THE LION of VEDANTA a Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order Since 1914
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rd 1 103 Price: ` 10 YEAR OF PUBLICATION The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 Ramakrishna Math, Tamluk, West Bengal June 2016 2 The outer layers of cakes are made of rice flour, but inside they are stuffed with different ingredients. The cake is good or bad according to the quality of its stuffing. So are all human bodies made of one and the same material, yet men are different in quality according to the purity of their hearts. —Sri Ramakrishna Shrine of Ramakrishna Math, Tamluk, West Bengal Editor: SWAMI ATMASHRADDHANANDA Managing Editor: SWAMI GAUTAMANANDA Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust fromThe No.31, RamakrishnaV edanta KMathesari Road, ~ 2 Mylapore, ~ JUNE Chennai 2016 - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110 3 The Vedanta Kesari 103rd YEAR OF PUBLICATION VOL. 103, No. 6 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914. For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org CONTENTS JUNE 2016 Gita Verse for Reflection 205 Editorial Bhagavad Gita: A Source of Eternal Wisdom and Values 206 Articles In Search of Truth—Some Reflections on Brahmasutras 216 Swami Golokananda Musings on India’s Unity 219 Michel Danino Youth and their Problems: Lessons in Coping with Life from Swami Vivekananda 226 Swami Satyapriyananda Holistic Development through Religious Harmony The Vision and Mission of Swami Vivekananda 234 T V Muralivallabhan Reminiscences Reminiscences of Sargachhi 211 Swami Suhitananda New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 232 The Order on the March 237 Book Reviews 240 Feature Simhâvalokanam (The Ethical aspect of the Vedanta) 210 Cover Story: Page 6 The V edanta K esari 4 JUNE 2016 The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Website : www.chennaimath.org For all authors and contributors : [email protected] For all subscription related inquiries: [email protected] TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS You can subscribe to The Vedanta reaching us before this or after one Kesari from any month. month (for overseas subscriptions, On your address slip, the number two months) of posting of the jour- on the left of the first line of add- nal are not entertained. ress is your subscription number. To ensure continuity, please renew your Always mention this in your corres- subscription well in advance. pondence. For fresh subscriptions, renewals, plac- Your initiative in promoting this scheme will help a noble cause. If you do not receive your ing advertisements in The Vedanta And the cause awaits your involvement. copy by 2nd week of a month, Kesari, please write to The Manager, please intimate us. Complaints The Vedanta Kesari Office. Vedanta Kesari Subscription Annual 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years Rates (inclusive of postage) India Rs.100 Rs.290 Rs.475 Rs.1000 Other Countries All overseas dispatch by Air Mail. Rs.2000 Rs.6000 Rs.10000 --- Please send your subscription to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Payments / donations can be made Online using your Master or Visa Cards. For Online subscription rates, please visit our Website. We invite our readers to liberally contribute to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. This will go a long way in placing this 100 years old magazine on firm financial footing to continue its service to the cause of a holistic and meaning- ful life. Your contributions (minimum of Rs.1000/- or US$ 25) by Cheque/DD/ MO should be sent to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, along with a covering note stating that it is meant for Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. Every contribution will be gratefully acknowledged and the donor’s name will be pub- lished in the Vedanta Kesari. All donations to Sri Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T. Act, 1961. We accept online donations also. The V edanta K esari 5 JUNE 2016 Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme Do you wish to join in spreading the message of Vedanta and of Ramakrishna- Vivekananda to larger number of people? Do you feel that India’s timeless heritage You are welcome to of spirituality, values and culture need to join us in these efforts reach a wider section of youth? by contributing to our Library Fund Scheme. Your initiative in promoting this scheme will help a noble cause. And the cause awaits your involvement. The Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme aims at a wider reach among the youth, especially in high schools, colleges / universities and other institutions of learning in India. Sponsorship for one library is Rs.1000/-. Under this scheme, donors can sponsor libraries, including public libraries, which would receive The Vedanta Kesari for ten years. The sponsors can mention the libraries which they wish to enroll, or The Vedanta Kesari would select the libraries on their behalf. The name of the sponsors, along with the libraries enrolled, will be published in The Vedanta Kesari. This scheme is valid for libraries in India. We invite you to join hands with us in this valuable scheme. You can send your sponsorship by cash or through a DD drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai’ and send it with a covering note to The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : [email protected] Website : www.chennaimath.org ‘Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.’ —Swami Vivekananda The V edanta K esari 6 JUNE 2016 N Cover Story N Ramakrishna Temple, Tamluk Ashrama, West Bengal The town of Tamluk is the district headquarters of Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal. An ancient place, present day Tamluk is believed to be the site of the ancient city variously known as Tamralipta or Tamralipti and is located on the banks of the Rupnarayan River close to the Bay of Bengal. A centre of Ramakrishna Math was started at Tamluk in 1914 and taken over by Belur Math in 1924 and the Mission centre was also started in 1914 and was taken over in 1929. Activities of the Math centre include religious discourses in and outside the Ashrama premises, daily worship and bhajans, celebration of the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other prophets, and also Kali Puja. The activities of the Mission centre include an industrial school which conducts a three-year course in carpentry, a primary school with 300 boys and 150 girls, a free students’ home, a library and a reading room and two charitable homoeopathic dispensaries, and welfare work by way of distribution of milk, clothing, pecuniary help, etc., to the needy. The shrine of the temple, featured on the cover, is adorned with a marble image of Sri Ramakrishna. The spacious prayer hall of the temple has the seating capacity of more than 150. THE VEDANTA KESARI PATRONS’ SCHEME We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that the enclosed amount is for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only). DONOR PATRONS Ms. Nageswara Rao K V, 724. Dr. M.B. Aswath Narayan, Chennai Hyderabad Rs. 1,18,116 725. Mr. H. Chetan, Bangalore The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS 6021. Mr. Bhogilal Patil, U.K. Branch Library, Mallipudur, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 111 6022. -do- Branch Library, Mangalam, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 124 6023. -do- Branch Library, Sattur Taluk, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 140 6024. -do- Branch Library, Chozhapuram, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 713 6025. -do- Branch Library, Sippiparai, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 713 6026. -do- Branch Library, Sivalingapuram, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 136 (continued on page 47) The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 103, No. 6, JUNE 2016 ISSN 0042-2983 EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 7 Gita Verse for Reflection Tr. by Swami Tapasyananda —Bhagavad Gita, 15. 2 Nourished by the Gunas and covered with the budding foliage of sense objects, its branches spread into regions high and low. Stretching forth on the ground below in the world of men, are its secondary roots, entangling man in the bondage of action. Whence comes all this bondage of action? Because we chain the soul with action. According to our Indian system, there are two existences: nature on the one side and the Self, the Atman, on the other. By the word nature is meant not only all this external world, but also our bodies, the mind, the will, even down to what says ‘I’. Beyond all that is the infinite life and light of the soul—the Self, the Atman. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1:470 The V edanta K esari ~ 205 ~ JUNE 2016 8 Editorial Bhagavad Gita: A Source of Eternal Wisdom and Values The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure-house Internet browsing, emails, digital cameras, of wisdom and divine qualities.