Swami Brahmananda: a Spiritual Dynamo Swami Sarvadevananda
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Swami Brahmananda: A Spiritual Dynamo Swami Sarvadevananda ‘My child, withdrawing the mind from the entire universe and keeping it on the kuta, the Unchang- ing—is that a small matter?’ Saying these words, Swami Brahmananda lost himself in deep thought. I remembered the verse from the Bhagavadgita with the following phrase: ‘kutastham-achalam dhruvam; the Unchanging, the Unmoving, the Eternal’. I started wondering if I had understood the real significance of mantra-diksha, spiritual initiation, though I had been anxious to get it. I was overwhelmed by this thought. —Kalisaday Pashchima.1 wami Brahmananda would keep his mind absorbed in ‘the Unchanging, Unmoving, the SEternal’ even as he lived in the world for the good of humanity. Standing by the Brahmaputra River at Mymensingh, examining its extended banks spanning eight to ten miles, he once said, ‘Coming here, my mind is getting merged in the infinite’ (1). In its natural state his mind would be moving on higher planes of consciousness. He would force it to come down to the normal work- aday world by participating in such mundane acts as fishing, playing cards, smoking the hookah, or talking about mangoes. It was very difficult for or- ability of the fledgling Ramakrishna Order. The dinary people to understand the greatness of this Calcutta newspapers criticized the monks for ‘liv- extraordinary personality, who held firm the rudder ing a luxurious life’ unconcerned about the needs of the Ramakrishna Order during its critical initial of the motherland. They suggested that the sadhus days after the passing of Swami Vivekananda. did nothing to help the freedom movement after Sister Nivedita dissociated herself from the Order Transcendental Guide to actively pursue her political work. The British At the beginning of the last century the Indian government also weighed in with its own—though media had expressed serious doubts about the vi- diametrically opposite—criticism: it seemed con- vinced that the Order was secretly harbouring and Swami Sarvadevananda is Assistant Minister, Vedanta inspiring the freedom fighters. One could not have Society of Southern California, Hollywood. been blamed for thinking that the very survival of PB January 2009 1 38 Prabuddha Bharata the Order was at stake, caught as it was between always stay in an introspective mood, in a spiritual the insinuations of the local press and the oppres- atmosphere which is profound and grand, while sive surveillance of the British government. Taking running the administration of the Order.’4 One all these pressures in his stride, Maharaj—that was incident may be mentioned in this context. It was how Swami Brahmananda was popularly known— March 11. The annual meeting of the Rama- protected, nurtured, and facilitated the growth of krishna Mission was being held at Belur Math. the Order with his singular spiritual power. But Maharaj was presiding. Swamis Saradananda, for Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Premananda, and others were present. After Swami Vivekananda, whose footsteps Maharaj followed, Shuddhananda had finished reading the statement few believed that such an unassuming monk could, of accounts, Maharaj looked at Premananda and merely by the force of his spiritual presence, hold said: ‘Now you give them some spiritual instruc- the Order steady against such cross-currents—the tions. … Have these people come here—in this Order created by Swami Vivekananda to nurse the afternoon heat, spending money and undergoing spiritual ideal that is to invigorate India for the next trouble—to listen to these dry statement of ac- fifteen hundred years. counts! Pour some nectar into their hearts.’ Need- Brahmananda’s spirituality was his dynamo—the less to say, Premananda complied.5 fountainhead of power behind his personality; and Maharaj kept the twin ideals of God-realization it was this spirituality that had a remarkable im- and the welfare of the world ablaze in the minds pact in transforming the lives of those who came to of the monastic and lay members of the Order. him. One day Swami Akhilananda, who was then a Swami Vivekananda did not find it easy to con- very young boy, was told by Swami Vijnanananda vince his brother monks about the need for the to tell Swami Brahmananda: ‘There is something new ideal of Practical Vedanta with its emphasis on within me that needs awakening—please help me service in the spirit of worship. Harder still was it to do it.’ When Akhilananda asked Vijnanananda for Maharaj to promote the ideal among the monks why he himself did not do this awakening for him, of the next generation. Though Maharaj empha- Vijnanananda replied with his usual humility: ‘I have sized meditation and japa, he gave service activi- very little spiritual power within me, but Maharaj ties equal importance. In 11 the Mission was in lives in the powerhouse. He can easily do what you need of workers for relief activities. Many monks ask.’ Maharaj, of course, took Akhilananda’s words were hesitating to join the relief work, considering very seriously, telling him that ‘for this awakening it an obstacle to spiritual practice. Coming to know one needs initiation’ and promising to initiate him. of this, Maharaj said to the monks of Belur Math: According to Akhilananda: ‘Maharaj made us feel ‘Some amongst you, I hear, say that the activities that spiritual awakening and God-realization are not of the Mission are obstacles to spiritual practice; difficult to achieve. He made us understand that tre- that spiritual development is not possible through mendous help will be given us if only we will struggle relief work and such other activities. … You do not a little, and that we can easily reach the goal.’2 After understand our attitude. You ought to accept the the inception and establishment of the Bhubaneswar spirit [in which our work is carried out]. Of course, Math, Maharaj instructed a monk saying, ‘Perform I have been repeating again and again, and even intense japa, practise mental japa with every breath. now I say this emphatically, that whether you go to If this turns into a habit, then japa goes on spontan- do famine relief or any other work, call upon God eously. It even continues before and after sleep. If a in the mornings and evenings and at the end of boy performs meditation and japa in right earnest, a the work—perform japa and meditation.’ Maharaj math can run on the merit of his practice.’3 reminded them of Swamiji’s exhortation that one Swami Shankarananda said: ‘We have seen him ought not to be afraid to dedicate one lifetime to 20 PB January 2009 Swami Brahmananda: A Spiritual Dynamo 39 the welfare of the world, as many previous lives have of mind. His intense love for God, sincere spir- been wasted through laziness. Hearing these inspir- itual eff ort, and utmost renunciation made Rakhal ing words, the monks became free from confusion a Brahmananda. and misgivings and prepared themselves for the re- Sri Ramakrishna, an ideal spiritual teacher, lief work with rejuvenated spirits (8–). whose being was steeped in samadhi, whose con- Equally telling are Swami Turiyananda’s utter- sciousness was raised to the dizzy heights of non- ances of 4 January on the same issue: dual Truth, took great care to build the spiritual edifi ce that each of his monastic children was. He Many take these [service] activities to be inferior to meditation. Th ey do not understand the sig- guided Rakhal step by step, making him a spiritual nifi cance [of these activities]. Th ey say this on a powerhouse. He taught him to be regular in his spir- whim. … People fail to understand that Swamiji itual practices. On one occasion Sri Ramakrishna instituted this path aft er seeing the Self in all freed him from depression and mental distraction created beings. Th ey merely repeat old-fangled at the lack of spiritual experience by writing some- ideas—wishing to confi ne themselves to medi- thing on his tongue. Another day he gave Rakhal tation and japa. If one performs this service to a special mantra and also a vision of his Chosen Narayana [the Divine] in the right spirit for three Deity saying, ‘Look, this is your mantra and this days, one will have direct realization. … You re- gard them as patients, not as Narayana, that is is your Chosen Deity.’ Immediately Rakhal saw why you do not have any realization. But is it not the luminous form of God in front of him and was true that everyone is Narayana? ‘Ishvara sarva- overwhelmed. He also instructed Rakhal in many bhutanam hrid-deshe’rjuna- tishthati; God resides spiritual disciplines—asanas or postures, mudra s in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna.’ If you cannot or gestures, methods of japa, meditation, yoga, and see that, the fault is yours (). the like.⁶ Practising these disciplines in solitude Rakhal experienced the highest realization. The Unfolding of a Perfected Soul Sri Ramakrishna’s training was suited to meet From the very early days of his life, Rakhal—that individual needs and temperaments. Of Rakhal’s was Maharaj’s pre-monastic name—used to live in spiritual nature, vis-à-vis Narendra’s, he had this another plane of consciousness. As a young boy, he to say: ‘Naren dwells in the realm of the Absolute, would get totally absorbed in the thought of Mother Durga while looking at the image of the deity dur- ing the annual worship of the Divine Mother at his ne evening while he was at Madras, he birthplace Sikra. He used to prepare images of gods O[Maharaj] went into Samadhi (the super- and goddesses and worship them. Th ere was a big conscious state) during Arati [vesper].