JANUARY 2005 MARCH 2005 Volume 3 Number 3

Thus Spake ...

"Never quarrel about religion. All quarrels and disputations concerning religion simply show that spirituality is not present. Religious quarrels are always over the

husks. When purity, when spirituality goes, leaving the soul dry, quarrels begin, and not before." ...

"He who believes in one God and the life beyond, let him speak what is good or remain silent." ... Prophet Muhammad

The February Retreat In This Issue:

“Naren has Accepted Mother ” • Thus Spake ... page 1 • Monthly Calendar ... page 1 The monthly retreat at Zushi Centre on • February Retreat ... page 1 Sunday, February 20, celebrated the • News from Headquarters ... page 2 143rd birth anniversary of Swami • Retreat - Afternoon Session ... page 2 Vivekananda. With a ringing of the bell, • Thought of the Month ... page 4 members and guests quietly assembled in • A Story to Remember ... page 6 the main shrine where Swami Medhasananda conducted a brief worship. • Retreat Photo Collage ... page 7 Afterwards, focus shifted to the adjacent meeting room for the morning session talk Monthly Calendar which began with Vedic chanting and Birthdays readings in Japanese and English from • • Swami Vivekananda's talks on Raja Yoga. Sri Sri Deva Saturday, March 12

The swami offered his welcoming Swami Yogananda comments in both English and Japanese, Thursday, March 29 as our usual interpreter, Mr. Ito, had yet to arrive, but upon surveying the room, • Kyokai Events • determined that it would be more practical March Retreat to proceed in Japanese only, since the majority in attendance were Japanese and Sri Sri Ramakrishna Deva most of the others were competent in the Birthday Celebration SUNDAY - March 20 language. "Chotto komarimasu (I'm in a at Zushi Centre 10:30 a.m. bit ofSee a Newfix)," Year’s he said Day with Kalpataru... a laugh, page"since 2 All are welcome to attend. (cont page 3) The Kyokai: March 2005 page 1 • News • from Headquarters news and general announcements of interest from

TSUNAMI RELIEF AND REHABILITATION WORK IN ANDAMAN ISLANDS, TAMIL NADU, KERALA AND SRI LANKA

From:

AN APPEAL

After conducting extensive primary relief work in Tsunami affected areas, the next phase in Ramakrishna Mission’s service is REHABILITATION of the affected people. A survey of their requirements is going on. Steps are being taken to provide new boats (catamarans), fishing nets, and shelters to the fisher folk – the main sufferers in the worst affected areas. Efforts are also being made to rehabilitate children orphaned by the disaster in the Andaman Islands.

The Rehabilitation work will be extended further, depending upon the availability of funds. The total cost is likely to exceed Rs. 10 crore.

For detailed reports on Tsunami Relief and for information regarding the mode of/for sending donations, please visit the following websites.

1. www.sriramakrishna.org/tsunami/ 2. www.sriramakrishnamath.org

We thank all those who have contributed for this noble cause. We appeal to others also to come forward and help us in this noble endeavour. All donations paid in cash or by cheque/draft drawn in favour of “Ramakrishna Mission” are exempt from income tax under section 80-G of the I.T. Act. Donations may please be sent to:

The General Secretary The President Ramakrishna Mission (Headquarters) P.O. Belur Math, Dist.: Howrah Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004, West -711202, India Tamil Nadu, India Fax: 91-33-26544346 Fax: 044-24934589 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Zushi Retreat - The Afternoon Session

With the end of the morning session, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch prasad prepared by Mrs. Papia Banerjee and Mrs. Sophia Hazra.

Around 2 p.m. the remaining guests reassembled in the meeting room. Swami Medhasananda then led some Vedic chanting, followed by readings from Swamiji’s works and a Q & A session regarding the morning talk. Mr. Samudra Gupta and Mrs. Ananya Karmakar then each sang Bengali devotional songs and Shanti-san sang her compositions in Japanese. Swami then led all in the chorus of a Sanskrit composition written by a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. The session ended with a short meditation.

The Vedanta Kyokai: March 2005 page 2 February Retreat (from page 1) Bengali saying about the famous our dear Ito-san is late, I should Charitot Festival for Lord Jaganath in continue in Japanese. I am sorry for in which the Lord is carried along the few who cannot understand, but the road in a chariot. Upon seeing the it is too distracting for me to give a devotees lining up, bowing and talk in both languages." . offering respect, the road itself feels all this is directed at it, the chariot, as Turning to the subject of the day's well, feels this adoration is for it, and talk, 'Narendranath has Accepted the idol, too, believes itself to be the Mother Kali', the swami noted, "It is object of this respect. And the Lord difficult for ordinary devotees to within the image smiles. "You see, progress in spiritual life unless they the use of images is like the worship God with form. It is very kindergarten of spiritual life," he said. difficult to concentrate on an abstract "When we learn to concentrate, to idea. The purposes of ordinary meditate, slowly we become qualified worship are to please God; to show to concentrate on God without form; one's gratefulness to God; to show the Supreme Reality. It is like when one's love and respect to God; and one is reminded of the father by to pray to God." seeing his photograph."

