1 TheVedanta Kesari April 2019

1 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta

1 A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly `15 April of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 2019 2 PRIVATE LIMITED Regd. Off. & Fact. : Phone : 04172 - 244820, 651507, Plot No.88 & 89, Phase - II, Tele Fax : 04172 - 244820 (Manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Sipcot Industrial Complex, E-mail : [email protected] Ingredients and Intermediates) Ranipet - 632 403, Tamil Nadu. Web Site : www.svisslabss.net

14 April 2019 – Ramanavami

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COVER STORY The renovated sub-centre of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Fort, Belagavi, Karnataka, where Swami Vivekananda stayed for three days from 16 Oct 1892. It now functions as Swami Vivekananda Memorial. More details on p.52. Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed by B. Rajkumar, Chennai - 600 014 on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed at M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014. Website: www.chennaimath.org E-mail: [email protected]

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Topical Musings Topical 48

The Vedas: An Exploration An Vedas: The 46 Asim Chaudhuri Asim

Book Reviews Book 44 Shillong What is Religion? is What

Swami Vivekananda’s Visit to to Visit Vivekananda’s Swami Vivekananda Way Vivekananda 27

Pariprasna 31

Gopal Stavig Gopal

Guest Editorial Guest 9

Indian and Western Thought Western and Indian

What Are We Now? We Are What

Life in the Kingdom of Heaven in in Heaven of Kingdom the in Life Yugavani 8

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Reminiscences of Sargachhi of Reminiscences

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CONTENTS 2019 0042-2983 ISSN ISSN

APRIL 4 4 106 , No. , Vol.

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order Ramakrishna The of Monthly Spiritual and Cultural A

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th 3 TheVedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h(044) 2462 1110 e-mail: [email protected] Website : www.chennaimath.org Dear Readers, The Vedanta Kesari is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazines in the country. Started under the guidance and support of Swami Vivekananda, the first issue of the magazine, then called Brahmavadin, came out on 14 Sept 1895. Brahmavadin was run by one of Swamiji’s ardent followers Sri Alasinga Perumal. After his death in 1909 the magazine publication became irregular, and stopped in 1914 whereupon the Ramakrishna Order revived it as The Vedanta Kesari. Swami Vivekananda’s concern for the magazine is seen in his letters to Alasinga Perumal where he writes: April 2019 ‘Now I am bent upon starting the journal.’ ‘Herewith I 4 send a hundred dollars…. Hope this will go just a little in starting your paper.’ ‘I am determined to see the paper succeed.’ ‘The Song of the Sannyasin is my first contribution for your journal.’ ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that Brahmavadin is in.’ ‘It must be supported by the Hindus if they have any sense of virtue or gratitude left in them.’ ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ ‘The Brahmavadin is a jewel—it must The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta not perish. Of course, such a paper has to be kept up by private help always, and we will do it.’ For the last 105 years, without missing a single issue, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on spirituality, culture, philosophy, youth, personality development, science, holistic living, family and corporate values. Over the years, production and PERMANENT FUND publication costs have gone up manifold. A non-commercial magazine like this can To become self-supporting continue its good work only with the To establish the magazine on firm financial generous financial support and active footing please contribute to the Permanent assistance of well-wishers. Hence, we appeal to our readers and Fund. admirers of Swamiji to support us by donating Names of the donors will appear in the to the following schemes: magazine. SPONSOR A PAGE GIFT TO LIBRARIES To enhance production quality To reach wider readership

Once a year, please sponsor at least one page Please gift a copy of The Vedanta Kesari to in one issue of The Vedanta Kesari. school, college, university, public libraries In a year (12 issues including a Special Issue) & study circles. we need 600 pages to be sponsored. If you This will take India’s timeless spiritual and sponsor more pages, it will help us cultural heritage, and the message of reach the target faster and Vedanta-Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to a enhance overall quality. wider section of youth. You can select any The sponsor's name will library in India, or let The Vedanta Kesari appear in the margin of the choose one. page. Name of sponsors and libraries enrolled will Sponsorship be published in The Vedanta Kesari. per page: ` 1000/- Gift Subscription for 3 libraries for 1 year: ` 500/-

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LIBRARY SCHEME SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS reaching 1948 libraries.... 1. Dr. R. Subramaniya Bharathiyar, Probuddha Bharat Sanga, Purba Bardhaman 2. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Patha Chakra, Purba Bardhaman 3. -do- Anchal Swami Vivekananda Sevashrama, Paratal, Purba Bardhaman 4. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Swatmananda Math, Radha Nagar, Purba Bardhaman 5. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Putunda, Purba Bardhaman 6. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Sebashram, Galsi, Purba Bardhaman 7. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Matri Mandir, Sure Kalna, Purba Bardhaman 8. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Sevashram, Kusumgram, Purba Bardhaman 9. -do- Ramakrishna Sevashrama, Rasulpur, Purba Bardhaman 10. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Burdwan, Bardhaman To be continued . . . Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra Sri Shankaracharya

Verse 4 नानाछिद्रघटोदरस्锿तमहादीपप्रभाभास㔵रं 煍ञनं यस् तु च啍षरादिकरण饍वरा बहिः स्न्ते । जानामीति तमेव भान्मनुभात्यतत㔸मस्त जगत् तस्륈 �रगु셁मूर㔤ये नम इदं �रदक्णामूर㔤ये ॥ ४ ॥

4. Obeisance to him, Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti, who is the Guru, whose consciousness is flowing out through the senses like the eyes etc., even as a powerful light kept within a pot full of holes (flowing out through the holes) following whom— the resplendent One—this whole world is shining

and thinks, ‘I know.’ April 2019 The cognition of an object which gives us an awareness, not only of its existence but also the 7 details about it, and producing the knowledge such as, ‘I know this small red pot full of water’ has been analysed by Vedānta and is described as follows: The antaḥkaraṇa (internal organ, mind) is the subtlest upādhi, nearest to the Ātman. The consciousness of the Àtman is reflected most in it. This antaḥkaraṇa is capable of flowing out through the senses like the eyes and establishing contact with the objects outside, bringing back PAGE SPONSOR : SRI VENKATARAMANAN T., CHENNAI T., VENKATARAMANAN SRI : SPONSOR PAGE their image. When this image which is also a reflection of the consciousness in that object, becomes Kesari The Vedanta one with the reflection of Ātman-consciousness in the antaḥkaraṇa, knowledge as described above arises. A powerful light kept within a pot full of many holes comes out through these holes and illumines the various objects upon which it falls. Similarly, the consciousness of the Ātman (which is the same as Paramātman or Īśvara) comes out through the sense organs like the eyes, and produces the knowledge, ‘I know this object.’ If outside objects were capable of independent existence and power of revelation, then all people should always be getting the knowledgeMuṇḍaka of all objects! Upaniṣad Then, sense-organs like the eyes would have been superfluous. नThe तत्र third सूर뵋 lineभाति of, नthe च नhymnद्रतारकं, is an नेमा echoवि 饍यतो of भाtheन्त , कुतोऽयमग㔨ि । (2.2.10): तमेव भान्मनुभाति सर픂 तस् भासा सर्वमदं विभाति ॥

‘There, the sun does not shine, nor the moon nor the stars. Neither do these lightnings shine, what to speak of this fire then! All shine, following Him who is resplendent. All this shines by His Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra with Manasollasa. Translated and Annotated by Swami Harshananda light.’ Yugavani Meditation

[To devotees who worshipped God with form] At the time of meditation, think that you have tied your mind with a silk thread to the lotus feet of your chosen form of God, so that your mind may not stray away from there. Why do I say ‘silk thread?’ Because, those lotus feet are indeed very soft and delicate. They will be hurt if any other kind of string is used. Should one think of the Chosen Ideal at the time of meditation only and then forget Him at other times? You should always keep a part of the mind attached to Him. You must surely have noticed that a sacrificial lamp has to be lighted at the time of the worship of Durga. That

April 2019 light should always be kept burning near the deity, it should not be allowed to go out. If it does, it augurs ill for the householder. Even so, after the Chosen Ideal is brought and seated 8 on the lotus of the heart, the sacrificial lamp of meditation on Him should always be kept burning. While one is engaged in worldly duties, one should watch at intervals whether that lamp is burning within or not. Ah! In those days before beginning to meditate on the Chosen Ideal, I imagined that I was thoroughly flushing out the inside of the mind. You see, there exist various kinds of dirt and dust (bad thoughts and desires) within the mind. I imagined that I was washing them off and was then making the Chosen Ideal sit there. Do just like that.

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta I used to show to my mind the image of the Bhairava in meditation pose on the parapet of the roof of the music hall and say to it, ‘You must be firm and motionless like that and meditate on Mothers Lotus Feet.’ No sooner had I sat down for meditation than I heard clattering sounds produced in the joints of my body and limbs from the direction of the legs upwards; and they got locked one after another as if some one from within turned the keys. …. When I sat and meditated, I had, in the beginning, the vision of particles of light like groups of fire-flies; I saw sometimes all quarters covered with masses of mist-like light; and at other times I perceived that all things were pervaded by bright waves of light like molten silver. I saw these things sometimes with my eyes shut and sometimes with my eyes open. I did not understand what I saw nor did I know whether it was good or bad to have such visions. I therefore prayed to Mother with a troubled heart, ‘I don’t understand, Mother, what is happening to me; I don’t know Mantras etc., by which to call Thee; please teach me personally what may enable me to realize Thee. Mother! If Thou dostSri Ramakrishnanot teach me, who else will? For, there is no refuge for me except Thee.’ I used to pray thus with a concentrated mind and weep piteously on account of the eagerness of my heart. — Guest Editorial

Japa: Chanting of a Mantra SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA

Japa or chanting that the Eternal Word itself is Brahman, the the name of God is Master agrees with him. (p.188) given great According to the third view of the importance in all the devotees, the name of God is greater than God religions of the Himself. They quote two charming examples. world. It is not only an Hanuman jumped across the ocean chanting integral part of all devotional the name of Rama, whereas Rama himself had spiritual practices, even Sage to build a bridge to cross it! Once Krishna was Patanjali has given an important place to it in being weighed. All the available gold, gems etc., his Yoga system. Patanjali recommends became insufficient and Sri Krishna continued April 2019 repetitionतज्जपस्दर्भा ofव Omनम्‌ with thinking of its meaning as to remain seated in the lower of the pans of the an effective means of control of mind: balance. But when His name written on a tulasi 9 Relation between(1.28) God and His Name leaf was placed on the other pan, the pan on Thewhich meaning the Lord of was the sitting mantra became lighter!

After describingvaachaka the characteristics of Ishvara in three sutras, Patanjali mentions Om Since the name of God must be repeated तस् वाचकः प्रणवः Katha Upanishad as the indicator, , or name of Ishvara.आलम्न with thinking of its meaning, it is important (1.27) In too, that before chanting, the meaning is well PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, HOUSTON, USA HOUSTON, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Om is mentioned as supreme or best akshara understood. This again depends upon support,brahma means. (1.2.17). However, inMandukya the just knowledge. The meaning of a gentleman named precedingKarika, shloka it is equated with Mohan will be very much different for his or the Supreme Spirit. In the mother and for a casual acquaintance. Hence it it is said that Om is no other than the is often suggested that we must try to gain from Lower as well as the Supreme Brahman, various books and scriptures as much without beginning; and also the beginning, knowledge as possible about our chosen ideal, middle and theThe end Gospel of of all; Sri uniqueRamakrishna and whose name we shall be chanting. changeless. (I, 12, 27-29) We also get the proof Every divine personality has three of this attitude in aspects: an external form, divine qualities, and in Sri Ramakrishna’s conversation with a the indwelling divine spirit of which He or She devotee from Dakshineswar village. Initially Sri is the embodiment. The mantra represents all Ramakrishna expresses the view that there the three. A devotee, when heartha-bhavanam begins chanting must be something indicated by the Word. the name of his chosen ideal, first thinks of the However, when the contending devotee says holy form. This for him is the . The author, a former editor of The Vedanta Kesari, lives in Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service, Varanasi. [email protected] हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे, हरे कृष् हरे कृष् कृष् कृष् हरे हरे As he proceeds, he finds more and moreartha- divine mechanical chanting of the mantra: qualitiesbhavanam in his Ishta, and begins to meditate on them. This is the second stage of has been considered the sole effective means of . Finally, as he proceeds, he realizes escaping from the clutches of the Kali Yuga, the that his Ishta is not merely a body, or a Iron Age. (1-2) collection of divine attributes, but the supreme It is not always necessary that with Japa, Spirit Itself. Thus the meaning of the mantra thinking of the meaning of the word must be evolves and matures as the aspirant continues done. Like the images of Rama and Krishna, Beginningwith chanting. with mechanical Japa their names Rama and Krishna too are the symbols of the supremechaitanya Spirit. Just as by constant meditation on a specific form of God, The conditions just mentioned, though it becomes conscious, , ie., the divinity simple, are not easy to fulfil. Most of the behind it manifests, similarly, one of the aspirants do japa mechanically for a fixed important methods is to LISTEN to the mantra number of times. And the minimum number is mentally at a specific centre of consciousness generally fixed as 108. The Holy Mother Sri like the heart or the centre between the eye- Sarada Devi used to do one lakh japa every day. Conditionsbrows. for Japa And for those who complained to her of April 2019 restlessness of mind, she would recommend 10 20,000 japa a day. Even this mechanical japa Apart from thinking of the meaning, done without concentration has its value. Patanjali has not given any other instructions Whether one takes bath in the Ganga for the repetition in his sutras. However, Sri knowingly, or slips into it or is pushed by Ramakrishna has given some important someone into it, the result is the same. Suppose instructions: a person goes on chanting ‘rupee, rupee’, ‘Japa means silentlyekamone) repeating God’s name 10,000 times every day, will it not affect his in solitude. When you chant hisGospel name with psyche? His mind will get filled with the single-minded devotion ( , you can see The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta thought of money, he will start aspiring for it, God’s form and realize Him.’ ( , p.878) will struggle to get it, and finally get it too, with ‘There is no doubt about the sanctity of God’s all its good and bad consequences. If someone name. But can a mere name achieve anything chooses to chant the word ‘war’ he is sure to without yearning loveGospel, of the devotee behind it? start fighting with others within six months! One should feel great restlessness of soul for Throughout the day, consciously or the vision of God.’ ( p.190) unconsciously, we listen to so many sounds of Thus the four conditions laid down by Sri various types and these leave some effect on Ramakrishna are: Chanting must be done our mind. Why not then allow the music of japa 1) silently, 2) in solitude 3) with single- to continue always? Swami Brahmananda used mindedness and 4) with yearning love and to say that the cycle of japa must always be restlessness. (वाचिक) flowing. As many times as we think of the The first condition for Japa is to doand it world, so many times must the name be (उपांशु) silently. (मान Japaसि canक) be done loudly ; chanted to counteract the worldly thoughts. silently but with lips moving This can be doneKalisantaranopanishad loudly if necessary, or can be mentally . Of course, mental japa is the combined with breathing. It is no wonder, then, best, but we generally start with loud vocal that in the just a japa. Sometimes, if the mind is too restless or agitated, loud vocal japa may help. Otherwise it such faith. One does not get joy in japa initially. must be done in such a way that others cannot Hence, initially japa must be done with firm hear. faith. The devotee will not leave japa once he The second condition is, it should be done starts getting joy in it. But till then, faith, in solitude. While giving instructions about determination, and dedication are necessary. meditation also, Sri Ramakrishna emphasizes Help –But the most important is yearning. this condition by saying that it should be done Imagine a person is drowning and he shouts in the mind, in the forest or in a secluded just one word! As soon as any passer-by corner. Serious spiritual aspirants do japa and listens to this earnest cry, he is bound to run to meditation in forests or caves. In the absence of help. What great yearning, restlessness and such a possibility, Sri Ramakrishna utter helplessness is stored in that one word! recommends creating solitude in one’s own Such was the single-word cry of the drowning house, in a shrine made in a corner. The need Gajendra, or of Draupadi in the court of for such seclusion is obvious; unless external Kauravas when Dushasana was trying to de- sounds and disturbances are cut down at least robe her. And the result was that in both the to some extent, mind can’t be concentrated in cases the Lord virtually ran to protectmaa’ them. Or japa or meditation. In solitude when external take the case of a baby playing with its toys. At sense-stimuli subside, only internal mental times he does remember and call ‘ , but

