1 TheVedanta Kesari September 2018 1 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 1 A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly `15 September of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 2018 TheTheVedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h(044) 2462 1110 e-mail: [email protected] Website : www.chennaimath.org Dear Readers,Readers, TheThe VeVedantadanta KesariKe is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazinesmagazines in thethe country.c Started under the guidance and support of Swami Vivekananda,Vivekana the first issue of the magazine, then called BrahmavadinBrahmavadin, camecam out on 14 Sept 1895. Brahmavadin was run by oneone ooff SwamiSwamiji’sji’s ardent followers Sri Alasinga Perumal. After his death iinn 1909 tthehe mmagazine publication became irregular, and stopped inin 1914 whereuponwhe the Ramakrishna Order revived it as The VedantaVedanta KesariK . SwamiSw Vivekananda’s concern for the magazine is seen inin hhisis letters to Alasinga Perumal where he writes: ‘Now September 2018 I am bent upon starting the journal.’ ‘Herewith I send a hundredhund dollars…. Hope this will go just a little in starting 5 youryou paper.’ ‘I am determined to see the paper succeed.’ ‘The‘Th Song of the Sannyasin is my first contribution for youryour journal.’ ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state thatt Brahmavadin is in.’ ‘It must be supported by the HindusHindus iif they have any sense of virtue or gratitude left in them.’them ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ ‘The‘Th Brahmavadin is a jewel—it must not perish. Of course,co such a paper has to be kept up by private help Kesari The Vedanta always,always, andand wew will do it.’ For the last 104 years, without missing a single issue, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on spirituality,rituality, culture, philosophy, youth, personality development, science, holistic living, family and corporate values. Over the years, production and publication PERMANENT FUND costs have gone up manifold. A non-commercial To become self-supportingupporting magazine like this can continue its good work only with the generous financial support and To establish the magazine on firm financial active assistance of well-wishers. footing we need ONE CRORE RUPEES for Hence, we appeal to our readers and the Permanent Fund. admirers of Swamiji to support us by donating to Please contribute generously. Names of the the following schemes: donors will appear in the magazine. SPONSOR A PAGEE GIFGIFT 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 Vedanta- reach the target faster and Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to a wider section enhance overall quality. of youth. You can select any library in India, The sponsor's name will or let The Vedanta Kesari choose one. appear in the margin of the Name of sponsors and libraries enrolled will page. be published in The Vedanta Kesari. Sponsorship Gift Subscription for 3 libraries per page: Rs. 1000/- for 1 year: Rs.500/- PAYMENT DETAILS September 2018 1. You can send donations either by Cheque/DD/MO or Bank Transfer or Online Payment. 2. Cheque / DD / MO in favour of: ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai’ 6 Postal Address: Sri Ramakrishna Math, # 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. 3. Bank Transfer in India: Name of the Bank : United Bank of India Bank Code No. : 600027009 Name of the Branch : R.K. Math Road, Chennai - 4 IFSC : UTBI0SRM842 Name of the Account : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai {here ‘0’ is zero} Account Number : 1511010100001 Swift Code : UTBIINBBMBS of UBI 4. Donate Online: https://donations.chennaimath.org The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 5. After any donation please e-mail transaction details to : [email protected] a) In the e-mail / covering letter mention purpose of payment: VK Subscription / VK Permanent Fund / VK Sponsor a Page / VK Gift to Libraries. b) Kindly mention your postal address and contact number. c) Please give your PAN Number for donations `10,000 and above. d) All donations are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T.Act, 1961. SERIESISSUE 92: ISSUE 1 The ideal of faith in“ ourselves is of the greatest help to us... focus in this issue: Living the Ideal of ‘faith in oneself’ September 2018 LIVING THE IDEAL OF ‘FAITH IN ONESELF’: THE BUILDING BLOCKS 27 Developing faith in the [4] infinite potential of oneself & others PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, MADURAI DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta [3] Stretching the limits of oneself [2] Raising oneself by oneself [1] Accepting that we alone are responsbile for ourselves ® ©ILLUMINE KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES PVT. LTD. > In the next two pages we explore all four building blocks... Exploring the building blocks of