[Just then Mr. Ito arrived to a warm "Another misconception are the many welcome and some teasing. "I was forms of God in . According listening in the hall," said Ito-san. to Hindu philosophy reality is One, "Your Japanese was pretty good." but it has two aspects. One is The swami then jokingly noted that absolute and one is relative. When not all agreed with his assessment. that reality is relative it is active. Personally speaking, not being fluent When the same reality is active, it in Japanese terminologies used in creates, sustains and destroys. This religious discourses, this reporter, is the relative aspect of the One for one, was quite relieved to see reality. When absolute, there is no Mr. Ito.] name, form or action. So absolute and relative are two aspects of the The swami continued saying that for same Reality; active and inactive. worship, we have to imagine God, Like the same person sleeping or but that that imagination is about waking. reality, not the unreal; not about an impossibility like a palace in the sky, "How does Mother Kali fit into the but imagination on the reality, on Hindu pantheon? Mahakali (Kali the God. "This is the difference between Great) or Nityakali (Kali the Eternal) imagination and baseless is the absolute; the stage prior to hallucinations about God; accepting creation, pure consciousness, no a symbol, a medium, for the action, no form, no name, no presence of God and imagining the universe. The second is the relative, presence of God in that symbol, that consisting of Kali the dispeller of fear medium, that image. Images may be and giver of boons, Kali the made of stone, wood or clay, but as protector, and Kali the destroyer. So Swami Vivekananda said, 'I have we see here the absolute and the never heard a devotee say, O, clay, relative aspects in Kali. They are one O wood, O stone, O metal, be in the same reality." Swami then pleased with me, please grant my explained questions as to why Mother prayer.' No, they always pray to Kali, both absolute and relative, God!" would have a black complexion. He said that Sri Ramakrishna had said so In this regard, the swami told of a (cont page 4) The Vedanta Kyokai: March 2005 page 3 • Thought of the Month •

The preferable (shreyas) and the pleasurable (preyas) approach man. The man of intelligence, having considered them, separates the two. The intelligent one selects the electable in preference to the delectable; the non-intelligent one selects the delectable for the sake of growth and protection (of the body, etc.).

... Kathopanishad, 1.2.2.