MAA’ April 2019 modifications remain which can be controlled mother does not come. But when in the end, he by japa and meditation. It is therefore advised throws away the toys andHelp shouts Maa, loudly ‘ 11 that in cities, japa should be done at night when the mother immediately comes running. Japa all are asleep. also is like the words , or chanted An important condition for japa laid with great yearning and earnestness. This of down by Sri Ramakrishna is single-mindedness. course does not mean that we shout at the top Mind acts in various ways: thought, of our voice. What is important is the yearning imagination, memory, fantasy, resolve, desire of the heart. If there is yearning, the Lord will etc. If we desire to do japa but thoughts are listen even if we do not open our mouth. PAGE SPONSOR : SMT. LAKSHMI DEVNATH, CHENNAI DEVNATH, LAKSHMI SMT. : SPONSOR PAGE

Benefits of Japa Kesari The Vedanta different and imagination is running elsewhere, we cannot claim to have one mind or one- pointed mind. Mind is restless by nature, Japa and meditation are interrelated. Japa running in various directions, constantly leads to meditation. It is like placing dots in one changing its resolve and vacillating between line: meditation is like joining those dots. opposite desires. All theseThe various Way of functions the Pilgrim of Inversely, interrupted meditation is nothing but the mind must be made one-pointed. In the japa. We begin with vocal japa, then comes popular Christian book, internal, mental japa which becomes this has been very beautifully expressed: meditation or an unbroken mental flow of ‘Prayer must be done always constantly, thought towards God. Later even this stops and uninterruptedly, with the lips, in the spirit, in only the artha or the meaning of the word the heart, forming a mental picture of His remains. Thus japa leads to meditation and presence and imploring His grace.’ samadhi. ततः् प्रत्क‌चेतनाधिगमोऽप्न्रायाभावश्र्च The next condition for success in japa is According to Patanjali there are two more ‘yearning love and restlessness.’ The name and benefits of japa: the named one, God, are the same, nay God’s (1.29) ‘From that is gained introspection and name is even greater that God—we must have destruction of obstacles.’ Sri RamakrishnaSandhya has very succinctly detachment, wrong notions, inability to ascend defined the introspective mode of mind when to higher spiritual levels and to get established he says: ‘ merges into Gayatri and there are the obstructions.’ Gayatri merges into Om.’ Introspection is The first one is disease, and interestingly essentially a process of concentration and and significantly, even physical illness gets turning within. When japa is done with reduced and may even be cured by japa. Doubts concentration, all other words get merged into disappear, undue attachments get weakened, the one mantra being chanted, and when this is and one gets a clear understanding of the practiced for a long time, without break and spiritual path. And a serious aspirant who with dedication,व ्यव mindाया त्म becomesका बुद鴿 controlled, persists with japa ascends to higher levels on indrawn and peaceful. What one gets is the spiritual ladder and gets established there. described as the (Gita, 2:41) According to Patanjali, pain, depression, by Sri Krishna in the Gita. One gets inner joy. In trembling of the body and irregular respiration fact there is no joy outside. All joys are a mere may accompany the above mentioned obstruc- reflection of the joy within which is Conclusiontions (1.31). These also are cured by japa. experienced by japa. The destruction of obstacles to the path of Yoga is another benefit of japa. Patanjali There is a large literature available on the April 2019 व्याि-स्त्न- सenumeratesंशय-प्रमादाल nineस्याव र suchति-땍 रान् obstructionsदर्नालब्भूम mostकत्व न- of subject of mantra and japa in all religious 12 वwhichस्锿तत ्वान are tamasicचित्तवि啍षपा andस्तऽन ् mental.रायाः (1.30) ‘ traditions. This is a short presentation of the subject, based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Disease, the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna stressing the languor, doubt, carelessness, laziness, lack of practical aspect.

Statement about ownership and other particulars about The Vedanta Kesari (according to Form IV Rule 8, circulated by Registrar of Newspapers for India). 1. Place of Publication : Chennai - 600 004 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 2. Periodicity of Publication : Monthly 3. Printer’s Name : B. Rajkumar Nationality : Indian Address : M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014 4. Publisher’s Name : Swami Vimurtananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 5. Editor’s Name : Swami Mahamedhananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 6. Names & Addresses of the individuals who own the newspaper and partners or share-holders : Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, holding more than 1% of the capital Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 I, Swami Vimurtananda, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Sd/- Date: 1.4.2019 Swami Vimurtananda Signature of the Publisher Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA

Conversations with Swami Premeshananda (1884-1967) a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. (Continued from previous issue. . .)

37 Lila- Prasanga Question: During the journey, is it proper his ears? This is not mentioned in the to buy food, or should we beg for it? . Maharaj: If you go in a sannyasin’s garb, Maharaj: Yes. We have heard this from then it is better to beg for food. However, it 12.9.60Ramlal Dada. won’t be convenient in all places. You won’t be Attendant: Neither Shantananda Maharaj nor April 2019 able to beg at a poor man’s door, and neither you engage in much work. Seeing this, we feel 13 will it be proper. Collect information right from like following you. now. Maharaj: The four yogas are a must for an Question: It is not easy to get a person ordinary spiritual seeker. Without these practices who can give such information. I will gather nothing can be accomplished. As you go on information when I find such a person. working, you develop detachment for the world; Maharaj: There is benefit even in and then you feel an attraction towards God. gathering information; what is more, there is know His real PAGE SPONSOR : SMT. G. KAMESWARI DEVI, HYDERABAD DEVI, KAMESWARI G. SMT. : SPONSOR PAGE gain even if you just make a resolution to go. nature and remain always united with Him. After Kesari The Vedanta Have you not heard of people making a that youTotapuri develop and I the both desire have tothe same purpose resolution to go to Kashi? – to unite with our true identity. For Totapuri, his Once I asked Sharat Maharaj with a bit of intention is work enough; but since my mind is not arrogance, ’Why don’t you discipline those who refined, I feel that I have done some work only don’t follow the rules of the Order properly?’ He after I have laboured a lot. replied in a plaintive tone, ’If we are too strict, no one will remain.’ Such is the condition of the by going to the temple,Totapuri’s taking prasada devotion and is country! I regret having spoken so haughtily. singingin his mind; kirtana and. I have to actualise my devotion But I also think that only by speaking those God doesn’t live in some far-away land. If words could I get such a reply. you think about His leela, you get close to Him. Question: Is it true that when Sri We see in the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that Ramakrishna used to play games and act in he would become totally mad at the sound of rural plays in Manik Raja’s mango orchard, once Krishna’s name, His scent and His words. Those he supposedly lost outer consciousness and amongst us who have come to Sri Ramakrishna, came back to normal consciousness only when the name of Krishna was uttered repeatedly in not to avoid the troubles of the oblations to his father and even to world, but because we’re really himself, he is dead to society. attracted to him, will in due Why should the goal of his course find the attractions of the activities be anything other than world becoming insipid and love of God? worthless. Hold on to Sri Ramakrishna and regularly read The Gospel of 15.9.60 Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna: Maharaj: Always make it a point The Great Master, and The Complete to carry on with the least possible expense. Works of Swami Vivekananda. You will then Follow the vows of poverty and celibacy. find Gangadhar Maharaj never used Mission funds for his personal needs. He used to procure the money answers to all your questions suddenly he needed by begging. However, nowadays it is 18.9.60popping out from these books. impossible to do that because the workload has Maharaj: Sannyasa does not mean leaving increased. parental home, living on funds collected through Some fancy that they have to meditate; but it subscription, staying in an ashrama, wearing the can do them a lot of harm. First, you have to work ochre robe, keeping a tuft of hair as holy insignia and worship and observe your mind to see whether on the shaven head, or not tucking behind into the

April 2019 or not it becomes joyfully absorbed in the thought waistband the hem of the dhoti [a novice has to of Sri Ramakrishna. When you feel disinclined to tuck-in the hem of the waist cloth, which he stops 14 leave your seat after meditation, then you should after sannyasa]. The real significance of sannyasa know that you are qualified to meditate. lies in pratyahara or withdrawing the mind from Every sannyasin has dispassion and sense-objects. It is to remain unaffected by renunciation in the beginning; but they cannot dualities like hot/cold, happiness/misery, and keep it up till the end. Their devotees and praise/insult. It is to stay put like a block of wood followers turn their heads. But the point is – why detaching the mind from all these. If you continue should a sannyasin dance to the tune of his to remain like this, after fifty years, you will one

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta followers? What kind of a sannyasin is he? day clearly see that you are just a witness of this world. 17.9.60 One day of a sannyasi is ten days of a Maharaj: Whatever work you do, always act thief; one day of a thief is ten days of a sannyasi. after due deliberation. You have to be very alert To become a sadhu, a sannyasi struggles the about the goal and the means. In any work you do, whole life with discrimination and austerity. But however small it may be, take each step only after in a moment’s lapse he loses everything and careful consideration. We are taking up all these stands disgraced. It is like a thief who steals day activities, but the workers don’t know the right after day, until he is caught one day and suffers a method. They go on working, but it does not long imprisonment. There is always a guard at the purify their minds. But there will be some growth Mint. Maybe for fifty long years there might not in them. A sannyasin should always pay attention have been any mishap; yet it is to be kept guarded. and check whether or not each of his acts takes In fact, a few days ago, a Mint was attacked all of him forward along the path to liberation. He has a sudden! A sadhu should always be on guard left behind his parents, property, prestige, and throughout his life. position – everything. After offering funeral (To be continued

. . .) April 2019

15 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta April 2019

16 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Article

Life in the Kingdom of Heaven in Indian and Western Thought

GOPAL STAVIG

Most religious scriptures do not inform us living with God until the end of the cosmic of life in the Brahmaloka and the Kingdom of cycle, the soul ultimately attains to oneness

Heaven. It is a source of inspiration and with God by merging with the transpersonal4 motivation for the sincere devotees to gain nondual Brahman. In this state, there is neither Thesome Vedantic understanding Perspective of this subject. subject nor object, self or world. He adds, ‘Realise that to be [Nirguna] Brahman the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be Sri Shankaracharya [c. 688/788-720/820] attained, the blessedness of which leaves no affirmed that devotees who correctly worship other bliss to be desired, and the knowledge of the Personal God (Ishvara) proceed to ‘the third which leaves nothing more to be known…. that April 2019 order of Heaven (Brahmaloka)’ after the death to be Brahman which is Existence-Knowledge- 17 of the physical body, and undergo a process of Bliss Absolute, which is nondual and infinite, gradual purification and illumination eternal and One, 5 and which fills all the (Kramamukti). ‘They no more return to this quarters—all that is above and below and all world. Those who proceed along this path of that exists between.’ the gods do not return to this human cycle of For a Nondualistic Advaitist in the birth and death…. But non-return stands as an penultimate state, Brahman (God) is

accomplished fact for those from whom the1 experienced as being separate from the PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, CHENNAI DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE darkness (of ignorance) has been completely worshiper. Ultimately, the final stage is reached Kesari The Vedanta removed as a result of their full illumination.’ where there is a perfect identity of the person ‘The Self that is beyond sin, free from all dirt, with his Divine Essence, Brahman-Atman. and free from death.’ ‘Moreover having Gradual illumination (Kramamukti) involves transcended both hunger and thirst and having degrees of proximity to the Lord, similarity in

crossed over sorrow—being2 free from mental experience, and even union with God. unhappiness, one rejoices in the Divine The founder of the Vishistadvaita heavenly world.’ They see Ishvara face to face (Qualified Nondualistic) School of Indian and experience His bliss in the emancipated religious philosophy Sri Ramanujacharya state, though there remains a sense of (c.1017-1137) realised that all emancipated separateness. In the joyful beatified state, ‘The souls are under the complete control of the

released soul gets all the Divine3 powers except Supreme Lord, never to return to this world. In that of running the universe (with its creation, Heaven, they live in harmony with Brahman continuance, and dissolution).’ First, there is (God) and share and participate in His bliss, for

the vision ofThe God, author then is participationa member of Vedanta in God, Society and of Southernthe reason California, that USA. they are [email protected] part of Him. There is ultimately absolute identity with God. After no difference in the magnitude of enjoyment 6

experienced by each liberated soul. ‘The Self … not a means to another end. The liberated is free from sin, free from old age, from death person is ‘released from bondage, by the direct and grief, from hunger and thirst, …[its] desires vision of the Lord. And later having reached the and thoughts spontaneously realise Lord enjoys in His company the fulfillment of all themselves….’ ‘The released soul, freed from all his desires to his heart’s content. Reaching the that hides its true nature, possesses the power Lord, the Supreme light, the Jnani experiences of intuitively beholding the pure Brahman, but the bliss of his true self-nature... The jnanin, does not posses the … ruling and controlling freeing himself from the mortal bodies attains power over the entire world.’ ‘…. the released his true nature as Pure Intelligence (Chid soul has freed itself from the bondage of karma, Svarupa). With that Svarupa Indriyas (pure

has its powers of knowledge fully developed, senses),10 he sees, he hears, he meditates and and has all its being in the supremely blissful knows all. This state is called the liberated intuition of the highest Brahman; it evidently state.’ ‘The released though capable of cannot desire anything else nor enter any other realising all their wishes have their sovereignty form of activity and the idea of its returning limited. They have no power to carry on the11 into the Samsara, therefore, is altogether cosmic functions of the Supreme Being, such as excluded. Nor indeed need we fear that the the creation, preservation etc., of the worlds.’