the ideal of ‘faith in ourselves’... [A]: Accepting that we alone are responsbile for ourselves We accept that we are We accept that we are responsible for our current responsible for our current situation or condition level of capability Here is an example of two (J6XVKDQW´,FDQ·WEODPHWKHWRXJK classmates, Manoj and Amit... SDSHUIRUP\EDGH[DPUHVXOWV,GLG 0DQRMKDVQ·WJRWDMREPRQWKV EDGO\EHFDXVH,ZDVQ·WSUHSDUHGZHOO DIWHUJUDGXDWLRQ%XWKH HQRXJK,KDYHWRLPSURYHP\VWXG\ UHFRJQL]HVLWLVEHFDXVH approach to do well next time…” KHGLGQ·WGRHQRXJKWR Sushant recognizes that he is responsible HTXLSKLPVHOIIRUDWRXJK for his current level of capability. MREPDUNHW $PLWJRWDJRRGMRE GHVSLWHQRFROOHJH We accept that we are responsible placements. He for our choices and responses DWWULEXWHVLWWRWKH HIIRUWKHSXWLQWR %HIRUHDQH[DP5XFKLJHWVYHU\QHUYRXV6KHFDQ plan early & do all that was FKRRVHWR D IDFHWKHH[DPZLWKSRVLWLYLW\E\ QHFHVVDU\WRVXFFHHG SURDFWLYHO\WXUQLQJKHUPLQGWRIRFXVRQVWXG\ Both recognize that they are rather than on her fears; 25 E OHWKHUIHDUV responsible for the outcomes RYHUWDNHKHUDQGSUHYHQWKHUIURPVWXG\LQJ September 2018 they experience. Ruchi needs to recognize that she has the power to make a choice. 28 [B] Raising oneself by oneself (not waiting for others to help us) Taking charge of our own PAGE SPONSOR : A DEVOTEE, TEYNAMPET, CHENNAI TEYNAMPET, DEVOTEE, A : SPONSOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta learning & capacity building Taking charge of finding our own solutions to our problems, rather than ´,VKRXOGQRWZDLWIRUP\FRPSDQ\WR waiting for an answer from others WUDLQPHWRIDFHWKHFKDQJHV WDNLQJSODFHLQWKHZRUOG,WLV (J.LUDQ·VIDPLO\ZDVJRLQJWKURXJK LPSRUWDQWWKDW,WDNHFKDUJH ÀQDQFLDOGLIÀFXOW\DVKHUIDWKHU DQGVWDUWGHYHORSLQJWKHQHZ IHOOVHULRXVO\LOO,QVWHDGRIZDLWLQJ FDSDFLWLHVQHHGHGWRNHHS IRUUHODWLYHVWRFRPHIRUZDUGWR DEUHDVWZLWKQHZGHYHORSPHQWV SURYLGHIRUWKHP.LUDQVD\V´:H LQWKLVÀHOGµ FDQÀQGRXURZQVROXWLRQV,ZLOO WDNHXSDMREDQGÀQGZD\VWRKHOS XVFRPHRXWRIWKLVVLWXDWLRQµ Demonstrating grit to struggle through any problem or difficulty, rather than running away or giving up (J:KHQ,DPQRWDEOHWRXQGHUVWDQG D0DWKFRQFHSW,VSHQGWLPHWU\LQJWR JUDVSDQGXQGHUVWDQGLWLQVWHDGRIJLYLQJ XSVD\LQJ,·PQRWJRRGDW0DWKVLWVHOI [C] Stretching the limits of oneself (expanding the boundaries of our faith in ourselves) Expanding our circle of faith... Taking up bigger goals, bigger Expanding our challenges... circle of faith in ourselves - to The bigger the goal, faith in team, the greater the faith community & we need in ourselves country Striving for higher and greater truths in our life... E.g. Trying to learn about our deeper goals and aspirations of life, requires us to dive deeper than our normal pre-occupations with day-to-day activities, and normal desires & ambitions of life. Even such a journey requires us to stretch the limits of ourselves. September 2018 29 [D] Developing faith in the infinite potential (divinity) of oneself and every other human being Living this ideal implies that, at the core, we believe ourselves to be not a biological or material entity, but PAGE SPONSOR : SRI SHARATKUMAR VARIYAR, BENGALURU VARIYAR, SHARATKUMAR SRI : SPONSOR PAGE inifinite potential someone who is intrinsically divine. Kesari The Vedanta in every other human being This belief in oneself as divine – as having a divine core and a divine spark within oneself and also as having an infinite capacity within oneself – gives us the courage to take up life in the fullest possible way. And, a similar belief in others, in our inifinite fellowmen, in our team members, in potential in me society at large, allows us to work with others in a spirit of collaboration and equality – of regard, respect and service. This allows us to have an intrinsic regard, oneness & identification and ownness with every other human being. Swami Vivekananda - the embodiment of the ideal of ‘faith in oneself’ Swami Vivekananda wanted each one of us to develop faith in ourselves, just like him. In his own words ... If faith in ourselves had been more If you have faith in all the three “ extensively taught and practiced, “ hundred and thirty millions of I am sure a very large portion of your mythological gods, and in all the evils and miseries that we have the gods which foreigners have would have vanished. now and again introduced into CW II 301.2 your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, Have that faith, each one and stand up on that faith and be “ of you, in yourself — that strong; that is what we need. eternal power is lodged in CW III 190.2 every soul — and you will revive the whole of India. September 2018 The history of the world is the CW III 320.2 30 “ history of a few men who had faith in themselves. That faith calls out the divinity within. CW VIII 228.3 Do not say we are weak; we can “ do anything and everything. What can we not do? Everything can be To advance we must have faith in done by us; we all have the same CHENNAI A., T.