supreme reality as highlighted in the February Retreat (from page 3) Upanishads, while rejecting most convincingly that it is because we see Hindu rituals and all forms of worship her from so far a distance that She through images. looks black. As you approach her Many young Indians did not wish to nearer and nearer, finally there is no convert to Christianity and the color. Like one approaches the sky Brahmo Samaj appealed to them. or ocean to find no colour at all. One of the requirements of membership to the Samaj was a vow He then explained the qualities, to renounce any form of image sattva (equilibrity), rajas (action) and worship. tamas (inertness), by which Kali creates, preserves and destroys. Rakhal, later Swami Brahmananda, "Now it is the same Mother Kali who and Narendranath were old friends binds us and liberates us,' he said. and members of the Samaj. He had Average people want to enjoy the come to and visited Sri many things of life and higher souls Ramakrishna, and before long was seek liberation. "So what ever one visiting the Kali Temple. When Naren may want, temporal or spiritual, one later visited Dakshineswar and must pray to Mother Kali to grant witnessed Rakhal bowing down to that prayer." images, he scolded his gentle-natured friend for breaking his oath to the Swami then explained why Samaj and called him a hypocrite. Sri Narendranath had not accepted Kali Ramakrishna intervened at this and at the time, citing a western explained that Rakhal now believed in education that nurtured doubt in God, Kali worship, that not everyone’s atheism and materialism. He said temperment is suited to practice the that with the rise of the British rule, worship of the formless God and to Christian missionaries came to prove not interfere with Rakhal’s spiritual their faith was superior to Hinduism. practice. Their criticism was both subtle and systematic. They developed school "You see the doubts about images and college curriculums that included were: How can the infinite be finite?" Bible lessons with lectures on the said the swami. "How can the narrowness and superstition of formless be with form? And for all Hinduism. Narendranath, like many these reasons Narendranath had his western educated Indian youth, doubts." began to criticize many Hindu practices, especially image worship. "What surprised Narendranath most about Sri Ramakrishna was that this “The Brahmo Samaj was a group priest, this image worshipper, could that wanted to present the essence possess such tremendous spiritual of Hinduism in a more logical way,” knowledge, such compassion, such he said. They believed in the love, such purity. He (cont page 5) The Vedanta Kyokai: March 2005 page 4 February Retreat (from page 4) universe, could surely grant his wondered at how someone simple prayer and urged him to go to possessed of such a high spiritual the temple. Narendranath believed state could justify the worship of an these words from his guru and image such as Kali. Of course, Sri waited for nightfall. At nine o'clock Ramakrishna explained that Sri Ramakrishna sent him off. Upon Brahman and Mother Kali were one entering the temple, Naren felt in his and same, but Naren had not been heart that at this moment he would convinced." meet the Divine Mother. He felt a deep joy and sensed the living "Sri Ramakrishna was anxious that presence of Mother. Immediately he Naren should accept Mother Kali, as prayed, 'Please give me he knew that he was destined to be a discrimination, please give me teacher of religion to the world; to knowledge, please give me devotion. propagate Sri Ramakrishna's I don't want anything else.' This he message of the harmony of religions. prayed again and again." Unless Narendranath accepted the logic behind the idea of image Upon his return, Sri Ramakrishna worship, his concept of religion would asked if he had prayed for his family be one-sided and narrow. And it and Naren said that he had would be difficult for such a person completely forgotten about that. Sri to become a world teacher." Ramakrishna sent him back. When he returned, Sri Ramakrishna again Swami told the story about the asked if he had prayed for his family. sudden passing of Narendranath's 'No,' he replied again. Sri father and the dire financial condition Ramakrishna scolded him to control his family found itself in. Even food his spiritual emotion and go back and was difficult to come by. Naren ask that Mother relieve his family's searched for work and went without financial problems. The third time food himself to provide what little he Narendranath did not lose himself, could. He came to the idea that he but remembered that Sri would ask Sri Ramakrishna for help, Ramakrishna had once remarked for even though he could not accept that when one finally meets the Kali, he knew that whatever Sri emperor, one should not only ask for Ramakrishna asked of Her was an insignificant thing like a pumpkin granted. He implored Sri or a gourd. Ramakrishna to pray to Mother Kali for his family's welfare. Sri "So praying to the Mother of the Ramakrishna replied that he could universe for money," said swami, not ask the Mother for such things, "would be like asking for a pumpkin but that he had prayed to the Mother from a king, hence Naren repeated for him, but She had refused, saying his prayers for discrimination, that since Narendranath did not care knowledge and devotion. When he for her, why should she look after returned to the Master again he him? answered that he could not pray for financial help, because Sri "Sri Ramakrishna then said that this Ramakrishna had made him forget. night (being Tuesday) was especially He said that since it was due to Sri auspicious for praying to the Mother, Ramakrishna's 'tricks', he insisted and promised that whatever that Sri Ramakrishna take Narendranath prayed for this night responsibility and pray to the Mother would be granted by Mother Kali. He for his family. He refused, but Naren assured Naren saying that Kali, being insisted. At this the Master assured the all powerful creator of this (cont page 6) The Vedanta Kyokai: March 2005 page 5 • A Story to Remember •

Safeguard Oneself

The Buddha tells the story of a family of acrobats:

A grandfather and granddaughter traveled and made their living by performing balancing acts. They came to the Buddha to discuss what was the best way to safeguard and care for each other. The grandfather put forth the idea that each should care for the other, that he should care for his granddaughter in the balancing, and she should take care of him. Thus they would protect each other.

The granddaughter asked the Buddha if that was not backward. "Would it not be better for each of us to care for ourselves, and in that way we best safeguard each other, and our acrobatics will prosper?"

After listening to the little girl, the Buddha replied, "Though she is young, she is wise. If you as a grandfather guard yourself with care and pay attention to what you do, you will also guard the safety of your grandchild, and if you as a child guard yourself with awareness, with care, with respect, then you guard both yourself and those around you."

... Buddhist Tradition

February Retreat (from page 5) sung and sung to Her throughout the night. “Like a child,” said the swami, him that his family would never again "the Master was so elated. He want for simple food and coarse repeated again and again to the cloth.” visitors, 'Is is not good that he has accepted Mother Kali? Is it not Although Narendranath was an good?'" accomplished singer, up to this time he did not know any songs in praise This was a great turning point for of Mother Kali. This night he Swami Vivekananda, which made his requested Sri Ramakrishna to teach spiritual life full, complete and him a song of Mother Kali and the harmonious, and allowed him to play Master taught him, O Mother, Thou the role of a world teacher of religion. Art Our Sole Liberator, which he sang - the Editor all night long. The next day two visitors arrived from Calcutta to find the Master in a very elated mood and Correction: Narendranath sleeping in a corner of In our February issue, ‘Prema Kalpataru’ his room. The Master excitedly should have read ‘Spiritual Kalpataru’. explained that Naren had accepted . Mother Kali the night before and had The editor apologizes for any confusion The Vedanta Kyokai: March 2005 page 6 Retreat Photos - 20 Feb ‘05

Issued by: The Vedanta Society of Japan (Nippon Vedanta Kyokai) 4-18-1 Hisagi, Zushi-shi, Kanagawa-ken 249-0001 JAPAN Phone: 81-468-73-0428 Fax: 81-468-73-0592 The Vedanta Kyokai: Marchwebsite: 2005 http://www.vedanta.jp email: [email protected] page 7