Supreme Lord when once having7 taken to ‘Those whose bodies are (of the nature of)

April 2019 Himself the devotee whom he greatly loves will consciousness and bliss, enjoy (liberation 18 turn him back into the Samsara.’ according to their) desire. And they12 lack the From Sri Madhvacharya (1190/1238- great power of emitting and creating the 1276/1317) we learn, ‘The Shrutis speak of the universe a well as other powers…. ’ Madhva great spiritual joy and enjoyment in that state.’ mentions that one experiences the bliss of ‘Old age, hunger, thirst are the afflictions of Jiva Brahman and at the same time their ‘true self- (Soul) associated with the corporeal body and nature.’ They go together.

influenced by ego. The Jiva in Heaven8 being The conclusion reached by Jiva Goswami freed from the bondage of the corporeal body (d.1566) is: ‘They attain the eternal status and The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta is not affected by these afflictions.’ ‘Moksha supreme tranquility by the grace of God.’ ‘They (Liberation) is, by definition, a state of do not covet anything but the service of God. ‘A blessedness, free from all imperfections and released soul, attaining Brahman, sees through bad passions of embodied existence, there is Brahman, hears through Brahman, etc.’ As absolutely no fear of any strife or discord Jadunath Sinha points out according to Jiva arising among the released, on account of their Goswami, there are five levels of Vaikuntha

intrinsic 9 capacities to enjoy their own (Heaven) or Mukti (Liberation), which are distinctive bliss.’ ‘They have always complete eternal states not subject to rebirth on earth: 1) happiness.’ Spiritual bodies experience a state Salokya moksha: ‘The finite souls acquire of supreme consciousness and bliss, which is an fitness for serving God through the grace of God experience of blessedness that the human and devotion. They acquire the appropriate imagination can hardly comprehend. All things spiritual bodies in Vaikuntha after their are totally united with and dependent on disembodied release. The devotees worship Brahman (God). In this state happiness is not God as if they were His eternal comrades. Their something sought after, given that it is an physical bodies are produced by the potencies expression of the person’s inner nature. of their actions (karma) and perish. But when Worship of Brahman is a blissful end in itself, they acquire the spiritual bodies appropriate to their specific modes of worship with devotion, highest form of light, the individual soul they are never dissociated from these bodies becomes manifest in its own natural form because they are eternal.’ 2) Sarsti moksha: endowed with the attributes of freedom from ‘The Shruti describes such moksha as “A sin and so on.’ The soul is autonomous except released person can move from one sphere for its reliance on the will of Brahman. ‘As the (loka) of existence to another at his will.” “A freed soul’s power of fulfilling its desires at will released person walks, eats, plays, delights in becomes manifest, so it becomes ‘without the company of women, moves in vehicles, and another ruler,’ i.e., without any ruler except the lives with kinsmen without a physical body.” “A Highest Brahman.’ Moreover, it possesses the released soul acquires sovereignty overall, like power to move to any location at will. ‘It has God, except for creating, preserving and been established that the freed soul meets their destroying the world.” God alone can create, relatives and so on through mere will.’ ‘The preserve and destroy the world.’ 3) Sarupya freed soul possesses the instruments, such as moksha: ‘A devotee constantly meditates on a the body and the rest, created by the Lord; may particular form of God, is aboded in Him, and have, according to will, a body or not, or many identified with His form in release. A bodies; and is omniscient.’ ‘The freed soul disembodied released soul assumes the intuits the Highest Brahman alone, ‘not subject spiritual form of God and acquires community to change,’ i.e., untouched by any change like April 2019 of nature with Him to a certain extent. It cannot birth and so on, free by nature from all faults, assume an entirely identical form with God the one ocean of all auspicious qualities, and 19 because it is different from Him as a part.’ 4) possessed of super-human powers.’ It remains Samipya moksha: It ‘consists in proximity to eternally blissful and does not return to earthly God…. there is the external experience of God in life. ‘The lordship of the freed soul does not Samipya moksha wherein a released soul consist in the activities in connection with the experiences Him with the eternal spiritual body controlling of the universe, such as its creation of His comrade, and enjoys proximity to Him. and so on.’ The soul is atomic, a fragment of But in Salokya moksha, Sarupya moksha, and existence that cannot create, maintain, or PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, CHENNAI DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE Sarsti moksha there is only the internal destroy the universe, unlike the all-pervasive Kesari The Vedanta experience of God.’ 5) Sayuja moksha: It Lord that is the totality of existence. Nimbarka ‘consists in effecting a union with God or had mentioned previously that the freed soul merging in his spiritual body. The chief attains the nature and qualities of the Lord such

characteristic13 of this kind of release is the as pure consciousness, omniscience, realising

experience of being absorbed in the bliss of all of its wishes, meeting14 its forefathers, moving God.’ everywhere at will, and possessing several Srinivasa (fl. 1625) a member of the bodies simultaneously. Ramanuja School of Vedantath whoth held ideas As Swami Vivekananda signified, after his similar to Nimbarka (11 -13 century) passing the liberated soul meets ‘with another describes heavenly existence. There the freed soul who is already blessed, and he guides the soul is minute while Brahman (God) is all newcomer forward to the highest of all spheres, pervading. ‘The individual soul, having which is called the Brahmaloka, the sphere of approached “intelligence,” i.e., Brahman who is Brahma. There these souls attain to of the form of intelligence, becomes manifest omniscience and omnipotence, become almost “as that alone,” i.e., in the form of intelligence as powerful and all-knowing as God Himself; alone.’ ‘It is established that having attained the and they reside there forever, according to the dualists,15 or, according to the nondualists, they command. Such are its powers that it never become one with the Universal at the end of the feels any more pain, and if it wants, it can live in cycle.’ ‘When the Jiva goes there, there comes the Brahmaloka through all eternity. This is the another Jiva, already perfect, to receive it, and highest man, who has attained the love of God, takes it to another world, the highest heaven, who has become perfectly unselfish, perfectly

called the Brahmaloka, where the Jiva lives purified, who has16 given up all desires, and who eternally, no more to be born or to die. It enjoys does not want to do anything except worship through eternity and gets all sorts of powers, and love God.’ Far beneath this level dwell except the power of creation. There is only one many lower heavens, where people are able to ruler of the universe, and that is God. No one fulfill all kinds of worldly desires. ‘There it can become God; the dualists maintain that if enjoys happiness, so long as the effect of its you say you are God, it is a blasphemy. All good deeds endures. When the same is powers except the creative come to the Jiva, and exhausted, it descends, and once again enters if it likes to have bodies, and work in different life on earth according to its desires.’ Residing

parts of the world, it can do so. If it orders all in these planes of17 existence increases the the gods to come before it, if it wants its number of desires and does(To notbe continued lead to the forefathers to come, they all appear at its highest beatitudes. . . .) April 2019 References Brahma Sutra Bhasya BSB Madhva’s Teachings in His Own Words. 20 1) (hereafter ) of 9) B. N. K. The Brahamasutras Shankaracharya. Trans. Swami Gambhirananda. Sharma. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1979. Commentary on Katha Upanishad. BSM Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 1996. IV:4.22. pp. 170-71; – commentary by 2) Shankaracharya. Madhvacharya (hereafter ). Trams. S. G. Mudgal. Ed. Swami Gambhirananda, Kolkata: Advaita Mumbai: Archish, 2005. IV:4.1, pp. 312-13, IV:4.22, p. BSB BSM. Ashrama, 1987. I:1.12. 323. Indian Philosophy. Philosophy of Sri Madhvacarya. 3) , IV:4.17. 10) IV:4.1, pp. 312-13; IV:4.6 7, p. 315. BSB.

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 4) S. Radhakrishnan. Delhi: Oxford 11) Sharma (1979), pp. University, 1923, 1992. Vol-II: pp. 643-48; 164, 168; B. N. K. Sharma. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, Self-Knowledge (Atmabodha). An Introduction to Madhva Vedanta. IV:3.10-1; IV:4.17, 21-22. 1986. pp. 447-53. 5) Shankaracharya. Trans. 12) Deepak Sarma. Jivagosvami’s Religion of Devotion and Love. Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna- Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2003, p. 94 A History of Indian Philosophy. Vivekananda Center, 1970. pp.162-63. 13) Jadunath 6) Surendranath Sinha. Varanasi: Chowkhamba Vidyabhawan, 1983, The Vedanta Sutras Vedanta-Kaustubha. Dasgupta. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1922, 1988. pp. 24, 209-16. VS Vol- IV, pp. 98-100; (hereafter 14) Roma Bose. Calcutta: Royal ). Ramanujacharya. Ed. George Thibaut. Delhi: Asiatic Society Bengal, 1943. II: 867, 877, 880-83; III: VS. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Motilal Banarsidass, 1966. IV:4.17-22. 44-45 Commentary of Sri Madhva on Katha Upanishad. CW 7) IV:4.3, 17, 19, 22. 15) (hereafter CW. 8) Ed. ) Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1962), II:269. CW. Nagesh Sonde. Bombay: Vasantik Prakashan, 1996. 16) I:398. p. 31 17) I:398-99; IV:40. Article

Swami Vivekananda’s Visit to Shillong ASIM CHAUDHURI

Shillong—The Scotland of the East

PoetShesher Rabindranath Kabita Tagore immortalized the picturesque, misty landscape of Shillong in his novel , written around 1928- 29; he was there earlier in 1919 for three weeks and then again in 1923 for about two months. But long before that, in 1901, the quintessential monk Swami Vivekananda had sanctified the town of Shillong with his footprints. Situated in photo taken in Shillong the cradle of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills (in what was then Assam, a northeastern province of April 2019 India), the town was, and still is, a salubrious was formed. Shillong then became the capital of 21 hill station where people go for vacation or to Meghalaya, and Gauhati (now Guwahati) recoup their health; playing golf is optional on Prologuebecame the capital of Assam. its world-renowned 18-hole course, which opened three years before Swamiji’s visit and was modeled along the lines of St. Andrews of After returning from his second visit to Scotland. If Swamiji saw the course, it would the West in December 1900, Swamiji made only have reminded him of his experience playing one trip to Mayavati before embarking on his PAGE SPONSOR : SRI VISHNU T. A., CHENNAI A., T. VISHNU SRI : SPONSOR PAGE golf, for the first and last time, while staying at journey to East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and Kesari The Vedanta Ridgely Manor in Stone Ridge, New York, in Assam. This excursion was prompted by his 1899; there1 he happened to score a hole-in-one earnest desire to take his mother on a on a par-four hole—a ‘double eagle’ in golf’s pilgrimage, a sacred duty for the eldest son lexicon. according to Hindu custom. On January 26, In 1901, Shillong was the administrative 1901, he wrote to Mrs. Bull, ‘I am going to take headquarters of Assam, which had been formed my mother on pilgrimage next week. It may as the Chief Commissioner’s Province in 1874. take months to make the complete round of At an average altitude of 5,000 feet above sea pilgrimages. This is the one great wish of a level, the town is considered one of India’s Hindu widow. I have brought2 only misery to my favorite hill stations. Nostalgic British people all my life. I am trying at least to fulfill expatriates often referred to the town as the this one wish of hers.’ ‘Scotland of the East’ for its eye-pleasing, But that didn’t happen until March 24, rolling-hill landscape. It remained the capital of when Swamiji’s mother, aunt, sister, a cousin’s Assam untilThe author, 1972, a wellwhen known the researcherState of Meghalaya on Swami Vivekananda, wife, andlives inSwami U.S.A. Sadananda [email protected] (Gupta Maharaj, a disciple) left Calcutta and met him in East which Swamiji realized later. There could also Bengal to go on the pilgrimage. Swamiji had be other accompanying reasons for his visit to already been in Dacca since March 19 with Shillong, as we shall see. some of his disciples; Swamis Nityananda It is well known that the main sources for (Nitai) and Nirbhayananda (Kanai)3 were tracing Swamiji’s footprints with respect to probably among them as we come to learn later dates are his personal letters, but he didn’t from Swami Brahmananda’s diary. write any between April 5, when he left Dacca, Swamiji met his mother’s party at and May 12, when he went back to Belur Math Narayanganj,* and they all bathed in the after his East Bengal and Assam tour. The Brahmaputra River at Langalbandha, or ‘Cyclonic Monk’, a title given to him in America, Langalbandh , about twelve miles southeast of was in his elements as he moved constantly on Dacca,th probably on the Buddhashtami Day (the the land and through the waterways of East 8 day of the lunar month in March-April), Bengal and didn’t have time to sit down and calledwhich astami fell on snan March 28 in 1901. Tens of write letters; the title would have been more thousands of Hindus attend the bathing ritual, appropriate in that part of the world. So, to , every year on that day. establish the date of his arrival at Shillong we They went back to Dacca after that, and have to look at all the sources of information, on April 5 left for Chandranath (near some credible, some questionable, and some April 2019 Chittagong) and finally Kamakhya Dham (in downright incorrect, and draw a logical 22 Gauhati); both theseShakti places Peeth are associated with conclusion. The only thing we know for certain Goddess Sati (Lord Shiva’s consort) and are is that he presented two ‘Pandas of Shri designated as 4 . On their way to Kamakhya Peetham’ with a laudatory letter Kamakhya, the party stayed for some days at dated April 17; the letter had ‘Gauhati’ written Goalpara and Gauhati. Newly emerging at the top. The letter is quoted below: information since then indicates that he must ‘I have great pleasure in certifying the have touched a few more places on the banks of great amiability and helpfulness of the brothers the Brahmaputra River, and that his visit to Shivakanta and Lakshmikanta, Pandas of Shri The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Kamakhya probably preceded the visit to Kamakhya Peetham. Gauhati. The information is both sketchy and They are men who help most and are sometimes conflicting. satisfied with the least. 6 Swamiji’s health had deteriorated earlier I can unhesitatingly recommend them to in Dacca, where he spent a total of two weeks the Hindu public visiting this most holy shrine.’ meeting people and giving lectures, before According to Niranjan panda, Ramdas embarking on his journey to Assam, and it panda’s son and Lakshmikanta panda’s became progressively worse as he approached grandson,7 Swamiji stayed at the brothers’ Kamakhya; he was suffering from an acute (Shivakanta and Lakshmikanta) house for three attack of asthma. He then decided (probably on days. This may be true, because the Kamakhya the advice5 of others) to go to Shillong, where he pilgrims traditionally spent three nights at8 thought the air would be drier to give him some Kamakhya performing the customary rituals. relief. It was probably not a good decision, Niranjan panda also said that Swamiji came to

* Raj Ghat is where Swamiji and his family had Kamakhya through Parbatipur, Amingaon, and Mahatirtha Langalbandh supposedly taken the holy bath. Pandughat. It is highly unlikely that Swamiji did (T. Acharjee, (Toma that. Since there was no established railroad Prakashan, Dhaka, 2004), p. 85) connection between East Bengal and Assam at that time, he and his party travelled from Kamakhya, a plaque with the text of Swamiji’s Chandranath to Pandughat (next to Kamakhya) Towardletter inscribed Shillong on it was placed at the house. by steamer,** touching various river towns in Assam on the west side of Gauhati along the way. As far as is known, railway connection After three to four days in Gauhati, where between Parbatipur (East Bengal) and Dhubri9 Swamiji was allegedly put up by an orthodox (Assam) was first established in 1902, and that Brahmin named Padmanath Bhattacharya (a.k.a was extended to Amingaon around 1907. Padmanath Saraswati) and gave a few lectures Niranjan panda assumed that Swamiji had in the town, he left for Shillong in poor health. come by train. Rai Saheb Kailash Chandra Das and Jatindra It is a safe assumption that Swamiji took Nath Basu brought Swamiji and his entourage his party to Kamakhya first, at least for his from Gauhati to Shillong, a distance of about 64 mother’s sake, but exactly when he arrived miles (102 kms), in a horse-drawn carriage. It there is difficult to ascertain. From Pandughat, took them two days, and the travelers spent the one has to go through Kamakhya to reach night at a roadside hut along the way. Kailash Gauhati. The letter to the pandas, which is the Chandra Das and Jatindra Nath Basu walked only verifiable document we have, could have alongside the carriage all the way from Gauhati. been written when he was in Gauhati later. If it Rai Saheb Kailash Chandra welcomed Swamiji were written at Kamakhya, then he would to his house in Laban, a predominantly Bengali April 2019 probably have written Kamakhya, or Kamakhya neighborhood10 in Shillong, and his honored 23 Peetham, at the top instead of Gauhati. On the guest stayed there the entire time he was in other hand, Kamakhya is in Gauhati, and so he town. could have written ‘Gauhati’ from that point of Following the above reasoning, the party view. probably reached Shillong on April 23, give or Accepting the latter view as correct, take a day dependinguphill on the length of his stay Swamiji must have reached Kamakhya on April in Gauhati. It is hard to imagine that the party 14 and stayed at the panda’s house near the made the trip in two days, with two PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, KOCHADAI, MADURAI KOCHADAI, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE temple for three days and left on April 17 for escorts on foot, with women and an ailing Kesari The Vedanta Gauhati proper. People usually write letters Swamiji on board, and the horses requiring commending the host on the day of departure, periodic rest or being exchanged for fresh ones; after they have experienced the host’s three days would have been a more plausible ‘amiability and helpfulness’, and that’s what we time frame. Swamiji, however, was familiar with presumeth Swamiji did. In 2001, commemorating this mode of transportation through **the 100 anniversary of Swamiji’s visit to mountainous roads. He had covered such roads There is no indication anywhere that Swamiji came in Switzerland in 1896 in horse-drawn through Parbatipur (in East Bengal). Although carriages, called ‘diligences’ in that Shillongerpart of the Parbatipur is about 60 miles west of Dhubri and Bangaleeworld. (The Bengalis of Shillong Swamiji approached Gauhati from that direction, it In a Bengali book titled is far from the Brahmaputra River, his steamer route. *** ), written Moreover, Parbatipur is not known as a place of (edited?) by Prof. Shyamadas Bhattacharya pilgrimage. Pandughat would have been his port of (1931-201*** 7), one can find a graphic entry, so to say, to Kamakhya (in west Gauhati). If he had gone straight to central Gauhati, his port of entry Prof. Bhattacharya was a history professor at Lady would have been Sukreshwar Ghat, further east of Keane College in Shillong from 1956 to 1991. He was Pandughat. a well-respected author, an educator, and a cultural companions 11

