRISHNA KUTIR
Bright End Corner, Almora263 601, Uttarakhand
Phone: 05962-254417, E-mail: rkutir@gmail.com, rkutir@yahoo.in
Swami Somadevananda
Adhyaksha
AN APPEAL
A branch of the Ramakrishna Math was established in Nattarampalli, a remote
village in Vellore district of Tamilnadu, in 1908. Since then, the Math has been
providing health and education services to the rural poor in more than 128 villages
in and around Nattarampalli.
For the past 32 years, the Math has been running in its premises Swami
Shivananda Students (Orphanage) Home. The Home accommodates and provides
free education and special coaching to over 50 poor boys who are orphans /semi-
orphans. They are provided with food, clothing and shelter, besides medical care.
Expenses on their care and maintenance throughout their stay at the Home for five
years (from class 6 to 10) are met only from the humble donations received. Even
after their 10th class, a few boys are permitted to stay and pursue their higher
education from here, free of charge. We try to accommodate as many students as
possible, even if it is beyond our giving capacity.
Due to financial constraints we have not been able to raise a building for
the orphanage, with kitchen and dining hall for the boys. We have taken up
this noble project, of dedicating the Students Home project as a part of
Swami Vivekanandas 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations (1863-2013).
The estimated cost of the Students Home-kitchen-cum-dining hall is Rs. 60
lakhs.
Nattarampalli being a backward rural area, there is little scope to get sponsors
from the local communities. Hence we earnestly request you to help us by liberally
donating for this noble cause. We also urge you to pass on this appeal for monetary
support to your friends / relatives and encourage them to support this noble
cause.
Your contribution may be sent through Cheque / DD or M.O. favouring
Ramakrishna Math, Nattarampalli. Contributions made are eligible for I.T.
exemption under Sec. 80 G of the Income Tax Act.
Ramakrishna Math, Nattarampalli,
Vellore District, Tamilnadu 635 852
Phone: 04179-242227 Email: mail@srkmnattarampalli.org.in
Yours in the service of the Lord
Swami Tyagarajananda
(President)
Appeal for a New Prayer Hall
Port Blair is the capital of Andaman and Nicobar, a group of islands far away
from the main land of India. The origin of Ramakrishna Movement in these beautiful
islands can be traced to 1961 when a group of zealous devotees, inspired by the life
and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, started a society. In 1965,
a small shrine was dedicated by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji (later the President
of the Ramakrishna Order) in the premises of the budding centre.
In 1986, Srimat Swami Tapasyanandaji Maharaj (later Vice President of the
Ramakrishna Order) inaugurated the Vivekananda Boys Home to serve orphaned /
destitute boys. In 1992, on the birthday puja of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the
centre was affiliated to Belur Math and made a part of the Ramakrishna Mission. The
centre has been carrying on its activities since then.
Devastating Tsunami that struck Indian Ocean in 2004 caused extensive
damage to Port Blair Ashrama. In particular, the Prayer Hall was badly damaged
since it is closer to the sea and is on low ground. Even today, worship activities are
disturbed during heavy rains as the temple gets flooded, forcing us to remove the
holy images of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, to a safer
place. During such times we are not able to conduct regular worship or conduct any
programme in the prayer hallan important part of the daily routine of children in
the Boys Home.
As is obvious, we are urgently in need of constructing a New Prayer Hall at an
elevated ground. The proposed cost of this project is Rs 2.00Crores.
We, therefore, earnestly appeal to one and all to contribute their mite
generously to this project. Any amount will be thankfully received and gratefully
acknowledged.
Contribution may kindly be sent by M.O or Cheque / Draft in favour of
Ramakrishna Mission, Port Blair, or through electronic mode of transfer in our A/c
no 10605084356 in S B I, Branch Code- N0000156. After transferring the amount,
please intimate us immediately by emailing us at rkmportblair@gmail.com or calling
us at +91-3192-232432.
All donations are exempted from payment of income Tax under section 80G.
Date- 01/01/2011
Ramakrishna Mission
Port Blair 744 104, Andaman
Ph: 03192-232432/242278, E-mail: rkmportblair@gmail.com
Swami Amartyananda
Secretary
Duration: 2 Hours and 56 minutes
Price : Rs. 150 [US $8]
Duration: 2 Hours and 20 minutes
Price: Rs.150 [US $8]
Duration: 1 Hour and 12 minutes
Price : Rs.150 [US $8]
This CD Collection contains the lectures and writings of Swami
Vivekananda on Education, Hinduism Bold Message for
World Peace
Also A Also A Also A Also A Also Available as a 3 CD Gift pack collection vailable as a 3 CD Gift pack collection vailable as a 3 CD Gift pack collection vailable as a 3 CD Gift pack collection vailable as a 3 CD Gift pack collection
Audio Book Formats and Supported Devices: MP3 and iTunes
AudioBook format supported on PC/Mac, MP3 Players, Apple iPod/
iPad/iPhone and all Mobile Phones. Also works on MP3 CD
Player.eBook Formats and Supported Devices: ePub and Mobi
support on PC/Mac, Apple iPod/iPad/iPhone, Amazon Kindle,
B&N Nook, Android Smartphone, Blackberry Mobile and
Nokia Smartphones.Supported Platforms: Windows XP/Vista/7
and Mac OS with iTunes Software
T TT TTo or o or o or o or o order this CD Collection online, please visit our eStor der this CD Collection online, please visit our eStor der this CD Collection online, please visit our eStor der this CD Collection online, please visit our eStor der this CD Collection online, please visit our eStore shopping page @ e shopping page @ e shopping page @ e shopping page @ e shopping page @
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T TT TTo avoid shipping fees, you can download a digital version online @ o avoid shipping fees, you can download a digital version online @ o avoid shipping fees, you can download a digital version online @ o avoid shipping fees, you can download a digital version online @ o avoid shipping fees, you can download a digital version online @
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For mor For mor For mor For mor For more info about or e info about or e info about or e info about or e info about ordering the CDs, please contact: dering the CDs, please contact: dering the CDs, please contact: dering the CDs, please contact: dering the CDs, please contact:
Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna
Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004
Ph: 2462 1110 Fax : 2493 4589
email: mail@chennaimath.org website: www.chennaimath.org
Bhagavad Gita is a perennial source of inspira-
tion and strength for millions of people all over the
world. Like all other scriptures, Gita, too needs to be
restated and reiterated with the change in circum-
stances. Its eternal teachings need to be rephrased
and rearticulated in order to meet the contemporary
needs.
This is what precisely the present volume at-
tempts to do. It contains the articles originally
published the December 2008 issue of The Vedanta
Kesari, and has 36 illuminating articles touching di-
verse aspects such as Gita for commoners, Gitas
way of right activity, Keeping calmthe Gita way,
Gita for Teachers, Gita and Service and so on.
Price: Rs. 70/- + Postage: Rs. 25/- for single copy. No request for VPP entertained
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
Pages vii + 360
Gita for Everyday Living
NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE
We can attain salvation through social work
Swami Vivekananda
K. Sridhar Acharya
Founder/ President
1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children Tirupati & Orissa
2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital Tirupati
3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged Tirupati & Rishikesh
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]
A 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. VidyadanEducational aid for one Child Rs. 2000/-
(FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED)
TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.]
E-mail: navajeevan@sancharnet.in Website: www.navajeevan.org
An Appeal
31 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2009
Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on
the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord
Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.
Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax
Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.
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Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the
sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will
come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that
is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-
conscious activity.
Swami Vivekananda
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