description of Swamiji’s travel from Gauhati to [italics13 by the author] from Gauhati Shillong. In his article, ‘Shillong Pahare Swami to Shillong,’ but she did not reveal who those Vivekananda’ (‘Swami Vivekananda in the companions were. Available information on Shillong Hills’), Prof. Bhattacharya embellished Swamiji’s East Bengal and Assam tour says very his facts with some colouring occasionally, little about his mother (and his other family therefore making it hard to distinguish fact members), for whom he was making that from fancy. It is unfortunate that he did not cite ‘complete round of pilgrimages.’ his sources at the points of use but lumped all Prof. Bhattacharya’s account of the travel of them together at the end of the book as brought up some additional information that bibliography, making it hard for the inquisitive Swamiji’s party was accompanied by one Mr. reader to connect his text with the Norton, a British officer, and that Swamiji and corresponding source. His article nevertheless his party stayed one night in a village called provides some interesting materials that can be Umiam, twelve miles from Shillong. It seems woven together with other available that Sir Henry Cotton, then the Chief information to construct an acceptably credible Commissioner of Assam whom we will meet Diamondstory. (He Jubilee must Souvenirhave written the article, or at later, had invited Swamiji to be his guest in least modified it, after 1997 because he lists the Shillong to restore his health, and that it was at (1997) of the Shillong the order of Sir Henry Cotton that Mr. Norton April 2019 Ramakrishna Mission in the bibliography. The was escorting Swamiji to Shillong. Swamiji 24 book was published in 2004.) thanked Sir Henry for his kind14 offer (to be his We will assume that Swamiji’s mother and guest) saying that his countrymen had already four other family members accompanied him to arrangedIn Shillong—with for his stay its there. people Shillong and stayed there the entire time he was there, although there is no clear record that they did. Prof. Bhattacharya mentioned only According to Prof. Bhattacharya, many one carriage taking Swamiji to Shillong, with distinguished residents of Shillong came to see two companions in it to look after him. If that Swamiji when he arrived at the Laban house of The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta was true, then those two would be Swami Rai Saheb Kailash Chandra. He also mentioned Sadananda, andLife either Swami Nityananda the presence of Deputy Commissioner Capt. D. (Nitai) or Swami Nirbhayananda (Kanai). Herbert at the house to control the crowd that However, the wrote, ‘The Swami, with had gathered in anticipation of Swamiji’s Swami Sadananda, his own12 mother, sister, and arrival. Capt. Herbert informed Swamiji that the aunt, and Ramdada’s wife, reached Calcutta Civil Surgeon would15 come to see him that from Shillong on May 12.’ If the women family afternoon and so would Sir Henry Cotton the members were not with him in Shillong, where next morning. According to the FIBIS were they all that time? According to the (Families In British India Society) of London, information provided by Rai Saheb Kailash Capt. Herbert, I.C.S., was the Deputy Chandra Das’s granddaughter, Dipanjali Commissioner in Shillong at that time. The Civil Majumdar, ‘Rai Saheb Kailash Chandra Das and Surgeon whom Cotton had instructed to treat Jatindra Nath Basu brought Swamiji and his Swamiji was Major Robert Neil Campbell, who icon in the Shillong community, and was also a was the Civil Surgeon of Shillong from 1896-97 recipient of the “Bharat Jyoti” award by Govt. of India to 1906; he was 16in that position in 1897 when in 2001 for his multi-field contributions to the State the great earthquake struck Shillong (and of Meghalaya. Assam) in 1897.

Some of the prominent citizens present The fact that Shillong had a sizableth there to welcome Swamiji were: Rai Bahadur number of educated Brahmos in the early 20 Sadaya Charan Das, Rai Saheb Prasanna Kumar century might have set the religious tone that Bhattacharya, Upendranath Kanjilal, Nirad Chaudhuri alluded to. Shillong’s Bengali Bishnuprasad Barua, and Munsi Mohammed population, therefore, could have come under Amatullah, just to name a few. This may show the influence of the Brahmo monotheistic that Swamiji had some interaction with the movement and was partly deists and partly populace, because some of them came back the rationalists. That may also explain why it took next morning to visit Swamiji; Hormurai the town thirty-six years after Swamiji’s visit to Diengdoh, whom we will meet later was one of establish a branch of the Ramakrishna Mission, them. The visitors more or less covered with a gap of eight years between its Shillong’s social and religious spectrums.17 Rai conception and inception, as we shall see later. Bahadur Sadaya Charan Das was the secretary The Welsh Presbyterian missionaries, who of the Brahmo Samaj (Police Bazaar). were trying to evangelize the region, could have To get a feel for what the Bengali societyth influenced that also. They probably looked at of Shillong was like in the early part of the 20 Swami Vivekananda in the same way their century, we will quote from a book by author American counterpartsThe Interior did—with hostility. Nirad Chaudhuri (no relation), who visited Who can forget the article ‘An Honest19 Hindoo’,

April 2019 Shillong in that era, as follows: published in , a Presbyterian As regards to the Bengali population of journal in the U.S., in October 1893? 25 Shillong, we formed two rather conflicting Sir Henry (John Stedman) Cotton (1845- impressions. One was that the women were 1915) was the Chief Commissioner of Assam at very much more free at Shillong that at any the time, stationed in Shillong. He had been other place we know of, and the other was that born in South India to Indian-born British the men were very much less so. It appeared to parents, but was educated in England, from us that the men at Shillong spent their days elementary school until he passed his Indian shut up in a room and working at their desks. Civil Service Examination. He joined the Service PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, KOCHADAI, MADURAI KOCHADAI, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE The impression was right because most of the in India in 1867, and after serving in various Kesari The Vedanta Bengalis at Shillong were clerks in government capacities in Bengal, including Calcutta, he was offices. It also seemed to us that Shillong was a posted to Shillong in 1896. He served there as place where monotheism prevailed over the Chief Commissioner until 1902. For his polytheism and that in the face of the One-God demonstrated sympathy toward India’s or Brahma, as we called him following Brahmo struggle for freedom, he was chosen as the theology, our familiar many-gods kept president of the Indian National Congress in themselves very much in the background…. 1904. He then went back to England and Nearly all the Bengalis [at Shillong]18 affected became a Member of the HouseIndian of Commons. and Home liberal and reformist religious views. Memories,Sir Henry later wrote a book on his It seems that the Bengali society of reminiscences of India, titled Shillong was in tune with Swamiji’s views, but which was published in 1911. ‘To nothing more can be said about how it was India the whole of my matured life has been influenced by his visit because there is not devoted, and when I retired, after thirty-five20 much available information about his years of official service, I did so with interaction with the local populace, especially profoundest regret,’ he wrote in his book. He with the Bengalis. mentioned a lot about the Assam earthquake of 1897, which he and his wife had narrowly him all possible medical aid. Throughout the survived but, quite surprisingly, nothing about Swami’s stay, the Chief Commissioner daily meeting Swami Vivekananda. In his book, Sir made enquiries about his health. The Swami Henry dedicated a chapter titled ‘Men I Have spoke of him as a man who understood India’s Known.’ There he mentioned names of people needs and21 aspirations, was working nobly for like Bunkim Chunder Chatterjee, Robindro Nath her cause, and deserved the love of the Indian Tagore, Arabindo Ghose, Mohendra Lal Sircar, people. Keshub Chunder Sen, Romesh Chunder Dutt, Sir Henry was sympathetic to Indian and of many, many other such luminaries, but causes and the spirit of Indian nationalism, and no Swami Vivekananda. It is not only Swamiji no doubt found in him a Lifesurprising, but also puzzlingly mysterious, compassionate listening ear. They could have much to our disappointment. This is what the conversed in Bengali, because22 Henry Cotton recorded about that encounter: could speak fluent Bengali, and could also ‘read He had heard much of Swami the characters with facility.’ They were on the Vivekananda and was anxious to meet him. At same wavelength in many respects. Both his request the Swami delivered a lecture considered education a priority. The Cotton before resident English officials and a large College in Gauhati, the oldest college in gathering of Indians. Later, Sir Henry Cotton, Northeast India, was established by Cotton in April 2019 who had very much liked the Swami’s speech, 1901; it became a full-fledged university 26 visited the latter, exchanged greetings with him, (Cotton University) in January 2017. Sir Henry and spent some time discussing India and her visited Swamiji at the Laban(To be house; continued. he also . .) national problems. Seeing that the Swami was inquired about his health on a regular basis. ill, he instructed the Civil Surgeon to render References Swami Vivekananda in America: New Findings. The Assam Times

1) Asim Roy. , Tuesday, May 6, 2014; Chaudhuri. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2008, pp. 299- https://www.assamtimes.org/node/10815; Swami 2) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 300. Alokananda, op. cit., p. 40. CW Shillonger Bangalee. . 11) ‘Shillong Pahare Swami Vivekananda.’ Shyamadas [hereafter ] 5: 154 Bhattacharya. Kolkata: Patra Diamond Jubilee 12) Life of Swami Vivekananda 3) ‘Swami Vivekananda in Northeast India and Present Bharati, 2004, pp. 34-36. commemoration Souvenir 1937-1997 Bangladesh’. Swami Alokananda. . 2:590 , Ramakrishna 13) Swami Alokananda, op. cit., p. 40. 4) Life of Swami Vivekananda Mission, Shillong, p. 40. 14) ‘Shillong Pahare Swami Vivekananda.’ op. cit., p. 35. Indian and Home Memories. by His Eastern and 15) Ibid., p. 37. Western Disciples, Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2: 589 16) Sir Henry Cotton. 6) CW 5) Ibid. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1911, p. 233. The Autobiography of An Unknown Indian. . 9:156 17) ‘Shillong Pahare Swami Vivekananda.’ op. cit., p. 39. 7) ‘Swami Vivekananda in Northeast India and Present 18) Nirad Kamakhya-Tirtha. Bangladesh’. Swami Alokananda, op.cit., p. 39. C. Chaudhuri. New York: The New York Review of Swami Vivekananda in America: New Findings. 8) Dharanikanta Debsharma Books, 2001, p. 101. Barapujari. Gauhati: Kamakhya Pradarshani, 1995, 19) Asim Indian and Home Memories. p. 93. Chaudhuri. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, pp. 342-344. Life of Swami Vivekananda 9) http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/ 20) op. cit., p. 56. Indian and Home Memories. 66540/10/10_chapter%203.pdf; p. 76. 21) . 2: 590 10) ‘The Unknown Side of Swami Vivekananda.’ Rajiv 22) op. cit., p. 71. PULLOUT FOR REFERENCE

Series 4: Swami Vivekananda's messages to the youth of Issue 16 India – a nine-part series issue 10

ISSUE 13: MESSAGE 1: It is the youth who will transform this nation

ISSUE 14: MESSAGE 2: Take up an ideal and give your whole life to it

ISSUE 15: IN THIS ISSUE: MESSAGE 3: Stand on your own feet

ISSUE 16: Message 4 MESSAGE 4: Awaken the spirit of ‘rajas’ within you

Awaken the spirit ISSUE 17: MESSAGE 5: Believe in yourself April 2019 of 'rajas' within you ISSUE 18: MESSAGE 6: Be bold and fearless 27 Swami Vivekananda says that the ISSUE 19: three qualities of Tamas, Rajas and MESSAGE 7: Expand your heart Sattva are in everyone. Further, he ISSUE 20: MESSAGE 8: Be open to learning from anyone also says that "we must strive to ISSUE 21: overcome Tamas by Rajas and then MESSAGE 9: Develop a gigantic will PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, TEYNAMPET, CHENNAI TEYNAMPET, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE

to submerge both in Sattva". Kesari The Vedanta

(CW.VII.12.2, CW.VIII.29.3)

“ ...we must counteract Tamas by Rajas.. - Swami Vivekananda CW:VII.13.2

Designed & developed by ILLUMINE Knowledge Catalysts ® >> EXPLORE FURTHER... www.illumine.in When even the great Arjuna was overcome by Tamas... As narrated by Swami Vivekananda

The Gitâ requires a little preliminary introduction. The scene is laid on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. There were two branches of the same race fighting for the empire of India about five thousand years ago. The Pândavas had the right, but the Kauravas had the might. The Pandavas were five brothers, and they were living in a forest. Krishna was the friend of the Pandavas. The Kauravas would not grant them as much land as would cover the point of a needle. [CW:I:459.1]

The opening scene is the battlefield, and both sides see their relatives and friends — one brother on one side and another on the other side; a grandfather on one side, grandson on the other side. ...When Arjuna sees his own friends and relatives on the other side and knows that he may have to kill them, his heart April 2019 gives way and he says that he will not fight. 28 Thus begins the Gita. [CW:I:459.2]

The Blessed Lord said: In such a strait, whence comes upon thee, O Arjuna, this dejection, un-Aryan-like, disgraceful, and contrary to the attainment of heaven? Yield not to unmanliness, O son of Prithâ! Ill doth it become thee. Cast off this mean faint-heartedness The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta and arise, O scorcher of thine enemies!" [CW:IV:108.1]

In the Shlokas beginning with , how poetically, how beautifully, has Arjuna's real position been painted! Then Shri Krishna advises Arjuna; and in the words etc., why is he goading Arjuna to fight? Because it was not that the disinclination of Arjuna to fight arose out of the overwhelming predominance of pure Sattva Guna; it was all Tamas that brought on this unwillingness. The nature of a man of Sattva Guna is, that he is equally calm in all situations in life — whether it be prosperity or adversity. But Arjuna was afraid, he was overwhelmed with pity. That he had the instinct and the inclination to fight is proved by the simple fact that he came to the battle-field with no other purpose than that.

Frequently in our lives also such things are seen to happen. Many people think they are Sâttvika by nature, but they are really nothing but Tâmasika. [CW:IV:108.1] Counteracting Tamas with Rajas

RECOGNIZING TAMAS AND RAJAS

1 Tamas in action Not taking up any Rajas in action initiative or project Focused on and instead developing one's Waking up complaining about Starting the personality, one's late everyday, teachers, college, day with character, and groggily lazing not finding jobs... morning jogs one's career around ... & exercises...

Continuing to Consciously Positively engaging Mindlessly eat junk food choosing with activities at browsing despite having healthier food home, school/ the web for problems... options... college, or work... hours...

What Swami Vivekananda wanted from Do you think there is any us was a spirit of rajas dominated “ by good intentions and a desire for other means of achieving development of self & others.

progress except through April 2019 rajas? CW:VI:459.4 29 THE CASE OF TAMAS MASQUERADING AS SATTVA...

A hit-and-run accident has just taken place. 2 A man is lying on the road, bleeding. How passersby are reacting ... On the outside, It is the duty of the police “ there is a It is so sad! He looks to handle such cases... I

PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, TEYNAMPET, CHENNAI TEYNAMPET, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE like a good person

wonder when they will come! simulation Kesari The Vedanta of the Sâttvika (calm and balanced) state, but inside, downright inertness like that of stocks and stones – what I would have helped out, but work will be done in the I'm late for a meeting world by such people? Poor guy... it We should have better must be his How long can such an rules for pedestrians and karma! vehicles like they have in inactive, lazy, and sensual foreign countries people live in the world? CW:VII:181-82 Not one of the passersby takes positive action and helps the hurt person get to the hospital! THE WAY TO COUNTERACT TAMAS - POSITIVE ACTION

Malini & Kiran are software engineers in an MNC who have been 'put on bench' for a few 3 weeks as they don't have any new projects. This is typically how they spend their day...

MALINI'S DAY (full of pass-time) KIRAN'S DAY (full of "positive action")

Sits in the canteen having 11:00 AM It’s time for her online course on 11:00 AM a long breakfast while chit- advanced computing, she has chatting with others taken up to build her skills

12:30 PM 2:00 PM After lunch, she focuses on Checks her mails out 2:00 PM building a mobile application to of habit, spends time After a leisurely lunch, make team work more effective. on social media browses through company It is an internal project she portal, wishfully looking at volunteered to work on. projects going on 5:00 PM She checks on the company forum all the 4:00 PM latest projects and writes to management Coffee time – also time to on how she is eager to work & contribute 6:00 PM gossip & complain about no to them in any capacity work, delay to colleagues Time to leave, hopes she gets a 6:00 PM Time to leave, a project soon day well spent

How is the "positive action" approach helping Kiran counteract Tamas? Let people be made April 2019 How will Malini's approch affect her “ future career prospects? energetic and active in 30 nature by the stimulation of rajas. Work, work, work

CW:VI:459.2

AWAKENING THE SPIRIT OF RAJAS: A FOUR POINT CHECKLIST The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta The Positive Action Checklist Whenever you find yourself Get involved inert, lazy, unwilling to take up a challenge, or too Take up responsibility focused on enjoyment (in short, overcome by 'tamas') Be fearless in the face of challenges apply these four principles of positive action Focus on achieving on positive outcomes not only for yourself but also for others

THE POSITIVE ACTION CHECKLIST HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY ILLUMINE

Share examples of your experiences of trying out these practices, on www.vivekanandaway.org Any questions that come up in your mind while doing so, can also be discussed here. Pariprasna Q & A with Srimat Swami Tapasyananda (1904 to 1991), Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Order.

Approach the wise sages, offer reverential salutations, repeatedly ask proper questions, serve them and thus know the Truth.

— Bhagavad Gita

Question: “Relinquishing all Dharma, take shelter in Me. I shall liberate you from all sin,” says the Lord in the Gita. What do Dharma and ‘seeking shelter’ mean here? Maharaj: As this verse occurs at the end of the Gita, it is taken to summarize the teaching of the Scripture and is therefore of great importance. So different Acharyas have interpreted it differently in the light of and in agreement with, the philosophies they uphold. We shall therefore give here the interpretation given by a few of them. Sankara says Dharma here includes also its opposite Adharma and interprets the word to mean ‘Karma or all actions bringing merit or demerit’. And ‘seeking shelter’ means realizing oneness with Him who is the soul of all, who is equally everywhere, who is indwelling everything,

who is Lord of all and who is undecaying and beyond the pale of birth, death, etc. In other words, April 2019 on realizing that there is none other than He, a person is liberated by the unitary consciousness from the bondage of sin i.e., of Dharma and Adharma. According to Sankara the last stage of 31 spiritual life consists in abandoning every form of action, whatever be its nature and seeking union with the Supreme Being. In the light of this philosophy, all actions are prompted by the ego and, so long as the ego is present, oneness cannot be realized. Continuance of actions which are born of egotistic impulse will only help to emphasize the ego and will obstruct the discipline of reflection for its effacement. Hence work of every description, whether moral or immoral or of an indifferent nature from the worldly standpoint, have to be abandoned in the last stage and the effacement of the ego sought through union with the Supreme recognized through reflection. But it must be PAGE SPONSOR : DR. SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR R., KANCHEEPURAM R., SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR DR. : SPONSOR PAGE carefully noted that the abandonment of work is not the practice of idleness but the spontaneous Kesari The Vedanta falling away of actions as the ego-sense is attenuated through reflection. Ramanuja takes Dharma in a pure devotional sense and gives it two meanings: 1. Abandonment of all Dharma means the abandonment not of actions but of all the ‘fruits of, and the sense of agency involved in, the practice of the disciplines of Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga’; and ‘seeking shelter’ in the Lord means ‘recognizing simultaneously that one’s sole support and refuge consists not in any of these disciplines, but in the Supreme Being, the only ultimate agent and object to be worshipped.’ In regard to a true devotee the Lord promises that He will destroy all obstructions and obstacles in the way of the attainment of devotion, resulting from the sinful tendencies and the sins of omission and commission accumulated through several births. 2. A second meaning given by Ramanuja is this: The obstruction in the way of the generation and growth of devotion consists in the sins and sinful tendencies accumulated in many past births. For freeing oneself from the effects of these sins of omission and commission there are many expiatory ascetic practices prescribed, like Krichra, Chandrayana, Vaiswanara, Prajapatya etc. These practices are innumerable and are rather difficult to accomplish and life on earth is too short for one to take to all these practices. Realizing this, one should abandon all these Dharmas (expiatory prescriptions of the scripture), and depend on the Lord, who is supremely merciful, who is possessed of countless attributes, who is the sole refuge of all the worlds and who is all love and benevolence to those who seek shelter in Him, for the removal of the obstructing sins and the setting of the favourable situation needed for the practice of devotion. In other words, not any human effort, but sole dependence on the mercy of the Lord, can help us in overcoming sins and obstacles in the spiritual path and bringing the flower of Bhakti into blossom. Vallabha, another great authority on Bhakti and the founder of the Pushti Marga, says that Dharmas which are required to be abandoned here include all ways of life and thought that stand in the way of complete self-surrender to the Lord and adds that the performance of things conducive to that self-surrender (like thinking of Him, doing work without expecting the fruits, and beholding agency in Him etc) is not to be abandoned. But he would prefer to interpret the idea as the discarding of all Dharmas characterized by allegiance to, and dependence on, aids and agencies other than the grace of God. A person who makes such a discarding becomes an Akinchana (one without the support of anything other than the grace of the Lord, without even the support of the strength of one’s spiritual practices) and an Ananya (serving or owing allegiance to no being other than God). Nimbarka interprets Dharma thus: abandoning all Dharmas i.e., the Varnashrama Dharmas (the duties enjoined by scriptures and society) and also Dehadharmas (the pursuit of pleasures April 2019 and avoidance of pain and other similar bodily pursuits) one should seek God and God alone until one is absorbed in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. 32 Sridhara, another great commentator who is both an Advaitin and an adherent of the devotional school, interprets Dharma as follows: Dharmas are Vedic injunctions or commandments in regard to man’s duties. One who follows these injunctions strictly is considered to be living a life of Dharma. Giving up such a life which is only a life of slavery to injunctions and, convinced that all good will come through devotion to God, one should take refuge in Him alone and not in Vedic injunctions. There need be no fear that thereby one will be abjuring Gita one’s duties. For the man whose sole refuge is the Lord is assured that he is liberated from all sins of omission.

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta It will thus be seen that the word Dharma here in the is a hurdle for all commentators. The word Dharma, if taken in its usual sense of ‘morality’, ‘duty’ etc., will lead to many difficulties. Abjuring morality or duty cannot be considered to be a part of spiritual life. So the word Dharma has been given technical meanings from the points of view of particular philosophies. Ramanuja’s interpretation is probably the most convincing to an uncommitted mind. To put it in simple language, it means that while observing all Dharmas or moral and spiritual disciplines, we have to know that they are in themselves not sufficient to remove sins and accumulated obstacles in the way of spiritual realization. None the less, these disciplines have to be undertaken, without any sense of agency or attachment to results. For the person treading the spiritual path should know that God alone is the ultimate agent, as all powers of work are ultimately from Him. So the fruits of all devotional works too have to be surrendered to Him. The abandonment required of the aspirant is the abandonment of fruits and the sense of agency of the Sadhana performed. While practising this outlook, the Sadhaka should not be at all lethargic or indifferent to the meticulous performance of spiritual disciplines. He should practise them sedulously but at the same time depend not on the practices, but solely on God’s grace for the removal of all obstacles on the path of spiritual realization andGita for the dawn of pure Bhakti of the highest order, which is the most luscious fruit of spiritual life. This is ‘seeking shelter’ or refuge in God. This seems to be in keeping Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers with the main purport of the too. Selections from by Swami Tapasyananda Article

When Indians Meet… An Encounter with the Native America as part of an engagement with the Parliament of World Religions

RAMASUBRAMANIAN

With the blessings of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda, and the sannyasis of the Ramakrishna Order, I had the good fortune of attending the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto in Nov 2017. Before reaching Toronto, I was on a 2-week visit to the USA where I spent time delivering a few lectures and interacting with Indigenous American leaders and thinkers for a dialogue that I call the ‘Indian – Indian Dialogue’. I was trying to understand their world view, current situation, their struggles and how they see the world in the context of today’s climate change and global warming crisis. In this article, I summarize some of the salient aspects of the dialogue with these Native Americans. This article is informed by my dialogues with native leaders, my own research, and my extensive conversations with my colleague and host, Reverend. Sara Jolena Wolcott, Director of Sequoia Samanvaya, who is one of the Americans actively engaging in changing the way April 2019 Americans see their history. 33

America has been a great country and about the wisdom of the Native American presents itself today in a glorious manner and people, as a young person and much more later has become the aspiration for hard-working with the advent of the search engine, wanted people throughout the world. The entire world me to understand them more. I find, under the

PAGE SPONSOR : PROF. VENKATARAMANAN K., CHENNAI K., VENKATARAMANAN PROF. : SPONSOR PAGE has been impacted by American commerce, surface of false histories and deep historical The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta thinking, culture, language and its way of living wounds, America is also a land of spiritual and working. Yet what is this dream, the wealth and a deeply generous, open hearted ‘American Way of Life’, really built on? The indigenous peoples who are still offering their American dream story is incomplete without wisdom, the possibility of sustainable lifestyles, the mention of the original inhabitants of the and their hospitality to visitors, immigrants, land, the Native Americans as they are called, and settlers. It seemed to me that there is much or the Indigenous people or American Indians in resonance in their culture to our own. It also as they are more frequently called, or just occurred to me that we in India never get to Indians within America (they are called read the real story of the Native Americans, increasingly people of the ‘First Nation’, their encounters with the Europeans, their particularly in Canada). Growing up in India, for repeated suppression, near annihilation, me the Native American story is limited to the slavery, current situation, their challenge as few images of ‘Red Indians’ that were copied citizens of the new American State, their land, from movies of the west in India and a few sacred sites, wisdom, knowledge, livelihood, or other comicThe author strips. is a The social little entrepreneur that I got based to readin Chennai, lifestyle. and is the Managing Director for Samanvaya Social Ventures, Aalampannai Holistic Initiatives, and Sustainable Livelihood Institute. [email protected] I as an Indian aware of the spiritual What was not discussed in 1893 was the traditions of our land, wanted to experience extent to which the Christian colonial legacy of and understand the American land from the America remained an unquestioned ethos of Native American view point. Meeting several of the land. To understand this, we need to April 2019 the Native American leaders, discussing larger perhaps go back another 400 years in history challenges today, whether it be continued to the time when the Christian project of 34 status of neglect, suppression and ‘enlightening the world’ set sail from Europe marginalization in their society or their deep with the singular mission of conquering all pride and wisdom about their past and spiritual lands that were not ruled by Christians and tradition, it was an insightful learning converting all ‘heathens’ to Christians. experience. That is what I outline in the rest of Columbus was one such who2 set sail westward the article here. in search of India with a faulty understanding During the famous Parliament of World of the global navigation. He came from a The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Religions in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda’s family of slave-traders and entered what we universal inclusive message of harmony of now call the Carribean (he never set foot on the religions gained global attention, it is said that American mainland) with a worldview that saw there were no Native Americans present or darker skinned people as inferior to Christian invited to speak: ‘… despite sentiments of Europeans. Upon his return to Europe, Spain universal fellowship expressed at the Parliament, and Portugal sought to gain wealth from land there were no Native Americans present except in they did not know existed. The Pope of the time the curiosities display of American Indians on the agreed, writing a decree, known as a Papal Bull, Author with Mindahi Bastida Munoz fair’s midway. For many visitors, these Indians which voyage ‘intended to seek out and were as exotic as Vivekananda. But no native discover certain remote and unknown lands, to elder or chief was invited to speak at the the end that you might bring to the worship of Parliament. Native American lifeways were not our Redeemer and the Catholic faith their yet seen as a spiritual perspective. Just three years inhabitants… By the authority of Almighty God earlier Chief Sitting Bull had been arrested and and of the new land that has been discovered killed, the1 Ghost Dance had been suppressed, and shall belong to you and your heirs. Further- 350 Sioux had been massacred at Wounded Knee more, under penalty of excommunication, we Creek.’ strictly forbid anyone else to visit these lands Native American Prayer Site, outside New Jersey

for the purpose of trade (or for any reason) communities. They revered their land as sacred, without your consent. Should3 anyone attempt worshipped the spirits of the land, paid homage this, be it known to him that he will incur the to their ancestors and had several rituals and wrath of almighty God.’ Columbus himself is customs associated with all of this. They had supposed to have said this about the natives, nations or regions (map) inhabited by different April 2019 ‘They should be good and intelligent servants, tribes that were demarcated and where the 35 for I see that they say very quickly everything4 tribes and their customs ruled. The area had that is said to them; and I believe that they been a homeland to numerous groups of Native would become Christians very easily,….’ . The Americans with their own thriving societies Papal Bull, became a key document in what is and history. For thousands of years, these now referred to as the Doctrine of Discovery. peoples had managed to maintain their unique This doctrine has a sway over the American culture and lifestyle and to make their living. land even today. As the noted elder, Betty Lyons New Jersey airport, where I landed was the PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, KISMATPUR, HYDERABAD KISMATPUR, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE stated in a recent article, ‘the Doctrine of land of the Lenape people. Kesari The Vedanta Discovery,…granting European nations ‘The arrival of the Europeans meant a sovereignty over non-Christian lands drastic change for the Native Americans. “discovered” by their explorers5 …continues to Together with diseases which decimated6 the provide the legal underpinning of the denial of native population, the English settlers also land rights to our peoples.’ brought an alien culture and religion. As Betty This vast American land that Columbus Lyons puts it, ‘We know that supposed Author‘discovered’ with Mindahi was Bastida inhabited Munoz by deeply spiritual Chiefdiscovery Phil Lane Jr.of the so-called New WorldChief hasStacey had Laform its greatest negative impact on the tens of Swami Swanand a.k.a. Prof. G.D. Agarwal, the millions of indigenous peoples who lived here.’ environmental scientist, teacher and The invaders looked at most of the landscape as philosopher who gave up his body protesting ‘commodified’ products that could be shipped against the unsustainable building of dams back to Europe. Historian, Cronon cites the way across the Ganga in India. It was only a few days the ecology of the land was viewed by the after the passing away of Swami Swanand that colonizers in the New England area thus, I spoke to Chief Hawk and to witness the same ‘Visitors inevitably observed and recorded7 concern and wisdom stemming from an ancient greatest numbers of “commodities” than other culture from the other end of the world was not things which had not been labelled this way.’ merely fascinating, but, also reassuring. As we Obviously, the worldviews of the English and proceeded to discuss the current concerns of Native Americans differed significantly. humanity as a whole, he made another The resulting conflict is sustained till statement that highlighted the wisdom of the today; this was echoed by Chief Perry, one of Native people: ‘When we are ill, the body the Native American leaders I met in the rejects the disease and so does the planet;8 Lenape land outside New Jersey. ‘Rich people today we humans are the illness of the planet.’ everywhere are afraid of the spiritual people; Moving back in time, the vast differences we show the truth you see’, he said sharing the in the world view also resonated in other areas April 2019 story of struggle to sustain their sacred prayer of life. The Natives not only had an active 36 site with country houses expansion for production and commerce, they also had millionaires all around that threatens him and systems of governance and methods to resolve his tribe from accessing their land. As we conflicts coming from their wisdom and respect walked with him in the ground just outside for the land. A few hours north of where I New Jersey, it was interesting to observe a large landed in the Lenape land is situated the new Hindu temple just a few hundred meters Iroquois/Haudenosaunee land (northern New away. The contrast in the world view comes out York). It is here that five Native American stronger even today. One such was the nations came together. They taught the US The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta introduction by Chief Hawk Storm, from the government how to be democratic. ‘The Schaghticoke First Nations, ‘I am water, I come Gayaneshakgowa, The Iroquois Great Law of from a tribe in which we consider ourselves Peace, is… the earliest surviving governmental water, today we are all polluted, as the water tradition … based on the principle of peace; it around us are polluted, so do we consider was a system that provided for peaceful ourselves polluted.’ This sentiment deeply succession of leadership; it served as a kind of resonates with the sentiments expressed by early United Nations; and it installed in Chief Hawk Storm Chief Aline La Flamme (centre) Romano & Chief Perry (right corner) government the idea of accountability to future authors‘On illustrates the coast the nature of the first life and responsibility to the seventh9 generation encounters: to come.... All of these ideas were present prior …Native hunters find that to the arrival of the white man.’ several of the traps that they had set are Among the several stories regarding the missing…in the place where these items had peaceful aspiration of the people is the story of been is smoothly polished upright timber the Peacemaker and the Kanien’keha:ka. One of crossed near theIn top the by Indian a second dwelling piece of wood, the Native American leaders narrates the same from which hangs the carved effigy of a as follows – ‘Centuries ago a Natural World bleeding man. … , a women people gathered together at the head of a lake tells her granddaughter about the first meeting in the center of North America’s then virgin between the Natives and Europeans. One day, forest, and, there they counselled. The she says, a floating island appeared on the principles that emerged are unequalled in any horizon. The beings who inhabited it offered political document that has yet emerged. They the Indians blocks of wood to eat and cups of evolved a law that recognized that vertical human blood to drink. The first gift the people hierarchy creates conflicts, and they dedicated found tasteless and useless; the second the superbly complex organization of their ouemichtigouchiouappallingly vile. Unable to figure out11 who the society to function to prevent the rise internally visitors were, the Native people called them April 2019 of hierarchy. They established laws around , or woodworkers.’ hunting and fishing that eased conflicts and ‘Between 1492, when the Taino people 37 ensured freedom and a right to protection for first encountered Columbus, and 1620, when anyone entering the country of the the Algonquin-speaking people first met the Haudenosaunee,10 under what the peacemaker Pilgrims of the Mayflower, and which is where called the “Great Tree of Peace” which was a the United States tends to originate its own white Pine tree.’ Coming from southern India, history, were 128 years. Much had happened I was struck by the similarity of justice being during this time; as Sara Wolcott summarises, it is during this time that, (i) The Spanish PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, KISMATPUR, HYDERABAD KISMATPUR, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE provided under a tree; in many of our villages The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta it is the pipal tree. The sacredness of the tree entered present-day New Mexico (1540), Texas provided the authority to the decisions, and and South Carolina (that settlement was also bound the community to protecting and overthrown by the black slave rebellion). living with the natural order. However, these Natives continually worked to oust the Spanish, nuances of understanding and living with the cumulating in the successful 1680 Pueblo Natural order was lost on the new arrivals from rebellion in Santa Fe, (ii) the Dutch landed along Hudson River (1609/1615), where they Romano & Chief Perry (right corner) Europe. While there are several narratives of the met several native nations, including the first encounter from the Colonizers point of Lenape; New Amsterdam was established in view, how did the natives see the Colonizers? 1625 by Dutch West India Company on What did they perceive to be the motives and Manhattana, later re-named Manhattan, (iii) the intentions of the new arrivals? Small Pox wiped out a significant portion of the Unfortunately, only a few narratives are population; by the time the Mayflower landed available from the Native American point of in Plymouth, entire villages had been view and these are only oral traditions; but, decimated. This12 significantly influenced the some imageries that are perhaps passed on early relationships between indigenous peoples through oral tradition, presented by one of the and Pilgrims.’ Symbols of the Native American tribals were either usurped or slowly changed with the influence of theth culture. ‘From the 1500s to the early 19 century, the idealized image of ‘America’ was transformed from a dark-skinned, full bodied woman wearing a feathered headdress and a skirt of 13 feathers or tobacco leaves, the symbol of fecundity, to a (white) Greek goddess.’ Transformation of Indian Boy Unlike the European arrival in India, where the initial purpose was seeking trade relations and the colonization project once was their own land. Many of them have began much later, in the American land the the copies of the documents that were signed purpose from the beginning was conversion to by the Europeans and keep reminding that Christianity and rule over the Natives. Hence their land has been illegally (according to their any resistance was put down violently. While laws) taken over. One study places the amount estimates vary, several sources indicate that as of land taken over between 1887 to 1934 at April 2019 high as 50 million and Native 17 Americans14 were about 90 million acres. Many of them have 38 intentionally killedth by the thinvading Europeans multiple citizenships today as the US law between the 16 century. Indeed, permits them to have citizenship of their tribal when one looks at the values celebrated by nation apart from that of the USA. Modern America and what the modern The Nation of United States of America as Americans think they represent in the world, it stands today was fundamentally land leased one can resonate with the question raised by from17 the Native Americans through treaties. one of the Native American writers, ‘North Today 374 such treaties govern the nation of America had its own genocide against the First USA. Much of these treaties have never been The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta People – violent, devastating, effective. It was respected by subsequent American driven by a sense of racial and religious governments and land was secured violently superiority, and the prize was land and and retained by the governments. The Native resources. How could it be that the people so Americans were restricted to ‘reserves’ set-up dedicated to democracy and freedom could exclusively as captive spaces for them, while have been so cruel to another people? What15 their sacred spaces were violated completely. attitudes, beliefs, myths and misunderstandings For five consecutive generations, from roughly give rise to and fuel this kind of conduct?’ 1880-1980, Native American children in the Official records today place the number of United States and Canada were forcibly taken different tribes across the American nation16 The of from their families and relocated to residential today as 573. This is independent of the tribes schools. In these schools, they were ‘educated’ from the Mexican region or Canada. and ‘civilized’ so that they no longer dress, Native Americans today constitute about 5 behave or remember the culture of the Native million people across the continent, they are American tribes and instead adopt the dispersed all over the region starting from European lifestyle. The stated goal of this Canada in the north all the way to Mexico in the government program was to ‘kill the Indian to south. They inhabit smaller patches of what save the man.’ Half of the children did not survive the experience, and those who did were This was one of the key aspects reiterated left permanently scarred. The resulting by Chief Perry whom we meet in the Lenape alcoholism, suicide, and the transmission of Sacred land outside the city of New Jersey. A trauma to their own children has led to a social longstanding Chief of his community and a

disintegration with results18 that can only be voice of wisdom, when he talks of what needs described as genocidal. to be done in the current world, he talks not Alluding to the educating of their children from the sense of anger or frustration of being and the shift in their mind-sets subsequently, denied access to his own people’s land, but, Chief Perry summarized the plight of the youth with a sense of responsibility towards all of in the community when he said, ‘Our children humanity. could narrate the history of 10 generations;19 vHe says, ‘the important ways to change then they were forced into school and today thingsv today are: they don’t know anything about their past.’ v Honour the lineage, Indeed, the modern American holidays such as Strengthen the local communities, ‘Thanksgiving’ and ‘Columbus Day’ are being Perform ceremonies that honour increasingly opposed by people who are aware naturev and elements, accommodate and of its historical background; they want it to be accompanyv others’ ceremonies as21 well, commemorated as day of mourning and day of Cleanse the earth, April 2019 Indigenous people respectively. Today about 90 Think beyond our lives.’ cities across the United States have already After an evening walk around the sacred 39 declared the Columbus Day as Indigenous site and prayers, we asked him before leaving, People’s Day. what was the one thing that he liked to see One of my first engagements was with changed in the world today. After a pause, he Mr. Mindahi Bastida, Director of the replied, ‘If there is one thing that I would like to Original Caretakers Programme and also change in the world with which I think 22many Director for the Centre of Earth Ethics in Union things can change, I will change the world from

PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, MYLAPORE, CHENNAI MYLAPORE, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE Theology College, New York. Hailing from the the Patriarchal one to one of Matriarchy.’ The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta indigenous community in Mexico, Mr. Mindahi, The denial of access to their land and after a brief ceremony to sanctify the meeting natural resources resonates in utterances of of our two civilizations, invoked the holy spirits many of the Native American leaders whether of his civilization through the blowing of the it be in personal conversations or in larger sacred flute (whistle) and invoking the gatherings. Chief Stacey Laforme highlights this ancestors of the two civilizations to guide the in his statement, ‘I was born into a generation process of dialogue and engagement. He of abuse: alcohol abuse; abuse of your spouse, explained the salient components of the abuse of your children. It was just sort of a indigenous view. Among other things, he common way of life when I was born — I’m acknowledged that one of the key aspects of the sure a lot of it had to do with losing our place in culture is the honouring of20 the ancestors; society, losing our sense of who we were. It was according to him, ‘honouring the past is rampant and everybody knew about it, but they important to create the future.’ Having just left also didn’t say anything.’ This, ‘not saying India after the month of Mahalaya when anything’ or not having the courage to stand up families in Tamilnadu and elsewhere make to injustice is a recurring discussion as well offerings to their elders, this sounded familiar whether it be the engagement with the Native to me. Americans or even in the Parliament of World

Religions in Toronto in early November, have a great wisdom within them’ – all April 2019 which had the Indigenous People as one of its statements made with great sincerity and 40 theme. gratitude. During these conversations, I often But there is always hope in many of these remembered Swami Vivekananda’s words that dialogues, a looking forward to a better world every word is uttered with blessings behind it. and things improving for the better. This Perhaps through their generations of trials and optimism is in contrast to the general sense of tribulations, some of the Native American frustration and defeated mind-set of many non- culture and leaders have retained that which is Native Americans and also many other their core – which is their wisdom and capacity European countries. Chief Alina la Flamme, a to connect to their land and all of nature and to The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Chief who evokes response through drumming, their ancestors. calling herself the ‘daughter of the drum’, says, In times of difficulty, every civilization ‘We are in this womb world, we are preparing retains that which is core to itself, its ourselves to come into the sacred life, it is a fundamental ethos as though protecting it for a tough journey to be born there, it is not easy.’ future time on behalf of all of humanity. Human The same sentiment is resonated in another history is the history of dominance of the world dialogue with the Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr.: culture by people of various ethos; in the ‘Now is the time for everyone to work together, current times, when the accelerated it is not time for divisions, the earth mother destruction of natural resources and its calls us all to work together.’ consequences on human life has become a In each of these dialogues and major concern of all thinking people, the discussions, there is a reverence when they unconscious collective mind seems to be speak of the East Indian land, of our land: ‘You reaching out to those people and ethos that come from a sacred land’, ‘We are honoured that hold in their midst the possible solutions for someone from your country is coming to meet these times. These are the indigenous people us’, ‘Your civilization and ours needs to work everywhere. I felt that perhaps some of the together to create a better world, these two Native American leaders sense this invocation and have started to articulate it with people of the First Nations. As the sacred fire responsibility for all of humanity. was lit and tobacco, sage, and other sacred It was a fitting tribute to their wisdom and materials offered to the fire next to a traditional Canada’s long efforts to Truth and tepee in the middle of the cloudy, drizzling and Reconciliation, that the Parliament of World crowded city of Toronto, all religious leaders Religions 2018 started with a ceremony by the joined the Native Americans.

References

1) http://pluralism.org/encounter/historical- of Early America, by Daniel K. Richter, p 12 perspectives/parliament-of-religions-1893/ 12) Origin Stories of the United States: Backdrop - 2) Several sources: ttp://dhayton.haverford.edu/ ReMembering Course by Sequoia Samanvaya, Part II, blog/2012/03/27/columbuss-voyage-was-a- Lesson 1 religious-journey/ - Columbus and Pierre d’Ailley, 13) Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Imago Mundi, how the circumference of the earth Nations and the U.S. Constitution. Ed: Chief Oren was under estimated by Columbus based on the Lyons and John Mohawk (1992), pg. 44 works of the theologian 14) Several sources: https://www.pbs.org/ http://www.caltech.edu/news/columbus-dailly- gunsgermssteel/variables/smallpox.html April 2019 are-we-there-yet-36981 - why did Columbus put his http://endgenocide.org/learn/past-genocides/ faith on the d’Ailley more than the contemporary native-americans/ 41 knowledge on the circumference of the world? http://americanhistory.oxfordre.com/

3) Letter from Pope Alexander VI toth the King Ferdinand view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/ and Queen Isabella, dated May 4 , 1493 acrefore-9780199329175-e-3 4) Several sources: https://christianhistoryinstitute. 15) “The North American Genocide” by Nemattenew org/magazine/article/why-did-columbus-sail; (Chief Roy Crazy Horse) – Introduction verses https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/ 16) Several sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ issue-35/columbus-and-christianity-did-you-know. List_of_federally_recognized_tribes

PAGE SPONSOR : SRI DHARAM VIR SETH, DEHRADUN SETH, VIR DHARAM SRI : SPONSOR PAGE html; http://catholicism.org/columbus.html https://www.usa.gov/tribes; https://www. The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 5) This is not Columbus Day, Betty Lyons, source: historyonthenet.com/native-american- https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped- tribes-nations; https://www.bia.gov/ indigenous-peoples-day-20181004-story.html tribal-leaders-directory 17 6) Relationsth between English Settlers and Indians in 17) https://americanindian.si.edu/nationtonation/ Century New England, Diploma Thesis by Bc. https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/libraries/maps/ Richard Tetek tld_map.html 7) Cronon, The Ecological Transformation of New 18) https://www.amazon.in/Kill-Indian-Save-Man- England, pg. 20 Residential/dp/0872864340 8) Statements made during conversation with the 19) Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, Author by Chief Hawk Storm Oct 2018 New Jersey 9) Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian 20) Conversation between the author and Mindahi, Oct Nations and the U.S. Constitution. Ed: Chief Oren 2018, Manhattana, New York Lyons and John Mohawk (1992), pg. 33 21) Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, 10) Basic Call of Consciousness, Ed. By Akwesasne Notes, Oct 2018, Lenape land, New Jersey Introduction by John Mohawk, pg 81 22) Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, 11) Facing East from Indian Country – A Native History Oct 2018, Lenape land, New Jersey April 2019

42 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta April 2019

43 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Swami Vivekananda’s Relevance in Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century Published by Swami Book Suparnananda, Secretary, RMIC., Gol Park, Kolkata - 700 029. With Financial assistance Reviews from Ministry of Culture, Govt of For review in India. 2014, paperback, pp. 155+x The Vedanta Kesari, Price not given. publishers need to send us two copies of their Swami Vivekananda’s Vision of Future Society. latest publication. This is a companion volume to the book

The writers of the essays, who were the speakers, may have looked at Swamiji through various lenses, but the common thread running through all of the writings is Swamiji’s clairvoyant without recourse to Swamiji’s prophetic words abilities to recognise and diagnose the ills of his on religious amity. April 2019 age and prescribe remedies that transcend time The theme of the essays – discussing the and space to remain relevant more than a century past while looking forward, with the journey 44 and half later. being the goal, by realising the divinity inherent The topics chosen cover a wide gamut of in our own natures – that link between all concerns that Swamiji felt India must tackle if human beings, was one of Swamiji’s matchless she is to take her place in the world. For example, The Eternal and Time bound Elements of the Ideas contributions to spiritual thought and it is a in the first essay which examines the theme of of Swamiji, timely reminder of the fragility of world peace. Working together does not mean thinking the the reader gets the transcendency same thoughts and the writers have brought out of Swamiji’s disquiet from the immediate The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Swamiji’s widely declared views on the harmony circumstances of his times (India under a foreign of religions. yoke) to his assertions about the future (having This is a reflective look at a theme that will faith in oneself as proof of being a theist). The never be out of date, for the future is an imaginary second essay views the same topic from a concept, moving farther and farther away from different perspective: of seeing the universal in our grasp, even as it becomes the present and the particular as, for example, in discerning the the past. Swamiji’s entire world-view is futuristic eternal quality of religion against considering a ______PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI and these essays are a useful examination of that. religion in particular. Sri Padukasahasram of Sri Other essays include the global dialogue Vedanta Desika-Vol-1 & 2. that Swamiji set off through his writing and speeches, a real interfaith meeting ground. Transcomposition in Tamil by Sri R Kesava Ayyengar and English The writers have emphasised the futility of Translation by Sri D. Ramaswamy expecting lasting peace if this dialogue is not an Iyangar on-going process. Today, more than any other Published by The Kuppuswami time in history with the possible exception of Sastri Research Institute, No.84, the Crusades, religion is tearing apart human societies in various parts of the world which are Thiru Vi.Ka. Road, Mylapore, Chennai –600 004. 2017, hardbound, pp.1181, Rs. 800. framework of the poem and highlights Swami Desikan’s reverence for Nammazhwar. Indeed

th the poem has many other references to the Sri Vedanta Desikan’s 75o anniversary twelve Azhvars and to Swami Ramanuja, through was observed last year and it is appropriate that numerous allusions, use of words, concepts and even forms of thought the Azhvars had this poet among philosophers and philosopherSri Paduka used. In the middle of the composition Swami Sahasramamong poets should be honoured with this excellent edition of his great poem Desikan can change the metre as he does in one which is a glorification of Lord place when heStotraratna uses the Vasanta w tilaka, which is Ranganatha’s Padukas. It is said that the 1008 appropriate for the obeisance he is making to verses divided into 32 Paddhatis or parts was Azhavandar’s hich is in that metre. composed in feverish heat of imagination and This is imaginativee Nalayiram and also highly intellectual devotion. It would take us considerably more and sophisticated. The poem is replete with time to internalize the text and absorb with references to th and Swami Desikan devotion the nuances, beauties, devotional loses himself in ecstasy at the very thought of fervour and above all its message of surrender. the Padukas. There is simple word play as in The Editors have printed the poem in Sanskrit the use of ‘Gati’ in Sloka 9 where it means Him and given both a Tamil transcomposition and an who is the ultimate goal of the devotee and also English commentary to widen the readership. His beautiful and smooth gait or path. There This edition has a learned English Introduction are poetic conceits as in sloka 63 where Swami April 2019 by Sri Kesava Ayyengar, followed by the text in Desikan says that the Padukas are the protector 45 Sanskrit, Tamil and English commentary. Sri D of the feet of Ranganatha and devotees who wear Ramaswamy Iyangar is responsible for the very the Paduka even once in their heart are rid of detailed English translation and commentary. The their contact with Kuchela (meaning poverty) volume contains much information pertaining where the great Krishna devotee’s story is to Vaisnavism, some as simple as a point about alluded to. The Sringara Paddhati pays obeisance a metre or a simile, others as profound as the to the Paduka who is seen as Ranganatha’s love, inner meaning of a sloka. Altogether the Volume whom the Lord enjoys even before he enters the PAGE SPONSOR : SASTRY FAMILY, PUNE FAMILY, SASTRY : SPONSOR PAGE

is a compendium of Vaisnava Sampradaya. Space harem. Needless to say Swami Desikan allows Kesari The Vedanta prevents an elaborate discussion which these his imagination free flight in this Chapter where volumes deserve but one or two striking points Paduka Devi is with the Lord before, during and may be noted. The Prastava Paddhati which after He enters and departs from the harem. One opens the poem is appropriate for many reasons, final example is the Nada Paddhati which speaks but the one which is most suggestive of Swami of the sounds associated with the Paduka and Desikan’s allusive style is the subtle salutation Ratna Samanya Paddhati which describes the he makes to Nammazhvar, who is considered various coloured ornaments of the Paduka. Swami Desikan’s poem is one of the great Vaisnava histo beTiruvayamozhy. the Avatara of the Paduka, by gesturing towards the Andadi form Nammazhvar used in compositions noted for its poetic beauties and linguistic brilliance, not to speak of its spiritual . Paduka Sahasram In this prosodic form the last word of a Sloka becomes the first word of and philosophical depth. The editors have done a the next begins with’ Santah’th splendid______PROF. job, something MOHAN accomplished RAMANAN, becauseHYDERABAD of in Sloka-1 and the last word of the 1008 sloka their devotion to Swami Desikan. is also ‘santah’. Thus Classical the Andadi Yoga becomes Philosophy the and the Legacy of Sāṃkhya Erratum: The book was reviewed in March 2019 by Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Santa Barbara, & Wade Dazey, Prof. Emeritus, University of Wisconsin—Whitewater, U.S.A. We regret that Prof. Dazey's name was inadvertently left out. The Vedas: An Exploration

Upanishads: The Acme of Philosophical Literature LAKSHMI DEVNATH (Continued from previous issue...)

The Vedic seers gave to the world a Speculations on its etymological compilation of teachings in religion that were interpretations aside, the sheer brilliance and at once practical and profound. A glance at the profundity of the knowledge imparted therein contents of the Vedas reveals the gradual but can hardly be gainsaid. The supreme reality is remarkable way in which the spiritual aspirant interpreted with definiteness and with is taken towards the supreme. While the precision. This whole of literature can be

April 2019 mantra portion and its corollary of the categorised as contemplative and realization- Brahmanas guide the aspirant towards action oriented as opposed to ritual and ceremonial. 46 in the form of rituals and sacrifices, through the On this basis the Vedas are considered to study of Aaranyakas he is gradually initiated have two portions – Karma Kanda (portions into withdrawal from the outer world and the dealing with action and rituals) and Jnana commencement of an inward journey. At the Kanda (portions dealing with knowledge). end of the Aaranyakas are texts called Maharishi Jaimini, a hermit of the highest order, Upanishads. They can be called the acme of analysed the Karma Kanda and wrote a treatise philosophical literature and contain answers to on it called the Purva Mimamsa. The great sage

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta baffling esoteric questions that have perplexed Veda Vyasa absorbed the essence of the Jnana man perennially. Kanda portion and presented it in the form of ‘Upa (near) – ni (down) – shad (sit)’. The aphorisms that gained fame as the Brahma term Upanishad means to sit down, close. Could Sutras. it be that the word was coined to indicate that There are over 200 Upanishads. However, the student had to sit near the teacher, listen traditional literature lists 108 upanishads of intently to him and absorb his teachings? The which 10 belong to the Rig Veda, 19 to the Sukla great Advaita preceptor Shankara in his Bhashya yajur Veda, 32 to the Krishna yajurveda, 16 to to the Taittiriya Upanishad interprets the word the Sama Veda and 31 to the Atharvaveda. ‘Upanishad’ as that which destroys ignorance Again, out of these, 13 are regarded to be the (shad – to destroy). It is conjectured that the principal upanishads. Sri Adi Shankara and Sri word could also be related to a Pali word Madhvacharya, master of the dualist ‘Upanisa’, meaning cause or connection. Could it philosophy, have written exhaustive be as Western scholars like Oldenbeg and Senart commentaries called Bhasyas on the speculate, that Upanishad corresponds to Upanishads. However, Sri Ramanuja refrained ‘upasana’The meaning author is aprofound researcher knowledge? and writer with various booksfrom and articles writing to her a regularcredit on Indian commentary music and culture. on the [email protected] Vedartha Kena: Sangraha Upanishads. He gave instead, This is also known as the wherein he provides a Sri Vaishnava Talavakaara Upanishad. It is a part of the Sama interpretation of select Upanishadic texts. The Veda andKatha: appears in the Talavakaara Brahmana following Shloka enumerates the 10 of the Jaimini Saakha. Upanishadsईशकेनकठप्रश्नमुण㔡माण on which Adi्蕂क ्यतित्तिरShankaraः wrote his It is in this Upanishad that the commentaries:ऐत्रेयं च छान ्दग्य बृहदारण्कं तथा ।। popular dialogue on what happens to the soul after death, takes place between Yama and a little boy Nachiketas. Many popular quotes in But rhetoric and theory apart, what is the circulation today have been extracted from this message of the Upanishads that has both Upanishad. Of them is the oft quoted, ‘Arise Occidental and Oriental Scholars reading it with AwakePrashna, and stop Mundaka not till the and goal Mandukya: is reached’ that All Messageswonder? most Profound Swami Vivekananda popularised. Prashna these belong to the Atharva Veda. ‘In the whole world there is no study so means question. This Upanishad beneficial and so elevating as that of the gives the answers for six important questions. Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life, it They are: 1) How did creation begin? will be the solace of my death’ said the German 2) Who are the Devas? 3) How does life get scholar Schopenhauer; he couldn’t have made connected to the body? 4) What is the truth April 2019 a more candid assessment of the Upanishads. about the states of wakefulness, sleep and 47 This compilation has often also been described dreaming? 5) What is the benefit of as the Veda Siras, Shruti Siras and the crowning worshippingMundaka: Omkara? 6) What is the glory of the Vedas. What is theकस् messageमꅍन भगवो ofवि the煍ञते relationship between Purusha and Jeeva? Upanishads that has scholars describing it with It means shaven headed. सर्वमदं वि煍ञतं भवतीति a profusion of superlatives? Probably it derives its name because its ‘(which is that thing) which contents are such that they can be followed having been known, all this becomes known?’ only by mature minds, for example the PAGE SPONSOR : SMT. SHUBHALAXMI PITRE, MUMBAI PITRE, SHUBHALAXMI SMT. : SPONSOR PAGE asks the Mundaka Upanishad (1.1.3). The sannyasis. This Upanishad talks of the Akshara Kesari The Vedanta Svetasvatara Upanishad addresses men as the Brahman which can either be translated as that children of immortality. While each Upanishad which isस freeत्मेव fromजयते, decay, dissolution or the has its own message for mankind, it would not sound, the syllable OM. The motto of our be erroneous to say that at the core they all countryMandukya: ‘Truth alone triumphs’, is stress on one all-important factor – realization a mantra from the Mundaka Upanishad. of God. They, in a nutshell, teach Brahma Vidya Mandukya, means a frog. Focusor knowledge of the 10 of importantthe Brahman. Upanishads in a Nobody knows why and how this Upanishad nutshell derived its name. However, several guesses Isavasya: ईशा वास्यमदं सर픂 have been hazarded. It is said that the Rishi to whom this Upanishad was revealed was Varuna ‘The whole in the form of a frog. Others say that it belonged world is pervaded by God’ declares this to a set of people or tribe who adopted the frog Upanishad. It appears at the end of the Sukla as their symbol. Yet another viewpoint is that if Yajur Veda Samhita. This is a rare exception to one meditates on the Omkara, in one leap like a the rule that all the Upanishads come at the end frog, he can transcend the three stages of of the Braahmana portion of the Vedas. Jagruti, Swapna and Sushupti and reach the fourth stage Turiya. Whatever may be the fact, Brihadaranyaka. This Upanishad is a part of this Upanishad is the smallest having only 12 Sama Veda. Chhandoga means one who sings mantrasTaittiriya which Upanishad: are albeit very important in the Sama Gana. Just as the essence of the What is Religion? their content. Kathopanishad can be found in the Bhagavad This is a widely Gita, one can find the Brahma Sutra of Vyasa studied Upanishad; manyShikshavalli of the mantras used drawing upon the Chhandogya Upanishad in rituals are takenAnandavalli from this. This Upanishad is mantras.Brihadaranyaka: The famous story of Satyakamabrihat Jabala divided into three parts Bhrigu that talksValli is found here. about education, that talks about As its name the real bliss – Brahmananda, and indicates, this Upanishad is indeed अ big.सतो The मा which Varuna taught his son Bhrigu. It is said Upanishad starts with the famous mantra that सद्‌गमय, तमसो मा ज्योतिरमय, मृत्योर्मृतं गमय that Bhrigu did penance and realised that is a school prayer for many today, beyond the different layers of the human body ‘From called Annamaya, Praanamaya, Manomaya and evil lead me to good. From darkness lead me to Vijnanamaya, lies sheer bliss called the netilight.neti From death lead me to immortality.’ This anandamaya. But what is interesting is that Upanishad also gives the definition of Atma as after the ultimate realisation, the Upanishad , meaning, ‘not this’, ‘not this.’ proclaims,Aitareya: ‘Do not regard food with contempt; This is a very concise account of the April 2019 do not waste food’ – some practical wisdom! subject matter of the Upanishads. However, the This Upanishad came through a Upanishads and the Vedas as a whole not 48 Rishi called Itareya. The subject matter of this merely talk about abstract philosophy. Their UpanishadChhandogya: concentrates on the birth of a human hymns are addressed to various Gods. Who is according to sins and merits earned by him. the God described as the greatest (To be bycontinued. the Vedas? It is one of the two big We will find out about this in the next episode. Upanishads, the other being the . .)

‘These conceptions of the Vedanta

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta must come out, must remain not only in the forest, not only in the cave, but they must come out to work at the bar and the bench, in the pulpit, and in the cottage of the poor man, with the fishermen that are catching fish, and with the students that are studying... How can the fishermen and all these carry out the ideals of the Upanishads? The way has been shown. . . If the fisherman thinks that he is the Spirit, he will be a better fisherman; if the student thinks he is the Spirit, he will be a better student. If the lawyer thinks that he is the Spirit, he will be a better lawyer, and so on...’ —Swami Vivekananda Article What is Religion?

‘The pleasure of the Self is what the world calls religion.’ 1 2 shadows, the manifestations in the third or realization’ fourth degree of the real Knowledge and Bliss.’ In January, we saw Swami the Vivekananda idea that And that real Knowledge and Bliss is the real progressivelydefine religion raises as ‘ a brute to man,. In February and man we to God saw Self of man. him define the same term as ‘ the natural ‘Selfish work is slave’s work; and here is a strength in us .’ test. Every act of love brings happiness; there is In March, he defined that very term as ‘ no act of love which does not bring peace and ’. blessedness as its reaction. Real existence, real This month, he is taking us along a totally knowledge, and real love are eternally new path: Pleasure of the Self is Religion! This connected with one another, the three in one: is fairly straight-forward. We all understand where one of them is, the others also must be;

pleasure. We all experience pleasure from they are the three aspects of the One without a April 2019 various sources: Good food, healthy body, second – Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. When that luxurious homes, deep, and meaningful existence becomes relative, we see it as the 49 relations, better and better vehicles, more and world; that knowledge becomes in its turn more money in the bank, loving wife and kids, modified into the knowledge of the things of the fineSelf arts, etc., etc., etc. So many sources of the world; and that bliss forms the foundation pleasure we have open before us. But, pleasure of all true love known to the heart of man. of the ? What is that? Therefore true love can never react so as to When man finds that all search for cause pain either to the lover or to the beloved. PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, VIDYARANYAPURA, BENGALURU VIDYARANYAPURA, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE happiness in matter is nonsense, then religion Suppose a man loves a woman; he wishes to Kesari The Vedanta begins. Only bliss beyond the material world can have her all to himself and feels extremely be had without loss to any. Material happiness is jealous about her every movement; he wants but a transformation of material sorrow. her to sit near him, to stand near him, and to ‘Can religion really accomplish anything? eat and move at his bidding. He is a slave to her It can. It brings to man eternal life. It has made and wishes to have her as his slave. That is not man what he is, and will make of this human love; it is a kind of morbid affection of the slave, animal a god. That is what religion can do. Take insinuating itself as love. It cannot be love, religion from human society and what will because it is painful; if she does not do what he remain? Nothing but a forest of brutes. Sense- wants, it brings him pain. With love there is no happiness is not the goal of humanity. Jnana is painful reaction; love only brings a reaction of the goal of all life. We find that man enjoys his bliss; if it does not, it is not love; it is mistaking intellect more than an animal enjoys its senses; something else for love. When you have and we see that man enjoys his spiritual nature succeeded in loving your husband, your wife, even more than his rational nature. So the your children, the whole world, the universe, in highest wisdom must be this spiritual such a manner that there is3 no reaction(Continued of pain on knowledge. With this knowledge will come or jealousy, no selfish feeling, then youpage are 51...)in a bliss. All these things of this world are but the fit state to be unattached.’ Topical Musings What Are We Now?

them; speaking and not doing has become a habit with us. What is6 the cause of that? Physical weakness! This sort of weak brain is not able to do anything. We are always afraid. Why? Because we have made ourselves helpless and dependent on others. We are so lazy; we do not want to do anything for ourselves. We want a Personal In the last three issues of Topical Musings, God, a saviour or a prophet to do everything for we saw how an innocuous essay by Elbert us. If everything is done for a man by another, Hubbard on industriousness, self-effort, he will lose the use of his own limbs. Anything common-sense, and Shraddha was we do ourselves, that is the only thing we do. instrumental in shaping the modern world. Anything that is done for us by another never This month, let us listen to Swami can be ours. You cannot learn spiritual Vivekananda paint a true pen-picture of what truths from my lectures. If you have learnt April 2019 we actually1 are at present. Although he said all anything, I was only the spark that brought it 50 these things about 100 years ago, it is still very out, made it7 flash. That is all the prophets and accurate. teachers can do. All this running after help is We are self-seeking men who are looking2 foolishness. after their personal comforts and leading a lazy3 We lack an enterprising spirit. Nothing is life – there is no room for such even in hell! We done by leading idle lives. We are9 a lazy 8 set, are lazy, hard-hearted, cruel and selfish men. enamored of child marriage and nothing else. We Quarrelling and abusing each other are our do not have any faculty for business.10 We have not national4 traits. Lazy, useless, vulgar, jealous, yet developed strict business principles, nor do The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta cowardly, and quarrelsome, that is what we5 we possess business integrity. are. We are disproportionate in figure, lazy, We have lost faith. Do you ask why? You worthless idiots, with no backbone of our own. know too well; you are wiser than is good for We are physically weak, which is the you; that is your difficulty! Simply because your cause of at least one-third of our miseries. We blood is only like water, your brain is sloughing, are lazy, we cannot work; we cannot combine, your body is weak! You must change the body. we do not love each other; we are intensely Physical weakness is the cause and nothing selfish, not three of us can come together else. You have talked of reforms, of ideals, and without hating each other, without being all these things for the past hundred years; but jealous of each other. That is the state in which when it comes to practice, you are not to be we are – hopelessly disorganized mobs, found anywhere – till you have disgusted the immensely selfish, fighting each other for whole world, and the very name of reform is a centuries for the most ridiculous of reasons! thing of ridicule! And what is the cause? Do you And are we not ashamed of ourselves? Ay, not know? You know too well. The only cause is sometimes we are; but though we think these that you are weak, weak, weak; your body is things frivolous, we cannot give them up. We weak, your mind is weak, you have no faith in speak of many things parrot-like, but never do yourselves! Centuries and centuries, a thousand 12 years of crushing tyranny of castes, kings, till it has become almost a national vice to foreigners, and your own people have taken out11 ridicule everything holy. Give up the awful all your strength, my brethren. Your backbone disease that 13is creeping into our national blood, is broken, you are like downtrodden worms. that idea of ridiculing14 everything, (To be continued. that loss . .) of We talk here, we quarrel with each other, seriousness. weReferences: laugh at and We havewe ridiculeliberally paraphrased everything these sacred, words from variousGive sources these of up. Swamiji’s lectures and letters, without changing the original narrative intended by Swamiji. We have mentioned the references for each paragraph. All 1) references are from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati Edition. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama. Vol-6: Epistles, 1894. To the brother-disciples at Alambazar monastery Vol-7: Epistles, XXVI, 1894. To Swami Brahmananda Swami Brahmananda: 20 December 1896 Vol-5: The East and The West-III: ‘Food and 2) 3) Cooking’ Vol-3: ‘Vedanta in Its Application to Indian Life’ Vol-8: ‘Is Vedanta the Future Religion?’ Vol- 4) 5) 6: Epistles, 17 Jan 1895, To Swami Trigunatitananda Vol-5: Epistles, XI: 11 July 1894, To Alasinga Perumal 6) 7) 8) Vol-5: Epistles, LXVI: 1896, To Dr. Nanjunda Rao Vol-3: ‘Vedanta in Its application to Indian Life’ 9) Vol-3: ‘Reply to Address of Welcome Presented at Calcutta’ Ibid Ibid 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) What is Religion? (Continued from page 49...)

‘The Vedantist boldly says that the unity or absolute, is too much of an abstraction April 2019 enjoyments in this life, even the most4 degraded to be loved and worshipped;6 so the Bhakta joys, are but manifestations of that One Divine chooses the relative aspect of Brahman, that is, 51 Bliss, the Essence of the Soul.’ ‘When the Ishvara, the Supreme Ruler.’ Vedantist has realized his own nature, the ‘What we want is the harmony of whole world has vanished for him. It will come Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss Infinite. For back again, but no more the same world of that is our goal. We want harmony, not one-7 misery. The prison of misery has become5 sided development. … I hope we shall all changed into Sat-Chit-Ananda – Existence- struggle to attain to that blessed combination.’

Absolute-Knowledge Absolute - Bliss Absolute.’ ‘Many want pleasure as the goal. For that Kesari The Vedanta It is this One Divine Bliss, the Essence of the pleasure they seek only the senses. On the higher PAGE SPONSOR : SRI RAJU Z. MORAY, MUMBAI MORAY, RAJU SRI Z. : SPONSOR PAGE Soul, that is worshipped as the God of Love by planes much pleasure is to be sought; then on the devotee. spiritual planes; then in himself – God within him. ‘Are there then two Gods – the ‘Not this, The man whose pleasure is outside of himself not this,’ the Sat-Chit-Ananda, the Existence- becomes unhappy when that outside thing goes. Knowledge-Bliss of the philosopher, and this You cannot depend for this pleasure upon God of Love of the Bhakta? No, it is the same anything in this universe. If all my pleasures are Sat-Chit-Ananda who is also the God of Love, in myself, I must have pleasure there all the time the impersonal and personal in one. It has because I can never lose my Self. Mother, father, always to be understood that the Personal God child, wife, body, wealth – everything I can lose, worshipped by the Bhakta is not separate or except my self. Bliss in the Self; all desire is different from the Brahman. All is Brahman, the contained in the Self. This is individuality8 which OneReferences: without The a second;Complete Works only of the Swami Brahman, Vivekananda. as never changes,CW andInspired this Talks is perfect.’ 25 CW. Unity, The Goal of Religion CW. Karma Yoga 1) [hereafter ] Vol-7. : Entry on Tuesday, June thCW. Jnana Yoga CW. ‘The Vedanta Philosophy’ CW. Bhakti Yoga , 1895 2) Vol-3: 3) Vol-1: : ‘The Secret of Work’ CW. Jnana Yoga CW. 4) Vol-2: : ‘The Freedom of the Soul’ 5) Vol-1: 6) Vol-3: : ‘The Philosophy of Ishvara’ 7) Vol-2: : ‘The Absolute and Manifestation’ 8) Vol-2: ‘The Goal’ The Order on the March News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Centenary of Salem Ashrama chariot, and a youth convention, there the cot, the large mirror A small group of enlightened attended by 9,300 people in and the walking stick used by citizens guided by Swami total. Samarpan, the centenary Swamiji. In 2006 this portion Nirmalananda initiated the sourvenir was released on the of the house became a sub- Ramakrishna Movement in Salem occasion. centre of Ramakrishna Mission in 1919. Today, the ashrama Swami Vivekananda Memorial Ashrama, Belagavi which was complex has a charitable at Belagavi established at the Fort centring April 2019 dispensary, a library, a balaka During his parivrajaka days, around Sri Haripada Mitra’s house in the year 2000. The 52 sangha, and a free tuition centre Swami Vivekananda stayed for for about 130 students. The 12 days — 16 to 27 October 1892 remaining portion of the house ashrama also regularly renders at Belagavi in North Karnataka. was purchased in 2014 and the welfare services to Leprosy For the first 3 days he stayed more than 140-year old building afflicted people (LAP) from in the house of Sri Sadashiv was successfully restored to two nearby Govt. rehabilitation Balakrishna Bhate in the town, its pristine condition. This centres. and the remaining 9 days he was restored house, renamed as The centenary celebration at Sri Haripada Mitra’s house Swami Vivekananda Memorial, The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta of the ashrama was recently inside the Fort. In 1987, a group was inaugurated on 1 February inaugurated by Srimat Swami of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda 2019 by Swami Suvirananda, Gautamananda Ji, one of the devotees received one-third of the General Secretary of the Vice-Presidents of the Order Sri Bhate’s house as a donation Order. The Memorial has a in a 3-day function from 2 to 4 from its then owner Sri Balwant permanent museum-exhibition February with a public meeting, D. Belvi. They converted the depicting the life and teachings cultural programmes, a grand room where Swamiji stayed of Swami Vivekananda and his procession with Sri Ramakrishna’s into a shrine and preserved visit to Belagavi. As part of the Belagavi Rajkot Salem

Ahimsa Jiva Seva Jiva

inauguration, a youth convention, Ramakrishna Mission in the state Akhandananda Desha Bhakti a devotees’ convention and of Chhattisgarh was started at Bhavan a t cultural programmes were held Bilaspur. Around 500 people RKMVERI, Satya Shraddha

from 1 to 3 February in which attended the formal inauguration Belur Math Tyaga 80 monks, 1200 youths and 600 programme held on 22 February. for employees, Pavitrata

devotees participated. 125th Anniversary of Swami faculty and research Nirbhaya Vivekananda Navaratri in Vivekananda ’s Historic scholars was inaugurated Chennai Chicago Addresses on 27 February by Srimat Swami Prabhananda Ji in the presence of Vivekananda Navaratri was Cultural competitions and Swami Suvirananda and others. celebrated by Chennai Math at talks were held by Chennai The students of Sanskrit Dept. Vivekanandar Illam, the erstwhile Vidyapith (5000 students), of RKMVERI won 1 gold & 2 Ice House in commemoration of Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya bronze medals in 13th All India Swami Vivekananda’s nine-day (1424 students) and Kailashahar Sanskrit Students’ Talent Festival stay there from 6 to 14 February ashrama (500 students). Srimat conducted by Rashtriya Sanskrit 1897 after his triumphant Swami Gautamananda Ji spoke at Vidyapeetha, Tirupati. return from the West. A 29 ft. a seminar held in Hyderabad Math ceramic tile mural of Swamiji which was attended by about 1200 Values Education and Youth was unveiled on the inaugural people. Conventions/Workshops Programmes day by Sri Banwarilal Purohit, for youth were conducted by To counter the pre-exami- Hon’ble Governor of Tamilnadu Kailashahar (1800 students), nation stress faced by students, in the presence of Srimat Swami Hatamuniguda (500 students) and Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai April 2019 Gautamananda Ji, Padmasri Mysuru (359 students) centres. in association with Madras 53 Dr. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti Devotees’ convention and spiritual Management Association (MMA) and Sri Balasubramaniam and retreats were organised by centres conducted a one-day seminar others. Discourses and cultural at Kailashahar (610 devotees), for students of classes X and performances were presented by Guwahati (300 people), Swamiji’s XII. More than 230 students students from different schools Ancestral House (450 devotees) participated. Mangaluru centre and colleges. At the Valedictory and Phoenix, South Africa (730 held three education conclaves— Function Sri O. Panneerselvam, people). Prajna 19, Shraddha 19 and PAGE SPONSOR : SMT. LAKSHMI DEVNATH, CHENNAI DEVNATH, LAKSHMI SMT. : SPONSOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Guests of Honour Medha 19—for college lecturers, of Tamilnadu was the Chief postgraduate students and teacher Sushri Uma Bharti, Union Guest and Dr. C. Vijaya Bhaskar, trainees. In all, about 1300 Minister for Drinking Water and Hon’ble Minister for Health people participated. The centre Sanitation, Govt. of India visited Education & Family Welfare was also conducted lectures in 10 Kanpur centre on 23 February. the Guest of Honour. colleges reaching about 2200 New Ashrama at Bilaspur Education Services youths. Rajkot Ashrama held: The 3rd branch centre of A new residential quarters, A written quiz competition on Salem Kumbh Mela Chennai Math Taki Swamiji from June 2018 to from Bhagavad Gita and the Ranchi Morabadi, Salem and February 2019 in which 79,131 Upanishads, was inaugurated on Seva Pratishthan in which students from 994 schools in 17 February by Srimat Swami 6034 patients were treated, 463 Gujarat took part; 13 value Gautamananda Ji. were given spectacles, and 996 education programmes in which Agricultural Services underwent surgeries. 2,200 students participated; and Kamarpukur Math held a Relief Services two seminars attended by 650 training programme on organic Cyclone Relief: In the wake students. Some other programmes farming for 61 farmers. of the severe cyclonic storm were held at Haripad (444 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Titli that hit Andhra Pradesh and students), Jamshedpur (1200 Mangaluru Ashrama Odisha on 11 October last year, youth), Nagpur (620 students) conducted the following activities Visakhapatnam ashrama helped and Medinipur (about 5500 in February: i) 4 cleanliness in repairing 125 boats, and also students and teachers). drives in Mangaluru involving distributed 1650 blankets among Pilgrim Services 1650 volunteers; ii) cleanliness the victims in Srikakulam district. On the occasion of Kumbha awareness campaigns for 22 In response to the severe cyclonic Mela, Prayagraj (earlier known days reaching out to nearly 1000 storm Gaja that hit coastal areas as Allahabad) ashrama put up a households in Mangaluru city; iii) of Tamil Nadu on 16 November, camp on the Mela ground from 19 seminars in colleges, attended Chennai Students’ Home helped 12 January to 20 February. by 5240 youth; and iv) cleanliness 221 families in Nagapattinam In all, about 200 monks and drives in 150 villages of Dakshina April 2019 district and Kanchipuram centre 1500 pilgrims were provided Kannada and Udupi districts in helped 13 families in Tanjavur 54 board and lodging at the camp. which 19,750 people took part. district Devotional songs and discourses Healthcare Services Winter Relief: 17830 blankets were held daily at the shrine- 103 Leprosy Cured but and 46581 jackets/sweaters/ cum-satsang pandal, and an Deformed Persons (LCDPs) sweatshirts etc., were distributed exhibition on Sri Ramakrishna, attended a programme held by through 48 centres in 10 states. In Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Chennai Math and 25 of them Bangladesh 1105 blankets and 70 Vivekananda was arranged in received livelihood rehabilitation sweaters were distributed through another pandal. About 32,000 4 centres. The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta items. 1035 people were patients were treated at the screened at a dental check-up Distress Relief: 84606 shirts/ charitable dispensary in the camp. camp held by Aalo centre. 104 T-shirts/trousers etc., 1856 A commemorative volume was patients received free medicines dhotis, 10645 saris, 5353 ladies’ also brought out by the centre on at a homeopathic camp held garments, 364 mosquito-nets, the occasion. by Bagda Math. 213 people 289 school bags were distributed Cultural Services and 1448 students participated through 32 centres in 10 states. On the initiative of Rama- in blood donation camps held Economic Rehabilitation: krishna Mission Vidyamandira by Jamshedpur ashrama and Antpur ashram distributed 81 (EMRS), Jhargram a statue of Chennai Vidyapith respectively. sets of weaving accessories, 25 Swami Vivekananda was installed Eye-camps were conducted in sewing machines and 17 rickshaw in the town on 27 February. January and February by the vans. Taki ashrama gave 1 The renovated Gita Darshanam centres at Bankura, Chennai fishing boat and 2 fishing nets. exhibition at Hyderabad Math, Math, Halasuru, Jamshedpur, Chandipur Math distributed 4 a museum of paintings on ideas Khetri, Lucknow, Porbandar, sewing machines. 55 Vol.106. No.4 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) April 2019. Regd.

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